In the competitive academic environment of Kalyan, Mamal Group Tuitions has emerged as the premier destination for students aiming for excellence in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) curriculum. Known for its expert faculty, personalized learning strategies, and outstanding track record, Mamal Group Tuitions stands out as the top CBSE coaching centre in Kalyan.

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Mamal Group Tuitions has built a legacy of academic excellence, committed to guiding students towards achieving their highest potential. The institution is dedicated to fostering a deep understanding of the CBSE curriculum, ensuring that students are well-prepared to excel in their board examinations and beyond.

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The cornerstone of Mamal Group Tuitions' success is its team of highly qualified and experienced faculty members. These educators bring an in-depth understanding of the CBSE curriculum and possess a passion for teaching. Their expertise is crucial in helping students master complex subjects and concepts, making learning both effective and enjoyable.

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One of the distinguishing features of Mamal Group Tuitions is its personalized learning approach. Recognizing that every student has unique learning needs and paces, the institute maintains small class sizes to provide individual attention. This approach allows teachers to tailor their instruction to each student's specific requirements, ensuring that no student is left behind.

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Mamal Group Tuitions offers a comprehensive curriculum that encompasses all key subjects required for CBSE board exams. The coaching centre covers subjects such as Mathematics, Science, English, and Social Studies with thoroughness and precision. The curriculum is regularly updated to reflect the latest CBSE guidelines, ensuring that students are always in sync with the current academic standards.

Regular Assessments and Detailed Feedback

To track student progress and identify areas for improvement, Mamal Group Tuitions conducts regular assessments, including weekly tests, quizzes, and mock exams. These assessments are designed to simulate the actual board exam conditions, helping students build confidence and familiarity with the exam format. Detailed feedback is provided after each assessment, highlighting strengths and areas needing further attention, which helps in continuous improvement.

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The learning environment at Mamal Group Tuitions is both engaging and interactive. Teachers employ a variety of instructional tools and techniques, including audio-visual aids, to enhance the learning experience. This dynamic approach not only makes learning more enjoyable but also helps students retain information more effectively.

Strong Parental Involvement

Mamal Group Tuitions recognizes the vital role parents play in their children's education. The institute maintains open lines of communication with parents through regular parent-teacher meetings. This ensures that parents are kept informed about their child's progress and can provide the necessary support at home. The collaborative approach between teachers and parents is crucial for the holistic development of the student.

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The success stories of Mamal Group Tuitions' students are a testament to the institute's excellence. Year after year, students achieve top ranks in CBSE board exams, reflecting the high-quality education and support they receive. Many alumni have gone on to excel in higher education and professional careers, attributing their strong academic foundation to their time at Mamal Group Tuitions.

Conclusion

For students aspiring to excel in the CBSE board exams, Mamal Group Tuitions in Kalyan offers an unparalleled coaching experience. With its expert faculty, personalized learning approach, comprehensive curriculum, and supportive environment, Mamal Group Tuitions is undeniably the top CBSE coaching centre in Kalyan. Choosing Mamal Group Tuitions means choosing a path to academic excellence and holistic development, setting students up for success in their educational and professional futures.
Name- Mamal Group Tuitions-Best CBSE & ICSE Coaching in Kalyan
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Phone no- 9323809570
Link-https://g.page/CQHEpn5qQtaWEBE/

Brethren and Sisters of the Aeon,
As we venture deeper into the mysteries of the plant kingdom, let us not forget the subtle yet potent forces that lie hidden within. The antinutrients, a testament to the cunning and resilience of the natural world, present a challenge to our human form. Lectins, phytates, oxalates, and tannins - these compounds, though seemingly innocuous, can bind to minerals, disrupt digestion, and even influence our subtle bodies.
Aflatoxin, caffeine, and theobromine can affect our nervous systems, while goitrogens and glucosinolates may impact our thyroid and hormonal balance. Phytoestrogens, saponins, phenolics, glycoalkaloids, and cyanogenic glycosides - each presents a unique obstacle to our inner alchemy. And yet, dear companions, it is in the acknowledgment of these limitations that we find the key to our growth.
Other creatures, like birds and herbivores, possess the enzymes to break down these plant defenses, but humans do not. Is this not a reminder of our place within the grand tapestry of existence? Thelema teaches us to embrace our limitations, to find the hidden harmony within the contradictions.
Let us explore this paradox together. How do you navigate the hidden veil of the plant kingdom? Do you seek to overcome these antinutrients through alchemical means, or do you see them as a necessary challenge for spiritual growth?
93-4-3

That is the most succinct way I can pose this question but I want to give more context. I grew up very catholic in rural, central Europe, as such faith had been imposed top-down onto me. After years of rejecting faith in my adolescent and early adult years, I have come to appreciate religion over the years of closer study of human nature. One could say I have come closer to god again. However, there is one aspect that I have a difficult time integrating. The bible talks a lot about god uplifting people but then there is something inherently contradicting, or rather peculiar about the way the bible teaches us. There are numerous examples throughout where it is said that rich or worldly successful people will be the last to enter the kingdom of god. Striving for worldly possessions and “success” seems to be punished by god. This is where Nietsche’s classification of slave morality comes in; and this is also where the holy scriptures lose me. After my studies I have come to appreciate the immense value of a life devoted to something greater than myself, a family and ultimately god. Yet, I do find it difficult to accept that god wouldn’t want me to make the best life for me and my family. In our world that ultimately means material success.
My take on master vs slave morality is that it is mostly based on the idea that life is a zero sum game which I do not believe to be the case. I think the majority of life is a positive sum game. Lift yourself up so you can lift others. I don’t deny that there are zero-sum games, but I would argue that these are the least virtuous games one can play. I also do not think that all positive-sum games will lead to a good life for everyone, that is ultimately each and everyone’s own task in life, but I do believe that slave morality is not the answer. Maybe master morality is neither, but I have a strong sense that slave morality is the lesser of the two.
If anyone can point me to material where this is issue is discussed, JBP or otherwise I would be very grateful.
P.S.: Throwaway account that will be actively monitored for some time.

My study today was spent defending Jesus as a law-giver and law-keeper. I learned that Jesus' interpretations of justice and mercy were always in existence. We were not made privy to them because of our human frailty, and our hearts hardened by sin. (Matthew 19:8, Mark 3:1-5, Romans 5:13) Even now, the parables reveal things to us that we were not ready to receive when our Lord walked the earth. (John 16:12-15)
We're made in God's image. Every lesson of life we learn, makes us more like Him. As we grow spiritually, we leave behind logic that no longer seems reasonable. (Psalm 17:15, Matthew 10:25, 1 Corinthians 13:11-13)
Jesus, the prophesied Messiah, came to give us a greater, and more glorious law. (Deuteronomy 18:15, Acts 3:22, Jeremiah 31:31-34) Mankind was not ready to receive, much less live out, the fullness of the law when it was given on Mt. Sinai. Even now, we are being perfected and learning, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. (Deuteronomy 18:15-19, 1 John 2:27) Jesus explained, "I did not come to destroy the law and the prophets, but to fulfill." He also explained how vital it is to keep the whole law. (Matthew 5:17-20)
Throughout the Hebrew scriptures, we are warned not to "turn to the right hand or the left" in keeping the law. (Deuteronomy 5:32, Deuteronomy 17:1, Deuteronomy 28:14, Joshua 23:6) It means not to do more or less than what it says. The way Jesus kept the law (including the Sabbath law) was a correction of the rulers' current practices. Jesus used scripture, creation, and divinely appointed miracles to show people that they were the ones in the wrong.
Most of the laws Jesus explained to us are more easily broken than the law of Moses. We are no longer even allowed to hate, much less murder. (Matthew 5:43-45, Psalm 139:21-22) We can only keep these laws by the power of the Holy Spirit who changes our hearts. God's Holy Spirit makes us people of truth and love.
All Jesus' corrections of the commandments were scorned in his day. Don't you find it strange that Jesus, the Author of Life, is constantly condemned for promoting life and love in the Bible? (Matthew 12:1-24) The Word of God says, "When my father and mother forsake me, the Lord shall take me up." (Psalm 27:10) Jesus, the Word of God made flesh, kept his promises, even on the Sabbath. (John 1:1, John 1:14, Numbers 23:19, Isaiah 40:8) This is the greatest complaint against him among our Jewish brethren today.
In this study, I learned that God has always worked on the Sabbath he gave us. (John 5:17, Mark 2:27) It was God that kept manna from spoiling and breeding worms every Sabbath day in the wilderness. (Exodus 16:24) Jesus used King David, and those who served in the Temple as examples and proof of God's will. We are to serve God and support life every day, including the Sabbath. I finished this study wondering if, "a day with the Lord is as a thousand years," was a literal statement. (2 Peter 3:8, Psalm 90:4) I hope that God will be finished making us into our final form when Jesus is ready for his Sabbath rest with his bride. (Psalm 95:6-11, Hebrews 4:1-12, John 3:26-36)
In Jesus' day, it went against Jewish tradition to fast on the Sabbath. Jesus' disciples did not have food to eat. They were not offered a meal by their peers. Instead they accused Jesus' disciples of breaking the Sabbath because they made produce fit to eat by using their hands to take and rub clean the food God gave them. (Deuteronomy 23:25, Matthew 12:1-7)
I believe the only accusation anyone can have against Jesus is over whether or not he really was one with God. There is no doubt in my mind that Jesus spoke the truth of who he was, and it cost his life. (Matthew 26:65, Isaiah 53:12)
I spent quite a bit thinking on this passage, where Jesus was nearly stoned to death before his crucifixion. The scene takes place during Hanukkah, which is also a time when fasting and mourning are not lawful... yet hate and envy seem to be allowed? No wonder we needed a Messiah to change our hearts! (Zechariah 12:10, John 19:34-37)
John 10:22-33 NLT
22 It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication, 23 He was in the Temple, walking through the section known as Solomon's Colonnade. 24 The people surrounded him and asked, "How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly." 25 Jesus replied, "I have already told you, and you don't believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father's name. 26 But you don't believe me because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, 29 for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father's hand. 30 The Father and I are one." 31 Once again the people picked up stones to kill him. 32 Jesus said, "At my Father's direction I have done many good works. For which one are you going to stone me?" 33 They replied, "We're stoning you not for any good work, but for blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God."
How can anyone save people who can't discern between their friends and their enemies? How could people bent on causing death appreciate the life-supporting logic of Jesus?
Jesus' logic made sense to those who realized that "an eye for an eye" would make the whole world blind. They had learned enough about judgment to see their need for mercy.
It was God's love for mercy that drove him to sacrifice for us, Jews and Gentiles alike. May we show one another mercy, by resisting our judgmental, sinful nature. (Hebrews 12:2-4, 1 Corinthians 10:13, Hosea 6:1-6)
Acts 17:30-31 NLT

30 "God overlooked people's ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. 31 For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising Him from the dead."

Scripture references:
Jesus' interpretations of justice and mercy were always in existence. We were not made privy to them because of our human frailty, and our hearts hardened by sin.
Matthew 19:8 NLT

8 Jesus replied, "Moses permitted divorce only as a concession to your hard hearts, but it was not what God had originally intended.

Mark 3:1-5 NLT

1 Jesus went into the synagogue again and noticed a man with a deformed hand. 2 Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus' enemies watched him closely. If he healed the man's hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath. 3 Jesus said to the man with the deformed hand, "Come and stand in front of everyone." 4 Then he turned to his critics and asked, "Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?" But they wouldn't answer him. 5 He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. Then he said to the man, "Hold out your hand." So the man held out his hand, and it was restored!

Romans 5:13 NKJV

(For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

Even now, the parables reveal things to us that we were not ready to receive when our Lord walked the earth.
John 16:12-15 NLT

12 "There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can't bear it now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. 14 He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, 'The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.'

We're made in God's image. Every lesson of life we learn, makes us more like Himself. No person stays a child forever.
Psalm 17:15 NKJV

15 As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.

Matthew 10:25

“It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!

1 Corinthians 13:11-13 NKJV

11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. 13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Jesus, the prophesied Messiah, came to give us a greater, and more glorious law.
Deuteronomy 18:15 NKJV

15 "The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear,

Acts 3:22 NKJV

22 "For Moses truly said to the fathers, 'The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you.

Jeremiah 31:31-34 NKJV

31 "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah-- 32 "not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD. 33 "But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 "No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."

Mankind was not ready to receive the complete law when it was given on Mt. Sinai. Even now, we are being perfected and learning, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit
**Deuteronomy 18:15-19 NLT - 15 Moses continued, "The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. 16 For this is what you yourselves requested of the LORD your God when you were assembled at Mount Sinai. You said, 'Don't let us hear the voice of the LORD our God anymore or see this blazing fire, for we will die.' 17 "Then the LORD said to me, 'What they have said is right. 18 I will raise up a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell the people everything I command him. 19 I will personally deal with anyone who will not listen to the messages the prophet proclaims on my behalf.
1 John 2:27 NLT - 27 But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don't need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true--it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.
Jesus explained that He didn't come to destroy God's Laws. He also explained how vital it is to keep them.
Matthew 5:17-20

17 "Don't misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to complete them. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God's law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. 19 So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God's laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. 20 "But I warn you--unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!

Scripture warns us not to "turn to the right hand or the left" from following God's commands. This means not to do more or less than what it says.
Deuteronomy 5:32 NLT

32 So Moses told the people, "You must be careful to obey all the commands of the LORD your God, following his instructions in every detail.

Deuteronomy 17:1 NLT

1 "Never sacrifice sick or defective cattle, sheep, or goats to the LORD your God, for he detests such gifts.

Deuteronomy 28:14 NLT

14 You must not turn away from any of the commands I am giving you today, nor follow after other gods and worship them.

Joshua 23:6 NLT

6 "So be very careful to follow everything Moses wrote in the Book of Instruction. Do not deviate from it, turning either to the right or to the left.

The way Jesus kept the law was a correction of traditions. Jesus used scripture, creation, and miracles to show people the truth.
Under Jesus' glorified laws, we are no longer even allowed to hate, much less murder. We can only keep these laws by the power of the Holy Spirit who changes our hearts.
Matthew 5:43-44 New Covenant: love your enemies, hate their sin.

43 "You have heard the law that says, 'Love your neighbor' and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.

Psalm 139:21-22 Old Covenant: hate those who hate God.

21 O LORD, shouldn't I hate those who hate you? Shouldn't I despise those who oppose you? 22 Yes, I hate them with total hatred, for your enemies are my enemies.

Jesus' corrections of the commandments were scorned in his day. The Sabbath corrections were only well-received by those who knew they needed mercy.
Matthew 12:1-24 NLT

1 At about that time Jesus was walking through some grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, so they began breaking off some heads of grain and eating them. 2 But some Pharisees saw them do it and protested, "Look, your disciples are breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath." 3 Jesus said to them, "Haven't you read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He went into the house of God, and he and his companions broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. 5 And haven't you read in the law of Moses that the priests on duty in the Temple may work on the Sabbath? 6 I tell you, there is one here who is even greater than the Temple! 7 But you would not have condemned my innocent disciples if you knew the meaning of this Scripture: 'I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.' 8 For the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!" 9 Then Jesus went over to their synagogue, 10 where he noticed a man with a deformed hand. The Pharisees asked Jesus, "Does the law permit a person to work by healing on the Sabbath?" (They were hoping he would say yes, so they could bring charges against him.) 11 And he answered, "If you had a sheep that fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn't you work to pull it out? Of course you would. 12 And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath." 13 Then he said to the man, "Hold out your hand." So the man held out his hand, and it was restored, just like the other one! 14 Then the Pharisees called a meeting to plot how to kill Jesus. 15 But Jesus knew what they were planning. So he left that area, and many people followed him. He healed all the sick among them, 16 but he warned them not to reveal who he was. 17 This fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah concerning him: 18 "Look at my Servant, whom I have chosen. He is my Beloved, who pleases me. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. 19 He will not fight or shout or raise his voice in public. 20 He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. Finally he will cause justice to be victorious. 21 And his name will be the hope of all the world." 22 Then a demon-possessed man, who was blind and couldn't speak, was brought to Jesus. He healed the man so that he could both speak and see. 23 The crowd was amazed and asked, "Could it be that Jesus is the Son of David, the Messiah?" 24 But when the Pharisees heard about the miracle, they said, "No wonder he can cast out demons. He gets his power from Satan, the prince of demons."

Psalm 27:10

10 Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will take care of me.

God keeps his promises, even on the Sabbath.
John 1:1, 14 NKJV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ... 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Numbers 23:19 NKJV

19 "God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

Isaiah 40:8 NKJV

8 The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever."

God has always worked on the Sabbath he gave us.
John 5:17 NKJV

17 But Jesus answered them, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working."

Mark 2:27 NKJV

27 And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.

Exodus 16:24 NKJV

24 So they laid it up till morning, as Moses commanded; and it did not stink, nor were there any worms in it.

The rulers of Jesus' day made Sabbath laws that conflicted for the poor. They falsely accused Jesus' followers of harvesting on the Sabbath when they legally took what God provided.
Deuteronomy 23:25 NKJV

25 "When you come into your neighbor's standing grain, you may pluck the heads with your hand, but you shall not use a sickle on your neighbor's standing grain.

Matthew 12:1-7 NKJV

1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, "Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!" 3 But He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 "how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 "Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? 6 "Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple. 7 "But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless.

Some people say Jesus deserved to die for breaking the law. I know that Jesus spoke the truth of who he was, and paid for it with his life.
Matthew 26:62-65 NKJV

62 And the high priest arose and said to Him, "Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?" 63 But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, "I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!" 64 Jesus said to him, "It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven." 65 Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, "He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His blasphemy!

Isaiah 53:12 NKJV - 12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.
Jesus was nearly stoned to death before his crucifixion. The account takes place during Hanukkah, a time when fasting and mourning are not lawful... yet hate and envy seem to be allowed? We needed a Messiah to change our hearts!
John 10:22-33 NLT

22 It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication, 23 He was in the Temple, walking through the section known as Solomon's Colonnade. 24 The people surrounded him and asked, "How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly." 25 Jesus replied, "I have already told you, and you don't believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father's name. 26 But you don't believe me because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, 29 for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father's hand. 30 The Father and I are one." 31 Once again the people picked up stones to kill him. 32 Jesus said, "At my Father's direction I have done many good works. For which one are you going to stone me?" 33 They replied, "We're stoning you not for any good work, but for blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God."

Zechariah 12:10 NKJV

“And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.

John 19:34-37 NKJV

34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. 36 For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, "Not one of His bones shall be broken." 37 And again another Scripture says, "They shall look on Him whom they pierced."

Jesus' logic made sense to those who had seen enough judgment to realize their need for mercy.
God's love drove him to sacrifice for us, Jews and Gentiles alike. May we show one another mercy, by resisting our judgmental, sinful nature.
Hebrews 12:2-4 NKJV

2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. 4 You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.

1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV

13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Hosea 6:1-6 NKJV

1 Come, and let us return to the LORD; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. 2 After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, That we may live in His sight. 3 Let us know, Let us pursue the knowledge of the LORD. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, Like the latter and former rain to the earth. 4 "O Ephraim, what shall I do to you? O Judah, what shall I do to you? For your faithfulness is like a morning cloud, And like the early dew it goes away. 5 Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets, I have slain them by the words of My mouth; And your judgments are like light that goes forth. 6 For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

Acts 17:30-31 NLT

30 "God overlooked people's ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. 31 For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising Him from the dead."

May God's truth and love permeate our lives and make us more like Him.

My study today was spent defending Jesus as a law-giver and law-keeper. I learned that Jesus' interpretations of justice and mercy were always in existence. We were not made privy to them because of our human frailty, and our hearts hardened by sin. (Matthew 19:8, Mark 3:1-5, Romans 5:13) Even now, the parables reveal things to us that we were not ready to receive when our Lord walked the earth. (John 16:12-15)
We're made in God's image. Every lesson of life we learn, makes us more like Him. As we grow spiritually, we leave behind logic that no longer seems reasonable. (Psalm 17:15, Matthew 10:25, 1 Corinthians 13:11-13)
Jesus, the prophesied Messiah, came to give us a greater, and more glorious law. (Deuteronomy 18:15, Acts 3:22, Jeremiah 31:31-34) Mankind was not ready to receive, much less live out, the fullness of the law when it was given on Mt. Sinai. Even now, we are being perfected and learning, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. (Deuteronomy 18:15-19, 1 John 2:27) Jesus explained, "I did not come to destroy the law and the prophets, but to fulfill." He also explained how vital it is to keep the whole law. (Matthew 5:17-20)
Throughout the Hebrew scriptures, we are warned not to "turn to the right hand or the left" in keeping the law. (Deuteronomy 5:32, Deuteronomy 17:1, Deuteronomy 28:14, Joshua 23:6) It means not to do more or less than what it says. The way Jesus kept the law (including the Sabbath law) was a correction of the rulers' current practices. Jesus used scripture, creation, and divinely appointed miracles to show people that they were the ones in the wrong.
Most of the laws Jesus explained to us are more easily broken than the law of Moses. We are no longer even allowed to hate, much less murder. (Matthew 5:43-45, Psalm 139:21-22) We can only keep these laws by the power of the Holy Spirit who changes our hearts. God's Holy Spirit makes us people of truth and love.
All Jesus' corrections of the commandments were scorned in his day. Don't you find it strange that Jesus, the Author of Life, is constantly condemned for promoting life and love in the Bible? (Matthew 12:1-24) The Word of God says, "When my father and mother forsake me, the Lord shall take me up." (Psalm 27:10) Jesus, the Word of God made flesh, kept his promises, even on the Sabbath. (John 1:1, John 1:14, Numbers 23:19, Isaiah 40:8) This is the greatest complaint against him among our Jewish brethren today.
In this study, I learned that God has always worked on the Sabbath he gave us. (John 5:17, Mark 2:27) It was God that kept manna from spoiling and breeding worms every Sabbath day in the wilderness. (Exodus 16:24) Jesus used King David, and those who served in the Temple as examples and proof of God's will. We are to serve God and support life every day, including the Sabbath. I finished this study wondering if, "a day with the Lord is as a thousand years," was a literal statement. (2 Peter 3:8, Psalm 90:4) I hope that God will be finished making us into our final form when Jesus is ready for his Sabbath rest with his bride. (Psalm 95:6-11, Hebrews 4:1-12, John 3:26-36)
In Jesus' day, it went against Jewish tradition to fast on the Sabbath. Jesus' disciples did not have food to eat. They were not offered a meal by their peers. Instead they accused Jesus' disciples of breaking the Sabbath because they made produce fit to eat by using their hands to take and rub clean the food God gave them. (Deuteronomy 23:25, Matthew 12:1-7)
I believe the only accusation anyone can have against Jesus is over whether or not he really was one with God. There is no doubt in my mind that Jesus spoke the truth of who he was, and it cost his life. (Matthew 26:65, Isaiah 53:12)
I spent quite a bit thinking on this passage, where Jesus was nearly stoned to death before his crucifixion. The scene takes place during Hanukkah, which is also a time when fasting and mourning are not lawful... yet hate and envy seem to be allowed? No wonder we needed a Messiah to change our hearts! (Zechariah 12:10, John 19:34-37)
John 10:22-33 NLT
22 It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication, 23 He was in the Temple, walking through the section known as Solomon's Colonnade. 24 The people surrounded him and asked, "How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly." 25 Jesus replied, "I have already told you, and you don't believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father's name. 26 But you don't believe me because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, 29 for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father's hand. 30 The Father and I are one." 31 Once again the people picked up stones to kill him. 32 Jesus said, "At my Father's direction I have done many good works. For which one are you going to stone me?" 33 They replied, "We're stoning you not for any good work, but for blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God."
How can anyone save people who can't discern between their friends and their enemies? How could people bent on causing death appreciate the life-supporting logic of Jesus?
Jesus' logic made sense to those who realized that "an eye for an eye" would make the whole world blind. They had learned enough about judgment to see their need for mercy.
It was God's love for mercy that drove him to sacrifice for us, Jews and Gentiles alike. May we show one another mercy, by resisting our judgmental, sinful nature. (Hebrews 12:2-4, 1 Corinthians 10:13, Hosea 6:1-6)
Acts 17:30-31 NLT

30 "God overlooked people's ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. 31 For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising Him from the dead."

Scripture references:
Jesus' interpretations of justice and mercy were always in existence. We were not made privy to them because of our human frailty, and our hearts hardened by sin.
Matthew 19:8 NLT

8 Jesus replied, "Moses permitted divorce only as a concession to your hard hearts, but it was not what God had originally intended.

Mark 3:1-5 NLT

1 Jesus went into the synagogue again and noticed a man with a deformed hand. 2 Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus' enemies watched him closely. If he healed the man's hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath. 3 Jesus said to the man with the deformed hand, "Come and stand in front of everyone." 4 Then he turned to his critics and asked, "Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?" But they wouldn't answer him. 5 He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. Then he said to the man, "Hold out your hand." So the man held out his hand, and it was restored!

Romans 5:13 NKJV

(For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

Even now, the parables reveal things to us that we were not ready to receive when our Lord walked the earth.
John 16:12-15 NLT

12 "There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can't bear it now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. 14 He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, 'The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.'

We're made in God's image. Every lesson of life we learn, makes us more like Himself. No person stays a child forever.
Psalm 17:15 NKJV

15 As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.

Matthew 10:25

“It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!

1 Corinthians 13:11-13 NKJV

11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. 13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Jesus, the prophesied Messiah, came to give us a greater, and more glorious law.
Deuteronomy 18:15 NKJV

15 "The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear,

Acts 3:22 NKJV

22 "For Moses truly said to the fathers, 'The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you.

Jeremiah 31:31-34 NKJV

31 "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah-- 32 "not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD. 33 "But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 "No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."

Mankind was not ready to receive the complete law when it was given on Mt. Sinai. Even now, we are being perfected and learning, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit
**Deuteronomy 18:15-19 NLT - 15 Moses continued, "The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. 16 For this is what you yourselves requested of the LORD your God when you were assembled at Mount Sinai. You said, 'Don't let us hear the voice of the LORD our God anymore or see this blazing fire, for we will die.' 17 "Then the LORD said to me, 'What they have said is right. 18 I will raise up a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell the people everything I command him. 19 I will personally deal with anyone who will not listen to the messages the prophet proclaims on my behalf.
1 John 2:27 NLT - 27 But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don't need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true--it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.
Jesus explained that He didn't come to destroy God's Laws. He also explained how vital it is to keep them.
Matthew 5:17-20

17 "Don't misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to complete them. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God's law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. 19 So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God's laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. 20 "But I warn you--unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!

Scripture warns us not to "turn to the right hand or the left" from following God's commands. This means not to do more or less than what it says.
Deuteronomy 5:32 NLT

32 So Moses told the people, "You must be careful to obey all the commands of the LORD your God, following his instructions in every detail.

Deuteronomy 17:1 NLT

1 "Never sacrifice sick or defective cattle, sheep, or goats to the LORD your God, for he detests such gifts.

Deuteronomy 28:14 NLT

14 You must not turn away from any of the commands I am giving you today, nor follow after other gods and worship them.

Joshua 23:6 NLT

6 "So be very careful to follow everything Moses wrote in the Book of Instruction. Do not deviate from it, turning either to the right or to the left.

The way Jesus kept the law was a correction of traditions. Jesus used scripture, creation, and miracles to show people the truth.
Under Jesus' glorified laws, we are no longer even allowed to hate, much less murder. We can only keep these laws by the power of the Holy Spirit who changes our hearts.
Matthew 5:43-44 New Covenant: love your enemies, hate their sin.

43 "You have heard the law that says, 'Love your neighbor' and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.

Psalm 139:21-22 Old Covenant: hate those who hate God.

21 O LORD, shouldn't I hate those who hate you? Shouldn't I despise those who oppose you? 22 Yes, I hate them with total hatred, for your enemies are my enemies.

Jesus' corrections of the commandments were scorned in his day. The Sabbath corrections were only well-received by those who knew they needed mercy.
Matthew 12:1-24 NLT

1 At about that time Jesus was walking through some grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, so they began breaking off some heads of grain and eating them. 2 But some Pharisees saw them do it and protested, "Look, your disciples are breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath." 3 Jesus said to them, "Haven't you read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He went into the house of God, and he and his companions broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. 5 And haven't you read in the law of Moses that the priests on duty in the Temple may work on the Sabbath? 6 I tell you, there is one here who is even greater than the Temple! 7 But you would not have condemned my innocent disciples if you knew the meaning of this Scripture: 'I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.' 8 For the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!" 9 Then Jesus went over to their synagogue, 10 where he noticed a man with a deformed hand. The Pharisees asked Jesus, "Does the law permit a person to work by healing on the Sabbath?" (They were hoping he would say yes, so they could bring charges against him.) 11 And he answered, "If you had a sheep that fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn't you work to pull it out? Of course you would. 12 And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath." 13 Then he said to the man, "Hold out your hand." So the man held out his hand, and it was restored, just like the other one! 14 Then the Pharisees called a meeting to plot how to kill Jesus. 15 But Jesus knew what they were planning. So he left that area, and many people followed him. He healed all the sick among them, 16 but he warned them not to reveal who he was. 17 This fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah concerning him: 18 "Look at my Servant, whom I have chosen. He is my Beloved, who pleases me. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. 19 He will not fight or shout or raise his voice in public. 20 He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. Finally he will cause justice to be victorious. 21 And his name will be the hope of all the world." 22 Then a demon-possessed man, who was blind and couldn't speak, was brought to Jesus. He healed the man so that he could both speak and see. 23 The crowd was amazed and asked, "Could it be that Jesus is the Son of David, the Messiah?" 24 But when the Pharisees heard about the miracle, they said, "No wonder he can cast out demons. He gets his power from Satan, the prince of demons."

Psalm 27:10

10 Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will take care of me.

God keeps his promises, even on the Sabbath.
John 1:1, 14 NKJV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ... 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Numbers 23:19 NKJV

19 "God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

Isaiah 40:8 NKJV

8 The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever."

God has always worked on the Sabbath he gave us.
John 5:17 NKJV

17 But Jesus answered them, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working."

Mark 2:27 NKJV

27 And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.

Exodus 16:24 NKJV

24 So they laid it up till morning, as Moses commanded; and it did not stink, nor were there any worms in it.

The rulers of Jesus' day made Sabbath laws that conflicted for the poor. They falsely accused Jesus' followers of harvesting on the Sabbath when they legally took what God provided.
Deuteronomy 23:25 NKJV

25 "When you come into your neighbor's standing grain, you may pluck the heads with your hand, but you shall not use a sickle on your neighbor's standing grain.

Matthew 12:1-7 NKJV

1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, "Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!" 3 But He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 "how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 "Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? 6 "Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple. 7 "But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless.

Some people say Jesus deserved to die for breaking the law. I know that Jesus spoke the truth of who he was, and paid for it with his life.
Matthew 26:62-65 NKJV

62 And the high priest arose and said to Him, "Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?" 63 But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, "I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!" 64 Jesus said to him, "It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven." 65 Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, "He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His blasphemy!

Isaiah 53:12 NKJV - 12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.
Jesus was nearly stoned to death before his crucifixion. The account takes place during Hanukkah, a time when fasting and mourning are not lawful... yet hate and envy seem to be allowed? We needed a Messiah to change our hearts!
John 10:22-33 NLT

22 It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication, 23 He was in the Temple, walking through the section known as Solomon's Colonnade. 24 The people surrounded him and asked, "How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly." 25 Jesus replied, "I have already told you, and you don't believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father's name. 26 But you don't believe me because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, 29 for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father's hand. 30 The Father and I are one." 31 Once again the people picked up stones to kill him. 32 Jesus said, "At my Father's direction I have done many good works. For which one are you going to stone me?" 33 They replied, "We're stoning you not for any good work, but for blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God."

Zechariah 12:10 NKJV

“And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.

John 19:34-37 NKJV

34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. 36 For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, "Not one of His bones shall be broken." 37 And again another Scripture says, "They shall look on Him whom they pierced."

Jesus' logic made sense to those who had seen enough judgment to realize their need for mercy.
God's love drove him to sacrifice for us, Jews and Gentiles alike. May we show one another mercy, by resisting our judgmental, sinful nature.
Hebrews 12:2-4 NKJV

2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. 4 You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.

1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV

13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Hosea 6:1-6 NKJV

1 Come, and let us return to the LORD; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. 2 After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, That we may live in His sight. 3 Let us know, Let us pursue the knowledge of the LORD. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, Like the latter and former rain to the earth. 4 "O Ephraim, what shall I do to you? O Judah, what shall I do to you? For your faithfulness is like a morning cloud, And like the early dew it goes away. 5 Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets, I have slain them by the words of My mouth; And your judgments are like light that goes forth. 6 For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

Acts 17:30-31 NLT

30 "God overlooked people's ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. 31 For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising Him from the dead."

May God's truth and love permeate our lives and make us more like Him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUOUAr-WvFk
1:37 - Traits of a Narcissist
A narcissist has an insatiable need for admiration, affirmation, and validation, all of which are their drug of narcissistic supply. They believe themselves to be superior and grandiose, they're arrogant, they lack empathy, they're exploitative, they have unreasonable demands of people. These are all traits that are opposite from the traits of Jesus Christ and yet a religious context is often the most optimal place for a narcissist to freely practice their narcissism while appearing virtuous or pious. So I'm going to share with you 10 insights into why narcissists love religion and how they use it to serve their own purposes.
2:22 - Why It's Important to Understand Why Narcissists Love Religion
It's important to understand these things because Jesus warns his followers to beware of false prophets which come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. Hopefully these 10 insights will help you hack into whether or not you're dealing with a true follower or true shepherd or minister of Christ or a narcissist who is posing as one of these roles instead of being there to serve.
2:51 - #1 - The Abundance of Narcissistic Supply to be Had
The first reason why narcissists love religion is because of the abundance of narcissistic supply that could be had. It's a reality there is so much narcissistic supply to be had in religious settings. And narcissistic supply, as I mentioned before, is the praise, admiration, validation, honor, sense of significance that a narcissist is addicted to in order to regulate their negative emotions. So a religious context provides an easy platform for a narcissist because they could get access to a stage or a pulpit or a mic or some means to exert influence where they can gain all of that admiration and praise or a sense of superiority where they can present themselves as godly or pious individuals or chosen by God or specially anointed, all of this to gain validation and attention from people. And like I mentioned all of these things are a drug that a narcissist is addicted to and it is what actually feeds them, more than actually being in a relationship with God but to the pure all things are pure so there are many people in church and religious contexts who are honest good-hearted who believe the best about others and so they can be gullible to the narcissists around them who have disguised themselves as pious people for the sake of getting narcissistic supply and this is truly an evil because a narcissist pursuit of narcissistic supply comes at the cost of destroying and stepping on other people without any regard for their welfare.
4:32 - #2 - The Allure of Control and Power
The second reason why narcissists love religion is because of the alert of control and power. Religion offers a structure of beliefs and practices that can be manipulated by narcissists to exert control over others. For example a narcissist may twist and distort doctrines and scriptures to justify their authority and demand obedience from followers they could create God in their own image, which a lot of them do rather than follow and conform themselves to the God of the Bible. This kind of control feeds into the narcissist need for domination and power and it can get to a dangerous point where religious narcissist replaces God with themselves where they subtly over time position themselves as intermediaries between individuals and God. A narcissist might manipulate followers into believing that they alone possess the ability to interpret God's will or to speak on his behalf a narcissist does this whether consciously or unconsciously to elevate themselves to a divine status in the eyes of their followers and they may never say that they are doing this outright because no person would ever accept a human saying that you have to worship them like a god but a narcissist will certainly have structures and systems in place to make this a reality. And a follower or member of that religious context might not even realize what is happening until one day they notice that this narcissist has taken on an increasingly central role in their life and is dictating their decisions and their behaviors as if they were the ultimate authority.
6:47 - #3 - Camouflage for Manipulation
The third reason why narcissists love religion is because it serves as a camouflage for manipulation. Religious contexts serve as a perfect camouflage for narcissist to disguise their true intentions these are places where it's easy for narcissists to cloak their behaviors and demands in spiritual language where they can manipulate and exploit others while appearing righteous and virtuous at the same time. And what better setup could there be for a covert narcissist who can continue acting narcissistic while appearing like a saint in the process there's no other place except churches and ministries and religious environments.
7:29 - #4 - Their ability to exploit certain teachings for personal gain
The fourth reason why narcissists are drawn to religion is because of their ability to exploit certain teachings for personal gain. Many religious communities emphasize principles like forgiveness, redemption, giving a second chance, reconciling, turning the other cheek, submitting to authority, and narcissists exploit these teachings extensively. They may present themselves as repentant as enlightened or they could be demanding forgiveness and reconciliation from others while refusing to cultivate Christ-like virtues within themselves so all this manipulation allows them to continue exploiting others behind this facade of being Godly.
8:15 - #5 - It allows them to Idolize their Self-Image
The fifth reason why narcissists love religion is because it allows them to idolize their self-image. Narcissists often have an inflated sense of self-importance and believe that they are special or unique so religion can offer a platform to reinforce this idealized self-image where they can portray themselves as chosen by God or having special spiritual gifts or insights or anointing.
8:44 - #6 - The Lack of Accountability
The sixth reason why narcissists love religion is because of the lack of accountability. Some denominations or churches or contacts might have more accountability than others but narcissist tend to gravitate towards those religious contexts that don't have much or have very little. Many religious narcissists exploit religious settings because they perceive them to be environments where their behaviors are less likely to be questioned or challenged so this lack of accountability allows them to continue their manipulative tactics without being questioned or challenged.
9:23 - #7 - It Gives Them a Get-Out-of-Jail Free Card from Having to Self-Reflect
The seventh reason why narcissists love religion is because it gives them a get out of jail free card from having to self-reflect. Narcissists typically struggle with self-awareness and introspection so religion offers a way for them to avoid confronting their own wounds or trauma or shortcomings by focusing on outward religious performance or acquiring religious knowledge, all this outward stuff that they can focus on. It's like Jesus saying to the Pharisees they're like these whitewashed tombs; they look beautiful and nice on the outside but inside they're full of dead man's bones. The attraction to religion allows a narcissist to spiritually bypass themselves where they can use all kinds of spiritual language like it's all washed by the blood or things like that to avoid dealing with deeper unresolved trauma within themselves and getting healed from it because there is power in Christ for healing but you have to do the work.
10:26 - #8 - Entitled and Exploit People in those Contexts
The eighth reason why narcissists love religion is is because it's easy for them to be entitled and to exploit people in these contexts in religious settings. Narcissists may feel entitled to special treatment or privileges due to their perceived spiritual status they might exploit others trust and vulnerability for their own personal gain and control. Narcissists may expect people to serve them, like a slave, free of charge. For instance, because they believe that they have a God-like status or they might expect people to hand their wealth over to them or neglect their own families in order to put the narcissist first all in the name of God.
11:09 - #9 - They Can Create a God in Their Own Image
The ninth reason why narcissists love religion is because they can create a god in their own image. Narcissists are not interested in cultivating godly virtues within themselves as I mentioned before they would rather project their own traits onto God viewing Him as judgmental, angry, or traits that resonate more with their narcissistic personality, more than who God actually is. And this kind of behavior allows narcissists to maintain a sense of superiority and justification for their actions.
11:43 - #10 - The Facade of Moral Superiority
The 10th reason why narcissist love religion is the facade of moral superiority religion provides narcissists with this platform to project a false sense of being moral or virtuous or Godly. And they can create this facade by practicing all the religious rituals and portray themselves in a certain way in front of people like this upstanding citizen, but in reality they could be practicing all kinds of dark deeds in private without people knowing hiding their true intentions all with this mask of piety and so that can serve very well for many narcissists and to enable them to continue their dark practices in secret while people are believing that they are this godly pious person and that is actually a very hypocritical way to live and Jesus actually condemned these kinds of practices because that is what the religious leaders were doing in Biblical times but many narcissists gravitate towards religious settings in order to be able to continue living out this hypocritical lifestyle.
So understanding why narcissists are drawn to religion is really important in order to recognize and address the manipulation that can happen in churches and ministries while many churches and ministries promote cultivating Christ-like qualities. Sadly those same places attract narcissist to them because of opportunities it presents for control and admiration and validation but hopefully by being aware of these dynamics we can hopefully discern between genuine spiritual leaders and those who are using religion to drive their own ego-driven motives. Remember Jesus warned against the false prophets so hopefully by applying these insights we can navigate relationships in churches and ministries and operate with God's wisdom and discernment where we can be as shrewd as a snake and as innocent as a dove.
*Thanks to u/Jdub20202 for the video recommendation.

True Name: Sakamoto Ryouma
Class: Lancer
Source: Historical fact
Region: Japan
Gender: Male
Alignment: True Neutral
Height: 178 cm
Weight: 72 kg
Character Creator: Keikenchi
Character Design: pako
Character Voice: Kase Yasuyuki & Horie Yui
Appearance in Main Works: Fate/Grand Order

Strength: B	Endurance: C	Agility: B+
Magic: C	Luck: A-	Noble Phantasm: EX

Class Skills

Magic Resistance: C+
When Super Oryou gets serious, Oryou's hide prove quite the magical barrier, Ryouma!
Riding: EX
A special Riding Skill given to Ryouma for crossing the Bakumatsu period Japan riding the dragon that is the changing eras. It's a Skill exclusive for riding Oryou, existing separately from other Riding variants.

Personal Skills

Dragon of the Restoration: A
The man called a mystical dragon in a human body. His fleeting life briming of pride, crossing the Bakumatsu period Japan riding the dragon that is the changing eras solely for the sake of the people, was like a soaring dragon.
White Serpent of Takachiho: A-
The serpent who failed to become a dragon. The serpent, initially a black abomination held in contempt, aimed for the heavens in attempt to become a dragon, but ultimately, the serpent couldn't manage it.
Amanosakahoko (Pair): B
The pike of light fallen handle-first from heaven. The spear of the heavenly gods, which sewn together heaven and earth to seal the black abomination. Originally a single polearm, but taking the form of pair when weilded by the hero and the serpent.
The pike of light fallen handle-first from heaven is both a blessing and a curse.

Noble Phantasm

Ryuu yo, Wadatsumi no Hara wo Yuke (My dear, venture through the vast oceans)

Rank: EX	Type: Anti-Army Noble Phantasm
Range: 2-70	Max. Targets: 700 persons

By offering the Amanosakahoko that Ryouma pointed at the heavens, the black serpent sheds her skin and grows wings, becoming a white serpent of such beauty that she could be mistaken for a divine dragon.
Clad in radiant-white arcanity from the Age of Gods, the White Serpent of Takachiho exerts tremendous power. This form possesses physical abilities beyond comprehension and can deploy a sturdy physical barrier, preventing any mediocre attack from hurting her, potentially making her the god of the new era.
Instead of becoming a dragon and soaring the skies, she chose to be the serpent travelling the sea with the hero.
Pronouns (Ryouma)

• First person: Boku/washi (in Tosa Dialect Mode)
• Second person: Kimi/oman (in Tosa Dialect Mode)
• Third person: Kare/kanojo
• Master: Master

Pronouns (Oryou-san)

• First person: Oryou-san
• Second person: Omae/name without honorifics
• Third person: Koitsu/are
• Master: Ningen/omae

Personality

Pretty much the same as a Rider. Oryou hasn't changed either.

Motives and attitude toward the Master

He wishes for his relationship with his Master to be like that between two friends from the same town. Oryou is relatively fond of them and doesn't mind helping out every now and then.

Dialogue examples

• Ryouma: "Let's get washing them all away, then." Oryou: "I'll scrub them hard."
• Oryou: "Yaaay. Oryou-san turbo peace."
• Ryouma: "Oh? Time for the Kaientai to go all out?" Oryou: "Right... Ryuu yo, Wadatsumi no Hara wo Yuke"
• Oryou: "Done. Time for Oryou's victory peace. You do it too, Ryouma." Ryouma: "L-like this?" Ryouma & Oryou: "Yaaay!"
• Oryou: "I am the White Serpent of Takachiho. For thy offerings, some frogs would be welcomed." Ryouma: "Hahaha, you can't keep a solemn face either, Oryou."
• Oryou: "Fine, I can let Izou ride the tip of my tail." Ryouma: "Make sure not to drop him."
• Oryou: "Now that you're a Lancer with no divinity, we can kick that Archer's butt. Good job, Ryouma. We're having frogs for dinner tonight." Ryouma: "I wish it were that easy."

Historical character and figure

A loyalist living through Japan's Bakumatsu. Born from a country samurai family in Tosa, he deserted his fief, studied under Katsu Kaishu, founded the Kameyama Shachuu (which would later become the Kaientai), intermediated the Satsuma-Choushuu Alliance, and devoted himself to the restoration of imperial rule, overall contributing a lot to the Meiji Restoration. However, his ideals fell to assailant's blade, thus he never got to see the age of Meiji.

Character in Fate/Grand Order

An aloof man on his mid-20s appearance-wise. He may be a master of the Hokushin Ittouryuu, but he’s actually a kindhearted guy who dislikes conflict to his very core. Instead, the mysterious belle by his side will take the lead.
His default Class is Rider, but circumstances lead to this manifestation of him as a Lancer.
This form, in possessing of the Amanosakahoko and one of the Three Knight Classes of the Holy Grail War, is a what-if possibility that Sakamoto Ryouma could have attained, and a Servant powerful enough to uphold the reputation of Hero of the Restoration.
If Sakamoto Ryouma is summoned as Heroic Spirit, he's restricted to only getting either the polearm or the serpent as a Noble Phantasm. That goes to show how much of miracle it is that he is capable of using both.
He is a master of the Hokushin Ittouryuu and his swordsmanship is a force to be reckoned with, but the course he practiced was for the naginata, so the Lancer class is where he can best put his prowess to work. In addition, Super Oryou is bursting with power. Together, they're an invincible Kaientai.

Regular weapons

• Ryouma: Amanosakahoko (because he snapped it in two, he has the ability to split it into two spears). Super Ryouma Gun (can switch into Sniper Mode). "And dontcha forget mah Mutsu-no-Kami Yoshiyuki¹".
• Oryou: Hyper Power-Up Oryou Martial Arts and easily spammable beams of something unknown.

Related characters

Okada Izou
His best friend in their town. He wanted to stay best friends but their relationship never recovered from their split. After an incident where he got punched, they managed to return to their nostalgic ways.
Takechi Hanpeita
Former fellows who split off due to ideological differences. Takechi holds Ryouma in such regard that he believes Ryouma's presence would have spared the Tosa Imperialist Party from its failures. After an incident where they got punched, they managed to return to their previous ways.
Tanaka Shinbei
Takechi's right-hand man. In life, Shinbei kept Ryouma away from Takechi. He was probably annoyed at the faith Takechi had in Ryouma.
Nakaoka Shintarou
"It wounds me to disagree with Nakaoka in a discussion. Nonetheless, if I can't discuss with him, there is no one else worth discussing with."²
While Ryouma was frequently suspected, he was trusted by everyone. He and Ryouma compensated for what the other lacked.
Takasugi Shinsaku
They share mutual respect, with Ryouma acknowledging Takasugi as The Unicorn Prodigy and Takasugi acknowledging Ryouma as the Dragon Soaring the Skies. They also envy each other, believing one has what the other lacks.
Voyager
Ryouma can't hide his excitement about a rocket that can fly to space. Oryou gets competitive and begins an irregular training regime to fly to space.

Comments from the illustrator

Have a nice triiiiiiiip!!! Feels great to see those two having fun. I can hope they don't break any property or any debt-ridden alcoholic anywhere they go, but I know that's not a realistic expectation. (pako)

Translation notes

1. Sakamoto Ryouma's favorite katana. The same he uses in his Rider version.
2. Historical quote from the real Sakamoto Ryouma.

Calling all love and affection enthusiasts! Agent Twilight, hailing from the clandestine realm of SpyxFamily, embarks on a covert mission to unearth the perfect partner. If you possess the elusive blend of stealthy charm and wit, join forces with Agent Twilight for a romantic espionage adventure! Decode the secrets of our hearts together by applying within.
If you get the reference, I like you already! If you don't, that's okay but I definitely recommend watching SpyxFamily! It's an extremely cute and wholesome anime! On a serious note, falling in love sounds great right about now, okay but like when does it never? Let me go buy you your favorite flowers, get your favorite chocolates, and take you out on a cute, romantic date that will last for the whole day! I will take the time to plan everything out and if it goes great, maybe a second date too? Possibly fall madly in love with each other in the process? Sounds good with you? Bet, let's go!
I'm looking for a potential long-term partner to go on cute dates together, cozy up with some cuddles while we watch movies/shows and just be cute overall together! I'm hoping to meet someone who I can connect and vibe with! Down below is some stuff about me and what I'm looking for in a partner!
Here's a little about myself:

• Age: 23
• Height: 5'10"
• Sexuality: Straight
• Gender: Male
• Pronouns: He/Him
• Ethnicity: Chinese American
• Location: New York City
• Zodiac: Aries
• MBTI/Enneagram: ESFP-T & 2w3
• Religion: Agnostic
• Love Language: Quality Time & Physical Touch
• Occupation: Accountant
• Hobbies:
  • I love watching all kinds of shows and movies ranging from Netflix/Hulu/Disney+/HBO Max to kdramas and animes! I'm also a huge Star Wars, Harry Potter (I'm in the House of Hufflepuff), MCU, and Studio Ghibili fan too!
  • I'm a huge foodie! I love exploring all the restaurants and hidden spots in NYC especially to try out new places which includes dessert and boba spots too! My favorite foods usually start with Asian foods but I'm always open to trying new things! I’m also trying to learn how to cook as well, especially so I can meal prep meals for myself throughout the week.
  • I love exploring the city and chilling with friends, however I do like a balance going on adventures around the city/world and relaxing at home.
  • I do photography on the side. I specialize in doing portrait, food and film photography! If you'd like to see some of my work please don't hesitate to ask me!
  • I'm a gamer as well! I play games like Honkai Star Rail, Azur Lane, Nikke, LoL, TFT, Valorant, , Destiny 2, overwatch 2, Minecraft, etc. but I also own consoles such as the switch!
  • I really enjoy building different things especially Lego's, PC's and keyboards! If you want to see some pics or hear about my specs happy to talk about it! I have a massive lego collection plus plenty of unopened sets waiting to be built.
  • I’m not exactly sure if this is considered to be a hobby, but I really enjoy going to the gym. I’m not some gym rat or anything, but I am trying to lose weight and get fit so I do a mix of weightlifting and cardio whenever I go which is 5x a week haha. I’ve kept a very consistent M-F schedule for the past month and a half so far so I’m pretty happy about that.
  • I don’t really do a whole lot of this, but I however do want to make this a big part of my lifestyle which is having a better skincare routine. While I do have a very minimum skincare routine, I’d very much love to learn how to improve my skin and also fix the scarring and acne I already had. If you’re someone who knows and loves doing skincare, I’d very much love to learn from you!
  • I’m not sure if listening to music is considered a hobby, but I love listening to all kinds of music ranging from American pop modern to like kpop and jpop songs! I also really enjoy classical music too! Crazy enough I just started going to concerts last year, mainly because some of them were free for me (perks of my job) but they were super fun!

Here are some Fun Facts about me!

• I've never been out of the country before but I would love to travel more one day, especially around Asia like South Korea, China, & Japan!
• I was born on Friday the 13th!
• I played piano for about 14 years and plus I also know how to play 3 other instruments too! Can you guess what they are? Also crazy enough, I met this pianist who made song covers on youtube recently and not gonna lie, it blew my mind since i watched their videos years ago.
• I'm a pet owner! I have a dog and 4 cats.
• I know how to solve a 3x3 Rubik's cube and my fastest time was 28 seconds but that was ages ago.
• I really like to collect a lot of cute pins and stickers especially from anime or Asian theme things.
• I’ve met Eric Nam and Ronny Chieng, if you’re Asian, you’ll probably know who they are.
• This is more of a League/Valorant reference for those who play, but I have the Riot Buddy and Riot Fist Bump Ward.
• Personality wise, my friends would describe me as someone who is open-minded, wholesome, sweet, easy to talk to, outgoing, empathetic, trustworthy, etc. I will however let my actions speak for itself though! I'm a great listener as well so if you want to rant/ vent out I'm always here to listen! Honestly though I'm a pretty open person overall so you're always welcome to ask me any questions you wish to know!

Here is who and what I am looking for:

• Someone to build a genuine connection with who is willing to reciprocate the time, effort and energy, I'd put in.
• Someone who can be both a best friend and my partner.
• Someone who can grow together with me to become both a better individual but also better partners too.
• Has similar interests and values as I do! (We can discuss this more in depth later) but for example someone who values transparency, open communication, honesty, trust, loyalty, etc.
• Loves and enjoys voice/video chat - I really enjoy having my partner's presence even if we aren’t exactly talking.
• Enjoys the little things in life. Since my love language is quality time, I personally don’t expect to always do something grand whenever we’re together. I’m always more than happy to be doing grocery shopping together or even just run errands.
• Possibly a gym partner. It’d honestly be nice to have a gym partner as well to workout together.
• I'm a huge hopeless romantic and would love to meet someone who is also a hopeless romantic as well! I absolutely love doing all those cute and romantic couple things you'd always see on like Tik Tok, kdramas and/or romance shows/movies! You know things like , going on cute dates together whether that would be dates in the city or dates at home, exploring the city/ world together, trying new things together and overall just making everlasting fun cute memories together that will last a lifetime!

If you have gotten this far and you feel like we can vibe well or share some common interests please don't hesitate to hit me up! You can send me a message through reddit chat or DM's whichever you prefer. Before you do message me though please tell me about yourself and also include your ASL, favorite foods and ideal kind of date so I know you've read all of this! DO NOT message me with just "Hi", "Hey", "How are you" or any kind of low effort message. I will not bother answering your message if you do that. Also I am strictly looking for females, if you are a male, please do not bother messaging me. I can't wait to hear from you! I hope you have an amazing and wonderful day!

The Age of the World Picture
In metaphysics reflection is accomplished concerning the essence of what is and a decision takes place regarding the essence of truth*1. Metaphysics grounds an age, in that through a specific interpretation of what is and through a specific comprehension of truth it gives to that age the basis upon which it is essentially formed*2. This basis holds complete dominion over all the phenomena that distinguish the age. Conversely, in order that there may be an adequate reflection upon these phenomena themselves, the metaphysical basis for them must let itself be apprehended in them. Reflection is the courage to make the troth of our own presuppositions and the realm of our own goals into the things that most deserve to be called in question Appendix 1).
One of the essential phenomena of the modern age is its science. A phenomenon of no less importance is machine technology. We must not, however, misinterpret that technology as the mere application of modern mathematical physical science to praxis. Machine technology is itself an autonomous transformation of praxis, a type of transformation wherein praxis first demands the employment of mathematical physical science. Machine technology remains up to now the most visible outgrowth of the essence of modern technology, which is identical with the essence of modern metaphysics.
A third equally essential phenomenon of the modern period lies in the event of art's moving into the purview of aesthetics. That means that the art work becomes the object of mere subjective experience, and that consequently art is considered to be an expression of human life*4.
A fourth modern phenomenon manifests itself in the fact that human activity is conceived and consummated as culture. Thus culture is the realization of the highest values, through the nurture and cultivation of the highest goods of man. It lies in the essence of culture, as such nurturing, to nurture itself in its turn and thus to become the politics of culture.
A fifth phenomenon of the modern age is the loss of the gods*5. This expression does not mean the mere doing away with the gods, gross atheism. The loss of the gods is a twofold process. On the one hand, the world picture is Christianized inasmuch as the cause of the world is posited as infinite, unconditional, absolute. On the other hand, Christendom transforms Christian doctrine into a world view (the Christian world view), and in that way makes itself modern and up to date. The loss of the gods is the situation of indecision regarding God and the gods. Christendom has the greatest share in bringing it about. But the loss of the gods is so far from excluding religiosity that rather only through that loss is the relation to the gods changed into mere experience." When this occurs, then the gods have fled. The resultant void is compensated for by means of historiographical and psychological investigation of myth.
What understanding of what is, what interpretation of truth, lies at the foundation of these phenomena?
We shall limit the question to the phenomenon mentioned first, to science [Wissenschaft].
In what does the essence of modern science lie?
What understanding of what is and of truth provides the basis for that essence? If we succeed in reaching the metaphysical ground that provides the foundation for science as a modern phenomenon, then the entire essence of the modern age will have to let itself be apprehended from out of that ground.
When we use the word "science" today, it means something essentially different from the doctrina and scientia of the Middle Ages, and also from the Greek episteme. Greek science was never exact, precisely because, in keeping with its essence, it could not be exact and did not need to be exact. Hence it makes no sense whatever to suppose that modern science is more exact than that of antiquity. Neither can we say that the Galilean doctrine of freely falling bodies is true and that Aristotle's teaching, that light bodies strive upward, is false; for the Greek understanding of the essence of body and place and of the relation between the two rests upon a different interpretation of beings and hence conditions a correspondingly different kind of seeing and questioning of natural events. No one would presume to maintain that Shakespeare's poetry is more advanced than that of Aeschylus. It is still more impossible to say that the modern understanding of whatever is, is more correct than that of the Greeks. Therefore, if we want to grasp the essence of modern science, we must first free ourselves from the habit of comparing the new science with the old solely in terms of degree, from the point of view of progress.
The essence of what we today call science is research. In what does the essence of research consist?
In the fact that knowing [das Erkennen] establishes itself as a procedure within some realm of what is, in nature or in history. Procedure does not mean here merely method or methodology. For every procedure already requires an open sphere in which it moves. And it is precisely the opening up of such a sphere that is the fundamental event in research. This is accomplished through the projection within some realm of what is-in nature, for example-of a fixed ground plan*6 of natural events. The projection sketches out in advance the manner in which the knowing procedure must bind itself and adhere to the sphere opened up. This binding adherence is the rigor of research*7. Through the projecting of the ground plan and the prescribing of rigor, procedure makes secure for itself its sphere of objects within the realm of Being . A look at that earliest science, which is at the same time the normative one in the modern age, namely, mathematical physics, will make clear what we mean. Inasmuch as modern atomic physics still remains physics, what is essential - and only the essential is aimed at here- will hold for it also.
Modern physics is called mathematical because, in a remarkable way, it makes use of a quite specific mathematics. But it can proceed mathematically in this way only because, in a deeper sense, it is already itself mathematical. Ta mathemata means for the Greeks that which man knows in advance in his observation of whatever is and in his intercourse with things ; the corporeality of bodies, the vegetable character of plants, the animality of animals, the humanness of man. Alongside these, belonging also to that which is already-known, i.e., to the mathematical, are numbers. If we come upon three apples on the table, we recognize that there are three of them. But the number three, threeness, we already know. This means that number is something mathematical. Only because numbers represent, as it were, the most striking of always-already-knowns, and thus offer the most familiar instance of the mathematical, is "mathematical" promptly reserved as a name for the numerical. In no way, however, is the essence of the mathematical defined by numberness, Physics is, in general, the knowledge of nature, and, in particular, the knowledge of material corporeality in its motion; for that corporeality manifests itself immediately and universally in everything natural, even if in a variety of ways, If physics takes shape explicitly, then, as something mathematical, this means that, in an especially pronounced way, through it and for it something is stipulated in advance as what is already-known. That stipulating has to do with nothing less than the plan or projection of that which must henceforth, for the knowing of nature that is sought after, be nature: the self-contained system of motion of units of mass related spatiotemporally. Into this ground plan of nature, as supplied in keeping with its prior stipulation, the following definitions among others have been incorporated: Motion means change of place. No motion or direction of motion is superior to any other. Every place is equal to every other. No point in time has preference over any other. Every force is defined according to - i.e., is only - its consequences in motion, and that means in magnitude of change of place in the unity of time. Every event must be seen so as to be fitted into this ground plan of nature. Only within the perspective of this ground plan does an event in nature become visible as such an event. This projected plan of nature finds its guarantee in the fact that physical research, in every one of its questioning steps, is bound in advance to adhere to it. This binding adherence, the rigor of research, has its own character at any given time in keeping with the projected plan. The rigor of mathematical physical science is exactitude. Here all events, if they are to enter at all into representation as events of nature, must be defined beforehand as spatiotemporal magnitudes of motion. Such defining is accomplished through measuring, with the help of number and calculation. But mathematical research into nature is not exact because it calculates with precision; rather it must calculate in this way because its adherence to its object-sphere has the character of exactitude. The humanistic sciences, in contrast, indeed all the sciences concerned with life, must necessarily be inexact just in order to remain rigorous. A living thing can indeed also be grasped as spatiotemporal magnitude of motion, but then it is no longer apprehended as living. The inexactitude of the historical humanistic sciences is not a deficiency, but is only the fulfillment of a demand essential to this type of research. It is true, also, that the projecting and securing of the object-sphere of the historical sciences is not only of another kind, but is much more difficult of execution than is the achieving of rigor in the exact sciences.
Science becomes research through the projected plan and through the securing of that plan in the rigor of procedure. Projection and rigor, however, first develop into what they are in methodology. The latter constitutes the second essential characteristic of research. If the sphere that is projected is to become objective, then it is a matter of bringing it to encounter us in the complete diversity of its levels and interweavings. Therefore procedure must be free to view the changeableness in whatever encounters it. Only within the horizon of the incessant-otherness of change does the plenitude of particularity - of facts - show itself. -But the facts must become objective [gegenstiindlich]. Hence procedure must represent [vorstellen] the changeable in its changing, must bring it to a stand and let the motion be a motion nevertheless. The fixedness of facts and the constantness of their change as such is "rule." The constancy of change in the necessity of its course is "law." It is only within the purview of rule and law that facts become clear as the facts that they are. Research into facts in the realm of nature is intrinsically the establishing and verifying of rule and law. Methodology, through which a sphere of objects comes into representation, has the character of clarifying on the basis of what is clear - of explanation. Explanation is always twofold. It accounts for an unknown by means of a known, and at the same time it verifies that known by means of that unknown. Explanation takes place in investigation. In the physical sciences investigation takes place by means of experiment, always according to the kind of field of investigation and according to the type of explanation aimed at. But physical science does not first become research through experiment; rather, on the contrary, experiment first becomes possible where and only where the knowledge of nature has been transformed into research. Only because modern physics is a physics that is essentially mathematical can it be experimental. Because neither medieval doctrina nor Greek episteme is science in the sense of research, for these it is never a question of experiment. To be sure, it was Aristotle who first understood what empeiria (experientia) means; the observation of things themselves, their qualities and modifications under changing conditions, and consequently the knowledge of the way in which things as a rule behave. But an observation that aims at such knowledge, the experimentum, remains essentially different from the observation that belongs to science as research, from the research experiment; it remains essentially different even when ancient and medieval observation also works with number and measure, and even when that observation makes use of specific apparatus and instruments. For in all this, that which is decisive about the experiment is completely missing. Experiment begins with the laying down of a law as a basis. To set up an experiment means to represent or conceive [vorstellen] the conditions under which a specific series of motions can be made susceptible of being followed in its necessary progression, i.e., of being controlled in advance by calculation. But the establishing of a law is accomplished with reference to the ground plan of the object-sphere. That ground plan furnishes a criterion and constrains the anticipatory representing of the conditions. Such representing in and through which the experiment begins is no random imagining. that is why Newton said, hypothesis non fingo, “the bases that are laid down are not arbitrarily invented.” They are developed out of the ground plan of nature and are sketched into it. Experiment is that methodology which, in its planning and execution, is supported and guided on the basis of the fundamental law laid down, in order to adduce the facts that either verify and confirm the law or deny it confirmation. The more exactly the ground plan of nature is projected, the more exact becomes the possibility of experiment. Hence the much cited medieval Schoolman Roger Bacon can never be the forerunner of the modern experimental research scientist; rather he remains merely a successor of Aristotle. For in the meantime, the real locus of truth has been transferred by Christendom to faith - to the infallibility of the written word and to the doctrine of the Church. The highest knowledge and teaching is theology as the interpretation of the divine word of revelation, which is set down in Scripture and proclaimed by the Church. Here, to know is not to search out; rather it is to understand rightly the authoritative Word and the authorities proclaiming it. Therefore, the discussion of the words and doctrinal opinions of the various authorities take precedence in the acquiring of knowledge in the Middle Ages. The componere scripta et sermones, the argumentum ex verbo, is decisive and at the same time is the reason why the accepted Platonic and Aristotelian philosophy that had been taken over had to be transformed into scholastic dialectic. If, now, Roger Bacon demands the experimentum - and he does demand it - he does not mean the experiment of science as research; rather he wants the argumentum ex re instead of the argumentum ex verbo, the careful observing of things themselves, i.e., Aristotelian empeiria, instead of the discussion of doctrines.
The modern research experiment, however, is not only an observation more precise in degree and scope, but is a methodology essentially different in kind, related to the verification of law in the framework, and at the service, of an exact plan of nature. Source criticism in the historical humanistic sciences corresponds to experiment in physical research. Here the name “source criticism” designates the whole gamut of the discovery, examination, verification, evaluation, preservation, and interpretation of sources. Historiographical explanation, which is based on source criticism, does not, it is true, trace facts back to laws and rules. But neither does it confine itself to the mere reporting of facts. In the historical sciences, just as in the natural sciences, the methodology aims at representing what is fixed and stable and at making history an object. History can become objective openly when it is past. What is stable in what is past, that on the basis of which historiographical explanation reckons up the solitary and the diverse in history, is the always-has-been-once-already, the comparable. Through the constant comparing of everything with everything, what is intelligible is found by calculation and is certified and established as the ground plan of history. The sphere of histriographical research extends only so far as historiographical explanation reaches. The unique, the rare, the simple - in short, the great - in history is never self-evident and hence remains inexplicable. It is not that historical research denies what is great in history; rather it explains it as the exception. In this explaining, the great is measured against the ordinary and the average. And there is no other historiographical explanation so long as explaining means reduction to what is intelligible and so long as historiographical explanation so long as explaining means reduction to what is intelligible and so long as historiography remains research, i.e., an explaining. Because historiography as research projects and objectifies the past in the sense of an explicable and surveyable nexus of actions and consequences, it requires source criticism as its instrument of objectification. The standards of this criticism alter to the degree that historiography approaches journalism.
Every science is, as research, grounded upon the projection of a circumscribed object-sphere and is therefore necessarily a science of individualized character. Every individualized science must, moreover, in the development of its projected plan by means of its methodology, particularize itself into specific fields of investigation. This particularizing (specialization) is, however, by no means simply an irksome concomitant of the increasing unsurveyability of the results of research. It is not a necessary evil, but is rather an essential necessity of science as research. Specialization is not the consequence but the foundation of the progress of all research. Research does not, through its methodology, become dispersed into random investigations, so as to lose itself in them; for modern science is determined by a third fundamental event: ongoing activity (Appendix 2).*10
By this is to be understood first of all the phenomenon that a science today, whether physical or humanistic, attains to the respect due a science only when it has become capable of being institutionalized. However, research is not ongoing activity because its work is accomplished in institutions, but rather institutions are necessary because science, intrinsically as research, has the character of ongoing activity. The methodology through which individual object-spheres are conquered does not simply amass results. Rather, with the help of its results it adapts [richtet sich ... ein] itself for a new procedure. Within the complex of machinery that is necessary to physics in order to carry out the smashing of the atom lies hidden the whole of physics up to now. Correspondingly, in historiographical research, funds of source materials become usable for explanation only if those sources are themselves guaranteed on the basis of historiographical explanation. In the course of these processes, the methodology of the science becomes circumscribed by means of its results. More and more the methodology adapts itself to the possibilities of procedure opened up through itself. This having-to-adapt-itself to its own results as the ways and means of an advancing methodology is the essence of research's character as ongoing activity. And it is that character that is the intrinsic basis for the necessity of the institutional nature of research. In ongoing activity the plan of an object-sphere is, for the first time, built into whatever is. All adjustments that facilitate a plannable conjoining of types of methodology, that further the reciprocal checking and communication of results, and that regulate the exchange of talents are measures that are by no means only the external consequences of the fact that research work is expanding and proliferating. Rather, research work becomes the distant sign, still far from being understood, that modern science is beginning to enter upon the decisive phase of its history. Only now is it beginning to take possession of its own complete essence.
What is taking place in this extending and consolidating of the institutional character of the sciences? Nothing less than the making secure of the precedence of methodology over whatever is (nature and history), which at any given time becomes objective in research. On the foundation of their character as ongoing activity, the sciences are creating for themselves the solidarity and unity appropriate to them. Therefore historiographical or archeological research that is carried forward in an institutionalized way is essentially closer to research in physics that is similarly organized than it is to a discipline belonging to its own faculty in the humanistic sciences that still remains mired in mere erudition. Hence the decisive development of the modern character of science as ongoing activity also forms men of a different stamp. The scholar disappears. He is succeeded by the research man who is engaged in research projects. These, rather than the cultivating of erudition, lend to his work its atmosphere of incisiveness. The research man no longer needs a library at home. Moreover, he is constantly on the move. He negotiates at meetings and collects information at congresses. He contracts for commissions with publishers. The latter now determines along with him which books must be written (Appendix 3).
The research worker necessarily presses forward of himself into the sphere characteristic of the technologist in the essential sense. Only in this way is he capable of acting effectively, and only thus, after the manner of his age, is he real. Alongside him, the increasingly thin and empty Romanticism of scholarship and the university will still be able to persist for some time in a few places. However, the effective unity characteristic of the university, and hence the latter's reality, does not lie in some intellectual power belonging to an original unification of the sciences and emanating from the university because nourished by it and preserved in it. The university is real as an orderly establishment that, in a form still unique because it is administratively self-contained, makes possible and visible the striving apart of the sciences into the particularization and peculiar unity that belong to ongoing activity. Because the forces intrinsic to the essence of modern science come immediately and unequivocally to effective working in ongoing activity, therefore, also, it is only the spontaneous ongoing activities of research that can sketch out and establish the internal unity with other like activities that is commensurate with themselves.
The real system of science consists in a solidarity of procedure and attitude with respect to the objectification of whatever is - a solidarity that is brought about appropriately at any given time on the basis of planning. The excellence demanded of this system is not some contrived and rigid unity of the relationships among object-spheres, having to do with content, but is rather the greatest possible free, though regulated, flexibility in the shifting about and introducing of research apropos of the leading tasks at any given time. The more exclusively science individualizes itself with a view to the total carrying on and mastering of its work process, and the more realistically these ongoing activities are shifted into separate research institutes and professional schools, the more irresistibly do the sciences achieve the consummation of their modern essence. But the more unconditionally science and the man of research take seriously the modern form of their essence, the more unequivocally and the more immediately will they be able to offer themselves for the common good, and the more unreservedly too will they have to return to the public anonymity of all work useful to society.
Modern science simultaneously establishes itself and differentiates itself in its projections of specific object-spheres. These projection-plans are developed by means of a corresponding methodology, which is made secure through rigor. Methodology adapts and establishes itself at any given time in ongoing activity. Projection and rigor, methodology and ongoing activity, mutually requiring one another, constitute the essence of modern science, transform science into research.
We are reflecting on the essence of modern science in order that we may apprehend in it its metaphysical ground What understanding of what is and what concept of truth provide the basis for the fact that science is being transformed into research?
Knowing, as research, calls whatever is to account with regard to the way in which and the extent to which it lets itself be put at the disposal of representation. Research has disposal over anything that is when it can either calculate it in its future course in advance or verify a calculation about it as past. Nature, in being calculated in advance, and history, in being historiographically verified as past, become, as it were, "set in place" [gestellt]. Nature and history become the objects of a representing that explains. Such representing counts on nature and takes account of history. Only that which becomes object in this way is - is considered to be in being. We first arrive at science as research when the Being of whatever is, is sought in such objectiveness.
This objectifying of whatever is, is accomplished in a setting-before, a representing, that aims at bringing each particular being before it in such a way that man who calculates can be sure, and that means be certain, of that being. We first arrive at science as research when and only when truth has been transformed into the certainty of representation. What it is to be is for the first time defined as the objectiveness of representing, and truth is first defined as the certainty of representing, in the metaphysics of Descartes. The title of Descartes's principal work reads: Meditationes de prima philosophia [Meditations on First Philosophy]. Prote philosophia is the designation coined by Aristotle for what is later called metaphysics. The whole of modern metaphysics taken together, Nietzsche included, maintains itself within the interpretation of what it is to be and of truth that was prepared by Descartes (Appendix 4).
Now if science as research is an essential phenomenon of the modern age, it must be that that which constitutes the metaphysical ground of research determines first and long beforehand the essence of that age generally. The essence of the modern age can be seen in the fact that man frees himself from the bonds of the Middle Ages in freeing himself to himself. But this correct characterization remains, nevertheless, superficial. It leads to those errors that prevent us from comprehending the essential foundation of the modern age and, from there, judging the scope of the age's essence. Certainly the modern age has, as a consequence of the liberation of man, introduced subjectivism and individualism. But it remains just as certain that no age before this one has produced a comparable objectivism and that in no age before this has the non-individual, in the form of the collective, come to acceptance as having worth. Essential here is the necessary interplay between subjectivism and objectivism. It is precisely this reciprocal conditioning of one by the other that points back to events more profound.
[*1. "Reflection" translates Besinnung. On the meaning of the latter, see SR 155 n. 1. "'Essence" will be the translation of the noun Wesen in most instances of its occurrence in this essay. Occasionally the translation "coming to presence" will be used. Wesen must always be understood to allude, for Heidegger, not to any mere "whatness," but to the manner in which anything, as what it is, takes its course and "holds sway" in its ongoing presence, i.e., the manner in which it endures in its presencing. See QT 30, 3 n. 1. "What is" renders the present participle seiend used as a noun, das Seiende. On the translation of the latter, see T 40 n. 6.
*2. der Grund seines Wesensgestalt. Heidegger exemplifies the statement that he makes here in his discussion of the metaphysics of Descartes as providing the necessary interpretive ground for the manner in which, in the subjectness of man as self-conscious subject, Being and all that is and man - in their immediate and indissoluble relation - come to presence in the modern age. See Appendix 9, pp. 150 ff.
*4. Erlebnis, translated here as "subjective experience" and later as "life-experience," is a term much used by life philosophers such as Dilthey and generally connotes adventure and event. It is employed somewhat pejoratively here. The term Erfahrung, which is regularly translated in this volume as "experience," connotes discovery and learning, and also suffering and undergoing. Here and subsequently (i.e., "mere religious experience"), "mere" is inserted to maintain the distinction between Erlebnis and Erfahrung.
*5. Entgotterung, here inadequately rendered as "loss of the gods," actually means something more like "degodization".
*6. Grundriss. The verb reissen means to tear, to rend, to sketch, to design, and the noun Riss means tear, gap, outline. Hence the noun Grundiss, first sketch, ground plan, design, connotes a fundamental sketching out that is an opening up as well.
*7. "Binding adherence" here translates the noun Bindung. The noun could also be rendered "obligation." It could thus be said that rigor is the obligation to remain within the realm opened up.
*10. “Ongoing activity” is the rendering of Betrieb, which is difficult to translate adequately. It means the act of driving on, or industry, activity, as well as undertaking, pursuit, business. It can also mean management, or workshop or factory.]
To be continued...

Hello, everyone.
I wanted to share with you an article written by Professor Juan Cole regarding the term Islam, and the possible translations in which the early Muslim/Believer community had meant of the word Islam. According to Professor Cole, he argues that the term islam may have meant something different than the usually pressumed translation of "submission".
To read the full article, please go to this link: Paradosis and monotheism: a late antique approach to the meaning of islām in the Quran
To summarize, Cole makes a few points regarding the early association of islam as tradition rather than submission. He points toward John bar Penkaye, a seventh-century Christian living under the Umayyads, who spoke of the Umayyad authorities enforcing a tradition (mashlmānūtā) of Muhammad. A century later, Cole notes, it would become the common Syriac Christian term for Islam.

"The Syriac word derives from the trilateral Semitic root shlm, a cognate of the Arabic slm from which aslama comes. Late antique Christian authors used the Syriac term to mean tradition or a teaching that is passed on.¹² It can mean “scripture” itself. Cyriacus of Nisibus composed a work on the tradition (mashlmānūtā) of Paul. Rabbis spoke of the Mosaic mashlmānūtā or tradition, and also made the term synonymous with the Mishna, the oral scripture commentary, and hence an ongoing, living tradition.¹³ Dictionaries of Syriac give the verb from which this noun derives a wide range of meanings, including handing down, capitulating, betraying, succeeding and commenting.¹⁴"

The term "loanshift" is meant to describe a process in which within bilingual communities or societies a term or word in one language takes a new meaning or connotation because of the influence of a word in another language. The diverse meanings of the Syriac mashlmānūtā, Cole writes, "derive from it being a loanshift of the Greek term παράδοσις (paradosis), which has a similarly wide range of meanings having to do both with surrender and with the passing on or acceptance of a tradition."
The model of Alan Race and John Hick offers in the way which religions view the prosect of salvation toward other faiths and beliefs conform to three possibilities: exclusivism, inclusivism, and pluralism. The Quran itself seems to ridicule the exclusivist policies of the Jews and the Christians in *the Cow (2:135): "*They say: 'Become Jews and Christians and be guided.' No, the word (millah) of Abraham, the pious gentile. He was no polytheist." The word "millah" is vowled in Arabic by the Aramaic loan, "meltā", and "this concept was in turn underlain by the Greek Logos.¹⁶".
Cole writes: "The wide range of meanings of Logos included the cosmic principle of reason generating the universe and a religious path to that truth. The early Christian thinker Justin Martyr put forward the Logos as an agent of religious pluralism. He responded to those Roman critics who berated Christians as hardhearted for dooming to hellfire all human beings born before Jesus of Nazareth. Justin Martyr held that Christ is the Word or Logos, the principle of universal reason "of whom every race of men were partakers; and those who lived reasonably are Christians."¹⁷ They included ancient Greek philosophers such as Heraclitus and Socrates as well as the patriarch Abraham. In contrast, the first-century CE Jewish philosopher Philo spoke of the Logos of Abraham himself, which he described as a God-given combination of eloquence and faith.¹⁸ The Qur’an in this passage rejects the idea that salvation is exclusively limited to those who believe in Moses and the Torah, or in Jesus and the Gospel. Rather, adoption of the monotheistic word of Abraham suffices, and Judaism, Christianity and the religion of Muhammad are all manifestations of it. That the Qur’an deploys a Greek concept, Logos, via its Aramaic loanshift, strengthens the argument that its use of islām might also be underlain by Aramaic and Greek technical terms."
He continues: "It is even possible that among the Arabic-speakers of Syria, Palestine and Transjordan the Arabic islām had for centuries been used informally to translate paradosis, and that millah or kalimah (the Arabic for “word”) had rendered the Logos." Which in itself is not too surprising - historical evidence points to substantial Arabic-speaking Christians throughout the Near East, and there were substantial Christian communities in Najran, Hira, Petra, Nessena, and Jabiya"
Now, onto Islam in the Qur'an section.
Cole notes that the Qur'an conceives of monotheism as a "perennial and ecumenical tradition, in which Jews, Muslims, and other monotheists all particpated.³⁸ He points to the Ranks 61:6 where the Quran criticizes Jews for rejecting the later prophets:"

And when Jesus the son of Mary said to the children of Israel, I am the messenger of God to you, confirming the Torah that you possess, and giving good tidings of a messenger who will come after me, called 'the Praised one' But when he came to them with clear signs, they said, 'That is manifest sorcery.'" The Quran continues, "And who does a greater wrong than one who fabricates lies about God, even while God is called him to islam? And God never guides evildoers.'

By translating islam as "submission to God", it becomes confused, since the first-century Jews worshipped the one God. Instead, Cole claims, the Quran "implies that first-century Jews, by rejecting Jesus, declined the summons to the fullness of the serial prophetic tradition (and here Jesus not only announces himself but points to a future successor.)"
This sin, however, is not depriving them of God's salvation. Cole classifies the denial of the succeeding Prophet's as a "venal rather than a moral sin".

"The Qur'an is inclusivist with regard to doctrine, holding that it has the whole truth of monotheism and that the revelation through the Prophet Muhammad is an essential continuation of the Abrahamic tradition, and that past religions have forgotten some essentials of prophetic monotheism. It is, however, pluralist with regard to salvation, accepting many monotheistic faiths as paths to salvation.⁴⁰"

In The Pilgrimage 22:78, Cole writes that "accepting the tradition is associated with Abraham, but also with Muhammad: '

"Strive strenuously for the sake of God. He chose you and has laid no hardship on you in religion. It is the Logos (millah) of your father Abraham. He named you monotheists (muslimīn) aforetime, so that the messenger might bear witness to this for you, and you might bear witness to the people. So pray and give charity regularly. Hold fast to God. He is your lord, the best of patrons and the best of succorers.' Here, Abraham himself is depicted as coining the term muslim, to describe one who subscribes to his primal Word (millah). Ages after Abraham, The Pilgrimage 22:78 says, Muhammad bore witness to this same Logos, and, it is implied, was enabled to do so because Abraham began the tradition or paradosis. The Qur’an views the Logos of Abraham as a universal monotheistic principle at the heart of each of the true religions."

The Family of Amram 3:19 declares:

"According to God, religion (dīn) is islām. Those who had been given scripture only differed out of covetousness, after knowledge came to them. God is quick in calling to account anyone who denies the verses of God." Again, the issue addressed by this verse is not the oneness of God or submission to him. Rather, the Qur'an is saying that in principle, Jews. Christians and Muhammad's followers all share in the monotheistic tradition and so participate in authentic religion, in implicit contrast to the false religion of polytheists. They therefore ought not to quarrel with one another over the details, since they share in a common core. The difference is that Muhammad's Believers recognized Judaism and Christianity as participating in the Abrahamian tradition whereas some members of the previous religions denied that recognition to the newer teaching. The Qur'an in 3:19 has brought together a Persian and a Greek concept. From Middle Persian it derives the word dēn, which came to mean "a religion.” ⁴¹ (It should not be confused with the Semitic word dīn, meaning judgment or service, which is also used by the Qur’an). In 3:19 the Qur'an is not saying that Muhammad's religion is called Islam and is the only true faith. Nor is the verse saying that Muhammad’s is the true and full islām, which the previous religions foreshadowed and to which they are ex post facto subordinated, which is how triumphalist Muslims read the verse.⁴² It is saying that the monotheistic paradosis goes back to Abraham, and that subsequent prophets all preached a version of it, even if their adherents decline to recognize this unity (cf. 3:84, which says God makes “no distinction” among the prophets)."

As I often write, and agree with Professor Cole and Professor Fred Donner, that the usage of the term muslim as the identifying marker for the followers of the Prophet Muhammad is anachronistic. The Quran identifies, and uses, the term "those who have believed" for the community of the Prophet, often being named Believers or Mu'minun. But Cole also points out an interesting facet in 39:22:

"One problem with reading islām here as "submission" is that God is the agent, not the believer. God would have to be seen as having imposed submission on these individuals, which logically speaking is no kind of submission. Moreover, the two lines of the verse are parallel, with those whose hearts have been opened to islām opposed to those whose hearts have been hardened against the mention (dhikr) of the divine, suggesting that the two words are synonyms. “Submission” is not a synonym of “mention.” But if islām means “the tradition of monotheism,” then the parallelism of “tradition” and “mention” would make sense."

I think this entire article is fascinating, given the Quran's clear universalism regarding the monotheistic traditions provided by the pervious prophets, of whom came to correct but perhaps more importantly confirm the past scriptures and traditions of their predecessors (of whom Prophet Muhammad is considered the last, according to Islamic tradition). I cannot do the article full justice here, so I highly recommend others to go ahead and read it (I believe it should be available for all on the website I linked).

I just recently finished a perfect deathless nuzlocke run of Vanilla Emerald (in my runs, a "perfect run" is battling every single trainer and getting all of the possible encounters), and I wanted to provide some tips for those wondering what to do for fights or encounter routing for dupes clause. Before I begin, here is my ruleset:
-Standard deathless hardcore nuzlocke rules (1st encounter only, gym leader level caps, set mode, no items except for held items, 1 death = reset).
-Shiny Clause: I can freely catch a shiny, but I have to use it on the E4 team (for the Champion Picture).
-Rare Candies are hacked in to avoid grinding and time poorly wasted.
-Battling wild encounters for the sake of grinding EVs is banned (This makes the game MUCH harder as you can only grind EVs off of the limited number of trainer battles).
-Rematching trainers is banned (Limited EV investments and limited money).
-Level Edging is banned. Once the Pokemon has reached the level cap, they are boxed until the gym fight.
-Legendaries are permitted if they are under level cap. In other words, Rayquaza is unusable, but the Regi Trio is fair game.
-Wallace is the end game.
Roxanne Split:
I prefer getting the following encounters, in ideally the following order:
-Mudkip on Route 101. He is undisputedly the best starter. Reset for a better nature/IVs than mine. I had Bold with bad IVs.
-Poochyena (Explicitly for Dupes Clause and Tate & Liza)
-Zigzagoon (HM Mule + Pickup. Reset if Zig is not the encounter on routes 102 or 103.)
-Wurmple (Reset game to roll Dustox)
-Taillow (Repel manip @ Level 8 on Route 116 for a 91% chance at rolling Taillow, after nabbing Poochyena. Reset if the game rolls Skitty. I also don't play with Shedinja, so no Nincada, not to mention Nincada is heavily inconsistent to encounter.)
-Whismur (Rusturf, useful for almost all of the repel manip strats)
-Shroomish (come back after getting Wurmple and Taillow for a 75% chance at getting Shroomish. Reset if Slakoth is rolled.)
Yes, I reset for ideal early game encounters. This set of encounters makes the game so much smoother. There is lots of coverage in this team and there are almost no chances for deaths if you play around crits and Bide Seedots. Use documentation in case you do not know what you are facing next.

• All of these particular encounters are about a 1 in 6 to get if done correctly.
• Taillow is great once it gets Wing Attack at Level 13.
• Zig should be Level 11 or higher for a small chance at picking up King's Rock.
• Whismur and Poochyena should not be past levels 13 and 14 respectively (for the next repel manip).
• I reset if Wingull appears, as you can catch one on the water routes after you obtain Surf.

Roxanne Fight: Use Mudkip for Roxanne's Geodudes and Shroomish for the Nosepass. Leech Seed until you win.
Brawly Split: Magikarp, Tentacool, and Repel manip @ Level 10 for a guaranteed Makuhita.

• Aron is not reliable besides boom fodder from Exploding Koffing
• Sableye is unnecessary if you have Dustox/Beautifly to fight Brawly with (plus you get one in Cave of Origin after catching Zubat in Seafloor Cavern).

Brawly Fight: Solo with Dustox/Beautifly or poisoned Taillow. Unpoisoned Taillow gets killed by Makuhita nearly every time.
Wattson Split: Roll your Route 117 encounter before rolling your Route 110 encounter. Remember your repel manip Poochyena and Whismur? Use these now. You want Level 14 Oddish on Route 117 and any of the other Level 13 encounters (repel manip to avoid Wingulls) on Route 110. Any encounter will do fine. If you roll Electrike here, you will need to roll the tedious 1% Kecleon on Route 118 (I typically go for Sharpedo on Route 122 for anyone trying to point out Carvanha).
Wattson Fight: This is a tough one. I make sure that Marshtomp, Breloom, Hariyama, and Gloom (if I rolled an Oddish) is all on my team. I hate that the AI is really stupid, so I typically do not bring Gyarados for that reason, unless I am intentionally switching between Gyarados and Marshtomp (Gyarados is great for pivoting in Rom Hacks where the AI is smarter). Equip a bunch of Cheri Berries onto everything, and maybe a Persim Berry on Marshtomp if you received one from the flower shop on Route 104.
Flannery Split: There are a lot of potential encounters here. Here are some highlights:

• Bring a Level 16 Pokemon with you for two different repel manips (Fiery Path and Route 113) and then once more at level 18 on Route 114 for Lombre. Repel manipping at Level 16 in Fiery Path eliminates the Slugma and Grimer encounters which are both pretty bad. If you want to increase your chances at Skarmory on Route 113 (explained in detail a few lines down), you can try your luck for Slugma here. Lombre sucks but Ludicolo will carry in the E4 when you give it Fake Out, Giga Drain, Surf, and Ice Beam.
• Repel past the Rock Smash rocks on Route 111 to avoid Geodude. If you do NOT roll Torkoal in Fiery path, get the Geodude so that you can guarantee Torkoal in Magma Hideout after Winona. Graveler is decent for Maxie, Flannery, Norman, and Winona. Garbage afterward. Geodude and Graveler are also harder to obtain in Magma Hideout because they will then have acquired Self-Destruct (Acquired at Level 21).
• I actually go for Skarmory here now. Waiting to roll Electrode in Aqua Hideout, then 50% chance for Magnet Pull Magnemite in New Mauville, then 55% chance for Skarmory on Route 113 is so tedious, and Skarmory does not have much use after Aqua Hideout anyways. It comes out to about a 26% chance to get Skarmory by doing all of this dancing around. But by repel manipping at Level 16, Level 14 and 15 Spindas and Slugmas do not appear, making Skarmory's chance of appearing significantly better because he is ONLY found at Level 16. It is approximately a 14% chance from the original 5% chance for Skarmory to appear. If you roll Slugma in Fiery Path, those odds are increased to approximately 19% Perma-box the encounter if you do not roll Skarmory.
• Save Meteor Falls for the 50/50 Bagon.

Nothing else major to note. Numel is nice to have for Winona (Evolves into Camerupt right at level cap). Spoink is guaranteed if you roll Numel and Machop. I've heard of useful strats out of Grumpig, but have never utilized those strats myself.
Maxie fight: Gyarados and Hariyama do well here. Graveler is notable. Marshtomp is ok. Bubblebeam Azumarill is great, especially if you have Thick Fat.
Flannery Fight: Oh boy, our first real run-killer if playing deathless like me. Everything can be washed away with Bubblebeam Azumarill or Tentacool except for Torkoal. Don't let her set up Sunny Day and don't get crit. Sometimes stealing her White Herb can help but it can also waste a turn for Sunny Day set up. Double Team is useful, but set it up on Slugma (Tentacool is ideal, just watch out for Body Slam crits from Torkoal, as those WILL kill without EV investment). Thick Fat Azumarill is actually ideal for this fight. Graveler Magnitude 10 will one-shot Torkoal. Dragon Rage Gyarados is great even though Intimidate does not work because of White Smoke. Try to avoid using Marshtomp, aa he does not do enough damage. Wobbuffet can be useful, but it is a guessing game on what move Torkoal will use.
Norman Split:

• 50/50 for Trapinch. Good luck. If Sandshrew is rolled, give it the Dig TM for Norman and caves. He is otherwise the best candidate for Dig. If you do roll Trapinch, wait to evolve into Vibrava until Level 41 so that it gets Dig.
• Also, the fossil is open for fair game. I typically pick up Lileep for fishing, since the Suction Cups ability increases the chance of encounters appearing vis the rods. But Protect Battle Armor Anorith is a nice option for Norman.
• Watch out for the trainer with a Slakoth in the gym, as it knows Counter and will one-shot your Breloom or Hariyama if you are not careful.

Norman Fight: Here's my strategy. Persim Berry Hariyama will kill the first three mons on Norman's team. Do NOT use Fake Out on Spinda, as it knows Encore. Just click Vital Throw three times. Make sure Vigoroth does not crit, otherwise you might need a backup mon, like Breloom.
When Slaking comes out, send in your Torkoal, Anorith, or Dustox (or Pelipper if you don't reset for early game encounters like me and you do catch Wingull early). Equip a Leppa Berry on your Protect mon and slowly whittle away the brute. Sandslash is also okay if you know whether you are faster or slower, as Dig can be handy if you have good defensive investments. Remember that if Slaking is intended to attack on the turns Norman heals, Slaking will NOT attack next turn. If he heals on loaf turns, Slaking WILL attack the following turn.
Winona Split: Here's a list of the encounters you should roll, in the following order:
-Wingull on Route 109
-Electrike/Manectric/Kecleon on Route 118 (Repel manip @ Level 26 if you are going for Electrike/Manectric.)
-Wailmer w/ Good Rod on Route 108 (you can also get this on the eastern water routes, I tend to forget about him if I catch him later though).
-Feebas on Route 119. Yes, get the Feebas. This is the ONLY reason I choose the Root Fossil (Lileep) in my runs, is that Suction Cups increases the likelihood of rod mons to appear, including Feebas. Fish 2-3 times per tile and move on. You only get the lower section to work with (since the upper section is unlocked after obtaining Castform, which would be your encounter for the route). I've gotten Feebas as early as the 2nd and 4th tiles on two separate save files. Use Kelpsy Berries to evolve into Milotic. Surf, Ice Beam, Toxic, Recover. Boom, you have a lethal weapon on your team.
-Wait for the Route 115 encounter until after rolling the repel manipped Level 39 Altaria at Sky Pillar.
-Anything except Kecleon on Route 120. Absol can ruin your day with Swords Dance/Quick Attack/Razor Wind.
-Notice how Route 105 was not mentioned. This is just in case you roll the 5% Underwater Relicanth so that you can bring Regice to the E4.
Notes: Trainers begin to get tougher now, with halfway decent strats and cores to ruin your day. Read the docs to know what you're facing. Make good use of the Exp Share, Amulet Coin, and Macho Brace in all of your battles. If you are Exp grinding, make use of the day care, just make sure your useless moves are in the top slots so that you don't lose a good move you can't get back. Remember also that the day care does not EV train your Pokemon.
Winona Fight: Use Bolt Beam Gyarados and sweep. That's it. Alternatively, Camerupt and Manectric are good choices.
Tate & Liza Split:
-Shuppet on Route 121
-Duskull on the upper levels of Mt. Pyre
-Safari Zone Encounter (Psyduck, Girafarig, Pikachu, Doduo, Rhyhorn, Natu, etc.): Go for the easy-to-catch encounters if you are playing hard Safari Zone rules (1st encounter only, no 2nd attempts for run-away mons). I like rolling Psyduck because they are guaranteed and are easy to catch.
-Kecleon on Route 123 if he is not already caught
-Magma Hideout encounter (Torkoal or Geodude/Graveler)
-Electrode in Aqua Hideout (Use the Master Ball sitting next to the Electrode, as you will not need the Master Ball more anywhere else more than on an Exploding Electrode. Your only other option is Damp Psyduck from the Safari Zone, whose ability is a 50/50 roll. and nearly dies to Spark Crit anyways.)
-Magnemite in New Mauville (Magnet Pull is preferred if you still have not rolled Route 113.
-Skarmory on Route 113 if you don't take my advice and roll for him in the late game. Just make sure Magnet Pull Magnemite is your first member in the party.
Get the Super Rod and use it for the following encounters (just be careful of over-leveled trainers) in no particular order:
-Staryu in Lilycove City (Can be used in E4)
-Luvdisc in Evergrande (Useless)
-Corsola on Route 128 (Mostly useless, this can be swapped with Luvdisc)
-Horsea on Routes 132, 133, or 134 (Useless without trades, with the exception of being a useful HM Water Mule)
-Corphish in Petalburg City (Useful for Tate & Liza)
-Sharpedo on Route 122 (Useful for Tate & Liza)
Once again, watch out for tricky strategies.

• Don't hesitate to battle trainers in single battles rather than double battles (Looking at you Rain Thunder Manectric & Weather Ball Castform combo on Route 120).
• There are a few Wobbuffets at this point who will ruin your day. One sitting at the top floor of Mt. Pyre and one in the purple room of the Mossdeep Gym. Use your Milotic or Dustox with Toxic, Will-o-Wisp mons, or Leech Seed Breloom to handle the Wobbuffets.
• Slaking double battle on Route 121 can be deadly.
• Magnet Pull Magneton can ruin your day on Route 123.
• Bring Gyarados or Pelipper to Maxie 2 as well as Hariyama and Manectric. They are also both useful in warding off wild encounters with their respective abilities (both Intimidate and Keen Eye reduce the likelihood of wild encounters appearing).
• Aqua Hideout is a cakewalk compared to Magma Hideout.

Tate & Liza Fight: Get ready to kill them quickly or be killed. My strat is as follows: Poisoned Swellow uses Facade on Xatu to OHKO it. Wailord uses Protect on the incoming EQ from Claydol or Water Spout if it is faster. Swellow either Facades again on Claydol, Protects, or switches out to a Water or Dark Type. Wailord blasts Claydol again or switches to something else. Some notable switches:

• Cloud Nine Golduck does well for the Sunny Day Solrock
• Mightyena gets Taunt right at Level 42
• Gyarados is immune to EQ and gets Surf
• Sharpedo and Crawdaunt do well with Surf/Protect if their Natures and IVs are not terrible

Make sure to have 2 dark types at minimum for this fight and leave Lunatone to be the last one on the field. Even though it has Calm Mind, the only attacking move it has is Psychic.
Juan Split:
-Underwater Encounter. Yes, the location description is "Underwater," not "Route 124." You want Chinchou, regardless of whether it has Volt Absorb or not (VA is a plus). Manectric and Electrode both have a 50/50 chance of having the Static ability, which boosts the chance of electric types appearing when the beholder is first in the party. It does not make Chinchou guaranteed, but much more likely to appear than the less-than-fortunate 30% chance. This is why Pikachu is an option in the Safari Zone since it is guaranteed to have Static. Just make sure you feed the PokeBlock feeder the color that Pikachu likes (never used this method myself but there are articles about it online) to have a good chance to catch it. Relicanth is nice for Regice. Clamperl would be good if you could obtain it early game but you can't. Even with the DeepSeaTooth and Shell Armor it simply cannot do that much.
-Seafloor Cavern: Get the Luxury Ball first in the Abandoned Ship and then catch Zubat here. Bring Vileplume/Bellossom with Sleep Powder and then whittle it down with other moves to have the best chance for capture with the one Luxury Ball you are guven in the entire game.
-Shoal Cave: You do Seafloor Cavern first to guarantee Spheal here. Spheal is better than Snorunt. Trust me.
-Cave of Origin: Sableye (Useless)
-Sky Pillar: Repel manip @ Level 39 on the 2nd to top floor for a guaranteed Altaria. It does not have Perish Song. That is much safer than playing with an Exploding Claydol.
-Route 115: NOW you may get your useless Jigglypuff.
Get the Blue Shards and Water Stones. These are useful for Lombre and Staryu. Everything else is mostly useless except for a Leaf Stone if you are evolving Gloom into Vileplume (do it after level 35 for Moonlight).
Besides Archie (Use Hariyama, Manectric/Electrode/Magneton, Gyarados, etc.), this is a fairly easy split and you can obtain a LOT of money from the trainers underneath Juan's gym with the Amulet Coin. This is useful for all the TMs in the Game Corner.
Juan Fight: Use your electric type on everything except for Whiscash and Kingdra. Whiscash is defeated with a grass type, just kill it before it sets up Amnesias and PP stalls you out of your grass type moves. Alternately use a powerful physical attacker who doesn't die easily. Kingdra can be PP stalled with a recovering water type, and that is usually your best option. Once again Milotic shines here. Starmie is also rather good here, given you made sure to teach it Recover before evolving it. Otherwise, you can use a mon with Shock Wave/Faint Attack/Aerial Ace/Magical Leaf and some sort of recovery, and wish for a crit.
Elite 4 Split:
-Bagon in Meteor Falls. Watch out for Fire Spin trapping Solrock, as I had to reset once here this late in the game because of it.
-Aron/Lairon in Victory Road. Cradily, Exploud, and Soundproof Electrode are your three options for catching this because all three are immune to Roar. This is why you go for Makuhita in Granite Cave because only Cradily is immune to Whirlwind Hariyama in Victory Road and it dies to Hariyama's Belly Drum + SmellingSalt. Hariyama is also so much more useful during the story than Aron/Lairon will ever be. Alternatively, you can roll for Mawile which is miles worse.
Victory Road trainers are tough. Make sure you battle the last two trainers one at a time because their strategies are top tier (Skill Swap on Slakings + Coverage). No Wobbuffets fortunately but plenty of other stuff to mess you up. Look at docs before battling each and every trainer. Having a Dig mon (Flygon/Sandslash) is nice to escape easily. Take Linoone to HM blast your way through the maze. Unlike what other sources say, you do NOT need Waterfall to get through Victory Road.
E4 Fight: I finished the E4 deathless with a mono water team consisting of Gyarados, Milotic, Starmie, Swampert, Ludicolo, and VA Lanturn. In my run, Starmie was almost never used, despite having some impressive coverage options and Recover. Milotic saved my run against Wallace. Gyarados can pivot into anything. Lanturn was the electric type for my team, though Gyarados also possessed T-bolt for Wallace.
Some other notable options include:

• Hariyama for Sidney (Bring another Persim Berry) and Glacia's Glalies.
• Manectric/Electrode for Glacia and Wallace if you miss out on Lanturn. Magneton is nice but gets shredded due to its poor Speed and Special Defense.
• Other bulky water types for Wallace. Make sure they have Aspear Berries in the last fight, as Wallace loves to freeze your team.
• Ice Beam mon for Drake. Doesn't matter, just make sure it is tanky.
• Something that doesn't die to Phoebe's coverage options. The Banettes are easy to handle but have coverage options like Thunderbolt. The Dusclops will quickly rid you of your PP. The Ace Dusclops has coverage beyond belief (Ice Beam, Earthquake, Rock Slide, Shadow Ball). Sableye is just there to cause trouble and frustration with Double Team.
• Wallace is the real threat that you need to set your team around. Everything else in the E4 can be covered with the tools that you bring. I opt for a mono water team often because it is so good at countering Wallace. You need OHKO answers for Wailord and Gyarados. You need to PP Stall his Milotic if you are not blasting it to the moon (Meaning you need either a Poison/Steel type or Rest to counter Toxic). You need an answer for Hyper Beams that Wallace will be launching at you. Use the Sludge Bomb or Aerial Ace TMs for the Ludicolo or stall it with a grass type. Nonetheless, this is the one battle you are truly prepping for. Everything else comes second.

If you have read this far, congrats and thank you. I enjoy completing nuzlockes in my spare time and wanted to share some information I could not obtain myself on the internet for others to read. If I missed or overlooked something, please let me know all about it.

My study today was spent defending Jesus as a law-giver and law-keeper. I learned that Jesus' interpretations of justice and mercy were always in existence. We were not made privy to them because of our human frailty, and our hearts hardened by sin. (Matthew 19:8, Mark 3:1-5, Romans 5:13) Even now, the parables reveal things to us that we were not ready to receive when our Lord walked the earth. (John 16:12-15)
We're made in God's image. Every lesson of life we learn, makes us more like Him. As we grow spiritually, we leave behind logic that no longer seems reasonable. (Psalm 17:15, Matthew 10:25, 1 Corinthians 13:11-13)
Jesus, the prophesied Messiah, came to give us a greater, and more glorious law. (Deuteronomy 18:15, Acts 3:22, Jeremiah 31:31-34) Mankind was not ready to receive, much less live out, the fullness of the law when it was given on Mt. Sinai. Even now, we are being perfected and learning, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. (Deuteronomy 18:15-19, 1 John 2:27) Jesus explained, "I did not come to destroy the law and the prophets, but to fulfill." He also explained how vital it is to keep the whole law. (Matthew 5:17-20)
Throughout the Hebrew scriptures, we are warned not to "turn to the right hand or the left" in keeping the law. (Deuteronomy 5:32, Deuteronomy 17:1, Deuteronomy 28:14, Joshua 23:6) It means not to do more or less than what it says. The way Jesus kept the law (including the Sabbath law) was a correction of the rulers' current practices. Jesus used scripture, creation, and divinely appointed miracles to show people that they were the ones in the wrong.
Most of the laws Jesus explained to us are more easily broken than the law of Moses. We are no longer even allowed to hate, much less murder. (Matthew 5:43-45, Psalm 139:21-22) We can only keep these laws by the power of the Holy Spirit who changes our hearts. God's Holy Spirit makes us people of truth and love.
All Jesus' corrections of the commandments were scorned in his day. Don't you find it strange that Jesus, the Author of Life, is constantly condemned for promoting life and love in the Bible? (Matthew 12:1-24) The Word of God says, "When my father and mother forsake me, the Lord shall take me up." (Psalm 27:10) Jesus, the Word of God made flesh, kept his promises, even on the Sabbath. (John 1:1, John 1:14, Numbers 23:19, Isaiah 40:8) This is the greatest complaint against him among our Jewish brethren today.
In this study, I learned that God has always worked on the Sabbath he gave us. (John 5:17, Mark 2:27) It was God that kept manna from spoiling and breeding worms every Sabbath day in the wilderness. (Exodus 16:24) Jesus used King David, and those who served in the Temple as examples and proof of God's will. We are to serve God and support life every day, including the Sabbath. I finished this study wondering if, "a day with the Lord is as a thousand years," was a literal statement. (2 Peter 3:8, Psalm 90:4) I hope that God will be finished making us into our final form when Jesus is ready for his Sabbath rest with his bride. (Psalm 95:6-11, Hebrews 4:1-12, John 3:26-36)
In Jesus' day, it went against Jewish tradition to fast on the Sabbath. Jesus' disciples did not have food to eat. They were not offered a meal by their peers. Instead they accused Jesus' disciples of breaking the Sabbath because they made produce fit to eat by using their hands to take and rub clean the food God gave them. (Deuteronomy 23:25, Matthew 12:1-7)
I believe the only accusation anyone can have against Jesus is over whether or not he really was one with God. There is no doubt in my mind that Jesus spoke the truth of who he was, and it cost his life. (Matthew 26:65, Isaiah 53:12)
I spent quite a bit thinking on this passage, where Jesus was nearly stoned to death before his crucifixion. The scene takes place during Hanukkah, which is also a time when fasting and mourning are not lawful... yet hate and envy seem to be allowed? No wonder we needed a Messiah to change our hearts! (Zechariah 12:10, John 19:34-37)
John 10:22-33 NLT
22 It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication, 23 He was in the Temple, walking through the section known as Solomon's Colonnade. 24 The people surrounded him and asked, "How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly." 25 Jesus replied, "I have already told you, and you don't believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father's name. 26 But you don't believe me because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, 29 for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father's hand. 30 The Father and I are one." 31 Once again the people picked up stones to kill him. 32 Jesus said, "At my Father's direction I have done many good works. For which one are you going to stone me?" 33 They replied, "We're stoning you not for any good work, but for blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God."
How can anyone save people who can't discern between their friends and their enemies? How could people bent on causing death appreciate the life-supporting logic of Jesus?
Jesus' logic made sense to those who realized that "an eye for an eye" would make the whole world blind. They had learned enough about judgment to see their need for mercy.
It was God's love for mercy that drove him to sacrifice for us, Jews and Gentiles alike. May we show one another mercy, by resisting our judgmental, sinful nature. (Hebrews 12:2-4, 1 Corinthians 10:13, Hosea 6:1-6)
Acts 17:30-31 NLT

30 "God overlooked people's ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. 31 For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising Him from the dead."

Scripture references:
Jesus' interpretations of justice and mercy were always in existence. We were not made privy to them because of our human frailty, and our hearts hardened by sin.
Matthew 19:8 NLT

8 Jesus replied, "Moses permitted divorce only as a concession to your hard hearts, but it was not what God had originally intended.

Mark 3:1-5 NLT

1 Jesus went into the synagogue again and noticed a man with a deformed hand. 2 Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus' enemies watched him closely. If he healed the man's hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath. 3 Jesus said to the man with the deformed hand, "Come and stand in front of everyone." 4 Then he turned to his critics and asked, "Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?" But they wouldn't answer him. 5 He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. Then he said to the man, "Hold out your hand." So the man held out his hand, and it was restored!

Romans 5:13 NKJV

(For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

Even now, the parables reveal things to us that we were not ready to receive when our Lord walked the earth.
John 16:12-15 NLT

12 "There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can't bear it now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. 14 He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, 'The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.'

We're made in God's image. Every lesson of life we learn, makes us more like Himself. No person stays a child forever.
Psalm 17:15 NKJV

15 As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.

Matthew 10:25

“It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!

1 Corinthians 13:11-13 NKJV

11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. 13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Jesus, the prophesied Messiah, came to give us a greater, and more glorious law.
Deuteronomy 18:15 NKJV

15 "The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear,

Acts 3:22 NKJV

22 "For Moses truly said to the fathers, 'The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you.

Jeremiah 31:31-34 NKJV

31 "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah-- 32 "not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD. 33 "But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 "No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."

Mankind was not ready to receive the complete law when it was given on Mt. Sinai. Even now, we are being perfected and learning, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit
**Deuteronomy 18:15-19 NLT - 15 Moses continued, "The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. 16 For this is what you yourselves requested of the LORD your God when you were assembled at Mount Sinai. You said, 'Don't let us hear the voice of the LORD our God anymore or see this blazing fire, for we will die.' 17 "Then the LORD said to me, 'What they have said is right. 18 I will raise up a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell the people everything I command him. 19 I will personally deal with anyone who will not listen to the messages the prophet proclaims on my behalf.
1 John 2:27 NLT - 27 But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don't need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true--it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.
Jesus explained that He didn't come to destroy God's Laws. He also explained how vital it is to keep them.
Matthew 5:17-20

17 "Don't misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to complete them. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God's law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. 19 So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God's laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. 20 "But I warn you--unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!

Scripture warns us not to "turn to the right hand or the left" from following God's commands. This means not to do more or less than what it says.
Deuteronomy 5:32 NLT

32 So Moses told the people, "You must be careful to obey all the commands of the LORD your God, following his instructions in every detail.

Deuteronomy 17:1 NLT

1 "Never sacrifice sick or defective cattle, sheep, or goats to the LORD your God, for he detests such gifts.

Deuteronomy 28:14 NLT

14 You must not turn away from any of the commands I am giving you today, nor follow after other gods and worship them.

Joshua 23:6 NLT

6 "So be very careful to follow everything Moses wrote in the Book of Instruction. Do not deviate from it, turning either to the right or to the left.

The way Jesus kept the law was a correction of traditions. Jesus used scripture, creation, and miracles to show people the truth.
Under Jesus' glorified laws, we are no longer even allowed to hate, much less murder. We can only keep these laws by the power of the Holy Spirit who changes our hearts.
Matthew 5:43-44 New Covenant: love your enemies, hate their sin.

43 "You have heard the law that says, 'Love your neighbor' and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.

Psalm 139:21-22 Old Covenant: hate those who hate God.

21 O LORD, shouldn't I hate those who hate you? Shouldn't I despise those who oppose you? 22 Yes, I hate them with total hatred, for your enemies are my enemies.

Jesus' corrections of the commandments were scorned in his day. The Sabbath corrections were only well-received by those who knew they needed mercy.
Matthew 12:1-24 NLT

1 At about that time Jesus was walking through some grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, so they began breaking off some heads of grain and eating them. 2 But some Pharisees saw them do it and protested, "Look, your disciples are breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath." 3 Jesus said to them, "Haven't you read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He went into the house of God, and he and his companions broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. 5 And haven't you read in the law of Moses that the priests on duty in the Temple may work on the Sabbath? 6 I tell you, there is one here who is even greater than the Temple! 7 But you would not have condemned my innocent disciples if you knew the meaning of this Scripture: 'I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.' 8 For the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!" 9 Then Jesus went over to their synagogue, 10 where he noticed a man with a deformed hand. The Pharisees asked Jesus, "Does the law permit a person to work by healing on the Sabbath?" (They were hoping he would say yes, so they could bring charges against him.) 11 And he answered, "If you had a sheep that fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn't you work to pull it out? Of course you would. 12 And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath." 13 Then he said to the man, "Hold out your hand." So the man held out his hand, and it was restored, just like the other one! 14 Then the Pharisees called a meeting to plot how to kill Jesus. 15 But Jesus knew what they were planning. So he left that area, and many people followed him. He healed all the sick among them, 16 but he warned them not to reveal who he was. 17 This fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah concerning him: 18 "Look at my Servant, whom I have chosen. He is my Beloved, who pleases me. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. 19 He will not fight or shout or raise his voice in public. 20 He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. Finally he will cause justice to be victorious. 21 And his name will be the hope of all the world." 22 Then a demon-possessed man, who was blind and couldn't speak, was brought to Jesus. He healed the man so that he could both speak and see. 23 The crowd was amazed and asked, "Could it be that Jesus is the Son of David, the Messiah?" 24 But when the Pharisees heard about the miracle, they said, "No wonder he can cast out demons. He gets his power from Satan, the prince of demons."

Psalm 27:10

10 Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will take care of me.

God keeps his promises, even on the Sabbath.
John 1:1, 14 NKJV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ... 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Numbers 23:19 NKJV

19 "God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

Isaiah 40:8 NKJV

8 The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever."

God has always worked on the Sabbath he gave us.
John 5:17 NKJV

17 But Jesus answered them, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working."

Mark 2:27 NKJV

27 And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.

Exodus 16:24 NKJV

24 So they laid it up till morning, as Moses commanded; and it did not stink, nor were there any worms in it.

The rulers of Jesus' day made Sabbath laws that conflicted for the poor. They falsely accused Jesus' followers of harvesting on the Sabbath when they legally took what God provided.
Deuteronomy 23:25 NKJV

25 "When you come into your neighbor's standing grain, you may pluck the heads with your hand, but you shall not use a sickle on your neighbor's standing grain.

Matthew 12:1-7 NKJV

1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, "Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!" 3 But He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 "how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 "Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? 6 "Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple. 7 "But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless.

Some people say Jesus deserved to die for breaking the law. I know that Jesus spoke the truth of who he was, and paid for it with his life.
Matthew 26:62-65 NKJV

62 And the high priest arose and said to Him, "Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?" 63 But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, "I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!" 64 Jesus said to him, "It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven." 65 Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, "He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His blasphemy!

Isaiah 53:12 NKJV - 12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.
Jesus was nearly stoned to death before his crucifixion. The account takes place during Hanukkah, a time when fasting and mourning are not lawful... yet hate and envy seem to be allowed? We needed a Messiah to change our hearts!
John 10:22-33 NLT

22 It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication, 23 He was in the Temple, walking through the section known as Solomon's Colonnade. 24 The people surrounded him and asked, "How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly." 25 Jesus replied, "I have already told you, and you don't believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father's name. 26 But you don't believe me because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, 29 for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father's hand. 30 The Father and I are one." 31 Once again the people picked up stones to kill him. 32 Jesus said, "At my Father's direction I have done many good works. For which one are you going to stone me?" 33 They replied, "We're stoning you not for any good work, but for blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God."

Zechariah 12:10 NKJV

“And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.

John 19:34-37 NKJV

34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. 36 For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, "Not one of His bones shall be broken." 37 And again another Scripture says, "They shall look on Him whom they pierced."

Jesus' logic made sense to those who had seen enough judgment to realize their need for mercy.
God's love drove him to sacrifice for us, Jews and Gentiles alike. May we show one another mercy, by resisting our judgmental, sinful nature.
Hebrews 12:2-4 NKJV

2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. 4 You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.

1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV

13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Hosea 6:1-6 NKJV

1 Come, and let us return to the LORD; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. 2 After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, That we may live in His sight. 3 Let us know, Let us pursue the knowledge of the LORD. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, Like the latter and former rain to the earth. 4 "O Ephraim, what shall I do to you? O Judah, what shall I do to you? For your faithfulness is like a morning cloud, And like the early dew it goes away. 5 Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets, I have slain them by the words of My mouth; And your judgments are like light that goes forth. 6 For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

Acts 17:30-31 NLT

30 "God overlooked people's ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. 31 For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising Him from the dead."

May God's truth and love permeate our lives and make us more like Him.

Also, wouldn't mind some opinions XD
*****
Thinking 2 or 3 dots on this one - Single late combat trick, a bit of utility, and a very spotty and random unique extra.
Wooded Silver Ax – Initially made by Jade Claws (gen 0 Lunar exalt) as a friendship gift to a loyal Dragonblood retainer (A craftsman, obviously), this ax improved their ability to gather materials, and make them into auspicious items. While wood is not an inherent magical material, the great care used in crafting this tool seeps into the items it works, possibly lending them additional potency. This artifact is made of green jade and moonsilver. This is a Medium Artifact weapon with the Lethal, Melee, Thrown (Short), and Chopping tags (Accuracy +3 Damage+12 Defense+1 Overwhelm 4 Attunment 5).
Woodworker's Friend
Cost: - ; Mins Essence 1 Type: Permanent
It’s main capacity is to shift its shape – while it is naturally an ax, and reverts to this shape when unattended, it may also take the shape of any wood-working tool, or as a simple bracelet. While disguised, a 3 difficulty perception+Lore check will reveal this ax’s nature. At Melee 5, Essence 3+, you may attempt to “jink” a Parry-based Defense by morphing this ax into a smaller form and then re-manifesting it on the “other side” of the block (this specific use costs 1 mote). This grants the Unblockable trait for this one attack, in return for reducing this attack's Accuracy and Damage by 1 success. You may only do this once per combat round.
Subtle Wood Enchantment: Cost: - ; Mins Essence 1 Type: Permanent When used to harvest or craft wood, the ST makes a secret roll – on a roll of 0, the user gains 1 additional Silver Resource, and on a roll of 9, one resource gained in harvesting, or 1 item made in crafting, gains a single minor property of green jade. A teacup might improve the quality of the tea served in it, relaxing and soothing the drinker, while an ax handle might lend its wielder a mild resistance to poison. A Perception+Lore or Occult check might determine this subtle charm, but it is a very difficult process, as it is a very minor effect. These items remain “wood,” and will fail as wood does, but can last, when properly cared for, as long as jade, without degradation. Those with a sensitivity or affinity to the wood element will enjoy contact with such items, even if they are uncertain of why. A harvested tree with an effect shares its effect with all resulting items made from it. For example, raw lumber with a regeneration effect was made into a set of practice swords for Gens Nerigus several hundred years ago – they remain in use, even now, because, while they do break, they restore themselves if left alone for a day.
***** Thinking a 3? Maybe 4, though I don't imagine you'll have 0 Resources Merit by the time you are Essence 3, let alone 4, unless you are REALLY trying, and that's a lot of what would unbalance this relic.
Zenigata Gloves The Solar philosopher Zargas came to the understanding that money was an easy exacerbater of greed, and that greed was bad. While this did tragically result in him later destroying all forms of wealth in his area of rule, leading to wide spread local poverty and famine, it also led to this "prank," a very real display of the idea that money is harmful. While mildly defensive (adding +1 to the Defense statistic when worn), this full sleeve silk and orichalcum-thread glove's major power is literally throwing money away. Coins thrown with this glove are treated as Heavy Thrown weapons (Damage 11, Overwhelm 1) and have the Lethal, Special, and Thrown (Long) tags until they hit, at which point they revert to normal coinage. Special: In addition to the normal damage, add 1 damage die for each dot of the Resources Merit the target possesses. This attack also leaves an imprint of the coin on the person's body, which remains for 1 scene per such dot. If the user somehow loses a Resource Merit dot through the use of these attacks (how many coins did you throw?!), you have +3 dice to accuracy and your ammo gain the Thrown(Extreme) tag for the rest of the scene. You may never pick up a coin thrown with this glove during the Scenario you threw it.
Evocation Greed is Bad, m'kay? Cost: 1m, 1w; Mins: Essence 3 Type: Simple You are able to determine the Resources Merit of everyone within medium distance of you this round - there is no check for this, you simply know the information. This knowledge is remembered after the round, but you will not receive any "updates" after the round you use this feature (so you won't know if someone lost or gained Resources, or the Merit level of anyone that enters Medium range, after the round), unless you use this evocation again. You may spend 1 additional mote to degrade the Defense of one person with the highest Resource Merit within range by 1 for the next scene (if multiple people have the "highest" Resource Merit, you may pick which one loses the point of Defense). Only one degradation of Defense may be active through this evocation - if this aspect of the evocation is used again, the previous use is nullified. The evocation itself may be used as often as the attuner likes, assuming the cost is paid. This effect is detectable by various spells and charms - just using the evocation does not detect as harmful, though the Defense reduction might, but it does create a response to abilities that warn if someone is trying to learn about others. Resonant: If you are a Solar Exalt, and you have fewer Resource Merits than the target of the Defense degradation, you recover the 1 willpower spent on this Evocation.
Mo' Money Mo' Problems Cost 5m, 1w; Mins: Essence 4 Type: Simple
When activated, this Evocation causes everyone (you and your party included) within long range to suffer a -1 die per point of the Resources Merit above yours, for all rolls, until the end of the scene. The attuner may exempt any number of people from this effect by paying 1 additional mote and Willpower per person. Special: If you are a Solar exalt, while under this effect, if you destroy "wealth" in some fashion, such that someone's Resources Merit drops 1 dot, you gain 1 willpower. Please note that "stealing" is not "destroying," you must actually burn/melt/disintegrate the money/mining stockpile/inventory of goods/whatever.
*****
I'm thinking 5, but it's semi-random and very specific, so maybe 4, on this one?
Cards Of Unknown Providence – This standard pack of playing cards are crafted from a small amount of starmetal wire and moderate amounts of moonsilver, though their magic makes them appear to be normal card-stock. Crafted by a first generation Lunar Exalted, Dancing Wind Paws, who felt that fate was too immutable, and fearing the forecasted end of their soulmate (Their Zenith was well aware of the Sidereal plot, and was just too "Achilles in His Tent" at the moment to care), made these weapons in an attempt to alter the unalterable. Needless to say, the Sidereal took exception to this, but the cards can't be held by fated hands, or locked away - these cards find their way into the pocket of any soul willing to take a risk and throw the dice to get what they need.
These cards are treated like Light Chakram Artifacts (Damage +10, overwhelm 3, Attunement 5), with the tags: Lethal, Thrown (Medium), Cutting, Special, Concealable. Special: As soon as a thrown card either misses or strikes its target, it disappears, and reappears in the deck, unless the user's will prevents this. All cards are returned to the deck if at least one card moves more than long range from deck, or if the user becomes incapacitated. If placed in a locked container without an owner, the cards will appear in the pocket of the nearest mortal gambler, and if affected by Fate or Destiny, will immediately flee to a mortal gambler's pocket at least 100 km away, ending the Fated effect. If the cards are still attuned, they will return to their attuner instead, and are immune to Fate or Destiny related effects.
You may use these cards like normal playing cards. If you Stunt with this Artifact outside of combat, gain an extra die. If you try to entertain with them, you may use Thrown in place of Performance.
Evocations Gambler's Loss and Gain Cost: 1m, 1 wp; Mins Essence 2 Type: Simple, Dissonant: Fate-related creatures, including Sidereal and Getimas
When thrown, rather than using a particular Attribute to determine accuracy and damage, roll a d10, with 1 corresponding to Strength, 2, Dexterity, and so on to 9 being Wits – use that Attribute in these rolls. A 0 lets you pick an Attribute, instead.
An attack that successfully lands, besides doing normal damage based on the rolled Attribute, reduces the dots in the target’s same Attribute by 1 for Scene. If a target drops to 0 in an Attribute, they are instantly incapacitated (until the Attribute is restored by the ending of the Scene), unless they roll a Resolve with more successes than the damage they received from that attack. If they do win, they retain 1 dot in that attribute. Dissonant: See Fate's Foil. As might be imagined, a Sidereal trying to use theses cards will end up with a lot of frustration and really nasty paper cuts for their troubles.
Fate's Foil
Type: Permanent
Sidereal and Getimians find these cards immensely troublesome, as do any Fate manipulating gods, demons, Fair Folk, or undead. Firstly, fate-linked creatures have trouble perceiving these cards at all, with -5 successes for any Awareness or Perception checks related to them. Further, it takes at least 3 more successes than normal for them to determine the cards are artifacts, compared to other people, even despite evidence to the contrary (like being hurt by the feature below). Even if they are perceived, unless they are perceived as artifacts, fate-linked creatures will tend to forget about them as "unimportant details" - even if they have been directly harmed by them. Finally, attempting to handle these cards, intentionally or not, will result in 1L of damage each interaction - whether this is done physically, by Charm or Ability (other than Awareness or similar skills - simply looking at or thinking about the cards doesn't hurt), or by magic (so telekinenticly poking a card hurts as much as actually poking it). This damage effect does not occur during direct combat, unless a fate-linked Exalted attempts to physically or magically take the cards from their attuner mid-combat (such as disarming the attuner of it).
(Yes, obviously a Sidereal player will get that the card is bad for them almost instantly, but the character will have an infuriatingly hard time figuring it out. Made worse by the character forgetting the card exists after a brief distraction, unless they've figured out its an artifact.)
Unfated Defense
Cost -; Mins Essence 4 Type: Reflexive, Resonant: Symbiosis In response to an attack being made on a known target within Medium range, you may Throw a card to intercept the attack once per combat round. Roll a d100 and divide the result by 7, round down - any result over 10 is treated as 10. This value replaces the Defense of the attack's target until the start of your next turn. Resonance: If you are a lunar, and successfully thwart an attack on another being with this evocation, you gain +1 to your Defense until the end of this scene. This bonus can stack with itself, but only when defending a new target in this way. This increases to +2 if the defended person is the defended is of the Lunar's Territory, bearing their mark. Special: Mortals may use this power to defend themselves (and only themselves) from Sidereal attacks, regardless of their Essence value.
Sleight of Chance Cost -; Mins Essence 1 Type: Simple The attuner may throw a card at any target (without causing injury) at will, within Medium distance, with unnatural precision. The card thrown cannot be detected, without a successful Perception+Awareness check that surpasses the attuner's Thrown rating, until it comes to rest (though it is semi-obvious to someone observing the attuner that they are doing "something," unless sufficient stealth is involved). After it does, anyone who failed to notice the throw will just assume the card was always there. Sidereal, per Fate's Foil, will generally ignore these dispersed cards. Even after getting maimed by them.
Special: A card may be thrown into an independent card game - this replaces any card, in hand or being dealt, and this substitution is not noticed by anyone involved unless they make the check above (a ST may adjust the difficulty for the person whose hand was altered, as is ST fiat, but this artifact really is just that good at this particular trick). The replaced card will be returned to its deck, and the artifact card will appear to be a card belonging to that deck, of a relative value equivalent to what you threw - a 2 will be a poor card, while a King will be an excellent one, in the context of the game being played. The artifact card returns to your deck after it is no longer being observed.
Note - this artifact has been around a very long time. While a Sidereal will have difficulty handling it directly, a semi-decent lore check, especially if the skill is focused on artifacts or Sidereal conflicts, will put this deck on a short list of answers to the question of "why am I randomly taking 1L of damage and can't find the source?" As one might imagine, removing it as a threat is a relatively high priority for most Sidereal who are aware of it. Most other fate-binding beings, like the Getimians, will not likely have the same institutional knowledge to draw from, making this deck far more dangerous to them. For example, She Who Lives In Her Name has put a bounty on this artifact 7 times...and forgotten its existence more than a dozen times. Most of Her servants have no idea the artifact exists either, due to her direct control over them also erasing their memories of the item, even if they are not Fate-bound themselves.
***** Thinking 3, though if the ST agrees it can affect The Curse, it might be a 5.
The Merciful Goblet of Suffering
"The kind of pain to get good in the end" - as someone once said. This artifact of Solar construction was one woman's attempt to solve the Curse...by repentance through suffering. This orichalcum and soulsteel goblet is mildly off-putting for everyone, but can render valuable service anyways.
Evocations Blood like Wine Type: Permanent It's most obvious function is, when held, it automatically fills with a single draught per Lethal or Aggravated damage dealt to anyone within Long Range. The liquid will not spill, even if the cup is held upside down. The cup can hold 16 draughts, and 1 draught evaporates away each hour it is unused or not added-to. Each draught heals 1 measure of Bashing damage - if consumed by someone with no Bashing damage, it will heal 1 mark of Lethal damage for 2 draughts, and if there is no Lethal or Bashing damage, it will heal Aggravated damage at a rate of 4 to 1. Resonance: (Solars, and certain deities aligned with suffering, or their agents) 4 draughts may also be used to repair a disfigurement (once, per Scenario), if the the cup-bearer takes on a lesser version of the disfigurement - so, restoring someone's hand loses you a finger, for example. You may never use this effect on yourself, though there isn't anything preventing you from passing this cup to another and asking them to heal you in turn, as long as enough "time" has passed.
No Pain, no Gain Type: Simple Its original use - someone may deal Aggravated damage to themselves, in order to reduce the effects of a derangement or other malady afflicting them. A single point of Aggravated damage will reduce the effect of one such malady one level, until the end of the scene. If a malady's effect has been reduced to nothing, 4 aggravated points of damage may be administered, again by the sufferer on the sufferer, to reduce the malady itself by 1 stage. If a malady is fully excised in this fashion, a physical manifestation of it flops out into the cup. ST's call on a) what it is and b) if it's going to try to actively kill you all. This "treatment" does not activate Blood like Wine.
Note: At the ST's discretion, this can, in fact, affect the Curse. To my estimation, you're looking at 25 Aggravated, self-inflicted, damage, at a minimum and in one scene, to even try and fully excise it. It almost certainly is going to try and kill its former host afterwords. Elder God-Thing curses are nasty like that.
***** Almost certainly a 5 dot, might be an N/A
Bandages of Time This "suit of armor" consists of a single roll of "linen" bandages, woven with thread made from the 5 magical materials. Putting it on normally requires an hour and at least 1 assistant to do it properly, while removing it takes 30 minutes (charms simplify the matter immensely). When properly worn, it provides 5 soak, 4 Hardness, and no mobility penalty, like any other suit of Light Artifact armor. However, it does have Attunment 10. The wrap covers the entire body, except the face and fingers. It can be comfortably worn, even in sleep, and while it isn’t entirely weightless, it is immensely light and breathable.
Evocations A Pleasant Day
Type: Permanent Even the hottest days and coldest nights have little bearing on your personal condition, and rain and snow just do not fall on you. This armor prevents unpleasant weather conditions from affecting you, and prevents all bashing, and up to 6L, damage from all environmental effects.
Time is of the essence Type: Permanent Your base initiative is 2 points higher than normal. You gain 1 initiative any time any one takes any action in combat. You gain 2 more any time someone takes an action involving you specifically. Special: You may spend 1 mote to turn this effect off, in return for gaining either +4 soak, +4 hardness, or +2 Defense. This change lasts until your next turn, when this evocation automatically resumes, unless you spend another mote.
Time is Fleeting Cost 5m; Mins Essence 5 Type: Simple, Withering All withering attacks you make this round, remove twice the initiative as normal – you still only gain the normal amount from such an attack. If you initiative crash a non-trivial opponent with such an attack, you are healed your right-most box of damage, regardless of type, and inflict that box on the crashed opponent – there is no defense for this transfer of damage.
Timeless Body Cost 5m; Mins Essence 5 Type: Simple You stop your personal time for 1 round. You take no further actions this round, and cannot be hurt until your time starts again; your initiative resets, even from crash, and any effects on you are paused (so you do not lose Sorcery Motes, and you also do not advance any poisons or diseases). Special: If you are under continued damage – you are surrounded in lava, there is a never-ending acidic hail storm pelting you, Ungloth the ravening horror is trying to suck the marrow from your bones, etc. – the timeless state will persist until the risk of damage stops. This isn’t always “fine” – you may be encased in stone once the lava cools, for example. The main point is, you never “come to” in a state that may potentially kill you outright. This does save you from Apocalyptic Damage, though, depending on the cause, you may or may not ever “unlock” – you get eternally eaten by the Ebony Dragon, you aren’t hurting, but he is never letting you out, either.
***** Not sure if this is equipment, per say, but this is probably a 4 dot artifact, as well as a 3 dot familiar?
Miser’s Bag Familiar - - - This artificial life form is a dear friend to any adventurer...as long as it is kept fed. While it doesn’t need “food” per say, it has an instinct to consume and devour treasure of all sorts, and a rather severe reticence to return what it has eaten. It is quite capable of moving by itself, up to 100 meters a second, and can freely follow orders issued by its owner, but can also be carried easily, never weighing anything other than 10 pounds – useful if you don’t want to advertise that your bag is alive. Its carrying area is roughly 1,000 cubic feet, and is dry, warm and safe. It will not let you crawl in. Stop asking. No one has ever pinned down exactly who made this enchanted sack, though estimates of “early in the first age” seem likely. Given its nearly continuous career of adventuring, it may be the single most experienced explorer in the whole of existence...or there are several of them. The Bureau of Nature is mildly concerned that the sack might be breeding somehow. The bag has a standard 7 section health bar, a 2 in every Attribute, and a 4 in Larceny, 4 in Athletics, 4 in Brawl, 4 in Resistance, 5 in Dodge, and a 4 in Awareness. It knows no charms, martial arts, or spells (besides its evocations). It has a Soak and Hardness of 4, and a Defense by Evasion of 3. While as smart as any human, it behaves in a very canine fashion in most cases.
Evocations Bigger on the inside Type: Permanent The bag can contain up to 1,000 cubic feet of material, without any increase to its personal weight, with the only limitation being inserted items must fit into the bag’s opening (a roughly half-meter square, though it is a sack opening, and allows for a certain amount of finagling), and it won’t accept living beings inside.
Spit it out Type: Simple The Miser’s Bag is capable of spitting out up to 1,000 coins, 10 small items, 5 medium items, or 1 large item, in a round, and to any location within short range, with perfect accuracy. This can cause no damage – to either the expelled object, or whatever it lands on. Its owner may force the bag to expel an item by spending a mote on the process, as well – a not entirely uncommon occurrence, in regards to expensive or rare treasures.
Not on my watch Cost 2m; Mins Essence 3 Type: Reflexive
If the Miser’s bag is within medium range of you when you are hit, you may spend 2 motes to switch places with it, letting it take damage on your behalf (after its Soak and Hardness, of course).
Larcenous Attacks Cost -;
Type: Simple/Reflexive Whenever the bag attacks or is attacked, it will attempt a decisive Brawl+Dexterity attack against its opponent as a gambit to disarm their opponent. If the attack/counter lands, add its Larceny Ability directly to overcome the Difficulty. If the disarm works, the bag eats the disarmed item – it will start by disarming any weapons, then proceed to steal any artifacts, rings, bangles, shoes – it pretty much starts with the hands and working from out to in, easiest to hardest, unless something in particular is notably more expensive. It cannot steal body armor that is properly worn, though it can take advantage of poorly put on armor to steal pieces. The only time it does not behave like a heedless dirty little thief, is if there’s nothing worth stealing, or its run out of things it can steal. It will then simply put all its efforts into dodging, pushing its Defense to 6.
Treasured Regeneration Type: Permanent If the Miser’s Bag is injured, it will convert Dots of Resources or Artifacts from among its contained treasures to repair itself. Each dot repairs 1 point of bashing, while Lethal damage takes 2 dots, and Aggravated damage takes 3 dots. They must heal in that order. This process takes a number of hours equal to the number of dots being converted, and can be stopped. The bag may choose to not heal, if it would cost its owner something they value...assuming it likes its owner enough. A well loved bag will not consume your mother’s keepsake, despite it being a 1 dot artifact, unless it is truly desperate. A mistreated bag will totally eat your 5 dot armor to heal 1 box of bashing damage, and flip its latch at you while doing so.
Trusted Thief Backstab Type: Permanent If the Miser’s bag decides to abandon you, either due to injury or mistreatment, it may activate this power if it can’t escape in a conventional way. You will be made aware of this, and may spend a mote to prevent it (and ending your turn if you are in combat) for 1 turn – if you do, you may spend a second mote to make the Bag spit out something, per Spit It Out. You can’t move or attack while doing this. The bag, notably, is in no way so limited, and will likely flee. The bag disappears once you stop providing motes to prevent it, and reappear in a random location in Creation, near a new adventurer in need of some help. You are NOT getting back whatever it ran off with any time soon. If it fled due to injury, it may eventually return to give you your stuff back, assuming it liked you enough.
*****
Figuring 3 dots on this one…
Shield of the Mage Storm – this artifact shield was inspired by the stories of the great Earth warrior Feng Wan Shi of House Mnemon, a peerless warrior in the defenses of the Dejis from the Fair Folk. Not...exactly an accurate description, but one that stirred the imagination of one of Mnemon’s most talented smiths, Takashi. The shield itself is utilitarian, and slightly uneven in it’s initial appearance, but close inspection reveals it was forged not by hammer, but by raining innumerable weapons upon it during its forging. “To teach it its enemies,” the smith proclaimed, laughing, but teach it well he had. This shield is a standard medium artifact weapon with the Shield, Bashing, and Melee tags. It is crafted of black jade, in the main, with white jade as an accent, and a small amount of lesser metals as filigree – at least, so Takashi thought. In actuality, a certain amount of gossamer has made it into his work, enhancing the simple jade in unusual ways. Wisely, he claims these anomalies as features.
Evocations Known Enemies Cost: 0m, 1w; Mins: Essence 2 Type: Simple, Withering This shield has suffered in its making, and it rather strongly returns the feeling. When used in a Flurry of Defense with a willpower, each Melee blow is “remembered.” At the start of the next turn, if this shield is used in a Withering strike against an attacker of the previous round, it deals the total Onslaught it suffered last round to its target as unblockable initiative damage. Further, for each different weapon type used against it during the Flurry of Defense, it gains +1 accuracy for this follow-on attack. Finally, if a magic attack is used on this shield during a Flurry of Defense, its defense still applies, even if the spell would normally bypass that step.
Arcane Stronghold Cost - ; Mins: Essence 3 Type: Simple, Resonance If a spell is cast, such that this shield’s owner is gathering Sorcery Motes, they will gather 1 additional sorcery mote during a Flurry of Defense, and thus not lose any despite not gathering them in a traditional way that round. Further, the attuner will gather 1 additional sorcery mote each attack taken during a Flurry of Defense, and 1 additional sorcery mote for each different weapon that strikes it that turn. Resonance: Sorcerers of at least the Terrestrial circle, and any earth or wind associated Exalted – probably dragonblood – even if they cannot use Sorcery, may use this shield to “cast” the following spell-like effect. By concentrating (declaring the intent to use this Evocation spell), they may gather sorcery motes by simply repeatedly Flurry of Defense (or the Shaped Sorcery action, if they are of a Circle) – if they do, at 15+ sorcery motes, the shield is instinctively slammed down, and 1 willpower is lost. The earth in front of the attuner erupts into a storm of dust and rock, dealing Intelligence bashing damage. Further, everyone caught in the 5 meter wide hemispheric wave of dust is blinded, and must make a Resolve check surpassing the attuner’s intelligence to remain standing. The following round, everyone still inside the area suffers from lightning jumping from loose particulate to loose particulate, dealing anotheadditional Intelligence+Occult Lethal damage that round. The dust settles on the third round. This shield does not teach anyone how to use any Shaped Sorcery action. Note: Taking any action other than Flurry of Defense (or a Shaped Sorcery action, if it’s available) will not gather any sorcery motes, and thus will lose you three sorcery motes, as normal.

To be clear, I'm talking about languages such as Italian, Spanish, French or Portuguese. (I mean Romanian is also one of them.) They all have gender cases including gendered nouns. I do keep hearing that English speakers have an 'easier' time to learn them due to them having an alphabet, plus they are considered "Romance" languages. (I'm not going to talk about that here, as there are many posts mentioning them.)
Instead, I'm discussing on how hard are both Mandarin & Japanese for native French, Spanish, Italian or Portuguese speakers to learn? Since both JP & ZH are completely alien to European languages in terms of their writing system, grammar or syntax, so they have no common ground with the European framework in regards to their orthography or grammar.

Even though Japanese has hiragana / katakana, it does not mean they write every word like that, since they have Kanji. (It helps condense sentence length, also that makes it clearer to tell the difference on what the correct word is, as some sound exactly the same but have different meanings altogether.

The features that each language has:

Mandarin	Japanese
Tones (4-5)	Pitch accent
Classifiers (for counting)	Counting words
Stroke order (differs from Japanese)	Stroke order (differs from Mandarin)
Word particles (different from Japanese)	Word particles (different from Mandarin)
Polite language (formality)	Keigo & Honorifics
Sentence structure: SVO	Sentence structure: SOV
Untranslatable nuances	Untranslatable nuances

From both ZH & JP: 1 漢字 equates to a SINGLE word in which multiple letters are needed in European languages to spell out. Both Kanji & Hanzi are drawn from visual concepts on how they interpret a word based on semantic meaning. (Characters are fun for caligraphy practice, it's also a work of art.) For reference, take the Kanji & Hanzi: 川
[The stroke order between both languages are different despite having the same character for some words, since they are both different languages after all.]
The shape of the character is derivative on how its visualized.

Japanese - 訓読み：かわ・音読み：セン
Mandarin - Pinyin: Chuān

For instance, take the kanji & hanzi:「軍」
As you can see, a single kanji & hanzi already equates to 1 word as it is logographic, which will require multiple letters in Romance languages to spell.
Kanji from Japanese has multiple readings for ONE character, for example:「行」
An example of a Kanji, but as indicated their phonologies change depending on how it used within a word, or placed in a sentence.

Kunyomi: Native Japanese Reading of a kanji.
Onyomi: Reading of a kanji derivative of Mandarin phonology.
Nanori: These readings only apply when a kanji is used within a persons name.

That is also another "complex" part of Japanese, as kanji has multiple pronunciations alone. (Yep, this applies to most of the 2,136+ characters having their own assigned phonologies that differ.)
This often gets lost in translation (like all the time!), as ONE character can imply so many definitions depending on the context you associate it with, in a literal or figurative sense. As opposed to European languages, the translation is mainly consistent with what you put it for "common" words but there are some that can also pose multiple meanings.

Japanese & Mandarin	Romance (Euro) languages (letter count)
They have a large amount of characters, getting the feeling like it's 'limitless' but they contrast around 2,000 - 10,000+ in their total amount.	French (26), Spanish (27), Italian (21) & Portuguese (26) As they are alphabetical, you read each letter as it is.
Both languages have zero concept of gender cases as it's not a thing in Japanese & Mandarin.	They have gender cases and gendered nouns (Whether it is FR, ES, IT or PT.)

On the other hand, they both have idioms and proverbs you can create out of 4 characters, conveying a proverb and idiomatic phrase (both in a literal & figurative sense) using only 4 characters:

• In Mandarin - 成語
• In Japanese - 四字熟語

As mentioned, they only use 4 characters to construct a proverb & idiom.

I mean, can you also do this in European languages: only using 4 short words alone? (To create a proverb that still conveys an idiomatic meaning with only 4 words.)

Both Mandarin and Japanese have radicals (on both hanzi & kanji) which are building blocks of their characters, that radical has a meaning on its own as it's derivative of an existing word, but when associated with another kanji & hanzi. (Hence why some characters look similar to one another.)
The connotation of its meaning can change, but the theme surrounding the vocabulary involving the radical still conveys a message despite it being a different word entirely, even though the radical is present in an unrelated word that does not relate to the meaning of the radical.
As shown, pay close attention to the radical present in these words. (Despite some of them having the same one, they connotate a different word entirely.)

The Kanji in Grey: Unreleated words surrounding the radical present.
The Kanji in Pink: Related words surrounding the radical present.
Be careful not to get these mixed up, you need a good eye to distiguish them apart.

List of words from Mandarin containing the radical 女.

The Hanzi in Pink - Words associated with nouns relating to girls & women.
The Hanzi in Purple - Words associated with a "positive" connotation.
The Hanzi in Maroon - Words associated with womanhood.

Japanese

They have 45 ひらがな & 45 カタカナ but that is only scratching the surface, not forgetting to include over 2,136+ 漢字 with readings such as: 訓読み, 音読み & 名乗り for each character, imagine doing that 2k times, knowing all the phonologies for most or all of them.
The grammar too is alien to all European languages, as what is stated last in a [EU lang] sentence is positioned at the beginning in Japanese. On top of kanji implying more than one definition as it is dependent on context, also the reading can change if its paired with kana or another kanji.

For example, take the sentence「ジュールズさんが家族と家でフランス語を話します」(You can clearly see as indicated by the word positionings: Japanese word order is SOV while the translations below it are complicit with the SVO order as usual in European languages.)
As shown here, the sentence strutcure in Japanese is very different to the counterparts in French, Spanish, Italian or Portuguese. (Indicated in color)

The さん (in red) is a honorific. (More about that later.)

Subject omission is common in Japanese, as they don't always need to include words like (I am, me, we, us, etc.) as opposed to European languages where it's needed, since you are already inferring to the speaker in question, so it is a lot more straight forward. For instance:
From this sentence (私は) is omitted in Japanese. (Translations conveyed in brackets and light text.)

To speakers of Romance languages, can you omit words like "I am" or any pronoun alike and still be understood by the other party? (Can it really work?)
For example, in Portuguese: instead of saying "O meu nome é Francisco" > just put it as "Francisco" [Omitting O meu nome é] (in Japanese that is connotated as フランシスコです - without 私は)

I won't forget 丁寧語、尊敬語、謙遜語 which are all part of 敬語 in Japanese, especially in verbs as to express a level of politeness (in corporate or formal setting) to empathize respect to the other party to not be connotated as rude (you can use the 'normal' variant but that will come off as impolite - in let's say a business meeting or any formal event / setting.), between a "dictionary" form including teineigo, sonkeigo & kensongo. For instance:
As you can see, all 4 variations of 1 verb exist in Japanese, keeping in mind with the level of formality on which variant you'll use. (They all mean 1 verb, but connotate different levels of politeness, empathizing the level of respect or decorum.)

For example, you would not use 言う in an formal setting when talking to people within either a business or special occassion where decorum is required, you would instead use 申し上げる or something amongst the lines of おっしゃる depending on the situation and setting or formality.
Is there anything like this in European languages to this extent? If not, then this will be difficult for you all to fully understand as there's verbs in Japanese that do this based on the level of decorum incuding the setting you are in, the people you are talking to.

The honorific system in Japanese is often "lost in translation" as evident in both manga or anime (what I hate about translation is that they transliterate it instead of coming up with an equivalent), as there are many levels of politeness and formality within their language, for example:

日本語	Roughly equivalent to:
博士 (はかせ)	Dr. / PhD
後輩 (こうはい)	Junior
先輩 (せんぱい)	Senior
先生 (せんせい)	Teach / Mr / Mrs
様 (さま)	Mr / Mrs (Formal variant, eg. clients, judges)
さん	Mr / Mrs (Addressed towards grown ups)
たん	(Refers to babies)
ちゃん	(Refers to young children - boys / girls)
殿 (どの)	(Formal / archanic ver: of you)
君 (くん)	(Semi-formal title referring to men)
氏 (し)	(Used for family names or important stuff alike)
陛下 (へいか)	Your Majesty
殿下 (でんか)	Your Highness
閣下 (かっか)	Your excelency
坊 (ぼう)	(A term for endearment regarding young boys)
被告 (ひこく)	(Addresses the accused - legal / court)
容疑者 (ようぎしゃ)	(Addresses the suspect - police / legal)
受刑者 (じゅけいしゃ)	(Addresses the one convicted - legal / court)

Of course this also gets lost in translation, in European languages as they OFTEN just romanize the term, which is not how you are not meant to translate it. (If there is no actual equivalent in European languages, just omit it instead of transliterating it.)

In regards to Kanji: there are words that bare the same phoneme, but keep in mind of numerous kanji variations that also possess the same phonology, with each having their own separate meanings. For example, take the onyomi reading for カン -
I only listed 100 kanji that are pronounced the same, but there are 286 more with the same sound: カン (By the way, each kanji has their own definition.)

This phoneme (カン) alone comprises 386 漢字 in Japanese, some of the characters have become 'obscure' in their usage, as in you don't even know they existed until you've looked hard enough. (Even native speakers don't know all of them.)
How difficult is this concept for speakers of European languages to remember and fully grasp? (Some of the kanji are used for people's names.)

The most diffcult part a "word" can have various meanings for one phoneme, take for example 「こうか」which comprises of 39 words with this pronunciation, so depending on the sentence you are listening to or reading, you got to infer the correct one based on context. Also, Japanese has 188 word particles in total. (I won't list them all.)
I can only think of 54 word particles that are used in Japanese sentences. (Although there are quite a lot, with specific uses.)
In terms of how counting works in Japanese, it is not like in European languages at all. Japanese has 助数詞, which are counting / measure words used to count the number of things, actions, events, items, and etc. to make it clear on what you are exactly counting.
A list of Japanese 助数詞 - (There's about 350 of them, but I won't list them all.)

There is so many counter words in Japanese, that even native speakers don't even use ALL of them, as their uses are situational or only applicable in some instances.

Counting suffix (within a number / qty.)	A rough summary
つ	A counter for [things] in general, as it is also commonly used in Japanese.
個	Counter for [no. of pieces] or some things, you see this word in relation to let's say: food.
本	Counts books, pens, pencils, nail clippers, etc. (This one is quite versatile in its usage.)
枚	Equiv. to no. of reams of paper, no. of pics, also counts bath mats, credit cards, clothing, etc.
匹	Used for counting [small / medium] animals (eg. household pets or other small creatures.)
頭	Counter for [no. of livestock] or large animals such as elephants, whales, camels, etc.
冊	Primarily a counting suffix used for documents or books (equiv. to: Olivier read 3 books.)
台	Counting word in relation to the no. of vehicles (such as trucks or cars) for example.
羽	Counter word for birds (specifically) but can be used to count rabbits too.
階	Used to refer to no. of storeys or floors within a building. (eg this apartment has 20 floors.)
缶	Refers to the no. of [cans] such as soda cans, tins, paint cans, etc. (When empty, use: 個)
巻	Refers to no. of [books / comics] in a series. (equiv to: Carlos read all 7 harry potter novels.)
切れ	Refers to no. of [sliced food] (equiv. to: Maria sliced 4 loaves of bread for her sibilings.)
口	As a counter, it refers to [times] bitten in food. (equiv. to: Pierre took one bite from a scone.)
件	Refers to the no. of [cases / incidents] but this counter has versatility in its usage.

For example, the counting word 羽 is present in Japanese (regardless if it is singular or plural), as it is needed to be specific on the indicator within a numerical unit of [something / someone / event / action, etc.] to clarify what you're referring to.
As highlighted, the presence of the counting word is needed. It's not conveyed in the translations displayed below.
Pitch accent is another part of Japanese phonology, as the word can change based on the volume of each phoneme depending on your pronunciation, it connotates a different word altogether affecting the overall meaning, on what you actually want to say. For example, take むし -
Accent 1 is noted as High Low & Accent 2 is noted as Low High. The pitch accent connotates a different word despite them both sounding similar to one another, as in adjusting the volume of one phoneme upon your pronunciation.

Mandarin

7,000 - 80,000+ 漢字 (There are dictionaries that state the existence of around 106,230 漢字 in Mandarin.) However a modern dictionary only features 20,000 hanzi while an educated native speaker memorizes 8,000 hanzi but reading a newspaper only requires knowing 3,000 hanzi.
The sentence structure is different from Japanese (as it is SVO), although their wordings can imply more than one definition, as it is also dependent on how you associate it within a sentence, keep in mind too that they also have tones embedded within their phonology.

For example, take the sentence「醫生根據病人的病情以最好的方式治療他們」(You can clearly see the differences, as indicated by the word positionings - shown in color.)
As shown, the positioning of the words from Mandarin are different despite the word order being SVO, the translations are still different regardless.
Another feature that Mandarin has are separable verbs. (It may sound confusing at first) From this example, take the verb: 見面 (Rencontrer / Incontrare / Conocerte / Conhecer) used here:
As indicated, the hanzi 面 is omitted since 見 already conveys the verb.

Can you also do this in French, Spanish, Italian or Portuguese?

In this example, an extra hanzi (了 - as an particle / indicator: past tense) is added in the middle but the verb 吃飯 (Repas / Mangiare / Comer / Come) is still intact:
As the hanzi 了 is placed inbetween both 吃 and 飯, but the verb overall is still there.
From Mandarin - there are words that sound the "same" to the untrained musical ear, as it is a tonal language, so you need to keep that in mind, for example from pinyin: 'bi' consists of multiple hanzi depending on the tone you use, based on pronuncation.
All of them may sound the \"same\" to the untrained musical ear, but they are completely different words altogether. That is the difficult part of Mandarin for \"Euro\" language speakers as it's not a thing in their languages.
There are phonemes from Mandarin that comprise of a LOT of hanzi (that imply different definitions altogether, based on tones.) from 1 sound alone, such as this example below:
I can only think of 82 hanzi which all are pronounced as \"BI\" (there are perhaps more) but their tones connotate a different word. (Also, pay attention to the radicals.)
Like Japanese, Mandarin has word particles too. For example:
Some word particles present in Mandarin. (Although there are perhaps more.)
Akin to the Japanese counting system, Mandarin has 漢語量詞 which are classifiers used to count the number of things, actions, events, items, and etc. to make it clear on what you are exactly counting, that classifier is tied to a specific category and usage.
As indicated, the classifer 輛 is required to be within the sentence in Mandarin. (As you can see from the translations, an equivalent word for that classifier doesn't exist.)
A list of Mandarin 漢語量詞 - (There's quite a few, but I won't list them all.)

Although these classifers can imply multiple meanings and uses, it's context specific though if you want to know what that classifer is referring to.

Classifier (no. / qty. of something / action)	A rough explanation
句	Refers to no of. [lines / sentences] (equiv. to: Sam wrote on the first 2 lines of his book.)
發	Refers to no. of [rounds / bullets] (equiv. to: Diego fired 20 rounds from his M16A4.)
封	Refers to [letters - mail] (equiv. to: Ella opened 4 letters coming from the city council.)
根	Refers to [long thin] objects, eg. needles. (equiv. to: Jack only found 1 needle in a haystack.)
棵	No. of trees (equiv. to: Alice planted 6 trees around the park not far from Paris.)
輛	No. of vehicles (eg. Giovani spotted 3 cars in front of him during a traffic jam in Rome.)
列	Refers to [rows / columns] (eg. Adrian had to wait within a queue stetching 3 rows.)
首	Refers to [poems] (equiv. to: Theo wrote 7 poems within the first month or so.)
水	No of. [rinses / times washed] (eg. Henry washed his laundry for the third time.)
堂	No of. [periods within a class] (eg. Claire skipped 2 study periods for her English exam.)
班	No of [students] (eg. Jean knew there were 20 other pupils in his English class.)
牀	Refers to the [no. of blankets / sheets] (eg. James placed 3 bedsheets in the cabinet.)
排	Refers to [items grouped in rows] (eg. Sally saw 4 chairs untucked in the classroom.)
部	Refers to [no. of movies / novels] (eg. Chris Pratt starred in 3 films this year.)
包	Refers to [no. of packages / bundles] (eg. Reese received 3 bundles of bubble wrap.)

In European languages, do you also have counter words or classifers in relation to numerical units when referring to specific nouns? If not, than this concept from both Japanese & Mandarin might be a struggle to wrap your head around. (As there's one for EVERYTHING, quite a lot!)

Hanzi can be flipped to create:

1. Reversal of verbs & adjectives
2. Different meanings
3. Similar meanings
4. Loosely related definition
5. Closely related definition
6. Logical meanings

Japanese: Kanji can their positions swapped, but in doing so changes the meaning completely.

[Apologies for the long post: since there's a LOT of detail to uncover.]
In hindsight:

• Japanese has different word order compared to Romance langauges, how hard is this grammatical difference for European language speakers to wrap their head around?
• In terms of the honorific system and levels of politeness in speech: Does that really exist in European languages to the extent of Japanese, even for the slightest ones?
• How common is subject omission in European languages? I mean is it to the extent of Japanese in terms of it being common throughout Romance languages. (omitting words or pronouns like: Us, I'm, We, etc.)?
• From European languages: can you omit or separate as well as adding an extra [letter] to verbs witnin a sentence (like Mandarin) and still be understood?
• Since Japanese & Mandarin are logographic and heavily draw on visual concepts for their vocabulary having thousands of characters, how difficult is it for Romance language speakers?
• Tones from Mandarin: How difficult are those for speakers of Romance languages to determine the "right" word by listening to the "same" phoneme 4-5 times at different volume & tone?
• How difficult is the Japanese counting system for speakers of European languages to grasp, since there are 350 of these counting suffixes and specific words integral to numerical units?
• Mandarin has classifiers when referring to numerical units (akin to the Japanese counting system) how hard is this concept for native speakers of Romance languages?

Title: Harmony and Discord; Contemplation and Command
1. I tought I'd start with a brief summary: Through Harmony and Discord; Contemplation and Command" I aims to craft a philosophical treatise that explores the wisdom of ancient antiquity in both the east and the west, through the old idea that by balancing opposites one can achieve clarity of understanding in various aspects of life. I've deriven inspiration from various ancient teachings and modern contexts. The book aims delve into the interplay between harmonic and discordant forces, how these may be harnessed for personal and collective growth.
2**.** Central to the philosophy is the concept of contrasting and balancing harmony i.e the commonly known virtues such as; (gentleness, patience, tranquility and flexibility, yin, kun.) with the all the more rigid and at times pragmatical discordant forces such as; (strength, decisiveness, boldness, forthright action and discipline). The idea is that at different times, under different circumstances, it is wise to know when and how to adopt one or the other, in understanding and embracing both forces, I believe that individuals can achieve a more holistic understanding of the different kinds of powers that interlaces themselves in all our interactions and affairs.
3. Practical Applications: The idea is not that the book is supposed to be just theoretical, but also offer practical insights. It explores how these philosophical principles can be applied in leadership, organizational management, and teaching. It provides actionable frameworks for potentially fostering greater growth, imagination, and unity.
4. Encouraging Reflective Thinking: In Confucian terms, it emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and self-cultivation for the enhancement of the world in turn, by encouraging introspection, self-awareness, and dedication towards lifelong learning to better understand these forces, which part they play in our interconnected world along with ourselves.
5. Ethical and Moral Foundations: I realize that this one will be particularly devisive, because at its core, the book advocates for a life guided by virtue, integrity, and ethical decision-making that aligns not just with personal ambitions and desires, but those actions who simultainiously enhance and uplift those around us. This goes in line with what for example the ancient, Daoists, Stoics, Confucians, Pre-Socratics, Zoroastrians and many more promoted.

Key Themes and Ideas:

• Harmony and Discrod in Governance: Outlines the qualities of just and virtuous leaders who balance compassion with firmness. Analyzes historical figures like King Wen and Marcus Aurelius to illustrate the effect of virtue and benevolence in governance. And contrasting it to previous tyrants and malevolent rulers by discussing the pitfalls of power, including corruption and tyranny, and how to avoid them.
• -II- in Organization: Challenges and strictly formed standards and goals can drive progress, professionality and innovation when managed correctly, yet they ought to be balanced with a nurturing and naturally receptive environment for longevity and well-being.
• -II- in Teaching: Educators are wise in both challenging and inspiring simultaniously. Understanding various different viewpoints on a broad spectrum is crucial for fostering personal growth, resilience and societal harmony.

Chapter One: Man, Heaven, Aeon and Greatness

• Aims to explore the connection between man-made laws and reason, to natures impartiality.
• Introduces key philosophical concepts that underpin the entire book, such as balancing virtues with virtus. It aims to sett the stage for the hopefully nuanced exploration.
• Aims to explain the underlying reciprical relationships between Humility, Receptiveness,
• Accomplishment, Knowledge and Practice, Adaptability, Introspection.
• Aims to encapsulate and elaborate on the unity of multiplicity, how the world is interconnected, interwoven and things intertwined.
• Elaborates on the commonly understood meaning of the hexagrams of Kun and Qian from the Classic of Changes.
• How it is wise to consider balancing inheritance with innovation.
• The importance of Self-Cultivation.
• Underscoring the tremendous importance of open-mindedness and receptivity to share and incorporate the knowledge and wisdom of others.
• Lays out the mindfull exercise of moving the body while keeping the heart still.
• Lays out a foundation on how one may find equilibrium through opposites.

Key passages from Harmony

• Highlights the importance of, stillness, gentleness and patience in achieving long-term success.
• Emphasizes reflective contemplation and understanding the natural pace of progress.
• Explains and further elaborates on the doctrine of effortless action
• The use of the useless.
• The implication of natural equanimity.
• How perception through both senses and reason can unveil hidden truths.
• The importance of balancing utility with emptiness
• The benefits of thinking formlessly
• The result of adopting softness as a strength.
• The reciprocity between the manifest and the unmanifest, being and non-being.
• The practical use of Etiquette.
• The importance of stepping back for broader sight.
• It urges understanding for both the heights and depths of existence.
• The potential peril of striving for perfection.
• That the safeguarding of stability is desired for harmony.
• And finally how to destinguish between that which is simply natural from the natually beneficial.

Key passages from Discord

• Discusses the necessity of assertiveness and decisive action in overcoming challenges and driving progress.
• Argues that conflict and adversity are also essential, as they act as catalysts in ridding the world of lethargy and stagnation.
• Stresses the importance of high standards and discipline in achieving excellence and maintaining order.
• Stresses the importance of contributing to society while aiming high and pursuing personal excellence.
• Outlines the belief that not all actions brought fourth from Discordant forces are necessarily of malevolent character.
• Explains the danger that can emerge in the absence of genuine internal strength.
• Delves into how discordant feelings can be harnessed for determination and productivity.
• Elaborates the delicate line between mutually ulilizing and selfishly exploiting others.
• How to balance criticism and praise towards the self and others.
• The necessity to abandon facile benevolence for the more pragmatic good.
• The differences between influence and control.
• Assistence and intervention, the necessity of inner struggle in overcomming challenges.
• That there exists benevolence shrouded in darkness.
• A false discordant path, when discord goes to far and degenerates into purposeless cruelty.
• The greater part discord has to play in forging a brighter future.
• How from discord, there can arise even higher levels of harmony.

A short passage to finally summerize: At times one has to become the vigorous, penetrating and unyielding force, to remain steadfast in the face of opposition, to withstand an assault of a thousand waves. Under different circumstances, one is wise to adopt the soft, yielding and gentle characteristics of power, all to attain the flexibility required to become unbreakable. For the soft contains a mystical power, one who is difficult to grasp. It is a gentle and translucent grace that possesses the ability to reach deeply into the hearts of others, to encourage their goodness, to inspire their inner receptivity and to safeguard them from their own innate discord. High and lofty does this power reside, far apart from its opposite yet, remains a part of everything. And know that such a force serves the ultimate purpose, to win without contention. To conquer without bloodshed. It is the power of Yin, Kun, Softness. Yet at times, when the world is at disorder and chaos, unwilling to see reason nor justice, even should it reside within an arm’s reach, one has to cultivate the opposing yet complimentary power of Yang, Qian, Hardness. For not all battles may be won with words, and not all forces can be overcome through adhering to the yielding flexibility of softness. The hard contains forthright power, the ability to demolish subjugate alike. Low and far beneath the sublime does this power reside, yet the higher virtues is to where its loyalty lies. in understanding the intricate nature of that which constitutes power, and you understand that which governs both heaven and earth. Understand the universal law that; stillness overcomes agitation caused by friction, while movement overcomes stagnation caused by coldness. In this light, the world naturally acknowledges that these paths are not isolated but intricately complementary, acknowledging the necessity to balance idealism with pragmatism alike. Hence, The Sages provides eternal wisdom akin to an unshaped piece of metal, while The Pragmatic Generals, uses their metaphorical hammer of experience and mettle to temper and enforce that wisdom into reality. Together, they create a symbiotic relationship between contemplation and command. To align with wisdom, be quick to contemplate and careful to command.
Sorry for a long post! Any feedback is better than no feedback, but no feedback is also feedback. With that being said I want to wish everyone a great day!

In the small town of Wolf's Hollow, the residents whispered of ancient secrets hidden in the dense, shadowy forests. Legends spoke of werewolves, but not the kind that transformed under the pull of the full moon. No, these werewolves could shift their forms at will, and they came in two distinct kinds: the benevolent Protectors and the malevolent Ravagers.
For centuries, the myth of the full moon had been spread by the Protectors to mask their true nature and keep the balance of power hidden from humanity. But now, the truth was on the brink of being exposed.
Draco had always felt a strange connection to the forest, a pull he couldn't explain. His grandmother, known in the town as a wise old herbalist, had entrusted him to her best friend Ahmad when Draco was just seven months old. Ahmad, a man of great wisdom and skill, had raised Draco, teaching him diplomacy, martial arts, self-defense, and all the science known to the world at that time. Draco had grown up believing his real family had died in an accident, knowing nothing of his true heritage.
One night, while wandering the outskirts of the forest, Draco heard a low growl. He turned to see a pair of glowing eyes watching him from the shadows. Instead of running, he felt an odd sense of calm. The eyes belonged to a large, silver-furred wolf, its demeanor gentle yet powerful. As it stepped into the moonlight, its form shimmered, and in a heartbeat, the wolf transformed into a tall man with kind eyes and an air of ancient wisdom.
"Do not be afraid," he said softly. "I am Lucian, one of the Protectors. You are in danger, Draco. The Ravagers have discovered who you are."
"Who I am?" Draco repeated, his voice trembling. "What do you mean?"
Lucian explained that Draco was a descendant of a long line of Protectors, and his latent abilities were beginning to awaken. The Ravagers, sensing his emerging power, sought to corrupt or destroy him to tip the balance in their favor.
As if on cue, a chilling howl echoed through the night. Lucian's expression darkened. "They're coming. We must move quickly."
They ran deeper into the forest, the howls growing louder and more menacing. Draco's heart pounded in his chest as they reached a hidden glade, illuminated by the faint glow of bioluminescent plants. Here, Lucian stopped and turned to face him.
"Draco, you have the power to choose your path," he said urgently. "You can embrace your heritage as a Protector and help us defend Wolf's Hollow, or you can walk away and let the Ravagers bring chaos and destruction."
Before he could respond, the Ravagers burst into the glade. Leading them was Kieran, a dark-haired werewolf with a cruel smile. His followers, all in wolf form, surrounded Lucian and Draco, their eyes gleaming with malice.
"So, the lost son of the Protectors has finally surfaced," Kieran sneered. "Join us, Draco. Embrace your true nature. Why fight for a town that would never accept you if they knew what you really are?"
Draco's mind raced. He looked at Lucian, then at Kieran, and finally back at the town he had called home his entire life. The teachings of Ahmad echoed in his ears, tales of heroism and sacrifice.
With a deep breath, Draco stepped forward, his eyes meeting Kieran's. "I choose to protect," he said firmly, feeling a surge of power within him.
Kieran's smile faded, replaced by a snarl. "So be it," he growled.
The battle was fierce, but with Lucian by his side, Draco fought with a newfound strength. He felt his body shifting, the power of the Protector lineage coursing through his veins. In the end, the Ravagers retreated, vowing to return.
Breathing heavily, Draco turned to Lucian. "This is only the beginning, isn't it?"
Lucian nodded. "Yes, but together, we can ensure that the light of the Protectors never fades."
And so, under the stars, with the myth of the full moon shattered, Draco embraced his destiny as a Protector of Wolf's Hollow, ready to face whatever darkness lay ahead.
After their narrow escape from the Ravagers, Draco and Lucian sought refuge in the hidden hideout of the Protectors. Tucked away deep within the heart of the forest, it was a sanctuary cloaked in secrecy, where the light of civilization dared not penetrate. Here, amidst the shadows and whispers of the trees, they hoped to regroup and plan their next move.
As they entered the dimly lit chamber, Draco couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. He scanned the room, his senses on high alert, until his gaze settled on a darkened corner where the light of the lamp failed to reach. Two red eyes gleamed from the darkness, and a voice, deep and resonant, echoed through the room.
"Are you ready to learn the ways of the Protectors?"
Draco nodded, his curiosity piqued. As the figure emerged from the shadows, he recognized the commanding presence of Ahmad, the Alpha werewolf and brother of Draco's late mother. Ahmad's age was evident in the lines etched upon his weathered face, a testament to the countless battles he had fought and the wisdom he had gained over the years.
For centuries, the power of Alpha had been passed down through generations, but now, as Ahmad explained, Draco stood on the cusp of something unprecedented. A true Alpha, born not from lineage but from sheer will and strength of character, destined to lead the Protectors into a new era.
Draco's training intensified under Ahmad's guidance. For fourteen years, he honed his skills, mastering the art of combat and strategy, all the while relentlessly pursuing the Ravagers who threatened their existence. With each victory, Draco felt the power within him grow, a primal force waiting to be unleashed.
But as Draco's strength grew, so did the desperation of their enemies. Kieran, the cunning leader of the Ravagers, launched a relentless assault, targeting Ahmad in a brazen attempt to cripple the Protectors. In a fierce battle that shook the very foundations of their hideout, Kieran struck a fatal blow, leaving Ahmad gravely wounded.
As Ahmad lay dying in Draco's arms, a surge of energy pulsed through him, a force unlike anything he had ever felt before. It was then that he realized the truth: the power of Alpha was not bound by bloodline but by destiny, and Ahmad had chosen Draco as his successor.
With his last breath, Ahmad passed on his Alpha powers to Draco, infusing him with the strength and authority of a True Alpha. In that moment, Draco transcended his mortal limitations, his spirit ascending to a higher plane of existence.
With Ahmad's legacy coursing through his veins, Draco confronted Kieran with a newfound determination. Their final battle raged on, a clash of titans that echoed through the forest, until at last, Draco emerged victorious, his enemies vanquished and his destiny fulfilled.
As the new Supreme Alpha, Draco stood tall amidst the ruins of their battleground, his voice resonating with power as he commanded the loyalty of all werewolves who pledged allegiance to the Protectors. With Ahmad's guidance and Lucian's unwavering support, he would lead his pack into a future filled with hope and unity, a beacon of light in the darkness that threatened to consume them all.
And so, with the rise of the Supreme Alpha, the legend of Draco Al Dragoon was born, a symbol of strength, courage, and the indomitable spirit of the Protectors. In the annals of history, his name would be etched in stone, a testament to the enduring power of the human will to defy fate and forge a path toward a brighter tomorrow.
Long before the time of Draco Al Dragoon, there existed a legendary figure whose name was whispered in awe and reverence: Abdul Mateen, the Holy Monarch. In an age shrouded in darkness and chaos, he rose from humble beginnings to become a beacon of hope for his people.
Abdul Mateen was born into a world torn apart by war and strife. His homeland, known as Draconia, was besieged by darkness, its lands ruled by fear and tyranny. From a young age, Abdul Mateen witnessed the suffering of his people, the oppression and injustice that plagued their lives.
Driven by a deep sense of justice and righteousness, Abdul Mateen vowed to bring an end to the reign of evil that held his land captive. With unwavering determination and boundless courage, he embarked on a quest to unite the scattered tribes of Draconia under his banner, rallying them to fight for freedom and liberation.
Through countless battles and trials, Abdul Mateen proved himself to be a formidable warrior and a wise leader. His charisma and conviction inspired legions to join his cause, swelling his ranks with warriors from all walks of life. Together, they marched against the forces of darkness, confronting evil wherever it lurked and vanquishing it with righteous fury.
But Abdul Mateen's quest for justice did not end with the defeat of his enemies. With victory within his grasp, he ascended to the throne as the Holy Monarch of Draconia, ushering in an era of peace and prosperity for his people. Under his rule, the land flourished, its people united in purpose and harmony.
Yet, peace was not to last. In the shadows, a new threat loomed, a sinister force bent on revenge and destruction. A beta werewolf, descended from the lineage of Keiran, harbored a deep-seated hatred for Abdul Mateen and his legacy. In a cowardly act of treachery, he struck down the Holy Monarch, ending his life and plunging Draconia into mourning.
But even in death, Abdul Mateen's spirit endured, his legacy living on in the hearts of his people. His sacrifice became a rallying cry for justice and freedom, a reminder that even in the darkest of times, the light of hope would never be extinguished.
And so, as the ages passed and new heroes arose, the legend of Abdul Mateen lived on, a testament to the power of courage, compassion, and the enduring spirit of those who dare to stand against the tide of darkness and forge a path toward a brighter tomorrow.
As the empire of Draconia crumbled in the wake of Abdul Mateen's death, chaos engulfed the land, leaving it vulnerable to the machinations of the Ravagers who sought to claim the throne for themselves. But amidst the turmoil, a glimmer of hope emerged from the ashes of despair.
In the sacred texts known as the Gospel of Abdul Mateen, a prophecy foretold of a Holy Monarch who would rise to lead the people in their darkest hour. Descended from the noble lineage of the legendary monarch himself, this chosen one would wield the power of a super strong Alpha, feared by all who dared to oppose him.
For generations, the Protectors guarded the teachings of the Gospel, keeping the prophecy alive through their unwavering faith and dedication. They knew that one day, the chosen one would emerge to fulfill his destiny and restore balance to the land.
And so, as the dark ages threatened to descend once more, the Protectors remained vigilant, their faith unshaken by the encroaching shadows. They knew that the darkness could only prevail if the people turned away from the worship and remembrance of the divine.
As whispers of unrest echoed through the land and the Ravagers grew bolder in their ambitions, the stage was set for the arrival of the chosen one, the Holy Monarch who would rise to reclaim his birthright and usher in a new era of peace and prosperity for Draconia.
But his path would not be easy, for the forces of darkness would stop at nothing to thwart his destiny. Only through courage, faith, and unwavering determination would the chosen one overcome the trials that lay ahead and fulfill the prophecy of Abdul Mateen, the Holy Monarch of legend.
In the sprawling land of Draconia, a land rich with diverse ecosystems ranging from the towering mountains in the north to the vast plains, dense forests, scorching deserts, and boundless oceans, a new chapter of darkness was about to unfold.
Centuries had passed since Draco, the immortal True Alpha, had vanquished Kieran, the malevolent leader of the Ravagers. After the battle, Draco had retreated into the deep recesses of the northern mountains, choosing solitude over the limelight, leaving the Protectors to continue their noble mission. Over time, Draco's legend faded into mere folklore among the Protectors, and his name was whispered only in tales of old.
The northern mountains, a region long believed to be inhospitable and devoid of life, held secrets that few in Draconia could fathom. Hidden within their massive peaks lived the descendants of Azma Al Dragoon, a Holy Monarch akin to Abdul Mateen. Unlike Abdul Mateen's empire, which spanned the east, west, and south, Azma's dominion was confined to the north, as decreed by divine command. Her lineage was blessed with the extraordinary gift of voice command over all living beings, including dragons, unicorns, and even vampires.
In the present day, the Al Dragoon empire was ruled by the grandson of Draco's younger sister. Unlike his forebears, this monarch was neither pious nor righteous. He harbored ambitions that defied the sacred Gospel of Azma, which sternly warned against expanding the empire beyond the northern mountains. Driven by arrogance and a misguided sense of superiority due to his high-altitude dominion, he decided to conquer all of Draconia.
With the power of voice command, he enslaved the Protectors, forcing them to turn against their own. The once-guardians of peace and justice became unwilling instruments of tyranny, carrying out the young monarch's brutal campaign. In a mere seven months, the entirety of Draconia fell under his iron fist, its diverse landscapes unified under a reign of fear and oppression.
As the flames of conquest spread across the land, the ancient prophecies of Abdul Mateen and the Gospel of Azma weighed heavily on the hearts of the oppressed. The true believers whispered of a destined hero who would rise to restore balance and justice. The legend of Draco, the True Alpha, once a fading memory, began to rekindle in the hearts of those who still held hope.
Deep within the northern mountains, Draco stirred from his long isolation, sensing the turmoil and suffering that plagued Draconia. The time had come for the prophecy to be fulfilled, for the Holy Monarch to rise again and lead the people out of darkness. Draco, the immortal protector, would reclaim his legacy and confront the usurper who had dared to defy the divine decrees.
With the land of Draconia on the brink of an all-encompassing darkness, a new chapter of legend was about to begin, one that would see the return of a forgotten hero and the fulfillment of a destiny written in the stars.
In the quiet seclusion of the northern mountains, Draco grappled with his newfound powers and the immense responsibility they carried. He feared that the voice command, a power capable of influencing all living beings, might corrupt him and turn his strength against the very people he sought to protect. In his despair, Draco prayed fervently to God, seeking guidance and reassurance. For days, he prayed without rest, his pleas met with silence. Exhausted and weary, he finally succumbed to sleep.
In his dreams, Draco found himself in a tranquil garden, surrounded by lush greenery and ripened fruits. As he enjoyed the serenity, a divine light enveloped the sky, and a powerful voice resonated through the air. "Go to the house of the late Ahmad," it commanded. "In the basement, you will find a scroll that will reveal the truth."
Awakening with newfound purpose, Draco journeyed to the old, abandoned home of Ahmad, the man who had raised him and trained him. In the basement, he discovered a hidden scroll. With trembling hands, he unrolled the ancient parchment and began to read.
"Dear Draco,
This is your uncle Ahmad. Yes, I am your mother's brother. Your father did not die in an accident. Your grandmother entrusted me with you because you are the son of Malik Al Dragoon and an Alpha werewolf, my sister. You are a hybrid, possessing the voice command as a descendant of Azma Al Dragoon and Abdul Mateen. Your strong aura signified you as a true Alpha, but your grandmother sealed your voice command to prevent a werewolf from ruling the Al Dragoon empire.
Now, you are the Supreme Alpha, the werewolf promised by God to become the Holy Monarch. To claim your voice command, you must venture to the maze of the mountains at the start of the Northern range.
With love and faith,
Ahmad"
Determined to fulfill his destiny, Draco set off for the maze of the mountains. The journey was perilous, but Draco's resolve was unwavering. He navigated the labyrinthine paths with skill and determination, eventually arriving at the heart of the maze, where he encountered a formidable black dragon known as Golden Fury, the mightiest of all Draconian creatures.
The battle was fierce and brutal. Draco fought valiantly, sustaining severe injuries, but his strength as the Supreme Alpha allowed him to heal rapidly. Summoning his inner power, he finally vanquished the dragon. As the beast lay defeated, Draco approached a glowing glass bottle. When he opened it, a brilliant light surged into his throat, causing him to choke and collapse.
In a dreamlike state, Draco found himself face to face with the Emperor of Al Dragoon. The emperor's eyes burned with hatred as he declared, "I'll find and kill you. You now possess the voice command, so I can't control you, but I'll find and kill you."
Draco awoke with a start, his resolve hardened. He journeyed to the town of the Protectors and, with a mighty roar, summoned them. The Protectors, now a formidable force of 150,000 strong, ceased their activities and gathered around him. Their leader, Ameen, approached, awestruck.
"Who are you?" Ameen asked, his voice trembling with reverence.
"I am Draco," he declared, "the True Alpha and descendant of Abdul Mateen and Azma Al Dragoon."
The Protectors fell to their knees, apologizing for their actions under the influence of the voice command.
"Do not apologize," Draco said, his voice strong and compassionate. "It was not you. It was the voice command."
Ameen, filled with awe and respect, responded, "We all thought you were a myth. We never expected to see you in our lifetime."
Draco nodded, understanding the weight of their words. "Myths become reality in times of great need," he said. "Now, we must prepare. The time has come to overthrow the tyrant emperor."
That night, the Protectors held a grand feast in honor of Draco. They celebrated his return and pledged their loyalty to his cause. With a vast army at his command, Draco began to devise a strategy to take down the usurper who had plunged Draconia into darkness. The prophecy of the Holy Monarch was unfolding, and the final battle for Draconia's future was about to begin.
As the Protectors feasted in honor of Draco's return, a palpable sense of hope and determination filled the air. Draco, now fully aware of his destiny, began to outline a comprehensive plan to reclaim Draconia from the tyrant emperor who ruled from the northern mountains.
For days, Draco and his closest advisors, including Ameen, strategized tirelessly. They knew that the emperor's power was formidable, bolstered by the voice command that allowed him to control vast numbers of beings. However, Draco's unique position as a Supreme Alpha with the same voice command powers gave them a fighting chance. His hybrid nature and immortal status made him a beacon of strength and resilience.
One night, as the moon cast a silver glow over the camp, Draco gathered the Protectors. "Our enemy is powerful," he began, his voice steady and commanding, "but he underestimates the strength of our unity and the righteousness of our cause. We fight not just for ourselves, but for all of Draconia."
The Protectors roared in approval, their spirits lifted by Draco's words. With their morale high, they set off towards the northern mountains, moving stealthily through the diverse terrains of Draconia. They traversed forests, crossed plains, and navigated deserts, their numbers growing as more people joined their cause, inspired by the legend of the Holy Monarch.
As they approached the foothills of the northern mountains, Draco called for a halt. It was here, in the shadow of the towering peaks, that they would face their greatest challenge. Draco knew that to defeat the emperor, he would need to draw on every ounce of his strength and the faith of his followers.
The night before the final confrontation, Draco retreated to a secluded spot to pray. He sought divine guidance, asking God for the strength to lead his people and the wisdom to use his powers justly. As he prayed, he felt a warm, comforting presence surround him, a reassurance that he was on the right path.
At dawn, the Protectors assembled at the base of the emperor's fortress, a massive stronghold carved into the mountainside. Draco stood at the forefront, his presence commanding and inspiring. With a roar that echoed through the mountains, he led the charge.
The battle was fierce and intense. The Protectors fought valiantly, their determination fueled by the righteousness of their cause. Draco, with his voice command and supreme alpha abilities, was a force to be reckoned with. He called forth dragons, unicorns, and other creatures, rallying them to their side.
Amidst the chaos, Draco faced the emperor in a final showdown. The emperor, confident in his power, sneered at Draco. "You think you can defeat me? I am the ruler of Draconia!"
Draco's eyes blazed with determination. "You are a usurper. The true ruler fights for the people, not against them."
The clash between them was monumental. The emperor, though powerful, was no match for Draco's combined strength and the divine favor that guided him. With a final, devastating blow, Draco defeated the emperor, ending his tyrannical reign.
As the emperor fell, the fortress walls seemed to shudder, and the oppressive atmosphere lifted. The Protectors cheered, their victory a testament to their unwavering faith and the fulfillment of the ancient prophecy.
With the emperor's defeat, Draco ascended to his rightful place as the Holy Monarch of Draconia. He pledged to rule with justice, compassion, and humility, honoring the legacy of Abdul Mateen and Azma Al Dragoon. Under his leadership, Draconia began to heal, its people united and hopeful for the future.
Draco's story, once a myth, became a legend etched in the annals of history. The land of Draconia, vast and diverse, thrived under his reign, a beacon of peace and prosperity in a world that had known too much darkness. And so, the prophecy was fulfilled, and the Holy Monarch brought light to Draconia once more.
In the years following his victory over the tyrant emperor, Draco ruled Draconia with wisdom and justice. His marriage to Alina brought him great joy, and together they had children who, to Draco's surprise, were entirely human. Puzzled, Draco turned to God for answers, praying fervently until one night, a divine light filled his dreams.
"Draco, my faithful servant," the voice of God spoke, "your children do not possess your powers because they do not need them. Your lineage has fulfilled its purpose, bringing peace and justice to Draconia. Your descendants will thrive as normal humans, living lives of love, compassion, and integrity. Their strength lies not in supernatural abilities, but in the goodness of their hearts. In due time, a boy from your firstborn son's line will inherit the powers you possess. Until then, trust in your family's strength and wisdom."
With this divine message, Draco found peace. He understood that his descendants would carry his legacy in their hearts, if not in their abilities. As the years passed, Draco watched his children and grandchildren grow. When Alina and their children aged and passed away, Draco felt the weight of his immortality.
The Protectors, too, began to age and die, their children inheriting their virtues but not their powers. Seeing the natural order of life take its course, Draco decided it was time for a new chapter. He named his firstborn son, a wise and just ruler, as the new monarch of Draconia.
Draco then gathered all the supernatural beings of Draconia—dragons, unicorns, vampires, and more—and led them to a vast underground cave, twice the size of Draconia itself. This hidden sanctuary became their new home, a place where they could live in peace away from the mortal world.
For a thousand years, Draco and the supernatural beings remained hidden. As generations passed, the people of Draconia began to forget about Draco and his legendary deeds. Two thousand years after his disappearance, the people of Draconia, now living in a democracy, revolted against Draco's descendants, seeking independence and self-governance.
By the early 3000s, the memory of Draco had faded into myth. Emerging from his underground sanctuary, Draco observed a changed world. He saw a society that had abandoned faith, turning to atheism and forgetting their divine heritage. Saddened by the state of the world, Draco decided to document his story.
Writing his tale in a book, Draco published it anonymously. The book, filled with the true history of Draconia, the legacy of Abdul Mateen, Azma Al Dragoon, and Draco himself, became a bestseller. People were captivated by the story of the immortal protector and the holy monarchs, though they believed it to be fiction.
Having shared his story with the world, Draco returned to his underground cave, content to live out his days among the supernatural beings. Though the world above had forgotten him, his legacy endured in the hearts of those who read his book.
Draco watched over his descendants from afar, knowing that one day, the prophecy would be fulfilled, and a boy from his firstborn son's line would inherit his powers. Until then, Draco lived peacefully, the eternal guardian of Draconia's true history, and the hope for a future where his legacy would rise again.
Stoic's reign of terror had reached a peak, and the people of Draconia were living in constant fear. Among the oppressed was a young boy named Aman, who had suffered greatly under Stoic's brutal rule. One day, unable to bear the torture any longer, Aman decided to flee, seeking refuge far from Stoic's clutches.
He ran for days, his feet bloodied and his body weakened, until he reached the base of a massive mountain—the forbidden mountain that no one had ever successfully climbed. Desperation fueled his steps as he began the arduous ascent. To his astonishment, he made it to the summit. However, as he stepped into the middle of the top, the ground beneath him gave way. Aman plummeted into the depths, falling for what felt like an eternity before he lost consciousness.
When Aman woke, he found himself in a grand hall, unlike anything he had ever seen. Majestic dragons curled on one side, vampires and werewolves—ancient and frail but kept alive by some mysterious power—stood on another, and orcs loomed nearby. In the center of this hall, sitting upon an imposing throne, was Draco, radiating an aura of timeless power.
Draco's voice echoed through the hall, "What is your name, boy?"
Terrified and disoriented, Aman stammered, "Am I dead? If I am, oh god, forgive me. I never believed in you, but you are merciful. Please forgive me. Before dying, I prayed to you to help me, even though I didn't believe. Please forgive me, as I never sinned except for not believing in you."
Draco's roar shook the hall, "You mere human, I asked for your name, and you dare call me god? I am but a servant of the true God, who is all-powerful, all-knowing, and infinitely merciful. I am not worthy of such a title. Now, tell me your name."
Aman, trembling, replied, "I am Aman."
Draco's eyes narrowed, "What is your full name?"
The boy hesitated before answering, "It's Aman Al Dricon."
The name triggered a suspicion in Draco's mind. Although the name 'Al Dragoon' had been erased from memory by divine decree, 'Al Dricon' was close enough to spark curiosity. Draco turned to his Grand Mage, an ancient and wise figure, and commanded, "Determine his lineage."
As the Grand Mage began to weave his spell, the ceiling of the throne room shone with an ethereal light. A voice, clear and powerful, filled Draco's mind, a voice only he could hear. "Yes, my servant Draco, he is the boy I told you about," said God.
Draco's heart swelled with both awe and responsibility. This boy, Aman, was the fulfillment of the prophecy. He was the descendant promised by God, destined to inherit Draco's powers and lead the people of Draconia out of darkness.
Draco addressed Aman with newfound reverence, "Aman, you are more than you realize. You carry the blood of heroes, of legends. You are destined for greatness, to restore light to this land. Your journey has only just begun."
Draco's intense gaze bore into Aman as he asked, "How is everything upstairs? Tell me about the world above."
Aman, still a bit dazed from his fall and newfound surroundings, took a deep breath and began to recount the horrors of Stoic's rule. He spoke of the relentless oppression, the fear that had gripped the hearts of the people, and the suffering that was now a daily reality. As he spoke, Draco listened intently, his expression growing darker with every word.
When Aman finished, Draco asked, "Are you a werewolf?"
Aman couldn't help but burst into laughter. He laughed so hard that tears formed in the corners of his eyes. "Bro, that's hilarious!" he managed to say between laughs.
Draco's voice thundered through the hall, "Kid! Stop laughing! See who you're talking to. I am Draco Al Dragoon, the Monarch of all the beings of Draconia. Who do you think I am?"
Aman, still giggling, opened his eyes to see Draco undergo a startling transformation. Before him, the most handsome human he had ever seen morphed into a fierce, bloodthirsty white werewolf with glowing red eyes. The sight was both awe-inspiring and terrifying.
Aman's laughter stopped abruptly as he took in the transformation. For a moment, he was speechless, his mind racing to process what he was seeing. Then, almost reflexively, he giggled again, albeit nervously this time. "You mean you're the main character of the book I read?"
Draco's eyes narrowed, his red gaze piercing through the boy. "What book?"
Aman, now more cautious but still holding onto a sliver of incredulity, replied, "There was this old book I found in the ruins of a library. It spoke of a great hero named Draco Al Dragoon, who ruled over all beings and protected Draconia from darkness. I thought it was just a story."
Draco's expression softened slightly, recognizing the irony. The tale of his own life had become a forgotten legend, mistaken for mere fiction. He reverted to his human form and stepped closer to Aman, placing a hand on his shoulder. "That story is my life, Aman. And now, you are part of that story. Your destiny is intertwined with mine. Together, we must bring light back to Draconia."
Aman, feeling the weight of Draco's words, nodded solemnly. "What do I need to do?"
Draco smiled, a mix of determination and pride in his eyes. "First, we train. Then, we reclaim our land."
Despite Draco's best efforts to impart his knowledge and skills to Aman, the boy remained a mere human. Try as he might, Aman could not replicate the supernatural abilities of his ancestor.
Draco watched with a mix of frustration and concern as Aman struggled to harness the powers that were his birthright. It was as if fate had played a cruel trick on them both, leaving Aman powerless in the face of the growing darkness.
Despite his lack of supernatural abilities, Aman's determination remained unshaken. He trained tirelessly alongside Draco, honing his skills in combat, strategy, and leadership. Though he may not possess the strength of a werewolf or the command over dragons, Aman possessed something equally valuable—a steadfast resolve and unwavering courage.
As they prepared to confront Stoic and his dark forces, Draco placed his trust in Aman's human ingenuity and resilience. Together, they forged a bond that transcended bloodlines and abilities, united in their quest to bring hope and freedom back to Draconia.
As Draco surveyed the desolate landscape of Draconia, his heart weighed heavy with sorrow and anger. The once vibrant land he had sworn to protect now lay in ruins, its people shackled by the tyranny of Stoic. Determined to confront the oppressor alone, Draco ventured into the heart of the darkness.
Entering the decrepit castle that had once been his own, Draco was met with a chilling sight. Humans, once proud and free, now toiled as slaves under Stoic's watchful eye, their spirits broken and their hope all but extinguished. A towering statue of Stoic, adorned with chains and symbols of power, loomed over the enslaved populace, a cruel mockery of their suffering.
Draco pressed on, his steps echoing through the silent halls until he reached the throne room—the seat of power now tainted by corruption. There, amidst the decay and decay, sat Stoic, oblivious to the looming threat that stood before him.
With a thunderous roar, Stoic commanded his servants to capture the intruder, unaware of the true identity of the figure before him. Draco, bound in chains, met Stoic's gaze with unwavering defiance.
"And who are you to challenge me?" Stoic sneered, his voice dripping with arrogance. "A mere human, nothing more."
In an instant, Draco's form shifted, his human guise melting away to reveal the fearsome visage of a werewolf. His eyes blazed with righteous fury as he faced his adversary.
"What did you say?" Draco growled, his voice reverberating through the chamber. "And you? You dare to proclaim yourself as the 'God of Draconia'? How childish."
Stoic's bravado faltered in the face of Draco's raw power, a flicker of fear betraying his facade of invincibility. In that moment, the balance of power shifted, and the stage was set for a confrontation that would decide the fate of Draconia.
Draco lay on the cold stone floor of his chamber, his body battered and bruised from the fierce battle with Stoic. Despite his immortality, the wounds he bore were a stark reminder of his mortality in the face of such overwhelming darkness.
As he struggled to rise, a blinding flash of light enveloped the room, leaving Draco momentarily disoriented. When the light subsided, he found himself back in the familiar confines of his underground sanctuary. Confusion clouded his mind as he tried to comprehend what had just transpired.
Before Draco could gather his thoughts, a voice, stern and commanding, echoed in his mind. It was the voice of God, unmistakable in its authority and power.
"I never told you to go there," the voice admonished. "You are strong, but not as you were before. Only Aman can defeat him."
Draco's brow furrowed in confusion. "But how?" he asked aloud, though he knew the answer already. Aman, despite being human, possessed a strength and determination that transcended mere physical abilities.
"I will give him the power," came the reply. "You must teach him how to fight."
With a sense of purpose renewed, Draco set about his task. He would train Aman to harness the latent power within him, to wield it with skill and precision against the darkness that threatened to consume them all.
And so, beneath the earth's surface, far from the prying eyes of their enemies, Draco and Aman began their preparations for the ultimate battle. Together, they would rise against Stoic and his forces, united in their quest to reclaim Draconia and restore peace to the land.
As Aman stood before Stoic, the weight of destiny resting heavy on his shoulders, he felt a surge of power unlike anything he had ever known. In that moment, he was no longer just a mere human but the chosen successor to Draco, the Supreme Werewolf and righteous monarch of Draconia.
Stoic, unaware of the transformation that had taken place within Aman, prepared to engage in battle. But before the first blow could be struck, Aman spoke with a commanding voice that echoed through the chamber.
"You should stop," Aman said, his words carrying the weight of authority that came with his newfound power.
To his own surprise, Aman realized that he had inadvertently invoked the voice command, compelling Stoic to halt in his tracks. Stoic, unable to resist the compelling force of Aman's command, froze in place, his defiance momentarily subdued.
"Yes, my Liege," Stoic muttered, his words betraying his unwilling submission to Aman's authority.
Draco, observing from the sidelines, understood the significance of what had just occurred. Aman, with his newfound powers, had surpassed even Draco himself, becoming the true heir to the throne of Draconia.
Aman, still coming to terms with his newfound abilities, turned to Stoic with a mixture of surprise and determination. "Is this your trick, Stoic?" he asked, suspicion lacing his words.
Stoic, shaken by the unexpected turn of events, shook his head. "No," he replied, his voice tinged with both fear and resignation. "I don't know how, but you stopped me."
With a swift and decisive motion, Aman transformed into his werewolf form, his eyes blazing with righteous fury. In one fluid motion, he struck out, severing Stoic's head from his body with a single blow.
As Stoic's lifeless body crumpled to the ground, a wave of relief washed over Draconia. With the defeat of their tyrannical ruler, peace and harmony were restored to the land once more.
And so, under the leadership of Aman, the Supreme Werewolf and righteous monarch, Draconia entered a new era of prosperity and unity, free from the shadow of darkness that had threatened to consume it.
As the dust settled and peace returned to Draconia, Draco stood before Aman, his successor and the new Supreme Alpha. The weight of centuries of duty and responsibility bore heavily upon him, and he knew that the time had come for him to relinquish his powers and embrace the life of a mortal once more.
With a solemn nod, Draco accepted his fate. He had served his people faithfully, but now it was time for him to step aside and allow a new generation to lead. Turning to Aman, Draco spoke with a voice filled with wisdom and resolve.
"It is time for me to pass on the mantle of leadership to you, Aman," Draco said, his words carrying the weight of a lifetime of experience. "You have proven yourself worthy of this responsibility, and I have no doubt that you will lead Draconia with strength and wisdom."
Aman nodded, his eyes filled with determination. He understood the burden that now rested upon his shoulders, but he was ready to embrace the challenge.
But before Draco could fully relinquish his powers, a voice echoed through the chamber, resonating with divine authority. It was the voice of God, speaking directly to Draco.
"There should be only one Supreme Alpha," God declared. "Draco, it is time for you to give me your powers."
Draco bowed his head in acknowledgment. He had known this moment would come eventually, but it still filled him with a sense of solemnity. With a deep breath, he closed his eyes and began to channel the power that had been bestowed upon him so many years ago.

I’m the third. Alex the parrot was the second. A man named Karl Schuster who lived in Berlin in the early 1900s was likely the first. In total, only three individuals are known to have overcome the natural cognitive limits of their species’ brains. Alex did no harm. Mr. Schuster, I’m afraid, may have inadvertently damaged reality. My transgression may be humanity’s undoing.
I didn’t want to hurt anyone. I just wanted to be like Alex.
What made Alex special? He is the only animal to have asked a question.
Lots of animals communicate. Whales and birds sing their songs to each other. Coyotes use barks and howls for identification. We’ve been teaching primates sign language since the 1960s. But these animal tweets and howls and signs aren’t language. There’s no grammatical structure. No deep concepts conveyed - just surface-level stuff. I’m here, they say. I’m threatened, or breed with me.
Animals manage to transmit information and even desires through their species’ form of communication. But none of the thousands of animals observed by science have ever asked a question. Except Alex.
Alex was an ordinary gray parrot, purchased at a pet store by a researcher studying animal psychology. Alex was taught to identify shapes and objects and to speak the name of the items he was quizzed on. One day, while being taught to identify different colors, Alex turned to a mirror and asked “What color is Alex?” This is the only known case of an animal asking a question. Even the famous gorilla who liked to pose for pictures with his kitten and the chimpanzee raised as a human child never managed to ask a question.
As you cuddle up on the couch with Mister Snugglekins the cat, or make Mister Woof Woof the dog beg for treats, think about what it must be like to have an animal mind. Animals’ brains cannot even conceive of the idea of asking a question. They can wonder things: When’s dinner? Is this new person a threat? But the notion of using communication to get answers is beyond their capacity. The gulf between us and our beloved animals is truly vast.
Now, let’s take the next logical step. Is there a mind - can there be such a mind - that is to ours like ours are to animals’? What thoughts are permitted by the laws of physics but are unattainable to the limited machinery of our brains? What if we could improve our own cognitive infrastructure, so our own minds could grasp these currently-unattainable ideas. What lies beyond the ability to ask questions? Hyper-questions? What are they like? What is their purpose? Is there hyper-love? Hyper-joy? What accomplishments lie beyond our grasp?
I used to believe that these ideas amounted to only pointless philosophical wondering. Just stuff to talk about while you’re passing the joint around. Then I learned about Alex, who somehow broke past the cognitive limit of animal thought. If Alex can do it, maybe it’s possible for a human to do it. Maybe, I thought, I can do it.
Unfortunately it is possible for a human to do it. And unfortunately, I did.
* * \*
In 2015, dozens of social media users posted images of a confused-looking elderly man slowly driving in circles in a Walmart parking lot. The emblem on the back of the car said he was driving Toyota Raynow. Toyota denies that a vehicle called a Toyota Raynow ever existed, even as a prototype.
* * \*
I’m not the first researcher to set off on a project to improve human cognition. The eugenicists whose work flourished at the dawn of the 20th century may have been the first people to search for ways to adjust to the human mind. Of course, they had their own spin on the endeavor that, let’s just say, didn’t age well. Take a look at this: an excerpt from the Proceedings of the Third Berlin Conference on Eugenics, 1904. (Translated from the original German by me)

The session on Friday afternoon was opened by Mr. Gerhard Van Wagenen, who presented the report of the Berlin Directed Intelligence Improvement Society. If we are to develop ways of improving the overall intelligence of the human breed, Mr. Van Wagenen argued, we must have, as a guide post, the ultimate limit of human intelligence. Only when we know this limit, can we pose the fundamental question of our effort: Are we to use selective breeding to improve average human intellectual fitness in a population, or are we to find ways of advancing the limit of human genius itself into areas that no individuals born to date have occupied?
Our immediate research goal was therefore to find individuals for whom the light of genius burned, not just at all, but brighter than the lights of all others of that intellectual rank. We sought to find the one individual currently alive who can look down on literally all the rest as his intellectual inferiors.
It is known that in the mass of men belonging to the superior classes there is found a small number who are characterized by inferior qualities. And in the mass of men forming the inferior classes, one can find specimens possessing superior characteristics. Therefore, we shall search wherever those of superior intellect may be found, without regard to their current station.

Inferior classes? Intellectual rank? Try putting that in a research grant proposal today!
Mr. Van Wagenen and his assistants set out across Berlin and asked thousands of people a single question: “Of all the men you know who are still alive, who amongst them is the most intelligent?” They carefully reviewed the resulting list of thousands of names. They removed the duplicates and any female names that ended up on the list. (Those crazy eugenicists, right?) They tracked down each of these men who ranked as the smartest known by at least one male resident of Berlin, and asked them the same question, generating a second-stage list: the most intelligent people known to a group of individuals already considered very intelligent.
And they kept going. They generated the third-stage names, found those people and had them produce a list of fourth-stage names. And so on. This project took a year. There was a running joke in Berlin that Mr. Van Wagenen would only stop when the last name on the list was his own.
But, to Mr. Van Wagenen’s credit, he did not rig the study to identify himself or one of his patrons as the one individual who can look down on literally all the rest as his intellectual inferiors. Indeed, Mr. Van Wagenen eventually concluded that his year-long study was a failure.

A fraction of the people named, about eight percent, simply could not be found. We were appalled to note that a small percentage of the respondents identified themselves as the most intelligent man they knew. While the ultimate individual we seek could only truthfully answer with his own name, we took these first and second stage self-identifiers to be adverse to our research and ignored their input.
In a few hundred cases, pairs of individuals each identified the other. In smaller numbers we found sets of three, four, and even five men whose linkages formed closed loops of co-admiration, eventually working around back to the first man.
But the most striking feature of the data was that over three thousand lines of reported superior intelligence ended in the same name: Karl Schuster. Mr. Schuster had been a successful industrialist before suddenly retreating from public view later in life. Strangely, when we tried to find Mr. Schuster, we learned that he had, of his own volition, taken residence in the mental asylum located at Lankwitz.
He refused to see us when we paid a visit to his private room in the asylum. The only communication we had from him was a note related to us by the Lankwitz staff, in which Mr Shuster wrote:
“I’ve spent most of my life hiding from It. I have isolated myself here, with the notion that the confused noise of mental anguish that surrounds me would act as a form of concealment. I did not suspect I might one day be discovered by ordinary men. Please do not visit me here again.”
From his note, and the fact of his residence within the asylum, we must conclude Mr. Shuster had become a mental defective. Even more damaging to our research, we subsequently learned that Mr. Schuster was a Jew. This finding, unfortunately, invalidates our work. In the coming months, we will strive to find a protocol more suitable for investigation into the nature of superior intellect.

Let’s not be too hard on these anti-Semitic, white-supremacist eugenicists. I’m willing to cut them some slack because I’ve done far, far more damage to mankind than all of these guys combined. I should have listened to Mr. Schuster’s warning. I should not have let It find me.
* * \*
In 1954 a man arrived at Tokyo’s Haneda airport with a passport issued by the country of Taured. No such country exists, or ever existed. Despite the man being detained and guarded, he mysteriously vanished overnight.
* * \*
Where the eugenicists looked to make improvements in the human population over generations by controlling or influencing reproduction, I had a more ambitious goal - to make improvements to a specific human brain (my own) in-vivo. I set out to upgrade my brain while I was using my brain to figure out how to upgrade my brain. I had astonishing success.
I’m not going to tell you exactly how I did it, because it’s just too dangerous. I don’t mean because it’s dangerous to the person undergoing the process (which it is), but because doing so can lead It to notice you. I don’t care if you fry your own cortex. But having It eat even more of our reality will be a calamity.
The human brain consists of gray matter, which is the stuff that performs perception and cognition, and white matter, which deals with boring stuff like running your metabolism. The gray matter - your cerebral cortex - forms a nice thick layer on the outside of your brain. This layer wraps the white matter underneath. I found a way to use pluripotent stem cells to expand the thickness of my cortex. With careful dosing of the stem cell culture through a spinal tap, I created new layers of gray matter underneath my cortex. These new cells replaced the white matter that was there.
For reasons I don’t fully understand yet, the new cortical cells only become active when I have ingested a potent mixture of hallucinogens and antipsychotic drugs.
The process is arduous and very illegal. Experimentation on humans, even if the test subject is also the researcher, is extremely highly regulated. And the drugs I need to use are not available from the suppliers that the rule-following scientific community uses. This work was performed in isolation and in secret. No regulators. No administrators. No rules. Just pure scientific progress.
My laboratory is as unconventional as my approach to science. I’ve set up shop in an assembly of forty-foot shipping containers in the center of my heavily forested seven-hundred-acre plot of land. Privacy!
* * \*
Thousands of people have vivid memories of news coverage from the 1980s reporting that Nelson Mandela died in prison. In the reality that most of us know, Mandela died in 2013, years after his release.
* * \*
Uplift #1 - 3 cubic centimeters
By last October, after six months of stem-cell treatment, I estimated that I had added a total of three cubic centimeters of gray matter to my baseline cortex volume. I could already feel the effects of the diminished volume of white matter. My sense of smell and taste were all but gone. My fine-motor-control was diminished. I had weakness in my legs and arms. But I had three cubic centimeters of fresh cortex to work with. I only needed to activate it. To Uplift myself, as I came to call the process of thinking with an expanded brain.
I planned for the first Uplift as if I was planning a scientific expedition into an uncharted jungle - I stockpiled food and water. I stockpiled lots of drugs. I bought a hundred blank notebooks to record my uplifted thoughts in.
I filled a seven-day pill container with hallucinogens and antipsychotics. I scratched off the Monday, Tuesday, etc. labels on the pill compartments and relabeled them: hour 0, hour 1, and so on. I planned my first Uplift to last seven hours.
Over those seven hours, I learned how to make use of the new, extra capacity in my cortex. I filled notebook after notebook with increasingly complex thoughts. Here are a few excerpts:

Hour 1: The linguistic-mathematical relational resonance is far stronger than most have suspected.
Hour 2: Questions lacking prepositional multipliers of context prevent full expository [(relations)(responses)] yet, but (!yet) there is still an I in the premise.

By the fifth hour, I was fully Uplifted, asking hyper-questions and providing my own hyper-answers. What do the musings of a fully Uplifted mind look like? Page after page of this:

(((Imagine)Imagine[)Imagine)Relate->Time]<--Force(Animal,Object–>Think)

* * \*
The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far. The sciences, each straining in its own direction, have hitherto harmed us little; but some day the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality, and of our frightful position therein, that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the deadly light into the peace and safety of a new dark age.
H.P. Lovecraft, Call of Cthulhu
* * \*
Uplift #2 - 5.5 cubic centimeters.
I waited a few weeks before my next Uplift. I needed time to recover from the mental strain of the first experiment, and to wait for a new dose of stem-cells to produce even more gray matter.
Although I only spent a few hours in an Uplifted state in my first experiment, I felt diminished as I returned to baseline. Hyper-questions. Hyper-answers. Hyper-joy. All of these are wonderful to experience. Life can be so much more rich and full with a post-human cognitive capacity.
But, as I learned during my second Uplift, there is also Hyper-fear.
I descended from my second uplift by screaming and running naked in the snowy woods outside my laboratory. As the drugs wore off, the activated sections of the new parts of my brain shut down. Thoughts that were clear one moment became foggy, like waking from a nightmare.
I fell into a snowbank, breathing hard. Only a trace of what terrified me was left rattling in my tiny, baseline brain: It. It noticed me. I occupied Its attention.
What was It? I knew exactly what It was moments earlier, when I had more gray matter to think with. But now I was like a dog trying to grasp the idea of a question. I was still afraid, but I couldn’t understand the source of the fear.
I returned to the lab and warmed up. Then I reviewed what I had written in my notebooks during the ten hour session. Most of it was the same sort of advanced writings that my now-normal brain could not comprehend. But, somewhere towards the end of the session, perhaps just before I shed my clothes and ran into the woods, I wrote this:

I know what Schuster was hiding from. Find out information about Shuster.

When I recovered from the strain of my second Uplift, I drove to town, where I was able to access the Internet. I found some information about Schuster in the same archive where I found the proceedings from the 1904 eugenics conference.
A short article in a Berlin newspaper described the man who had been named by so many people who took Van Wagenen’s survey.

…Mr. Schuster, at the age of fifteen, had made significant contributions to machine design, metallurgy, and chemistry. He founded four companies which he ran nearly by himself, without a large management staff to insulate him from the workers and day-to-day engineering tasks…

It seems that most of the people who identified Mr. Shuster as the most intelligent person they knew had known him well at this time in his life.
Another article, written in 1905, described strange event at his funeral:

…Also present was a contingent of a dozen people who claimed to have been friends with Schuster during the five years he spent in America. Many who had known Schuster for his entire life stated that he had never been to America, let alone spent five years there. Did a group of people mistakenly attend the funeral of the wrong man?
Everyone in attendance had similar memories of him. All recognized his photograph on the coffin. Indeed, some of the America contingent had letters, written in Karl’s hand and signed by him, fondly recalling his time spent in the New England woods. It is as if there were two Schusters: the one who lived his life in Germany and the other who spent years in America.

Uplift #3 - 6 cubic centimeters
Perhaps I’ve allowed my cortex to consume too much of my white matter. I now have trouble with perceptions. The woods surrounding my laboratory have been transformed into a city. Where there were trees, there are now charming stone buildings from a European city. The song of birds and the whisper of the wind in the trees is gone too, replaced with streetcars and voices speaking German.
I prepared my pill container and notebooks for my third Uplift, as the sounds of a busting turn-of-the-century city rang through the metal walls of my laboratory.
Although I had dozens of blank notebooks prepared, I only made one page of notes during my third Uplift:

I met it today. I know what It is. It is alive. Not just alive. Hyper-alive.
It is built into the very material that logic and mathematics is made from. The digits of the square of pi, when computed to the billionth quadrillionth place, is a sketch of a fragment of its structure.
It consumes pieces of reality. It weaves them into its being, and leaves the tattered shreds of logic and causality to haphazardly mend themselves. It ate the circumstances of Karl Schuster’s life, leaving the ragged edges of different universes to stick and twist themselves back together, like shreds of a tattered flag tangling together in a gale.
It has only begun grazing on the small corner of Hyper-reality where humanity lives. Imagine a cow eating grass from a field. A field where humanity lives like a small colony of aphids on a single blade of grass. It likes it here. It likes the taste of reality here.
I tried to tell it to go away. That we are here and have a right to exist.
It replied to me, in its way. I found its words at the bottom of a twelve-dimensional fractal, woven into the grammar of a language with an infinite alphabet. It taunted me with a question: “What flavor is Alex?”

Update to the Proceedings of the Third Berlin Conference on Eugenics, 1904
Mr. Gerhard Van Wagenen provided the committee with an update on his finding that the individual Mr. Karl Shuster was strikingly-well-represented in the responses of his survey on intelligent men. Mr. Van Wagenen writes:
Upon further reflection of the results of my survey, I returned to Lankwitz again to try to meet with Mr. Schuster. I arrived to find his ward in an uproar, as only a few minutes prior to my arrival, Mr. Schuster had been found missing. The preceding letter, which is reprinted here in its entirety, was found in Mr. Schuster’s room. While the letter does not indicate where he went or even how he managed to slip away from the asylum unnoticed, it does show the extent of his derangement. His detailed descriptions of question-asking birds, strange events from the future, and even methods of biological manipulation unknown to science are not the product of a mind that we wish to recreate. Perhaps intelligence, as a phenomenon of nature, is more complicated than we are able to appreciate with our current notions of science. If I may speculate even further, perhaps Intelligence is a phenomenon we should avoid study of, lest we learn things about ourselves that it is best not to know.

I, 42F, am a mother for two, 12F and 7M. Lately, my daughter has been pretending like she's a cat and has asked me to use "meow/meowself, cat/catself, kitten/kittenself and paw/pawself" pronouns for her. She has also made a mask of some sort for herself and wears it all the time other then when we eat. She's also started purring and grooming herself AND others with her tongue just like a cat. The school had already contacted me multiple times about her disruptive behaviour licking other students and walking on all fours. I've already punished her by reducing her screen time and grounding her. At home, she also refuses to bathe and grooms herself with her tongue and tries to scratch up our furniture. Shes also been teaching my son to act like a cat too. Yesterday, she asked me for a litter box and a cat tree. This has gone too far.
My husband doesn't want to punish her more and says its just a way to express herself. He says she'll get over this phase but it's already been 3 weeks. Today, she pooped on the floor because I refused to get her a litter box. I've had enough and scolded her and made her clean her own shit up. Now she's still crying and my husband is mad at me for ruining my daughters childhood because of this. What should I do?