I have a few earrings i had to take out for an appointment, i had them out for only 2 days, i thought no big deal, all the piercings are over 2 years old.
I have a rook, daith and conch piercing. no issues whatsoever with them before, i’ve actually changed the jewelry myself a few times. my piercer is out of town for another week, so i just went to a piercing shop thinking taking them out and putting them in would be no issue. i had them removed and the piercer said the holes looked great.
well i go to have them put back in 2 days later and then the piercer says they can’t get my conch back in, the bar is all of a sudden too big for the hole. they poke a needle through it to try and get my earring in again, no luck. it’s all scabbed and inflamed now. they said they also had a hard time getting my rook in and that the holes were closing.
my earrings are 2+ years old, can they start to close that fast after only 2 days without my earrings? i’m shocked, i’ve never had this issue before
i’m also never going to anyone but my piercer again and will wait until they’re back next time lol. that’s a bad choice on my part. the shop i went to dropped and lost my gem to my rook (not cheap either) then put in a bar that is double the size my regular one is and the ball fell off of that one lol. and my conch looks to have closed up now and is scabbing and so sore. a disaster 🤦🏽‍♀️

I have several quilts that I have sitting around that I'd like to actually get long armed sooner than later (paced a bit because I'm not made of money). :) I'm wondering if there are any long arm quilters out there that have a great loyalty program as I'm hoping to find someone I can use for many years to come.
A few things:
I like using bamboo batting (bonus if LA has it available and double bonus if it is included in price).
I like using fleece bed-size blankets as backing (LA needs be okay/familiar with this as it's my strong preference for 90% of my quilts).
I sometimes use Chenille-It on my flimsies (strong preference for LA to accommodate as I don't like adding after quilting and messing up the pretty quilting on the back of the quilt).
I'd be shipping my quilts so would need a LA that is okay with that.
So, what long arm quilters do you use and/or know of that have loyalty programs, are willing to accommodate my quirks, and do you recommend??
Thanks!! :)

^\I've changed a few words in the written text in hopes that the moderators don't delete my post again*)
After reading these books translated into English, the Assassin's Creed: Shadows trailer finally makes sense. Though Yasuke's two years in Japan may seem brief, his undeniable impact cannot be ignored. Historical records suggest his presence in battle alongside Oda Nobunaga, challenging traditional perceptions of foreigners in feudal Japan and offering a unique perspective on cultural exchange within that society.
In my opinion, Yasuke's significance lies not only in the duration of his stay but also in the quality of his interactions and the potential ripple effects of his presence. Exploring specific aspects of Japanese society and culture during that period, such as perceptions of foreigners and the dynamics of samurai culture, can provide valuable insights into the broader historical context.
Despite being just one individual among millions, Yasuke's status as one of the few foreign ''samurai'' disrupts traditional views of feudal Japan and enriches the game's setting. By delving into the complexities of his background and role within Japanese society, the game can offer players a more nuanced understanding of the era, balancing accuracy with creative storytelling.

They Came to Japan: An Anthology of European Reports on Japan, 1543-1640

The curiosity of the Japanese on seeing coloured people is not altogether a thing of the past, as I once had occasion to note in a remote country village. Vizcaino remarked that the people were “much amazed” at his African drummer and he speculated on the financial possibilities of putting him on show. Frois, writing on April 14, 1581, relates how the inquisitive populace of Miyako broke down the door of the Jesuit residence
in their eagerness to inspect a slave and several were injured in the ensuing brawl. So great was their desire to see him that it was alleged that he could have earned at least 10,000 cruzados in a very short time if put on exhibition. All this aroused the curiosity of Nobunaga who summoned the man into his presence. He was so intrigued by the dusky fellow that he made him strip to the waist to satisfy himself that his colour was genuine. The ruler thereupon called his children to witness this extraordinary spectacle and one of his nephews gave the man a sum of money. (Cartas, 1598, II, f. 3V.)''

Yasuke is never mentioned by name here, but considering the time this occurred, it has been attributed to being Yasuke and his meeting with Nobunaga.

The Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga by Ōta Gyūichi (Shinchō kōki)

On the 23rd of the Second Month, an African came from the Kirishitan Country. He appeared to be twenty-six or twenty-seven years old. Black over his whole body, just like an ox, this man looked robust and had a good demeanor. What is more, his formidable strength surpassed that of ten men.
The Bateren brought him along by way of paying his respects to Nobunaga. Indeed, it was owing to Nobunaga’s power and his glory that yet unheard-of treasures from the Three Countries and curiosities of this kind came to be seen here time and again, a blessing indeed

The name 'Yasuke' alone does not even appear in the index. The only times the name 'Yasuke' appears in the book is when talking about a casualty list, with both men having different family names but the same given name.

Sengoku Jidai Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Ieyasu: Three Unifiers of Japan

Another member of [Nobunaga’s] entourage whom we have not yet spoken of up until now was Nobunaga’s remarkable 6’ 2” coloured page, attired somewhat incongruously in full samurai armour, whose name was Yasuke.
Fighting alongside Nobutada was Nobunaga’s coloured page Yasuke. The African samurai fought like a lion but when his Japanese comrades were overrun, he surrendered his sword to Akechi’s men. They approached Akechi asking what to do with him, to which the rebel general replied that the man was ‘a beast who was undeserving of the rank of samurai’ but that he ought therefore not be killed. In all likelihood, Akechi may have pitied the man’s predicament and sought to spare the coloured man’s life by insulting him in this way. Yasuke was sent to Kyōto’s Nanbanji or ‘southern barbarian temple’, where he was returned to the custody of the Jesuits who had first brought him to Japan.

Here Yasuke is mentioned towards the end of the age of Nobunaga, we are given a name and more details about the man but for some reason, a lot of people tend to ignore this book.
One thing I've noticed in the book is that Yasuke is mentioned both as a 'Page' (Koshō/Retainer) and as a 'Samurai' (Bushi). This duality likely fuels the debate over his exact role, as there is limited evidence to conclusively define it. It's important to recognize that both Koshō (Retainer) and Bushi fall under the broader samurai category, representing different ranks within the samurai hierarchy, with both capable of engaging in combat. Yasuke's fierce combat skills, described as fighting "like a lion from Africa," suggest Nobunaga utilized his incredible strength and size effectively.
Hopefully, this information will help dispel the confusion and address the unnecessary controversy surrounding Yasuke's story.
​
Lastly, I hope they consider using a Japanese character as the main protagonist in any future DLC or sequel. Perhaps they could create a spin-off featuring Hasekura Tsunenaga, the Japanese samurai who traveled to Mexico.

*One of the equipment from the list might not be used in the experiment ( from each question).

What I remember are there are kids in a world who get a “soul mate” animal from orbs and the main protagonist is a girl who receives a fish. At first it’s a bit disappointing but she finds uses for it as she travels with it. I remember the fish being a huge kid-sized? sort of figure. And at some point her friends and herself get hungry and she thinks of grilling this fish over a bonfire. Actually it sounds really cruel but she would time and time again take pieces of fish meat to eat. But the fish lives through these ordeals and travels with her. It’s not a talking fish so there’s really no communication. The only communication is between the main protagonist and other fellow kids.
lol can someone please help me ? I don’t think it’s an extremely old anime. But I do remember watching this perhaps around 10 years back.

Having a bit of a moment this morning... Tell me about where I can have good outdoor recreation, homes under $500K that i can actually find insurance for (size is unimportant), and minimal street homelessness. I don't even live in an actual urban area but I like to walk around and am constantly finding piles of human excrement and getting in screaming matches with drug addicts.

I would like to share my experience so far with diabetes. When one mentions the word 'cure' on this sub, it doesn't tend to end well, so I will omit it and let you be the judge.
I was diagnosed with t2 in Nov 2021. A1c right at the cut-off (6.5), but gtt of 232 mg/dl so definitely diabetic.
My doctor told me to exercise and watch my diet. She didn't mention to lose weight as my bmi was 23 at diagnosis.
So I began my quest to research diabetes. I started from a base of almost zero knowledge, and when I began researching, I found all the typical information on diabetes.
But then, I started going down the rabbit hole of reversing diabetes. There seemed to be a body of research that indicated it was possible. The best situation to reverse it was if you started with a low-ish a1c, lost weight immediately, and kept the weight off. Apparently this would allow the pancreas to heal in some people.
So I decided to give it a try. At diagnosis, I was 6'1" and 179lbs. This sounds like a good size for someone, but I was actually very thin with a lot of stomach fat. I began my quest to lose this fat. I was already fairly active, but I ramped up my activity levels and started Keto immediately (I wanted to lower my a1c quickly, so went the super low carb route).
Within three months, I was at my new permanent weight of 145lbs (this sounds small for someone who is 6'1", but it actually suits me perfectly), and five months after diagnosis, my a1c was 5.7.
Fast forward to the two year mark post-diagnosis (with a1c results of 5.7, 5.4, 5.3, 5.6, and 5.4 under my belt). I decided that at this point, I should probably introduce some carbs into my diet to see what happens. I increased to about 125g a day - adding healthy things like fruit, ezekiel bread, flaxseed, etc to my diet. After doing this for a few months, my a1c was 5.3.
Now, onto the big challenge. We planned an Alaskan cruise. I spent quite a while researching low carb options on cruise ships, until something flipped in my mind and I decided to not worry about my diet on the cruise.
And not worry I did. Although I didn't actively track, my best guess is that I was eating roughly 600g of carbs a day for 7 straight days (three desserts per meal (including at breakfast), high carb snacks throughout the day, hash browns, fries, chicken fingers, breaded fish, etc etc).
I don't regularly test my blood sugar levels. I never wanted the anxiety from it, but I made an exception for the cruise. Two blood draws a day, and not once over 140. In fact, not even close to 140. Was I perfect at testing? Did I test one hour after eating, and then two hours, or whatever the guidance is? No, but I got a good enough idea.
Three days after getting back from the cruise, I got my a1c done and it was 5.2 - my lowest since being diagnosed.
To summarize, in the span of a week, I ate around 4200g of carbs with no spikes and a non-diabetic a1c right after.
My theory, which some research supports - everyone has a fat level their body can tolerate. Mine apparently is not very high. And once I got rid of that fat (which I did very quickly, and before my a1c had gotten very high), my pancreas was able to heal.
In the two years or so since I got down to 145lbs, I have not been above 148lbs. True, if I gain 35lbs again, my pancreas will falter and my a1c will rise because I have diabetic genes. But having lost weight as quickly as I did, and having kept it off for as long as I have, I can apparently go through life as a mostly non-diabetic.
The diet I'm on right now - 125g of carbs a day or so, with lots of healthy things like nuts, grains, fruit, etc - is the one I'll stay on. I see no point in re-introducing cake, fries, etc.. but I have the peace of mind in knowing that I can have a slice of cake at a party, or a potato at a steak house, or nine desserts on a cruise day, and I'll probably be okay.

***Lily***
“Stupid gnome prejudice. I may not be the biggest fan of gnomes but, just because we are small doesn’t mean we can’t cause some damage.” Mogsten says as he walks over, kicks the fishman, and picks up the horn and dusts it off. “I’m hesitant to admit this since, when he regains consciousness, he will do what he could to ruin my business even more but, still, thank you Wabbajack.” He says.
“Don’t mention it Mogsten, this guy’s haggling game was all over the place.” Wabbajack responds.
“Indeed, he has no understanding of value.” Mogsten says with a smirk on his face.
“Well, unless he knew that you had about another sixty of those in the back that is.” Wabbajack says as he chuckles.
Mogsten quickly turns around as he says, “Shh. That’s a trade secret.” He then lets out an “oh ho ho” chuckle. He then looks down and yells, “Gourdsten! Clean up!”
Just like that, Gourdsten comes out from the back and drags the body off. Soon after the body disappears towards the back, Gourdsten reappears with a spray bottle, gloves, and a sponge.
“What happened to him?” I ask Mogsten.
“Don’t worry, I can’t afford a bloody reputation. He is just in stasis until the authorities get here.” Mogsten answers with.
“Stasis?” I ask.
“She really is new to all this huh? Stasis is basically freezing someone in a state of time. In this state however, while nothing can happen to them, they can’t function. Depending on the state they are in when they go under, they may be aware of the environment around them. Sometimes, certain criminals may undergo such punishment for their crimes.” Mogsten explains, looking at Wabbajack for some reason.
Mogsten then looks at me and asks, “So, did you find all the ingredients?”
I nod my head.
He then rubs his temple as he asks, “And you Really intend to go through with this?”
“There’s no other option!” I exclaim.
“Well, there are quite a few, just that they would take a LOT longer.” Wabbajack points out.
I look at him in annoyance and he responds with, “What? Just saying.”
I sigh and look at Mogsten and hand him the “ingredients”.
“Let’s see what we have. A fur scarf, a pistol, a lantern that looks like a child tried to make it, a… rubber duck. And what the world is this?” Mogsten asks pulling out the leg.
“It’s a prosthetic leg for a dragon-sized crocodile. Well, a smaller scale version at the very least.” I explain.
“Who would put a prosthetic leg on a Dragon-sized crocodile?” he asks.
“Right?” I ask in return.
He then looks back at the leg, strokes his fake beard, and says, “Well, when you put it like that, makes sense you would want to use it as an ingredient.” He then looks back at me and asks, “Are these the ingredients that you Really want to use?”
“They fit the descriptions that you gave me.” I point out.
He then looks at the ingredients again and says, “Yes… this may actually work then.”
“Come again?” I ask him.
“Well, one of the Biggest reasons, after that whole dark nature I mentioned, that this fails is that people try to influence their familiar by using ingredients that don’t inspire these feelings.” He explains.
“Because of this disconnection between the host and the familiar, that may also cause the familiar to go berserk as well.” Wabbajack then explains.
“Exactly!” Mogsten exclaims as he points towards to Wabbajack. He then looks back to me and asks, “With that in mind, are you one-Hundred percent sure that these ingredients are correct?”
I nod again and explain, “I can explain my reasons if you want.”
“No. As long as you are certain, then follow me to the back.” He says as he picks everything up again and starts waddling towards the back.
“Would you like some help?” I ask.
“No, I have to prepare everything anyways so it’s best I handle most things from here.” He explains.
Wabbajack walks past me but, I notice he is holding his banjo-thing upside-down. But, its neck is awfully long. Long enough to reach the ground and have the base be about level to his head. Which is pretty impressive since he is not that much taller than me. I want to ask about it but, I figured that is better left for later. Besides, I could probably guess that it can switch between a staff and an instrument. So, I shrug and follow them towards the back.
As I pass the flaps, I let out an audible, “Wow” because the room is massive! There is so much stock in here. I would have never guessed it from the gypsy-sized tent I see from the outside.
I guess Mogsten hears me as he says while putting the items in a pattern, “Spatial compression spell. It’s like that bag you are probably holding. It’s a pocket of space that you can mess with everything as long as it’s registered to you. Any merchant worth his salt at least attempts to lessen the target on his store to wannabe burglars. For example, there was a tannery that was completely torn apart for scrap. I hear the owner left it unattended And unlocked. I hope he can recover from that, it’s a pretty costly mistake.”
I look off towards the side and say, “Oh, I hear he is doing alright. Hehe.”
He pulls out a spray can and says while he shakes it, “That’s good.” He then starts spraying the ground.
I look over towards Wabbajack, who is standing sideways towards the thing Mogsten is working on. He has his free hand about chest level, fingers-spread, and it looks like he has a weird circle thing again like when I think I have seen him do before when he casted magic. Like when he summoned that ghost thing. I guess he is on guard duty.
I look back at Mogsten and see he is about halfway done at this point. He works fast since the design is very intricate. Now that I think about it, it looks like that circle Wabbajack has but… different. I think I remember reading about this. These must be magic circles. While they look similar, they must be different since each magic circle represents something different. Kinda like snowflakes. I can’t help but ask, “What’s that you are spraying to make that magic circle?”
“Ah, someone has been studying. It’s a mixture of compounds for creating the familiar summoning circle. I kept a few around just in case that someone managed to convince me to do this.” He explains. He then stands up and shakes it some more as he says, “I thought it was unlikely but, a smart businessman looks at every opportunity.” He then goes back to spraying and says, “Now, no offense, but mind letting me focus? I got to make sure I get this perfect. I want to lessen the margin of error as much as possible.”
“Oh! Sure. Sorry.” I say. Now that I think about it, I look towards my bag and think about what he said, “Like my bag.” I open it and it looks like a normal bag. Either it needs to be activated or it doesn’t have that spell yet. I’ll have to ask about that after we are done.
“Before I forget, leave your bandolier and bag over by Wabbajack there. We don’t want to add unnecessary items to the circle.” Mogsten says as he shakes the can again.
“Oh! Alright!” I respond. I take off my bandolier and put it down by Wabbajack.
“Don’t worry. If worse comes to worse, I’ll protect you. And come whatever may, we’ll figure out what to do next.” Wabbajack says.
I feel a little relief hearing him say that. Next thing I know, Gourdsten runs up to me with a simple white robe. “Oh, what’s this?” I ask.
“It’s a robe.” Wabbajack says.
As I look at him, annoyed, Gourdsten says, “Robe! Wear Robe!”
Mogsten then explains, “You’ll have to take off the rest of your gear as well and wear just that robe. Like I said, No unnecessary items. Only simple clothes.”
I look at the robe and say, “Oh… There is a changing room, right?”
“This way! Here, here!” Gourdsten says as he pulls my arm.
“Alright! Calm down.” I say.
I follow him to a wooden stall. “I guess I change in there, huh?” I ask.
“Yes! Correct!” Gourdsten says.
I sigh and open it up, step inside and change. Afterwards, after I step out in the robe, Gourdsten then says, “Shoes! Too!”
I look down and sigh. I then ask, “Can that wait till we get back?”
“Shoes! Shoes! He repeats.
I then puff my face in annoyance as I sit down and take off my shoes. “Happy?” I ask.
He just jumps up and down and starts walking back.
All I can think is that it’s a good thing that the floor is at least wooden. I then get up, grab my stuff, and chase after him.
As we get back, Mogsten appears out of nowhere and points behind him as he says, “Circle is done. All that is left is the blood of the subject.”
“You’re not going to slit my wrists, are you?” I ask with a meek chuckle.
“Heaven’s no!” He says as he pulls out a syringe. He then grabs my wrist under these large sleeves and asks, “On three. Ready?”
I nervously nod my head. Just as he opens his mouth, I quickly say, “Wait! Why do we need blood again?” Trying to delay the inevitable.
He looks at me and explains, “A familiar is an extension of yourself. Quite literally. In order to cement that bond, it needs the blood of the host. That bond will allow you and your familiar to share experiences but, still allow autonomy for individual thought. You can live without it but, for it to retain its presence, it needs you alive.”
“Fascinating. Mind going into more detail?” I say with a weak smile.
He then stabs the syringe into my wrist as he says, “No.”
“Ow!” I yelp.
Just like that, he pulls the syringe out and empties it out into a bowl. “Alright, here you go.” He says as he hands me the bowl.
As I stare into a small bowl of my own blood, I ask, “What am I supposed to do with this?”
“Now, You stand at the center of the circle. As I activate the circle, the blood will start sloshing around in that bowl. Do NOT let a SINGLE drop fall out until the last item is floating. When the last item does start floating, pour the blood in the center and take four steps back. Got it?” he explains.
I look over back to the circle and then look back to Mogsten and repeat, “Don’t let it spill until the last object starts floating. When it does, pour it all out and take four steps back, right?”
He nods and says, “Correct.” I think I then hear him mumble, “I can’t believe I was convinced to do this.” As he walks away.
I then take my place at the center of the circle. I am somewhat trembling at this point.
“Are you sure, you want to do this?” Mogsten asks again.
“Just do it already!” I yell back.
He lets out a sigh and starts mouthing something as he levels out his arms towards me.
I could feel the energy around me shifting and moving. I start seeing the objects that were placed start floating one by one. Slowly but surely. I then look down at the bowl and it is sloshing around. So far, not too bad. Around the time the fourth object starts floating, the blood really starts flying around to the point I have to actually adjust to make sure it doesn’t go flying out.
After a few more minutes the last object starts flying up. As soon as it stops moving, I pour the blood and take four steps back. The blood stops midair and forms a bubbling ball. It then rises up about level to my face. It stops bubbling and then a flash of blinding light envelops the room and I try to shield my eyes.
After a minute, I slowly open my eyes and lower my arms. What I see before me is something pretty weird.
It’s in the shape of a sphere with a detached fox tail. The floating tail matches the fur of the body of the “familiar”, I guess. Its fur is a golden yellow with a white tip. The body looks like it has a line down the middle, with Very sharp fangs from the top row. It has fox ears and tiny fox paws and a fox nose. It’s got lines for eyes? Either that or they are just closed. Between its ears, it has a lantern dangling from a line, kinda like an angler fish. The other side of that line looks like white gator leather and it has two tiny gator feet. As it yawns, I guess, it opens its massive mouth, showing all its fangs, top and bottom rows, and stretches its fox paws, revealing some nasty looking barbed claws. It’s only as tall as, from the floor, up to my knee.
[First] [Previous]

So I can’t find the actual picture I took of the nest before I hit it with raid and got rid of it but this is a stock picture I found on Google and I circled about the size of the nest before I got rid of it.
So I did that yesterday and I went out to water my plants and saw this huge queen yellow jacket buzzing around and a few workers. When I went out to water the plants they started buzzing around me and like diving at me so I retreated back into the house and now I’m prisoner inside because I’m afraid to go out my front door 😭
Is there a good way to get them to LEAVE. Like go away, your nest is GONE 😭

I am planning my next Disney vacation and I am looking for some opinions/insights into which resort we should stay at. For reference, it is myself and my daughter (8) traveling around April/May. We previously stayed at Art of Animation, which was great, but we wanted to move into the moderate resorts. My daughter's main interest is the pool obviously, while I am mostly focused on travel to and from the parks. I understand that CB can have long travel times with their bus system due to size but also have availability to the skyliner. I would love to hear pros and cons from those who have actually stayed!

Firstly, excuse the username. I made this account when I was premed and was tweaking about not getting into med school 🤣.
I got accepted this year and will be starting this fall.
Quick info about me: 24 M, did my undergrad in a subfield of physics and am an absolute fucking nerd about it. I love language learning too and is one of my hobbies, so if you speak a language that I don't know, I am probably in love with you already.
I'm a South Asian man (and I know this is a deal breaker for many people, so if this bothers you please continue scrolling away). I got long and thick wavy hair, beard, and wear glasses. I'm 5'11, and currently 230 lbs, but have been losing weight and made a good progress. I'm built like Hagrid lmao, but I'd be happy to exchange photos.
To continue the south Asian stereotype, I'm a virigin who's never been in a relationship simply cause I was too busy tweaking about getting into med school and studying.
I decided now that if I ever want to find love, the present is the perfect time, and not focus on studying for the rest of my life.
What I'm looking for: Please be 21 years old at least. Younger than that is a little weird for me ngl. I'd prefer if you're not above 30, however, I am not strict about this. I've never talked to older women before, so I'd consider it for sure if we vibe and are a good fit for each other.
I am also looking for someone who is passionate about succeeding in life, whatever your goals are! And you are actively putting in work! Whether it's owning your own business, or being a published author, please tell me all about it!! There is nothing more sexier to me than seeing a woman dedicated to her goals and actually working towards.
Physically, I don't really have a type. I love women of all sizes and colors, so please hmu if I am what you're looking for and you fit what I am looking for!
I prefer women in the Midwest, or at least in the US, but I am willing to consider an online LDR and hopefully be in person one day.

Hi everyone, Firstly id like to say I'm not the Dm, I'm one of the players. We're Looking for one more player to join our group of. We're looking for a fun and friendly player interested in roleplaying and all aspects of D&D. The playtime would be weekly Saturdays 10am MST for roughly 3-4 hours.
It is a 5e Homebrew world
Premise
Dear adventurers,
We will start our journey in the lands of Equanox
These lands are barren and vast, not many venture further than they need to. No one would want to pay the price for traveling in the immense heat of the deserts unless they are truly prepared for it.
Forests, vast fields of grass, and water are rare, and always fought over. Yet people here found peace, in their own cities or so it seemed. In Equanox, they call them cities, but they are as large as kingdoms to sustain the people living within the protective walls and barriers made of magic.
Magic is treasured, it is also as rare. And any city that is able to obtain a magic user is a lucky one. After all, only because of this magic are they able to comfortably live away from the never-ending, scorching heat. Where no night comes and people live from Dusk to Dawn with daylight never fading. There is only the sun in the sky, no stars, no moon. And many don't know that there could be more to the sky.
In Equanox there are seven deserts:
Auri desert
Oreen desert
Myrth desert
Sall desert
Dunes of Daron
Null or Rocky desert
Raft desert
To cross the smallest desert with a mount, it takes around half a month varying on what kind of mount it is and almost a full one on foot. [Do note the number of recourses to do that is really difficult to get. But passing strangers might take you to a place for a reasonable amount of gold.]
There are three main cities. Echos, Quan-Ma, and Goron.
There are also larger or smaller towns in their territories. They are important enough to be on the map but are by no means considered to be kingdom cities like the 3 main ones. But they are crucial to their lifeline, they bring in materials, and trade to these 3 cities. And through them, all work in unity to bring all to the capital which is not easy to enter and not many can even lay their eyes upon it.
[From normal terms Capital is something like an empire but it does not rule over all the land of Equanox, there are cities under the capital but they have their own rulers just like kingdoms do, and in their respected territory lies the stopping points that are known through the whole Equanox and without them it would be impossible to travel through the deserts. And no matter what size, they are towns. What one records on the map is what is deemed important which would be the capital, cities, and towns. Everything else is an uncharted territory.
There are also Race restrictions and most homebrew is generally not allowed but if you do have any homebrew ideas run it through the DM first.
Races within the world:
Most common ones:
Human
Tiefling
Dwarf
Halfling
Gnome
Rarley seen:
Dragonborn (here known as drake folk)
Elf (Sun or Gold elves, Wood or Emerald elves and Blue or Sapphire elves)
Half-elf
Half-orc
Satyr
Very rare:
Yuan-ti
Leonin
Lizardfolk
Deep gnome
Duergar
Drow (Purple Elves, Amethyst) (edited)
Players will be starting at level 1 and again i want to mention that the campaign will have a strong element of roleplaying so if you prefer heavy combat and a constant a dungeon crawl this may not be for you. That doesn't mean combat isn't involved. when creating a player do think of a backstory as you backstory will eventually tie into the campaign to, we're all laid back and joke around and sometimes break character, we're all here to have fun in sessions and out of sessions too. Player 1 - Half-elf paladin Player 2 - Dragonborn Cleric Player 3 - Yuan-ti artificer
There are three players and you will be our 4th and final of our group. we are all in our 20s so ideally we would like to find a player that is close to our age group. We use Discord for voice and Roll20 for our table top. Our Dm is a newer Dm so please have patience and understanding.
Lastly, we are looking for a player that will be respectful of the other people at the table. we are an LGBTQ+ friendly group and everyone is welcome. The group does not tolerate racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia or any other forms of bigotry and attacks on others will not be tolerated. Just be a nice and respectful human being.
If you are interested in joining us, please fill out this application form https://forms.gle/KViMojpt5zMjxBxS6
If you have any questions or anything I've missed out let me know in the comments and ill do my best to answer.

INTRO

• Dan John has once again released another book, and I, once again, voraciously consumed it, because Dan John could write instructions on a tube of toothpaste and I would read every single word of it. In turn, I’ll save you all the suspense of reading this full review just to say: yes, BUY Dan’s latest book, because irrespective of if you run the program(s) in it, the book itself is pure concentrated Dan John gold and absolutely worth any price tag. And, since the book JUST came out and I JUST finished reading it, I want to be clear that I am not reviewing the PROGRAM(S) in the book, but just the book itself.
  
• But I certainly see myself using what’s in the book someday.
  

WHERE AND WHAT

• To start, you can get the book here
  
• There are 3 books listed. Do yourself a favor and buy all 3, BUT, if you want the one I’m talking about, it’s the one listed “The Armor Building Formula: Bodybuilding for Real People eBook”
  
• And that, in turn, describes WHAT this book is: bodybuilding for real people. In that sense, bodybuilding does not mean “bodybuilding”: the competitive event wherein you put on posing trunks, step out on stage and get evaluated on your physique, nor is this a book to achieve the goals OF that event. This is a very classical sense of the word bodybuilding: to build one’s body, through the concentrated effort of resistance training, in order to specifically achieve an increase in the size of one’s muscles (and, ideally, muscles that are pleasing to the eyes of others). And by “Real People”, he’s referring to those of us that live in the real world and have real world obligations (work, family, school, etc) and don’t get to live the influencer lifestyle of being able to train for hours a day everyday.
  
• There’s a fair chance that YOU are a real person who is also more interested in Dan John’s bodybuilding than in “bodybuilding”, so you may find that the contents of the book appeal to you.
  

WHAT YOU GET

• Inside the book is THE Armor Building Formula, which is Dan John’s bodybuilding program that is entirely reliant on just kettlebells. Before you stop reading because you don’t have/don’t like kettlebells, there is a section with barbells too, I’ll talk about that too. But yes: you get Dan’s program in this book.
  
• “Armor Building” is here because it references an idea Dan has regarding “armor building” in the athletic sense: putting on the muscle in the right spots that allow a collision athlete to be able to handle what is thrown at them. BUT it ALSO references Dan John’s “Armor Building Complex” (ABC), which is a kettlebell complex that does a fantastic job of accomplishing this very goal of building armor. The ABC is comprised of 2 double kettlebell cleans, 1 double kettlebell press, and 3 double kettlebell front squats. It is a fantastic full body complex that hits just about everything, and can be used to absolutely blow out your lungs, finish out a kettlebell certification, get strong AND, in the case of this book, bodybuilding.
  
• The OTHER half of the Armor Building Formula is the kettlebell clean and press, with Dan providing 4 specific pressing variations to satisfy to ADHD demands of any trainee. Dan makes a compelling argument for WHY the KB Clean and Press reigns in the world of physique building, specifically referencing how a pair of big strong shoulders and well developed glutes tend to be the secret to a wonderful physique. Given my own prescription in “Chaos is the Plan”, you know I’m a fan of this philosophy.
  
• In the book, Dan details an 8 week program to follow for the Armor Building Formula. In true Dan John style, there are no prescribed weights, reps or sets: merely guidelines BUT, with an end goal in weeks 7 and 8: 30 ABCs in 30 minutes, and 100 KB clean and presses. Very similar to Mass Made Simple, you know the goal going in (squat your bodyweight for 50 reps) and you know the method: it’s on you to do the work.
  

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE

• Also contained in the book is “The Barbell Armor Building Formula”: a program that can be run with just a barbell. Dan John’s Barbell ABC is premised around 2 movements: the “continuous clean and press” and the front squat. For those of you that speak strongman, the continuous clean and press is “clean each rep and press”, as opposed to “clean and press away”, wherein you clean the weight once and then do all your presses. With this, Dan gives you 3 programs to be run sequentially for a total of 11 weeks, followed by another 8 week barbell program that includes a few more movements (curl, press, row and deadlift) which, with some breaks, totals out to 20 weeks of training.
  
• On top of THIS, Dan ALSO gives you a prescription on how to perform the ABC if you only have one kettlebell, along with what to do if you only have mixed loads (no 2 KBs of the same weight).
  
• He ALSO includes methodology on including his “Easy Strength” program into these bodybuilding programs, which I personally appreciated because it meant I wasn’t absolutely off my rocker when I combined Easy Strength with Mass Made Simple.
  
• Dan ALSO includes a few other programs in the book, one simply titled “A Bonus Program”, which requires a bit more equipment (most notably, a machine row), one of Reg Park’s programs, a sample of Frank Zane’s programming (more as an example of what the book ISN’T…but hey, it’s still there), and some helpful warm up instructions too.
  

WHAT YOU ALSO GET

• Just tons and tons of nuggets of Dan John wisdom, all on the topic of bodybuilding for sure, but also very easy to expand into the realm of for real training in general, and life as well. Dan goes into topics on warming up, cooling down, the value of walking, nutrition, the science of muscular development, historical precedents, strength standards, etc. It’s 198 pages, and they’re all pretty awesome.

WHAT COULD BE DONE BETTER?

• If you are the kind of guy that just wants someone to lay out a program for you: that’s not this book. It takes a LOT of reading to even get to the program in the first place, and once you get there, it’s in a narrative style, rather than a prescriptive style. I, personally, PREFER that manner of delivery, and, in turn, enjoyed the hell out of this book, but I know that some folks are going to get chapped about this.
  
• I’ve heard Dan speaking about this book a bunch on his podcast, and he actually almost quoted whole sections of it in answering some questions (which is awesome, because it’s like you have a printed copy of his podcast), but despite all the time and effort reading, reviewing and editing, there’s still a few typos and sentences that start and end the same (something like “lifting weights is one of the greatest ways to achieve physical transformation is lifting weights”). Given my blog (and most likely this very review) is full of these issues, I’m not one to judge, but those paying for a product might be put off by it.
  
• Some of the sections in the book are just blatant reprints of articles previously written by Dan. They’re still incredibly on topic and value added in the book, but if you’ve already read them before, it can feel like you got stiffed out of content. But, of course, that’s a GOOD thing as well: the fact I was upset there wasn’t even MORE content there means I enjoyed the hell out of it. I’ve read my fair share of books that I wished would just be over.
  
• The only thing keeping this from being a for real “all in one” manual is a lack of actual instruction on how to perform the movements in the program. Mass Made Simple contained that, which I felt was pretty awesome. In addition, I WISH Dan had released this book in 2020, for his sake and the sake of the world, because he would have made a killing giving people full on programs they could run with just some kettlebells or a barbell, and we all would have gotten a lot more jacked if we had this resource.
  

WHAT ABOUT MASS MADE SIMPLE?

• That’s the most immediate question: why would I read and follow THIS Dan John bodybuilding book and not his other one? This is just plain different from MMS, and that’s not a bad thing. MMS is another fantastic book also full of Dan John wisdom on the subject of building mass, but his audience there is less “real people” and more “real athletes”. To run that program, you have to be ready to really do some suffering and put in the work in the gym and at the table. * * You also have to be willing to set aside 6-7 weeks of your life to really dedicate yourself to the effort. In turn, I honestly like the idea of new trainees taking on MMS, because it’s a very solid gut check, recalibrates expectations of the self, and Dan does a great job walking the trainee through the entire program, to include instruction on the movements themselves.
  
• The Armor Building Formula seems far more sustainable than MMS. Dan recommends MMS be run, at most, 2x a year, whereas the ABF definitely has legs to go on for long stretches. ABF is more akin to a baseline 5/3/1 program, while MMS is more like Super Squats, if I were to employ analogy.
  

SHOULD YOU GET IT?

• Absolutely, 100%. No matter your goals or your equipment, you are sure to get something out of this book.

INTRO

• Dan John has once again released another book, and I, once again, voraciously consumed it, because Dan John could write instructions on a tube of toothpaste and I would read every single word of it. In turn, I’ll save you all the suspense of reading this full review just to say: yes, BUY Dan’s latest book, because irrespective of if you run the program(s) in it, the book itself is pure concentrated Dan John gold and absolutely worth any price tag. And, since the book JUST came out and I JUST finished reading it, I want to be clear that I am not reviewing the PROGRAM(S) in the book, but just the book itself.
  
• But I certainly see myself using what’s in the book someday.
  

WHERE AND WHAT

• To start, you can get the book here
  
• There are 3 books listed. Do yourself a favor and buy all 3, BUT, if you want the one I’m talking about, it’s the one listed “The Armor Building Formula: Bodybuilding for Real People eBook”
  
• And that, in turn, describes WHAT this book is: bodybuilding for real people. In that sense, bodybuilding does not mean “bodybuilding”: the competitive event wherein you put on posing trunks, step out on stage and get evaluated on your physique, nor is this a book to achieve the goals OF that event. This is a very classical sense of the word bodybuilding: to build one’s body, through the concentrated effort of resistance training, in order to specifically achieve an increase in the size of one’s muscles (and, ideally, muscles that are pleasing to the eyes of others). And by “Real People”, he’s referring to those of us that live in the real world and have real world obligations (work, family, school, etc) and don’t get to live the influencer lifestyle of being able to train for hours a day everyday.
  
• There’s a fair chance that YOU are a real person who is also more interested in Dan John’s bodybuilding than in “bodybuilding”, so you may find that the contents of the book appeal to you.
  

WHAT YOU GET

• Inside the book is THE Armor Building Formula, which is Dan John’s bodybuilding program that is entirely reliant on just kettlebells. Before you stop reading because you don’t have/don’t like kettlebells, there is a section with barbells too, I’ll talk about that too. But yes: you get Dan’s program in this book.
  
• “Armor Building” is here because it references an idea Dan has regarding “armor building” in the athletic sense: putting on the muscle in the right spots that allow a collision athlete to be able to handle what is thrown at them. BUT it ALSO references Dan John’s “Armor Building Complex” (ABC), which is a kettlebell complex that does a fantastic job of accomplishing this very goal of building armor. The ABC is comprised of 2 double kettlebell cleans, 1 double kettlebell press, and 3 double kettlebell front squats. It is a fantastic full body complex that hits just about everything, and can be used to absolutely blow out your lungs, finish out a kettlebell certification, get strong AND, in the case of this book, bodybuilding.
  
• The OTHER half of the Armor Building Formula is the kettlebell clean and press, with Dan providing 4 specific pressing variations to satisfy to ADHD demands of any trainee. Dan makes a compelling argument for WHY the KB Clean and Press reigns in the world of physique building, specifically referencing how a pair of big strong shoulders and well developed glutes tend to be the secret to a wonderful physique. Given my own prescription in “Chaos is the Plan”, you know I’m a fan of this philosophy.
  
• In the book, Dan details an 8 week program to follow for the Armor Building Formula. In true Dan John style, there are no prescribed weights, reps or sets: merely guidelines BUT, with an end goal in weeks 7 and 8: 30 ABCs in 30 minutes, and 100 KB clean and presses. Very similar to Mass Made Simple, you know the goal going in (squat your bodyweight for 50 reps) and you know the method: it’s on you to do the work.
  

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE

• Also contained in the book is “The Barbell Armor Building Formula”: a program that can be run with just a barbell. Dan John’s Barbell ABC is premised around 2 movements: the “continuous clean and press” and the front squat. For those of you that speak strongman, the continuous clean and press is “clean each rep and press”, as opposed to “clean and press away”, wherein you clean the weight once and then do all your presses. With this, Dan gives you 3 programs to be run sequentially for a total of 11 weeks, followed by another 8 week barbell program that includes a few more movements (curl, press, row and deadlift) which, with some breaks, totals out to 20 weeks of training.
  
• On top of THIS, Dan ALSO gives you a prescription on how to perform the ABC if you only have one kettlebell, along with what to do if you only have mixed loads (no 2 KBs of the same weight).
  
• He ALSO includes methodology on including his “Easy Strength” program into these bodybuilding programs, which I personally appreciated because it meant I wasn’t absolutely off my rocker when I combined Easy Strength with Mass Made Simple.
  
• Dan ALSO includes a few other programs in the book, one simply titled “A Bonus Program”, which requires a bit more equipment (most notably, a machine row), one of Reg Park’s programs, a sample of Frank Zane’s programming (more as an example of what the book ISN’T…but hey, it’s still there), and some helpful warm up instructions too.
  

WHAT YOU ALSO GET

• Just tons and tons of nuggets of Dan John wisdom, all on the topic of bodybuilding for sure, but also very easy to expand into the realm of for real training in general, and life as well. Dan goes into topics on warming up, cooling down, the value of walking, nutrition, the science of muscular development, historical precedents, strength standards, etc. It’s 198 pages, and they’re all pretty awesome.

WHAT COULD BE DONE BETTER?

• If you are the kind of guy that just wants someone to lay out a program for you: that’s not this book. It takes a LOT of reading to even get to the program in the first place, and once you get there, it’s in a narrative style, rather than a prescriptive style. I, personally, PREFER that manner of delivery, and, in turn, enjoyed the hell out of this book, but I know that some folks are going to get chapped about this.
  
• I’ve heard Dan speaking about this book a bunch on his podcast, and he actually almost quoted whole sections of it in answering some questions (which is awesome, because it’s like you have a printed copy of his podcast), but despite all the time and effort reading, reviewing and editing, there’s still a few typos and sentences that start and end the same (something like “lifting weights is one of the greatest ways to achieve physical transformation is lifting weights”). Given my blog (and most likely this very review) is full of these issues, I’m not one to judge, but those paying for a product might be put off by it.
  
• Some of the sections in the book are just blatant reprints of articles previously written by Dan. They’re still incredibly on topic and value added in the book, but if you’ve already read them before, it can feel like you got stiffed out of content. But, of course, that’s a GOOD thing as well: the fact I was upset there wasn’t even MORE content there means I enjoyed the hell out of it. I’ve read my fair share of books that I wished would just be over.
  
• The only thing keeping this from being a for real “all in one” manual is a lack of actual instruction on how to perform the movements in the program. Mass Made Simple contained that, which I felt was pretty awesome. In addition, I WISH Dan had released this book in 2020, for his sake and the sake of the world, because he would have made a killing giving people full on programs they could run with just some kettlebells or a barbell, and we all would have gotten a lot more jacked if we had this resource.
  

WHAT ABOUT MASS MADE SIMPLE?

• That’s the most immediate question: why would I read and follow THIS Dan John bodybuilding book and not his other one? This is just plain different from MMS, and that’s not a bad thing. MMS is another fantastic book also full of Dan John wisdom on the subject of building mass, but his audience there is less “real people” and more “real athletes”. To run that program, you have to be ready to really do some suffering and put in the work in the gym and at the table. * * You also have to be willing to set aside 6-7 weeks of your life to really dedicate yourself to the effort. In turn, I honestly like the idea of new trainees taking on MMS, because it’s a very solid gut check, recalibrates expectations of the self, and Dan does a great job walking the trainee through the entire program, to include instruction on the movements themselves.
  
• The Armor Building Formula seems far more sustainable than MMS. Dan recommends MMS be run, at most, 2x a year, whereas the ABF definitely has legs to go on for long stretches. ABF is more akin to a baseline 5/3/1 program, while MMS is more like Super Squats, if I were to employ analogy.
  

SHOULD YOU GET IT?

• Absolutely, 100%. No matter your goals or your equipment, you are sure to get something out of this book.