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Directed Energy development budget growth from 2014- 2023.

2024.05.22 04:01 Atoraxic Directed Energy development budget growth from 2014- 2023.

Since I have been under assault the funding for directed energy weapons has absolutely exploded.News June 30, 2014
Directed Energy non lethal development budget compared to entire DEW from 2014- 2023.
-2014 non lethal: $1,630.6 estimated 1 billion total
-2023 entire DEW: "US$6.4 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 19.6% during the forecast period 2024-2034."
Conducted And Directed Energy Weapons To Drive Non-Lethal Weapons Market Growth
The concept of a weapon that is designed merely to temporarily incapacitate, with little or no lasting injury, is relatively new. The development of non-lethal weapons can be viewed as a consequence of the rise of democratic values. The use of lethal force on a nation’s own citizens is often met with dissent and criticism in democracies. The rise of non-lethal weapons has taken place in the last two decades. Non-lethal weapons for anti-personnel purposes have become increasingly high in demand from law enforcement agencies across the world. The new report has calculated that in 2014 the market will be worth $1,630.6M.
The new report, now available on ASDReports, Non-Lethal Weapons (NLW) Market 2014-2024: Conducted & Directed Energy Weapons (CEW & DEW), Less Lethal Weapons (LLW) & Equipment for Military & Law Enforcement. This report finds overall market growth over the forecast period as more nations enter the market and technological advances realise new capabilities.
A detailed analysis of the latest political, economic and technological trends lies at the heart of the reports unparalleled quantitative and qualitative analysis of the non-lethal weapons market. The new report assesses that global spending on non- lethal weapons will amount to $1630.6m in 2014, or the start of the forecast period covered by this report. This 239 page report is packed with 205 tables, figures and charts that illustrate key trends in the market at the global level, 2 submarkets, and in 15 leading national markets. The report profiles 17 leading non- lethal weapons companies. The report also contains interviews with expert members within the industry and details of more than 150 relevant non-lethal weapons contracts and programmes.
“Non-lethal anti-personnel systems such as conducted energy weapons, less-lethal ammunition, tear gas and pepper spray have proven capabilities in crowd control situation. Our research indicates that non-lethal anti-personnel weapons are becoming increasingly high in demand particularly from law enforcement agencies.
In recent years, advances in energy weapon technology both Conducted Energy Weapons (CEW) for anti-personnel utility and Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) technology predominantly for anti-vehicle have highlighted the demand for such systems, particularly in nations with more advanced armed forces.
Furthermore, efforts of nations such as India, Brazil and South Africa to modernise their armed forces and security services will provide significant new market opportunities. It is believed that a lowering of barriers to entry with technological advancements made over the past decade will create new demand for a range of non-lethal systems. This new demand will drive growth within the market.”
The Non-Lethal Weapons (NLW) Market 2014-2024: Conducted & Directed Energy Weapons (CEW & DEW), Less Lethal Weapons (LLW) & Equipment for Military & Law Enforcement report will be of impressive value to current and future investors into the industry, as well as to companies and research centres who wish to broaden their knowledge of the non-lethal weapons market.

Conducted And Directed Energy Weapons To Drive Non-Lethal Weapons Market Growth
The concept of a weapon that is designed merely to temporarily incapacitate, with little or no lasting injury, is relatively new. The development of non-lethal weapons can be viewed as a consequence of the rise of democratic values. The use of lethal force on a nation’s own citizens is often met with dissent and criticism in democracies. The rise of non-lethal weapons has taken place in the last two decades. Non-lethal weapons for anti-personnel purposes have become increasingly high in demand from law enforcement agencies across the world. The new report has calculated that in 2014 the market will be worth $1,630.6M.
The new report, now available on ASDReports, Non-Lethal Weapons (NLW) Market 2014-2024: Conducted & Directed Energy Weapons (CEW & DEW), Less Lethal Weapons (LLW) & Equipment for Military & Law Enforcement. This report finds overall market growth over the forecast period as more nations enter the market and technological advances realise new capabilities.
A detailed analysis of the latest political, economic and technological trends lies at the heart of the reports unparalleled quantitative and qualitative analysis of the non-lethal weapons market. The new report assesses that global spending on non- lethal weapons will amount to $1630.6m in 2014, or the start of the forecast period covered by this report. This 239 page report is packed with 205 tables, figures and charts that illustrate key trends in the market at the global level, 2 submarkets, and in 15 leading national markets. The report profiles 17 leading non- lethal weapons companies. The report also contains interviews with expert members within the industry and details of more than 150 relevant non-lethal weapons contracts and programmes.
“Non-lethal anti-personnel systems such as conducted energy weapons, less-lethal ammunition, tear gas and pepper spray have proven capabilities in crowd control situation. Our research indicates that non-lethal anti-personnel weapons are becoming increasingly high in demand particularly from law enforcement agencies.
In recent years, advances in energy weapon technology both Conducted Energy Weapons (CEW) for anti-personnel utility and Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) technology predominantly for anti-vehicle have highlighted the demand for such systems, particularly in nations with more advanced armed forces.
Furthermore, efforts of nations such as India, Brazil and South Africa to modernise their armed forces and security services will provide significant new market opportunities. It is believed that a lowering of barriers to entry with technological advancements made over the past decade will create new demand for a range of non-lethal systems. This new demand will drive growth within the market.”
The Non-Lethal Weapons (NLW) Market 2014-2024: Conducted & Directed Energy Weapons (CEW & DEW), Less Lethal Weapons (LLW) & Equipment for Military & Law Enforcement report will be of impressive value to current and future investors into the industry, as well as to companies and research centres who wish to broaden their knowledge of the non-lethal weapons market.
https://www.rfglobalnet.com/doc/conducted-energy-weapons-drive-non-lethal-weapons-0001
Visiongain Publishes Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) Market Report 2024-2034
26 February 2024
Defence
Visiongain has published a new report entitled Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) Market Report 2024-2034: Forecasts by Type (Lethal Weapons, Non-lethal Weapons), by System (Anti-Satellite (ASAT) DEW, Electromagnetic Railgun Systems, Counter-Drone DEW Systems, Other), by Technology (High-Energy Lasers (HEL), High-Power Microwaves (HPM), Sonic Weapons, Electromagnetic Weapons, Other), by Application (Ground-Based DEW for Military Bases, Airborne DEW for Aircraft Defence, Naval DEW for Ship Defence, Homeland Security, Critical Infrastructure Defence, Other) AND Regional and Leading National Market Analysis PLUS Analysis of Leading Companies AND COVID-19 Impact and Recovery Pattern Analysis.
The global directed energy weapons (DEW) market was valued at US$6.4 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 19.6% during the forecast period 2024-2034.
Requirement for Cost-Effective Defense Solutions
The requirement for cost-effective defense solutions amidst constrained defense budgets is driving the adoption of directed energy weapons by military organizations worldwide. Traditional kinetic weapons and missile defense systems involve high procurement, operation, and maintenance costs, making them economically unsustainable for many defense budgets. Directed energy weapons offer a more cost-effective alternative with reduced ammunition costs, minimal logistical footprint, and lower lifecycle expenses. For example, the deployment of laser-based counter-UAV systems by military forces provides a cost-effective means of defending against small unmanned aerial threats compared to conventional missile-based interceptors.
Increasing Investments in Directed Energy Programs
The increasing investments in directed energy programs by government agencies, defense contractors, and research institutions are driving innovation and growth in the global directed energy weapons market. Countries such as the United States, China, Russia, and European nations are allocating substantial funding to accelerate the development and deployment of directed energy technologies for military applications. These investments support research and development initiatives aimed at enhancing the performance, reliability, and operational capabilities of directed energy weapons across various platforms. For instance, the U.S. Department of Defense's Directed Energy Weapons Directorate (DEWD) oversees a range of directed energy programs focused on advancing laser, microwave, and radiofrequency technologies for military use.
How has COVID-19 had a significant negative impact on the Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) Market?
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a discernible impact on the directed energy weapon (DEW) market, influencing various aspects of its development, production, and deployment. One notable effect has been the disruption of supply chains and manufacturing processes. Lockdowns, restrictions on movement, and workforce limitations imposed to curb the spread of the virus have led to delays in production schedules and the availability of essential components for DEW systems. This has, in turn, affected the overall pace of development and delivery of directed energy weapons.
Financial constraints have emerged as another significant impact of the pandemic on the directed energy weapon market. Many defence budgets faced reallocations and adjustments to address the immediate healthcare and economic challenges posed by the pandemic. Consequently, some defence programs, including those related to advanced technologies like DEWs, experienced budgetary constraints, slowing down investment and procurement processes.
Operational disruptions have affected the testing and validation phases of DEW systems. Social distancing measures and limitations on gatherings have impeded the ability to conduct field trials and exercises. These constraints have slowed down the evaluation and validation of directed energy weapons in real-world scenarios, hindering progress in achieving operational readiness.
How will this Report Benefit you?
Visiongain’s 372-page report provides 113 tables and 198 charts/graphs. Our new study is suitable for anyone requiring commercial, in-depth analyses for the global directed energy weapons (DEW) market, along with detailed segment analysis in the market. Our new study will help you evaluate the overall global and regional market for Directed Energy Weapons (DEW). Get financial analysis of the overall market and different segments including type, system, technology, and application and capture higher market share. We believe that there are strong opportunities in this fast-growing directed energy weapons (DEW) market. See how to use the existing and upcoming opportunities in this market to gain revenue benefits in the near future. Moreover, the report will help you to improve your strategic decision-making, allowing you to frame growth strategies, reinforce the analysis of other market players, and maximise the productivity of the company.
What are the Current Market Drivers?
Need for Precision and Lethality in Modern Warfare The need for precision and lethality in modern warfare scenarios drives the adoption of directed energy weapons by defense forces worldwide. Traditional kinetic weapons, such as missiles and artillery shells, often result in collateral damage and unintended casualties, limiting their effectiveness in densely populated urban environments and sensitive infrastructure areas. Directed energy weapons offer a more precise and controlled means of engaging targets, minimizing collateral damage and civilian casualties while maximizing lethality against enemy assets. For example, the U.S. Air Force's Tactical High Energy Laser (THEL) system demonstrates the capability of DEWs to engage and destroy incoming artillery shells and rockets with pinpoint accuracy, reducing the risk to friendly forces and civilian populations.
Growing Threat of Ballistic Missile and Hypersonic Weapons The growing threat posed by ballistic missile proliferation and the development of hypersonic weapons systems is driving the demand for directed energy weapons as a viable defense solution. Ballistic missiles and hypersonic glide vehicles pose significant challenges to existing missile defense systems due to their high speeds, maneuverability, and unpredictable trajectories. Directed energy weapons offer a potential solution for intercepting and neutralizing ballistic missiles and hypersonic threats in the boost, mid-course, and terminal phases of flight. For instance, the concept of using high-energy lasers or particle beams to intercept and destroy incoming missiles in near-real-time is being explored as a cost-effective and reliable defense against advanced missile threats.
Where are the Market Opportunities?
Advancements in Compact and Mobile Directed Energy Platforms Advancements in compact and mobile directed energy platforms are expanding the operational flexibility and deployment options for directed energy weapons in military environments. Traditional directed energy systems were often large, stationary installations limited to fixed bases or naval vessels, which restricted their mobility and deployment agility. However, recent technological advancements have led to the development of compact, lightweight, and mobile directed energy platforms that can be integrated into various military platforms, including ground vehicles, aircraft, and dismounted soldier systems. For example, the development of man-portable laser weapons, such as the U.S. Army's Mobile Experimental High Energy Laser (MEHEL) system, enables ground troops to engage and neutralize threats with precision and speed in diverse operational environments.
Need for Counter-UAS and Counter-Swarm Capabilities The proliferation of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and the emergence of drone swarms as asymmetric threats are driving the demand for directed energy weapons with counter-UAS and counter-swarm capabilities. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and drone swarms pose challenges to conventional air defense systems due to their small size, agility, and swarm tactics, making them difficult to detect and intercept using traditional kinetic weapons. Directed energy weapons offer a rapid and effective means of countering UAS threats by providing continuous, 360-degree coverage, rapid engagement, and scalable lethality. For instance, ground-based laser and microwave systems deployed in urban areas or critical infrastructure sites can detect and neutralize hostile drones and swarms with precision, protecting assets and personnel from aerial threats.
Competitive Landscape
The major players operating in the directed energy weapons (DEW) market are BAE Systems PLC, Blue Halo, Elbit Systems Ltd, Honeywell International Inc, L3Harris Technologies, Inc, Leonardo S.p.A, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Moog Inc, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Rafael Advanced Defence Systems Ltd., Raytheon Technologies Corporation, Rheinmetall AG, Textron Inc, Thales Group, The Boeing Company. These major players operating in this market have adopted various strategies comprising M&A, investment in R&D, collaborations, partnerships, regional business expansion, and new product launch.
Recent Developments
24 Sept 2023, Raytheon Technologies Corporation has entered into collaboration with Northrop Grumman to develop a prototype High-Power Microwave (HPM) weapon system for maritime applications.
04 June 2023, Lockheed Martin and Rafael Advanced Defence Systems partnered to manufacture 100 kW fiber-class laser weapons for the IRON BEAM project, aiming to defend Israel against rockets, mortars, and drones.
Notes for Editors If you are interested in a more detailed overview of this report, please send an e-mail to [contactus@visiongain.com](mailto:contactus@visiongain.com) or call +44 (0) 207 336 6100.
About Visiongain Visiongain is one of the fastest-growing and most innovative independent media companies in Europe. Based in London, UK, Visiongain produces a host of business-to-business reports focusing on the automotive, aviation, chemicals, cyber, defence, energy, food & drink, materials, packaging, pharmaceutical and utilities sectors.
Visiongain publishes reports produced by analysts who are qualified experts in their field. Visiongain has firmly established itself as the first port of call for the business professional who needs independent, high-quality, original material to rely and depend on.Visiongain Publishes Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) Market Report 2024-2034
26 February 2024
https://www.visiongain.com/dew-market-report/
submitted by Atoraxic to v2khelp [link] [comments]

2024.05.22 03:58 Atoraxic Directed Energy development budget growth from 2014- 2023

Since I have been under assault the funding for directed energy weapons has absolutely exploded.
Directed Energy non lethal development budget compared to entire DEW from 2014- 2023.
-2014 non lethal: $1,630.6M entire DEW is estimated at around 1 billion US.
-2023 entire DEW: "US$6.4 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 19.6% during the forecast period 2024-2034."
News June 30, 2014
Conducted And Directed Energy Weapons To Drive Non-Lethal Weapons Market Growth
The concept of a weapon that is designed merely to temporarily incapacitate, with little or no lasting injury, is relatively new. The development of non-lethal weapons can be viewed as a consequence of the rise of democratic values. The use of lethal force on a nation’s own citizens is often met with dissent and criticism in democracies. The rise of non-lethal weapons has taken place in the last two decades. Non-lethal weapons for anti-personnel purposes have become increasingly high in demand from law enforcement agencies across the world. The new report has calculated that in 2014 the market will be worth $1,630.6M.
The new report, now available on ASDReports, Non-Lethal Weapons (NLW) Market 2014-2024: Conducted & Directed Energy Weapons (CEW & DEW), Less Lethal Weapons (LLW) & Equipment for Military & Law Enforcement. This report finds overall market growth over the forecast period as more nations enter the market and technological advances realise new capabilities.
A detailed analysis of the latest political, economic and technological trends lies at the heart of the reports unparalleled quantitative and qualitative analysis of the non-lethal weapons market. The new report assesses that global spending on non- lethal weapons will amount to $1630.6m in 2014, or the start of the forecast period covered by this report. This 239 page report is packed with 205 tables, figures and charts that illustrate key trends in the market at the global level, 2 submarkets, and in 15 leading national markets. The report profiles 17 leading non- lethal weapons companies. The report also contains interviews with expert members within the industry and details of more than 150 relevant non-lethal weapons contracts and programmes.
“Non-lethal anti-personnel systems such as conducted energy weapons, less-lethal ammunition, tear gas and pepper spray have proven capabilities in crowd control situation. Our research indicates that non-lethal anti-personnel weapons are becoming increasingly high in demand particularly from law enforcement agencies.
In recent years, advances in energy weapon technology both Conducted Energy Weapons (CEW) for anti-personnel utility and Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) technology predominantly for anti-vehicle have highlighted the demand for such systems, particularly in nations with more advanced armed forces.
Furthermore, efforts of nations such as India, Brazil and South Africa to modernise their armed forces and security services will provide significant new market opportunities. It is believed that a lowering of barriers to entry with technological advancements made over the past decade will create new demand for a range of non-lethal systems. This new demand will drive growth within the market.”
The Non-Lethal Weapons (NLW) Market 2014-2024: Conducted & Directed Energy Weapons (CEW & DEW), Less Lethal Weapons (LLW) & Equipment for Military & Law Enforcement report will be of impressive value to current and future investors into the industry, as well as to companies and research centres who wish to broaden their knowledge of the non-lethal weapons market.
https://www.rfglobalnet.com/doc/conducted-energy-weapons-drive-non-lethal-weapons-0001
Visiongain Publishes Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) Market Report 2024-2034
26 February 2024
Defence
Visiongain has published a new report entitled Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) Market Report 2024-2034: Forecasts by Type (Lethal Weapons, Non-lethal Weapons), by System (Anti-Satellite (ASAT) DEW, Electromagnetic Railgun Systems, Counter-Drone DEW Systems, Other), by Technology (High-Energy Lasers (HEL), High-Power Microwaves (HPM), Sonic Weapons, Electromagnetic Weapons, Other), by Application (Ground-Based DEW for Military Bases, Airborne DEW for Aircraft Defence, Naval DEW for Ship Defence, Homeland Security, Critical Infrastructure Defence, Other) AND Regional and Leading National Market Analysis PLUS Analysis of Leading Companies AND COVID-19 Impact and Recovery Pattern Analysis.
The global directed energy weapons (DEW) market was valued at US$6.4 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 19.6% during the forecast period 2024-2034.
Requirement for Cost-Effective Defense Solutions
The requirement for cost-effective defense solutions amidst constrained defense budgets is driving the adoption of directed energy weapons by military organizations worldwide. Traditional kinetic weapons and missile defense systems involve high procurement, operation, and maintenance costs, making them economically unsustainable for many defense budgets. Directed energy weapons offer a more cost-effective alternative with reduced ammunition costs, minimal logistical footprint, and lower lifecycle expenses. For example, the deployment of laser-based counter-UAV systems by military forces provides a cost-effective means of defending against small unmanned aerial threats compared to conventional missile-based interceptors.
Increasing Investments in Directed Energy Programs
The increasing investments in directed energy programs by government agencies, defense contractors, and research institutions are driving innovation and growth in the global directed energy weapons market. Countries such as the United States, China, Russia, and European nations are allocating substantial funding to accelerate the development and deployment of directed energy technologies for military applications. These investments support research and development initiatives aimed at enhancing the performance, reliability, and operational capabilities of directed energy weapons across various platforms. For instance, the U.S. Department of Defense's Directed Energy Weapons Directorate (DEWD) oversees a range of directed energy programs focused on advancing laser, microwave, and radiofrequency technologies for military use.
How has COVID-19 had a significant negative impact on the Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) Market?
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a discernible impact on the directed energy weapon (DEW) market, influencing various aspects of its development, production, and deployment. One notable effect has been the disruption of supply chains and manufacturing processes. Lockdowns, restrictions on movement, and workforce limitations imposed to curb the spread of the virus have led to delays in production schedules and the availability of essential components for DEW systems. This has, in turn, affected the overall pace of development and delivery of directed energy weapons.
Financial constraints have emerged as another significant impact of the pandemic on the directed energy weapon market. Many defence budgets faced reallocations and adjustments to address the immediate healthcare and economic challenges posed by the pandemic. Consequently, some defence programs, including those related to advanced technologies like DEWs, experienced budgetary constraints, slowing down investment and procurement processes.
Operational disruptions have affected the testing and validation phases of DEW systems. Social distancing measures and limitations on gatherings have impeded the ability to conduct field trials and exercises. These constraints have slowed down the evaluation and validation of directed energy weapons in real-world scenarios, hindering progress in achieving operational readiness.
How will this Report Benefit you?
Visiongain’s 372-page report provides 113 tables and 198 charts/graphs. Our new study is suitable for anyone requiring commercial, in-depth analyses for the global directed energy weapons (DEW) market, along with detailed segment analysis in the market. Our new study will help you evaluate the overall global and regional market for Directed Energy Weapons (DEW). Get financial analysis of the overall market and different segments including type, system, technology, and application and capture higher market share. We believe that there are strong opportunities in this fast-growing directed energy weapons (DEW) market. See how to use the existing and upcoming opportunities in this market to gain revenue benefits in the near future. Moreover, the report will help you to improve your strategic decision-making, allowing you to frame growth strategies, reinforce the analysis of other market players, and maximise the productivity of the company.
What are the Current Market Drivers?
Need for Precision and Lethality in Modern Warfare The need for precision and lethality in modern warfare scenarios drives the adoption of directed energy weapons by defense forces worldwide. Traditional kinetic weapons, such as missiles and artillery shells, often result in collateral damage and unintended casualties, limiting their effectiveness in densely populated urban environments and sensitive infrastructure areas. Directed energy weapons offer a more precise and controlled means of engaging targets, minimizing collateral damage and civilian casualties while maximizing lethality against enemy assets. For example, the U.S. Air Force's Tactical High Energy Laser (THEL) system demonstrates the capability of DEWs to engage and destroy incoming artillery shells and rockets with pinpoint accuracy, reducing the risk to friendly forces and civilian populations.
Growing Threat of Ballistic Missile and Hypersonic Weapons The growing threat posed by ballistic missile proliferation and the development of hypersonic weapons systems is driving the demand for directed energy weapons as a viable defense solution. Ballistic missiles and hypersonic glide vehicles pose significant challenges to existing missile defense systems due to their high speeds, maneuverability, and unpredictable trajectories. Directed energy weapons offer a potential solution for intercepting and neutralizing ballistic missiles and hypersonic threats in the boost, mid-course, and terminal phases of flight. For instance, the concept of using high-energy lasers or particle beams to intercept and destroy incoming missiles in near-real-time is being explored as a cost-effective and reliable defense against advanced missile threats.
Where are the Market Opportunities?
Advancements in Compact and Mobile Directed Energy Platforms Advancements in compact and mobile directed energy platforms are expanding the operational flexibility and deployment options for directed energy weapons in military environments. Traditional directed energy systems were often large, stationary installations limited to fixed bases or naval vessels, which restricted their mobility and deployment agility. However, recent technological advancements have led to the development of compact, lightweight, and mobile directed energy platforms that can be integrated into various military platforms, including ground vehicles, aircraft, and dismounted soldier systems. For example, the development of man-portable laser weapons, such as the U.S. Army's Mobile Experimental High Energy Laser (MEHEL) system, enables ground troops to engage and neutralize threats with precision and speed in diverse operational environments.
Need for Counter-UAS and Counter-Swarm Capabilities The proliferation of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and the emergence of drone swarms as asymmetric threats are driving the demand for directed energy weapons with counter-UAS and counter-swarm capabilities. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and drone swarms pose challenges to conventional air defense systems due to their small size, agility, and swarm tactics, making them difficult to detect and intercept using traditional kinetic weapons. Directed energy weapons offer a rapid and effective means of countering UAS threats by providing continuous, 360-degree coverage, rapid engagement, and scalable lethality. For instance, ground-based laser and microwave systems deployed in urban areas or critical infrastructure sites can detect and neutralize hostile drones and swarms with precision, protecting assets and personnel from aerial threats.
Competitive Landscape
The major players operating in the directed energy weapons (DEW) market are BAE Systems PLC, Blue Halo, Elbit Systems Ltd, Honeywell International Inc, L3Harris Technologies, Inc, Leonardo S.p.A, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Moog Inc, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Rafael Advanced Defence Systems Ltd., Raytheon Technologies Corporation, Rheinmetall AG, Textron Inc, Thales Group, The Boeing Company. These major players operating in this market have adopted various strategies comprising M&A, investment in R&D, collaborations, partnerships, regional business expansion, and new product launch.
Recent Developments
24 Sept 2023, Raytheon Technologies Corporation has entered into collaboration with Northrop Grumman to develop a prototype High-Power Microwave (HPM) weapon system for maritime applications.
04 June 2023, Lockheed Martin and Rafael Advanced Defence Systems partnered to manufacture 100 kW fiber-class laser weapons for the IRON BEAM project, aiming to defend Israel against rockets, mortars, and drones.
Notes for Editors If you are interested in a more detailed overview of this report, please send an e-mail to [contactus@visiongain.com](mailto:contactus@visiongain.com) or call +44 (0) 207 336 6100.
About Visiongain Visiongain is one of the fastest-growing and most innovative independent media companies in Europe. Based in London, UK, Visiongain produces a host of business-to-business reports focusing on the automotive, aviation, chemicals, cyber, defence, energy, food & drink, materials, packaging, pharmaceutical and utilities sectors.
Visiongain publishes reports produced by analysts who are qualified experts in their field. Visiongain has firmly established itself as the first port of call for the business professional who needs independent, high-quality, original material to rely and depend on.Visiongain Publishes Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) Market Report 2024-2034
26 February 2024
https://www.visiongain.com/dew-market-report/
submitted by Atoraxic to Overt_Podcast [link] [comments]

2024.05.22 03:58 Atoraxic Directed Energy development budget growth from 2014- 2023.

Since I have been under assault the funding for directed energy weapons has absolutely exploded.
Directed Energy non lethal development budget compared to entire DEW from 2014- 2023.
-2014 non lethal: $1,630.6M total estimated at over 1 billion
-2023 entire DEW: "US$6.4 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 19.6% during the forecast period 2024-2034."
News June 30, 2014
Conducted And Directed Energy Weapons To Drive Non-Lethal Weapons Market Growth
The concept of a weapon that is designed merely to temporarily incapacitate, with little or no lasting injury, is relatively new. The development of non-lethal weapons can be viewed as a consequence of the rise of democratic values. The use of lethal force on a nation’s own citizens is often met with dissent and criticism in democracies. The rise of non-lethal weapons has taken place in the last two decades. Non-lethal weapons for anti-personnel purposes have become increasingly high in demand from law enforcement agencies across the world. The new report has calculated that in 2014 the market will be worth $1,630.6M.
The new report, now available on ASDReports, Non-Lethal Weapons (NLW) Market 2014-2024: Conducted & Directed Energy Weapons (CEW & DEW), Less Lethal Weapons (LLW) & Equipment for Military & Law Enforcement. This report finds overall market growth over the forecast period as more nations enter the market and technological advances realise new capabilities.
A detailed analysis of the latest political, economic and technological trends lies at the heart of the reports unparalleled quantitative and qualitative analysis of the non-lethal weapons market. The new report assesses that global spending on non- lethal weapons will amount to $1630.6m in 2014, or the start of the forecast period covered by this report. This 239 page report is packed with 205 tables, figures and charts that illustrate key trends in the market at the global level, 2 submarkets, and in 15 leading national markets. The report profiles 17 leading non- lethal weapons companies. The report also contains interviews with expert members within the industry and details of more than 150 relevant non-lethal weapons contracts and programmes.
“Non-lethal anti-personnel systems such as conducted energy weapons, less-lethal ammunition, tear gas and pepper spray have proven capabilities in crowd control situation. Our research indicates that non-lethal anti-personnel weapons are becoming increasingly high in demand particularly from law enforcement agencies.
In recent years, advances in energy weapon technology both Conducted Energy Weapons (CEW) for anti-personnel utility and Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) technology predominantly for anti-vehicle have highlighted the demand for such systems, particularly in nations with more advanced armed forces.
Furthermore, efforts of nations such as India, Brazil and South Africa to modernise their armed forces and security services will provide significant new market opportunities. It is believed that a lowering of barriers to entry with technological advancements made over the past decade will create new demand for a range of non-lethal systems. This new demand will drive growth within the market.”
The Non-Lethal Weapons (NLW) Market 2014-2024: Conducted & Directed Energy Weapons (CEW & DEW), Less Lethal Weapons (LLW) & Equipment for Military & Law Enforcement report will be of impressive value to current and future investors into the industry, as well as to companies and research centres who wish to broaden their knowledge of the non-lethal weapons market.
https://www.rfglobalnet.com/doc/conducted-energy-weapons-drive-non-lethal-weapons-0001
Visiongain Publishes Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) Market Report 2024-2034
26 February 2024
Defence
Visiongain has published a new report entitled Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) Market Report 2024-2034: Forecasts by Type (Lethal Weapons, Non-lethal Weapons), by System (Anti-Satellite (ASAT) DEW, Electromagnetic Railgun Systems, Counter-Drone DEW Systems, Other), by Technology (High-Energy Lasers (HEL), High-Power Microwaves (HPM), Sonic Weapons, Electromagnetic Weapons, Other), by Application (Ground-Based DEW for Military Bases, Airborne DEW for Aircraft Defence, Naval DEW for Ship Defence, Homeland Security, Critical Infrastructure Defence, Other) AND Regional and Leading National Market Analysis PLUS Analysis of Leading Companies AND COVID-19 Impact and Recovery Pattern Analysis.
The global directed energy weapons (DEW) market was valued at US$6.4 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 19.6% during the forecast period 2024-2034.
Requirement for Cost-Effective Defense Solutions
The requirement for cost-effective defense solutions amidst constrained defense budgets is driving the adoption of directed energy weapons by military organizations worldwide. Traditional kinetic weapons and missile defense systems involve high procurement, operation, and maintenance costs, making them economically unsustainable for many defense budgets. Directed energy weapons offer a more cost-effective alternative with reduced ammunition costs, minimal logistical footprint, and lower lifecycle expenses. For example, the deployment of laser-based counter-UAV systems by military forces provides a cost-effective means of defending against small unmanned aerial threats compared to conventional missile-based interceptors.
Increasing Investments in Directed Energy Programs
The increasing investments in directed energy programs by government agencies, defense contractors, and research institutions are driving innovation and growth in the global directed energy weapons market. Countries such as the United States, China, Russia, and European nations are allocating substantial funding to accelerate the development and deployment of directed energy technologies for military applications. These investments support research and development initiatives aimed at enhancing the performance, reliability, and operational capabilities of directed energy weapons across various platforms. For instance, the U.S. Department of Defense's Directed Energy Weapons Directorate (DEWD) oversees a range of directed energy programs focused on advancing laser, microwave, and radiofrequency technologies for military use.
How has COVID-19 had a significant negative impact on the Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) Market?
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a discernible impact on the directed energy weapon (DEW) market, influencing various aspects of its development, production, and deployment. One notable effect has been the disruption of supply chains and manufacturing processes. Lockdowns, restrictions on movement, and workforce limitations imposed to curb the spread of the virus have led to delays in production schedules and the availability of essential components for DEW systems. This has, in turn, affected the overall pace of development and delivery of directed energy weapons.
Financial constraints have emerged as another significant impact of the pandemic on the directed energy weapon market. Many defence budgets faced reallocations and adjustments to address the immediate healthcare and economic challenges posed by the pandemic. Consequently, some defence programs, including those related to advanced technologies like DEWs, experienced budgetary constraints, slowing down investment and procurement processes.
Operational disruptions have affected the testing and validation phases of DEW systems. Social distancing measures and limitations on gatherings have impeded the ability to conduct field trials and exercises. These constraints have slowed down the evaluation and validation of directed energy weapons in real-world scenarios, hindering progress in achieving operational readiness.
How will this Report Benefit you?
Visiongain’s 372-page report provides 113 tables and 198 charts/graphs. Our new study is suitable for anyone requiring commercial, in-depth analyses for the global directed energy weapons (DEW) market, along with detailed segment analysis in the market. Our new study will help you evaluate the overall global and regional market for Directed Energy Weapons (DEW). Get financial analysis of the overall market and different segments including type, system, technology, and application and capture higher market share. We believe that there are strong opportunities in this fast-growing directed energy weapons (DEW) market. See how to use the existing and upcoming opportunities in this market to gain revenue benefits in the near future. Moreover, the report will help you to improve your strategic decision-making, allowing you to frame growth strategies, reinforce the analysis of other market players, and maximise the productivity of the company.
What are the Current Market Drivers?
Need for Precision and Lethality in Modern Warfare The need for precision and lethality in modern warfare scenarios drives the adoption of directed energy weapons by defense forces worldwide. Traditional kinetic weapons, such as missiles and artillery shells, often result in collateral damage and unintended casualties, limiting their effectiveness in densely populated urban environments and sensitive infrastructure areas. Directed energy weapons offer a more precise and controlled means of engaging targets, minimizing collateral damage and civilian casualties while maximizing lethality against enemy assets. For example, the U.S. Air Force's Tactical High Energy Laser (THEL) system demonstrates the capability of DEWs to engage and destroy incoming artillery shells and rockets with pinpoint accuracy, reducing the risk to friendly forces and civilian populations.
Growing Threat of Ballistic Missile and Hypersonic Weapons The growing threat posed by ballistic missile proliferation and the development of hypersonic weapons systems is driving the demand for directed energy weapons as a viable defense solution. Ballistic missiles and hypersonic glide vehicles pose significant challenges to existing missile defense systems due to their high speeds, maneuverability, and unpredictable trajectories. Directed energy weapons offer a potential solution for intercepting and neutralizing ballistic missiles and hypersonic threats in the boost, mid-course, and terminal phases of flight. For instance, the concept of using high-energy lasers or particle beams to intercept and destroy incoming missiles in near-real-time is being explored as a cost-effective and reliable defense against advanced missile threats.
Where are the Market Opportunities?
Advancements in Compact and Mobile Directed Energy Platforms Advancements in compact and mobile directed energy platforms are expanding the operational flexibility and deployment options for directed energy weapons in military environments. Traditional directed energy systems were often large, stationary installations limited to fixed bases or naval vessels, which restricted their mobility and deployment agility. However, recent technological advancements have led to the development of compact, lightweight, and mobile directed energy platforms that can be integrated into various military platforms, including ground vehicles, aircraft, and dismounted soldier systems. For example, the development of man-portable laser weapons, such as the U.S. Army's Mobile Experimental High Energy Laser (MEHEL) system, enables ground troops to engage and neutralize threats with precision and speed in diverse operational environments.
Need for Counter-UAS and Counter-Swarm Capabilities The proliferation of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and the emergence of drone swarms as asymmetric threats are driving the demand for directed energy weapons with counter-UAS and counter-swarm capabilities. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and drone swarms pose challenges to conventional air defense systems due to their small size, agility, and swarm tactics, making them difficult to detect and intercept using traditional kinetic weapons. Directed energy weapons offer a rapid and effective means of countering UAS threats by providing continuous, 360-degree coverage, rapid engagement, and scalable lethality. For instance, ground-based laser and microwave systems deployed in urban areas or critical infrastructure sites can detect and neutralize hostile drones and swarms with precision, protecting assets and personnel from aerial threats.
Competitive Landscape
The major players operating in the directed energy weapons (DEW) market are BAE Systems PLC, Blue Halo, Elbit Systems Ltd, Honeywell International Inc, L3Harris Technologies, Inc, Leonardo S.p.A, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Moog Inc, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Rafael Advanced Defence Systems Ltd., Raytheon Technologies Corporation, Rheinmetall AG, Textron Inc, Thales Group, The Boeing Company. These major players operating in this market have adopted various strategies comprising M&A, investment in R&D, collaborations, partnerships, regional business expansion, and new product launch.
Recent Developments
24 Sept 2023, Raytheon Technologies Corporation has entered into collaboration with Northrop Grumman to develop a prototype High-Power Microwave (HPM) weapon system for maritime applications.
04 June 2023, Lockheed Martin and Rafael Advanced Defence Systems partnered to manufacture 100 kW fiber-class laser weapons for the IRON BEAM project, aiming to defend Israel against rockets, mortars, and drones.
Notes for Editors If you are interested in a more detailed overview of this report, please send an e-mail to [contactus@visiongain.com](mailto:contactus@visiongain.com) or call +44 (0) 207 336 6100.
About Visiongain Visiongain is one of the fastest-growing and most innovative independent media companies in Europe. Based in London, UK, Visiongain produces a host of business-to-business reports focusing on the automotive, aviation, chemicals, cyber, defence, energy, food & drink, materials, packaging, pharmaceutical and utilities sectors.
Visiongain publishes reports produced by analysts who are qualified experts in their field. Visiongain has firmly established itself as the first port of call for the business professional who needs independent, high-quality, original material to rely and depend on.Visiongain Publishes Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) Market Report 2024-2034
26 February 2024
https://www.visiongain.com/dew-market-report/
submitted by Atoraxic to TargetedEnergyWeapons [link] [comments]

2024.05.22 00:16 MrDownhillRacer What's Your Headcanon DC Timeline?

For me, it's:
Year Negative Four
Year Negative Two
Year One
Year Two
Year Three
Year Four
Year Five
Year Six
Year Seven
Year Eight
Year Nine
Year Ten
After the first decade or so, time starts being more amorphous and operating on some cross between a timeline that develops and a stationary Simpsons-like timeline where time doesn't really move. Some things progress, some things don't, everything is kept vague, and characters don't notice or call attention to this. Essentially, large amounts of time are zipped into small amounts of time, and both the longer and shorter time intervals between events are "correct" depending on how much we're zooming in on the timeline. For example, Kyle Rayner had a good number of years as a solo Green Lantern and Tim Drake was Robin for a solid amount of time before Hal Jordan returned and Damian Wayne showed up, but somehow, superheroes in general have only been operating for about 10 to 15 years, max. This is really the only way you can keep Batman perpetually in his 30s or 40s without having weird consequences like each Robin only holding the title for a year before he gets a new one.
So after this, I stop having specific "years" and it becomes more like "periods of time in which certain things co-occur." So there might be considerable time intervals between events, yet those events might also paradoxically be squished into some 10-15-year timeline.
The Fall of Heroes Era
The Reconstruction Era
The Millennium Era
The Infinite Crisis Era
The Final Crisis Era
There are things I'm on the fence on, such as whether the Golden Age heroes are part of this timeline. On the one hand, I like the idea of Superman being the world's very first superhero and the public never having had encountered anything fantastical until his debut. If the JSA existed before him, then his debut would be met with "hey look, I guess flying men are back" instead of "can you BELIEVE a man can fly?!" Batman's debut also seems more striking if Gotham was never patrolled by a Green Lantern (that guy probably would have single-handedly demolished Gotham's mob in the '40s instead of letting it grow to the size it would later become).
On the other hand, I wouldn't want to jettison the cool relationships that exist between the Golden Age and later characters, like Kyle Rayner knowing Jade. I think I lean toward "keep them on Earth-2, but allow them to have regular meetings and friendships with the Earth-0 guys." But if the walls between universes are that porous, that just raises the question of why Power Girl got stuck on Earth-0 when the rest of the Earth-2 people can go home whenever they want.
submitted by MrDownhillRacer to DCcomics [link] [comments]

2024.05.21 23:39 ravingkumquat Hiring animator to create a heartfelt animated music video

Goal: Create a heartfelt animated music video Song: TheFatRat - Still Here With You Tone: Happy, Sad, Sweet, Touching, Moving, Inspiring, Beautiful, Spiritual Style: 2D cute cartoon/anime Length: About two and a half minutes to fit the song (more is fine, adding a short intro/outro to fit the story is welcome) Deadline: 2 Months (flexible) Budget: $3,000 (flexible)
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Sorry if the deadline/budget seems unreasonable. I am very flexible on both and am more than willing to work with someone on a fair price.
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I would like to have a music video created for my fiancée, Emily, starring her and one of our cats, Fawkes, who we helped cross the rainbow bridge in February 2023. We always get the feeling he's still here with us, watching over us, spreading his love and joy. I want to imagine what that would look like if it were indeed true. On a spiritual level, they were/are truly soulmates, and I want to create something really special for her to remember him by. These last few years have been really tough for her, and we have been abandoned/betrayed by some friends and family mainly due to drama around our caring for Fawkes.
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I am looking for someone passionate who truly wants to help me make this a reality. I will do everything in my power to get whatever you need to make this work. This is probably way too much info, but I'm trying to get my thoughts out if it can help the creative process for anyone. If you're interested, please send me a message.
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Factoids:
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Thoughts, ideas, notes:
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backstory below
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Beginning:
Fawkes came into our lives in July 2017 from the streets after his previous owners were taken away from him a few weeks prior. We immediately brought him to the vet to get checked and tested for anything. The vet found that he was chipped and five years old. As a result, they couldn't really do much besides try to contact the previous owners. We took him home and kept him separated from our other cat, Freyja, since we did not know if he could spread anything to her. He was pretty lethargic, hardly eating, and couldn't really keep much down. We honestly thought we would wake up the next morning and he wouldn't be with us anymore. Luckily, that was not the case.
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He wasn't doing so well the next day, so we called the vet and they had us come in again. Since the previous day, he went from over seven pounds down to about six and a half pounds. Our vet decided it was necessary to medically intervene or he was likely going to die. They hospitalized him on the spot and started giving him subcutaneous (SQ) fluids and other medications to help with his nausea and stimulate his appetite. We left him under the care of the vet and all we could do was wait to hear back. He pulled through like a champ. He was eating, moving, jumping, playing, snuggling, and loving life. It was as if he was reborn, like a phoenix from the ashes, so we named him "Fawkes" after the phoenix from Harry Potter.
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Over the following years, Fawkes and Emily became pretty much inseparable. He was such a lovebug and radiated that classic "orange cat energy" wherever he went. If he wanted to get into something, he'd either find a way or keep trying until we could stop him. He absolutely LOVED belly rubs, and not once was it ever a trap (unless you felt "trapped" rubbing his belly for hours). In all the time we had him, he never hissed at, scratched, or bit (non-playfully) anyone. He just wanted to love everything and everyone he met. He didn't have any enemies in his eyes, just others who may not have cared for the level of love and joy he wanted to share.
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Later:
Fawkes was diagnosed with stage 1 chronic kidney disease (CKD) in October 2021, which quickly progressed to stage 3 by early 2022. We were giving him medicine a few times a day, SQ fluids every couple of days, and going to the vet every other week to have his levels checked. He became a regular at the vet and even a few employees confessed to taking breaks just to go snuggle him because they loved him so much. We almost said goodbye to him in May 2022, as his symptoms were worsening and he no longer wanted to eat. He was a fighter, though, and told us he wasn't done fighting yet by finally eating on his own just as we were trying to make that difficult decision. We took him to the Animal Emergency and Referral Center (AERC) that night.
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The vet told us that he had developed anemia and our only options were either to take him home and start end-of-life care or do a blood transfusion (which might not even work) and keep him hospitalized for a few days to be monitored. We opted for the blood transfusion. The procedure went well and we were able to come and visit him a day later, though they still had to keep him for another day or two just to be safe. We were also able to have his case looked at by a specialist, and they adjusted his meds to better suit his needs. They were estimating he maybe had a few weeks to a month or so before we ended up back where we were before the transfusion. We were now giving him less medicine a few times a day, SQ fluids every night, and going on walks through our apartment building every night before bed.
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A few weeks became a few months, and he seemed to be doing even better than he was all of 2022 before his transfusion. We would take him on trips to Petco every week or so, so he could walk around and meet new friends. We would bring him to the park while we played Pokémon GO, even if we ended up just sitting in the car. Starting around September 2022, my boss even let me bring him to work with me on days he wanted me in the office. Vet appointments were few and far between, sometimes a couple of months apart. This pretty much continued all the way into February 2023 until we started to notice more significant symptoms again, and his CKD values were getting much worse. He didn't want to eat, he was hiding more, and he would often seek comfort by laying in his litterbox. We could tell our little warrior was ready to be done fighting.
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Goodbye:
On the night of Tuesday, February 14th, 2023, Valentine's Day, we decided we couldn't make him fight for us any longer. We called our vet and made an appointment for Thursday, February 16th, 2023. We spent the whole day together on Wednesday, February 15th, 2023, snuggling on the couch and finished with our nightly routine of SQ fluids and a walk. We all spent the night together on the couch, staying awake as long as we could. On Thursday, February 16th, 2023, we brought Fawkes to the vet, and he was excited to walk around and explore the new space for a short while before needing a rest. It was nice to see him perk up and act like how we remembered him to be. The doctors took him away to be prepped and brought him back after a short while. We were petting him, kissing him, and told him he was a good boy and how much we loved him as he peacefully passed. We left there with the heaviest pet carrier ever. An empty one.
submitted by ravingkumquat to animation [link] [comments]

2024.05.21 14:41 mneathery Newlife Fertility Clinic

Trigger warning- miscarriage
Long story short- my journey to a fertility clinic is due to my husband. He chose to get on Testosterone replacement therapy shortly after we started trying and miscarried. We also moved to a new state, Alabama, a month or so after we started trying. It’s officially been 2 years since our miscarriage. Last October we found out his sperm was extremely low count- he then got on all these supplements and his sperm count in January for up to a “normal count” but 24 ML compared to 135ml that he had before TRT is still upsetting to me. Anyway we live in an extremely small town and our only option is Newlife Fertility, they have a satellite office in our town of Dothan Alabama but their main office is in Pensacola. Met with the doctor after months of testing in February and he thinks we will be pregnant in 6 months and doesn’t even think we need to do IUI. I chose for us to do IUI. During the two IUI’s I noticed they have a schedule I need to go off of, not my own personal cycle. For example if a cycle for them starts on May 20th and my period starts May 16th I have to get on birth control from May 16th-20th to control my cycle to fit their needs since they are such a small office. They have also done IUI 12 hours after trigger and 60 hours after trigger shot. They also do not take progesterone sample day 21 or do any ultrasound AFTER IUI. After doing all my research and talking with friends in bigger cities I felt like something was off. I also recently found a new OB that I love and got a second opinion from her. She absolutely got upset and was like what are they doing here it sounds all wrong. They shouldn’t be putting me on BC and IUI should be done the day after trigger. I already paid for my third IUI and my OB wants me to come in on day 21 which is also tricky we don’t even really know when my day 21 is! Since I started my period but then had to get on Bc for 5 days? Anyway she said she can do two IUI’s with me after this round with Newlife but that’s it and then I need to move onto IVF.
My husband has a stressful job and refuses to get off TRT but is working with a urologist to adjust medication to up his count.
Has anyone had success with Newlife Fertility clinic if we have to go to the IvF route or success with a stubborn husband who needs to be on TRT? Any advice appreciated.
submitted by mneathery to IVF [link] [comments]

2024.05.21 12:29 Artsysap Any guidance would be very much appreciated (resources, advice, coping mechanisms)

‼️TW (CP, CSA, DA, DV, EA, ED, PA, RA, SA, SH, SI, WC)‼️
Sorry I know that’s a lot of TW’s there’s just brief mention of some of this stuff so I don’t wanna catch anyone off guard.
This is also a bit of a vent post.
I have absolutely no idea what I have, I had no idea I could potentially have a personality disorder until a few months ago, I am not meaning to rely on social media for help, though where I’m from there is such a lack in psychiatrists in my area so I feel stuck/lost. I will be venting/explaining my situation in full, I just would like to hear thoughts and opinions, I’m not trying to say I have anything specific, but the different personalities have made themselves apparent over the past 5 months. Whether it’s OSDD, BPD, DID, i don’t know.
There’s so much that I don’t really know where to start, so I guess I’ll just start with when I realized something wasn’t right. (TMI) I was having an intimate moment with my partner, it’s a long distance relationship (new relationship((known each other for about 6-7 months now)) so it was an over the phone moment. (FaceTime). I’ve had issues in the past because of sexual trauma, where immediately after sex/intimate moments i get sent into a huge derealization/panic attack due to feeling vulnerable. Now at this point, i haven’t had sex in about 4 years, and any time prior, it always ended in panic attacks. Me being vulnerable over the phone is not entirely new, but the level of vulnerability in the sense of allowing myself to fully enjoy it, that was new. I started hyperventilating, I couldn’t talk, I was crying, I was fighting with a blanket trying to cover myself all while my partner was trying to console me. I wasn’t really fully there and before this moment, any show of mania, dissociation, stuff like that, it went unnoticed. During this panic attack, I was absolutely in distress at one moment, and all of the sudden, I felt a shift. I didn’t really understand it when it happened but all of the sudden I stopped crying, the pain was still there but it wasn’t present, it felt deeper inside. It felt very different; I felt very different. All I could think and feel in that moment was this protectiveness and thought process of “I need to clean up everything before she comes back.” Now at the time I wasn’t thinking she, but I knew it was before something. Before a feeling came back was more how it resonated at the time before I could understand it better. Anyways, my whole persona shifted and I went into clean up mode and I was very confused. I felt “her” crying inside. My partner works in mental health, so he danced around delicately as I asked him questions about what he thought was going on so I could get a better picture of what I’m going through since everything felt so blinded. At one point, I just asked him. “Do you think I’m manic?” Which was the only question he responded to confidently. “Yes”. At that point, like this may seem so over exaggerated but it seriously felt like the curtains on my whole life, everything, had been pulled back and I could see myself and my actions for what they were. I saw every manic moment as mania rather than just the original gaslighting myself for my very real and terrifying experiences. After that, I was aware of me being manic for the first time and I haven’t felt such fear in a long time. I mean I don’t think I’ve ever felt fear like that before but like the level of intensity was very hard to deal with. I was terrified. I was finally seeing my hyper vigilance as hyper vigilance. I was seeing the symptoms clearly, my excessive sweating, my depleted eating habits, my sleep schedule insanely messed up. Which all before this, just seemed like “my life”. I started doing research, and I ended up needing to write something down. I can’t remember what it was but I will find it and add it.
“I’ve been doing a lot of research and thinking a lot, there’s been a lot of confusion with my identity or identities. I also need to preface that my entire life whenever I expressed how I felt, I was instead told what to do and how to feel. I know this is going to sound concerning, and people will be quick to dismiss it in an attempt to be supportive. But please just allow it to be what it is. Growing up I was always in great distress, constantly. My head was absolutely filled to the brim with worried and fears and as the years went on it only got worse. I’m highschool I transitioned into Blake; I thought it “felt” like me, but after research and certain situations/symptoms since delving back into that, I realized this was a traumatic disorder, even though I don’t know which one. Blakes feelings were 100% valid, but that’s because they were Blakes. What caused the de-transition was this. Beginning of highschool I was in crisis and distress, my brain created another personality to keep lily safe and keep her locked away. Since then I haven’t seen her, none of us have. Once Blake started receiving micro-aggressions and transphobia we went into even more distress. In 2017 my brain was absolutely stressed out from everything during the drug era and how much trauma and how burdened my mind was, I split again. My brain created Bella. Fast forward to now, Bella was breaking, and Blake had already been poking his head out, he’s been seeing the distress she’s been in and came back to take over. I never thought I was capable of having something like this l, but please bear with me as I explain how I came to this realization. This may be TMI but my partner and I were having an intimate moment and instantly afterwards I had the worst panic attack, something I’ve been trying to protect myself from for years. As I’m writing this down I’m starting to realize that those panic attacks after sexual situations are probably lily, but still valid as panic attacks. I have a lump in my throat while writing this, I promise I am not making it up or exaggerating. During the panic attack my partner was trying to console me but I completely switched in that moment to Blake and all he could feel was sorrow and was trying to give her a break. Blake came out to keep her safe. all I could do was clean up and prepare for when she came back so she wasn’t triggered, I don’t know what this is and gender fluid still feels valid and right, but in that moment of switching genders, I realized I am not switching genders, I am switching personalities. One personality could not carry the burden of it all. I am not concerned about this though, I feel with the very realization I am understanding myself better as a while.”
I was very manic when writing this. I believe I mainly wrote it for my parents. I was fearful of being dismissed.
My cousin had joined the call since I was spiraling and the both of them worked really hard to try and get me to stop writing and go to bed, which was really hard for me because I was super hyper vigilant in the moment and when it comes to my independence, I was told I have to deal with everything myself and I can’t rely on people so sometimes listening to help can be hard, accepting that help can be hard. I ended up being able to put stuff down and go to bed, more because I didn’t want to make things more difficult for them but I also could partly recognize that my actions were not helping the state I was in.
Ever since this moment it’s been realization after realization. This is so far what resonates.
I believe I have 3, possibly 4 alters. One I will name lily, she is who I originally was. Main host I guess? But doesn’t feel like it anymore. What I think happened, is that I’ve been exposed to countless amounts of different forms of abuse. When I was 12, is when I believe I split for the first time. I’ve been looking back at photos to see my mannerisms, expressions, I’ve also been expressing alter emotions through art which was another realization I had a month or two ago. This realization came from looking back at my art, and at one piece I had made just before the main breakdown/realization. It was of a face, and my art has mainly been faces. This one I remember making, I was so frustrated; and I remember looking at it and being like, why am I so frustrated, this doesn’t reflect how I feel at all. Since the realization, my cousin had pointed out that it kind of resembled a sense of splitting, which then resonated deeply. It was like I saw my painting clearly, and then I looked at all my art and was like, oh my god. My alters have been here this whole god damn time. The painting I am talking about; is the one attached to this post.
When I was a child, I hated art with a passion. I remember never picking up a pencil crayon or anything because I just didn’t like it. I wasnt good at it, I had no intention of doing art. When I was 12/13 is when I actually started doing art. I remember I did a bridesmaids dress and was like, cool. Didn’t hate it, (yes I know that this is how most artists start) but then it was just eyes. I only drew eyes, eyes and faces. Faces with third eyes, faces with hardened expressions. Now I have said countless times to my family and friends when they ask about my art, that when I paint or draw, it doesn’t feel like it’s me doing it. I once chalked it up to, artists ghosts were using me to express their art. That thought came during a particularly distressing year that when I look back I was def manic. I lost 100 lbs in like a month-a month and a half, could not eat, could barely leave my bed, was not doing well at all. This was 2019 I believe. I looked through all my art recently and during a sketchbook in 2019, during a really hard time, I had wrote down the wrong year when signing my art. Twice. The year I wrote was 2012, when I was 11/12.(2000 baby). Which then led me to look back on my life and look at photos around 2012 which had me thinking it was 1 of 2 things. 2012 was the year I split for the first time, or it was the year something really traumatic happened. I think it was the first one though. Reason being, yeah everything had started changing when I was 12. I mean I was always changing prior, my life has been very tumultuous. An undiagnosed autistic afab kid who had a very manipulative narcissistic father, and a very sweet mother, surrounded by a huge family of cousins who were like siblings. My mom divorced my dad after lots of abuse, he emotionally manipulated me into always feeling sorry for men when they show emotion and I developed Stockholm syndrome towards him which had me defending his every actions, including when he was a drug dealer, and sold enough drugs to an 18 year old to have her overdose, or the child pornography on his computer, or anything really because I was a child and he was my dad he manipulated me at a very young age. My mom married again a year or two after, which prompted her to need to get away from the abuse of my bio dad, and the abuse of religion we had been pushed upon us since birth. Pentecostal. We moved across country, and suddenly she became very emotionally distant as we now had moved away from my entire family, and had a new man in our life who was stable in every aspect besides the emotional unavailability. He tried, they both did. But they were dealing with traumas. He had just gotten back from Afghanistan. We moved because he was stationed somewhere else in the country. I ended up developing a binge eating disorder, had a lot of other intense traumas in between, did not know how to cope. When I was 10, my parents put me in therapy, my sister and I both. To deal with my bio dad trauma. I’ve been in therapy ever since. I’m 23 now.
I realize I am getting off track but I’m tryna lay everything out and not forget anything.
When I was 12/13, a lot had happened with my bio dad and a restraining order was put in place. He also had a kid with another woman and she(my sister) had passed away, a lot had happened on top of many other traumas, and I think lily broke. She didn’t really wanna be present anymore but we had no idea what was happening, but I felt myself changing. I started combating this with hyper-femininity, because who had split was me, who is currently hosting, Blake. (Also I know I use I/me as a whole sometimes, still tryna understand that. The only thing that resonates with what I mean when I say I is higher self. Not in a spiritual sense but like a higher version or a whole version? I don’t know)
Had no idea wtf was happening. All I knew was I started having dysphoria that I didn’t understand was dysphoria, so I combated it with hyperfeminity. Extra make up; always dressing up extra “girly” trying to act “girlier” or more feminine. Until I turned 14/15, and I ended up coming to terms with the fact that I was not who I thought I was, so I started changing to align with who I was. I came out as a trans man, and started the process of transitioning. Cue micro-aggressions, internalized transphobia, as well as a shit ton of transphobia from my family back home which caused me to panic. I ended up becoming really suicidal and made the decision to go hang out with a friend who was hanging with friends I had never met before, which triggered my next traumatic event. I ended up hanging with the wrong people, went down a drug path, was exposed to some very difficult and dangerous moments, felt a feeling of distress I have never felt nor would ever wish upon my worst enemy. I put it on myself as well, to help the friend I went in there with, get off a coke addiction. He went into psychosis and became violent at one point so I had to tell his mom everything and she sent him to rehab which worked but didn’t. He OD’d one night(survived) it was bad. I only ever went as far as psychedelics. But acid was my drug of choice. I was so done with everyone and everything that I just spent like 2-3 months straight, every day, tripping. I was 16 at the time. I also was exposed to the father of the household who had a weird thing for me, he tried sneaking into my bedroom one night when my bf wasn’t home (I ended up moving in with my at the time bf) but I was awake so he left real quick but it terrified me. All of this was such intense distress and I believe around this time was the second split, because it felt like for the entirety of me in that traumatic era, it was Blake and Bella fighting to host and take over. Bella was the host for the past 6 years. She took over around 2017, after like a year of fighting. I(Blake) tend to self destruct, even though I’m overprotective, trying to accept this about myself at the time was impossible because I was dealing with so much anger that was affecting the rest of the system. I also was done. Idk if alters “go to sleep” but Blake went away for a while. But what I’ve come to realize is I don’t think they’re ever went away, like lily has always been here, and I realized that the night of the intimate moment, because me having that panic attack after the intimate moment, and every panic attack prior, I believe that it’s lily. I haven’t touched that too much though because she is so to herself and shy and never comes out and she’s just traumatized, plus the amount of anger coming from Blake, and the amount of sadness coming from Bella, it’s all very overwhelming. But I do think it’s her, I don’t think she understands what’s happening but she like pokes her head out during it because maybe it’s so to with the sexual trauma we went through as a kid? I know something happened to me as a kid but I don’t know what. But I’m not ready for that yet, the anger is a more pressing issue.
Bella is very maternal, she took over and spent the past 6 years working her ass off to develop the coping mechanisms we need, and creating a safe space in our mind. The manic moments have been cushioned without us even knowing it’s manic moments; all she knew was we’re in distress so she found what helped best and worked real hard to keep us afloat. She got us out of the drugs, out of the abuse, out of the toxic relationship, out of anything that did not serve us. But not without giving up too much of herself and being beaten down. Like I know we’ve all gone through it but she took hit after hit after hit and everyone just used her as a projection batting cage. Within the past few months has been her stepping down. 5 months is us fighting, because she doesn’t want to, but she needs to, because she needs a break. And I need a break from the break. I need to deal with my anger and learn to live this world as a man. It’s been really hard to deal with, because I’ve cut off our hair which was a lot for Bella, and I’m trying to give her grace because it’s a huge change for everyone; but I’m so eager to be out. To my friends and family I’ve come out as gender fluid, a safe way for us to just be, even though gender fluid is still accurate to us, but me(Blake) I want to be on T, I want top surgery; the dysphoria has been very intense but I am not making any decisions while untreated in whatever this is. Bella doesn’t want any of that, but a hypothetical compromise that we’ve been thinking about is a breast reduction to start, to ease the mind.
Now when I look back at the past 11-12 years, I see all three of them out and about disguised as each other without realizing. There’s this one song I remember listening to on repeat non stop and idk why it just felt right it sounded right I loved it I needed to listen to it. Now, go listen to Satellites by Sleeping with sirens, think about alters waking up/trying to be known or whatever, like Jesus fuck it’s so obvious to me everything just makes sense (ik that sounds like a stretch but there’s more in my head that relates to that feeling I just can’t put it into words)
I’ve also been dealing with breaking down the walls of expectations. I have never allowed myself to be upset or have quarrels due to feeling like an inconvenience, I believe this has a lot to do with it as well.
Oh and the 4th potential alter is either someone just chillin in the background observing, or the “higher self” version of myself I was talking about. I really can’t tell.
I know there’s so much more I didn’t add but I’m deffo not doing the best rn so my brain can’t remember everything. Anyways, I’m not looking for a diagnosis obviously, but I just wanna hear what it sounds like. Because it feels like a personality disorder of some sort even tho idk wtf that’s supposed to feel like lol, so does it sound like one? I guess is what I’m really asking. Anyways, thanks for reading. Regardless of a response it is nice to get this off my chest aha. It also might be all over the place if so I apologize I think I’m currently manic? Yes I have been talking with my therapist about this, she’s not specialized in this stuff so she can only help so much, I’ve been tryna push my doctor to get me a psych referral to which he says there’s no psychiatrist in my area that are really taking any clients rn. He also sat there and told me I wasn’t dealing with mania and started listening of symptoms that I deal with that he had yet to even ask me about. I was already heated going in there because I knew I was going to have to fight for what I needed. Well the funny part is, the psychiatrist I went in there wanting a referral to; that I thought my therapist recommended me, was not an actual recommendation of a psychiatrist, but of a book of resources for me to look at, but I was manic and not there and I was literally so bent on needing help and needing a psych referral that my brain heard the authors name and was like “okay time to go to the doctor”. And then I had to admit to the doctors receptionist that I was indeed manic when I came in and that i didn’t know what I was talking about which was embarrassing and then I actually heard concern in her voice, rather than dismissal, which should’ve been comforting, but it just pissed me off lol. Anyways, sorry I’m done now lol 😂
submitted by Artsysap to OSDD [link] [comments]

2024.05.21 06:26 FakeElectionMaker I tried writing a TL where Tomás Garrido Canabal was elected President of Mexico in 1934 and turned it into a totalitarian communist dictatorship.

I tried writing a TL where Tomás Garrido Canabal was elected President of Mexico in 1934 and turned it into a totalitarian communist dictatorship.
Garrido Canabal had controlled the state of Tabasco with an iron first since 1919, carrying out a ferocious anticlerical campaign through his Red Shirts militia, and incentivizing social development in various ways.
He sought to improve the quality and variety of agriculture, and gave women the right to vote, generalized public education, and outlawed alcohol and tombstones, playing an important role in suppressing the Cristero revolt, due to his hatred of religion.
In 1934, "Maximum Chief of the Mexican Revolution" Plutarco Elias Calles, who had controlled the country through a series of puppet presidents since 1929, chose Garrido Canabal as his sucessor due to his loyalty to Calles and hope he would continue his anticlerical policies. Garrido Canabal soon met Calles at the Chapultepec Castle, and agreed to run for president, promising to carry out the Mexican Revolution's ideals "to their utmost degree".
Garrido Canabal, a Bolshevik, Marxist and Leninist (albeit not a self-proclaimed Marxist-Leninist), sought the endorsement of the Revolutionary Confederation of Independent Parties, Socialist Parties of the Left, and the Mexican Communist Party (PCM), all of whom formed the United Front of the Mexican Revolution (FURM), which ruled Mexico for decades afterwards as a socialism one-party state.
The Red Shirts violently attacked political opponents and religious believers during the election campaign, killing, torturing and humiliating thousands of people across Mexico, behaving like a fascist militia in spite of their communist views. With all political parties united behind Garrido Canabal, he was elected with 100% of the vote, and took office on 1 December 1934, with a cabinet mostly chosen by Calles.
Garrido Canabal ruled Mexico until his death in 1958, turning it into an industrial economy, albeit with a major cost to its people and civil and religious liberties. He is a controversial figure in present-day Mexico.
After taking power in 1934, Tomás Garrido Canabal transformed the Red Shirts into Mexico's secret police, perhaps modeled after the Blackshirts and SA. They were also to serve as a reserve militia during wartime.
In 1937, the United States declared war on and invaded Mexico in order to overthrow its communist regime before it could spread to the rest of Latin America, and Red Shirt divisions played a role in the Mexican resistance, which eventually led to an American withdrawal in 1940, followed by its recognition of Garrido's government in exchange for a nonaggression pact with the United States.
During the mid-1930s and early 1940s, the Red Shirts violently targeted religion across Mexico, killing priests and lay clergy, raping nuns, staging plays mocking religion, destroying religious icons and dumping them into lakes and rivers, and overseeing the implementation of Rationalist education, a model which denied the soul and human spirituality existed, and remained in effect until the fall of the Communist regime. By 1950, religious worship had all but disappeared from Mexico, and all citizens were counted as atheists for statistical purposes. Despite its ideological iconoclasm, historical monuments were left relatively undamaged by the Red Shirts; to Garrido's regime, like its predecessors, the Aztec empire was a key point of reference.
After the invasion failed, Garridist policies targeting religion and industrializing Mexico with oil funding continued unabated, and although religious persecution was toned down after WWII, there was no change to the regime's basic character. The Red Shirt secret police chief, who ruthlessly crushed any opposition to Garrido Canabal's policies, was the second most powerful man in Mexico and administered large parts of the Mexican state until Garrido Canabal purged him in 1956.
Women were barred from Red Shirt positions above the state level, as the communist regime's leadership was heavily masculine and militarist, developing a powerful military-industrial complex and, in 1960, the nuclear bomb.
After Garrido Canabal died in 1958, his sucessor, a Khrushchevite Marxist-Leninist without fascist influence, disbanded the Red Shirts and replaced them with a Mexican version of the KGB.
Calles expected Garrido Canabal to be his puppet, but the new president, a totalitarian puritan in spite of his violent atheism, eventually purged the Callistas, closed their brothels and casinos, and replaced them with loyal Garridistas.
The brothels were turned into hospitals and the casinos into schools, while the Red Shirts sentenced prostitutes into "redemption through labour" in state-owned factories and systematically executed pimps. In 1937, Garrido Canabal introduced alcohol prohibition into Mexico, four years after its repeal in the US, but revoked it in 1942 due to the same negative outcomes happening down south.
In 1936, PEMEX was founded as a state-owned company with a monopoly on the production, refinement and distribution of oil, with the property of foreign oil companies being expropriated without compensation. This led to substantial tensions between Mexico and the US, and Garrido Canabal stationed two infantry corps near the northern border to defend the country against an American invasion. He also began a military buildup, purchasing weapons from the Soviet Union, Denmark and Czechoslovakia and seeking to develop a national armaments industry.
The ferocious religious persecution previously seen in Tabasco extended to all of Mexico. The Red Shirts carried out large-scale violence against priests, lay clergy and landowners, who faced torture, murder and humiliation for their beliefs and social class. One of the President's first acts after coming to power was introducing Rationalist education to all Mexican schools, massively broadening public education, and abolishing private education. At the same time, Garrido Canabal began a cult of personality; his ideological writings were published on a large-scale, the government wrote songs and plays about him, and his portraits shaped public buildings and were carried by the Red Shirts in military parades.
In 1936, Garrido Canabal launched the first of Mexico's Five-Year Plans, taking the Soviet Union's Five-Year Plans as a model and focusing on education, healthcare, electricity, transportation and alimentation; however, during the American invasion, the plan's funding was redirected to the military. After the United States withdrawal, industrialisation continued as Mexico supplied oil to the Allies.
The main reason for the war was that the United States did not want a socialist state in their backyard, and they had supported anti-communist resistance groups before sending an ultimatum.
The invasion force marching from California was commanded by George S. Patton, and the one from Texas by Douglas MacArthur, both of whom were staunch anti-communists, and the landing in Mérida was under the command of Roy S. Geiger.
After Garrido took office, Mexico bought weapons and ammunition from the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, Sweden, Netherlands and Denmark, including 6 T-26 and 11 AH-IV tanks, 22 Poliparkov I-16 fighter planes, 200,000 vz.24 rifles, and 15,000 Madsen machine guns, meaning that the M1 Combat Cars deployed by the US Army were outgunned in battles fought on the desert. Minister of War Lázaro Cárdenas played an important role in beginning the mechanization of the Mexican Army, a process finished by 1960.
The furthest south in Mexico the two main invasion forces advanced was Ciudad Victoria in the state of Tamaulipas, although much of coastal Sinaloa also fell to the Americans and their UNS allies. After the war, their insurgency continued until 1953, Nazi Germany having collapsed in 1949 as the Eastern Front froze and they failed to capture the Caucasus' oil fields, carry out Operation Sea Lion, and suppress partisan activity.
The National Synarchist Union rose up against the Mexican Socialist Republic and its atheism on 18 July 1937, with 53,000 insurgents being involved in the original revolt. The Mexican General Staff refused to redirect its forces to fight the UNS, resulting in them capturing a large swath of heavily Catholic territory by 1938, although their territorial gains were rolled back beginning in October of that year, and the burden of defeating the Communists increasingly fell on the US.
As Mexico's situation improved, it increasingly obtained support from the Comintern. Artists such as Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo made works depicting the Mexican resistance, and a group of international volunteers totalling 15,000 and hailing from Brazil, Argentina, France, Italy and Germany was formed and fought relatively well. The Soviet Union tried to provide further aid, but was unable to do so due to a naval blockade of Mexican ports; nevertheless, the war led to a rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union that resulted in America not supporting the Soviets or opening a second front after the Nazi invasion.
The Red Shirts, a Mexican paramilitary group founded by Tomás Garrido Canabal in 1931, also took part in the war, just like the Blackshirts had participated in the invasion of Ethiopia and the SS in Germany's military campaigns. The Axis Powers remained neutral in the conflict, as neither side was to their liking.
After 1938, Mexico pushed back, launching a successful counteroffensive, Operation Juarez, between May and September of that year, and dealing increasing casualties and territorial losses to the United States over the next year. The Mexican Navy, while small, increasingly attempted to break the blockade, although they were only successful starting in late 1939, when it was increasingly clear the United States had lost.
The Mexican victory made Garrido be recognized as the greatest man in the continent, and the second most well known communist in the world, behind Stalin. Mexican influence over Central America and the Caribbean increased remarkably with its defeat of the strongest economy in the world, leading to the overthrow of authoritarian regimes in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras and their replacement by Mexican satellite states, and the consolidation of Mexico's totalitarian government.
submitted by FakeElectionMaker to AlternateHistory [link] [comments]

2024.05.21 01:34 Kaenu_Reeves Empty Continents: The End of the Space Age

This is a loosely connected set of stories that are mostly to enhance the early periods of Empty Continents, specifically right after the Vanishing.
You see the full forum here: https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/empty-continents.553057/
Or a more easy-to-read version here: https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/empty-continents.553057/reade
Martha Glasse and Selena Rivi could be considered the last humans of the Space Age.
The two of them were both born in 1999, making them 29 years old in 2028. Martha Glasse was from a suburban German family in Florida, while Selena Rivi was an Italian-Arab whose family migrated to Texas. They both had dreams of becoming an astronaut, so they applied to NASA in late 2024 after getting their degrees in physics and mathematics respectively. The two of them were accepted, and they slowly trained and learned in the Astronaut Corps. They first met in mid-2026, although historians have debated the exact circumstances. Nonetheless, here is the prevailing theory of how their conversation went:
“Have you come to join me?”
Selena Rivi looked back as a new girl had walked to her. She had taken a short break from her training at NASA and decided to relax at a nearby park.
“Oh! I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you sitting here,” Martha Glasse said. “This park is a really nice place.”
“There’s still room, if you want.” Selena moved herself to allow for Martha to sit on the bench.
Martha sat down, noticing Selena’s insignia. “So, you’re part of NASA? Which branch?”
Selena was a bit shy at first. “Well, nothing major. I’m starting training to be an astronaut.”
“Oh, that’s such a big thing!” Martha responded. “I’m training there as well. It seems like I’ll see you around a lot!”
Selena grinned slightly. She looked at the endless fields, with their lone bench as the only man-made object for miles. The scene was complemented by a beautiful sunset, which had turned the sky into a tapestry of winding colors.
Martha turned towards her. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it? All of… this, inside a pale blue dot. Even if we go out into space, I’ll still miss what Earth has to offer.”
Selena nodded. “Oh, I’m running my mouth again!” said Martha. “My apologies.”
“No, no, please continue,” Selena responded. “I love the way you talk.”
Martha smiled. “I’m just wondering… isn’t it wonderful how humanity always continues on? Well, it’s not like we don’t face problems- NASA tried to put a man on the moon by 2025. But when that failed, what did NASA do? They tried again in 2026. I suppose that’s the whole idea behind human nature. No matter how horrible the situation becomes, the spirit of humanity will always continue.”
Soon afterward? Martha and Selena received an exciting message: they would both be selected on a mission to the International Space Station. They would mostly do final preparations to prepare for the de-orbiting of the ISS. By early 2028, they were sent on a SpaceX capsule and docked to the ISS; they were tasked with staying there for a few months. However, the two of them would have to leave far sooner.
On June 7, 2028, the two of them saw the world remake itself. They were shocked and horrified, combined with the loss of all their communications networks for a while. They were essentially a stranded island, hovering hundreds of miles above Earth.
Selena and Martha assumed some sort of apocalyptic event hit Earth- but what was it? They decided to wait it out; perhaps some fragments survived. Their current food and water rations left them with around 12 weeks until they were forced to return. They patiently waited, making sure to stretch all their resources to await some kind of contact. Thankfully, around the third week, they received a message.
Meanwhile, on the surface, the only surviving space agencies were the UK Space Agency and JAXA. The latter had a more robust communications network; they immediately got to work establishing communications with satellites, especially the ISS. Thankfully, a few radio towers in places like Australia and some careful engineering allowed for both the UK and Japanese space agencies to make limited contact with the ISS.
Both the UK and Japan understood that sheer panic and confusion would befall Martha and Selena if they learned about the Vanishing. Thus, they worked together and made sure to never directly say what was happening. They only gave out the instructions for the emergency landing, which was to be conducted over the North Atlantic Ocean.
Martha and Selena looked sadly as they abandoned the ISS and entered their re-entry module. They would be the final residents before its inevitable crash landing. Would humanity ever aspire to build such a thing again?
Miraculously, the re-entry worked well, and the two astronauts were rescued by the Royal Navy, where they learned about the Vanishing. Their reaction was confused, but with a strange hint of optimism as well.
Martha Glasse and Selena Rivi were hailed as international heroes; their rescue was seen as a beacon of hope for survivors of the Vanishing. The British government, especially under Marcus Night, reveled in this attention, and the two astronauts were treated as heroes of a new age.
However, as for Martha and Selena themselves, they swiftly disappeared from public life, living their days near a small farm in northern England. The ISS de-orbited and crashed into the Indian Ocean in late 2028; JAXA and the UK Space Agency were disbanded a few years later.
For now, the final frontier is walled off.
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2024.05.21 01:05 0fiuco travel report: 18 Days off the beaten Path in Honshu and Kyushu

period: april 28th to May 14th 2024.
Nights spent in: Tokyo - Sendai - Fukushima - Koriyama - Nagoya - Hakata ( Fukuoka ).
If it's really off the beaten path or not you'll decide, some destinations visited are really particular, other are way more popular even if usually not what you'll visit in your first trip to Japan. let's say i've been to japan last summer and did all the usual things one do the first time he's there, probably even something more: Tokyo - Kyoto - Osaka - Nara - Nikko, Fukuoka, Matsumoto, Himeji, Miyajima. pretty much what almost anyone does for their first time if they have the opportunity.
Given the weak Yen and having still some time ( and money ) i could spend i decided to come back less than a year later, this time at the end of April up until half may in order to explore less popular destinations. I'll avoid to provide the usual tips anyone provide, like how to move from narita, how to get a Suica or how to book a train seat, how to operate a toilet and such things.
SOME TIPS
Concerning Suica: contrary to what most people suggest, i didn't buy one neither last summer or this time and frankly i've never missed not having it. I use my mastercard credit card, most places in japan accept it with zero problems and for the rest you can get Yen at any ATM machine that you can find in any combini with it and pay cash wich japanese still very much use
Concerning the period of the year: last year i went in August. I can confirm that moving around in April/May is so incredibly much better. The heat in august is some day even unbearable. This time the weather was mostly fine, got only one day of rain even if the temperatures were still a bit on the cold side overall. Unfortunately this year Sakura came early and I missed it by a week or two. But still apart from the cherry trees all the plants were blossoming and it was so nice to see flowers everywhere compared to the pain of the humidity and the torment of cicadas you have during summer.
Concerning golden week: one of the two weeks i was there was the golden week. I didn't book anything in advance but, maybe because of the fact i was moving off the beaten path, i almost never had problems booking trains or hotels during golden week ( i said almost, more details later ). Cant tell what's the effect when trying to book hotels in places like Kyoto.
concerning planning: my usual planning method goes the following: i book the plane, obviously. I buy JRP ( yes i still bought it even after the price increase ) and i book two days of hotels. The rest of my trip i have an idea of what i want to do and where i want to go but i book hotels and such, while going along. This gives me the flexibility to change my itinerary or react to bad weather ( last summer i run away from a typhoon with this trick ) or unexpected problems ( last summer i got food poisoning and i had to delay my program booking an hotel for three more days than expected: had i booked all nights in advance it would have been a huge problem ). I only book hotels using the booking website app and i can only say good things about it. I travel alone, maybe for couples or families this isn't as easy as it was for me.
Warning: I like to walk and I walk a lot. So if you need tips to move around, I’m not probably the right person because what you might want to do using a bus or a taxi I would probably do by walking. I’ve walked on average of 20 km a day and probably more and if a place is like 3-4 km from where I am I walk there without even looking if there’s a better option with a bus or something else.
I will give a vote to the places I’ve visited according to two parameters:
How off the beaten path it really is, judging by how many foreign tourists I met there. And an overall vote telling how worthy I feel the place is to visit. To make it short I will call them “OTBP VOTE and OVERALL VOTE”

SO LET'S START WITH THE ACTUAL TRIP REPORT:
Day 1: landing in Tokyo at midday in Narita. After finishing all the immigration process i moved to my hotel. This time i decided to book it for two nights in Omiya/Saitama. The place is less than half an hour from Tokyo Station and was the opportunity to see something different. I haven't seen much of the place but the area around the station was very lively, lots of restaurant and lots of people moving around. It was full of decoration with squirrells and a football team, i guess they were either promoting it or they won something cause decorations were everywhere, honestly didn't ask about. Well apart from checking in, recovering from the flight, looking for something to eat and checking a bit the areai didn't do much.
day 2: in the morning i took the train to Ashikaga Flower Park. I've seen picture of it online and according to the informations i gathered i might have been late for the sakura but the Wisteria were in full bloom and they had a lot of them in this park.
So i took the train, it was around an hour ride and Omiya was strategically on the way. I realized my trip plan was proably a good one when, once reached the Ashikaga flower park station ( there's a train station dedicated to this park ) all the people on the train got off. A little walk, ticket and i was in. The place, given the right time of the year, was AMAZING, UNBELIEVABLE. I can't begin to tell you how cool and how huge the wisteria plants were. they were in full bloom, and was something out of this world, it looked like something you see in the movie avatar. Like three or four wisterias as big as a basketball field if not even more, of different colours and kinds, plus a lot more of regular sized wisterias and a lot more flower plants of all kinds. Had to say, for some reason with all the flowers the air wasn’t at all full of their scent. I even got a wisteria flavoured ice cream, wich was probably a wisteria coloured ice cream cause it didn’t have any real particular taste. The place was packed with Japanese people and foreigners like me you could count them on the fingers of one hand. I arrived there early, so by early afternoon I was satisfied with my visit and moved away. A quick check on my train app and google maps and realized I could reach Kawagoe from there fairly easily.
ASHIKAGA FLOWER PARK OTBP: 9 OVERALL: 10
When I was on the train it stopped at the Tochigi station, it looked nice from the train so I decided to jump off and check the area a bit, because sometime I do that kind of things, and the idea wasn’t bad at all: the town itself doesn’t look anything special but there’s a canal wich was very picturesque, plus it was fully decorated with paper carps because of the time of the year and Japanese people were doing boat rides on the river on traditional little boats while singing songs. I won't say to go there specifically to see the place, but if you're on that train route or still around it, it might be worth a stop. So, once I finished checking the area I jump back on the train and finally reached Kawagoe.
TOCHIGI: OTBP: 10 OVERALL: 6 ½
Kawagoe is a small place north of Tokyo, not very far, wich is know for a small neighbourhood with old Edo houses. That neighbourhood is more far from the station that I expected, but still nice and worth a check. There’s a very cool bell tower there and one of the coolest Starbucks I’ve ever seen. I wouldn’t spend a whole day in Kawagoe if you ask me but If you’re in Tokyo and have an half day available that you don't know how to spend I’d say it’s totally worth a train ride. Had my dinner there and then moved back to Omiya where I would spend my last night.
KAWAGOE: OTBP: 7 OVERALL: 7
Day 3: woke up early, jumped on the train and moved to Sendai where I had planned to stay the next three nights. Once again Omiya was a good choice cause I could take the shinkansen right from there without having to move back to Tokyo.
Arrived in Sendai, left my luggage in the hotel where I couldn’t check in cause it was still to early and hopped on a local train in direction of Matsushima. By midday I was already in Matsushima. This is another very famous destination for Japanese people, one of the most known panoramas in japan. Have to say, the town is a typical sea town, definitely welcoming. I had one of the best Sushi I ever had in japan in a local restaurant ( check matsushima sushi kou if interested ). Visited Zuiganji temple and then walked a bit on the coast, crossed the Fukuurabashi bridge, the long red bridge that you probably have seen in some picture, and walked around Fukuurajima. Here you can have a walk around the island it’s not small but is small enough that you can walk it all fairly quickly and it has some nice spots to discover. You have to pay a small fee to cross the bridge. Then went back, checked the Godaido of Zuiganji and it’s worth mentioning that when walking along the coast I’ve stumbled across a couple of signs giving instructions on what to do in case of a tsunami and what happened back in 2011, wich I didn’t even think about up until that moment and suddenly the memories went back to what happened there more than 10 years ago. Last thing, my advice is to walk down to Oshima island. This little island is less crowded, you can reach it crossing a little red bridge and honestly to me it’s the best spot to admire Matsushima. I didn’t went for the ferry ride across the bay cause the weather wasn’t very good and I was starting to be a little short on time, so I moved back to Sendai.
MATSUSHIMA: OTBP: 9 OVERALL: 8 ½
Once back in Sendai, I went to see the sunset from the panoramic floor of the AER building near the station, wich is totally free even if finding the right elevator that takes you up might be a bit tricky, but the view is totally worth it, you can even see in the distance the big white shape of the dai-kannon and from the other side of the floor you can easily see the sea.
Talking about Sendai, I didn’t dedicate to the city the time that should have been necessary because I was always on day trips and I spend there mostly the late evenings, but my impression is that Sendai is a very nice city that should appear more often in peoples itineraries. The city is particularly vibrant and alive, lot of young people, lot of things to see and do, a covered shopping street that is almost endless full of restaurants and shops, way more green than many other Japanese cities. I’d recommend anyone who had the time and the opportunity to spend a little time here. Also it has a very distinctive identity and everything proudly revolves around the image of its founder Date Masamune who is everywhere in senday, even the penguin of the local DonQuishotte mall was dressed up as Date Masamune.
So after the panorama, I went in the hotel, finally checked in and then moved back to look for food. Walked down what I think is called ichibancho street, wich as I said before is an endless downtown road full of shops and restaurant and stopped to have a try at the most famous local dish, Gyutan, wich is grilled cow tongue. Never had tongue in my life and have to admit it, it’s not bad at all, I quite enjoyed it. Had a little more walk around then called it a day.
SENDAI: OTBP: 7 ½ OVERALL: 9
Day 4: today trip is to Hiraizumi, a UNESCO world heritage site, where you can admire some historically significant buddhist sites. You had to catch a coincidence in Ichinoseki but the whole ride is pretty straight forward and doesn’t really take much time. At 9 am I was already ready to explore. As I sad I’m a walker, so I walked the walk from the station to the Chuson Ji temple wich is around 2 km and I totally recommend it cause the town is quite nice to walk through, very small village, very cozy and intimate. Chuson Ji it’s a very beautiful complex to explore, it’s inside a forest, kinda reminds a bit of Nikko atmosphere if you’ve been there even if the buildings aren’t as spectacular. The whole wood was full of blossoming plants and here and there I was able to spot some late cherry tree still full of flowers, giving me an hint to what sakura must really be.
You stumble in the temple buildings one after another while you go deep into the wood. I reach the main building and there’s a ceremony in progress. I discovered later that the next day was planned the Fujiwara festival where all people dress up like in Edo period and do a parade in the city. The day I was there instead the children parade was planned, so it was full of kids dressed up and judging by how proud and elegant their parents were I tend to think it was a pretty big thing for them. I enjoy the situation for a while, then went back to exploring, till I reached the main attraction of the temple wich is the Konjikido, a golden pavilion that dates back to the XII century wich is amazing to see in person.
Once I finished exploring the whole Chuson Ji complex I went looking for a restaurant and had a nice ramen set, because the visit took the whole morning, then moved to the second stop wich was Motsuji Temple: as much as Chuson Ji impressed me, Motsu-ji disappointed me. The thing is, you pay to enter and in the end what you see is a place mostly empty, where the only building there are reconstructions and most places are just a bunch of rocks with signs saying “here once was this building” “here once was that building” and the main thing you’ll see there is a pond whose importance is that it dates back to the time when Japanese gardens were kinda dull compared to what they’ll become centuries later. So it’s kinda a pond that you would completely ignore in a different context. I mean, I totally get the historical importance of this place, but, honestly from the ignorant eyes of a tourist it’s really nothing you would invest your time visiting, according to my opinion.
Another place that would have been worth visiting was Takkoku-no Iwaya Bishamondo, but isn’t really that easy to reach, it’s a bit far to walk to and I was once again out of time, therefore I decided to skip it and went back to the station and to sendai where I again went to look for something to eat and had a little night stroll, nothing worth mentioning.
HIRAIZUMI: OTBP: 9 OVERALL: 8
Day 5: today I decided to go to Kakunodate. The town is a easily reachable by train from sendai but a bit far compared to the day before. Went off the station and once again started walking. The place is known mainly for its many samurai houses, all indications point to them so it’s not possible to miss them. The town itself for the little I’ve seen doesn’t really seem to offer much apart from that but the samurai distict it’s nice. Many of the houses have been converted into small museums, that you can visit paying a small fee. I entered one of them, there was a little tour showing the history of the city and the history of the family of samurai living there. Among the things you could do you had the chance even to hold a real katana ( it felt quite a clumsy and top heavy sword compared to what I had imagined ). In fairness, to my taste, there isn’t much to do apart from visiting the samurai district, yes you can visit the local museum, do some craft shopping ( I bought a very nice box made of cherry bark there wich is a typical local craft ) therefore after a late lunch I was back to Sendai. In my opinion if you want to see a Samurai district you can also go to Kanazawa and there’s much more to see there overall compared to Kakunodate, but if you like the atmosphere of a smaller village instead of a big city and you like something more “off the beaten path” then I’d say go to kakunodate.
KAKUNODATE: OTBP: 8 ½ OVERALL: 6 ½
Given i was back to sendai relatively early, that gave me the opportunity to walk ( yes I walked even there ) to see the dai-kannon. The walk was nice, it took me through some very quiet neighbourhood that you wouldn’t normally visit. When I reached the statue It was too late to go inside it but I still had a good view of it. That is a quite impressive sight, you almost have difficulty to grasp the actual size of it. The area around the statue has really nothing to offer, therefore my honest suggestion is take a ride with the sightseeing bus and use that to reach it and once you’re finished with the statue move to a more interesting spot.
And this was my last day in Sendai. My plan at this point was to book two nights at Koriyama but probably because of the golden week I wasn’t able to find a hotel to my liking there therefore I decided to book one night in Fukushima and the next night in Koriyama. These were the two more expensive nights of all my trip and still ended up spending only around 70 € a night.
Day 6: plan for the day: leave the luggage in the hotel, visit Yamadera, go back to sendai, pick up the luggage and move to fukushima to spend the night. Yamadera is truly easy to reach from Sendai and a very recommended destination if you happen to be in Sendai. The place is mostly known for a temple that is reachable walking an abundant number of steps up a hillside. You reach the town, wich Is a very little and cozy village in the mountains west from Sendai and the temple is very close to the station so it’s not possible to miss it. You can tell the whole village revolves around the temple but it still maintain an authentic spirit. Lots of restaurants and little shops to visit on the road that brings to the temple. The temple itself is very “vertical” : sets of stone stairs will lead you up the side of the hills, till you reach the main building and a couple of satellite building where you’ll be rewarded by an amazing view on the village below. If you don’t mind stairs you’ll be rewarded with a very relaxing atmosphere. Here too given the latitude and the altitude I’ve been able to enjoy a couple of late blossoming cherry trees. The weather was amazing that day and all the gardens where full of flowers, this made the whole trip particularly enjoyable. Luckly I’m an early bird because later in the day the place was really packed with visitors. Once I was finished I had a nice set of Yamagata Dashi Soba in a typical restaurant with Tatamis low tables and a beautiful view on the river that cuts in half the village.
YAMADERA: OTBP: 10 OVERALL 9
After a late lunch I jumped back to the train, went back to sendai to pickup the luggage and moved to the next stop, Fukushima. Here I had the first disappointment of my trip. As my usual I booked a hotel that was close to the main train station, wich is usally the place where you want to be. I had a walk around there and the impression I got from Fukushima was that the place was miserable, a place that has really nothing much to offer to a tourist and not even to a citizen because compared to all the other places I’ve been in japan the impression was that even the locals weren’t as lively and enjoying life that much. I hope I’m not offending anyone and for sure I can’t give a proper review of the place after just an evening spent there, but the impression I got was of one of those town, that you can find in every country you'll visit, where young people can’t wait to get old enough to run away from.
FUKUSHIMA: OTBP: 9 ½ OVERALL: 4
DAY 7: wake up in fukushima, move to Koriyama, leave the luggage at the hotel, and then visit Ouchi-Juku and Aizu Wakamatsu. If you’re wondering, the thing is doable but you need to move early. Once you reach Koriyama you take the local train for Aizu Wakamatsu. There you jump on another local train, wich isn’t entirely operated by JR so you’ll have to pay a ticket, to Yunokami Onsen station where you end up in one of the coolest train stations in japan because it’s built in the style of a traditional house with wooden interiors and a straw roof, and it has a feet onsen right outside where you can wait the train while bathing your feet in thermal water, how cool is that?
From here you take a bus and reach Ouchi Juku. On paper it sounds harder than it actually is but you have to plan your trip properly. Ouchi Juku is a post town all made of traditional houses that reminds you a bit of Shirakawa Go, I frankly don’t know how it isn’t more popular among foreigners cause it’s truly a one of a kind place. Most probably is because it’s so off the beaten path and hard to reach. Still it’s extremely popular among Japanese people because the place was crowded and, when I left, the car traffic was stuck by how many people where trying to reach the place by car. I have to tell you in all honestly the place is probably a bit too touristy because there’s not a single house that isn’t turned into a gift shop or a restaurant. But still the place is so charming and picturesque that is totally worth a visit, plus the surrounding woods, mountains and rice field really act like a frame around the most beautiful picture. So I spend the morning here and around 2 pm I move back to Aizu, because there are really not many bus runs in the evening taking you back to Yunokami Onsen and you better reach the place early.
OUCHI JUKU: OTBP: 10 OVERALL: 9
That gives me the opportunity to visit Aizu Wakamatsu. Ive heard about the city for its castle and for the legend of the Byakko Tai. I get off to Aizu Wakamatsu main station and walk across town till I reach the castle. Keep in mind it’s Saturday and along the whole walk I might have crossed three people. The city was deserted and one thing I’ve learned is, if people on a Saturday evening flee a city like that, then there isn’t much to do or see there, and that’s the impression I got, kinda like Fukushima, probably even worse. Still, I reached the castle: the park is very nice, the castle is a beautiful Japanese castle but, to my understanding it’s a modern reconstruction cause the original castle was lost during the Meiji restoration as Aizu was one of the spots that rised against the emperor. At least around the castle there were now many people. From the castle, wich I didn’t visit inside, I went back to the train station, this time I reached Nanukamachi station and I have to admit it the area there seemed more alive and interesting to stroll around than the area around main Aizu station, therefore maybe I just walked across the wrong part of the town, I honestly can’t tell.
AIZU: OTBP: 9 OVERALL: 6
From Aizu I finally moved by train to Koriyama. I really didn’t spend enough time there to have a proper opinion but the impression I got was of a laid back place, more relaxing than sendai and definitely more alive than fukushima. If I had more time I’d probably give it a shot for a day visit, it might be a surprise.

DAY 8: by this day I ended up with a terrible sore throath that I had to endure almost till my last day in japan. I never had a fever but there was definitely something going around, I kept hearing many Japanese people coughing on trains all around japan so there was definitely something going around, maybe it’s just the season changing, it happens during this season all the times to have some cold or cough. Anyway, the day I had to wake up early and move from Koriyama to Nagoya by Shinkansen, wich was a considerably long trip but at least it gave me the opportunity to take probably the best picture I’ve ever take of mount fuji, from the train. Once in Nagoya I left the luggage in the hotel ( wich, thanks probably to the fact that the golden week just ended, I happened to book for 4 nights for a whopping 25€ a night wich was a total steal even for current Japanese standard prices ). There I immediately jumped on another train and went to visit Inuyama.
The area around Nagoya is a bit tricky cause it’s full of railroads operated by a company that is not JR wich are not covered by the JR Pass but there’s a JR station a bit to the north of Inuyama that will do the job. The place is totally recommended for three reason: it’s overall nice, with the Kiso river cutting it, the castle is one of the few original ones and even if small is considered a national treasure and the whole area around the castle is very nice and worthy to spend some time on. So I visited the castle, the view from the top floor is awesome and in a clear day you can easily spot the skyline of Nagoya. Outside the castle there’s an edo style street full of shops, restaurants and street food that is nice to explore, totally recommended a walk there.
INUYAMA: OTBP: 8 ½ OVERALL: 10
Coming back to Nagoya I just had energy to look for food then I went back to my hotel for a good night of sleep.
DAY 9: a day trip from Nagoya to Ise. The trip isn’t that easy, you got to take a couple of trains if you move only by JR ( and a couple of stops of one of them aren’t even JR operated wich is a little confusing honestly ) and you end up in Iseshi station. From there I moved to Ise Jingu Geku, wich is the outer sanctuary and from there you can take a bus ( guess what, I walked instead ) to the main Ise sanctuary. If you don’t know Ise Jingu is the most sacred place in the Shinto religion and is regularly visited even by the emperor given his role in the Shinto religion. Inside the main temple one of the most sacred relics of Shinto religion is preserved.
Well, being totally honest here’s my impressions of Ise: it’s not simple to reach. The city itself, for what I’ve seen, looks like it has seen better days, meaning it looks like it’s falling apart. And the temples, there’s really not that much to see: they are in a forest, and the temples are not that spectacular, plus the most interesting parts are forbidden to visit. You can go to Atsuta Jingu without moving out from Nagoya and have a fairly realistic impression of what you would see in Ise without all the issues. I know people will attack me for what I’m saying, but that is what I’ve got from it. The most fun part was the edo style neighborhood that you can find right before entering the main Isu complex, wich looks almost like a theme park. I don’t say don’t go there, I say if you are, as you are probably, on borrowed time, with lots of places you want to visit and too few days to see them all, if Ise is in your list you might want to use the day to see something else.
ISE: OTBP: 6 ½ OVERALL: 6 ½
DAY 10: I decided to spend the day in Nagoya and take a look of the city, thanks also to the weather that was a bit rainy and really not inviting for another day trip. What I’ve seen in a day is the samurai exposition in Marunouchi. It’s free and it’s totally worth it, lots of beautiful samurai armours and swords. There’s another exposition that opened not many years ago that you can go nto too far but I didn’t visit so I can’t tell about that. From here I went to Nagoya castle. You pay to enter the complex but currently the Castle is under restoration and you can see it from outside ( it’s very impressive, Nagoya and Osaka castles are massive ) but not visit from inside. But the Honmaru Palace right beside it is open and totally worth a visit. From here took the subway ( yeah today I didn’t walk much so I got a subway day pass ) to the Osu Shotengai Shopping District, wich is the usual kind of covered shopping streets nest you can find in all the Japanese cities, and then moved again to Atsuta Jingu Shrine that, as I said, to me is a completely valid alternative to visiting Ise. The day went by without even noticing and I couldn’t see all the other places I had picked, like the Toyota museum, the tokugawa museum or the science museum, but that’s what you get when you only have one day dedicated to visit a city as big as Nagoya. Still I had time to get an impression of the city and I honestly don’t get the bad reputation it has among foreigners, the city looked to me quite interesting, nice, full of things to see and the people felt particularly laid back compared to cities like Tokyo or Osaka, it’s probably the place where I’ve seen the biggest number of tanned Japanese in all the country. To me Nagoya is totally worth at least two or three days dedicated only to visiting the city.
NAGOYA: OTBP: 5 OVERALL: 9
DAY 11: my original plan was to walk the Nakasendo from Magome to Tsumago. But the weather that day was kinda shit, I wasn’t feeling particularly In the mood of a walk because of my throath and I was starting to feel a bit tired, so I improvised and went for a day in Takayama and Gero Onsen. Takayama is pretty famous. I went there around 20 years ago and I remembered it as a very nice place. Getting back now, with all the Japanese places I’ve seen so far, I would say this: the train trip to Takayama is Spectacular, is a truly feast for the eyes. The town itself, it left me a little disappointed. The Edo style streets that its famous for, I’ve seen so many of them at that point around japan that it didn’t really leave a significant impression on me. And it was honestly smaller than I remembered it. Plus the weather, as I said, didn’t help. So overall the reality didn’t stand up to my memories and my expectations. Plus most of the houses there have now been turned in cheap souvenir shops with nothing giving you an authentic feeling. Don’t know, probably I wasn’t really in the mood that day.
TAKAYAMA: OTBP: 2 OVERALL: 6 ½
I took the opportunity on the way back to stop at Gero Onsen. Unfortunately I didn’t have the time to actually stop for an onsen cause overall the whole day wasn’t planned and I mainly improvised. Still the town is very nice and probably, having no expectations or no knowledge of it, even more worth visiting than Takayama. Had a nice walk around the town, and at least had the opportunity to “feel” the thermal water cause there’s plenty of fountains with hot spring water where you can rest your feet or your hands. It was enough to make me aware that a proper onsen there must be a very enjoyable experience.
GERO ONSENS: OTBP: 8 OVERALL: 8
And after this I went to Nagoya where I spent my last night in the city.

DAY 12: moving to Fukuoka ( Hakata ). I booked a hotel near Hakata station so I jumped on the shinkansen and moved there. The ride was as confortable as any shinkansen ride can be and I reached the place sooner than I imagined. First thing was a good look of the city from the panoramic floor in the station. Then had a walk to the Canal City mall wich is a very weirdly and interesting designed mall that is a very popular location in town. Had a walk from there to Nakasu island where I got a quick dinner considering it was already time, and had another walk around the area wich unfortunately will turn out to be my only experience of Fukuoka. I’ll spend here three nights but the following days will be so full that won’t give me any chance to visit the town more, so in the end I don’t really have an opinion on Fukuoka if not that I should probably have spent more time there, but unfortunately the days you have are numbered and there’s so much to see that you have to give up something here and there, so i won't even give a vote to the city.
DAY 13: Destination is Kagoshima that it’s easily reachable by train. I went there with no real expectation and I was totally blown away. Something clicked and I instantly liked the town, I must say that probably the fact that one of the most beautiful girls I’ve seen in japan out of the blue started a conversation with me on the train probably helped a lot in putting me in a good mood.
From the station I walked downtown till the coast. On the way I stopped shopping a bit, found a local market where local artisans that day were exposing their crafts wich I liked a lot and went to the top floor of the Centerrace Mall to get a panoramic view of the city with an amazing view on Sakurajima volcano. If you don’t know it’s the symbol of the city and it’s said to be almost always active, the whole day I’ve been there he kept puffing little clouds of smoke from time to time, it was very cool. So, once reached the cost I walked ( you should know it by now ) till I reached Sengan-En wich is the garden and the palace of a local lord and it’s very beautiful, totally worth a visit, also compared to many other places in japan, this is more modern and therefore more unique both in the architecture of the palace and the style of the garden. I’d say if you are in Kagoshima you won’t regret visiting it ( maybe don’t do like me and take a bus cause it’s more than 6 km from the station ). After visiting Sengan En I went back to the ferries and took a ferry to Sakurajima. The ferry is very cheap, 200 yen, and quick to reach it’s destination, but on Sakurajima there’s really not much to do if you don’t plan to use a bus or some other kind of transportation. Since it was already evening, I had nothing planned and I had to go back to Hakata, I just took the time to have a walk on the Lava Trail wich is a walk in a natural park that has grown over an old lava flow, wich is a quite unique thing that I enjoyed more than I expected. Then I went back to Kagoshima, had dinner and moved back to Hakata. I have to say I really enjoyed Kagoshima, the city has a unique vibe, very laid back, the people seemed to be relaxed and happy and were much more open toward foreigners than anywhere I’ve experienced. If I’ll ever be back in japan I’ll surely manage to spend some more time in Kagoshima. I took the train and I was back in hakata at around midnight so I went straight to bed in hotel
KAGOSHIMA: OTBP: 10 OVERALL: 10
Day 14: Nagasaki. Another fairly easy destination to reach from Fukuoka. The city itself is very narrow and develops around its river. As a tourist I was immediately attracted to its atomic bomb museum, wich is north from the station. I went there, you don’t say, by foot.
And later, once I’ve done with the atomic bomb part, the Nagasaki near the sea.
And here starts the tale of the two Nagasaki, because it feels like two different places in one. The north part, wich I didn’t enjoy much, felt a bit neglected and it’s mostly houses where people live. And it’s the part where you’ll see more tourists because as I said all the atomic spots are there.
On the other hand the south part near the city was to me much more alive and full of life, I’m no expert but that’s probably where the locals like to spend their free time and on the other hand you’ll see way less tourists here.
Back to the morning, I did what most tourists do, and visited the atomic bomb museum, the peace park, the ipocenter, and went also to see the half standing torii that is one of the few authentic places left as testament of the bombing, around the city. Talking about the museum, I’ve been to both thins and Hiroshima and, even if Hiroshima is bigger and with much more to see, I would suggest if one has the opportunity to visit also the Nagasaki one, it absolutely has its own legs to stand on. On a side note, out of 10 visitors, 9 were foreigners, I guess Japanese already know their history and don’t feel the need to visit such a place on a nice Sunday morning.
The peace park it’s a park, there you can see the famous statue wich is one of the main symbols of Nagasaki and that, if you ask me, is one of the ugliest statues you can find in the world, but still if you’re in Nagasaki you probably don’t want to miss it.
After lunch I moved to the sea side, here I’ve seen DeiJima wich is the former artificial island where the Portuguese were segregated centuries ago, very interesting place, kinda like a mix of an open air museum and a theme park, felt a little bit plastic but still worth some of your time.
Then had a walk to the near seaside park wich is a very nice and relaxing place where flocks of eagles fly so low over your head that if you rise your hand you can almost touch them, and pretty much ended the day there before having to go back to Fukuoka.
NAGASAKI: OTBP: 5 OVERALL: 7 ½

Day 15 – 16 - 17: my last full days in japan. I was in need of some rest at this point and I needed to move closer to Narita where I had booked my flight for day 18, so i spent more than half of day 15 to transfer from Hakata to Tokyo. I booked my last hotel for three nights near Otsuka station, wich if you ask me is a nice spot to stay in Tokyo. When I arrived in the evening there was a rose festival and all around the station there were roses bushes in flower and there were people singing and the whole station looked alive but also quiet, if you like a place to stay In Tokyo that it’s not chaotic like Shinjuku or Shibuya I’d recommend Otsuka.
The last days aren’t really worth mentioning, I’ve spent most of the time shopping for souvenirs, and recovering for all the travel i did the two weeks before. I explored a couple of places worth mentioning that not everyone ever goes to in Tokyo, like Nakano Broadway ( a weird shopping district that feels like a little Akiabara ), Nippori where there’s a little known street nice for shopping, or Chiba where there’s one of the biggest mall in japan but apart from that nothing much that you can read in the report of anyone who have been to Tokyo.
And with this, I think I can conclude my report. If you want me to upload some picture and you have a site to suggest me where it’s easy to upload and you don’t have to make an account let me know and if there’s enough interest I will oblige as soon as I’ve finished downloading all the pictures from my phone.
submitted by 0fiuco to JapanTravel [link] [comments]

2024.05.20 23:38 Mizzno [H] Games [W] Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong, Rain World: Downpour, Headbangers: Rhythm Royale, Games (Listed Below), Steam Gift Cards

N.B.: I'm mainly looking for the games listed in the title and at the bottom of the thread. Feel free to post other offers, but if I haven't responded to your comment(s) by my next posting, I likely wasn't able to find a trade that interested me.
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For sale (for Steam Gift Cards or gifted Steam Wallet balance):
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For trade:
*signifies that a game is tentatively up for trade, assuming I buy the bundle
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WANT:
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IGS Rep Page: https://www.reddit.com/IGSRep/comments/ti26nz/mizznos_igs_rep_page/
submitted by Mizzno to indiegameswap [link] [comments]

2024.05.20 19:44 thetripvan Looking for advice

Warning ⚠️ - long read ahead and I don't know if making a TLDR will make it any shorter lol 🤣
Few months back I (40m) began dating a woman (42f) who told me she grew up Baptist. I personally grew up United and was confirmed into the United church of Canada.
I was raised with the more liberal morals of the United church and at some point I stopped going regularly (later found out the term is C&E Christian - Christmas and Easter), then stopped going all together but I never lost a... Belief in God.
My girlfriend grew up in a conservative Baptist household but in her late teens, she rebelled and started doing things like smoking, drinking, sex (she felt pressure to do this so her bf of the time would stay with her) ect. This continued thru her 20's and 30's. She met someone, got married and all the whole, she too never lost touch with God but she was doing things that might be considered sinful. After she got married, sex stopped and they ended up getting a divorce shortly after). She found her way back to a satellite church which aligns closer to Baptist in January.
When her and I started talking, she made it quite clear on the beginning that she wanted someone who was Christian and not the "my parents are" type. I was honest with her about my history and she accepted it. She made it clear that there would be no sex before marriage to which I said ok but - I was in a 10 yr relationship with a woman who I was engaged to but it broke down during the pandemic and we left each other. During that time, we went 5 yrs without sex and nearly no other physical intimacy or affection. I told my current gf that I would like her to meet me half way here (affection and physical intimacy matters to me amongst other things). She agreed and said she's the same and she's "not a prude" as she worded it. So she said at the time everything except intercourse was fine for her - ok! Perfect!
This weekend we were talking about a meeting she has with her pastor about her faith journey and he asked her exactly how much is she willing to follow God. She said she was going to follow him implicitly and admitted to the pastor that her and I had engaged in sexual activity over the last few months. She said to me that she went to church and "felt like an imposter" because she was going to follow God but was doing these things on the side. She went on to say that she knew if we didn't have the intimacy or would be a deal breaker (to which I agreed and reminded her what she said about not being a prude). She said that she thinks she let it happen because it was 5 yrs since her divorce and she hadn't been touched in much longer so she was craving it when I came along. We came on the cusp of ending things cept I told her that I love her too much to just throw away what we have and I'd be willing to work with her (even though it meant ALL intimacy was done).
I do truly love my gf (and she returns the feelings). We are compatible on many other levels but this.... Rift on the intimacy side of things... It makes me feel she's not meeting me half way anymore when she said she was fine with doing certain intimate activities before.
Any advice would be appreciated!
Thanks in advance!
submitted by thetripvan to Christianity [link] [comments]

2024.05.20 18:47 Conny_and_Theo CK3 RICE Mod Dev Diary #47 Sicily Flavor Pack (Part 3): Flavor Content for Southern Italy

CK3 RICE Mod Dev Diary #47 Sicily Flavor Pack (Part 3): Flavor Content for Southern Italy
https://preview.redd.it/6v22roz0rj1d1.jpg?width=1500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=461d36f235f05c69357fcd350bd480bfe9bee9bd
“Because of the variety of different people subject to our rule [in Sicily], the usages, customs and laws which have existed among them up to now are not abrogated unless what is observed in them is clearly in contradiction to our edicts here.”
- Roger II of Sicily
I'm Cybrxkhan, creator of the Regional Immersion and Cultural Enrichment (RICE) mod, which adds simple "Flavor Packs'' to different parts of the world. This is the third, final dev diary about RICE’s next flavor pack, Sicily: Where Three Worlds Met. In dev diaries 1 and 2, we covered the Sicilian struggle. Today, we’ll go over more miscellaneous features in this update instead, such as new activities, buildings, historical characters, and more!
If you want to read the previous dev diaries, here’s links to them:
Lastly, feel free to check my mods' website, discord, and twitter for more info, previews, and updates as well!

Liminality Dynasty Legacy

The last time RICE introduced a new dynasty legacy was way back with the Tarim Basin flavor pack in 2022. Now, a new one will come with the Sicily update, called Liminality.
Liminality has both general bonuses, and those more specific to the Sicilian struggle’s mechanics. For instance, the 1st perk in this legacy, Populus Trlininguis, doubles trait XP you gain in the Sicilian Signore trait (a trait given to every ruler in Sicily) from various actions in the Sicilian struggle. It also improves interfaith opinion, and the language learning scheme.
https://preview.redd.it/mv4yygejqj1d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c23b653c8a23e10217fe1d5e386494dda4f75017
The five perks in this legacy are:
  • Populus Trilinguis
  • Latifunda
  • Incastellamento
  • Nostalgia
  • Grand Signores
If you recall from the 1st Sicily struggle dev diary, the Sicily struggle can start up again and repeat continuously unless you achieve the Crossroads or Dominion ending. However, both these “true” endings require that you unlock the whole track – an important incentive to go through this track if you want to truly master the Sicilian Frontier.

Activities

Pilgrimage to Monte Gargano

Some of the new activity-related content has to do with previously introduced activities in RICE. For instance, Christians in Sicily now have access to their own local pilgrimage, to Monte Gargano in Foggia in southern Italy.
https://preview.redd.it/pkvhaq9kqj1d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d1bca374ea9b46b8297d1e435c21ff9f2bd88843
Historically, the main destination for pilgrims was the sanctuary for Saint Michael there. As one of the earliest centers of pilgrimage dedicated to the Archangel Michael, it served as a model for future, similar pilgrimage sites, such as Monte-Saint-Michel, an Abbey in Normandy that RICE already added a local pilgrimage activity for.

Baths of Baia

Another one of RICE’s general activities is the Visit to the Hot Springs. For those unfamiliar with this RICE feature, it is an activity that can be done anywhere in one’s realm, but going to certain baronies gives extra bonuses like useful modifiers. The barony of Naples, will now be one such site, for the baths of Baia.
https://preview.redd.it/6isk423mqj1d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d745aa92ff3886eda79013e4d89f9794293dc252
Baia was a popular resort for centuries, and during both the ancient and medieval era, it had a negative reputation as a place of decadence and sin. While both male and female visitors were criticized in historical sources, the latter generally faced greater scrutiny and disapproval.
https://preview.redd.it/9h8g9pomqj1d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=24c51073bfd58838d5d40fdd88a5eccf8b313b71
Thus, while you’ll get a beneficial modifier from visiting the hot springs in Baia, the modifier has a malus to piety and opinion, and the malus is doubled if your gender isn’t considered dominant by your faith. If your faith meets certain requirements, like having the hedonist tenet, you get bonuses to piety/opinion rather than maluses instead.

Ancient Tombs

There are also two new activities. One, available to anyone in the region, is to pay a Visit to the Crypta Neapolitana. In medieval times, people thought the poet Virgil used magic to build this tunnel, as he was venerated as a powerful sorcerer in medieval legend. People also believed his tomb was nearby, and visitors from near and far came to his supposed tomb, which also became a local site of Christian worship.
https://preview.redd.it/noriwwsnqj1d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b7b53001af575ab07a1abc902910f7b5702cbe0c
Going on this activity lets you choose between two intents, that provide different modifiers: to be either Inspired by Virgil, or supposedly be blessed by Virgil’s Miracles.
Virgil’s legendary tomb isn’t the only tomb you can visit, however. In the city of Palermo, you can pay a Visit to Palermo’s Ancient Tombs to similarly gain minor bonuses and modifiers. It is available only to those who have territory on the island of Sicily, and has two options: the tomb of the philosopher Aristotle, or that of the physician Galen.
https://preview.redd.it/uyax9hboqj1d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2adb88892ce87ff560050b3d695f84f9db70dfb4
Ibn Hawqal, a 10th century Arab geographer and scholar, observed that the main mosque of Palermo (previously the city’s main church) had a wooden beam where Aristotle's supposed coffin was suspended. Ibn Hawqal further notes how Christians venerated this Greek philosopher and prayed to him for rain.
Meanwhile, Galen’s purported tomb lay Misilmeri, a short distance from Palermo on the road to Agrigento. A useful source making note of this was that of al-Harawi, an Iranian traveler from the 13th century.

Special Buildings and Modifiers

Several special buildings have been added to the map in southern Italy. Generally, I spread them out with roughly one per duchy (with the exception of Sicily), representing different aspects of the region’s history, and buildings that I felt would be more relevant for the time period.
https://preview.redd.it/23a79lbpqj1d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=06fb2d685a07160e4eefec1aebb726732320ec99
The buildings, and the baronies they are in, are as follows:
  • Arch of Trajan in Benevento: One of the finest and best-known surviving examples of a Roman triumphal arch.
  • Monte Cassino in Cassino: One of the most influential Christian abbeys during the high medieval period.
  • Mount Etna in Catania: One of the tallest active volcanoes in Europe; the land around it is particularly fertile.
  • Royal Palace of Palermo in Palermo: A magnificent example of the fusion of Islamic, Byzantine, and Latin artistic styles. It is not built at game start.
  • Generic University in Salerno to represent the Salerno School of Medicine, arguably the most important medieval European center of medicine, drawing from Latin, Arabic, Greek, and Jewish medical traditions.
https://preview.redd.it/ns9vbtcqqj1d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fab2f910f6b71cd6ded4f34cc1560243cb816eb7
The Salerno School of Medicine is also represented by a special county modifier in Salerno to represent its unique influence on medieval Europe and as a scholarly crossroads of different cultural traditions.
https://preview.redd.it/06th8bfrqj1d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=754228a70f1bf0231857d9ae12c5f560092c5a92
Nearby, the county of Naples has the Phlegraean Fields modifier, representing the famous resort region discussed earlier.
https://preview.redd.it/9wzijrwrqj1d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0f2d54a5391ab76705dc18d20d51d3e74d47a1da

Historical Characters and Flavor

Several historical characters have been added across both bookmarks, and some come with flavor. I won’t list them all here, but I’ll mention a couple of the more interesting ones.

Rulers

For new playable rulers, in 867 we have Uthman. Historically, he ruled the Emirate of Taranto and may have harbored a defeated Emir Sawdan – the new bookmarked character in 867 if you recall – if Sawdan wasn't executed or captured by King Louis of Italy. Taranto was later conquered by Christian forces in 880. As Taranto is in the county of Bari in-game, I opted to make Uthman a vassal count of Sawdan.
https://preview.redd.it/envfi7ntqj1d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d717f083dd4108f58231c8eedc1805b148989101
In 1066, Robert Guiscard is no longer the owner of Bari. In real life, Bari was controlled by the Byzantines until 1071; I assume PI has it otherwise either for balance reasons or to reflect how the Byzantines mainly controlled the region’s coastline. Anyhow, the new “count” of Bari in 1066 is Aboulchares, the second to last Catepan of Italy, who historically led the Byzantine defense against the Normans admirably. Based on his name, he was likely of Arab origin.
https://preview.redd.it/a0dfglauqj1d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=41481efffdc80afb3195fddd039191c1b4ff3258

Courtiers

Aaron or Abu Aaron is a Jewish mystic and scholar in the 867 bookmark who was prominent in southern Italy at the time. He starts off as a courtier and friend of Sawdan, the Emir of Bari.
https://preview.redd.it/ely0f2xuqj1d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b940a1f28d28bff495caf75a4393c898175355e1
A few years after game start, if he is in your court, most likely that of Sawdan, you’ll get an event where he’ll try to return to his homeland in Mesopotamia. In Jewish sources, the locals, including Sawdan, tried convincing him to stay, with Sawdan going as far as attempting to forcibly detain him, but nothing came out of it. If Abu Aaron is allowed to go, or successfully escapes an attempt to detain him, then he’ll go to the court of whoever’s holding Baghdad.
https://preview.redd.it/b7zm7kcvqj1d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e7672ae2aa35a581eaeaa0bf825876cc5219b929
Constantine of Africa is a Christian monk and physician of North African origin (and possibly a convert from Islam) in the 1066 bookmark. He played a prominent role in the translation of medical texts and the development of Salerno’s school of medicine mentioned above.
https://preview.redd.it/3vhx1stvqj1d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8464155d9790b50a9eb631581a8c3b84fd72713e

Starting Flavor

There’s also some other flavor to flesh out the historical situation in 1066.
To represent the aforementioned Norman attack on Bari, there is a new county claim war at the start of the game in 1066: the Norman Conquest of Bari. While the Byzantines do outnumber Robert Guiscard, the attacker, he’s been given extra troops at game start and the ERE is fighting a two-front war as they’re also being invaded by the Seljuks.
https://preview.redd.it/j6ei2mkwqj1d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=42e2b6b9ebeb2b2c83c71e6685b8e95e324a4a1f
Next, in 1066, a random selection of counties North Africa, particularly those controlled by or near the Zirids in Tunisia, will start off with a hit to control and a modifier called Chronic Ifriqyan Famines that reduces control and development. There is a small chance every year they’ll disappear.
https://preview.redd.it/o74dsq3xqj1d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e3f49d66aa170773f19f7f73f62acd689228c89c
The modifiers encourage you to take the interaction to ask for grain shipments from Sicily discussed in the previous dev diary, since if you’ve done so recently, it’ll increase the chances of your counties losing the modifier significantly.
For some historical context, as was also discussed in the previous dev diary, North Africa was increasingly dependent on exports of grain from Sicily in the 11th and 12th centuries.

Minor Decisions

There are a few minor flavor decisions that can be taken, besides the struggle-related ones discussed in dev diary 2.
https://preview.redd.it/36u77woxqj1d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3b68fcf75a91853df62f43becfdd383047ef5ac0
First, rulers near Salerno can take the decision to Support the Medical School of Salerno for a cost, which gives a beneficial health. There’s a chance you’ll get further modifiers, artifacts, or even a physician courtier for free. This chance is increased if you own Salerno. This is also one of the few ways you can get a boost to all tracks of the Sicilian signore trait at once.
Lastly, there is a minor decision to Construct the Admiral’s Bridge for rulers in Palermo. The Admiral’s bridge, impressive back in its day, and, interestingly, was the site of a major battle during Garibaldi’s expedition during the Italian Unification in the 1860s.
https://preview.redd.it/6laow06yqj1d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=10be181c5c6ea9c8ac01383b039367f04198fdbd
The decision grants you and Palermo modifiers for a while. Historically, the bridge got its name from how it was built on the orders of George of Antioch, one of the most powerful officials of the Kingdom of Sicily in the 12th century who was given the title of Great Admiral or Admiral of Admirals. However, some recent scholarship has casted doubt on this, and the bridge might be older, perhaps even dating back to the Islamic period.

Concluding Remarks

That concludes the final dev diary!
Following the Sicily update, if time permits, work will start on a minor patch to add in miscellaneous features and bugfixes. The next planned flavor pack after Sicily is on the Zhangzhung and the Bön religion of ancient Tibet.
ETA for the Sicily content will be at the end of the month (though possibly early next month, depending on time/energy). Despite the large size of this update, there’s a lot that will be cut for time, that I might add in future updates. Until then, I’ll continue to post further previews on my discord, twitter, etc.
Thank you all for your time!

Selected Sources for Further Reading

As promised in the previous dev diaries, here is a full list of sources I’ve used (so far) on Sicily since I started researching for this update half a year ago.

General History

Byzantine Sicily

Islamic Sicily

Lombard Sicily

Norman Sicily

Other

submitted by Conny_and_Theo to paradoxplaza [link] [comments]

2024.05.20 18:47 Conny_and_Theo RICE Mod Dev Diary #47 Sicily Flavor Pack (Part 3): Flavor Content for Southern Italy

RICE Mod Dev Diary #47 Sicily Flavor Pack (Part 3): Flavor Content for Southern Italy
https://preview.redd.it/dnd6vt10rj1d1.jpg?width=1500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=216be2693664f0a983646e11ece7bf051b6089d7
“Because of the variety of different people subject to our rule [in Sicily], the usages, customs and laws which have existed among them up to now are not abrogated unless what is observed in them is clearly in contradiction to our edicts here.”
- Roger II of Sicily
I'm Cybrxkhan, creator of the Regional Immersion and Cultural Enrichment (RICE) mod, which adds simple "Flavor Packs'' to different parts of the world. This is the third, final dev diary about RICE’s next flavor pack, Sicily: Where Three Worlds Met. In dev diaries 1 and 2, we covered the Sicilian struggle. Today, we’ll go over more miscellaneous features in this update instead, such as new activities, buildings, historical characters, and more!
If you want to read the previous dev diaries, here’s links to them:
Lastly, feel free to check my mods' website, discord, and twitter for more info, previews, and updates as well!

Liminality Dynasty Legacy

The last time RICE introduced a new dynasty legacy was way back with the Tarim Basin flavor pack in 2022. Now, a new one will come with the Sicily update, called Liminality.
Liminality has both general bonuses, and those more specific to the Sicilian struggle’s mechanics. For instance, the 1st perk in this legacy, Populus Trlininguis, doubles trait XP you gain in the Sicilian Signore trait (a trait given to every ruler in Sicily) from various actions in the Sicilian struggle. It also improves interfaith opinion, and the language learning scheme.
https://preview.redd.it/kg081vnnpj1d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e9af884d9d203f151f0a71eb419063ae4a820641
The five perks in this legacy are:
  • Populus Trilinguis
  • Latifunda
  • Incastellamento
  • Nostalgia
  • Grand Signores
If you recall from the 1st Sicily struggle dev diary, the Sicily struggle can start up again and repeat continuously unless you achieve the Crossroads or Dominion ending. However, both these “true” endings require that you unlock the whole track – an important incentive to go through this track if you want to truly master the Sicilian Frontier.

Activities

Pilgrimage to Monte Gargano

Some of the new activity-related content has to do with previously introduced activities in RICE. For instance, Christians in Sicily now have access to their own local pilgrimage, to Monte Gargano in Foggia in southern Italy.
https://preview.redd.it/bktn7kpppj1d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6b466a245e361fda7bcb744a74a878da5d1ea790
Historically, the main destination for pilgrims was the sanctuary for Saint Michael there. As one of the earliest centers of pilgrimage dedicated to the Archangel Michael, it served as a model for future, similar pilgrimage sites, such as Monte-Saint-Michel, an Abbey in Normandy that RICE already added a local pilgrimage activity for.

Baths of Baia

Another one of RICE’s general activities is the Visit to the Hot Springs. For those unfamiliar with this RICE feature, it is an activity that can be done anywhere in one’s realm, but going to certain baronies gives extra bonuses like useful modifiers. The barony of Naples, will now be one such site, for the baths of Baia.
https://preview.redd.it/pthg7bbtpj1d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=61d59b16c5d82511f24349497e7f43bf8d028dee
Baia was a popular resort for centuries, and during both the ancient and medieval era, it had a negative reputation as a place of decadence and sin. While both male and female visitors were criticized in historical sources, the latter generally faced greater scrutiny and disapproval.
https://preview.redd.it/2q63tbytpj1d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e1d1d8c3774dd162082dcaf0596db06a09e9566e
Thus, while you’ll get a beneficial modifier from visiting the hot springs in Baia, the modifier has a malus to piety and opinion, and the malus is doubled if your gender isn’t considered dominant by your faith. If your faith meets certain requirements, like having the hedonist tenet, you get bonuses to piety/opinion rather than maluses instead.

Ancient Tombs

There are also two new activities. One, available to anyone in the region, is to pay a Visit to the Crypta Neapolitana. In medieval times, people thought the poet Virgil used magic to build this tunnel, as he was venerated as a powerful sorcerer in medieval legend. People also believed his tomb was nearby, and visitors from near and far came to his supposed tomb, which also became a local site of Christian worship.
https://preview.redd.it/dcgslknvpj1d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8331915ac296ec63991f86e8a4c99b726ab18060
Going on this activity lets you choose between two intents, that provide different modifiers: to be either Inspired by Virgil, or supposedly be blessed by Virgil’s Miracles.
Virgil’s legendary tomb isn’t the only tomb you can visit, however. In the city of Palermo, you can pay a Visit to Palermo’s Ancient Tombs to similarly gain minor bonuses and modifiers. It is available only to those who have territory on the island of Sicily, and has two options: the tomb of the philosopher Aristotle, or that of the physician Galen.
https://preview.redd.it/g3d3ef9wpj1d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=18074120215d56b7d521d6b1d2f51714cbc44e61
Ibn Hawqal, a 10th century Arab geographer and scholar, observed that the main mosque of Palermo (previously the city’s main church) had a wooden beam where Aristotle's supposed coffin was suspended. Ibn Hawqal further notes how Christians venerated this Greek philosopher and prayed to him for rain.
Meanwhile, Galen’s purported tomb lay Misilmeri, a short distance from Palermo on the road to Agrigento. A useful source making note of this was that of al-Harawi, an Iranian traveler from the 13th century.

Special Buildings and Modifiers

Several special buildings have been added to the map in southern Italy. Generally, I spread them out with roughly one per duchy (with the exception of Sicily), representing different aspects of the region’s history, and buildings that I felt would be more relevant for the time period.
https://preview.redd.it/n68wnslxpj1d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=39300d9a3a5735deec75d401ae47a925685fc6d8
The buildings, and the baronies they are in, are as follows:
  • Arch of Trajan in Benevento: One of the finest and best-known surviving examples of a Roman triumphal arch.
  • Monte Cassino in Cassino: One of the most influential Christian abbeys during the high medieval period.
  • Mount Etna in Catania: One of the tallest active volcanoes in Europe; the land around it is particularly fertile.
  • Royal Palace of Palermo in Palermo: A magnificent example of the fusion of Islamic, Byzantine, and Latin artistic styles. It is not built at game start.
  • Generic University in Salerno to represent the Salerno School of Medicine, arguably the most important medieval European center of medicine, drawing from Latin, Arabic, Greek, and Jewish medical traditions.
https://preview.redd.it/3o2uw81zpj1d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=72383d7dfb6bd7e87312ecc53c2c8fa19b733743
The Salerno School of Medicine is also represented by a special county modifier in Salerno to represent its unique influence on medieval Europe and as a scholarly crossroads of different cultural traditions.
https://preview.redd.it/mqwv6onzpj1d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=13738ae1e15d44b4fbac91f539121bd84d1c6a10
Nearby, the county of Naples has the Phlegraean Fields modifier, representing the famous resort region discussed earlier.
https://preview.redd.it/5amv1rh0qj1d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6d29890a9710b8924842fe1965bfe71ba3c1ab7c

Historical Characters and Flavor

Several historical characters have been added across both bookmarks, and some come with flavor. I won’t list them all here, but I’ll mention a couple of the more interesting ones.

Rulers

For new playable rulers, in 867 we have Uthman. Historically, he ruled the Emirate of Taranto and may have harbored a defeated Emir Sawdan – the new bookmarked character in 867 if you recall – if Sawdan wasn't executed or captured by King Louis of Italy. Taranto was later conquered by Christian forces in 880. As Taranto is in the county of Bari in-game, I opted to make Uthman a vassal count of Sawdan.
https://preview.redd.it/dhk4mwl1qj1d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b471e989e6932017d49f00c88ec39035e1e3b76c
In 1066, Robert Guiscard is no longer the owner of Bari. In real life, Bari was controlled by the Byzantines until 1071; I assume PI has it otherwise either for balance reasons or to reflect how the Byzantines mainly controlled the region’s coastline. Anyhow, the new “count” of Bari in 1066 is Aboulchares, the second to last Catepan of Italy, who historically led the Byzantine defense against the Normans admirably. Based on his name, he was likely of Arab origin.
https://preview.redd.it/ac6vibf2qj1d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5af49b2d34bc3c20e1f15db0075186cd09f43faa

Courtiers

Aaron or Abu Aaron is a Jewish mystic and scholar in the 867 bookmark who was prominent in southern Italy at the time. He starts off as a courtier and friend of Sawdan, the Emir of Bari.
https://preview.redd.it/ohf9d953qj1d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dbe380a2530c58793353f5837e543ce31dfb7f47
A few years after game start, if he is in your court, most likely that of Sawdan, you’ll get an event where he’ll try to return to his homeland in Mesopotamia. In Jewish sources, the locals, including Sawdan, tried convincing him to stay, with Sawdan going as far as attempting to forcibly detain him, but nothing came out of it. If Abu Aaron is allowed to go, or successfully escapes an attempt to detain him, then he’ll go to the court of whoever’s holding Baghdad.
https://preview.redd.it/e9fddzt3qj1d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ec9e8a45d281db20d19aa1e07bfcd6504235a81f
Constantine of Africa is a Christian monk and physician of North African origin (and possibly a convert from Islam) in the 1066 bookmark. He played a prominent role in the translation of medical texts and the development of Salerno’s school of medicine mentioned above.
https://preview.redd.it/iowt6o55qj1d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=89dffcea41f12f666c060b1209ab0cb2ee40ee9a

Starting Flavor

There’s also some other flavor to flesh out the historical situation in 1066.
To represent the aforementioned Norman attack on Bari, there is a new county claim war at the start of the game in 1066: the Norman Conquest of Bari. While the Byzantines do outnumber Robert Guiscard, the attacker, he’s been given extra troops at game start and the ERE is fighting a two-front war as they’re also being invaded by the Seljuks.
https://preview.redd.it/80rck756qj1d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4f8593da144e6a05f5e4cfba62c4a1ca5778f130
Next, in 1066, a random selection of counties North Africa, particularly those controlled by or near the Zirids in Tunisia, will start off with a hit to control and a modifier called Chronic Ifriqyan Famines that reduces control and development. There is a small chance every year they’ll disappear.
The modifiers encourage you to take the interaction to ask for grain shipments from Sicily discussed in the previous dev diary, since if you’ve done so recently, it’ll increase the chances of your counties losing the modifier significantly.
https://preview.redd.it/23kzs1p6qj1d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=79578ce64659910afba7c1ad00d487fa8e1212bb
For some historical context, as was also discussed in the previous dev diary, North Africa was increasingly dependent on exports of grain from Sicily in the 11th and 12th centuries.

Minor Decisions

There are a few minor flavor decisions that can be taken, besides the struggle-related ones discussed in dev diary 2.
https://preview.redd.it/c15vsbo7qj1d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d0b48dc91905071cf00205cc13c0cf2e04fa2c85
First, rulers near Salerno can take the decision to Support the Medical School of Salerno for a cost, which gives a beneficial health. There’s a chance you’ll get further modifiers, artifacts, or even a physician courtier for free. This chance is increased if you own Salerno. This is also one of the few ways you can get a boost to all tracks of the Sicilian signore trait at once.
Lastly, there is a minor decision to Construct the Admiral’s Bridge for rulers in Palermo. The Admiral’s bridge, impressive back in its day, and, interestingly, was the site of a major battle during Garibaldi’s expedition during the Italian Unification in the 1860s.
https://preview.redd.it/szk337d8qj1d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ddf53e8515f90fb935fb73652fbaeb925fdc3862
The decision grants you and Palermo modifiers for a while. Historically, the bridge got its name from how it was built on the orders of George of Antioch, one of the most powerful officials of the Kingdom of Sicily in the 12th century who was given the title of Great Admiral or Admiral of Admirals. However, some recent scholarship has casted doubt on this, and the bridge might be older, perhaps even dating back to the Islamic period.

Concluding Remarks

That concludes the final dev diary!
Following the Sicily update, if time permits, work will start on a minor patch to add in miscellaneous features and bugfixes. The next planned flavor pack after Sicily is on the Zhangzhung and the Bön religion of ancient Tibet.
ETA for the Sicily content will be at the end of the month (though possibly early next month, depending on time/energy). Despite the large size of this update, there’s a lot that will be cut for time, that I might add in future updates. Until then, I’ll continue to post further previews on my discord, twitter, etc.
Thank you all for your time!

Selected Sources for Further Reading

As promised in the previous dev diaries, here is a full list of sources I’ve used (so far) on Sicily since I started researching for this update half a year ago.

General History

Byzantine Sicily

Islamic Sicily

Lombard Sicily

Norman Sicily

Other

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2024.05.20 17:06 Other_Bumblebee_6463 Easier/Better way to do this? Very detailed Action Relay and other questions.

TLDR; How to best disable remote antennas, but remotely be able to reenable them?
I have a series of 5 communication satellites in space that all form a line so I can communicate from Earth to the Moon without using a laser antenna.
These satellites are all solar based running ISYs solar script in gyro mode. They just sit there collecting sunlight into a battery, running a maxed out, 50k, antenna.
Then comes along the Action Relay block and I think... why am I blasting these antenna's 100% of the time when they only need to be "on" when I'm trying to communicate. They use up a lot of electricity, and sure, I could build huge satellites that never run out of solar power, but I want to be more "efficient" and put up smaller satellites that run on minimal power, only when needed. Plus, by disabling antennas, it removes the "GPS clutter on my HUD".
So I setup an Event Controller on my satellite. 1) If Power Stored % < 50 Then Disable Antenna (I also tried just disabling broadcast, but that seems to be identical to turning off the antenna completely... what is the difference?)
I also added an Action Relay that Enables Antenna when called.
This does not work because the Action Relay, even while inside the range of another antenna on a different grid, is not in range of an antenna on its own grid. This Action Relay does not receive the ping and thus the Antenna can never be turned back on. This seems to go against my "research" on the Action Relay. I thought this was possible to do.
My Complicated Work Around... I use 2 Antennas. First is a Long Range (LR) set to 50k and using tons of power. The other is a Short Range (SR) set to 1m and uses minimal power.
I also have to use 2 Event Controllers. I found using only 1, when the "threshold" was met, it would constantly be turning on and off over and over again. I needed more "room" between each "threshold". So it turns off at 50%, and turns back on at 80% instead of turning off at 50% and turning on at 51% and then constantly turning on/off as it flips from 50% to 51% over and over again.
1) If Power Stored % < 50 Then Call TimerBlockLowPower which does multiple things including Disable LR Antenna, send out a Broadcast message alerting me to low power mode, and Enable SR Antenna. (why doesn't this Event Controller allow me to control multiple actions so I don't need a Timer Block just for this?)
2) If Power Stored % > 80 Then Call TimerBlockHighPower which does multiple things, including Disable SR Antenna and Enable LR Antenna.
While in LowPower mode, I cannot use the satellites from far away, but that's not a problem anymore because I can remotely activate the LR Antenna by calling an Action Relay that enables the LR Antenna. This works because the Action Relay on my satellite is now covered by the SR Antenna on that satellite.
So I have 5 of these satellites, creating a line from the Earth to the Moon. When all LR Antennas are off, I only need to call the Action Relay one time to enable all 5 LR Antennas to become active. HOW? I would have thought I would have to send that Action Relay command 5x times because the first time it would turn on the 1st satellite, but that one, to my surprise, then seems to propagate the message on to the next one immediately.
Other, Timer Block Question....
I was surprised to find that in 1 Timer Block I could output a Broadcast Message and at the same time Disable the Antenna. Is there an order of operations in the actions a Timer Block takes? Or do they all happen "at the same time"?
I thought this would require 2 Timer Blocks. First one outputs Broadcast Message and second one, with a 1s timer, disables the antenna AFTER the broadcast is sent. But nope, not as expected.
Comms Question...
As a single player, I finally have a use for the Comms feature of the game. How does the "log" on the "K" menu work? Does it only store messages from my current gaming session? If I reload my world, are older messages still there?
When I receive a message, it appears on screen (Enter screen) and displays the date/time of the message. That data is lost on the Comms screen in the "k" menu that logs these comms... any way to get that date/time to appear there?
Anyway to have the Comms screen on the "K" menu show the current message instead of always staying in the middle of my list of messages? I'll be reading the most recent message when a new one arrives and I'm taken to the middle of my messages list instead of staying on the most recent message. Super annoying QoL UX issue here.
Are there any "better" ways to log actions in this game? I want a log with date/time of all the "events" I want captured.
submitted by Other_Bumblebee_6463 to spaceengineers [link] [comments]

2024.05.20 14:08 itipandama In one simple meeting not only was Ranil able to convince Elon to come to Sri Lanka but also launch Starlink here all within this year. What a fuckin G

In one simple meeting not only was Ranil able to convince Elon to come to Sri Lanka but also launch Starlink here all within this year. What a fuckin G submitted by itipandama to 2SriLankan4u [link] [comments]

2024.05.20 12:07 BigV95 Jeppo, Sajabeppo and garden variety self loathing kalusuddhas seething rn lol

Jeppo, Sajabeppo and garden variety self loathing kalusuddhas seething rn lol
I bet the Diaspora jokers are seething seeing stuff like this too lol
submitted by BigV95 to 2SriLankan4u [link] [comments]

2024.05.20 10:24 heroXhere Elon Musk to visit Sri Lanka this year to launch StarLink

Elon Musk to visit Sri Lanka this year to launch StarLink
Elon Musk has accepted an invitation by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to visit Sri Lanka this year to launch his Starlink satellite internet service, the Daily Mirror learns.
President Wickremesinghe, accompanied by his advisor on climate affairs Ruwan Wijewardene, met Elon in Bali, Indonesia yesterday and discussed a host of topics including renewable energy, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and world politics. However, the exact dates of Elon's visit to Sri Lanka have not yet been fixed and the Sri Lankan government will be in touch with Elon's team to finalize the arrangements.
“It all depends on how Sri Lanka expedites the approval process and as soon as it is done, Elon will arrive in Sri Lanka to launch Starlink. Tentatively it was discussed that he will arrive in Sri Lanka at the end of the year," the source said.
Elon Musk, the billionaire head of Tesla and SpaceX and owner of social platform X arrived in Indonesia’s resort island of Bali to launch Starlink satellite internet service.
Elon had sent an application to launch the Starlink service in Sri Lanka, and the President agreed to expedite the process. The President is also reported to have said that such internet service will be helpful in developing rural education in Sri Lanka. In Indonesia, an archipelago nation of 17,000 islands sprawling across three different time zones, Elon Musk will launch the internet service during his present visit.
Starlink’s Internet Constellation is one of the biggest breakthroughs in commercial satellite history. It brings nearly broadband-capable speeds and performance using a novel configuration of small satellites that work as a constellation while orbiting the Earth much lower than traditional satellites.
submitted by heroXhere to srilanka [link] [comments]

2024.05.19 23:04 LordWeaselton Gavicus XXIX: Good Leader or Terrible Tyrant?

This is the story of Gavicus XXIX, the leader of the Aurean Dominate at the beginning of my book series. The Aurean Dominate is a declining empire centered around the Planet Aurea and a few pieces of the surrounding worlds. Despite this, the Aurean Dominate still remains one of the four great powers in the South Nebula, competing with the Haxamanian Empire over its southern and eastern worlds. The north is dominated by the Ishga Empire and the west is controlled by the mysterious and brand-new Tatiians. Minor powers include the Kingdom of Arturia, the Aztlanian Empire, the numerous Atlantean states, and the Kingdom of Vigam. Was Gavicus XXIX a good ruler in your opinion? Why or why not?
INFO ABOUT GAVICUS XXIX:
Gavicus XXIX was a Guant born somewhere in Occidens on Aurea 65 years before the end of Book 1. Not much is known about his early life, but it is known that Gavicus XXIX's birth name was Galerius Decimus Tranio and that he spent most of his young adulthood serving in the army during the war against Beyin Epivoulos and his criminal empire. He eventually became a Senator representing an area of rural Occidens, and after a few terms in the Aurean Senate, was chosen to become the Consigliere of Dominus Theodosius IV after the former Consigliere was ousted in the aftermath of the Great Nicopolitan Scandal. His tenure as Consigliere was short, however, as Theodosius IV died of the Blood Bleaching less than a year later. Galerius ascended the throne in Theodosius's place, and took the name Gavicus XXIX upon doing so. He was 47 years old at the time.
Gavicus inherited a bureaucracy that had just been stripped of the vast majority of its talent, as many of the best officials that had served under Theodosius had been implicated in the Great Nicopolitan Scandal and thus were barred from future office. Syagrios Komnenos, the Exarch of Tifinagh under Theodosius who had helped defeat Majorian IX when he tried to use Tifinagh as a base to usurp the throne, was replaced by Marcus Septimius Massgaba. Massgaba was an incompetent wealthy landowner who had bought his way into the Aurean Senate and would go on to spend his tenure as Exarch raising taxes like a maniac, triggering several small revolts, needlessly prolonging the war with the Haxamanians through his impatience and battlefield incompetence, and dying pathetically in the Battle of Tasfahn. Nassenia Montana, the highly capable Magistra Milita that had served under Theodosius IV was replaced by Gaius Caesonius Theodosius (no relation to Theodosius IV), a somewhat competent general who would go on to serve Gavicus well in the wars in Amorica but utterly fail him in the Battle of Tasfahn. For his Consigliere (2nd-in-command/heir in case of his resignation or death), Gavicus chose Tiverios Theodosiopoulos, the most capable of Theodosius IV's sons, who by this time was serving in the army and Senate as a Legate (Senator in command of a legion). As Gavicus was often away on campaign, Tiverios would go on to amass plenty of political clout and power for himself, as he is who Gavicus always left in charge of governance while out of the capital.
Almost immediately after ascending the throne, Gavicus was forced to deal with a crisis. In Lapum, a working-class satellite city of Aurea's largest city Nicopolis, an ethnic Tangolian civilian named Arslan Yi'it was murdered by Aurean legionaries stationed in the city, causing four days of ethnic violence and chaos known as the Lapum Riots. Large portions of the city were burned and looted. Gavicus personally led a legion into the city to quell the uprising, doing so with only 50 civilian deaths and a few hundred injuries, but this did little to quell the underlying ethnic tensions in the city and elsewhere in Aurea. Despite Gavicus's best attempts to invest in Lapum in the years following the violence, much of Lapum's terrified, ethnically Aurean and Centralian upper and middle class fled the city for Nicopolis and elsewhere, resulting in the beginnings of the urban decay the city is known for today.
Additionally and most importantly, Gavicus had inherited the war with the Haxamanian Empire that had cost the Aureans almost all of their territories on the Planet Awal. Only Tifinagh's islands and a small scrap of the mainland Theodosius IV reconquered just before his death remained under Aurean control. Immediately after dealing with the Lapum Riots, Gavicus traveled to Tifinagh, hoping to cement his legitimacy by reconquering the rest of Tifinagh. Due to the Haxamanians' attention largely being focused elsewhere, Gavicus and Massgaba managed to get significantly further than Theodosius IV did, marching east along mainland Tifinagh's northern coast to little resistance. A small Haxamanian force that tried to stop them outside the city of Dymox was easily defeated, and they took Chera, one of the largest cities on Tifinagh's mainland, with no resistance. However, the city had been emptied by the Haxamanians of its food, its civilians, its water, and its supplies. Immediately knowing this was a trap, Gavicus sent for reinforcements, naval resupply, and a fleet from Carthadasta, Tifinagh's capital. Too impatient to wait for supplies, Massgaba disobeyed Gavicus's orders to stay put and led small bands of cavalry to plunder what they could from the local countryside.
While on one of these raids, they clashed with a small band of Imazi cavalry, previously Aurean subjects who'd switched sides to the Haxamanians after the latter captured their land. The Aureans were victorious and managed to capture some, learning from them that the Haxamanians were amassing a massive army nearby, led personally by the Haxamanian Shahanshah (King of Kings) Bahram VII and his Spahbed (top general) Bacha Hilazai. Only a day later, a Haxamanian fleet appeared from the northwest and parked itself in Chera Bay, blocking reinforcements from reaching the city. However, just as according to Gavicus's plan, the Aurean fleet arrived soon after and defeated it, allowing the simultaneously arriving food and supplies to enter the city. Having lost their advantage in a siege, the Haxamanians instead opted to meet the Aureans in open battle, choosing a nearby site at the edge of the Imazi Desert. Gaius Caesonius Theodosius, who had arrived with the reinforcements, along with Gavicus and Massgaba, led the Aureans to a resounding victory, killing or capturing half the Haxamanian force and routing the rest. The victory at the Battle of the Imazi Desert allowed the Aureans to march much further into mainland Tifinagh, recapturing essentially the entire western half of the Exarchate. Meanwhile, Bahram and Bacha retreated to the fortified port of Vasanos to lick their wounds and await reinforcements. Hoping to return to governance, Gavicus left the situation on Awal to Gaius Caesonius Theodosius and Massgaba for the time being and returned to Aurea proper.
In his early reign, Gavicus focused primarily on strengthening trade relations with the Ishgas, but was soon forced to shift his attention elsewhere. 4 years into his reign, the galactic warlord Tate released a magical cataclysm known as the Iteru Genocide on Iteru, a moon of the Planet Awal with close relations to the Aurean Dominate, as it was a former Aurean possession. With Iteru's Pharaoh Nuterhek, a close personal friend of Gavicus, begging him for help, Gavicus provided what rice and wheat the Aurean Dominate could spare to help with the associated famine. While it wasn't enough to save Iteru, the food aid bought many of Iteru's people the time they needed to flee the doomed moon. Despite the Aurean Dominate's extremely isolationist policies for the past few centuries, Gavicus made an agreement with Nuterhek to resettle some Iteru refugees on Aurea, angering many hardliners in the Aurean Senate. The decision was only able to pass the Aurean Senate when Gavicus agreed to cap the total number of migrants at 60,000 and restrict Iteru settlement to the cities of Astras and Olinthaseia. Most consequential of these arrivals was Taftenkhamun, Nuterhek's 10-year-old son and heir to Iteru's throne, whom Gavicus agreed with Nuterhek to adopt as a son. Despite Gavicus's efforts, however, the Iteru Genocide killed or forced into exile all sentient life on Iteru, taking the life of his friend Nuterhek as well, who chose to die with his people rather than flee to Aurea. Gavicus would live with the guilt of not doing more to help Iteru for the rest of his life.
Gavicus would raise Taftenkhamun, much better known by his Aurean name of Taftus, as the son he never had. He allowed Taftus to live with him in the Palace of the Domini, continued his education, and did his best to balance spending time with him and showing him love and affection with the duties of being the Aurean Dominus. Despite Gavicus trying to push Taftus into going into politics like he did, Taftus was far more interested in the military, and enlisted in the Aurean legions at 17, as soon as he became of age.
After a year of scheming to turn the tide of the war, Bahram sent Bacha undercover to the rebellious Aurean Province of Tangolia, tasked with fomenting a rebellion so they could use the province as a springboard to attack Aurea proper. Many Tangolians, particularly the Otrar and Gazan Tangolians, both felt mistreatment under Aurean rule and had more in common culturally with the Haxamanians than the Aureans, and many flocked to join the revolt, which quickly took control of the north and center of the province. Qajeer, the Tangolian Khan loyal to the Aureans, fought off several attempts by the rebels to capture Tengribalik, the Tangolian Capital. However, once the Haxamanians arrived, led by Bacha Hilazai, their combined strength was too much for Qajeer to deal with and he was forced to abandon the city to the rebels and Haxamanians, fleeing to Tangolia's eastern seaboard, an area much more loyal to the Aureans. With Gaius Caesonius Theodosius tied down in Tifinagh and not trusting Massgaba to defend the Exarchate on his own, Gavicus was forced to rely on what was left of Qajeer's force, border guard units, and regional commanders to stop the ensuing Haxamanian-Tangolian invasion of Argentolia, the Aurean heartland. The border guard units proved to be little more than a speed bump for the combined Haxamanian-Tangolian force, which easily broke through the border wall and crossed the Hsia River, invading Argentolia. As most of eastern Argentolia's regional commanders with any actual talent had been implicated in the Great Nicopolitan Scandal under Gavicus's predecessor and thus were no longer in command, almost all of them were fairly new recruits with little experience leading troops, resulting in disaster after disaster. Daion was the first city to fall to the Haxamanian-Tangolian force, which then followed that up by defeating an Aurean field army near Cannoria. Within three months, both Cannoria and Ferum, the latter being one of the largest and most important cities in the Aurean Dominate, would be in enemy hands. Over the following six months, poorly led field army after poorly led field army would fall to the invaders, with the major cities of Eresus, Cercapese, Ager Capulum, and Sacrini all falling within the next year. For the first time since the Aurean Dominate's founding, the capital of Astras was within striking distance.
Under immense pressure from the Aurean Senate and general public, Gavicus finally recalled Gaius Caesonius Theodosius from Tifinagh after Sacrini fell, as the enemy was nearing Astras, thought for millennia to be untouchable. By the time Gaius Caesonius Theodosius had arrived, the Haxamanian-Tangolian force had seized Artegion, on the doorstep of Astras, and with it, a fleet. With the combined arms of their massive land force and this fleet, the Haxamanian-Tangolian force laid siege to Astras, with Gaius Caesonius Theodosius and Gavicus leading the defense of the city. The city's massive, three-layered walls, combined with its easily defensible location on the sea with only a few land entrances, allowed the Aureans to repel the invaders, marking a turning point in the war. While the Haxamanians under Bacha Hilazai simply sailed back to Awal, the Tangolians, with no such option and trapped thousands of miles deep in Aurean territory, would be dealt with piecemeal over the next three years. Around the same time, Qajeer had managed to reverse his fortunes in Tangolia and recapture Tengribalik and much of the province's center.
By year 6 of Gavicus's reign, the situation with the Tangolians was under enough control for Gavicus to return his military attention to Awal. While Gaius Caesonius Theodosius and Gavicus had been busy fighting off Bacha Hilazai and the Tangolians, Massgaba had lost some ground to Bahram VII in Tifinagh, having been pushed back to the city of Thubiscurum. Taking advantage of low Haxamanian morale after the failed Siege of Astras, the Aureans were able to push the Haxamanians out of Tifinagh entirely when Gavicus and Gaius Caesonius Theodosius returned, restoring the Aurean Exarchate of Tifinagh to full Aurean control for the first time in decades. Other lost Aurean Exarchates in the area - Kilikia, Meroe, Adua, and the Imazi Tribal Lands - were restored to Aurean hands over the next six years, putting the Haxamanians decisively on the back foot. During this time, Bacha Hilazai was killed at the Battle of Taoudenni, greatly weakening the Haxamanians and lowering their morale.
Relations with the Kingdom of Arturia were fraught, with conflict erupting 7 years into Gavicus's reign over the Aurean Exarchate of Amorica, an isolated Aurean territory on the Planet Arturia that the Kingdom of Arturia continued to claim. Paradoxically, these tensions began when Arturia's king, King Arturius, traveled to Aurea to meet with Gavicus to negotiate an end to their millennia-long conflict. While Gavicus was personally in favor of a deal, King Arturius refused to relinquish his claim on Amorica, leading to the Aurean Senate rejecting the deal and forcing Gavicus to continue the conflict. Additionally angering the Aurean Senate, Gavicus made the mistake of insisting that he meet with Arturius in Astras rather than on Arturia. Despite Gavicus's attempt to pitch it as a beginning of the end of Aurea's centuries of isolationism that even many Aureans were starting to regard as self destructive, this was seen as a bridge too far for most. During the failed negotiations, Gavicus briefly met Pompeia, a young disciple of King Arturius who would become of note much later. In order to make up his lost standing in the Aurean Senate, Gavicus was forced to escalate the situation in Arturia immediately after the negotiations broke down, distracting King Arturius with a vacation in Astras while he ordered a massive invasion force to land in Amorica and seize as much Arturian land as possible.
Exceeding even Gavicus's expectations, this force managed to break through the Arturian Alps and put Caerbannog, the Kingdom of Arturia's capital, under siege. Upon his return, however, Arturius managed to break the siege despite being taken completely by surprise, and defeated the Aureans in several battles, pushing them all the way back into Amorica. Eventually, Arturius, livid at Gavicus's betrayal, managed to invade into Amorica itself and fought the Aureans, led personally by Gavicus as he had traveled there by this point, to a stalemate at the Battle of Caerwent. While Gavicus still had enough resources to continue prosecuting the war, he felt that this particular episode proved there was no reason to continue the constant skirmishes with Arturia, and accepted an offer to negotiate peace terms with Arturius again, this time in Amorica.
The ensuing peace deal returned Aurea's and Arturia's borders to status quo antebellum, although Arturius was not happy about Aurea retaining Amorica. However, Aurea had to bite the bullet and recognize the Kingdom of Arturia's independence and normalize relations, as all of Aurea's previous Domini had refused to do this despite it having been fait accompli for millennia at this point. Aurea had previously seen the entire Kingdom of Arturia as little more than a rogue province that had somehow managed to slip from its control long ago. Aurea paid Arturia a hefty war indemnity, but this was paltry compared to the money that new trade relations between Arturia and Aurea brought in for both nations. Although recognizing Arturia's independence was not popular on Aurea at first, Gavicus was able to sell it based on the fact that he had retained Amorica, held the peace negotiations off-planet this time, and most importantly because of all the money that new trade relations with Arturia brought in, as Arturia sat along a key trade route linking Aurea more closely with the wealthy and technologically advanced Ishgas far beyond. This allowed Gavicus to hold lavish games, as well as expand Aurea's existing food dole for the poor to include protoceratops and psittacosaurus meat in addition to wheat, olive oil, rice, pork, and chicken. His popularity spiked, and in the tenth year of his reign, he would go on to sail to reelection against Qajeer Khan, winning 55% of the vote nationwide.
In the ninth year of Gavicus's reign, the last holdouts of the Tangolian revolt had been put down by Qajeer. Qajeer had his uncle Jamukha, who had led the revolt, strangled for doing so. However, Qajeer had his own reasons for helping crush the revolt instead of participating in it himself. While he secretly loathed the Aureans and the way they treated his people, Qajeer instead chose to bide his time, gaining the Aureans' trust and building a robust local power base while he waited for his own opening to revolt. For the entire rest of his life, Gavicus would be none the wiser. Qajeer would eventually revolt under Gavicus's successor, resulting in a multi-year civil war that would leave the already exhausted Aurean Dominate open to the machinations of Tate soon after.
Gavicus tried his best to manage the Blood Bleaching pandemic that circulated on Aurea during the first few years of his reign, but little could be done to spare Aurea from the destruction of that disease, and like most of the rest of the galaxy, Aurea lost a substantial chunk of its population. Thanks largely to Gavicus's enforcement of strict social distancing throughout its duration, however, the Blood Bleaching killed far less of the population on Aurea than it did on the hardest-hit worlds of Arturia and Iteru, each of which lost half or more of their pre-pandemic populations. In total, it is estimated around 10-15% of the Aurean Dominate's pre-pandemic population was killed by the Blood Bleaching, compared to around 50% on Arturia and a whopping 70% on Iteru. Even Aurea's relatively small loss was not without its consequences, however, as this caused a decline in tax revenue for years and a noticeable strain on the military's recruitment pool.
In the first four years after his reelection, Gaius Caesonius Theodosius managed to reconquer all of the lost Exarchates on Awal the Haxamanians had taken from the Aureans during Theodosius IV's reign. Nova Aurea, Caria, and finally Carmania were all finally returned to the Aurean Dominate after decades of Haxamanian occupation, and Gavicus's popularity soared as a result.
Despite having recognized Arturia's independence earlier, 14 years into Gavicus's reign, tensions flared up with Arturia again Amorica again. An Arturian garrison had left a border fort in the Arturian Alps briefly undefended, and a small Aurean force seized it without orders, prompting a small-scale war between Aurea and Arturia. This conflict was over in about two months, with the Kingdom of Arturia suing for peace after the Aureans seized a few more border forts and badly defeated an Arturian field army at the Battle of Allt-Gollau. At the negotiating table, Gavicus agreed to return the border between the Aurean Exarchate of Amorica and the Kingdom of Arturia to status quo antebellum in exchange for the freeing of 500 Aurean hostages Arturia took during the fighting and the Aureans who seized the initial border fort without orders were put on trial. Most notable about this conflict was the brilliance of an Aurean cavalry commander named Gorgo Gualtera at the Battle of Allt-Gollau, resulting in her catching Gavicus's eye. Gavicus promoted her to Exarch of Amorica, giving her full military and civilian control of the territory. Unbeknownst to Gavicus or anyone else, however, Gorgo was both the daughter of the dead Aurean crimelord Beyin Epivoulos (the crimelord whose forces Gavicus had fought in his youth), as well as a deep cover agent for Tate (the architect of the Iteru Genocide and many other atrocities across the galaxy).
The next year, the Haxamanian Empire was engulfed in a civil war, and Gavicus saw the perfect opportunity to strike at the Haxamanian Capital while the area was engulfed in turmoil, finally ending the decades-long war or maybe even conquering the Haxamanians completely in the process. However, things did not at all go according to plan, and all the armies he brought with him got destroyed by the forces of Rukhsana I Shahanzai, a disaffected member of the Haxamanian royal family who had escaped from prison, gotten an army together, annihilated the Aureans in the disastrous Battle of Tasfahn, and took the Haxamanian throne for herself. Several Aurean generals and other military leaders, including Massgaba, were killed, and Gavicus barely escaped the battle with his life. The Aureans had no forces left on Awal after this to protect their holdings there. On the other hand, Taftus, who was also present during the campaign, became a national hero when he used his tactical prowess to save the troops under his command from annihilation by a Haxamanian ambush deep in the mountains.
In the aftermath, Gavicus was forced to enter into peace negotiations. At first, Rukhsana demanded the Aureans cede all their lands on Awal to the Haxamanians, which Gavicus flatly refused (The Exarchate of Tifinagh on Awal was one of Aurea's most valuable regions and ceding it to the Haxamanians would have meant an end to the grain dole and mass starvation across Aurea). Eventually, a deal was reached in which the Aureans would cede all their lands on Awal except the Exarchate of Tifinagh to the Haxamanians, and the Aureans would have to pay a huge war indemnity to the Haxamanians as well. The Aurean Exarchates of Nova Aurea, Kilikia, Meroe, Adua, the Imazi Tribal Lands, Carmania, and Caria were all permanently handed over to the Haxamanians, essentially rendering all of Gavicus's reconquests except those in Tifinagh moot. This was formalized in the humiliating Treaty of Mingora, which Gavicus was forced to sign.
Gavicus's popularity took a nosedive in the aftermath of this event, and he dedicated the rest of his reign to domestic policy, commissioning public works projects, throwing lavish games, and beginning by far his most important legacy: he decided that to keep up with the rest of the galaxy, Aurea needed to end its isolationism and industrialize along the Ishga model. He decided that Aurea's largest city, Nicopolis, would be a good place to test industrialization, and he hired Ishga scientists, architects, engineers, and developers to transform Nicopolis into a modern city. While Gavicus's popularity would never recover to the heights it was at after his victory over the Arturians, this was enough to keep him from being assassinated (at least for a while).
For the rest of Gavicus's life, Taftus would alternate between his extremely promising military career and a middling-to-poor one as an elected politician, helping Gavicus with some of his later projects such as industrialization but turning out to be too scandal-ridden and debauched to be the protege Gavicus wanted. For all his military talent, Taftus had a reputation for extreme abrasiveness and anger issues, and it seemed every other week there was another rumor going around about Taftus having massive orgies involving female politicians and/or prostitutes. While Gavicus would never fully disown Taftus, he had largely abandoned him as a protege by the end of his reign, assigning him military command of the backwater province of Tiorangi where he didn't have to pay much attention to him. The year before Gavicus died, he made Gorgo Gualtera his Magister Equitum, supreme commander of all cavalry forces in the Aurean Dominate after the previous officeholder died suddenly of a stroke. While Gavicus had no way of knowing this at the time, this decision would eventually result in both his own death and Aurea being pulled into the galaxy's broader confrontation with Tate years later that would result in the bloodiest war in galactic history.
Towards the end of his life, Gavicus befriended Pompeia, a young woman of mixed Aurean and Tangolian heritage who had spent much of her life on the Planet Arturia before returning to Aurea by accident. She rose to superstardom as a gladiator, having trained in magic under King Arturius, utilizing magic in combat in ways that hadn't been seen in millennia. He was both shocked and intrigued by Pomepeia's friendship and past brief romantic involvement with Rukhsana I Shahanzai of the Haxamanian Empire. Gavicus saw great potential in Pompeia and reinstated her Aurean citizenship, even allowing her to serve as his Consigliere after Tiverios was indicted on corruption charges. However, there was some tension between the two, as Pompeia was from Lapum, had witnessed the Lapum Riots as a child, and was critical of Gavicus's failure to address the longstanding discrimination against Tangolians that led to them. Less than a year later, Gavicus was assassinated under mysterious circumstances (it would later be discovered that Gorgo Gualtera arranged his murder and covered it up so well that no one even suspected her until she would eventually reveal her true intentions years later), and Pompeia ascended the throne as the first female Dominus (Domina) in history. Gavicus's body was cremated after his death and his urn was placed in the Mausoleum of the Domini in Astras. Decades of constant conflict with the Haxamanians, both under Gavicus and his predecessor Theodosius IV, as well as civil conflict, multiple Tangolian revolts, the Hoc Nostrum conflict, and the Amorican Wars with Arturia would leave Pompeia with an exhausted Aurean Dominate, bereft of manpower, resources, money, and talent that would be completely unprepared to deal with Tate and his machinations only a few years after Gavicus's death.
submitted by LordWeaselton to goodworldbuilding [link] [comments]

2024.05.19 22:44 Used-Caterpillar-906 COMPLETE TIMELINE - HIGH REPUBLIC ERA - Phase 1 Summary - (Includes short stories, flashbacks, series, comics and games) - SPOILERS

COMPLETE TIMELINE - HIGH REPUBLIC ERA - Phase 1 Summary - (Includes short stories, flashbacks, series, comics and games) - SPOILERS
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257 BBY: Novel - The High Republic: Into the Dark (Flashbacks): Tensions between Eiram and E'ronoh come to a head after the kidnapping of E'ronoh's monarch Cassel and queen consort Thandeka of Eiram by the Directorate, but hired by the Hutts in a macabre plan of expansion and distrust for the Republic.
255 BBY: Audiobook - The High Republic: Tempest Runner (Flashback): Oppo Rancisis and his Padawan rescue Lourna Dee from the Zygerrians.
252 BBY: Comic - The High Republic: Eye of the Storm #1 (Flashback): Asgar Ro takes the title of Eye when he introduces the Paths to the Nihil.
252 BBY: Comic - Yoda (2022) #1-3: Yoda spends some time in Turrak to help the locals and learn a wise lesson.
250 BBY: Audiobook - The High Republic: Tempest Runner (Flashback): Pan Eyta recruits Lourna into the Nihil.
247 BBY: Audiobook - The High Republic: Tempest Runner (Flashback): Lourna is named a Tempest Runner after saving Asgar's life.
242 BBY: Comic - The High Republic: Eye of the Storm #1 (Flashback): Marchion finishes his father's life and rises to take his place.
241 BBY: Comic - The High Republic Adventures: The Monster of Temple Peak (Flashback): Ty Yorrick abandons the Jedi after the tragedy of his partner Klias Teradine at Yallow Sanctuary.
???: Videogame – Jedi: Survivor (Flashback): On the planet Koboh, Republic and Jedi Order scientists cooperated to build several facilities, such as Jedi meditation and training temples and various other scientific buildings, as well as facilities on its moon, all to investigate its nearby nebula, the ‘Koboh Abyss’ and to analyse a strange element on the planet known as Koboh Matter. The Jedi explorers in charge of this research were Santari Khri and Degan Gera.
???: Videogame – Jedi: Survivor (Flashback): The planet Koboh was also used to explore the Koboh Abyss, and upon realising that the strange matter on the planet was the same as the Abyss, Dagan Gera as pilot, would cross the Abyss to reach and discover Tanalorr, a hidden planet powerful in the Force, along with Santari saw the hope of building a Jedi temple on the site. The navigational data from Gera's journey was later used to make the Abyss compasses, devices capable of navigating a safe path through the Abyss to reach Tanalorr.
234 BBY: Short Story - Stories of Jedi and Sith: What a Jedi Makes: Lohim Nara a boy from the streets of Coruscant who is not Force sensitive, wants to be a Jedi, unknowingly saves a Jedi padawan named Reina Bilas and Yoda, seeing all this, gives him the option to become a Guardian of the Temple.
233 BBY: Comic - The High Republic Adventures Annual 2021: First Mission: Padawan Vernestra Rwoh arrives at the Jedi temple on the planet Hynestia Prime to meet her new Jedi Master Stellan Gios. The first mission of this duo is a diplomatic one between the Hynestian and the Hutt.
233–232 BBY: VR Videogame - Tales from the Galaxy´s Edge: Temple of Darkness: A Sith Runestone corrupts a Jedi Research outpost on Batuu until Ady Sun'Zee and Yoda contain it. By the courage shown by the padawan, she is eventually promoted to Jedi Knight.
232 BBY: Animated Serie - Young Jedi Adventures S1: Kai, Lys, and Nubs are sent to the Tenoo Jedi Temple.
232 BBY: Videogame - Jedi: Survivor (Flashback): After the construction of the temple on Tanalorr, Master Oppo Rancisis travels to the planet to assess whether it is worthy of Jedi use. During his visit, the Nihil entered the system with their path engines and began an assault on the planet. Although the Jedi valiantly fought back, the Jedi Council eventually gave the order to abandon the planet and destroy the compasses.
232 BBY: Manga - The High Republic: The Edge of Balance Vol 1: Bonus Chapter “The Banchiians”: Lily Tora-Asi and the other young Jedi on Banchii meet the natives for the first time.
232 BBY: Comic - The High Republic Adventures Annual 2021: Set for Life: Rescue mission on the planet Elphrona with Loden and his padawan Bell in an aurodium mine.
232 BBY: Novel - The High Republic: Into The Dark: The Vessel departs for Starlight Beacon with Reath and his fellow Jedi.
THE GREAT DISASTER AND THE EMERGENCES
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232 BBY: Short Story - Starlight: Go Together Part 1: Pikka and Joss Adren save Starlight from an engineering disaster.
232 BBY: Novel - The High Republic: Light of the Jedi: The Legacy Run fragments in hyperspace and the Jedi save Hetzal from an Emergence. The Jedi Order's valiant exploits are broadcast across the galaxy via holotransmissions, turning Avar Kriss and his fellow Jedi into heroes.
232 BBY: Comic - The High Republic Adventures: Galactic Bake-Off Spectacular (Flashback): Torban Buck and Kantam Sy save aging Jedi on the Voyager Dawn.
232 BBY: Novel - The High Republic: Light of the Jedi: Ab Dalis is devastated by an Emergence, forcing the Republic to lock down hyperspace lanes.
232 BBY: Novel - The High Republic: Into the Dark: The Vessel is stranded at the Amaxine station for a time and Dez Rydan is believed dead by contact with a Helix ring.
232 BBY: Novel - The High Republic: Light of the Jedi: The Republic attempts to predict the Emergences while the Nihil use Mari San Tekka to predict them.
232 BBY: Novel - The High Republic: Into the Dark: The Jedi on the station find some statues with dark side energy, so they perform a bonding exercise to transport them to Coruscant for study.
232 BBY: Videogame - Jedi: Survivor (Flashback): In the Koboh system, the moon of that planet is decimated by an Emergence, wiping out everything and causing massive meteor showers and debris to hit the planet's surface. This hastened the evacuation of the Republic and the Jedi, and the planet was abandoned.
232 BBY: Comic - Adventures #6: Tales of Villainy “The Gaze Electric”: Mari predicts an Emergence at Trymant IV, aiding Ro's plans there.
232 BBY: Novel - The High Republic: Light of the Jedi: The Tempest Runner Kassav Millico exploits knowledge of an incoming Emergence on the frontier planet of Eriadu and attempts to extort them, creating a dangerous enemy for the Nihil.
232 BBY: Comic - The High Republic Adventures #1-2 (2021): Yoda, Torban and the padawans in the Star Hopper fight the nihil and rescue the people on Trymant IV.
232 BBY: Novel - The High Republic: Light of the Jedi: The Jedi Council votes to join the Republic against the nihil; the Republic and the Jedi fight the nihil of Kassav in Kur; Skeer is wounded and Jora Malli dies in battle, while Bell and Loden rescue the people on Elphrona; Loden is taken prisoner by Lourna Dee.
232 BBY: Novel - The High Republic: Into the Dark: After performing a ritual cleaning of the statues in the Great Temple of Coruscant, they realise that removing the idols from the Amaxine station was a mistake. With Reath in the temple, he is informed of the death of his master in the Battle of Kur.
THE DEDICATION OF STARLIGHT BEACON
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232 BBY: Novel - The High Republic: Into the Dark: The Jedi and the Vessel return to the station where Reath rescues Dez while they discover that the drengir are released on Amaxine station and also in the galaxy. Finally they return to the Starlight Beacon for their dedication, Cohmac asks Reath if he wants to be his padawan.
232 BBY: Novel - The High Republic: A Test of Courage: Vernestra and her companions are trapped by the Nihil on the moon of the planet Wevo. They are rescued by Skeer and Keeve, and arrive together at the Starlight Beacon for their dedication. Vernestra takes Imri as a Padawan.
232 BBY: Comic - The High Republic Comic: There is no Fear #1: Keeve Trennis is knighted after her trials on Shuraden and Starlight Beacon has its dedication.
232 BBY: Novel - The High Republic: Light of the Jedi: Avar and Elzar arrive at the dedication of the Starlight Beacon. Soon after, Elzar receives a vision of the Force, where he can see fear, suffering and the death of his friends and allies.
232 BBY: Book - The High Republic: Jedi Brave in Every Way: On the Starlight, Yoda, with the help of Burryaga, teaches three young Jedi not to be afraid of the adventures that await them as Jedi knights, as they travel different planets to confront and overcome their fears.
THE DRENGIR AND THE BATTLE OF VALO
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232 BBY: Comic - The High Republic Adventures #3-5 (2021): Yoda and the Star Hopper padawans fight the Nihil on Quantxi. Master Yoda, shocked by recent events, leaves with no explanations.
232 BBY: Short Story - Starlight: Go Together Part 2: Pikka and Joss volunteer for a task force to hunt the Nihil.
232 BBY: Short Story - Starlight: First Duty: Ambassador Ceeril is exposed for framing others for an attempt on his own life. The Starlight receives an aid transmission at Sedri Minor.
232 BBY: Comic - The High Republic Comic: There is no Fear #2-5: Avar and Sskeer investigate the Drengir on Sedri Minor, leading to a tense alliance with the Hutts.
232 BBY: Short Story - Life Day Treasure: A Coruscant Solstice: Stellan spends time with a Gotal family during Solstice Tide.
231 BBY: Comic - The High Republic Adventures #6-7 (2021): Jabba sabotages peace talks on Nal Hutta to undermine his rival, Skarabda.
231 BBY: Short Story - Starlight: Hidden Danger: The Galactic Agriculture Alliance conference on Starlight is disrupted by a Drengir hybrid.
231 BBY: Comic - Halcyon Legacy #1 (Flashback): Nib and Burry repel the Nihil from the Halcyon starcruiser.
231 BBY: Comic - The High Republic Comic: The Heart of the Drengir #6: Keeve discovers the drengir homeworld and the location of the hive mind known as the Great Progenitor during a battle on Daivak. The Jedi and Hutts prepare for attack.
231 BBY: Comic - Star Wars #20 (2020) (Flashback): Elzar, troubled by his vision of the future in the Starlight, he visits a convergence in the Force; the Living Ocean in Gazian, in search of answers.
231 BBY: Comic - Tales of the Rancor Pit: Ty Yorrick runs into trouble on Salstan.
231 BBY: Comic - The High Republic Adventures: The Monster of Temple Peak: Ty Yorrick helps settlers on Loreth by restoring balance to the planet.
231 BBY: Short Storie - Dark Legends: A Bitter Harvest: A “Nihil” spreads Drengir seeds on the planet Batuu.
231 BBY: Novel - The High Republic: The Rising Storm: Marchion retrieves the Leveler and the Jedi fight the Nihil at Cyclor.
231 BBY: Manga - The High Republic: The Edge of Balance Part 1: Lily Tora-Asi defends Banchii from a new variant of Drengir.
231 BBY: Novel - The High Republic: The Rising Storm: Chancellor Soh arrives at Valo for the Republic Fair.
231 BBY: Comic - The High Republic Comic: The Heart of the Drengir #7: Keeve fights the Nihil at Chortose. Soon after she has a vision of the Force where she sees Avar Kriss losing to the Drengir, so she goes to their aid.
231 BBY: Novel - The High Republic: Race to Crashpoint Tower: Ram Jomaram realizes the nihil are sabotaging Crashpoint Tower in Valo with the Drengir.
231 BBY: Novel - The High Republic: The Rising Storm: The Nihil launch their attack on the Republic fair, forcing Elzar, Ty, and Stellan into the fight.
231 BBY: Novel - The High Republic: Race to Crashpoint Tower: Ram convinces the Drengir to turn on the Nihil at Crashpoint Tower.
231 BBY: Novel - The High Republic: The Rising Storm: The Togruta fleet repels the Nihil from Valo and ends the battle.
231 BBY: Comic - Life Day (2022): Deck the Halls: Nib and Burry stop a Drengir from threatening Life Day on Kashyyyk.
231 BBY: Comic - The High Republic Comic: The Heart of the Drengir #8: Avar and the Jedi end the Drengir threat and their alliance with the Hutts on Mulita.
231 BBY: Comic - The High Republic Adventures FCBD (2021): Attack on the Republic Fair: Ram, Lula and Zeen help repel the nihil attack on Lonisa city in Valo.
231 BBY: Novel - The High Republic: The Rising Storm: The Republic fights the Nihil at Cyclor while the Jedi fail to rescue Loden from Grizal when the Leveler is unleashed.
231 BBY: Comic - The High Republic: Trail of Shadows #1-3: Emerick Caphtor starts his investigation into Loden's death.
THE EYE OF THE NIHIL
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231 BBY: Novel - The High Republic: Out of the Shadows: Vernestra discovers Mari San Tekka who gives her a secret Path before she dies, after which they destroy the nihil's Heart of Gravity weapon.
231 BBY: Comic - The High Republic Adventures #8-10 (2021): Qort removes his mask and repels with his jedi fiends the nihil during an attack on Takodana.
231 BBY: Short Story - Starlight: Past Mistakes: The Nihil attempt a failed infiltration of Starlight.
231 BBY: Audiobook - The High Republic – Tempest Runner: Lourna is captured by the Republic but escapes and builds a new Tempest.
231 BBY: Comic - The High Republic Adventures Annual 2021: The Haul: Nihil forces under Storm Slombo attack a repository on the Outer Rim world of Quilken, but it all ends with Porter Engle's surprise attack on Tempest Runner Lourna Dee.
231 BBY: Comic - The High Republic Comic #9-11: Jedi's End: Keeve and Terec go undercover the infiltrate the Nihil but fail to capture Lourna when she unleashes the Leveler in the planet Xais.
230 BBY: Comic - The High Republic Adventures: Galactic Bake-Off Spectacular: Torban, Kantam and other Jedi prepare a race prize while telling a story to their padawans.
230 BBY: Comic - The High Republic Adventures #11 (2021): Torban distracts the Padawans with the Great Jedi Rumble Race in the Starlight.
230 BBY: Comic - Adventures #14: Tales of Villainy “A Very Nihil Interlude”: Deva leads a Nihil attack on Hon-Tallos.
230 BBY: Novel - The High Republic: Mission to Disaster: The nihil almost cause the destruction of Dalna, the survivors are saved with the help of the Starlight and the Halcyon starcruiser.
230 BBY: Short Story - Starlight: Shadows Remain: Ghal Tarpfen is kidnapped before she can fully warn the Republic about nihil spies.
230 BBY: Comic - The High Republic Adventures Annual 2021: "Crash and the Crew Do What They Do": Supreme Chancellor Lina Soh of the Galactic Republic undertakes a state visit to Corellia. Alys Ongwa ("Crash") and her diplomatic protection crew are tasked with protecting the Chancellor during her visit.
230 BBY: Comic - The High Republic Adventures Annual 2021: No Stone Unturned: The Vessel's crew is on a mission to steal a gem, but they regret it and learn a wise lesson and promise not to steal any more, then prepare for another mission, a Jedi transport mission.
230 BBY: Short Story - The High Republic: Tales of Light and Life: The Lonely Traveler is Home: Ram and Zeen are on the Starlight and after all they have been through on Valo and Takodana, they miss their old homes, Ram wants to give Zeen a surprise party to make her happy, and asks for help from all his padawan friends and masters, but it is he who gets a surprise.
230 BBY: Novel - The High Republic: The Fallen Star: Starlight arrives to help Eiram while Elzar meditates on Ledalau.
230 BBY: Novel - The High Republic: Midnight Horizon: Kantam and Cohmac go to Corellia after reports of nihil acitivity.
230 BBY: Comic - The High Republic Comic #12-13: Jedi's End: Avar and the Ataraxia captures Lourna in No-Space.
230 BBY: Comic - The High Republic Adventures #12 (2021): Krix Kamerat is captured by the Star Hopper padawans in the battle of Dol'har Hyde.
230 BBY: Novel - The High Republic: The Fallen Star: The Nameless are set loose on Starlight by the nihil, husking the jedi Regald Coll.
230 BBY: Comic - The High Republic: Trail of Shadows #4: Emerick rushes to Starlight after a discovery about the Nameless.
FALL OF THE STARLIGHT
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230 BBY: Comic - The High Republic Comic #14: Jedi's End: Avar returns to Starlight with Lourna in the Ataraxia as the nihil begin their sabotage of it. leading to Sskeer sacrifice himself fighting against the Nameless. Avar use the Force to unite the jedi, helping Master Estala hold thee crumbling station together. Keeve recues fellow Ceret and Terec.
230 BBY: Novel - The High Republic: The Fallen Star: Padawan Zettifar and Burryaga discover Masters Orla and Nib are husked. The Jedi recruit non-Force users to aid the evacuation as Starlight cracks into two pieces.
230 BBY: Comic - The High Republic Adventures FCBD (2023): Starlight Coda: The Padawans and Star Hopper masters return to the Starlight Beacon, Obratuk is missing, Tabakan is gone. Torban and Farzala stay with the Padawans while they search for help. Krix and Lula fight in a section of the station, Krix ends up destroying part of the station where the two are, while Lula uses the Force to hold Krix in place while everything is destroyed and they both disappear.
230 BBY: Novel - The High Republic: The Fallen Star: Zettifar enacts a plan to blast the Beacon´s medical tower free of the station so the patients can be recued. Burryaga and Elzar attempt to evacuate passengers through the cargo bay but find deadly rathtars have broken free. Burryaga protects Elzar from the monsters but is seemingly lost in the fight.
230 BBY: Novel - The High Republic: Midnight Horizon: Kantam, Cohmac, Reath, and Ram fight to stop the nihil's plan to steal a fleet from Corellia.
230 BBY: Comic - The High Republic: Trail of Shadows #5: Caphtor arrives at the Beacon in its final moments. He boards the burning station in search of futher clues and survives a confrotation with the Nameless thanks to the help of a fellow investigator, Sian Holt. After the confrontation with the nihil, Caphtor recues the younlings under Master Torban Buck´s watch. With his robes covered in the Nameless blood, Buck gives them to Caphtor as evidence, and then departs to fight, allowing the Jedi and Holt to escape.
230 BBY: Comic - The High Republic Comic #15: Jedi's End: Estala Maru sacrifices himself holding Starlight together, allowing Keeve and Avar to escape the hub before it burns up in Eiram´s atmosphere.
230 ABY: Toa Story/Video Game - Jedi: Survivor (Flashback Tale): Sannet Ot'Zien was the appointed Republic ambassador to the Orrik Cluster, which had recently been identified as populated during this Era. Prior to Ot'Zien's arrival to the Cluster, several Republic picket ships had been destroyed near the Cluster, giving the Republic the suspicion that the Orrik civilization was spacefaring and warlike. Therefore, Ot'Zien was escorted by a contingent of Republic starfighters in anticipation of a confrontation. However, Ot'Zien's journey into the Cluster coincided with the fall of Starlight Beacon, causing her to lose the long-range communications that connected her with her military escort. While stranded alone in the Cluster, she was discovered by a passing Orrik ship. She tried to flee, but was overtaken and boarded. Fortunately, she was met with a diplomatic convention bearing gifts from the riverbeds of Orrik III.
230 BBY: Novel - The High Republic: The Fallen Star: Stellan Gios remains on the Starlight Beacon at the controls of the station´s positional thrusters in its final moments, ensuring that it misses the city below. Gios loses his life in the process, while dozens of Jedi are unaccounted fo after the station falls.
230 BBY: Novel - The High Republic: Midnight Horizon: Reath is knighted before Cohmac declares he is leaving the Jedi. Yoda returns from his mysterious adventure, with an old friend from the past.
230 BBY: Manga - The High Republic: The Edge of Balance Vol 2: The Jedi are forced to evacuate when the nihil attack Banchii, Lily's padawan is killed in the attack and to save the survivors Lily stays behind.
230 BBY: Comic - The High Republic: Eye of the Storm #2: The Nihil celebrate their victory at their Great Hall. The Republic readies a Defense Coalition fleet to strike at Nihil space. The Jedi, concerned that they cannot yet combat the Nameless, remain on Coruscant. The Republic fleet is destroyed when they attempt to enter Nihil territory Marchion Ro utilizes a network od stormseed satellites to destroy any ship that travels through hyperspace in this region without permission. Marchion reveals himself to the galaxy and cuts off Nihil territory before torture and kills Master Obratuk Glii who he has captive since the fall of the Starlight Beacon.
If you got here congratulations, sorry for the long list. Many events happen in the same year, but I tried to put it in order thanks to the Timeline book, and other content that wasn't in the book I put in order after reading it many times. I hope the post will be seen, comment and so I can take the time to do the same but for Phase 2.
submitted by Used-Caterpillar-906 to Highrepublic [link] [comments]

2024.05.19 20:49 Certain-Compote [SF] Post Scarcity

Lights out. Lights on. Lights out. Lights on. Vincent strained to keep his eyes open. Indeed, it wasn’t him blinking, it was the sun. It flickered mid day.
He was jobless again, and was trying to take his mind off it. He’d left the apartment, which would soon not be his, to get away from its suffocating evocation. Eventually his mindless sauntering led him to a nearby park, where he found a soft patch of grass to lie in, and perhaps just die there.
The allure of fresh cut grass in the sun had attracted others as well, but everyone was quiet, thoughtful. The recent AI revolution had put many in the same boat as him. It had been something spectacular, at an unprecedented rate the productivity of mankind soared, dwarfing the industrial and digital revolutions. In a mood of euphoric optimism, it enveloped the planet as a swarm of fruit flies with viagra.
In the beginning, managers and mid-managers were ecstatic, finally they would have the type of workers they dreamed of, ones who didn’t moan and complain about every poorly thought out decision they made. And with them gone, a huge useless drain on profit would be removed. Money would be redistributed, recognition at last, with them taking a major chunk to match their exceptional qualities, their uniqueness among their peers. AIs only needed electric power after all.
Of course, that was all a managerial fantasy, and following a brief time of delusional bliss, they themselves got promptly replaced or simply removed. For the people higher up in the hierarchy, who kept their jobs, it felt like removing your socks after a long trek.
The optimists claimed that this was the long awaited transition to a post scarcity society, utopia in the making. Reality, being a pessimist, had other plans. Wealth discrepancy deepened, and suddenly most societies found themselves with two castes: the wealthy, people who still had income and money, and the destitute who had nothing. The penniless made poor consumers, so business stopped catering to them. Governments were already designed to represent the rich anyway, so they lacked political power as well. They became outcasts, people left to die in the streets. They couldn’t even rebel effectively, since soldiers were getting paid, which made them partial to the upper class, and civilians going against modern military forces was somewhat iffy.
In a spasm of altruism, the elite figured that starvation of more than half of the population would be inhumane. Therefore bread and potatoes became free, which fit nicely well below the 1.3% of global GDP that went for charity. Some of the affected wondered whether that was some sort of a cruel joke. They felt like the roach being kept alive as food for the wasp’s progeny.
Since getting laid off, Vincent dreaded his eventual transition to the outcast class. He had not found a job in time, and now he was being evicted. Not much he could do now but join one of the sprawling tent cities, but luckily, he already owned a tent having bought one for just such an occasion.
These new cities, built within the old ones, were slowly becoming their own authorities. It started when people formed gangs to raid large grocery stores. These soon went out of business, since the stratum they served had perished. The stores that remained, that sold to the rich, had big enough margins to afford armed guards, so the gangs had to become larger and tougher. As history teaches us, government is an euphemism for the biggest bully in town, and these gangs were growing into big bullies themselves. Eventually, they started to refer to themselves as tribes, separate entities from their origin countries. And you didn’t want to meet tribesmen when you were going home at night.
The original administrations made several half hearted attempts to suppress these new states, but what was it supposed to do? Kill what it claimed to be its own citizens? Ultimately, citizens who couldn’t afford to consume or pay taxes were not desirable ones, so they gave up.
Vincent was self aware enough to know that he wouldn’t make a good tribesman. He was soft, pudgy, and often out of breath. As the main source of wealth for these people was raiding, he wondered what niche he could fill, but he avoided thinking about it too hard.
And now the sun was flickering. How unfortunate it would be, he mused, if it turned off one of these days, but he knew it wasn’t that. He was surprised to find out that it saddened him it wasn’t.
The remaining governments had their coffers empty in the end, since the populace paid politicians directly, bypassing them entirely. In a new plan, one of managerial cunning, indeed one that only a government clerk can come up with, they decided to block out the sun. Then they would sell sunlight as a service; it was the new SAS model. Proponents of this plan argued that obviously they deserved sunlight for free, but they were not so sure about the tribal riff raff that beat them senseless when they met on the street. The rich didn’t care, because it was a small fee, and hey, the money would go toward fixing the parks. It could even fix climate change!
Since there was no opposition, the decision was made, and the project undertaken. At first, people could hardly believe their reality. Such was the case with Vincent as well, he had indeed forgotten about it until now. A myriad of small robotic satellites were launched with reusable rockets, each with its own AI and at all times connected to a massive computational center via relays. There the monumental computation of where each robot should stand was made, so that any unsubscribed person would get shaded. It was akin to a Dyson swarm, but unfortunately, on the wrong celestial body.
And there it was, the last sunray to ever touch him; it blinked out. Vincent looked up, and saw the sun as in an eclipse with only its corona visible. Unhappily, he brought his gaze down, and examined the other lawn loafers. Nearly the whole place was in the dark, but two people had their own personal god rays. The chosen ones glanced around nervously. Death stares shot back at them. They left in a hurry. Vincent walked home depressed, while a robot shrouded him from orbit.
It was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness.
Months passed, and Vincent found himself the third wife of a tribe chieftain. It was the Sunset Boulevard tribe, named after the street it had occupied during its inception and not after recent events. The area was now almost permanently shaded, and vegetation had completely died out, but humans found ways to persist. Even in darkness, people managed and found things to put value in. Food, water, and shelter had become precious, while electronic gadgets lost all meaning. Vitamin D supplements were the unofficial currency.
Being the third wife had its benefits. It provided uncommon security, and his chores were simple. He had to keep the tent in order and take care of the chieftain’s many children, who were from the man’s other wives.
Vincent had come to accept this existence, which his past self would’ve found intolerable. He fell into the routine of his new life, and the days strung along, but change was inevitably brewing again behind the curtain.
It turned out that blocking large portions of sunlight made the climate go haywire. Giant planetary superstorms became a thing, and the Atlantic was consumed in a never ending hurricane of continental magnitude. It effectively cut off the Americas from Europe, which miffed the rich a bit. Although travel was restricted, they still found their lives largely unchanged, an infinite stream of AI generated entertainment and whatever else was left for money to buy paved the way to a lifetime of hedonism.
For the tribesmen life grew rougher: winters were colder, springs rainier, and summers gloomier. But people persisted. Among them, Vincent had recently become a grandmother. His new routine created distance between him and his old memories of the world that had been, a dream is all it was. As life became harder, and food became scarcer, and the planet itself grew more hostile, his chores expanded to consume more and more of his time. They left him with no time to think or reflect on what was and what could’ve been. Oddly, his present situation fulfilled him, and at the end of the day, when he lay on his roll-up bed under the rotting tent roof, he fell asleep happy.
Conditions worsened across the globe, and officials started to argue that maybe they’d been wrong in removing the sun from the poor. Perhaps, it was said, the divine disagreed with SAS. Such voices remained a minority however, because neither clerks nor politicians were prepared to separate themselves from the sweet cash inflows it produced.
Tsunamis drowned the coasts, and it rained debris from humankind’s abandoned cities across the world. At last, twilight shone over the rich as well. Their assets were submerged and ruined, but they still had money to spend. And where there’s demand there’s supply. Luxurious underground bunkers, offshore platforms, deep sea hotels, and offworld apartments were hastily constructed with the poorly understood technology of days past.
Relentless, time marched on, unperturbed by humanity’s plight, and Vincent lay on his deathbed after a long, long life. A coup had ousted the chieftain, and he no longer had the same status, but was largely left alone to his own devices out of respect for his former husband. The tribe had migrated high up on the Rockies to evade the boiling ocean. He’d even managed to convince a woman to be his wife in his later years, and had a couple of children of his own. Presently, they all sat around his disintegrated roll-up bed, in his decayed tent, and a woman he barely recognized held his hand, and a young man held a palm over his shoulder. The deep sorrow of a final goodbye lingered in their eyes. He tried to remember where he’d come from and how it had all begun; he tried to remember the sun, but his aged brain faltered.
He closed his eyes for a final time, and while his mind dissolved, one thing remained clear to him. As people drowned in their underwater havens, suffocated underground, and their bones grew weak and their flesh rotted in space, he was here, happy, with his family.
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2024.05.19 14:13 smallcapsteve Behind Putin Visit, Unease in Beijing Over His Potential Next Stop: North Korea

In the days leading up to Vladimir Putin’s just-finished visit to China, speculation rippled through diplomatic circles that the Russian leader planned to tack on a trip to North Korea—a possibility that irritated Beijing, according to diplomats and other officials with knowledge of the matter.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping has felt growing unease as ties between Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un—two of his most important but also most volatile international partners—have grown more intimate, the diplomats and officials said. A combined visit to China and North Korea by Putin could also have reinforced Western fears of a trilateral authoritarian axis, leaving Beijing diplomatically more isolated, they said.
To China’s relief, Putin didn’t head to Pyongyang straight from the northern Chinese city of Harbin, just some 460 miles away from the North Korean capital.
On Saturday, Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russia’s state news agency, TASS, that arrangements for a visit by the Kremlin leader to North Korea are progressing well. “Preparations for the visit are under way,” Peskov said. He didn’t announce a date for the planned trip.
It couldn’t be determined whether Beijing exerted any pressure on Moscow ahead of Putin’s meetings in China, his first foreign trip after starting a new term earlier this month. But the Chinese side has made clear to the Kremlin that Beijing’s preference is to develop bilateral ties, as opposed to more of a three-way alignment that Russia has previously floated.
“China is avoiding the optics of a trilateral cooperation among the three countries,” said Yun Sun, director of the China program at the Stimson Center, a Washington think tank. “The goal is to avoid being locked in by two unpredictable partners.”
Putin in September accepted an invitation from Kim to visit North Korea. An analyst from the Russian International Affairs Council think tank in Moscow, which has close ties to the Kremlin, wrote in a recent analysis that after the meeting with Xi, the Russian leader “will consider the possibility of visiting a number of other non-Western capitals,” including Pyongyang.
The diplomatic dance among the three countries, which share an interest in dulling the U.S.’s influence in the world, has grown more complicated as Kim has sought to reduce his country’s reliance on China—most dramatically by wooing Putin with public support and weapons for the Russian war effort.
Since Beijing and Moscow declared a “no-limits friendship” just weeks before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, China and Russia have built on a trade relationship that has become a lifeline to Putin in the face of Western sanctions. Washington and its European allies say China has helped Russia revive its military production by providing it with drone engines and other dual-use material—products Beijing labels as part of its “normal trade.”
Still, facing pressure from the Biden administration, Xi has refrained from offering weapons to Putin, according to U.S. and Ukrainian officials.
As the Russian war against Ukraine turns into a drawn-out conflict, Putin has instead turned to North Korea to help restock his depleted armory. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told lawmakers earlier this month that North Korea’s munitions and missiles helped the Russians “get back up on their feet.”
Both countries have denied arms exchanges, including a rebuttal from Kim’s sister issued in state media on Friday.
Russia and North Korea have kept Beijing in the dark about what was discussed when Putin and Kim met for a rare summit in the fall, leading Chinese diplomats to ask their Western counterparts about what was agreed between the duo, according to people familiar with the matter.
Beijing worries that Russia might help China’s erratic neighbor build up its nuclear capabilities, the people said.
Russian analysts who follow Moscow’s relations with Pyongyang said Kim’s visit to Russia last year was a landmark event that allowed North Korea to overcome its foreign policy isolation and Russia to continue its pivot to the East.
“China is very worried about this new entente,” said Dennis Wilder, a former U.S. intelligence officer and now a fellow at Georgetown University.
Wilder noted that Beijing, while not willing to try to slow the Kim regime’s missile or satellite launches, has appeared to weigh in to persuade Pyongyang to hold back from conducting another nuclear test. “China wants a North Korea that presents a latent threat in Northeast Asia while maintaining the status quo,” he said.
Putin last visited Pyongyang in 2000 when he went for discussions with Kim’s father, Kim Jong Il, in a trip that was telegraphed by Moscow as demonstrating to the West the reluctance of the Kremlin to join the collective ostracizing of North Korea. On that trip, Putin traveled directly to Pyongyang from Beijing.
Analysts who follow Russian-North Korean relations say Kim has to tread carefully because he needs to preserve ammunition stocks for the defense of his own nation should there be an all-out war on the Korean Peninsula. But Kim is eager to have Putin in his corner, as a possible resource for improving his missile and nuclear programs, the analysts said.
“Broadly speaking they have immediate desires of each other,” Derek Grossman, a senior defense analyst at the global policy think tank and research institute Rand, said of Putin and Kim. “So it is, I think, a quid pro quo, if you want to look at it through the lens of the war in Ukraine and the lens of what North Korea wants to do vis-à-vis South Korea and Japan and the U.S.”
One reason why Xi didn’t want Putin to add Pyongyang to his itinerary following his trip to China lies with Beijing’s strategic intention to prevent China from being grouped into an axis that could deepen a demarcation in geopolitics—particularly in Northeast Asia, with China, Russia and North Korea on one side and Japan, South Korea and the U.S. on the other.
It is little secret in either Beijing or Pyongyang that the relationship between Xi and Kim is less trusting than the ties previous Chinese leaders had with Kim’s father, who was more intent on maintaining stability while challenging the West. The younger Kim since coming to power in 2011 has carried out more than triple the number of missile tests than his father and grandfather combined.
Those kinds of activities make China nervous because Beijing is eager to maintain the strategic buffer zone in North Korea in relation to South Korea, which is aligned with the U.S. and Japan. To do this, Beijing needs stability.
But Kim looks like he is more willing “to rock the boat” than his father, which worries Beijing, Rand’s Grossman said.
During Putin’s latest visit to China, he and Xi issued a joint statement with a relatively lengthy section accusing the U.S. of escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula. The statement urged Washington to “abandon intimidation, sanctions and suppression” of North Korea.
The Chinese and Russian leaders also pledged to intensify their cooperation. Andrew Belousov, the new Russian defense minister, was with Putin on this trip, which analysts say signaled military cooperation likely was at the top of the Russian’s leader’s agenda. In recent months, Moscow has spoken of the benefits of stepping up joint military exercises between the two countries.
For Moscow, what Pyongyang can provide beyond the war in Ukraine is limited, and strengthening the bilateral relationship with Beijing for economic support will be much more valuable to Putin, said John Everard, a former U.K. ambassador to North Korea and Belarus.
“North Korea is not a priority for Putin,” Everard said. “North Korea is just having a wild fling with Russia.”
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/ar-BB1mDStd
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