Hammock stand designs

Web Development Inspiration

2011.06.04 04:04 aendrew Web Development Inspiration

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2010.12.03 00:27 slanket Hammocks? My goodness, what an idea.

**WELCOME TO THE HAMMOCK DISTRICT!** Hammocks are a great lightweight alternative for ultralight campers and hikers. Also, they're *really* comfortable. [**New to hammocks? Read this.**](http://www.reddit.com/Hammocks/comments/1a7zz8/onestop_intro_to_hammocks_post/)
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2010.02.10 04:27 HomeCinema You're looking for r/hometheater

Discussion of All Things Home Cinema Things Considered NOT HOME CINEMA * Soundbars * RGB Lighting
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2024.05.21 19:11 Sweet-Count2557 Best Hotels in Fajardo Puerto Rico

Best Hotels in Fajardo Puerto Rico
Best Hotels in Fajardo Puerto Rico Are you ready for an unforgettable stay in the tropical paradise of Fajardo, Puerto Rico? Look no further! We've got you covered with the best hotels in town.From upscale resorts like El Conquistador and St. Regis Bahia Beach, to family-friendly options like Fajardo Inn, and vacation rentals at Suenos del Mar, there's something for everyone.Get ready to indulge in luxurious amenities, enjoy quality time with loved ones, and experience the beauty of Fajardo like never before.Let's dive into the best hotels in Fajardo together!Key TakeawaysUpscale resorts in Fajardo such as El Conquistador Resort and The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort offer luxurious amenities like private beach access and world-class spas.Family-friendly resorts like Fajardo Inn provide amenities specifically tailored for children, such as a playground and a separate pool area.Vacation rentals in Fajardo, like those offered by Suenos del Mar Vacation Rentals, provide a personal and flexible accommodation option with more space and privacy.Fajardo hotels prioritize safety and satisfaction, offering services like 24-hour security, attentive staff, and dedicated concierge services.Upscale Resorts in FajardoWe should consider staying at the El Conquistador Resort, The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, or Las Casitas, a Waldorf Astoria Resort, as they're the upscale resorts in Fajardo. These resorts offer a luxurious experience with top-notch amenities that ensure a safe and enjoyable stay.At El Conquistador Resort, you can indulge in upscale resort amenities such as a private beach, multiple swimming pools, and a world-class spa. The resort also offers a variety of dining options, from fine dining restaurants to casual beach bars. Nearby attractions and activities include the famous El Yunque National Forest, where you can explore lush hiking trails and breathtaking waterfalls.The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, Puerto Rico, offers a serene and exclusive tropical retreat. You can relax by the infinity-edge pool or unwind in the luxurious spa. The resort also provides access to a private beach, where you can soak up the sun or enjoy water sports activities. Nearby, you can visit the bioluminescent bay in Fajardo, a natural wonder that glows in the dark.Las Casitas, a Waldorf Astoria Resort, offers spacious villas with stunning ocean views. The resort features a private island, Palomino Island, where you can enjoy pristine beaches and water activities. Other nearby attractions include the Culebra and Vieques Islands, known for their beautiful beaches and vibrant marine life.Overall, these upscale resorts in Fajardo provide a luxurious and safe experience, with top-notch amenities and nearby attractions and activities to enhance your stay.Family-Friendly Resorts in FajardoWhile researching family-friendly resorts in Fajardo, we discovered that the Fajardo Inn is a highly recommended option for a safe and enjoyable stay. Here are three reasons why the Fajardo Inn is the perfect choice for families:Family-Friendly Amenities: The Fajardo Inn offers a wide range of amenities specifically designed for families. From a children's playground to a swimming pool with a separate area for kids, there are plenty of options to keep your little ones entertained. The resort also provides babysitting services upon request, ensuring that parents can enjoy a relaxing vacation.Nearby Attractions: Located in close proximity to popular attractions, the Fajardo Inn allows families to easily explore the beauty of Fajardo. You can take a short drive to the stunning Seven Seas Beach, where you can swim, snorkel, or simply relax on the pristine sands. The resort is also a convenient starting point for excursions to the famous Bioluminescent Bay, where you can witness the mesmerizing glow of the water.Safety: Safety is a top priority at the Fajardo Inn. The resort features 24-hour security, ensuring a secure environment for you and your family. Additionally, the staff is friendly and attentive, always ready to assist with any concerns or needs you may have.With its family-friendly amenities, proximity to nearby attractions, and commitment to safety, the Fajardo Inn is an excellent choice for families seeking a memorable vacation experience.Now, let's explore the option of vacation rentals in Fajardo.Vacation Rentals in FajardoLooking for a more personal and flexible accommodation option in Fajardo? Consider vacation rentals in Fajardo, like Suenos del Mar Vacation Rentals.With a variety of properties to choose from, vacation rentals offer the freedom to create your own schedule and enjoy a home away from home.However, it's important to consider the pros and cons, pricing and availability, as well as customer satisfaction ratings when making your decision.Pros and ConsAlthough vacation rentals in Fajardo offer more space and privacy, they may lack the amenities and services found in traditional hotels. However, staying in Fajardo hotels has its own pros and cons that are worth considering. Let's explore the top amenities offered at Fajardo accommodations:Luxurious Spa Facilities: Indulge in relaxation and rejuvenation with a variety of spa treatments and services offered at many hotels in Fajardo. From massages to facials, these amenities provide a perfect way to unwind after a day of exploring.On-Site Restaurants: Fajardo hotels boast a range of dining options, from casual cafes to fine dining establishments. Enjoy delectable cuisine and convenient dining experiences without having to venture far from your room.Concierge Services: Need assistance with planning activities, making reservations, or arranging transportation? Many Fajardo hotels offer dedicated concierge services to ensure a seamless and stress-free vacation experience.With these amenities, Fajardo hotels provide a comfortable and convenient stay, prioritizing the safety and satisfaction of their guests.Pricing and AvailabilityWe found an amazing vacation rental in Fajardo that offers competitive pricing and availability for our desired travel dates. This rental, Suenos del Mar Vacation Rentals, provides a range of options to suit different budgets and preferences. Here is a pricing comparison and availability options table to help you make an informed decision:PropertyPrice per NightAvailabilitySuenos del Mar Vacation Rentals$150AvailableEl Conquistador Resort$300LimitedFajardo Inn$100AvailableLas Casitas, A Waldorf Astoria Resort$500LimitedThe St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, Puerto Rico$400LimitedAs you can see, Suenos del Mar Vacation Rentals offers competitive pricing and is currently available for your desired travel dates. Now, let's move on to customer satisfaction ratings to ensure a memorable and enjoyable stay.Customer Satisfaction RatingsBased on the customer satisfaction ratings, most vacation rentals in Fajardo have received positive reviews for their quality and service. People have praised the excellent customer service quality and attention to detail provided by the rental owners and managers. They've also appreciated the cleanliness and well-maintained condition of the properties.The vacation rentals offer a comfortable and cozy atmosphere, making guests feel at home during their stay. The amenities provided are also top-notch, including fully equipped kitchens, spacious living areas, and beautiful outdoor spaces.The positive reviews highlight the convenience and value for money offered by these vacation rentals. With such positive feedback, it's no wonder that these vacation rentals are a popular choice among travelers.Now, let's explore some budget accommodations in Luquillo that offer great value without compromising on quality and service.Budget Accommodations in LuquilloOne option for budget accommodations in Luquillo is Casa Coral, which offers affordable rates and a convenient location near the beach. Casa Coral is a cozy guesthouse that provides a safe and comfortable stay for travelers on a budget. With its affordable rates and proximity to the beach, it is a popular choice for those looking to enjoy the sun and sand without breaking the bank.To give you a better idea of what Casa Coral has to offer, here is a pricing comparison table for some other accommodation options in Luquillo:AccommodationAverage Nightly RateProximity to BeachNearby AttractionsCasa CoralAffordableNearLuquillo Beach, El Yunque ForestOcean Pearl InnModerateNearLuquillo Beach, El Yunque ForestLuquillo Beach GetawayModerateNearLuquillo Beach, El Yunque ForestAs you can see, Casa Coral offers affordable rates compared to other options in the area. It is conveniently located near the beach, allowing guests to easily access the beautiful shores of Luquillo. Additionally, nearby attractions such as Luquillo Beach and El Yunque Forest are just a short distance away, providing guests with plenty of opportunities for outdoor adventures.Overall, Casa Coral is a great choice for budget-conscious travelers who want to enjoy a safe and comfortable stay in Luquillo. With its affordable rates and proximity to the beach and nearby attractions, it offers a great value for your money.Apartment-Style Stays in LuquilloLooking for a comfortable and convenient apartment-style stay in Luquillo? Look no further than Luquillo Beach Getaway and The Surfing Turtle Inn.These two options offer spacious and well-equipped apartments, perfect for a relaxing beach vacation. With their prime locations and amenities, they provide the ideal base for exploring the beautiful beaches and attractions of Luquillo.Luquillo Beach GetawayWe really enjoyed our stay at Luquillo Beach Getaway. The apartment-style accommodations were comfortable and had a great view of the beach.The pros of staying at Luquillo Beach Getaway include the following:Affordable pricing: Luquillo Beach Getaway offers competitive rates for its apartment-style accommodations, making it a budget-friendly option for travelers.Availability: We had no trouble finding availability at Luquillo Beach Getaway, even during peak travel seasons. The property offers a range of room options to suit different needs.However, there are a few cons to consider when staying at Luquillo Beach Getaway:Limited amenities: While the accommodations were comfortable, the property lacks some of the luxury amenities found in upscale resorts.Crowded beach: The beach in front of Luquillo Beach Getaway can get crowded, especially on weekends and holidays.Noise from nearby establishments: There are some bars and restaurants nearby, which may result in occasional noise during the evenings.Overall, Luquillo Beach Getaway provides a safe and affordable option for travelers looking for apartment-style accommodations with a beautiful beach view.Surfing Turtle InnWe heard that the Surfing Turtle Inn offers spacious apartment-style accommodations just a short walk away from the beach. It sounds like the perfect place to stay for a relaxing and enjoyable vacation in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. The inn provides a comfortable and safe environment for guests, with all the necessary amenities for a pleasant stay. The Surfing Turtle Inn also offers convenient transportation options to nearby attractions, making it easy to explore the area.Here is a table highlighting some of the key features of the Surfing Turtle Inn:FeaturesDescriptionAccommodationsSpacious apartment-style roomsLocationShort walk away from the beachAmenitiesAll necessary amenities provided for a comfortable stayTransportationConvenient options available for exploring nearby attractionsSafetyEmphasis on providing a secure and welcoming environment for guestsOverall, the Surfing Turtle Inn offers a great option for those seeking a comfortable and safe stay near the beach in Fajardo.Apartment-Style Property in FajardoChalet San Pedro in Fajardo offers apartment-style accommodations for a comfortable and convenient stay. Our property features spacious and well-appointed apartments that provide a home away from home experience.Here are three reasons why Chalet San Pedro is the perfect choice for your stay in Fajardo:Room amenities: Our apartments are equipped with all the amenities you need for a comfortable stay. From fully equipped kitchens and cozy living areas to private balconies and free Wi-Fi, we ensure that your stay with us is enjoyable and convenient.Nearby attractions: Chalet San Pedro is located close to some of Fajardo's most popular attractions. Explore the beautiful beaches of Seven Seas or take a boat tour to the stunning bioluminescent bay. With our convenient location, you can easily explore all that Fajardo has to offer.Safety: Your safety is our top priority. We've implemented strict safety measures to ensure the well-being of our guests. Our property is secure and well-maintained, providing a safe and comfortable environment for your stay.With its excellent room amenities, proximity to nearby attractions, and commitment to safety, Chalet San Pedro is the ideal choice for your apartment-style stay in Fajardo.Now, let's move on to discuss another popular hotel in Luquillo.Popular Hotel in LuquilloI can't wait to hear about the popular hotel in Luquillo and what makes it so special.When it comes to finding the perfect hotel in Luquillo, the Ocean Pearl Inn is a top choice for many travelers. This charming hotel offers a safe and comfortable stay, making it ideal for those who prioritize their safety. The Ocean Pearl Inn is known for its excellent amenities and friendly staff, ensuring a pleasant and enjoyable experience for all guests.One of the standout features of this popular hotel is its convenient location. Situated in the heart of Luquillo, it's just a stone's throw away from nearby attractions such as the beautiful Luquillo Beach and the El Yunque National Forest. Whether you're looking to soak up the sun or explore the natural wonders of Puerto Rico, the Ocean Pearl Inn puts you in the perfect position to do so.In terms of transportation options, the hotel offers easy access to public transportation, allowing guests to conveniently explore the surrounding areas. Additionally, the Ocean Pearl Inn provides a shuttle service to popular tourist spots, making it even easier for guests to navigate their way around Luquillo.Overall, the Ocean Pearl Inn stands out as a popular hotel in Luquillo due to its exceptional amenities, convenient location, and transportation options. Whether you're seeking relaxation or adventure, this hotel is sure to provide a memorable and safe stay for all guests.Frequently Asked QuestionsAre There Any All-Inclusive Resorts in Fajardo or Luquillo?Yes, there are all-inclusive resorts in Fajardo and Luquillo. These resorts offer a variety of amenities and services included in the price, such as meals, drinks, and recreational activities.Some pros of staying at an all-inclusive resort include convenience and the ability to budget your expenses. However, it's important to consider the specific offerings of each resort and read customer reviews to ensure it meets your preferences.In Fajardo and Luquillo, guests can enjoy activities like snorkeling, kayaking, and exploring the beautiful beaches.How Far Are the Hotels in Fajardo From Popular Tourist Attractions Like El Yunque National Forest or the Bioluminescent Bay?When it comes to the distance from Fajardo hotels to popular tourist attractions like El Yunque National Forest or the bioluminescent bay, it's important to consider convenience and accessibility.Many hotels in Fajardo offer guided tours to El Yunque National Forest, allowing guests to explore the beauty of the rainforest without worrying about transportation.Additionally, Fajardo is known for its stunning beaches and snorkeling spots, which are just a short distance away from most hotels.Are Pets Allowed in Any of the Hotels or Vacation Rentals in Fajardo or Luquillo?Pet friendly accommodations in Fajardo and Luquillo offer a range of options for travelers with furry friends. Some hotels and vacation rentals in both areas allow pets, but it's important to check with each property for specific policies and fees.When traveling with pets in Puerto Rico, it's recommended to bring essential items like food, water, and bedding, as well as keeping them on a leash and cleaning up after them. Safety is a top priority when bringing pets on vacation.Do Any of the Accommodations Offer Shuttle Services to and From the Airport?Yes, some accommodations in Fajardo and Luquillo offer shuttle services to and from the airport. These services provide convenient transportation for travelers, ensuring a stress-free arrival and departure.Additionally, these accommodations are located close to popular attractions, allowing guests to easily explore the surrounding area.With shuttle service availability and proximity to nearby attractions, these hotels and vacation rentals provide a safe and convenient option for travelers visiting Fajardo and Luquillo.Are There Any Hotels or Vacation Rentals That Offer Special Packages or Discounts for Extended Stays or Large Groups?There are several hotels and vacation rentals in Fajardo, Puerto Rico that offer special deals for extended stays or discounts for large groups. These packages can help save money and make your stay more enjoyable.Whether you're looking for a luxurious resort or a budget-friendly option, there are accommodations available to suit your needs.It's always a good idea to check with each property directly to inquire about their current offers and availability.ConclusionIn conclusion, Fajardo in Puerto Rico offers a variety of amazing hotels to suit every traveler's needs.From upscale resorts like El Conquistador and St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, to family-friendly options like Fajardo Inn, and cozy vacation rentals like Suenos del Mar, there's something for everyone.And if you're looking for budget-friendly accommodations, Casa Coral in nearby Luquillo is a great choice.With so many options, you're sure to find the perfect place to stay and create unforgettable memories in this tropical paradise.Did you know that Fajardo has an average of 300 days of sunshine each year? So you can enjoy the beautiful beaches and outdoor activities all year round!
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2024.05.21 19:10 NoUnderstanding7116 My Very Honest Review For The Manga: Kaiju No. 8

My Very Honest Review For The Manga: Kaiju No. 8
Kaiju No. 8 Review:
With the Kaiju Genre being more relevant as days goes by, I would like to give my very honest opinion regarding the latest installment to this genre itself titled Kaiju No. 8. A story of a middle aged man named Kafka Hibino, wanting to be a part of a Kaiju hunting organization and fulfill his promise to a childhood friend who unfortunately for him, failed and found himself in a more suitable position as a kaiju cleaner instead due to the lack of talent needed to actually become a kaiju exterminator. But ofc, one day, it changed after Kafka swallowed what seemed to be a small parasitic Kaiju which granted him raw power in unimaginable proportions. Superhuman speed, strength, durability and other useful abilities that now gave him the possibility to reach his goal. With all said and done, let's begin.
First and foremost, I actually think that Kaiju No. 8 is very mediocre. To explain that, I believe there are three major reasons as to why I feel that way. Which is:
  1. The Lack of Identity
This anime honestly, lacks anything special to have it stand out compared to it's other competitors. What I'm saying is that Kaiju No.8 simply is just a combination of every generic tropes seen in other hunting anime or anime in general. Whether it'd be plot, setting, characters, tone or power system.. this anime doesn't have anything to make a name of itself. There's nothing this anime offers that feels special or memorable. For example, an underdog who ate something to gain a powerful ability which said ability harnessing the power of the antagonistic force, a badass tsundere loli so talented and motivated by daddy issues, the design of their uniforms, the demon slayer centric numbered techniques being spoken every single time during battle, the monsters roaming in their world, the deuteragonist with superior raw talent etc.
Even though having very common tropes is bad, the reason why other competitors such as Chainsaw Man and Jujutsu Kaisen were successful is because they have something interesting offered only in their anime itself. Chainsaw Man has a very consistent uncanny tone present in their story. Such as their lose screws characters, tragic backstories that they presented very eerily instead of sympathetically, the design of their characters, it's protagonist, the tone, the setting and it's antagonist. Calling Chainsaw Man edgy is an understatement, what it offers visually and story wise is always engaging due to the present identity shown in the series. While JJK on the other hand, even though I find it to be extremely overrated, at least the series made name for it's complex and highly detailed power system and even the monsters roaming in their world are called Curses or Cursed Spirits which I find to be cool, because it uses better words unlike basic terms like "Demons" for Demon Slayer or "Devils" in Chainsaw Man. Fire Force, another decent anime, didn't fail in creating distinctive uniforms that are easily recognizable and cool at the same time.
  1. Weak Story & Plot
While being generic is one thing, being weak is another. Not to be confused with it. The story in my humble opinion is very weak. The protagonist lacks any strong motivations (unless you consider being a simp is), the plot is very predictable, the villains felt underdeveloped and their very generic designs isn't helping either (Kaiju No. 9 respectively). They lack depth and the power system is incredibly basic. Hell, even the way our protagonist Kafka got it's powers felt incredibly lazy it's actually CRAZY. At least Midoriya had some sort of story which prompted All Might to see him as his successor and gave his hair, while Yuji eating Sukuna's fingers was a good setup for the villain and continued to stay relevant moving forward but Kafka, he was laying on his bed until suddenly ate a parasitic looking kaiju and BOOM! got his powers. It was absolutely lazy. What was that insane power granting parasitic Kaiju doing there how did it even got there? We don't know. Did it stayed relevant or mentioned onwards? No, surprisingly. Did the characters tried to investigate for positive and better purposes? No. It was a one time thing and wasn't even explored at all. It just served to be the main characters turning point in anime itself.
This last one is more of a Kaiju fan problem, which I'll address below:
  1. A Misleading "Kaiju" Genre
Being a kaiju fan, a genre that's not very popular compared to others, including superheroes or anime shounen, I always get excited whenever this genre I believe we love so much got an announced project. Whether it be animation, comics or films.. Let's just say we all love it especially if it's outside Godzilla in general. So during the end 2022, I stumbled upon Kaiju No. 8. Found it watching on the GOAT himself Dangerville for posting about this anime being in production. After watching that video, I quickly indulge myself with it's manga. Hoping a great kaiju centered series only to be a bit disappointed, because it doesn't even remotely felt like a kaiju genre at all. Aside from the monster's forgettable designs and lack of kaiju classification (even if it does have that, I didn't actually remembered it), this series is more a shounen (despite the 30 year old protagonist) hunting anime no different than Demon Slayer, JJK, CSM, Fire Force, etc.
Regardless, despite kaijus being present in their world. The anime's term for "Kaiju" is not the same as our's. The biggest villain is dubbed Kaiju No. 9, is actually a human sized humanoid that can talk. Some of the kaijus shown are literally a carbon copy of one said character but with black eyes and dark colour scheme to give an antagonistic vibe. The most focused threats aren't even kaiju at all, Kaiju No. 10 is also another decently large kaiju only to become a weapon and help one the heroes combat the villains afterwards (reminiscent to that of Venom and Eddie Brock). Basically, despite the word kaiju in it's title, it simply is not a kaiju genre. The "kaijus" aren't really kaijus, they don't function or act like one, at least the bigger more focused existential threats that challenges our heroes aren't kaijus at all.
The Positives:
Despite my take for Kaiju No. 8 seems very harsh, there's still good things about it, and for me personally:
  1. No outright terrible Decisions
You must be thinking, what in the actual f*ck does that mean? I literally wrote a long essay complaining about it. Well, by this statement, I meant that this anime has no actual decisions that's outright ruining the series. The only bad thing about Kaiju No. 8 stems from only having no unique additions to the series itself, but they don't have actual bad decisive moments either. To better understand it, here's some example: Invincible ruining Amber's characterization by making her a toxic person in season 1 with that famous sentence, JJK having Gojo being very OP only to have him poorly handled later on, multiple attempts of Marvel being Woke in their recent projects and most famously known in this community, killing off Bryan Cranston's character in the 1st act of the movie Godzilla 2014. Kaiju No. 8 has none of that. No terrible decisions and even if it does, it's probably not that critical at all. The executions were just good and there was not a single moment that made you feel like there was a missed opportunity.
  1. Kaiju No. 8 Design
Despite my gripes with the design of their suites and kaijus or other things such as characters, weapons, etc.. I thought the Kaiju No. 8 design itself was really cool. The face is distinctive, I like how it's not just playing with colours and there were major changes in his body physically. The skin and the exposed kaiju like muscle anatomy were really cool (Up there with my favourite anime transformations including Gear 4th Snakeman and Cosmic Garou.)
Conclusion:
I believe Kaiju No. 8 is a pretty good series. It does all thing's right, just not spectacularly. Doesn't feel like a Kaiju genre personally but still somewhat enjoyable to watch. Do I recommend this? Personally no, but I can see most people besides me enjoy it so probably yeah. With this I score it: 7/10.
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2024.05.21 18:37 WabbajackedWacko Adventures with an Interdimensional Psychopath 40

***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.
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submitted by WabbajackedWacko to HFY [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 18:37 layyablue Biggest capacity air fryer?

If you're looking for the largest capacity air fryer currently available, the GoWISE USA GW44800-O Deluxe Air Fryer Oven stands out with its substantial 12.7-quart capacity. This model is highly versatile, featuring 15 built-in preset functions and the ability to dehydrate, making it suitable for large families and groups. It also comes with a built-in rotisserie, allowing you to cook whole roasts and chickens, along with multiple rack levels for cooking different items simultaneously​.
Another notable large-capacity air fryer is the Instant Vortex Plus XL, which offers a spacious 10-quart capacity. This model is praised for its multi-functionality, capable of air frying, roasting, broiling, baking, reheating, and dehydrating. It's well-suited for families and those who enjoy hosting gatherings​.
For a combination of large capacity and advanced features, the Cosori Air Fryer Max XL is a popular choice with a 5.8-quart capacity. It's designed with a large rectangular basket, which provides more cooking space than many other models with similar quart sizes. This model is particularly noted for its ease of use and efficient cooking performance​​.
These models provide a range of options depending on your specific needs, from maximum capacity to multifunctional features and ease of use.
submitted by layyablue to AirFryerPlus [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 18:32 BlazingBamboo Looking for feedback on my shop!

Hey everyone I have been selling on Etsy since 2022 but it was low effort digital downloads and made about 30 sales from that, just some context so it doesn’t look like I have more sales than I actually do 😆
——————-
I am a graphic design student at university and in my free time I love to make posters and have been uploading them to Etsy, I have my own printer and create, produce and distribute all the designs independently!
I have really been trying hard with it all since late February and I’m very happy with the results so far I have made 20 sales and £165 with a 1.8% conversion rate. These are all things I want to try really hard to improve on, this has been one of the most enjoyable hobbies for me and I love the feeling of people wanting to pay and hang up art that I have created!
I have done lots of experiment with different forms of advertising and ultimately been breaking even, which for now is something I am totally okay with as it’s not losing money and giving me valuable information.
Things I need help with -
• my seo, I am doing the best that I can but it’s something I am really struggling with, I feel like there are only so many different tags and keywords I can use for posters. My silly goose poster is by far my best seller
• I believe that I stand out from my competition as I am offering physical products that I have printed myself as opposed to purely digital stores
Sorry this is a lot of words, if anyone can help out my shop is called TCOgraphics
(https://tcographics.etsy.com)
submitted by BlazingBamboo to EtsySellers [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 18:27 kadenjahusk Need advice: How to improve my DMing and a request for suggestions

I have a long-standing TTRPG group and we've been on a bit of a break from our Cyberpunk Red game after a big climactic session. Now, we have been discussing getting back into the swing of things and I'm starting to rev my Cyberpunk GMing back up, starting with a small time-skip and calling it a "season 2" with a chance for players to switch out characters if they want.
I've spoken to the players and I had a couple things I want to improve about my GMing and how I run the system to provide an even better and more cyberpunk-y experience. I had a few things I wanted to do/improve and I was curious if there are any good suggestions out there. Note: This is a virtual campaign that we play through Foundry.
The topics I could use some help with are as follows:
Better bookkeeping strats and tools. I have struggled particularly with tracking time/days. What sort of tools have you employed to make calendar and time tracking easier? General bookkeeping advice is also helpful!
Making the economy of scarcity fun. This campaign has been my first time running Cyberpunk Red and one thing that I failed to understand until a good bit into the game was the limit on being able to find items above 100eb easily. My group doesn't have a fixer so my biggest challenge has been how to make finding things in this economy fun and interesting without it just being a drag through procedure for the purpose of maintaining the setting. I'll take any and all suggestions in this.
Good quick-reference sheets or digital GM screens. The core book's layout is a mess, making rules reference a literal nightmare, even with a digital PDF and word searches. I have a good cheat sheet for combat but I was wondering if anyone could point me to similar sheets for things like how the economy works, key info regarding the city zones, things that can affect skill checks, etc.
Any general tips or tricks. I'm interested in challenges and solutions you all have encountered in your own games!
and here are a couple hangups that are more specific to my campaign:
Better ways to engage a Nomad. I want to better engage our nomad in a very city-centric game. Specifically, the player expressed interest in more vehicle-related encounters. Up to this point, outside of one highway chase the nomad's vehicles have mainly been used to ferry the group around. I'm not looking necessarily for big setpieces. Even smaller, more common ways to make having the vehicle be engaging would probably go a long way here. Also, what are some interesting ways I can try and integrate the nomad's family into the game that's more than just "where the vehicles come from"? I have a few named NPCs but outside of a few small conversations there hasn't been much and it's only been with the Nomad player.
Sniper rifle encounters that aren't just for snipers. One player (also the nomad) has a sniper rifle as a main weapon but there haven't been situations where it's been utilized. How could one go about designing situations where a sniper is useful, but the other players also get some engagement?
Any and all advice or suggestions are appreciated!
submitted by kadenjahusk to cyberpunkred [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 18:27 RodjaJP The binding of Major Montana

The binding of Major Montana
My friends, it has often been said that I like The Binding of Isaac.
My friends, I like TBOI...
No, friends, I love TBOI!
I love hard mode.
I love normal mode.
I love greed mode.
I love daily runs, challenges.
I love alt path and victory laps.
Runs through the Basement, in the Cellar, in the Caves, in the Depths, in the Womb, through Sheol, in the Chest, on the Void, in the Corpse, I love every moment of gameplay that can occur in this game.
I love blasting enemies to bits with well-placed bombs that clear entire rooms.
My heart leaps with joy whenever a mini-boss is obliterated and drops a precious item. And there is nothing like a well-timed Brimstone laser carving through a horde of foes. And the feeling that comes when Isaac barely dodges a bullet storm, only to land the final blow on a boss, is such an exquisite feeling. Like when a fresh run picks up Polyphemus and steamrolls through enemies. It moves me deep within my heart to watch a newly unlocked character wrecking havoc in a room full of champions.
The sight of hearts, coins, and keys scattering across the floor is an irresistible pleasure. And there is nothing more thrilling than the sounds made by bosses as they explode into a shower of tears, blood, and treasure!
When a swarm of enemies makes their final stand in a 2x2 room, only to be vanquished by a well-aimed Mom’s Knife... I'm in ecstasy.
I love it when my characters are overpowered by late-game. It's so exhilarating to see rooms that were supposed to be hard, becoming gauntlets of death, their monstrous inhabitants dying the moment I walk in.
I love to be challenged by the harshest difficulty levels and the toughest runs. The struggle as Isaac navigates through bullet hell, dodging shots and making every move count.
Gentlemen... All I ask for is a run, a run so intense as to make even the most seasoned players tremble. Gentlemen, I ask you as fellow ballers what is it that you really want? Do you wish for further challenge as I do? Do you wish for a merciless, agonizing run? A run whose difficulty is built with randomness, skill, and luck? Do you ask for a run to sweep in like a storm, leaving no room for error and demanding perfection!?
"We ball, we ball, we ball, we ball, we ball, we ball"
...Very well. Then a baller run is what you shall have. We are a dedicated community, ready to face all the horrors and joys this game throws at us.
But... After enduring countless hours in the depths of these floors, for us, a simple "ordinary" run will no longer be sufficient.
We need a MASSIVE challenge! A game beyond any other that the roguelike genre has ever known!
We are but a single community... The remnants of countless defeated runs numbering in the thousands. However, I believe that each of you seasoned players is equal to a thousand casual gamers! We represent a force that could easily tackle an army of lesser games!
It is time for them to awaken the ones who designed these challenges, and who now observe us from afar. Let's remind them of what we are! We will remind them of what it feels like to be immersed in true challenge. We will remind them of the joy our victories bring and the despair of our losses.
We will remind them that there are more challenges between the Basement and the Void than are dreamt of in their design documents.
Our community of dedicated players is going to conquer every challenge this game presents.
Yes, my friends! Soon, our synergies will illuminate the GPU!
I have brought you all together just as I promised I would. Back to our favorite game. Back to our beloved Isaac!
...At last, the real challenge begins. Attention, all fans of The Binding of Isaac! This is a message from your fellow player.
...Friends... let’s ball.
https://preview.redd.it/t2rsojcj2t1d1.png?width=2220&format=png&auto=webp&s=7fb7bc10af4c532a4fa564d798e4e9cef789e8fd
submitted by RodjaJP to bindingofisaac [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 18:22 AmeliaSha Step Into the Future with Lumina’s Exclusive Airdrop: Grab Your Share of $LUM Tokens!

Step Into the Future with Lumina’s Exclusive Airdrop: Grab Your Share of $LUM Tokens!
https://preview.redd.it/w2p4s1432t1d1.jpg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5084caea1104bcdc8854c0b02dca5b36da57bac1
Lumina is your next-generation platform, set to make the cross-chain transaction experience better by improving security, user interaction, and bringing sustainable yields. Today, we're thrilled to announce our upcoming airdrop campaign! Starting May 17th, participants can join our community channels, engage with our content, and stand a chance to receive rewards in $LUM tokens.

What is Lumina?

Lumina is a blockchain platform designed to streamline and secure the process of cross-chain transactions. It addresses common challenges such as the need for different tokens across various bridges by introducing a universal token system. This simplifies the trading and management of digital assets, making the process more efficient and user-friendly. The platform's approach not only reduces the complexity associated with managing multiple tokens but also enhances overall transaction fluidity across different blockchain environments.
On the security front, Lumina adopts a unique strategy, a shift from the traditional method of storing all assets in a single contract—a practice that often exposes them to higher risks of theft. By distributing assets across several smaller, secured contracts, Lumina significantly reduces the chances of large-scale breaches. Additionally, the platform’s economic model is built on sustainable practices; it generates yields through real utility-based subscriptions and memberships.
The $LUM token serves several critical functions within the Lumina ecosystem, helping Lumina reach its goals of improving security, streamlining usability, and ensuring economic sustainability in cross-chain transactions.
  • Utility and Access: $LUM is designed as a utility token that facilitates various activities on the Lumina platform. It is used to pay for services, access premium features, and cover transaction fees within the ecosystem. This broad utility encourages widespread adoption and continuous use, increasing the token’s intrinsic value as the platform grows.
  • Incentivization: Lumina uses $LUM to incentivize and reward users for their engagement and participation. This includes airdrops, participation in governance through voting, and rewards for using specific features on the platform. Such incentives help foster a robust and active community, crucial for the platform's long-term success.
  • Governance: Holding $LUM tokens grants users a say in the governance of the Lumina platform. Token holders can vote on various proposals that shape the platform’s development, operational changes, and feature additions. This decentralized governance model encourages a democratic approach to decision-making and aligns with the ethos of blockchain technology.
  • Economic Stability: $LUM is integral to maintaining the economic stability of the Lumina platform. Through its utility in transactions and fees, it helps sustain the platform's operations and secures the necessary funds for ongoing development and scaling efforts.

Airdrop Details

The airdrop campaign features a total reward pool valued at $10,000 worth of $LUM tokens.

Token Details

  • Token Name: Lumina Token
  • Ticker: $LUM
Airdrop bot link: https://t.me/Lumina_AirdropBot

Rewards

  • Participation Reward: Each of the 750 randomly selected participants will receive $10 worth of $LUM tokens.
  • Referral Reward: The top 125 referrers will receive $20 worth of $LUM tokens each

Steps to Complete

To participate in the Lumina airdrop, individuals must complete the following steps:
  1. Join the Telegram Community: Participants need to become members of the Lumina Telegram group.
  2. Join the Discord Server: Similar to Telegram, joining the Discord server is required.
  3. Follow and Engage on Social Media:
    • Follow Lumina on their specified social media platform (usually Twitter or similar).
    • Like and retweet the pinned post about the airdrop.
    • Tag three friends in the retweet to help spread the word.
    • Submit Wallet Address: Participants must share their wallet address where the $LUM tokens will be sent. This is crucial as it ensures the rewards are delivered to the correct account.
submitted by AmeliaSha to Lumina_Official [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 18:07 Empty-Lecture-5857 GOP's War on Voting Rights: A Shameful Attack on Democracy

Their efforts to suppress voter turnout, gerrymander districts, and restrict access to the ballot box are a blatant assault on our democracy. These tactics are designed to maintain power at the expense of fair and equitable representation. We must stand up for our right to vote and fight for every voice to be heard. #ProtectOurRightToVote #DemocracyUnderThreat #EveryVoteCounts
submitted by Empty-Lecture-5857 to masters_ATCP_test [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 18:07 Empty-Lecture-5857 The GOP's Fear-Mongering Machine

They've mastered the art of division and fear, exploiting the anxieties of their base to distract from their own failures. Their rhetoric is designed to pit Americans against each other, to create a climate of distrust and animosity. We must stand against this divisive rhetoric and choose unity and compassion. #LoveNotHate #UnityOverDivision #RejectFearMongering
submitted by Empty-Lecture-5857 to masters_ATCP_test [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 18:07 Empty-Lecture-5857 The GOP's Attack on LGBTQ+ Rights

Their policies and rhetoric are designed to marginalize and discriminate against LGBTQ+ individuals. They've rolled back protections and attacked LGBTQ+ rights at every turn. It's time to stand up for equality and justice for all. #LGBTQRights #LoveIsLove #EqualityForAll
submitted by Empty-Lecture-5857 to masters_ATCP_test [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 18:03 iAmScallywag [Online][5e][Wednesday 7pm CST][LBGTQ+ Friendly] Players Wanted for Short Campaign in Homebrew World

Hi! First and foremost, thanks for your interest and I apologize in advance for how long this is, I like to be thorough. I want to start this off with some important things regarding playing at my digital table. My games are all inclusive both OOC and IC, that means both the players and the inhabitants of the game world will be varied. There will be cultural and ethnic diversity, there will be people with physical disabilities, there will be LBGTQ+ characters, the game may very well (see: likely) explore mental health, gender identity, and any number of things. My games are a safe place and I take that promise very seriously. I cannot stress this enough; bigotry of any kind will not be tolerated. There won’t be a warning, there won’t be a compromise, you’ll be out of the game, period. If you can’t manage this, then please save everyone some time and just don’t read further.
Now with that said, let’s discuss the beautiful game of D&D and this campaign and how I DM my games. My games are presented less as a static sequence of events and more of threads in the world that can be followed in any order. In a shorter campaign like this one there has to be a little more structure than a longer campaign, but this is not a railroad. Whatever ending we find to this campaign, we will find it together. Whether that’s the traditional fight the BBEG, talk them down, or join their side and plunge the world into chaos, it’s all on the table.
This campaign is set in the homebrew world that I have created and in truth I am using the campaign to explore individual parts of the world and hopefully expand upon the lore, add new NPCs, sure up any shortcomings, etc. Not because I’m publishing an adventure or anything, just because I really enjoy worldbuilding and having player choices affect the world going forward.
I like to incorporate backstories into the plot, I want everyone to have a chance to really feel a part of the story, not just along for the ride. This is also limited in a shorter campaign like this, but we can work together to give you something to identify with in this world. Whether it be directly connected to a figure in your backstory or just incorporating a theme or dynamic that resonates with your character, let’s find a way. If you give me something to work with, I promise I will find a way. This is a collaborative story, let’s create something hauntingly beautiful together.
There will be a session 0 to go over lines and veils, character creation, as well as just getting comfortable with one another. If there is a need for it to go over additional character creation, getting more acquainted with one another, or anything else we can also have a session 0.5. The point is that we are all comfortable when we begin play. Without any further ado, let’s finally get to the campaign details!
Campaign: Homebrew
System: D&D 5e
Players Needed: I already have some players, looking for 3-4 more.
Ratio: My games tend to lean more towards the RP heavy side of things though I do mix in combat. There are very few potential combat encounters that can't be solved in another way via talking, parlaying, or creativity. The amount of combat is dependent on the group as a whole. I would say in terms of planned potential combat that it will be a 60:40 or even 70:30 lean towards RP.
Scheduling: Bi-Weekly Wednesday 7pm-11pm CST, for 6-12 sessions. There is a chance this goes longer depending on RP, but I believe it will fit into 12 sessions. There’s no hard start date, just when we get the right players we will start scheduling, but it will be within a few weeks.
Software: Discord for voice, Foundry for VTT, D&D Beyond for character creation.

Character Creation:

Setting:

Welcome to Elysiia, the year is 756 PSC - or Post-Second Cataclysm - and Elysiia is a vibrant planet. Long gone are the days of the Primordials’ dominion over the lands, gone also is the War of Gods, sealed away thousands of years ago. From the ashes of a bygone era has risen a thriving land with many diverse people. From the displaced Feylands of Remcourt - home to fey descendant creatures and prison to incorporeal creatures unfortunate enough to be caught behind it's barrier - to the Flying City of Arigon, floating among the clouds interweaving magic, nature, and technology.
Our story, however, begins in the lands of Morroch, born after the splitting of the worlds by the World Serpent. It is said that Morroch was a point of direct impact of the World’s Serpent’s bite, leaving behind the most diverse array of biomes on Elysiia, much of it incorporated with serrated mountains and rolling hills. There is much to explore here including the northern region belonging primarily to the Stone Giants of Thulkna who call the Crimson Peaks – given their name because of the reddish color of the soil – home. Let us not forget the western seaboard of the Tilltona Coast, cliff-lined coasts with treacherous waters and frequent storms, home of the Storm Giants of the nation of Salleria.
For this story, we explore the Decayed Heights of the western region of Morroch. A brutal and unforgiving arid desert dominated by three powerful tribes: the Jeswye, renown for their connection to fire and abilities as blacksmiths and warriors; the Sandstriders, Lizardfolk who traverse the vast desert with ease, trading, and maintaining the fragile peace; and the Ironhoof Tribe, fierce warriors who thrive in the storm-battered coastal regions of the Decayed Heights.
Recently, the long-standing tension between the Jeswye and the Ironhoof has escalated to the brink of war, threatening the stability of the entire region and crucial trade routes that allow for safe passage through an otherwise inhospitable region. The campaign will begin in the floating bustling trade city of Vespera, located off the coast of the Decayed Heights. Here the characters have received a request from a representative of the Merchant’s Guild to meet to discuss a lucrative opportunity that is for the betterment of the world.
More world info and campaign info will be given before character creation and upon request (I will never turn down an opportunity to talk about lore and worldbuilding).
Who am I? My players typically call me Hex or simply Chris (he/him)
In closing, I’ve attached a google form below to fill out. I hate forms that make trying to get into a D&D game feel like a job interview so I’ve tried to stray away from that as much as possible. I don’t care how much experience you have, be it you’re entirely new or a 20 year vet. But comments, messages, and chat requests can often get missed so this helps me make sure I’ve seen everyone’s submissions. If you've made it this far, thank you so much for your time and patience.
If the post is not marked closed, I am still reviewing submissions.
https://forms.gle/5E1Qm2ghAU73gNGN8
submitted by iAmScallywag to lfg [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 18:01 CodyStepp “Never Bring A 🔪 To A 🔫 Fight.” Here’s Why… Our Experience In A VC Competition

Hey RealEstateTechnology & SaaS
Cody here!
Last night we had the pleasure of Pitching Workflow Secrets SaaS, the Systems Accelerator Manager (SAM), at the St Louis Startup World Cup Semi-finals.
While there, Cody learned our Deck was… well, drastically different in its structure from the other competitors.
Why?
It’s all about the use-case. We built a ‘Dev Day’ Deck to showcase the Problem/Market/Solution of SAM - and brought it to a VC Competition.
Some might say, ‘Oops!’ But Workflow Secrets, after seeing the danger of trading control for a quick fix for funding in our own personal career in Tech, wanted to do things differently.
VC is great for fast growth and solving ‘money problems’… And lord knows we all have those... But where it falls short is the shift in focus.
We proudly get to wake up each day and ask ourselves how to care for our customer's needs, problems, and ability to use our solution… And not worry about driving a 3x - 10x increase for someone to get a fast exit.
In Jiu Jitsu, the goal is to spend your life training… We’d love nothing more than to be the 90yo in class proving it can be done.
This is the same in business. This problem is too great to speed the solutions.
So… Last night, to a confused group, Cody used the platform and stage to share about SAM. Focusing the conversation on how it can help, and how we see its potential for expansion, but by no means was it designed to attract VC.
We didn’t share charts. There were no bullet points. And you never once saw figures on how much money could be made.
Oh! And he was the only one with note-cards to keep on pace. A key difference that was hard not to internalize too much...
By their standards, we failed to offer a clear picture… And our score reflected it in all but one judge, who we reckon, understood the potential of SAM.
What we now have, however, is a recording of us on a real stage, something that sounds silly but often lends credibility to your message. Something Cody knew we needed, but didn’t have a way to fund.
We got a rep at sharing about SAM to hundreds of people in the Technology Industry that’s thriving in St. Louis. This, we believe will be important as our stage presence is refined, and the audience grows.
And most importantly, we were forced to clearly articulate the importance of SAM.
This exercise in thought and articulation is invaluable for marketing efforts, copywriting, video creation, and ultimately sharing a message so compelling Real Estate Agents (like you) can’t help but take note.
Cody walked into a room of people sharing the same burdens. Some who have gone this path before.
While in this room, he was able to step into the arena and make Workflow Secrets available to be part of the few crazy enough to try to make something new and better for this world.
Standing among Titans, and stepping forward to become one, one day, ourselves.
submitted by CodyStepp to SystemsAccelerator [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 17:59 softtechhubus Clone Yourself Into An AI: Boost Sales and Engagement with Personalized AI Clones Using AIDuals

Introduction

In our technologically advanced era, businesses strive to stay ahead of the curve by adopting cutting-edge solutions that enhance efficiency and engagement. AIDuals emerges as a game-changing tool that harnesses the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to create personalized digital assistants or "clones" tailored to your unique communication style. By combining AI with 3D animation, AIDuals delivers an interactive and engaging experience for your website visitors, customers, and prospects.

Features and Content of AIDuals

AIDuals is a comprehensive platform that empowers you to create AI-powered clones that can handle a wide range of tasks, from customer support and content creation to lead generation and social media management. Here are some of the key features that make AIDuals stand out:

Personalized AI Clones

The core feature of AIDuals is its ability to create personalized AI clones that mimic your communication style, tone, and mannerisms. By analyzing your existing data, such as emails, social media posts, and even voice recordings, AIDuals can train an AI model to generate responses that sound like they're coming directly from you.

3D Animated Characters

AIDuals takes the user experience to the next level by offering 3D animated characters that represent your AI clones. These visually appealing and dynamic characters enhance the interactivity of your website, making the experience more engaging and memorable for your visitors.

Multilingual Support

In today's global marketplace, it's essential to cater to a diverse audience. AIDuals recognizes this need and allows your AI clones to communicate in multiple languages, including English, Hindi, Spanish, French, and German, ensuring that your services are accessible to a broader audience.

Customization Options

AIDuals provides extensive customization options that enable you to tailor your AI clones to fit your specific business needs. You can adjust the clone's behavior, set operational parameters, and even customize the 3D avatar's appearance by incorporating your brand logo.

Integration Capabilities

AIDuals seamlessly integrates with your existing digital platforms, such as websites, e-commerce stores, and mobile apps. Additionally, it supports integration with popular messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Slack, ensuring that your AI clones can interact with your customers across multiple channels.

Advanced Training

To ensure your AI clones are as knowledgeable and accurate as possible, AIDuals allows you to train them using various data sources, including websites, social media platforms, documents, PDFs, and even multimedia files like images, videos, and audio recordings.

Benefits and Who Can Benefit from AIDuals

AIDuals offers a wide range of benefits that can be leveraged across various industries and business types. Here are some of the key advantages and potential beneficiaries:

Improved Customer Engagement

By providing 24/7 interactive support through AI clones, businesses can significantly enhance customer engagement and satisfaction. This feature is particularly beneficial for e-commerce businesses, service providers, and companies with a global customer base.

Increased Productivity

AIDuals empowers businesses to automate a wide range of tasks, from content creation and social media management to lead generation and customer support. By offloading these responsibilities to AI clones, businesses can free up valuable time and resources, allowing their human workforce to focus on more strategic and creative endeavors.

Personalized Marketing and Sales

The ability to create personalized AI clones opens up new opportunities for businesses to deliver tailored marketing and sales experiences. AI clones can engage with prospects and customers on a more personal level, providing customized recommendations and addressing specific needs or concerns.

Language Barrier Reduction

With multilingual support, AIDuals enables businesses to break down language barriers and cater to a global audience. This feature is particularly valuable for companies expanding into international markets or serving customers from diverse linguistic backgrounds.

Cost-Effective Solution

Compared to hiring and training human resources, AIDuals offers a cost-effective solution for businesses looking to automate various tasks and processes. By leveraging AI clones, businesses can save on salaries, benefits, and training costs while maintaining a high level of performance and efficiency.

How to Profit from the Use of AIDuals

AIDuals presents numerous opportunities for businesses to generate revenue and increase profits. Here are some potential strategies:

AI-Powered Digital Marketing Agency

With AIDuals, you can establish and operate a fully automated digital marketing agency. Your AI clones can handle client interactions, generate leads, create content, manage social media campaigns, and more, enabling you to scale your services effectively.

Monetize Your AI Clones

AIDuals provides the ability to monetize your AI clones by offering personalized AI services to clients under your own brand. You can charge clients for access to your AI clones, which can handle tasks like customer support, content creation, or virtual assistance.

Increased Sales and Conversions

By leveraging AI clones for personalized product recommendations, targeted marketing campaigns, and real-time customer support, businesses can potentially increase sales and conversions, resulting in higher revenue and profitability.

Reduced Operational Costs

By automating various tasks and processes with AI clones, businesses can significantly reduce operational costs associated with hiring and training human resources. This cost savings can contribute directly to increased profits.

How to Use AIDuals

Using AIDuals is a straightforward process that can be divided into three main steps:
  1. Data Collection and Analysis: The first step involves gathering your communication data, such as emails, social media posts, and voice recordings. AIDuals then analyzes this data to understand your unique communication style and patterns.
  2. AI Model Training and 3D Character Creation: Based on the analyzed data, AIDuals trains an AI model to mimic your communication style and generates a 3D animated character that represents your AI clone.
  3. Integration and Customization: Once the AI model and character are ready, you can integrate your AI clone into your desired platforms, such as websites, mobile apps, or digital marketing channels. During this phase, you can customize various settings, including the clone's behavior, operational parameters, and visual appearance.

My Used Case Study for AIDuals

As a marketing consultant, I have firsthand experience using AIDuals to streamline my operations and enhance client engagement. I created an AI clone based on my communication style and integrated it into my website and client portals.
The AI clone has been instrumental in handling initial client inquiries, providing personalized recommendations, and managing ongoing client communication. This has allowed me to focus more on strategic planning and high-level tasks while ensuring that my clients receive prompt and personalized support.
Additionally, I have leveraged the AI clone for content creation, including blog posts, social media updates, and email campaigns. The clone's ability to understand and mimic my writing style has been a game-changer, saving me significant time and effort.
Overall, AIDuals has helped me improve operational efficiency, enhance client satisfaction, and scale my business more effectively.

AIDuals Funnel and OTOs

AIDuals offers a comprehensive funnel with various upsell opportunities (OTOs) to cater to different business needs and requirements:
  1. Front-End Offer (AIDuals Premium): The front-end offer includes the core AIDuals platform, allowing you to create personalized AI clones, embed them on your website, and customize various aspects like behavior, goals, and visual appearance.
  2. OTO 1 (AIDuals Agency): This upgrade provides additional features and resources for running a full-fledged AI-powered digital marketing agency. It includes advanced tools for lead generation, campaign management, and client onboarding.
  3. OTO 2 (AIDuals Mastery): The Mastery package offers in-depth training and resources to help you master AIDuals and maximize its potential. It includes video tutorials, case studies, and expert guidance.
  4. OTO 3 (AIDuals Unlimited): This upsell removes the monthly credit limitations, allowing you to create and deploy unlimited AI clones without restrictions.
  5. OTO 4 (AIDuals White Label): With the White Label option, you can rebrand AIDuals as your own product and resell it to your customers or clients, creating an additional revenue stream.

AIDuals Pros and Cons

Like any product, AIDuals has its strengths and weaknesses. Here are some notable pros and cons:
Pros:
Cons:

AIDuals Money-Back Policy

AIDuals offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, providing customers with the opportunity to try the platform risk-free. If you're not satisfied with the product or its performance, you can request a full refund within the 30-day window, ensuring that your investment is protected.

AIDuals Price

The pricing structure for AIDuals is as follows:
It's worth noting that the pricing may be subject to change, and special discounts or bundle deals may be offered during promotional periods.

AIDuals Bundle Deal

AIDuals often provides a bundled package that includes the front-end offer and various OTOs at a discounted price. This bundle deal offers excellent value for those looking to unlock the full potential of AIDuals and take advantage of all its features and upgrades.

Who Created AIDuals?

AIDuals is the brainchild of Abhi Dwivedi, a seasoned entrepreneur, software developer, and online marketer. With over 18 years of experience in the industry, Abhi has been instrumental in launching multiple successful software products and online ventures.
Abhi's team comprises skilled developers, marketers, and AI experts who have collaborated to create AIDuals, a cutting-edge solution that harnesses the power of AI to revolutionize the way businesses operate and engage with their audience.

When AIDuals is Launched

AIDuals is set to launch on May 28th, 2024, at 11:00 AM EST. This highly anticipated launch promises to introduce a game-changing product that will empower businesses to leverage AI technology effectively and efficiently.

Platform or Website for Accessing AIDuals

AIDuals can be accessed through its official website, www.aiduals.com. This website serves as the central hub for purchasing the product, accessing resources, and connecting with the AIDuals community.

Platform or Website for Launching AIDuals

AIDuals is being launched on the JVZoo platform, a well-established and reputable marketplace for digital products and services. JVZoo provides a secure and reliable platform for product launches, affiliate marketing, and customer support.

AIDuals Bonuses

To sweeten the deal and provide added value, AIDuals often offers a range of bonuses to its customers. These bonuses may include:
The specific bonuses may vary from launch to launch, so it's essential to check the official AIDuals website or promotional materials for the latest information.

Should You Use AIDuals or Not?

The decision to use AIDuals ultimately depends on your specific business needs, goals, and resources. Here are a few considerations to help you determine if AIDuals is the right fit for you:
Reasons to Use AIDuals:
Reasons Not to Use AIDuals:
Ultimately, it's essential to carefully evaluate your specific needs, resources, and goals to determine if AIDuals aligns with your business objectives and ethical standards.
Click Here to Get Access to AIDuals When It Launches On 28th May; 2024 @ 11AM EST

Conclusion

AIDuals is a groundbreaking product that harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to create personalized digital assistants or "clones" that can revolutionize the way businesses operate and engage with their audience. By combining AI technology with 3D animation, AIDuals delivers an interactive and engaging experience that enhances customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.
With its ability to automate a wide range of tasks, from customer support and content creation to lead generation and social media management, AIDuals offers a cost-effective solution for businesses looking to streamline their operations and stay ahead of the competition.
Whether you're an e-commerce business, a service provider, or a digital marketing agency, AIDuals can be a game-changer, allowing you to focus on strategic growth while your AI clones handle the day-to-day tasks seamlessly.
However, it's crucial to carefully consider the potential implications and ethical concerns associated with AI technology, ensuring that its implementation aligns with your business values and principles.
Overall, AIDuals presents an exciting opportunity for businesses to embrace the future of work and leverage the power of AI to drive success and growth in an increasingly competitive digital landscape.
Click Here to Get Access to AIDuals When It Launches On 28th May; 2024 @ 11AM EST

AIDuals FAQs

1. Is AIDuals easy to use and set up? Yes, AIDuals is designed to be user-friendly and accessible. The setup process is straightforward, and the platform provides step-by-step guidance to help you create and customize your AI clones.
2. How long does it take to train an AI clone? The time required to train an AI clone depends on the amount of data you provide and the complexity of your communication style. Generally, the more data you can provide, the more accurate and personalized the AI clone will be.
3. Can I use AIDuals for multiple languages? Absolutely! AIDuals supports multiple languages, allowing your AI clones to communicate with your customers or clients in their preferred language.
4. Is my data secure with AIDuals? Yes, AIDuals takes data security and privacy very seriously. They employ robust security measures and encryption protocols to protect your data and ensure compliance with relevant regulations.
5. Can I integrate my AI clone with third-party platforms? Yes, AIDuals offers integration capabilities with various third-party platforms, including websites, e-commerce stores, mobile apps, and messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram.
6. How often do I need to update or retrain my AI clone? It's recommended to periodically update and retrain your AI clone to ensure it stays up-to-date with any changes in your communication style or business operations. The frequency will depend on your specific needs and the rate of change in your industry or business.
7. Can I monetize my AI clone using AIDuals? Yes, AIDuals provides the option to monetize your AI clones by offering personalized AI services to clients under your own brand. You can charge clients for access to your AI clones and their capabilities.
Click Here to Get Access to AIDuals When It Launches On 28th May; 2024 @ 11AM EST

FTC Affiliate Commission Disclaimer

Please note that as an affiliate, I may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through the links provided in this article. However, this does not influence my opinion or evaluation of the product. My goal is to provide an honest and unbiased review to assist readers in making informed decisions.
Click Here to Get Access to AIDuals When It Launches On 28th May; 2024 @ 11AM EST

submitted by softtechhubus to u/softtechhubus [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 17:43 BlueFishcake Sexy Steampunk Babes: Chapter Twenty Seven

William was just about to scoop another mouthful of porridge and berries into his mouth when someone scooted into the seat next to him.
“Marline.” He inclined his head before returning to breakfast.
A breakfast that, prior to his teammate’s arrival, had been blissfully free of noise or interruption.
Which made sense given that the ‘rise and shine’ bell wasn’t going to ring for another thirty minutes or so. To that end, the cafeteria was near empty, but for a few servants flitting around the place as they set tables or partook of their own breakfasts.
Breakfasts that were something of a step down from what was normally served at these tables, given that the usual heaped piles of hot sausages, crisp bacon and hearty eggs were still being prepared in the kitchens.
Still, on this occasion, that was fine by William. Sure, the main reason he’d told his team to rise a little earlier than normal was to allow them to dine in peace without being harassed by the rest of the rumour hungry student body, but it was also useful in that it somewhat limited some of his more… difficult teammate’s breakfast options.
“William,” the dark elf hissed as she leaned down. “We have a problem.”
Despite his early morning lethargy, those words managed to send something akin to a shiver up his spine.
“What!? What’s the problem?” he asked as he whirled around, remembering only at the last minute to keep his voice down.
Sure, the cafeteria was relatively empty of both staff and students, but it hadn’t escaped his notice that pretty much all of them had had their eyes on him since he sat down.
“What do you mean, ‘what’s the problem?’” Marline whispered furiously into his ear. “The fucking alchemy lab blew up last night.”
“Oh, that.” She’d gotten him all worked up for nothing. “Someone’s enchantment probably went awry after being kept in storage too long.”
That was a lie and they both knew it. He’d explained to Marline in great detail why trying to gain access to his storage room was a poor idea without him present. To that end, it was obvious that someone had attempted just that.
As such, the old alchemy building was now a smouldering ruin, with dozens of academy guards and at least one member of the palace guard sifting through the rubble when he walked past.
Or at least, they’d been watching over a dozen menial servants as they sifted through the rubble.
Still, no one had been too alarmed by it. It was hardly the first time the building had been destroyed after all.
Alchemy was by its nature a fairly dangerous art.
A form of homeopathic magic that attempted to imbue objects with magical abilities by combining them with conceptually similar items, it tended to both be prohibitively expensive and notoriously unreliable.
Left eyes from forty-year-old salamanders didn’t grow on trees after all. Nor testicles from albino bulls in heat. And that was the kind of specificity one needed to create a half-decent stamina potion.
There was a reason that alchemy was gradually being phased out in favour of the slower but more reliable art of enchanting.
“Yes, very unfortunate,” Marline said through gritted teeth. “But what about ‘our’ ingredients that were being kept in the building. It might be… dangerous of someone stumbled across them in the rubble.”
Dangerous? Gunpower couldn’t explode more than…
“Oh, you’re talking about the gift we were holding for your family?” He realized.
“Yes!”
“Why didn’t you check last night?” he asked.
“...I tend to wear earplugs when I sleep,” Marline admitted reluctantly. “Given… Verity.”
William glanced towards the young woman’s long elven ears and thought about their orcish teammate’s tendency to snore like she was trying to wake the dead. The inner walls of their dorm weren’t particularly thick and Marline’s room was right next to the other girl’s.
Yeah, he could see why she might have invested in some hearing protection.
A decent set of earplugs wouldn’t drown out the noise of the morning bell, but they’d be more than capable of drowning out the distant whumph of an alchemy lab going up on the opposite side of the campus.
He momentarily wondered if the noise had caused any of his other teammates to get up, before dismissing the idea.
Strange noises in the middle of the night were far from unusual in a military academy and usually best ignored unless you had a very good reason to think they might involve you.
“Well, it’s not a problem,” he whispered. “I moved it last night before heading back to the dorm.”
The look of relief on the dark elf’s face was palpable, before it gave way to confusion. “Why?”
He shrugged. “For the same reason I booby-trapped the storage room in the first place. Once it got out that I had a mithril core – and might have had something to do with Al’Hundra’s death, well it seemed like there was a decent chance someone might go snooping around places I might want to hide something.”
And the alchemy lab was just about the first place someone would think of right after their team’s dorm room.
Fortunately for him, there were a few places that were quite impractical for hiding something long-term, but pretty ideal in the short term.
And just so long as Marline’s aunts arrived before next Welday, the mithril core would be safe.
Though as he gazed down at the bowl of porridge in front of him, he found his appetite wasn’t quite what it had been just a few moments ago.
“So where’d you hide it?” Marline asked excitedly, clearly relieved that her family’s future wasn’t currently buried in rubble.
William paused as he considered how to answer that question. Something his teammate was quick to notice.
“William,” she prompted. “Where’s my family’s core?”
He gazed down at his bowl, still thinking.
“William!” she shouted as best she could while still whispering.
“The safest place I could think of. Somewhere it’d be covered completely and no one would voluntarily look.”
“Voluntarily?” Marline said. “Covered?”
Credit where credit was due, no one had ever accused his teammate of being slow on the uptake. At least, where politics wasn’t concerned. So it was that it wasn’t long before he witnessed her expression morph from confusion to horror… to rage.
“You buried my family’s mithril core in the latrines?!” she hissed.
William scratched his chin awkwardly as he avoided her furious gaze. “More like dropped. I didn’t need to bury it because it sank on its own. Which is good given I wasn’t quite sure of the relative buoyancy of mithril in… well… you know.”
In his defence, it had seemed like a good idea at the time. Indeed, if one were to be purely objective about the whole thing, it still was. The core was safely hidden at the bottom of one of the lesser used latrine pits. The bottom mounted… storage vats of which were pulled out and emptied into the bay once a week.
It was a fairly old fashioned system, given the existence of indoor plumbing across the rest of the academy. Indeed, he suspected the latrines were only kept around to serve as a form of punishment duty for any cadets that happened to royally piss off their instructors.
“They’ll be safe there until Welday,” William argued weakly. “At which point your aunts can collect them without anyone being the wiser.”
“Collect them from the latrine’s storage vats!” Marline hissed, slamming her head into the table. “Ancestors, the future of our house is now literally swimming in shit.”
Gingerly, William moved to pat the dark elf on the back. “Ah, but at least it’s safe.”
Once more he glanced away as two silver eyes peeked out angrily from between the girl’s arms.
Needless to say, he was rather glad for the eventual arrival of the rest of their team – even if Bonnlyn chose to complain at length about the fact that she was going to be forced to dine on ‘twigs and berries’ – as opposed to the gut busting pile of vaguely food shaped grease she normally chose to partake of in a morning.
Still, at least Marline had stopped glaring at him by the time they’d all finished eating – escaping just before the first of their fellow cadets piled noisily into the cafeteria.


It was actually rather amusing, that for all that the coming match had obvious implications for the country as a whole, in theory it was simply another practice match between two groups of cadets.
To that end, there was no great ceremony as the members of Team Seven made their way through the double doors leading to the Floats. There, as per usual, stood the members of the opposing team along with an Instructor from a ‘neutral’ house.
Never mind that the great bleachers to each side of the faux-ships were filled with eager spectators when they were normally all-but bare. Or that not one of the viewing orbs bolted to the gantries overhead was bereft of the ambient glow that signified they were in use.
Half the noble houses in the country were likely watching the events that were about to unfold through those crystalline orbs. Though William had to wonder if the Queen was one of them or if she was present in person, simply hidden behind whatever magic she used to render herself and her guards invisible.
Still, as he gazed upon the spectacle around them, William couldn’t help but be reminded of just how impressive a construction the Floats were, the stadium sized building hosting not just the ships that made up the field, but room for spectators, viewing orbs, staff and a myriad other smaller facilities that each worked to allow the practice matches to occur.
With that in mind, one notable absence from the building’s usual occupants was hard to miss.
“Where are all the sailors and marines?” Olzenya asked.
“I don’t know,” William said as they continued walking towards Tala and her team. “Maybe they’re already onboard?”
He doubted it though. He’d have been able to see people moving about inside the great vessels or marching across the deck.
No, something was amiss here.
Still, he’d known there was a possibility of House Blackstone attempting something. And the absence of the Float’s usual staff was likely to be related.
Nothing for it now, he thought. Whatever they’ve done can’t be too overt.
The Principal of the Academy might have been in New Haven’s pocket – which made her an ally of House Blackstone – but even her power had limits with the Crown and half the country watching.
“Ma’am,” William said as he came to a stop before the Instructor from House Summerfield. “Team Seven reporting.”
Instructor Halfin, ironically the woman who’d first introduced his team to the floats glowered at him.
“I don’t like this,” she said without preamble, her voice raised loudly enough that it was clear she was aiming her words not just at him, but Tala and the rest of the world besides. “The Academy and the Floats are supposed to be a training environment for the future leadership of the nation as a whole. Not a pissing ground for idiotic adolescents.”
“I didn’t choose the venue, ma’am.” Even as she spoke, Tala’s gaze stayed on William.
“And I didn’t ask your opinion, cadet.” Halfin’s words were biting as she turned towards the third-year. “The only opinion that matters here is mine. Not yours. Not his. Not your mummy’s. And not the rest of these upjumped cretins.”
Her hand flew out to encompass the veritable circus that were the stands. “So, with that in mind you can believe me when I say that my only concern is getting through this farce as efficiently and as fairly as possible. I don’t give a shit about what’s on the line or who doesn’t want to marry who. All that matters to me is whether or not you have wax or paint on your breastplate or enough harpy-venom in your system to put you down for the count.”
Both Tala’s and William’s eyes widened a little at that.
“Wax, ma’am? Paint?” Tala said.
The older woman grunted. “You heard me, and that’s all I’ll say on the matter. Let it be known I’m not happy about it. Nor about the fact that half the sailors on base have apparently come down with the shits.”
Ah, so that was why the float’s usual crew was missing. Clearly the work of House Blackstone, though to what end William was yet unsure.
Are they trying to delay the match? He thought.
That wouldn’t be ideal for a number of reasons – most of which centred around it giving House Blackstone more time to sabotage him and his team. There’d been a damn good reason he chose to have their match literally a day after he challenged her.
“This has naturally affected my ability to run a normal Float match. Normally that would be grounds for delaying this whole farce,” Halfin continued, tone darkening as she spoke the next few words. “But it has been ‘suggested’ to me by a number of parties that doing so would be impractical. So, we shall instead be making use of one of the scenarios available to us that does not require the use of regular crewmembers.”
She gestured towards the area between the two faux ships, the football field sized stretch of land normally empty but for a few overhead nets designed to catch falling cadets.
That wasn’t the case today. Instead, the area had been filled with a tangled mess of pre-fabricated structures and various other bits of paraphernalia.
“Airship down,” the Instructor said, and after a moment’s observation, William realized that the stretch of land really did look like what you might have seen if an airship crashed into it.
Assuming said airship crashed with enough force to scatter its component parts around rather than remain as a fairly battered single object. Which, given the heights said ships could drop from, wasn’t beyond the realm of possibility.
“Our third year cadets will be familiar with this scenario, but I will explain it briefly for our first years.” Again, there was no mistaking just how unhappy Halfin was with all of this. “In short, an allied or enemy airship has crashed in neutral territory. Both sides of the conflict have dispatched a mage strike team to search the wreckage for the ship’s core so as to deny it to the enemy. Unfortunately, neither side can effectively search said wreckage until the other strike team has been completely eliminated.”
Halfin’s gaze turned towards his team. “To clarify, do not let the flavor text of this scenario fool you. There is no core within the wreckage in this scenario. The only way to win is to completely eliminate the opposing team.”
Over the woman’s shoulder, William didn’t miss the small smile that flitted across his fiancee’s features.
Ah, so that’s her game, he thought.
Oh, he didn’t doubt she would have preferred this whole engagement be delayed so as to allow her more time to stack the deck, but on short notice simply changing the scenario to this still helped her.
Theoretically.
It reduced the number of ‘wild card’ factors that might benefit him or his team. No crew members. No orbs to collect. Just a straight up fight between the two teams.
Sure, said wild cards could have just as easily worked in Tala’s favour, but given the skill disparity between the two groups, it benefited her to reduce the number of random vectors present in the coming fight.
Plus, it also had his team attempting to navigate an unfamiliar scenario.
Well played, he thought.
“Any issue with that, cadets?” Halfin said as she finished her explanation.
“None at all,” William said before the rest of his team could interrupt, noting the small pout of disappointment that flitted across Tala’s face.
She’d probably wanted him to kick up a fuss and force the match to be delayed for the reasons he’d thought of before.
Alas, she wasn’t that lucky.
No, for better or for worse this was happening here and now.
Sure, it wasn’t an ideal scenario, but he could make it work for him. It simply required him to pull out another trick that he’d been hoping to hold onto for just a little while longer.
Amusingly, Halfin also looked a little disappointed. The woman had probably wanted the match delayed on principle. It was clear both his new weapon and Tala’s interference rubbed her the wrong way.
Though as he had the thought, he was pleasantly surprised to see there was at least one woman in the academy who placed her duty as an educator and impartial judge above politics.
Indeed, if she had a reputation for such, that was likely part of the reason why she’d been selected for this match as a compromise between the Crown and the Blackstones.
“Well, if that’s all, then you’ve got ten minutes to check out your weapons and get to your starting positions.” Halfin grunted, before she seemed to remember something. “And I suppose I’ll take possession of the ‘bet’ now.”
There was no missing the disdain in the woman’s voice, which actually made William feel a bit better as he gestured over to Verity.
Unslinging the backpack she’d carried all the way over, the girl still looked more than a little awed as she unveiled the glowing metal orb. It was actually a little amusing, the mixture of relief and reluctance that crossed her features as she handed it over to the Instructor.
An instructor who was apparently not entirely carved from stone, as she somewhat reverently accepted the object.
Even the distant stands hushed down a bit as the bowling ball sized core changed hands.
Of course, it was barely a second before the moment was interrupted.
“Of course you’d have the orc carry it,” Tala grunted, her tone resigned.
Verity flinched back at the words and every other member of his team – including Olzenya leaned forward to argue – but William forestalled them all with a simple raised hand.
“Of course I did,” he said simply. “She’s a valuable member of my team and I trust her. Far more than certain other individuals present.”
A core could also be deceptively heavy despite its ability to produce lighter than air aether and he had no real desire to carry it all the way across campus. It also went unsaid that Verity was best equipped to intercept any… opportunistic thieves.
Indeed, he’d have paid to see some enterprising moron attempt to wrestle the bag holding the core off his orcish teammate on the walk over here.
It hadn’t happened of course, the possibility had always been an outlier at best, but given the stakes it had seemed better to err on the side of caution.
…It had also been amusing to see the myriad emotions that had flashed across the faces of most of the team when he quite casually tossed the bag holding the core to the orc. One would almost think he’d just thrown a baby at her.
Indeed, the only one who’d not been affected had been Marline, who’d just looked quietly resigned.
Which was still fun in its own way.
It was a little childish perhaps coming from a man ‘his age’, but that same age was what gave him the experience to know that sometimes life was about being a little silly and enjoying the small things.
And what better silly fun was there than teasing a bunch of far too serious kids by throwing around a basically indestructible ball of magical space metal?
Of course, given the flash of irritation that shot across Tala’s face, it was clear she thought his smile was an accompaniment to his taunt.
However, before she could say anything, Halfin scooped up the core. “Well, I’ll be holding onto this until the match is over. At which point I shall hand it to whomever I deem to be the victor.” For just a moment, her expression softened. “You can rest assured, both of you, that I shan’t let it out of my sight or off my person for the duration of the match. This I swear – even if I’m irritated at this whole situation.”
William and Tala both nodded, accepting the solemness of the woman’s impromptu oath.
“Alright,” she said, slinging the thing under her arm as she returned to her previous acerbic personality. “You’ve got ten minutes to collect your weapons and be at your designated spots for the beginning of the match. Anyone not in the correct place at the correct time will be considered eliminated for the purposes of this match. Dismissed.”
With her bit said, she strode away, no doubt up to the judges tower - which had an eagle’s eye view of the entire arena.
Leaving two teams of rather combative cadets behind.
Ten minutes was more than enough time to collect their gear, so William allowed himself a few seconds to simply gaze at Tala’s team.
“Finally realizing how outclassed you are, William?” Tala sneered.
It was funny, normally that kind of open disdain was beneath her. Sure, she’d yelled at him before, but to his mind that was more of an expression of frustration than animosity.
Here and now though?
She hated him.
And he revelled in it.
Not because he hated her. He didn’t. Even if they were enemies. At worst he’d say he pitied her for her ignorance and worldview.
Much like him and his otherworldly views, she was a product of her environment.
She wasn’t evil. At least not in an intentional sense. Indeed, by the standards of this world she was actually a good person.
Loyal. Dutiful. Hardworking.
Simply in service to an institution that he abhorred.
With that in mind, the reason why he relished in her disdain was simple.
It meant that he was now worthy of it in her mind. No longer an irritating non-factor that refused to play along, his actions now had consequences.
He’d earned her animosity honestly.
He was a factor. A person.
It felt good.
“Just counting the numbers,” he said. “Some part of me wondered if you might be a team member or two short.”
Indeed, the fact that he’d hoped for the murder of a young man or woman last night was something he counted amongst the least of his sins. There’d be a great many more of those to come.
Still, ignorant of his thoughts, the girl stiffened, all but confirming his suspicions as her mind no doubt turned towards last night’s explosion.
It had been her people who’d tried to raid his alchemy storage room – though it seemed she’d not been so foolish as to send anyone on her team to accomplish the job. In all likelihood the unfortunate fools who’d run afoul of his trap had likely been little more than paid off servants or some other kind of catspaw.
Irrelevant in the scheme of things ultimately and chosen for that very reason. Unfortunate, but hoping that his enemy would be a teammate or two down had ever been a long shot.
“I’ve no idea what you’re talking about,” Tala said. “My teammates are all ready and eager to serve not only me, but to honour their family names as well through that service. Though I know that’s a concept most alien to you.”
Around her, four other members of the girls team stood up a little straight, animosity burning in their gaze as they silently regarded his team with disdain.
Disdain his own team was quite happy to level back – if only out of loyalty to him.
Still, it was funny; Tala was more right than she knew. The values of this world were in many ways alien to him despite having lived here for nearly two decades.
“I suppose you’re right,” he chuckled. “To that end, I’ll see you in the arena.”
He took a moment to enjoy the look of puzzlement on his foe’s face at his placid rejoinder, before he strode away, his team falling in behind him.
Though as he walked, he made sure to turn to each of them. “Make sure to double check all of our equipment. If Tala was able to give half the Float staff food poisoning last night, I wouldn’t put it past her to be able to tamper with our equipment.”
Each of the girls nodded seriously at his words, no doubt leery of discovering a razor blade or some other such implement in one of their boots. Or that their bolt-bow had a faulty intake valve.
Indeed, the only piece of equipment William could theoretically have been sure of was that which he was currently wearing and the spell-bolts that would have been delivered clandestinely at the last minute by either Griffith or a palace guard.
And even then, what the fuck is this about wax and paint rather than rubber? He thought.
Previous / First / Next
Another three chapters are also available on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bluefishcake
We also have a (surprisingly) active Discord where and I and a few other authors like to hang out: https://discord.gg/RctHFucHaq
submitted by BlueFishcake to HFY [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 17:39 ShoulderSafe3157 Cursed Hoodie

Cursed Hoodie
This is my One Piece Hoodie, I wore it a few times in public, there’s a big design on the back. One day, I wore it to school, it’s One Piece, who cares. As I was walking out from lunch, a guy stops me, basically stands in front of me, and goes “W HOODIE. The One Piece is REAAAL!!!!” And proceeds to turn around and run up the stairs. I never wore that hoodie again, even after he made it a point to sit a table over to me at lunch from that day forward.
submitted by ShoulderSafe3157 to OnePiece [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 17:37 OldScruff Has the Framework 16 experience been a huge letdown for you, or is it just me?

After waiting over half a year for my Framework 16 to finally get here, and after using it for the past 2 weeks as my daily driver I can't help but say that I'm a bit underwhelmed by the whole experience and the Framework laptop itself. The overall stability/driver maturity of the device, as well as the build quality have me feeling more like a glorified beta tester than the owner of a cutting-edge and well-designed premium product.
Look, don't get me wrong as I love what the Framework team is trying to do here, as the modularity of the device is a breath of fresh air in a world in which right-to-repair and upgrade capability is dying a slow and painful death.
But for a device I spent over $2200 of cash on after taxes, it simply does not feel like a $2200 product or premium piece of electronics hardware for that matter. The build quality simply feels cheap. Somewhere between the mushy keyboard, the trackpad layout and uneven spacers it employs (Why couldn’t they just sell a non-modular one-piece trackpad as an alternative?), the underwhelming screen (this has to be one of the least vibrant IPS panels I’ve used in a long time) and the tinny/near-silent speakers I feel like I’m using a cheaper $1200 Thinkpad from 2016 and not the future of modular laptops.
I could forgive most of things and accept these caveats as the cost of adding modularity and upgradability/repairability for a gen1 product, if the software-side of things were a pain-free experience. But unfortunately, they are not and this laptop has been nothing but a buggy mess of a device. Despite having updated to the lastest drivers, BIOS, and others and trying out 2 distinct installs of Windows 11, the so-called ‘hot-swappable’ nature of the modular ports work correctly about 50% of the time. I have seen this computer hard lockup, blue screen, or simply become completely unresponsive from say simply swapping one port on the side from a USB-C to a USB-A or Ethernet more often than not. Sometimes it works fine, sometimes it crashes, and other times it doesn’t crash but the specific port stops working altogether which warrants a reboot.
On top of that, on a pretty much daily basis I have been seeing some sort of catastrophic USB event in which all or most USB devices connected to the laptop either crash or disappear, which only a full reboot of windows will resolve. This has lead to multiple issues while on conference calls in Teams/Zooms, in which my audio stops working and I have no idea that it’s actually not that the meeting has gone quiet but that the laptop has stopped working, as my USB headset/mic will still show as connected/working, they just will not actually be and either a meeting restart or reboot of the laptop is needed to clear it up.
Could these issues be quite easily resolved through a driver update, bug fix or similar? Absolutely! Do I have the time and patience to go off on a deep-dive troubleshooting escapade for a device that I just started using with a fresh install that should simply work out of the box? Absolutely not, especially when considering that the same hardware in terms of audio, USB devices, etc all has worked and continue to work flawlessly on my older Thinkpad laptop.
At this point, I’m thinking that between the value and the build quality it just doesn’t make sense to keep the Framework 16 at least at the current price point, for the subpar hardware and software this first generation is providing. The fact of the matter is, that you can get identical hardware to the F16 at around the $1100 range, which wasn’t quite the case when I pre-ordered it almost a year ago. I’m okay with paying a small premium for modularity, but I don’t think it’s worth doubling the price of the device or paying another $1100 for the privilege of being able to do so, as for that amount of money I could just buy 2 laptops and have a ‘hot spare’ to handle every single possible hardware failure I might experience in the next 5 years. If the Framework 16 was priced at around the $1300-1400 mark, I think it would make a lot more sense to most people. As it stands right now though, it’s at a hefty premium to be a gen1 early adopter because that’s simply how economies of scale work.
Has anyone else had a similar experience and is debating if it's just worth returning the laptop and going to something different in the same price range? I mean, if I’m going to spend $2200 on a laptop I might as well have a dedicated OLED screen, discrete GPU, and aluminum frame for that kind of cost, modularity be damned.
I have high hopes that a few years down the road, when the Framework 16 gen2 or gen3 is out, that most of these build quality and value issues can be resolved. But I can’t afford to be an early adoptebeta tester for a laptop which will be my daily driver for work as I need something that’s reliable and dependable. If this was a true Gen1 early adopter device, like the first gen Framework 13 I could forgive them, but this is their 3rd time around the block releasing hardware-- build-quality/reliability issues should be sorted out by now I'd hope.
submitted by OldScruff to framework [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 17:35 FerrymanOfNight [Re-Intro] Micah Di Santis - Never challenge Death to a pillow fight!

Unless you are ready to handle the reaper cushions.
The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.
― Mark Twain
general information additional information
name: Micah Di Santis preferred name: Myka, Mike
d.o.b.: 10 June 20XX age: 16
nationality: Sicilian hometown: Sicily, Italy
gender identity: cis-male gender expression: male
sexual orientation: Undecided preferred pronouns: he / him / his
relation name/s age relationship
divine parent Charon, The Ferryman old Micah still has no idea what to think about his dad. Speaking with him during the visit to Olympus did nothing to clear things up. The man, or was it immortal, was blunt and yet, his son's opinion of him was still up in the air, though leaning more to the positive side. At least Micah has the connections to get himself an admittedly fantastic tailored suit.
mortal parent ??? ??? Micah has no idea who his biological mother is. The only reason he knew who his father was before he came to camp was because the spirits told him.
mortal adoptive parent Maria Di Santis 32 years old If Marco was a saint then Maria was a saintess through and through. Everything she did, she did with someone else in mind. From the day she adopted Micah to the moment Marco died, Micah did not see her cry for herself at all. She'd cry when a little boy got hurt and would offer help or cry when she saw a cat get kicked by some drunk douchebag.
mortal adoptive parent Vincino (Vinny) Bertelli 37 years old Vincino is an absurdly rich man who was born and raised in Sicily. He found Maira through her singing on the side of the road to raise money for Micah's trip to the US. He offered to take her in because he liked her and sponsored Micah's trip by giving him some money and a ticket onto a transatlantic cruise ship headed to New York City. All things considered, he's a kind and considerate man who loves Maria.
adoptive brother Marco Di Santis 14 years old, Deceased Marco Di Santis was a saint. Ever since he learned the word 'kindness', he was absorbed and defined by it. He loved seeing the smiles bloom on people's faces when he shared some bread or helped them with something but what he truly loved more than anything else was sailing and playing the piano. He was handsome beyond reason, having pale blonde hair and clear blue eyes, though he never had a chance to grow into it fully.
dead guy Chris 16 years old, Deceased Like Marco, Chris is one big ball of sunshine. The only difference is he's a ghost. Micah met Chris on the cruise he stowed away on to get to the US and the ghost promptly joined him, though reluctantly because he was watching over his parents and little brother, due to finding him interesting. Like Marco, Chris is handsome though he had more time to grow into his looks. Framed by golden hair and chocolate brown eyes, Micah wouldn't have doubted it if the boy was very popular during his living days.
friend Willow 'Will' Crest 16 years old One of the more laid-back campers Micah had met, Willow became something of a friend to the son of Charon, though they started off more as discussion partners than anything else. And besides, being chill-buddies is pretty fun on its own. Who knows where things can go from there?
friend Rachel 'Rocky' Williams 17 years old Rocky was one of the first people Micah met upon arriving at camp and her enthusiasm, uncharacteristic for a child of a chthonic god, immediately made her stand out. Though he genuinely has no idea what goes through Rocky's head, Micah considers them close, and okay, maybe he has a minuscule crush on her.
friend/former cabin-mate Ramona Herrera 16 years old Being another camper who met Micah's criteria for friendship (i.e. Be chill and relax), Ramona is someone who Micah doesn't know too much about. Much like Kit, who Micah has seen around camp and the Hermes Cabin, she is a mystery to him. Though he does enjoy trying to spot which corner she's hiding in at any given camp gathering.
acquaintance (?) Mathew Knight 15 years old Matt is, as far as friendship is concerned, a work-in-progress. Micah's father had recommended getting to know the son of Hades and though he'd lost himself in school shortly after, Micah had made introductions.
appearance
faceclaim height weight hair eyes skin
FC, Art by Charlie Bowater 5’11” Doesn't care Black Amber, fiery like gold Lightly tanned, peppered with a few more recent thin scars from his time at camp
description: Micah is a fairly restrained person when it comes to clothes. Usually, he'd only grab a long-sleeved shirt and some jeans, feeling content. Most of his clothing is fairly average, what with them being of all sorts of muted colors and sorts of clothing. He isn't used to expressing himself whether it is though clothing or other methods.
equipment:
abilities:
* – modmailed / custom
godrent domain powers: 
a) Dead Communication; Ever since his close brush with death, Micah's powers surged. His father's connection to spirits and those who have died became his and as such he can now see and communicate with the spirits of the dead. They have been his only source of information on his father. He likes to build a network of spirits whenever he goes somewhere new so he can gather information as fast as possible.
b) Shadow Camouflage; From a fairly young age, Micah wasn't much of a social butterfly. Most of the time, he felt most comfortable in a shadowy nook where the lines of his body would be broken by shadows, using the ability unconsciously. After his near-death experience, Micah became more aware of his ability to hide in shadows and learned to use it more effectively than before.
c) Shadow Travel\;* After an unknowably long amount of time spent in Hades, Micah's father, Charon, was aligned with the underworld to which he led the souls of the dead. Similarly, Micah has inherited the ability to travel through shadows in short or long-range teleports.
godrent minor powers: 
a) River Step\;* The connection with the River Styx flows through Micah's veins as much as it does through his father's. The ability this connection granted him was the ability to walk on water, as long as there is no significant shift to the water, such as large waves.
b) Death Buff\;* Being a servant of the God of the Dead, it only makes sense that Charon would draw his own power from his master. As such, Micah has inherited a trait where he becomes stronger when around children of other deities of death, such as Hades, Melinoe, Zagreus, the Oneiroi, etc.
c) Aura of the Harbinger\;* Being a multifaceted deity, Charon passed down his multifacetedness in the form of an aura ability. Micah has the ability to project an aura with two opposite effects that work on separate targets. A calming effect affects any spirits within the aura while an imposing effect like that of Children of Hades affects living beings within the aura's range.
godrent major powers: 
a) Major Watercraft Manipulation\;* Being known as the Ferryman of the Dead, it only makes sense for Charon, and Micah by extension, to have dominion over watercraft. Micah's control over watercraft was one of the first powers he discovered and the power that is most intertwined with him in his entirety. He has inherited the ability to gain absolute control over any and all watercraft down to the rigging and ropes.
skillset 
Over the years, Micah has picked up a good variety of skills, including fishing and rope work. Still, there have been a great many learning experiences for the boy on the streets of Sicily. Free running came as a given to any child of below-average means in Sicily but Micah was significantly worse than most thanks to a leg injury he got at the age of thirteen. Drawing was the only real luxury he had during his time when he wasn't working. A young lady from a carnival that was passing through taught him how to use throwing knives after he helped her find her way around the city. He learned ballet by watching, sitting for hours outside a studio every day for weeks until he'd gotten good enough to practice independently, which led to his interest in gymnastics. One of the older neighborhood boys took to teaching Micah, his brother, and the other kids how to read and write in English. Micah's adoptive mother insisted on teaching him how to speak English from a young age. Now, he can speak English with a barely noticeable Sicilian accent.
personality
Micah is about as quiet as you'd expect from a Chthonic kid. That isn't to say that he is particularly serious or brooding, in fact, even when he's upset, he rarely does either. He mainly remains silent because he isn't particularly talented at talking. His reactions to most things tend to be a bit muted unless something is especially funny or angering. Any of the kids that liked him or trusted him in Sicily did so because they understood that when it was needed, Micah would talk as much as was needed and would do what needed to be done to keep everyone safe.
Fatal Flaw; Vengefulness
backstory
Micah's past year at camp had been simultaneously the most relaxing and confusing year of his life. There had been a unfamiliarity that Micah had with anything to do with relaxation or really anything but working that had slowly melted away. He'd made friends and discovered passions that might have otherwise gone ignored for the rest of his life (Art was definitely one of those).
So, when school started to take over his time, Micah barely gave it any thought, settling back into his old work mentality, though now focused on mental instead of physical labor. Before he knew it, it was summer, school was out, and he was back at the start, not knowing how to get himself to relax.
now
Micah stared at the ground around the Range target blankly, the celestial bronze knives scattered around it refracting light. He was jolted out of his mental haze when a camper a few rows down yelled at him for standing in front of the target for so long. Quickly finishing up gathering his throwing knives, Micah slotted them into his bandolier and left the Range.
For a while, he just walked, until he reached the pier. Boats had been a constant of Micah's life before coming to camp and when he was really out of it or off his rocker, the son of Charon liked to settle at the camp pier and imagine what sort of sea vessel he'd design for himself. Aesthetics might not have mattered to everyone but to Micah, they did. The ship would have to look as good as it sailed.
Now, he fell onto his back in the sand a few meters from the pier and stared up at the sky. Barely any clouds. Gods that was boring.
(Credit to u/FireyRage for the amazing intro format.)
submitted by FerrymanOfNight to CampHalfBloodRP [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 17:32 kennystans Opinions on pony variants

Opinions on pony variants
So.. heres a thing gameloft is currently (maybe complete?) working on.. can I just say.. I hate the idea Like the images say/show, gameloft is planning on adding Rainbowfied variants of some “popular” characters (why tf is Sky Beak there??) 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝘁.
The rainbowfied versions should be kept exclusively to the mane 6 imo, they were in the show and deserve more recognition, theyre special and the mane 6 don’t stand out as much if theyre not the only ones rainbowfied. Theres so many clones for characters, a lot of them are good but its just getting ridiculous. This post doesn’t necessarily apply just to the rainbowfied variants, but things like hearths warming princesses (wheres hearths warming mane 6??? They have super cute winter outfits in the show) those could all be costumes?!?! Like I loveeee new designs, but when its just an outfit, make it a costume instead.
The Pony Editor feature (costumes) is so underused. When you get all of the costumes available, your tokens just keep piling up. Why not make more costumes for characters instead of variants? Give the princesses gala dresses, give them exclusive princess dresses I DONT KNOW, SOMETHING. Theres so many costumes in the show not in the game.
Anyway, instead of rainbowfied “popular characters” variants, if theyre not going to consider making costumes for the designs (they wont) why not make something similar to the cutie mark magic toyline? Like im not against rainbowfied characters, I just want the mane 6 to shine, if these new variants looked more like the cutie mark magic toyline I think itd be nicer, give them a couple extra colours in their hair too, idk, just not big poofy giant rainbow hair and pony, that should be for the mane 6. And the mane 6 only.
ALSO WHY NOT A RAINBOWFIED OR VARIANT FOR SUNSET?? DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY YOU COULD MAKE OFF SUNSET VARIANTS GAMELOFT?! A LOT
I probably shouldnt complain before their designs are even released, but based off the scootaloo one, its going to be like the mane 6 styles. Yk, THE ONES THAT ARE SPECIAL FOR THEM thanks for coming to my rant, PLEASE TELL ME YOUR THOUGHTS I HOPE THIS REACHES GAMELOFT STAFF LOL
submitted by kennystans to MLPIOS [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 17:32 asimoved Appreciation for Braid, Anniversary Edition

Hello.
I wanted to summarize some of my impressions and the awe-someness I experienced when playing the Braid Anniversary Edition.

What a Package!

Superficially, let's consider what you get for the current price:
...and all of this woven together, brilliantly. In total, I think they are greater than the sum of their parts. This is not 'just' a remaster. You get a masterpiece of a game and a masterclass in game design (as in: a course of how to design puzzle/games).
What a bargain!

The Remaster

I am not super familiar with remasters of movies, games, etc. but on the spectrum of superficial improvements, high resolution updates or other gimmicks this remaster has been produced with very special care. It is one thing to slap on some new textures, but much more delicate to carefully think about the aspects of the game and perform only structure preserving or enhancing transformations on it. I can only imagine how difficult this can be, especially for the original artists and must have a completely different flavor, than when creating the graphics and sound from scratch, trying to maximize the potential of the remastering project, while not overdoing it.
I really love the charm of the graphics of the original version, I sometimes even forgot that I switched back, only noticed it more after I started getting used to Tim's detailed animation. But the updates doubtless make the the experience much richer and more meaningful. There are so many more interesting details the mind can wonder about consciously and unconsciously. I don't think the live painting effect will ever get old. Listening to the artist, David Hellman talking about the colors and impressions was borderline hypnotic at times.
I am not much of a sound person, but the improvement in this area were very striking to me immediately, throughout the game and especially in places like World 6, where the sound design complemented and strengthened the atmosphere greatly. Listening to Martin describing the technical details was very eye (and ear) opening.
It is so good to see the game being unbound from the original technical limitations and more deeply realized.

And then some...(The Commentary)

Not sure if I encountered too many games with any commentary at all. When you buy a DVD there is a chance that there is a director commentary track and of course there can be lots of extras that you can only watch, mostly. But I imagine Jon and Co. asking themselves the question: what is commentary like for a Game (like how he mentions, what is the establishing shot of a game?). Well, how do you do this interactively and not just slapping on additional content? I think the execution of the commentary and it's worlds are the most magical to me this time around. Let's consider some aspects...
I could go on an on analyzing these I think. But this is 'just' the structure, what about the content itself? What a wonderful treasure trove of ideas and insights. The interviews, conversations and monologues were thoughtful and engaging.
At the same time, as consistent as ever, not matter how much information is presented, there is still no definitive 'explanation' what the game is 'about'. As it should be. In the same way as when Jon discusses what elements would ruin the joy and magic of a puzzle, hearing the artist explain would taint or limit the mystery and potential of the game.

New worlds and puzzles

I think regardless of where you stand with the numbered puzzles themselves, you have to appreciate, that the added layer of how to get to them are themselves puzzles. I greatly enjoyed tracking down and solving all the pieces.
And who knows if other, yet hidden treasure can be found?
But for me, the real treasure is already here. It was well worth the wait and every minute spent in it's world.
What a generous artifact, what an awe-some piece of art!
Thank you for the game, and thanks for reading!
submitted by asimoved to braid [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 17:30 Secretlab_Lucky Let’s go ultrawide with the Secretlab MAGNUS Heavy Duty Monitor Arm (FAQs included!)

Secretlab Heavy Duty Monitor Arm - Designed for Ultrawide Monitors
Introducing the all-new Secretlab MAGNUS Heavy Duty Monitor Arm — built to make light work of even the heaviest screens.
See the bigger picture. The all-new Secretlab MAGNUS Heavy Duty Monitor Arm is built to mount ultrawide screens up to 57” wide, and weighing up to 35 lbs (16 kg). An extra secure VESA mount with a double lock mechanism keeps even the biggest and heaviest screens in place, including the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9. Detachable, dual VESA-mounted handles let you easily position your monitor exactly where you want it.
Shop now: secretlab.co/heavydutymonitorarm
___
Frequently asked questions around the Secretlab MAGNUS Heavy Duty Monitor Arm Hey everyone, we just launched the much anticipated Secretlab MAGNUS Heavy Duty Monitor Arm and we’re sure you have many questions about our monitor arms.
We’ve gathered some questions that we receive frequently, with answers here. If there’s anything else you’d like to know, just leave a comment below!
Note: This is NOT a thread to discuss and/or escalate orders. Unrelated comments/questions will be removed to keep this post specific to the Secretlab MAGNUS Heavy Duty Monitor Arm and its features.
1. Are the Secretlab MAGNUS desks compatible with monitor arms? All Secretlab MAGNUS Monitor Arms are compatible with Secretlab MAGNUS desks. The Secretlab MAGNUS Single/Dual Monitor Arm securely mounts monitors weighing up to 8kg (17.6lbs). For ultrawide monitors weighing between 8-16kg (17.6 - 35.2lbs), we recommend the Secretlab MAGNUS Heavy Duty Monitor Arm.
2. How do I install the Secretlab MAGNUS Monitor Arms? All Secretlab MAGNUS Monitor Arms are top-mounted for easy installation, featuring a top screw C-clamp mount that can be tightened within 10mm to 50mm, without you needing to fumble beneath the desk.
For step-by-step instructions, please refer to our assembly video for the MAGNUS MAGNUS Heavy Duty Monitor Arm here: https://youtu.be/KGPUJCvCsCE
3. My monitor weighs 8kg (17.6lbs). Which Secretlab MAGNUS Monitor Arm should I use to mount it? Both the Secretlab MAGNUS Monitor Arm and Secretlab MAGNUS Heavy Duty Monitor Arm can mount an 8kg monitor. For better support for future upgrades, we recommend the MAGNUS Heavy Duty Monitor Arm, which holds monitors weighing between 8 - 16kg (17.6 - 35.2lbs).
4. The VESA mounting points on the back of my monitor are recessed. Can I still mount it with the Secretlab MAGNUS Heavy Duty Monitor Arm? Yes. Our MAGNUS Heavy Duty Monitor Arm comes with 4 standoff screws to accommodate a maximum recess depth of 20mm.
5. Can I vertically stack my monitors with the Secretlab MAGNUS Dual Monitor Arms? The MAGNUS Dual Monitor Arm is designed to support two 34” screens in either portrait or landscape, side-by-side. It cannot be used to vertically stack your monitors.
6. How do I mount my monitor so that it is in the middle of my Secretlab MAGNUS desk? Install the C-clamp of your Secretlab MAGNUS Monitor Arm roughly 42cm (16.5”) from the middle of the desk to keep your monitor in the center. We also recommend installing it on the same side as your PC for shorter cable routing.
7. Can I mount three monitors at my Secretlab MAGNUS desk? Yes. Pair both Single and Dual variants of the Secretlab MAGNUS Monitor Arm to mount up to a total of three monitors.
8. Do I need to purchase a heavy-duty tilt pivot separately to support my ultrawide monitor? No. Our MAGNUS Heavy Duty Monitor Arm comes with a heavy-duty tilt pivot right out of the box, so your ultrawide monitor with up to 1000R curvature will never tilt forward.
9. How can I make sure everything is secure on the Secretlab MAGNUS Heavy Duty Monitor Arm? We’ve upgraded our VESA mount with a double lock mechanism for extra security. Turn the lock knob clockwise to secure your ultrawide monitor in place, then press down and turn each lock screw to fully tighten. An in-built tension indicator also shows you how far you can tighten the tensile spring mechanism, so you can achieve just the right amount of resistance for your ultrawide monitor.
10. How do I dismount and swap my monitors on the Secretlab MAGNUS Heavy Duty Monitor Arm?
To safely dismount and swap monitors, please refer to our assembly video here: https://youtu.be/KGPUJCvCsCE
11. Is the Secretlab MAGNUS Heavy Duty Monitor Arm compatible with other standing desks?
The Secretlab MAGNUS Heavy Duty Monitor Arm is designed for the Secretlab MAGNUS desk. We recommend to check the specifications of the monitor arm on our website to determine whether it would be suitable for your own desk.
submitted by Secretlab_Lucky to secretlab [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 17:22 speckworksofficial Elevate Your Brand with SpecWorks' Premium Custom Apparel and Merchandise

Elevate Your Brand with SpecWorks' Premium Custom Apparel and Merchandise
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Our customize polo shirts can be tailored to include your brand’s colors, logo, and any other design elements you desire. These shirts are ideal for staff uniforms, promotional events, and even customer giveaways, providing a consistent and professional look that enhances your brand image.

https://preview.redd.it/yqs3g1cgrs1d1.png?width=1921&format=png&auto=webp&s=1f20203440f3b20e99fc91da46577def6ee5d412

Custom Polo Shirts with Logo: Consistency is Key

When it comes to presenting a cohesive brand image, custom polo shirts with logo are an invaluable asset. These shirts not only provide comfort and style but also serve as a constant reminder of your brand’s presence. SpecWorks excels in creating custom polo shirts with logo that are perfect for various settings, including corporate events, trade shows, and everyday business operations.
By outfitting your team in custom polo shirts with logo, you ensure a uniform and professional appearance that can significantly boost team morale and customer perception. The consistent branding helps reinforce your brand’s identity, making it more recognizable and trustworthy.

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The Versatility of Custom Merchandise

Custom merchandise encompasses a broad range of products that can help promote your brand. At SpecWorks, we offer a diverse selection of custom merchandise designed to meet your specific needs. From hats and shirts to bags and drinkware, our custom products serve as excellent promotional tools.
Custom merchandise is particularly effective for giveaways, corporate gifts, and retail items. Each product can be customized to include your logo, colors, and other branding elements, making them a constant reminder of your brand. These items not only provide practical use to the recipients but also keep your brand top-of-mind.

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Custom College Apparel: Building School Spirit

For educational institutions, creating a sense of community and pride is essential. Custom college apparel from SpecWorks helps achieve this by providing high-quality, branded clothing that students, staff, and alumni can wear with pride. Whether it’s for a sports team, student organization, or general school spirit, our custom college apparel options are designed to showcase your school’s identity.
From custom hats with logo to customize polo shirts, our products can be tailored to include your school’s colors, mascots, and other unique elements. This not only fosters a sense of belonging among students but also promotes school spirit and pride.

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Custom Logo Polo Shirts: Professionalism Meets Comfort

Custom logo polo shirts are a staple in many corporate wardrobes due to their blend of professionalism and comfort. At SpecWorks, we offer a range of custom logo polo shirts that can be customized to reflect your brand’s identity. These shirts are ideal for creating a unified look among your team, enhancing the professional appearance of your business.
Whether you’re looking for shirts for your sales team, customer service representatives, or event staff, our custom logo polo shirts provide a consistent and polished look that can help build trust and recognition with your customers.

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Why SpecWorks Stands Out

At SpecWorks, we pride ourselves on delivering exceptional custom apparel and merchandise that help brands thrive. Here are some reasons why we stand out in the industry:

Superior Quality

Quality is at the heart of everything we do. We use only the best materials and craftsmanship to create our products, ensuring they not only look great but also stand up to regular use. Whether it’s custom trucker hats or custom polo shirts with logo, you can trust that our products are made to last.

Extensive Customization Options

We understand that every brand is unique, which is why we offer a wide range of customization options. From color choices and materials to embroidery and printing techniques, we provide the flexibility you need to create products that perfectly represent your brand.

Dedicated Customer Service

Our team is committed to providing outstanding customer service. We work closely with you throughout the entire process, from initial design to final delivery, ensuring that your custom apparel and merchandise meet your exact specifications.

Competitive Pricing

We believe that quality custom products should be accessible to all businesses, regardless of size. That’s why we offer competitive pricing on all of our products. Whether you’re ordering a small batch of custom hats with logo or a large run of customize polo shirts, we provide cost-effective solutions to meet your budget.

Timely Delivery

We understand the importance of timely delivery, especially when it comes to promotional events and corporate needs. Our efficient production process ensures that your orders are completed and delivered on schedule, so you can focus on what matters most—promoting your brand.

Conclusion

Custom apparel and merchandise are essential tools for building brand recognition, fostering loyalty, and creating a unified brand image. At SpecWorks, we specialize in providing high-quality custom trucker hats, custom hats with logo, customize polo shirts, custom polo shirts with logo, custom merchandise, custom college apparel, and custom logo polo shirts that help you achieve your branding goals.
By partnering with SpecWorks, you can trust that you’re getting top-notch products, extensive customization options, and exceptional customer service. Let us help you elevate your brand with our premium custom apparel and merchandise. Contact us today to start your custom project and take your brand to the next level!
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