Hi all! I have recently gathered all the info on Salicylic Acid that I have in my personal knowledge base and decided to publish it as a guidelines that can be referenced in the future.
I decided to do this because question about Salicylic Acid appear from time to time in the sub and I also see some wrong information from YouTube videos when people are trying to formulate it. Hope this information would be helpful for you!

Disclaimer

I AM NOT A CHEMIST!
I AM NOT A DOCTOR!
I DON'T HAVE ANY SKINCARE, CHEMISTRY, MEDICAL OR BIOLOGICAL EDUCATION!
All the information is gathered over the internet sources and some is referenced (+ a bit of personal DIY experience). I am open to any corrections and additions. Please leave them in comments and I'll include them in this article.

General info

BE CAUTIOS! IF YOU HAVE AN ALLERGY TO ASPIRIN THEN YOU MOST LIKELY HAVE ALLERGY TO SALICYLIC ACID

INCI: Salicylic Acid Type: Acid, BHA Functions: Exfoliation, Anti-inflammatory Treats: Acne, Blackheads, Keratosis Pilaris, Sebum production Usage rate: 0.5 - 3.0% Usable pH range: 3.5 pKa: 2.97 Solubility: Alcohols, Glycols, Oils, Surfactants Molar mass: 138.121 g/mol (Daltons)

Usage rate

Due to possible poisoning, based on European regulations (SCCS - Final Opinion on Salicylic acid) maximum usage rates of Salicylic Acid in skincare products are:

• 3% in wash-off hair products;
• 2% in other leave-on products, excluding the mentioned below;
• 0.5% for body lotions, eye shadows, mascaras, eyeliners, lipsticks, oral products and non-spray deodorants.

!DANGER! Better to avoid formulating sprayable products due to possible inhalation. Also, special attention is required for the use of SA in eye products, as it shows potential of causing serious damage to eyes.

USA most likely has the same regulation on SA. It is also an OTC drug in USA and should be labeled in a special section of the product packaging.
South Korea has even stricter rules for direct SA. The maximum usage rate is up to 0.5% for any product type (Reddit). That's why Korean skincare products often use Willow Bark Extract and/or Betaine Salicylate as active ingredient instead.

Solubility

Water

Although Salicylic Acid is a polar molecule it is poorly soluble in water (which is also a polar molecule), because the polar parts of the molecule attached to the bigger non-polar part of it, affecting the properties. (Chemical Book).

Depending on temperature

Solubility in water depending on the temperature (Wikipedia):

Water temperature (°C)	Solubility (g/L)	Solubility (%)
0	1.24	0.124
25	2.48	0.248
40	4.14	0.414
75	17.41	1.741
100	77.79	7.779

Which means if you take 100ml of water under room temperature (25 °C) you can dissolve up to 0.248g of SA in it. If you boil the water it will take up to 7.779g of SA, but precipitates when you cool the solution down.

Depending on pH

Solubility increases with increasing pH, because part of SA becomes "neutralized" and therefore more soluble in water. Can be estimated for any given pH using the pKa of Salicylic Acid:

• At a pH of 2.97 (pKa): 50% of SA is in "neutralized" form
• At a pH of 4: 90% of SA is in "neutralized" form.
• At a pH of 5: about 99% is in "neutralized" form.

Here is a free acid calculator (not only for BHA) at any pH level: LabMuffin Beauty. WIth this spreadsheet you can calculate how much Salicylic Acid will be in protonated form (not neutralized, free acid) under any pH.

Betaine

Due to strict regulation of SA in Korea and high popularity of Korean skincare products, new ingredient has been researched and introduced as a gentler alternative to SA called Betaine Salicylate.
Betaine forms a hydrogen-bonded complex with Salicylic Acid rather than a salt, which increases its solubility. Formulated with it at pH 3.0-3.5, with a 2:1 molar ratio (1.7g to 1g) of Betaine to Salicylic Acid and it remains relatively soluble. Betaine mixed with Salicylic Acid at the right proportion results in a liquid (Chemists Corner).

Surfactants

Great solubility in many surfactants, especially the ones that start with "Sodium" (Sodium Laureth Sulfate etc). That's why formulating a face wash or shampoo with Salicylic Acid is not a big problem and won't be covered here.
Based on "Solubilization of Salicylic Acid by Polysorbate 80 as Determined by Solubility Titration"33858-2/abstract), to completely solubilize SA in water the ratio between SA and:

• Polysorbate 80 should be 0.15
• Polysorbate 20 should be 0.13

Therefore to solubilize 2% of SA in water required around 13.4% of Polysorbate 80 or around 15.4% of Polysorbate 20.

Ethanol (Alcohol)

Salicylic Acid is highly soluble in Ethanol, that's why many companies use Ethanol as a main solvent or a co-solvent of the product.
Under normal conditions the solubility is 291.3 g/L or 369.2 g/kg, which means 36.92g of Salicylic Acid can be dissolved in 100g of pure Ethanol.
Solubility is highly affected by presence of water.

Propylene glycol

Propylene Glycol is often used as a solvent and penetration enhancer in skincare formulations. Solubility rate of SA in Propylene Glycol is 248.63 g/L or 257.64 g/kg, which means 25.76g of Salicylic Acid can be dissolved in 100g of pure Propylene Glycol.
Solubility is highly affected by presence of water.

Sodium Citrate and Sodium Lactate

Sodium Citrate and Sodium Lactate are salts of weak Citric Acid and Lactic Acid respectfully. Since SA is a stronger acid, when mixed it can replace Citric or Lactic acid and gives Sodium Salicylate, which is highly soluble in water:

Sodium Citrate + Salicylic Acid -> Sodium Citrate + Sodium Salicylate + Citric Acid + Salicylic Acid

Mentioned salts are not usable as solubilization enhancers since they basically neutralize SA, but they are good buffering agents to prevent SA recrystallization in case of pH drift or temperature change.
Suggested ratio of salt to SA is 1:10 (Chemists Corner), meaning for 2% of Salicylic Acid include 0.2% of the buffer.

Mixed solvency approach

According to Hydrotropy, mixed hydrotropy, and mixed solvency as trending concept for solubilization of lipophilic drugs and "Mixed-solvency approach" - Boon for solubilization of poorly water-soluble drugs, a mix of different solvents usually gives better solubility than if one pure solvent is used of the same content. This allows to decrease the content of each individual solvent in the formula leading to a more elegant product.
Solubility in mixes of Water, Propylene Glycol and Ethanol was studied in Solubility prediction of Salicylic Acid in Water-Ethanol-Propylene Glycol mixtures. The study defined a formula to determine how much Salicylic Acid can be dissolved in a custom mixture of this solvents and also proves mixed solvency approach.
Here is a calculator spreadsheet that I made based on the study: link. Fill in percentage of Ethanol and Propylene Glycol in the mixture (water will be calculated automatically) and you'll see the solubility calculated.

Substitutions

There are alternative ingredients that are readily soluble in water and can be used to avoid the hassle with Salicylic Acid itself:

• Sodium Salicylate. Salt of Salicylic Acid. Very soluble in water. There is a publication in cosmetic journal (Exfoliation for sensitive skin with neutralized salicylic acid) showing that Sodium Salicylate is as effective as actual Salicylic Acid in terms of exfoliation. But the methodology of studies are not disclosed and anti-acne effect is not tested. Used in Revox Just Salicylic Acid 2% For Scalp and Keve Salicylic Acid 2% Serum
• WIllow Bark Extract. Used in many Korean products, e.g. COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid and Pyunkang Yul Acne Dressing Mask Pack;
• Betaine Salicylate. Used in many Korean products, e.g. COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid and Cos De BAHA S2 Salicylic Acid BHA 2% Liquid;
• Salicylic Acid in Cocamidopropyl Dimethylamine solution. Used in The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution and Revolution 2% Salicylic Acid Serum;
• Spray dried Salicylic Acid with Acacia Senegal Gum. Used in Somethinc 2% BHA Salicylic Acid Acne Treatment and Attivi Puri Salicylic Acid + Niacinamide Lotion

Formulation strategy

Based on the data above, the strategy of formulating a stable SA serum is:

1. Formulate with not more than 2% of Salicylic Acid to meet requirements for skincare products;
2. Formulate at pH 3.5 to meet FDA requirements for skincare products. Under this pH if you add 2% of Salicylic Acid only 0.46% will be in free form (and hence less solvents needed);
3. Use several solvents (glycols, ethanol) for better solubility based on mixed solvency approach;
4. Include some mild surfactants (Polysorbate 20, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate etc) to decrease surface tension and boost the solubility;
5. Use Betaine to convert part of SA to Betaine Salicylate and adjust the pH;
6. Add some weak acid salt (Sodium Citrate, Sodium Lactate) to prevent precipitation in case of pH drift or temperature change;
7. Since our target is low pH, maybe Ethanol content and maybe high salt content be sure to use a tolerant gelling agent. Sepimax Zen, Xanthan Gum, Hydroxyethylcellulose or HMW Hyaluronic acid are good choices, while Aristoflex, Carbomer, Lecigel won't thicken the solution.
8. Avoid natural extracts (or add at 0.01% amount for marketing claims) and ingredients that in low pH will hydrolyze over time and shift the pH level up (Niacinamide, Urea etc).

Example of a commercial product

Dermarium "Tricky Duet 2% Salicylic Acid" toner:

INCI: Water, Ethanol, Salicylic Acid, Propylene Glycol, Betaine, Sodium Lactate, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol, Polysorbate 20, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Menthol, Methyl Lactate.

• Used Ethanol and Propylene Glycol as solvents
• Used Polysorbate 20 and PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil to boost solubility (but most likely to solubilize the extracts)
• Used Betaine as pH adjuster;
• Used Sodium Lactate as a buffering salt.

Example of formulas

Very basic waterless solution

Ingredient	Content
Propylene Glycol	98%
Salicylic Acid	2%

The easiest and fastest approach is to dissolve Salicylic Acid directly in Propylene Glycol.
Pros:

• No water - no solubility and recrystallization problems;
• No water - no pH;
• No water - no need for preservation;
• Easy and fast to prepare;
• Damn strong since whole SA content is in free acid form.

Cons:

• Unpleasant to wear, PG has very oily texture (can be balanced with Ethanol to some degree);
• Runny texture, hard to thicken;
• Damn strong. Yes, it is not a typo, this can be both - advantage and disadvantage.

Basic one-solvent serum

Ingredient	Content
Water	q.s.
Optional: preservative	q.s.
Xanthan Gum	0.3%
Propylene Glycol	50%
Salicylic Acid	2%
Sodium Hydroxide (10% solution)	4.46

Preparation:

1. Mix Salicylic Acid with Propylene Glycol until it is completely dissolved;
2. Add Sodium Hydroxide solution and water;
3. Add the preservative of choice and stir until dissolved;
4. Adjust pH to 3.5 with Lactic or Citric acid (to go down) or Sodium Hydroxide (to go up);
5. Sprinkle Xanthan Gum and leave overnight to gel.

Preservative is optional because the formula has a lot of humectant (Propylene Glycol) that binds water and also low pH.
Used much more PG as required because no other co-solvents or buffering agents used, so higher amount is required to maintain the stability and prevent recrystallization of SA.

Basic two-solvent serum

Ingredient	Content
Water	q.s.
Preservative	q.s.
Xanthan Gum	0.3%
Ethanol	20%
Propylene Glycol	20%
Salicylic Acid	2%
Sodium Hydroxide (10% solution)	4.46

Preparation:

1. Mix Salicylic Acid with Ethanol to dissolve quickly;
2. Add Propylene Glycol and mix it together;
3. Add Sodium Hydroxide solution and water;
4. Add the preservative of choice and stir until dissolved;
5. Adjust pH to 3.5 with Lactic or Citric acid (to go down) or Sodium Hydroxide (to go up);
6. Sprinkle Xanthan Gum and leave overnight to gel.

Mix of 2 solvents allow to add less of it (40% total comparing to 50% of PG in previous formula). Also, Ethanol makes the serum less oily.

Advanced serum with surfactant and buffering agent

Ingredient	Content
Water	q.s.
Preservative	q.s.
Xanthan Gum	0.3%
Sodium Citrate	0.5%
Polysorbate 80	5%
Propylene Glycol	30%
Salicylic Acid	2%
Sodium Hydroxide (10% solution)	4.46

Preparation:

1. Mix Salicylic Acid with Propylene Glycol to dissolve;
2. Mix water with Sodium Hydroxide solution, Sodium Citrate and Polysorbate 80
3. Combine both solutions;
4. Add the preservative of choice and stir until dissolved;
5. Adjust pH to 3.5 with Lactic or Citric acid (to go down) or Sodium Hydroxide (to go up);
6. Sprinkle Xanthan Gum and leave overnight to gel.

Polysorbate 80 lowers the surface tension and boosts the solubility, but adds a bot of foaming to the product.

Ultimate all-in-one serum

Ingredient	Content
Water	q.s.
Preservative	q.s.
Xanthan Gum	0.3%
Sodium Lactate	0.2%
Polysorbate 80	2%
Betaine	2%
Ethanol	10%
Propanediol	10%
Propylene Glycol	10%
Salicylic Acid	2%
Sodium Hydroxide (10% solution)	4.46

Preparation:

1. Mix Salicylic Acid with Ethanol to dissolve quickly and add Propylene Glycol, Propanediol;
2. Mix Sodium Lactate, Polysorbate 80, Betaine and Sodium Hydroxide solution together with water;
3. Combine both solutions;
4. Add the preservative of choice and stir until dissolved;
5. Adjust pH to 3.5 with Lactic or Citric acid (to go down) or Sodium Hydroxide (to go up);
6. Sprinkle Xanthan Gum and leave overnight to gel.

This formula utilizes all the formulation suggestions I gathered from different sources. It has several glycols and Ethanol as a mix of solvents, uses surfactant and Betaine plus buffer with Sodium Lactate.

Formulas from YouTube bloggers

Example of good formulas:

1. Humblebee & Me: Make a 2% salicylic acid solution for less - although the suggested pH is too high, the formula looks well-balanced with good amount of the solvent;
2. Essential Labs: How to Use Salicylic Acid Powder in a Serum - although uses only ethanol as a solvent, shows good how Sodium Citrate can prevent recrystallization of Salicylic Acid;

Example of bad formulas:

1. PRIME SIDE: How to make 2% Salicylic acid serum - formulated at pH 5-6, which means SA is completely neutralized and there is no acid in free form.
2. poshskin secrets: ow To Make DIY Skin Lightening Salicylic Acid Toner At Home - Salicylic Acid is totally neutralized by baking soda and Sodium Citrate;
3. TaraLee: DIY Paulas Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant - too little of solvents, too high pH (because lower pH will lead to more free acid and recrystallization due to lack of solvents).

Community formulas

• Cleansing pads
• Paula's Choice dupe

Christians Do Not Understand Acts 15:19-20

A critical analysis of the common misinterpretation of Acts 15:19-20 and how it affects the Christian faith and practice.
Jul 30, 2022: "Christians Do NOT Understand Acts 15:19-20!" starts at ~32 minutes in.
Notes taken on Jan 3, 2024
Formatting Key
Bible VerseItalicsArticles Number text in verse. Jesus talking. using KJV unless noted otherwiseNotes on the verse Not necessarily relevant to the current class, but still importantArticle link Quote from article {{quote removed later}}

Christians Do Not Understand Acts 15:19-20

A critical analysis of the common misinterpretation of Acts 15:19-20 and how it affects the Christian faith and practice.
Jul 30, 2022: "Christians Do NOT Understand Acts 15:19-20!" starts at ~32 minutes in.
Notes taken on Jan 3, 2024
Formatting Key
Bible VerseItalicsArticles Number text in verse. Jesus talking. using KJV unless noted otherwiseNotes on the verse Not necessarily relevant to the current class, but still importantArticle link Quote from article {{quote removed later}}
Christians concluded that there are only 4 commandments that they should follow as non-Israelites. Christians will take you here so that they don’t have to keep the entire law of moses. The christians that give it to you don’t understand the context/background. Even though they know that there are more than just these 4 commandments.
These verses don’t even support them either. This can’t be used as a standard for what we should do.
It doesn’t include: don't murder, don’t steal, don’t keep the sabbath, don’t honor your father and mother, etc.
Hypocrisy is doing this. This is a double edged sword.
Belief in Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation.
The disciples never said anything about circumcision. There was never a debate about the Law of Moses before Acts 15. The first christians were Jews. They never abandoned the Law of Moses. The disciples encouraged keeping the Law of Moses.
The 4 commandments mentioned were a “beginners package” to get them started.
Act 15:19-20 Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: (20) But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.

• This is James talking. We don’t trouble the Gentile converts.
• Is this for all time or for just those that have just come to the faith?
• Fornication is a blanket turn regarding any sexual act
  • Adultery, harlot, homosexuality, incest, etc.
• Things strangled
  • Things with blood in them (back to the levitical law)
  • You have to drain the blood out of every animal (don’t eat any blood)
• What happened to honor your father and mother or no killing or stealing or bear false witness or coveting?

Paganism is idolatry.
The crosses everywhere are idolatry.
The Jews and Gentiles didn’t have different sets of rules.
Act 15:1 And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.

• Certain men said this. The apostles didn’t teach this. This was a lie that was taught. People were holding on to their traditional views.
• They didn’t abandon their previous beliefs completely.
• You don’t have to follow the Law of Moses to be saved. You don’t have to be circumcised to be saved.

The apostles only talked about circumcision in response to people that were against christianity.
Act 2:36-41 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. (37) Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? (38) Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (39) For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. (40) And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. (41) Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

• This is on the day of pentecost.
• Peter is addressing the House of Israel, the Jews, the Israelites
  • This was who christianity was given to first
  • He is rebuking them.
• There were some gentiles here too, but Peter was addressing the Jews first.
• Verse 38 doesn’t say to keep the Law of Moses
• Being saved doesn’t mean keep the Law of Moses or be circumcised
  • This is how you get saved.

The Jews didn’t stop following the Law of Moses. All they added was believing in Jesus.
Their audience was Jews.
Keeping the law never became an issue until “christians”/new-comers started talking about it.
There are two groups of gentiles. Those that knew the law and those that knew nothing (were 100% pagan).
Act 4:10-11 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. (11) This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. (12) Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

• This is Peter and John preaching Jesus
• You have to be saved by and through Jesus
  • Not by the law or circumcision.

The people in Acts 15 were talking to new gentile converts. They had no background on the law of moses or Jesus.
What do you have to do to be saved?

• Believe in Jesus

But what does that entail?...
You show that belief by establishing the law!
Act 11:13-18 And he shewed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter; (14) Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved. (15) And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. (16) Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. (17) Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God? (18) When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

• Your saved through Jesus
• God has granted repentance to the Gentiles
  • This means they too have an opportunity to be saved (through Jesus)
• They were teaching belief in Jesus

The Law of Moses wasn’t an issue. Jesus never said anything against it.
Act 15:1-2 And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. (2) When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.

• Certain men (not Paul, James, etc.)
  • They taught that to be saved you have to follow the Law of Moses
• This became a big argument that Paul and Barnabas were arguing against.
• They went to go have a council meeting

Act 15:5-11 But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses. (6) And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter. (7) And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. (8) And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; (9) And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. (10) Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? (11) But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

• These certain men were a sect of the pharisees
• Before this, circumcision wasn’t an issue discussed
• This was because Gentiles were brought into the picture that had no Hebrew roots.
  • They were making circumcision a requirement for salvation.
• Peter is recounting how he got the gentiles in.
  • Cornelius had some background of the law and such
  • Others didn’t have background
• Whenever the apostles converted non-Israelites, then people got mad
• Verse 10, christians THINK that peter is rebuking law
  • Tempting God is actually breaking the law (this is clear in the old and new testament)
• The yoke referred to is something that is going against the law or the gospel
  • Yoke talked about in matthew 23
    • Pharisees were putting a heavy burden on the new converts that were grievous to be borne
• Here, they were making the gospel unbearable. Making the gospel hard to do.

Mat 23:1-4 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, (2) Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: (3) All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. (4) For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

• These burdens were extra
• They added laws to the laws of Moses, making the laws of Moses unbearable.

The only people that described the law in a negative way were sinners.
How can the sabbath be a burden when it literally means rest?
The burden was talking about the man-made traditions that the Pharisees try to add. They did it with the law and with the gospel.
Mat 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (29) Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (30) For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

• The difference between Jesus’s yoke and the pharisee’s yoke is that the pharisees made restrictions to make the law of Moses heavy.

The only way you tempt God is by disobeying him.
The apostles didn’t have a decision prepared for Acts 15 which is why they went to the council.
1Jn 5:1-3 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. (2) By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. (3) For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

• We keep his commandments
• That we keep his commandments
  • The commandments aren’t grievous
  • Grievous (G926)
    • βαρύς
    • barus
    • bar-ooce'
    • From the same as G922; weighty, that is, (figuratively) burdensome, grave: - grievous, heavy, weightier.
    • Same word in Matthew 23:4

1Jn 5:3 ERV Loving God means obeying his commands. And God's commands are not too hard for us,
1Jn 5:3 CEV We show our love for God by obeying his commandments, and they are not hard to follow.
1Jn 5:3 DRB For this is the charity of God: That we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not heavy.
The Pharisees' commandments are heavy (they don’t talk about the law of Moses).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~REAL LESSON NOW~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Act 15:13-14 And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: (14) Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.

• Discussing how to talk with the very new convert Gentiles (100% pagan)

Act 15:19-20 Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: (20) But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.

• The decision is to not make the conversion hard.
• Did James just choose these four (there are actually five) things? Where did James get these?

Lev 19:4 Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God.

• James got this one. The first direct way it was said.
• Book of Leviticus was for the priests.
  • They were the teachers of the ancient hebrews.
• James went to the teacher’s edition essentially.

Lev 18:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Lev 18:5-6 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD. (6) None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the LORD.

• This is the fornication that James is talking about. It covered all the sexuality stuff.
• It is a blanket statement, which is more than just four precepts in chapter 18.

Lev 17:13-14 And whatsoever man there be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, which hunteth and catcheth any beast or fowl that may be eaten; he shall even pour out the blood thereof, and cover it with dust. (14) For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.

• They should drain the animals dry.
• You also can’t eat the blood.

James drew from the law of Moses. Was this all that James thought was essential? Why would he give any precepts at all if only belief in Jesus was the goal?
The Holy Spirit guided them what in the beginning that they should do.
Act 15:20-21 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. (21) For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.

• First, four precepts from the law of Moses.
• Then he says that the law of Moses is taught in all the synagogues.
• The Gentiles would get the rest from the synagogues from their cities.
  • This is why James didn’t have to give an exhaustive list.

He assumed that the Gentiles would somehow end up in a synagogue on the sabbath. This means James also told them about the sabbath day!
They had to be smart about how they taught them.
Act 13:13-15 Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem. (14) But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down. (15) And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.

• Synagogue in Antioch and they went in during the sabbath day.
• After reading of the law and the prophets!
  • This is what James was saying
• Then they opened the study for questions
• This is where they learned the rest of the precepts.

Act 13:42-44 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath. (43) Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. (44) And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.

• There were gentiles in the synagogue keeping the sabbath. They were learning of the laws of Moses.
• proselytes were new converts to the faith.
  • Never was a Jew, but converting to the ways of Israel.

Jews kicked out the christians from the synagogues.
True christianity is torah observance.
1Ti 4:12-13 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. (13) Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

• KJV falls short here

1Ti 4:12-13 ISV Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but be an example for other believers in your speech, behavior, love, faithfulness, and purity. (13) Until I arrive, give your full concentration to the public reading of Scripture, to exhorting, and to teaching.

• The scriptures in their day was the old testament.
• This public reading was in synagogues on the sabbath.

1Ti 4:12-13 BBE Let no one make little of you because you are young, but be an example to the church in word, in behaviour, in love, in faith, in holy living. (13) Till I come, give attention to the reading of the holy Writings, to comforting the saints, and to teaching.

• Public reading of the scriptures. They were reading the old testament and teaching it.

1Ti 4:12-13 CEV Don't let anyone make fun of you, just because you are young. Set an example for other followers by what you say and do, as well as by your love, faith, and purity. (13) Until I arrive, be sure to keep on reading the Scriptures in worship, and don't stop preaching and teaching.

• They say keep on reading.
• The reading of the scriptures was a part of the worship.

The four things that James said was not the exhaustive list of do’s and don’ts. It was just an introduction to the law of moses.
(Antwan)
Josephus - Antiquities Of The Jews
03.20.02. Book 20, Chapter 02
CHAPTER 2
HOW HELENA THE QUEEN OF ADIABENE AND HER SON IZATES, EMBRACED THE JEWISH RELIGION; AND HOW HELENA SUPPLIED THE POOR WITH CORN, WHEN THERE WAS A GREAT FAMINE AT JERUSALEM.

1. ABOUT this time it was that Helena, queen of Adiabene, and her son Izates, changed their course of life, and embraced the Jewish customs, and this on the occasion following: Monobazus, the king of Adiabene, who had also the name of Bazeus, fell in love with his sister Helena, and took her to be his wife, and begat her with child. But as he was in bed with her one night, he laid his hand upon his wife’s belly, and fell asleep, and seemed to hear a voice, which bid him take his hand off his wife’s belly, and not hurt the infant that was therein, which, by God’s providence, would be safely born, and have a happy end. This voice put him into disorder; so he awaked immediately, and told the story to his wife; and when his son was born, he called him Izates. He had indeed Monobazus, his elder brother, by Helena also, as he had other sons by other wives besides. Yet did he openly place all his affections on this his only begotten (2) son Izates, which was the origin of that envy which his other brethren, by the same father, bore to him; while on this account they hated him more and more, and were all under great affliction that their father should prefer Izates before them. Now although their father was very sensible of these their passions, yet did he forgive them, as not indulging those passions out of an ill disposition, but out of a desire each of them had to be beloved by their father. However, he sent Izates, with many presents, to Abennerig, the king of Charax-Spasini, and that out of the great dread he was in about him, lest he should come to some misfortune by the hatred his brethren bore him; and he committed his son’s preservation to him. Upon which Abennerig gladly received the young man, and had a great affection for him, and married him to his own daughter, whose name was Samacha: he also bestowed a country upon him, from which he received large revenues.
   
2. But when Monobazus was grown old, and saw that he had but a little time to live, he had a mind to come to the sight of his son before he died. So he sent for him, and embraced him after the most affectionate manner, and bestowed on him the country called Carra; it was a soil that bare amomum in great plenty: there are also in it the remains of that ark, wherein it is related that Noah escaped the deluge, and where they are still shown to such as are desirous to see them. (3) Accordingly, Izates abode in that country until his father’s death. But the very day that Monobazus died, queen Helena sent for all the grandees, and governors of the kingdom, and for those that had the armies committed to their command; and when they were come, she made the following speech to them: "I believe you are not unacquainted that my husband was desirous Izates should succeed him in the government, and thought him worthy so to do. However, I wait your determination; for happy is he who receives a kingdom, not from a single person only, but from the willing suffrages of a great many." This she said, in order to try those that were invited, and to discover their sentiments. Upon the hearing of which, they first of all paid their homage to the queen, as their custom was, and then they said that they confirmed the king’s determination, and would submit to it; and they rejoiced that Izates’s father had preferred him before the rest of his brethren, as being agreeable to all their wishes: but that they were desirous first of all to slay his brethren and kinsmen, that so the government might come securely to Izates; because if they were once destroyed, all that fear would be over which might arise from their hatred and envy to him. Helena replied to this, that she returned them her thanks for their kindness to herself and to Izates; but desired that they would however defer the execution of this slaughter of Izates’s brethren till he should be there himself, and give his approbation to it. So since these men had not prevailed with her, when they advised her to slay them, they exhorted her at least to keep them in bonds till he should come, and that for their own security; they also gave her counsel to set up some one whom she could put the greatest trust in, as a governor of the kingdom in the mean time. So queen Helena complied with this counsel of theirs, and set up Monobazus, the eldest son, to be king, and put the diadem upon his head, and gave him his father’s ring, with its signet; as also the ornament which they call Sampser, and exhorted him to administer the affairs of the kingdom till his brother should come; who came suddenly upon hearing that his father was dead, and succeeded his brother Monobazus, who resigned up the government to him.
   
3. Now, during the time Izates abode at Charax-Spasini, a certain Jewish merchant, whose name was Ananias, got among the women that belonged to the king, and taught them to worship God according to the Jewish religion. He, moreover, by their means, became known to Izates, and persuaded him, in like manner, to embrace that religion; he also, at the earnest entreaty of Izates, accompanied him when he was sent for by his father to come to Adiabene; it also happened that Helena, about the same time, was instructed by a certain other Jew and went over to them. But when Izates had taken the kingdom, and was come to Adiabene, and there saw his brethren and other kinsmen in bonds, he was displeased at it; and as he thought it an instance of impiety either to slay or imprison them, but still thought it a hazardous thing for to let them have their liberty, with the remembrance of the injuries that had been offered them, he sent some of them and their children for hostages to Rome, to Claudius Caesar, and sent the others to Artabanus, the king of Parthia, with the like intentions.
   
4. And when he perceived that his mother was highly pleased with the Jewish customs, he made haste to change, and to embrace them entirely; and as he supposed that he could not he thoroughly a Jew unless he were circumcised, he was ready to have it done. But when his mother understood what he was about, she endeavored to hinder him from doing it, and said to him that this thing would bring him into danger; and that, as he was a king, he would thereby bring himself into great odium among his subjects, when they should understand that he was so fond of rites that were to them strange and foreign; and that they would never bear to be ruled over by a Jew. This it was that she said to him, and for the present persuaded him to forbear. And when he had related what she had said to Ananias, he confirmed what his mother had said; and when he had also threatened to leave him, unless he complied with him, he went away from him, and said that he was afraid lest such an action being once become public to all, he should himself be in danger of punishment for having been the occasion of it, and having been the king’s instructor in actions that were of ill reputation; and he said that he might worship God without being circumcised, even though he did resolve to follow the Jewish law entirely, which worship of God was of a superior nature to circumcision. He added, that God would forgive him, though he did not perform the operation, while it was omitted out of necessity, and for fear of his subjects. So the king at that time complied with these persuasions of Ananias. But afterwards, as he had not quite left off his desire of doing this thing, a certain other Jew that came out of Galilee, whose name was Eleazar, and who was esteemed very skillful in the learning of his country, persuaded him to do the thing; for as he entered into his palace to salute him, and found him reading the law of Moses, he said to him, "Thou dost not consider, O king! that thou unjustly breakest the principal of those laws, and art injurious to God himself, [by omitting to be circumcised]; for thou oughtest not only to read them, but chiefly to practice what they enjoin thee. How long wilt thou continue uncircumcised? But if thou hast not yet read the law about circumcision, and dost not know how great impiety thou art guilty of by neglecting it, read it now." When the king had heard what he said, he delayed the thing no longer, but retired to another room, and sent for a surgeon, and did what he was commanded to do. He then sent for his mother, and Ananias his tutor, and informed them that he had done the thing; upon which they were presently struck with astonishment and fear, and that to a great degree, lest the thing should be openly discovered and censured, and the king should hazard the loss of his kingdom, while his subjects would not bear to be governed by a man who was so zealous in another religion; and lest they should themselves run some hazard, because they would be supposed the occasion of his so doing. But it was God himself who hindered what they feared from taking effect; for he preserved both Izates himself and his sons when they fell into many dangers, and procured their deliverance when it seemed to be impossible, and demonstrated thereby that the fruit of piety does not perish as to those that have regard to him, and fix their faith upon him only. (4) But these events we shall relate hereafter.
   
5. But as to Helena, the king’s mother, when she saw that the affairs of Izates’s kingdom were in peace, and that her son was a happy man, and admired among all men, and even among foreigners, by the means of God’s providence over him, she had a mind to go to the city of Jerusalem, in order to worship at that temple of God which was so very famous among all men, and to offer her thank-offerings there. So she desired her son to give her leave to go thither; upon which he gave his consent to what she desired very willingly, and made great preparations for her dismission, and gave her a great deal of money, and she went down to the city Jerusalem, her son conducting her on her journey a great way. Now her coming was of very great advantage to the people of Jerusalem; for whereas a famine did oppress them at that time, and many people died for want of what was necessary to procure food withal, queen Helena sent some of her servants to Alexandria with money to buy a great quantity of corn, and others of them to Cyprus, to bring a cargo of dried figs. And as soon as they were come back, and had brought those provisions, which was done very quickly, she distributed food to those that were in want of it, and left a most excellent memorial behind her of this benefaction, which she bestowed on our whole nation. And when her son Izates was informed of this famine,
   

(5) he sent great sums of money to the principal men in Jerusalem. However, what favors this queen and king conferred upon our city Jerusalem shall be further related hereafter.
ENDNOTES
(2): Josephus here uses the word monogene, an only begotten son, for no other than one best beloved, as does both the Old and New Testament, I mean where there were one or more sons besides, Gen_22:2; Heb_11:17. See the note on B. I. ch. 13. sect. 1.
(3): It is here very remarkable, that the remains of Noah’s ark were believed to he still in being in the days of Josephus. See the note on B. I. ch. 3. sect. 5.
(4): Josephus is very full and express in these three chapters, 3., 4., and 5., in observing how carefully Divine Providence preserved this Izates, king of Adiabene, and his sons, while he did what he thought was his bounden duty, notwithstanding the strongest political motives to the contrary.
(5): This further account of the benefactions of Izates and Helena to the Jerusalem Jews which Josephus here promises is, I think, no where performed by him in his present works. But of this terrible famine itself in Judea, take Dr. Hudson’s note here: - "This ( says he ) is that famine foretold by Agabus, Act_11:28, which happened when Claudius was consul the fourth time; and not that other which happened when Claudius was consul the second time, and Cesina was his colleague, as Scaliger says upon Eusebius, p. 174." Now when Josephus had said a little afterward, ch. 5. sect. 2, that "Tiberius Alexander succeeded Cuspius Fadus as procurator," he immediately subjoins, that" under these procurators there happened a great famine in Judea." Whence it is plain that this famine continued for many years, on account of its duration under these two procurators. Now Fadus was not sent into Judea till after the death of king Agrippa, i.e. towards the latter end of the 4th year of Claudius; so that this famine foretold by Agabus happened upon the 5th, 6th, and 7th years of Claudius, as says Valesius on Euseb. II. 12. Of this famine also, and queen Helena’s supplies, and her monument, see Moses Churenensis, p. 144, 145, where it is observed in the notes that Pausanias mentions that her monument also.
Mat 23:15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

• The pharisees make them twice as likely to go to hell.

Mat 23:15 ERV "It will be bad for you teachers of the law and you Pharisees! You are hypocrites. You travel across the seas and across different countries to find one person who will follow your ways. When you find that person, you make him worse than you are. And you are so bad that you belong in hell!

• These people would go to great lengths to make this one convert even worse than them.

The new testament didn’t create a new set of rules. Jesus showed us how to really live the law of Moses in spirit, but this doesn’t mean abandoning the letter of the law.
Christ saves. To maintain your salvation, you must keep the law of Moses.
The sabbath, the new moons, the dietary laws, etc. they weren’t ever a controversy. If something is established and there is silence going forward regarding it, then it never goes away.
You have to keep the law through christ to be saved. There are steps to salvation.
When the apostles went to the Jews, they knew what they were repenting from; the only difference was to also believe in Jesus.
Christianity today teaches repentance from sin without actually turning from sin.
Believe in Christ & Repent from sin -> Have fruits of repentance and keep the law in Christ
Connect Acts 15:1 with Matthew 1:21. This describes what Jesus came to save people from.
Belief in Jesus blots/cancels out PAST sins.
Now that they have been converted, Acts 21 - after the intro.
Peter says:

1. Saved by Christ
2. Save yourselves

3:28:17
James gave the Gentiles four precepts to start them off with. And he said they would learn the rest.
Christians today say that nothing that you do can affect your salvation. Even though in Acts 2, Peter told them to save yourselves from this untoward generation.
So, first Peter tells you that you have to be saved by Christ. Then he turns around saying save yourselves. That means you gotta do something.
This is the analogy: Christians see Jesus as this lifeguard that keeps jumping in the pool while you're drowning and keeps pulling you out even though he was the one who told you to not get in the pool in the first place. The Bible describes Jesus as you drowning and he shows you what to do to save yourself, by giving you the life preserver. So if someone asks you, you would be right to say that Jesus saved me because he was the one that threw you the life preserver, but he made me participate in my own salvation. I had to play a role in it. That is the part that Christians miss.
Christians Do Not Understand Acts 15:19-20
A critical analysis of the common misinterpretation of Acts 15:19-20 and how it affects the Christian faith and practice.
Jul 30, 2022: "Christians Do NOT Understand Acts 15:19-20!" starts at ~32 minutes in.
Notes taken on Jan 3, 2024
Formatting Key
Bible VerseItalicsArticles Number text in verse. Jesus talking. using KJV unless noted otherwiseNotes on the verse Not necessarily relevant to the current class, but still importantArticle link Quote from article {{quote removed later}}

FYI, this is a story COLLECTION. Lots of standalones technically. So, you can basically start to read at any chapter, no pre-read of the other chapters needed technically (other than maybe getting better descriptions of characters than: Adam Vir=human, Krill=antlike alien, Sunny=tall alien, Conn=telepathic alien). The numbers are (mostly) only for organization of posts and continuity.
OC Written by Charlie Stastarrfallknightrise,
Typed up and then posted here by me.
Proofreading and language check for some chapters by u/Finbar9800 u/BakeGullible9975 u/Didnotseemecomein and u/medium_jock
Future Lore and fact check done by me.
Awwwwwww! Different time, same fate!
Previous First Next
Want to find a specific one, see the whole list or check fanart?
Here is the link to the master-post.
Adam couldn't sleep. He lay flat on his back with the warm Texas heat blowing through him.
The windows in the barracks were open and a breeze blew through, tugging at his shirt muggy with warm summer night air. All around him the other cadets lay sleeping in the night, filled with the distant sounds of marching feet and the even more distant wine of aircraft engines. Light filtered in from the distant runway giving a gently white glow to everything around him. He sighed and rolled onto his side, trying to get comfortable, but it was no use.
Sweat pulsed from his pores with every beat of his heart, and slowly he sat up rubbing his head and blearily looking over at the other sleeping recruits. He had no idea how they were doing it. Most of them were probably from more humid climates, used to sleeping in this sort of oppressive heat.
He was more used to dealing with the cold.
He sat there for a long moment, debating on what to do before finally making a decision. Slowly rising to his feet, he quietly grabbed his boots, and slipped towards the barracks door, feet almost silent on the wood flooring below him. He did his best to avoid allowing the light from outside to filter too far into the room, leaving only an instant sliver of illumination on the wood before stepping out into the cool night air. It was nicer outside, and he took in a sigh of relief as the wind brushed over his skin and cooled the heat.
He turned his head up to the sky, tilting his head back and frowned, wilting.
The light pollution was so bad here, there were no stars to see…
He slumped back against the wall and sighed.
This was going to be a long night!
Bending over, he put his boots on the ground and laced them up, turning and making his way towards the distant runway. Up in the sky he could see distant circling lights of the planes both leaving and coming. He was drawn towards them, and the rolling sound of engines.
He made his way through other small concrete buildings, quietly passing by, doing his best to avoid the dim flare of red, and a line of smoke that trailed up from the watch building, and up onto a hill in the training field where he was able to sit and stare at the planes both coming and going. He found the roar of their engines to be peaceful, and wrapped his arm around his legs gently rocking back and forth in the night as the wind blew past him.
Adam was going to be exhausted tomorrow he knew, but there was nothing to help it. He wouldn't be able to sleep, and there was no reason to lay there and hope it would happen. If Master Sergeant Kimball caught him at this hour, he would get his ass beat, and everyone in his group was going to get punished for him being a dumbass, but he was pretty sure their MTI was supposed to be asleep at this hour, and he couldn't Imagine the Master Sergeant missing out on his beauty sleep.
He had to keep his beautifully bushy eyebrows in top shape to yell at the cadets.
Adam rested back against the grass, hands behind his head to stare up at the sky watching as a slow moving red light passed through the distorted atmosphere. The breeze continued to tug at his shirt; he lay in the grass and stared up at the sky.
He was sort of half dozing off when…
"Are you enjoying your evening lay about, recruit?”
He nearly soiled his pants jolting upright and nearly tipping over as he turned around to see Master Sergeant Kimball crouching behind him in the grass, the whites of his eyes wide and wild.
"Master Sergeant, I... I..."
Sergeant Kimball stood staring down at him with his large eyebrows furrowed. Adam had grown a lot over the past year and was almost as tall as the man, but that did nothing to ease his abject terror.
"Sneaking past the posted guard to come watch the airplanes huh?”
Adam stammered,
"I'm s-orry, sir. I- I couldn't sleep and there are no stars out."
Sergeant Kimball stepped forward, and Adam flinched back preparing himself for the string of abuse that was sure to leave the man's lips, but when nothing happened, he slowly opened on eye to see the man staring up at the sky overhead, backlit as a silhouette against the training field below.
"Sit your ass down, recruit."
He said, voice softer than it normally was.
Adam did as ordered, dumbstruck as the man slowly lowered himself to sit next to Adam. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, lighting on and placing it between his lips as he stared up at the sky,
"This damned humidity makes it impossible to sleep."
Adam could only nod in agreement.
He looked up at the sky taking a drag on the end of his cigarette causing the tip to flare once before dying away.
”You're right, not much a man can see of the stars here."
Adam nodded tentatively, opening his mouth,
"That was you, at the guard post? You saw me?"
"You aren't exactly one built for sneaking, son, white as a bare ass."
Adam blushed and shuffled his feet,
"Sorry sir, couldn't sleep."
Sergeant Kimball looked back up at the sky,
"Tell you what, why don't you and me go for a little drive?”
Adam wasn't entirely sure how he felt about that. Getting in the car alone with their MTI seemed like a great way to get himself singled out, but he couldn't imagine how he could say no to this man either, so instead he just nodded and stood. Sgt. Kimball led him down through the base and towards the parking lot before the main building pulling the keys to a hover jeep out from one of his pockets. Adam got into the passenger seat using the frame to halt himself into the seat and sit down as the man began to drive. The vehicle was open, and so there wasn't much conversation as they spend through the night, wind rushing past them in great gusts as they sped up the highway, other vehicles roaring past them.
Adam closed his eyes feeling the rush of air over his skin as he leaned his head out the open side and into the night.
They left the city behind, crawling out into the desert of scrub brush dark under the night sky above. The city lights faded into the distance, slowly replaced by blackness overhead. Stars began to wink into place, the brightest first, followed by their dimmer counterparts.
He closed his eyes, lifting his face to the sky in awe, feeling a thrill in his chest as the desert passed by them on both sides and the sky grew darker, until it was possible to see the distant milky lines of their galaxy's arm extending into the darkness.
It didn't fail to cross his mind that he was alone with Sgt Kimball in the middle of the desert, a prime place to kill someone and bury their body, but generally tended to hope that he wasn't going to die.
He didn't think Sgt. Kimball hated him that much.
They pulled off down a dirt track and pulled to a stop with the sky arrayed above them.
He clambered out of the car at the instruction of Sgt Kimball who sat himself on the hood of the vehicle and stared up at the sky.
"Beautiful isn't it?”
The man commented,
Adam nodded, eyes filled to the brim with glowing white stars.
Sgt. Kimball looked over at him,
"You're serious about this."
It wasn't a question.
Adam nodded.
Kimball leaned back against the windshield, kicking one of his feet up onto the hood while dangling his other foot off the side,
"A lot of those kids back there couldn't give two shits about what we do."
He glanced over at Adam,
"You on the other hand, you try, pay attention in the classes, spend your free time studying while those little assholes fuck around."
He lit another cigarette,
"I always know when someone is going to make it, and you, you will."
Adam frowned a bit skeptically,
"Er... thank you sir but, I Thought you... I thought you thought I was a dumbass."
Sgt Kimball laughed,
"Because you are, son. But the world is run by two types of people, assholes or dumbasses, and quite frankly, I tend to find myself liking dumbasses more than I like assholes."
A cloud of smoke billowed up from his lips as he pointed up at the sky,
"I'm assuming you know where Polaris is?"
Adam nodded and pointed with a finger.
"People been guiding themselves by her light for thousands of years, soon enough we'll be sailing the stars and she won't be so useful anymore."
He paused,
"I think we should visit her when we can, seems like it would only be fair to pay homage to the most important star in human history... Second to the sun I suppose."
Adam stared at Sgt. Kimball mouth half open. He didn't think there was particularly anything poetic about the man.
"Shut your mouth boy, leave it open too long and something might nest in it."
He closed his mouth and turned away, lifting his head to the sky above staring towards Polaris, which winked at him from the distant expanse of space.
[…]
"Get out."
"But."
"GET OUT! If you want to sleep inside than you have to prove you deserve it."
Chalan flinched back as the door was slammed in her face, taking a step back into the moss as the sound of her mother's voice echoed through the night. Inside she could hear raised voices, an argument rising up in the night.
"You dishonor yourself."
"I dishonor myself Kazna, or you dishonor yourself?"
"You are too soft on her."
"And you are a traitor to your own family. As her mother it is your job to protect and love her. It is NOT conditional."
"You are weak Lanus, and your ideals will make her weak."
Chalan turned her head away and trudged her way through the village, trying to ignore the eyes on her as she could see peeping out the little windows in the side of the huts. As she walked her feet kicked up bioluminescent moss spores, which glowed as they moved and went dormant as they lay still, calling attention to her movements as she made her way through the open streets and out towards the edge.
The city watch ignored her as she passed by them. Spores clung to her feet and heels making her feet glow with every step as she walked into a small patch of coil tree, their berries glowing white in the darkness. She picked one idly and rolled it between her fingers. Behind her, she heard the sudden soft padding of feet, crouched low she spun, spear held out before her in a defensive stance, sure she was about to be set upon by an enemy tribe, but instead was surprised to find Nechal and Kanan standing behind her. Nechal glowing like one of the moons with her bright white carapace, Kanan blending into the darkness behind in comparison.
She blinked,
"What are you two doing here?”
Nechal raised her spear,
"Watching your back, for the night is dangerous and full of terrors."
Chalan sighed,
”You could just be honest with me."
"You know I don't lie."
Nechal said, falling into step beside Sunny as Kanan did the same on her other side.
"You guys don't have to."
As they walked, their feet lit up with the bioluminescent spores.
It was a safe enough time of year. The spores could be easily seen across long distances in the dark, and so an arriving raiding party would have to be stupid to come at night. Even now, in the distance, she could see a slow line of spores ascending into the sky as a herd of unknown creatures passed over the fertile valley before them.
Kanan placed a hand on her shoulder,
"Why don't we sit, this seems as good a palace as any."
Chalan shrugged and sat in the moss, as she tilted her head back towards the sky. She tried not to think too much about Nechal and Kanan being here. They had probably been spending time together before the argument between her parents broke out. If it wasn't for her, they might be having a nice night together.
"Do you think we are the only ones?"
Nechal asked into the darkness.
Kanan looked over at her,
”The only ones what?"
Nechal waved one of her hands upward,
"The acolytes say we live on a floating rock in the middle of the void. That void is lit by burning gasses of unknown providence, so my question is, are we the only floating rock or are there other things living out there?"
Kanan laughed while Chalan stayed silent,
"Definitely the only ones."
"You think so?”
"The doctrine of the citadel doesn't mention anyone else?"
"The doctrine also doesn't talk about coil trees, but those still exist."
Chalan lay there, listening to their banter as she looked up at the sky. It was a good question, and if there was life out there, what would it be like? She tried imagining fanciful creatures to populate these unknown worlds, but found that it was hard to imagine anything that didn't resemble something already their own. Not like it mattered anyway, it was unlikely any of them would ever find out.
She did her best to block the arguments from her parents of earlier and listened to the distant roaring of the mountain volcanoes glowing red on the distant horizon.
Nechal pointed her hand up into the sky,
"Look, Chalan, Eedacheel. It's bright tonight."
Sunny turned her head to the southern star.
"Beautiful."
Kanan whispered,
"That's my favorite story."
"What?"
"Eedacheel, the spirit that guides, the spirit that brings Drev together. Remember, they say she guides us to those we love."
The two of them shared a long look and Sunny had to stop from rolling her eyes at them. She stared up at the star.
Eedacheel had never done anything for her.
She stared at the softly winking star.
All she saw was distant and unattainable.
If there was a spirit, it certainly didn't care about her.
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Want to find a specific one, see the whole list or check fanart?
Here is the link to the master-post.
Intro post by me
OC-whole collection
Patreon of the author
Thanks for reading! As you saw in the title, this is a cross posted story written by starrfallknightrise and I'll just upload some of it here for you guys, if you are interested and want to read ahead, the original story-collection can be found on tumblr or wattpad to read for free. (link above this text under "OC:..." ) It is the Empyrean Iris story collection by starfallknightrise. Also, if you want to know more about the story collection i made an intro post about it, so feel free to check that out to see what other great characters to look forward to! (Link also above this text). I have no affiliations to the author; just thought I’d share some of the great stories you might enjoy a lot!
Obviously, I have Charlie’s permission to post this and for the people already knowing the stories, or starting to read them: If you follow the link and check out the story you will see some differences. I made some small (non-artistic) changes, mainly correcting writing mistakes, pronoun correction and some small additional info here and there of things which were not thought of/forgotten or even were added/changed in later stories (like the “USS->UNSC” prefix of Stabby, Chalar=/->Sunny etc). As well as some "biggemajor" changes in descriptions and info’s for the same stringency/continuity reason. That can be explained by the story collection being, well a story collection at the start with many standalone-stories just starring the same people, but later on it gets more to a stringent storyline with backstories and throwbacks. (For example Adam Vir has some HEAVY scars over his body, following his bones, which were not really talked about up till half the collection, where it says it covers his whole body and you find out via backflash that he had them the whole time and how he got them, they just weren't mentioned before. However, I would think a doctor would at least see these scars before that, especially since he gets analyzed, treated and goes shirtless/in T-shirts in some stories). So TLDR: Writing and some descriptions are slightly changed, with full OK from the author, since he himself did not bother to correct these things before.

Hi I am running a study on online trolling behaviors and I’m having an issue collecting enough participants for our sample population so I am opening it to all Reddit forums.
I invite you to participate in a study evaluating the link between personality characteristics and online behavior of Reddit users. The data collected during the study will be kept under unidentifiable details and is completely anonymous. By participating in this study, you are entered into a raffle to win one out of four $25 Amazon giftcards. Thank you in advance for your participation!
Link to survey: https://idc.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eFhE78E0cjripSK

Hi I am running a study on online trolling behaviors and I’m having an issue collecting enough participants for our sample population so I am opening it to all Reddit forums.
I invite you to participate in a study evaluating the link between personality characteristics and online behavior of Reddit users. The data collected during the study will be kept under unidentifiable details and is completely anonymous. By participating in this study, you are entered into a raffle to win one out of four $25 Amazon giftcards. Thank you in advance for your participation!
Link to survey: https://idc.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eFhE78E0cjripSK

The original story of the death of RFK is shrouded with cover-up, lies, and corruption. This is a collection of evidence I’ve gathered that proves beyond a reasonable doubt a conspiracy to kill Robert F. Kennedy.
The bullet that killed RFK was fired from his right backside at an upward angle, and no witness in the vicinity said Sirhan was closer than 3-4 feet, with most saying around 6 feet. The way Kennedy was standing, facing Sirhan, makes it impossible for Sirhan to have shot him in that manner. witnesses stated the gunfire sounded like a machine gun, and said they had a hard time believing it was from one gun. The medical evidence, meticulously documented by Dr. Thomas Noguchi, the coroner who conducted the autopsy, showed that the fatal shots came from behind and 1 inch away, this automatically shows that Sirhan couldn’t have shot Robert Kennedy, but this is only the first thing. Dr. Noguchi, wrote a book on it calling it the perfect autopsy because it was. He was supervised by lots of different professional experts in autopsies. He saw what happened to JFK's body by the government and media, They didn't allow him to testify in the trial and then they ran a smear campaign against him for saying the bullets came from back right and upwards. He was then fired from his job.
Sirhan fired two bullets, one hitting a man and another hitting a frame behind RFK. He was then abruptly subdued and fired six more shots, which are all accounted for, hitting five different people, with two shots lodging in the ceiling panel and one in the frame. That gives us eight shots not accounting for the four that hit RFK. How is this possible with an eight-shot revolver? It's not. Audio recordings of the shooting have been examined by multiple experts, who concluded that 10-12 shots were fired.
The LAPD tampered with evidence; they removed the frame that clearly had a bullet, as well as the ceiling panels that were hit. This is supported by witness testimony and photographic evidence. The LAPD later stated that the evidence was taking up too much space—a flimsy excuse to blatantly cover up and hide the facts. Former FBI agent William Bailey supported the evidence of bullet holes in the doorways, remembering two bullets in the doorframe and FBI photos proving this. In addition, 20 FBI officers reported seeing bullet fragments or bullet holes in the doorframe.
Sirhan was not given a fair trial. His mother recalls Sirhan asking the judge for a new lawyer and being told to sit down or he would be tied down. His lawyer decided to fight on the basis that Sirhan was mentally ill and in a hypnotic trance, and did not even try to dispute the evidence. For example, the gun that was allegedly used in the shooting was examined by a ballistics expert who stated it was the same gun that killed RFK, even though the serial numbers of the gun he tested and Sirhan's gun didn't match up. Not only did this prove the expert was willing to lie, also destroys the credibility of the LAPD investigation. There was also no chain of custody, which in a real trial would be inadmissible.
They bullied and intimidated a witness Sandra Serrano who claimed a woman in a polka dot dress and a man ran out on the stairs saying, "We killed him, we killed him." They bullied her on tape, making her change her story. Many other people recall seeing and talking to this polka-dot dress girl. Also, a police officer named Paul Shrager got told by a witness that the Polka-dot lady ran past with a man them saying we killed him, Paul later saw in a news report they changed what he said to They killed him. The LAPD claimed they found the polka-dot lady, but it was another person in a green dress, blonde, with crutches, who looked nothing like the person described by witnesses. David Morales, who pressured Sandra Serrano into changing her story about the polka dot lady, was known to have administered tests in South America, Vietnam, and other countries, suggesting ties to the CIA. Morales, drunk, bragged to friends, "I was in Dallas when we got that motherfucker, and I was in Los Angeles when we got the little bastard." He had a history of involvement in CIA operations on foreign soil, including a test on Venezuelan dictator Pérez Jiménez during a government transition.
Scott Enyart was taking pictures in the pantry where Kennedy was killed. He says he loaded and clicked off his third roll of film. He claims that later, during the night of the shooting, police officers chased him down and confiscated his camera and film. He later tried to get this back 6 months later but the police denied ever knowing about it until he contacted his lawyer, who got him 26 out of 36 film. In the missing film was pictures during the shooting more interesting Scott was right behind Thane Eugene Caesar, showing these pictures would show there was no conspiracy, but no the LAPD destroyed them . This was a very weird thing to do. Later, Scott sued, and a Los Angeles jury awarded Enyart $465,000 in his claim against the city. The jury believed that Enyart was in the pantry when Kennedy was shot and that he took three rolls of film. The city was found to be negligent in returning the photographs that the police had confiscated. The photographs have never been found. This is not the only two incidences in the LAPD destroyed 2,400 pieces of evidence as well as Scott Enyart photos 3 weeks before Sirhan's trial.
In addition, Sirhan used to hypnotize himself Sirhan received letters and payments from the Ancient Mystical Order of the Rose Cross. He was known to be the easiest type of person to hypnotize. He be hypnotized to climb the bars of his cell During the trial, psychiatrist Bernard Diamond hypnotized Sirhan, told him he was a monkey, and Sirhan started swinging from the bars of his jail cell and acting like a monkey. Bernard Diamond was a very shady UCLA professor who many believe was one of the main MKULTRA hypnotizers used by the govt. Under hypnosis, he wrote the same things found in his notepad at home: "RFK must die, die." suggesting he wrote in a trance these writings are eerily similar to what he wrote while under hypnosis. William Bryan, a CIA MKULTRA primary researcher and an expert in hypnotism, claimed you could brainwash a person to do almost anything. He allegedly bragged about programming Sirhan and deprogramming Albert DeSalvo, "the Boston Strangler." Sirhan's diary also mentions mind control, aswell as Sirhan writing, "God help me, please help me, Salvo di DeSalvo." Could this be a link between a known CIA hypnotist and Sirhan.
Sirhan was led to a dark place by a woman after drinking coffee with her. He last remembers feeling drowsy and disoriented. He found himself lying on a table, and then he felt someone choking him. This strange and disjointed memory suggests that Sirhan may have been drugged or kidnapped before the Assassination.
Sirhan, easily manipulated through hypnotic techniques and possibly drugged, might have been an easy target for such a conspiracy. His behavior after the arrest was strange, as if he were in a trance. He was described by witnesses as having an empty look, almost as if he were devoid of emotion or awareness of his surroundings. This is consistent with reports of individuals under deep hypnosis.
So after all this, you may ask who did it? It was Eugene Thane Caesar and the polka-dot dress girl. This is the evidence: Thane Caesar was a last-minute replacement as Kennedy’s body guard couldn't show up that day. the kitchen was constantly unguarded, and a Kennedy staffer said she had to keep getting people out of the kitchen, the person to guard the kitchen door was Thane Eugene Caesar, this is where Sirhan would’ve come from and was seen standing there before the shooting. Eugene was standing in the exact position someone would have had to be in to fire the fatal shot. A man and a woman claimed to see a security guard fire shots at Sirhan, and a witness said this in an interview immediately after the shooting. RFK's last conscious action was ripping Eugene's tie off—why would he do that? It could be dismissed as accidental if, and it's a big if, there wasn't an incompetent investigation by the LAPD on a second shooter, or why they didn't take Eugene's gun that he had on the night and didn't interview him for a year.
In that interview, he said he had a .22 same used in the shooting, which he sold before the shooting. This was confirmed to be false as there is a receipt showing he sold it months after to another man. Why would he lie about this? The LAPD said there were no right-wingers there on the night of the killing but guess who was our good friend Eugene. He said in an interview he didn't like Kennedy and was a Republican. Just a bit weird. Eugene was leading RFK down this route as the other path was deemed too crowded or unsafe in a last minute change. To clarify, Eugene was not the only one holding on to Kennedy. Eugene was a very weird person who had a top-secret clearance at Lockheed but was working as a security guard just doesn't make sense.
Also the court granted Thane Caesars wish not to testify.
How do you know this polka-dot lady was involved? Two witnesses stated she was saying, "We killed him, killed him." She was also seen trying to buy a gun and ammo with Sirhan and another man, and there is proof of the sale. in total, she was seen by 10 different people at the Ambassador Hotel.
So why would Sirhan do this? MKULTRA. Sirhan Sirhan was working as a horse trainer or whatever. He never rode horses, but one day he did and he got concussed. He was recorded as going into a Naval hospital for 1 hour and discharged. Sirhan states that he was there for weeks. After the fall, everyone who knew Sirhan said he was different after that fall. Sirhan disappeared for 3 months before the assassination as well, his mother stated.
“On a foggy morning on Sept. 25, 1966, Sirhan fell from a mare named Hy-Vera. “Sirhan was thrown against a metal post, where he lay crumpled, crying and bleeding,” wrote James McKinley. Sirhan later received a $2,000 settlement over the incident.”
Declassified documents have revealed that the CIA was actively monitoring Robert F. Kennedy and had operatives present at the Ambassador Hotel on the night of his assassination. Investigative journalist Shane O'Sullivan's research highlighted the presence of three men identified as former CIA operatives at the hotel, raising questions about their role and purpose that night. These operatives, including George Joannides, David Morales, and Gordon Campbell, were all connected to various covert CIA activities.
Lieutenant Manuel Peña, a key figure in charge of the investigation, left the LAPD shortly before the assassination to work in South America for the Agency for International Development (USAID), a widely known CIA front. Shortly before the assassination, he came back to the LAPD and was given command of the Special Division Investigation Squad in charge of conspiracies.
The possible involvement of the CIA and other intelligence agencies cannot be dismissed. The chaotic political climate of the 1960s, marked by the assassinations of major political figures like JFK, MLK, and RFK, The CIA, known for its covert operations and psychological experiments, had the means and motive to conduct such an operation.
Eugene Thane Cesar's role remains suspicious. He was in the perfect position to fire the fatal shots, and his conflicting statements about his firearm ownership add to the suspicion. Cesar's background with top-secret clearance at Lockheed and his animosity towards Kennedy suggest a deeper involvement. His presence in the pantry and the physical evidence pointing to shots fired from his location make him a prime suspect.
The polka dot dress woman remains a mysterious figure. Witnesses consistently reported her presence and her suspicious behavior. Her alleged statements about "killing him" and attempts to purchase firearms with Sirhan indicate her involvement in the conspiracy. Despite the LAPD's efforts to discredit witnesses and dismiss their accounts, the consistency of their testimonies cannot be ignored.
The destruction and tampering of evidence by the LAPD and FBI further deepen the conspiracy. The removal of door frames, ceiling panels, and the disappearance of crucial photographs suggest an intentional cover-up. Scott Enyart's case exemplifies the mishandling of evidence. His missing photographs, which could have provided critical insights into the events in the pantry.
In 1992, a petition to the grand jury requested the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate the LAPD, signed by many figures, with 800 pages of evidence showing the LAPD destroying and falsifying evidence. Notable signatories included RFK assassination researchers rights activists, and legal experts. The petition outlined numerous instances of evidence tampering, witness intimidation, and procedural irregularities surrounding the investigation into RFK's assassination. It argued that a special prosecutor was necessary to conduct an impartial and thorough investigation into the LAPD's handling of the case, given the gravity of the allegations and the implications for justice and accountability. Despite the compelling evidence presented in the petition, no special prosecutor was appointed.
The involvement of intelligence agencies, the manipulation of evidence, the intimidation of witnesses, and the use of hypnotic techniques on Sirhan paint a picture of a complex and deep conspiracy. The possibility of mind control, as seen in the MKULTRA experiments, aligns with Sirhan's behaviour and writings. The presence of a second shooter, likely Eugene Thane Cesar, and the mysterious polka dot dress woman, make me believe beyond a reasonable doubt that Sirhan did not Kill Robert F. Kennedy alone.
TL;DR In conclusion, the evidence suggests that the parts of CIA, the LAPD, Eugene Thane Cesar, and the polka dot dress lady were part of a conspiracy to assassinate Robert F. Kennedy. The deliberate destruction of evidence, the manipulation of Sirhan through hypnosis, and the suspicious activities of key figures involved in the case point to a coordinated effort to eliminate Kennedy. The official narrative does not hold up against the substantial evidence of a second shooter and the involvement of intelligence agencies. After looking at all this evidence, no person could conclude any differently.

https://preview.redd.it/fjk55jmzoy2d1.png?width=2240&format=png&auto=webp&s=3d78b23fde50433873d3766a08e0c2ec3209160d
Welcome back to the reformed UPG of the Week!
Gonna leave this here because reddit is still a massive pain these days and it is getting worse to do all this

I wanted to update a few posts every now and then and the Malay one is 5 years old now, so meet the Malay people in Malaysia!

Region: Malaysia

map
Stratus Index Ranking (Urgency): 91
It has been noted to me by u/JCmathetes that I should explain this ranking. Low numbers are more urgent, both physically and spiritually together, while high numbers are less urgent. The scale is 1-177, with one number assigned to each country. So basically on a scale from Afghanistan (1) to Finland (177), how urgent are the peoples physical and spiritual needs.

Kuala Lumpur
Sabah, Malaysia
Climate: The local climate is equatorial and characterised by the annual southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to February) monsoons. The temperature is moderated by the presence of the surrounding oceans. Humidity is usually high, and the average annual rainfall is 250 cm (98 in). The climates of the Peninsula and the East differ, as the climate on the peninsula is directly affected by wind from the mainland, as opposed to the more maritime weather of the East. Local climates can be divided into three regions, highland, lowland, and coastal.
Crocker Mountains in Malaysia
Terrain: Much of Malaysia is coast or rainforest. Its land borders are defined in large part by geological features such as the Perlis River, the Golok River and the Pagalayan Canal, whilst some of the maritime boundaries are the subject of ongoing contention. The two parts of Malaysia, separated from each other by the South China Sea, share a largely similar landscape in that both Peninsular and East Malaysia feature coastal plains rising to hills and mountains. Peninsular Malaysia, containing 40 per cent of Malaysia's land area, extends 740 km (460 mi) from north to south, and its maximum width is 322 km (200 mi). It is divided between its east and west coasts by the Titiwangsa Mountains, rising to a peak elevation of 2,183 metres (7,162 ft) at Mount Korbu, part of a series of mountain ranges running down the centre of the peninsula. These mountains are heavily forested, and mainly composed of granite and other igneous rocks. Much of it has been eroded, creating a karst landscape. The range is the origin of some of Peninsular Malaysia's river systems. The coastal plains surrounding the peninsula reach a maximum width of 50 kilometres (31 mi), and the peninsula's coastline is nearly 1,931 km (1,200 mi) long, although harbours are only available on the western side. East Malaysia, on the island of Borneo, has a coastline of 2,607 km (1,620 mi). It is divided between coastal regions, hills and valleys, and a mountainous interior. The Crocker Range extends northwards from Sarawak, dividing the state of Sabah. It is the location of the 4,095 m (13,435 ft) high Mount Kinabalu, the tallest mountain in Malaysia. Mount Kinabalu is located in the Kinabalu National Park, which is protected as one of the four UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Malaysia. The highest mountain ranges form the border between Malaysia and Indonesia. Sarawak contains the Mulu Caves, the largest cave system in the world, in the Gunung Mulu National Park which is also a World Heritage Site. The largest river in Malaysia is the Rajang. Around these two halves of Malaysia are numerous islands, the largest of which is Banggi.
Mogotes dot along the western edge of the range in Kinta District, Perak.
Wildlife of Malaysia: The wildlife of Malaysia is diverse, with Malaysia being a megadiverse country. Most of the country is covered in rainforest, which hosts a huge diversity of plant and animal species. There are approximately 361 mammal species, 694 bird species, 250 reptile species, and 150 frog species found in Malaysia. Its large marine territory also holds a great diversity of life, with the country's coastal waters comprising part of the Coral Triangle. Peninsular Malaysia holds four big cats: the Indochinese tiger, the Malayan tiger, the Indochinese leopard and also the clouded leopard. Another major predator is the sunbear. Large prey exists, such as the Sumatran rhinoceros, the Malayan tapir, mouse deer, barking deer, sambar deer, wild boar, and Bornean bearded pigs. Gaurs and Asian elephants can also be found. Lowland animals such as these also can be found at higher altitudes, along with animals specialised for mountain living, such as siamang gibbons, red squirrels, and lesser moon rat species. East Malaysia lacks the tigers of the Peninsula, leaving Sunda clouded leopards, sunbears, and Sunda otter civet as the primary predators. Borneo elephants are also found there, along with Bornean orangutans, Mueller's gibbons, macaques, proboscis monkeys, silvered leaf monkeys, langurs, and slow lorises. Marbled cats and leopard cats are smaller predators. Kinabalu ferret-badgers, Kinabalu black shrews, Hose's palm civets, and Brooke's tree squirrels are endemic to the mountains of Borneo. Other small mammals include mongooses and giant rats. 11,300 orangutans are found in East Malaysia. Other ape species include the white-handed gibbon and the siamang. Malaysia has 10 monkey species, divided between langurs and macaques. Proboscis monkeys, the world's largest monkey, are a langur species endemic to Borneo. Macaque species include the crab-eating macaque and the pig-tailed macaque. The Malayan tiger, a close relative of the Indochinese tiger, is endemic to the Malay peninsula with a remaining population of about 300 (250-340). Small cats such as the bay cat and various civet cats are also found. 1200 Asian elephants exist on the Peninsula, with another population existing in East Malaysia. The world's largest cattle species, the seladang, is found in Malaysia. Fruit bats are also found throughout the country, with a high concentration in the Mulu Caves. There are also the Malayan pit viper, king cobras, Dumeril's monitors, Malay water monitors, and estuarine crocodiles. The king cobra is the deadliest snake found, but it is rarely encountered. The reticulated python is said to grow up to 10 metres (33 ft) in length. Monitor lizards, almost 2 metres (7 ft) in length, are found in both halves of the country. They also have a ton of birds.
If it isn't obvious from this list, there are SO many monkeys in Malaysia :(
Indochinese leopard
Environmental Issues: The national statistics showed that the state of some of the Malaysian environment is rather stressful. Urban air quality, river water quality, deforestation, costal reclamation, and endangered species are just a few of the issues in Malaysia.
Languages: Malaysia contains speakers of 137 living languages, 41 of which are found in Peninsula Malaysia.
Malay, Baba Malay, Batek, Chitty Malay, Cheq Wong, Duano’, Jah Hut, Jahai, Jakun, Jedek, Kedah Malay, Kelantan-Pattani Malay, Kenaboi, Kensiu, Kintaq, Kristang, Lanoh, Mah Meri, Minriq, Mintil, Mos, Negeri Sembilan Malay, Orang Kanaq, Orang Seletar, Pahang Malay, Perak Malay, Ple-Temer, Rawa Malay, Sabüm, Semai, Semaq Beri, Semelai, Semnam, Southern Thai, Temiar, Temoq, Temuan, Terengganu Malay, Wila', Abai, Bahau, Bajaw, Belait, Berawan, Biatah, Bintulu, Bonggi, Bookan, Bruneian/Kedayan Malay, Brunei Bisaya, Bukar Sadong, Bukitan, Coastal Kadazan, Cocos Malay, Daro-Matu, Dumpas, Dusun, Eastern Kadazan, Gana’, Iban, Ida'an, Iranun, Jagoi, Jangkang, Kajaman, Kalabakan, Kanowit, Kayan, Kelabit, Kendayan, Keningau Murut, Kinabatangan, Kiput, Klias River Kadazan, Kota Marudu Talantang, Kuijau, Lahanan, Lelak, Lengilu, Lotud, Lun Bawang (Lundayeh), Mainstream Kenyah, Maranao, Melanau, Molbog, Momogun, Murik Kayan, Narom, Nonukan Tidong, Okolod, Paluan, Papar, Punan Batu, Remun, Sa'ban, Sabah Bisaya, Sabah Malay, Sama, Sarawak Malay, Sebop, Sebuyau, Sekapan, Selungai Murut, Sembakung, Seru, Serudung, Sian, Suluk, Sungai, Tagol, Timugon, Tombonuwo, Tring, Tringgus, Tutoh, Ukit, Uma’ Lasan, English, Arabic, Bengali, Cantonese, Hainanese, Hakka, Hokchew, Hokkien, Indonesian, Malayalam, Mandarin Chinese, Punjabi, Sinhala, Tamil, Telugu. The Malay speak Malay
Government Type: Federal parliamentary elective constitutional monarchy

People: Malay in Malaysia

Malaysian woman
Population: 14,098,000
Estimated Foreign Workers Needed: 282+
Beliefs: The Malay are 0.1% Christian. That means out of their population of 14,098,000, there are roughly 14,098 believers. Thats about 1 believer for every 1000 unbeliever.
Islam was brought to Malaysia by Arabic and Indian traders many centuries ago, and the Malay people have come to embrace and ardently follow the Islamic faith. All Malay people are considered Islamic though levels of devotion to the religion are varied. Even those who half-heartedly follow Islam participate in the fasting month, and the Malay people of affluence will go on the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once if not many times during their lifetime.
The Malay have early roots in Hinduism and traces of this can still be seen in certain aspects of their culture such as weddings. For instance, the bride and groom will paint their hands with henna and will sit upon a platform for hours for the guests to admire.
Another divergence from Islam is the use of a bomoh (witchdoctor). Although Islam forbids the use of such a person, many Malay of Peninsular Malaysia will seek the services of a bomoh when they are experiencing a difficult situation or when they need some "magic." Also, they use bomohs for honorable or ignoble purposes. Furthermore, they consult bomohs in order to receive a blessing or a cure; or, on the other hand, in order to curse someone or get revenge.
Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Mosque in Malaysia
History: There is no definite evidence which dates the first Indian voyages across the Bay of Bengal but conservative estimates place the earliest arrivals on Malay shores at least 2,000 years ago. The discovery of jetty remains, iron smelting sites, and a clay brick monument dating back to 110 CE in the Bujang Valley, shows that a maritime trading route with South Indian Tamil kingdoms was already established since the second century.
The growth of trade with India brought coastal people in much of maritime Southeast Asia into contact with the major religions of Hinduism and Buddhism. Throughout this area a most profound in influence has been exerted by India which seems to have introduced into it architecture, sculpture, writing, monarchy, religion, iron, cotton and a host of elements of higher culture. Indian religions, cultural traditions and Sanskrit began to spread across the land. Hindu temples were built in the Indian style, local kings began referring to themselves as "raja" and more desirable aspects of Indian government were adopted
The beginning of the Common Era saw the rise of Malay states in the coastal areas of the Sumatra and Malay Peninsula; Srivijaya, Nakhon Si Thammarat Kingdom, Gangga Negara, Langkasuka, Kedah, Pahang, the Melayu Kingdom and Chi Tu. Between the 7th and 13th centuries, many of these small, often prosperous peninsula and Sumatran maritime trading states, became part of the mandala of Srivijaya, a great confederation of city-states centred in Sumatra. Early during this period, the earliest known mention of the word "Malayu" was used in Chinese sources in 644 CE. Later in the mid-14th century, the word Malay was already recognized as a collective people sharing similar heritage, customs and language.
Srivijaya's influence spread over all the coastal areas of Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula, western Java and western Borneo, as well as the rest of the Malay Archipelago. Enjoying both Indian and Chinese patronage, its wealth was gained mostly through trade. At its height, the Old Malay language was used as its official language and became the lingua franca of the region, replacing Sanskrit, the language of Hinduism. The Srivijayan era is considered the golden age of Malay culture.
The glory of Srivijaya however began to wane after the series of raids by the Tamil Chola dynasty in the 11th century. After the fall of Srivijaya in 1025 CE, the Malayu kingdom of Jambi, Sumatra, became the most dominant Malay state of the region. By the end of the 13th century, the remnants of the Malay empire in Sumatra was finally destroyed by the Javanese invaders during the Pamalayu expedition (Pamalayu means "war against the Malays").
In 1299, through the support of the loyal servants of the empire, the Orang laut, a Malay prince of Palembang origin, Sang Nila Utama established the Kingdom of Singapura in Temasek. His dynasty ruled the island kingdom until the end of the 14th century, when the Malay polity once again faced the wrath of Javanese invaders. In 1400, his great-great-grandson, Parameswara, headed north and established the Malacca Sultanate. The new kingdom succeeded Srivijaya and inherited much of the royal and cultural traditions, including a large part of the territories of its predecessor.
In the north of the peninsula, the power vacuum left by the collapse of Srivijaya was filled by the growth of the kingdom of Tambralinga in the 12th century. Between the 13th to early 14th century, the kingdom succeeded to incorporate most of the Malay Peninsula under its mandala. The campaign led by Chandrabhanu Sridhamaraja (1230–1263) managed to capture Jaffna kingdom in Sri Lanka between 1247 and 1258. He was eventually defeated by the forces of the Pandyan dynasty from Tamil Nadu in 1263 and was killed by the brother of Emperor Sadayavarman Sundara Pandyan I. The invasion marked an unrivaled feature in the history of Southeast Asia, it was the only time there was an armed maritime expedition beyond the borders of the region.
The cultivation of Malay polity system also diffused beyond the proper Sumatran-Peninsular border during this era. The age avowed by exploration and migration of the Malays to establish kingdoms beyond the traditional Srivijayan realm. Several exemplification are the enthronement of a Tambralingan prince to reign the Lavo Kingdom in present-day Central Thailand, the foundation of Rajahnate of Cebu in the Visayas and the establishment of the Tanjungpura Kingdom in what is now West Kalimantan, Borneo. The expansion is also eminent as it shaped the ethnogenesis development of the related Acehnese and Banjar people and further spreading the Indian-influenced Malay ethos within the regional sphere.
The period of the 12th and 15th centuries saw the arrival of Islam and the rise of the great port-city of Malacca on the southwestern coast of the Malay Peninsula — two major developments that altered the course of Malay history.
The Islamic faith arrived on the shores of what are now the states of Kedah, Perak, Kelantan and Terengganu, from around the 12th century. The earliest archaeological evidence of Islam from the Malay Peninsula is the Terengganu Inscription Stone dating from the 14th century found in Terengganu state, Malaysia.
By the 15th century, the Malacca Sultanate, whose hegemony reached over much of the western Malay Archipelago, had become the centre of Islamisation in the east. As a Malaccan state religion, Islam brought many great transformation into the Malaccan society and culture, and It became the primary instrument in the evolution of a common Malay identity. The Malaccan era witnessed the close association of Islam with Malay society and how it developed into a definitive marker of Malay identity. Over time, this common Malay cultural idiom came to characterise much of the Malay Archipelago through the Malayisation process. The expansion of Malaccan influence through trade and Dawah brought with it together the Classical Malay language, the Islamic faith, and the Malay Muslim culture; the three core values of Kemelayuan ("Malayness").
In 1511, the Malaccan capital fell into the hands of Portuguese conquistadors. However, Malacca remained an institutional prototype: a paradigm of statecraft and a point of cultural reference for successor states such as Johor Sultanate (1528–present), Perak Sultanate (1528–present), Pahang Sultanate (1470–present), Siak Sri Indrapura Sultanate (1725–1946), Pelalawan Sultanate (1725–1946) and Riau-Lingga Sultanate (1824–1911).
Across the South China Sea in the 14th century, another Malay realm, the Bruneian Empire was on the rise to become the most powerful polity in Borneo. By the middle of the 15th century, Brunei entered into a close relationship with the Malacca Sultanate. The sultan married a Malaccan princess, adopted Islam as the court religion, and introduced an efficient administration modelled on Malacca. Brunei profited from trade with Malacca but gained even greater prosperity after the great Malay port was conquered by the Portuguese in 1511. It reached its golden age in the mid-16th century when it controlled land as far south as present day Kuching in Sarawak, north towards the Philippine Archipelago. The empire broadened its influence in Luzon by defeating Datu Gambang of the Kingdom of Tondo and by founding a satellite state, Kota Seludong in present-day Manila, setting up the Muslim Rajah, Rajah Sulaiman I as a vassal to the Sultanate of Brunei. Brunei also expanded its influence in Mindanao, Philippines when Sultan Bolkiah married Leila Macanai, the daughter of the Sultan of Sulu. However, states like the kingdom of Pangasinan, Rajahnate of Cebu and Kedatuan of Madja-as tried to resist Brunei's and Islam's spread into the Philippines. Brunei's fairly loose river based governmental presence in Borneo projected the process of Malayisation. Fine Malay Muslim cultures, including the language, dress and single-family dwelling were introduced to the natives primarily from ethnic Dayaks, drawing them into the Sultanate. Dayak chiefs were incorporated into the Malay hierarchy, being given the official titles of Datuk, Temenggong and Orang Kaya. In West Borneo, the development of such sultanates of Sarawak, Sambas, Sukadana and Landak tells a similar tale of recruitment among Dayak people.
Other significant Malay sultanates were the Kedah Sultanate (1136–present), Kelantan Sultanate (1411–present), Patani Sultanate (1516–1771), Reman Kingdom (1785–1909) and Legeh Kingdom (1755–1902) that dominated the northern part of the Malay Peninsula. Jambi Sultanate (1460–1907), Palembang Sultanate (1550–1823) and Indragiri Sultanate (1298–1945) controlled much of the southeastern shores of Sumatra. Deli Sultanate (1632–1946), Serdang Sultanate (1728–1948), Langkat Sultanate (1568–1948) and Asahan Sultanate (1630–1948) governed eastern Sumatra. While West Borneo observed the rise of Pontianak Sultanate (1771–1950), Mempawah Sultanate (1740–1950) and Matam Sultanate (1590–1948).
Between 1511 and 1984, numerous Malay kingdoms and sultanates fell under direct colonisation or became the protectorates of different foreign powers, from European colonial powers like Portuguese, Dutch and British, to regional powers like Aceh, Siam and Japan. In 1511, the Portuguese Empire captured the capital city of the Malacca Sultanate. The victorious Portuguese however, were unable to extend their political influence beyond the fort of Malacca. The Sultan maintained his overlordship on the lands outside Malacca and established the Johor Sultanate in 1528 to succeed Malacca. Portuguese Malacca faced several unsuccessful retaliation attacks by Johor until 1614, when the combined forces of Johor and the Dutch Empire, ousted the Portuguese from the peninsula. As per agreement with Johor in 1606, the Dutch later took control of Malacca.
Historically, Malay states of the peninsula had hostile relations with the Siamese. The Malacca Sultanate Itself fought two wars with the Siamese while the northern Malay states came intermittently under Siamese dominance for centuries. In 1771, the Kingdom of Siam under the new Chakri dynasty abolished the Patani Sultanate and later annexed a large part of Kedah Sultanate. Earlier, the Siamese under Ayutthaya Kingdom have had already absorbed Tambralinga and overrun the Singgora Sultanate in the 17th century. Between 1808 and 1813, the Siamese imposed a new administrative structure and created the semi-independent Malay kingdoms of Patani, Saiburi, Nongchik, Yaring, Yala, Reman and Rangae from Greater Patani and similarly obtained Rundung, Kupa, Tongkah, Terang while carving Setul, Langu, Perlis, Kubang Pasu from the Kedah Kingdom in 1839. In 1902, the Siamese stripped the political powers of all the 7 kingdoms of Patani following a planned revolt for independence against the central government. The coup de grâce was cultivated by 1906, when the Siamese redraw the border of the Patani territories and installed a new governance and administrative system.
In 1786, the island of Penang was leased to East India Company by Kedah Sultanate in exchange of military assistance against the Siamese. In 1819, the company also acquired Singapore from Johor Empire, later in 1824, Dutch Malacca from the Dutch, followed by Dindings from Perak by 1874 and finally Labuan from Brunei in 1886. All these trading posts officially known as Straits Settlements in 1826 and became the crown colony of British Empire in 1867. Additionally, the Straits Settlements would also encompass the Indian Ocean islands of Christmas Island and the Cocos Islands in 1886. British intervention in the affairs of Malay states was formalised in 1895, when Malay rulers accepted British Residents in administration, and the Federated Malay States was formed. In 1909, Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu and Perlis were handed over by Siam to the British. These states along with Johor, later became known as Unfederated Malay States. During the World War II, all these British possessions and protectorates that collectively known as British Malaya were occupied by the Empire of Japan.
The twilight of the vast Bruneian Empire began during the Castille War against the Spanish conquistadors who arrived in the Philippines from Mexico. The war resulted in the end of the empire's dominance in the present-day Philippine Archipelago. The decline further culminated in the 19th century, when the Sultanate lost most of its remaining territories in Borneo to the White Rajahs of Sarawak, North Borneo Chartered Company and its lower Borneo vassals to Dutch East India Company. Brunei was a British protectorate from 1888 to 1984.
Following the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 which divided the Malay Archipelago into a British zone in the north and a Dutch zone in the south, all Malay sultanates in Sumatra and Southern Borneo became part of the Dutch East Indies. Though some of Malay sultans maintain their power under Dutch control, some were abolished by the Dutch government under the accusation of retaliation against the colonial rule, like the case of Palembang Sultanate in 1823, Jambi Sultanate in 1906 and Riau Sultanate in 1911.
In the late 19th century, Germany was aiming to gain a foothold in the Malay Peninsula. They have made a repeated request to Siam on acquiring Langkawi as a naval base, with a possible expansion to the islands of Butong and Teretak since 1899. The plan was largely derived under the scheme of the German Grand Admiral, Alfred von Tirpitz who envisioned Langkawi as a vital-base for Berlin's worldwide submarine cable network. Langkawi was perceived to be ideal, due to its deep natural harbour and a suitable geographical location, between the German Kiautschou Bay in China and its colonies in the Pacific on one side, and German East Africa on the other. The island is also desired as it can act as a point of assembly and restocking for its warship during the times of war. A foothold in Langkawi would also guaranteed a further commercial interest to German private investors to cater the needs of port, a coaling station and the future naval base.
In October 1899, Behn, Meyer & Co acting on behalf of the German colonial government approached the Rajah Muda (Crown Prince) of Kedah to lease the island for 50 years with the sum of 60,000 dollars, as the sultan was ill and unable to attend the meeting. By November 1899, the "Deutsche Uebersee-Gesellschaft" (German Overseas Association) was formed by the German trading and shipping company in order to provide loan amounting to 1,000,000 marks to the sultanate. Nonetheless, the plan has come to a major halt, as the application was dismissed by the Kingdom of Siam. The dismissal was largely derived from the Secret Siamese Treaty of 1897, that has required the consent of the British in order for Siam to lease its territory. The crown prince of Kedah was later summoned to Bangkok by Prince Damrong and was warned not to release any concession to other foreign powers without the agreement of Siam.
A further bid by German was allegedly occurred in 1900, when Germany was purported to have approached the Sultan of Trang & Palien on the possibility of acquiring Pulau Lontar, an island located north of Langkawi. Although this report was dismissed by Prince Dewawongse of Siam
The prospect of a German annexation of the northern peninsula and the potential of its involvement for a commercial canal or railway network across the Isthmus of Kra, posed a serious threat to the British economic interest and political dominance in the region. Severely alarmed, the British and the Siamese entered the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909, partitioning the peninsula between the British and the Siamese jurisdiction.
The Anglo-Siamese Treaty attested that the Siamese to control the upper portion of the peninsular while the lower region was to be held under the British dominance. The British originally planned for the inclusion of Reman, Legeh and Setul under their dominion together with a cluster of northern Malay states. Nonetheless, they only managed to secure Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu and Perlis under the agreement. The treaty also witnessed the state of Kedah being reduced the most, with Tarutao, Butang islands groups, Sendawa, Langgu and the principality of Setul were all being divorced into the Siamese hands, a similar fate was also followed in northeastern coast of Kelantan that was demanded to renounced their right on the Tabal district, including Sungai Golok and Sungai Padi; while Perlis lost its Pujoh district. Then-British controlled Federated Malay State of Perak however, saw an enlargement of their land area, with southern territories of Reman being transferred into the state and additionally Kelantan received Jeli from Legeh (which had been under Siamese jurisdiction since 1902). The Siamese then abdicated Tunku Baharuddin, the King of Setul, the sole Malay kingdom remained under Siamese territory in 1916. The treaty nonetheless, manage to seal the fate of the Malay states of Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu and Perlis to retain a degree of their sovereign powers under the British colonial government, a legacy that can be witnessed today in the Malaysian administrative system.
Later during the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies, British Malaya and Borneo, the Japanese maintained a favourable relationship with the Sultans and other Malay leaders, this is partially composed to foster the trust of the Malay public that was generally loyal towards the sultan. Nonetheless, in a series of massacres known as Pontianak incidents, the Japanese assassinated virtually all of the West Kalimantan Malay sultans, including a large numbers of Malay intelligentsias after they have been falsely accused of planning an uprising and coup d'etat against the Japanese. It was believed that West Kalimantan took two generations to recover from the near-total collapse of the Malay ruling class in the territory.
The earliest and most influential instruments of Malay national awakening were the periodicals which politicised the position of the Malays in the face of colonialism and alien immigration of non-Malays. In spite of repressions imposed by the British colonial government, there were no less than 147 journals and newspapers published in Malaya between 1876 and 1941. Among notable periodicals were Al-Imam (1906), Pengasuh (1920), Majlis (1935) and Utusan Melayu (1939). The rise of Malay nationalism was largely mobilised by three nationalist factions — the radicals distinguishable into the Malay left and the Islamic group which were both opposed to the conservative elites.
The Malay and Malayness has been the fundamental basis for Malay ideology and Malay nationalism in Malaysia. All three Malay nationalist factions believed in the idea of a Bangsa Melayu ('Malay Nation') and the position of Malay language, but disagreed over the role of Islam and Malay rulers. The conservatives supported Malay language, Islam and Malay monarchy as constituting the key pillars of Malayness, but within a secular state that restricted the political role of Islam. The leftists concurred with the secular state but wanted to end feudalism, whereas the Islamic group favoured ending royalty but sought a much larger role of Islam.
Since the foundation of the Republic of Indonesia as a unitary state in 1950, all traditional Malay monarchies in Indonesia were abolished, and the Sultans positions reduced to titular heads or pretenders. The violent demise of the sultanates of Deli, Langkat, Serdang, Asahan and other Malay principalities in East Sumatra during the "Social revolution" of 1946 orchestrated by the Communist Party of Indonesia, drastically influenced their Malayan counterparts and politically motivating them against the PKMM's ideal of Greater Indonesia and the Islamists' vision of Islamic Republic.
In March 1946, UMNO emerged with the full support of the Malay sultans from the Conference of Rulers. The new movement forged a close political link between rulers and subjects never before achieved. It generated an excited Malay public opinion which, together with the surprising political apathy of the non-Malays, led to Britain's abandonment of the radical Malayan Union plan. By July, UMNO succeeded in obtaining an agreement with the British to begin negotiations for a new constitution. Negotiations continued from August to November, between British officials on the one hand, and the Sultans' representatives and UMNO and the other.
Two years later the semi independent Federation of Malaya was born. The new constitutional arrangement largely reverted to the basic pattern of pre-war colonial rule and built on the supremacy of the individual Malay states. Malay rights and privileges were safeguarded. The traditional Malay rulers thus retained their prerogatives, while their English-educated descendants came to occupy positions of authority at the centre, which was being progressively decolonised. In August 1957, the Federation of Malaya, the West's last major dependency in Southeast Asia, attained independence in a peaceful transfer of power. The federation was reconstituted as Malaysia with the addition in 1963 of Singapore (separated in 1965), Sabah and Sarawak.
Federation of Malaya's commemorative stamp issued in 1957. The semi-independent federation was formed in 1948 from nine Malay states and two British Straits Settlements. It achieved independence in 1957.
Culture: Typical qualification that all people groups can't be summed up in small paragraphs and this is an over generalization.
The Malay of Peninusular Malaysia are seen in many levels of society. There are urban Malay who are well educated and hold white collar or government positions, and there are rural Malay who may or may not pursue higher learning and typically occupy jobs such as farming, trading, and fishing. While rural Malay men often wear traditional dress such as a cloth wrap-around skirt, urban Malay men tend to blend into a western setting with their blue jeans, cell phones, and Polo shirts.
While many Malay are now building modern homes, there are still numerous traditional homes within the kampung or village in which Malay people reside. Traditional homes are large in order to have sufficient space for the extended family as custom allows for many generations to reside under one roof. Although the Malay society has undergone a number of social and political changes through education and urbanization, their value orientation is still very much influenced by community. The Malay are a very social people and dependence upon community is considered normal and healthy. Often families will live within close proximity to one another so that help from relatives is easily attained. Kenduri (or party) is a social occasion for an entire community. The Malay women will assist to the hosting home with the cooking and preparations.
Replica of the Malacca Sultanate's Imperial Palace, which was built from information and data obtained from the Malay Annals. This historical document had references to the construction and the architecture of palaces during the era of Sultan Mansur Shah, who ruled from 1458 to 1477.
Cuisine: Different Malay regions are all known for their unique or signature dishes—Pattani, Terengganu and Kelantan for their nasi dagang, nasi kerabu and keropok lekor; Pahang and Perak for its durian-based cuisine, gulai tempoyak; Kedah and Penang for their northern-style asam laksa and rojak; Satun and Perlis for its bunga kuda dessert; Negeri Sembilan for its lemak-based dishes; Malacca for their spicy cincalok; Singapore for their rojak bandung and roti prata; Riau for its ikan patin (Pangasius fish) dishes, gulai ikan patin and asam pedas ikan patin; Riau Islands for their sup ikan; Deli Malays of North Sumatra for their nasi goreng teri medan and gulai ketam; Jambi for its ikan mas panggang and tempoyak; Palembangese Malays of South Sumatra for their pempek, mi celor and nasi minyak; Bangka Belitung for its siput gonggong and terang bulan; West Kalimantan and Sarawak for its bubur pedas and ayam pansuh; Brunei for their nasi katok and unique ambuyat dish; and Cape Malays of South Africa for its bobotie, boeber and koe'sister. The main characteristic in traditional Malay cuisine is undoubtedly the generous use of spices. The coconut milk is also important in giving the Malay dishes their rich, creamy character. The other foundation is belacan (shrimp paste), which is used as a base for sambal, a rich sauce or condiment made from belacan, chillies, onions and garlic. Malay cooking also makes plentiful use of lemongrass and galangal.
Nasi lemak with sotong pedas (spicy squid), sambal chili paste, boiled egg, slices of cucumber, ikan bilis and peanuts served at a restaurant in Penang

Prayer Request:

• Ask the Lord to call people who are willing to go to Malaysia and share the love of Christ with the Malay.
• Pray that the Malay people will hear the gospel and discover that Jesus Christ can wash away their sins.
• Ask God to raise up prayer teams who will being faithfully interceding for these precious people.
• Pray that believers will tactfully share gospel recordings and play Christian radio broadcasts for Malay people.
• Pray that the Holy Spirit will give faith to the Malay.
• Pray that strong local churches will be raised up among the Malay.
• Pray that existing Christian Malay may be obedient in proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ.
• Pray that in this time of an upcoming election and insanity that the needs of the unreached are not forgotten by the church. Pray that our hearts continue to ache to see the unreached hear the Good News.
• Pray for our nation (the United States), that we Christians can learn to come alongside our hurting brothers and sisters and learn to carry one another's burdens in a more Christlike manner than we have done historically.
• Pray against Putin and his insane little war.

Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. (Romans 10:1)
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Here are the previous weeks threads on the UPG of the Week for from 2023 (plus a few from 2022 so this one post isn't so lonely). To save some space on these, all UPG posts made 2019-now are here, I will try to keep this current.

People Group	Country	Continent	Date Posted	Beliefs
Malay (updated)	Malaysia	Asia	05/27/2024	Islam
Jewish Peoples	USA	North America	05/06/2024	Judaism
Jordanian Arab	Jordan	Asia	04/29/2024	Islam
Bouyei	China	Asia	04/22/2024	Animism
Arab Libyans	Libya	Africa	03/25/2024	Islam
Gafsa Amazigh	Tunisia	Africa	03/18/2024	Islam
Hindi	South Africa	Africa	03/04/2024	Hinduism
Arabs	Iraq	Asia	02/26/2024	Islam
Bagirmi Fulani	Central African Republic	Africa	02/12/2024	Islam
Gujarati	Portugal	Europe	02/05/2024	Hinduism
Western Cham	Cambodia	Asia	01/29/2024	Islamc
Yadav	India	Asia	01/22/2024	Hinduism
Thai (updated)	Thailand	Asia	12/18/2023	Buddhism
Bayad	Mongolia	Asia	12/11/2023	Buddhism
Bedouin (Suafa)	Algeria	Africa	12/04/2023	Islam
Aboriginal (Reached)	Australia	Oceania	11/27/2023	Christian

a - Tibet belongs to Tibet, not China.
b - Russia/Turkey/etc is Europe but also Asia so...
c - this likely is not the true religion that they worship, but rather they have a mixture of what is listed with other local religions, or they have embraced a liberal drift and are leaving faith entirely but this is their historical faith.
Here is a list of definitions in case you wonder what exactly I mean by words like "Unreached".
Here is a list of missions organizations that reach out to the world to do missions for the Glory of God.

i already came up with the concept, and the categories, now i need to come up with a name and how the world should ravel around this.
Description:
Personified: Their powers, intricately linked to the essence of their soul, derive strength from the fervent ideals, beliefs, or ambitions of the wielder. For instance, if someone passionately believes that cows should reign supreme, they would possess the ability to manipulate bovines effortlessly.
Unlike the other two categories, there exists no cap on the potential potency of these abilities through diligent training.
Limitations:
Personified even though their powers have the potential to be great with hard work, it will start weak as hell. it also may not not be even work if the person loses faith in what they believe in.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Description:
Trait: This power mirrors the essence of the user's character, unveiling abilities that harmonize with their innermost being. For instance, if someone appears amiable and compassionate outwardly but harbors cruelty and selfishness within, they may wield the power to manipulate others' perceptions. What distinguishes this trait is its initial overwhelming strength, which gradually diminishes with age, impervious to any amount of training.
Limitation:
As the user ages, the authenticity and congruence between their outward demeanor and inner character gradually erode. Initially, the power is fueled by the stark contrast between the facade and the true self, resulting in potent abilities. However, as time passes, the inner contradictions begin to dissipate, leading to a weakening of the power.
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Description:
Attuned: This category stands out as truly exceptional, seamlessly blending elements from both of the aforementioned traits. Here, the abilities acquired are a perfect reflection of the individual's essence, with each power intricately attuned to their distinct personality traits.
Limitation:
Despite the seamless integration of abilities with the individual's essence, there exists a delicate balance that must be maintained. Any significant shifts or developments in the individual's personality can disrupt this harmony, potentially rendering their powers unstable or even unusable.

I was watching Destiny on the Hodge Twins podcast and noticed that Destiny repeatedly mentioned that there wasn't great evidence about the root causes of homosexuality. While we definitely don't have the full picture, there is some very good research that we can look at to get a good idea of some causes. I will summarize some of the largest known impacts in this post.

1. Fraternal birth order. For every older brother a male has, their chance of becoming homosexual seems to increase by about 33% [1]. While it's possible that this effect is largely environmental (i.e, having an older brother in the household increases your likelihood of being gay), this study has been replicated across the world in a number of different cultures and societies. This seems to imply that there is at the very least a partial biological impact.
2. Gay Genes. While no "gay gene" has been identified, it seems that certain chromosomal regions are associated with homosexuality. In particular, certain parts of the X chromosome are associated with homosexuality [2].
3. Hormones During Pregnancy. It seems that different hormones that a fetus is exposed to in the womb can affect their sexuality as an adult. Women with congenital androgenic hyperplasia are exposed to more testosterone in the womb, and have a higher chance of being homosexual [2]. There is also evidence of a correlation between homosexuality and characteristics that are known to be determined in the womb. The suprachiasmatic nucleus size, for example, is known to be determined in womb and is correlated with homosexuality [4].
4. Correlation with Left-Handedness. It seems that individuals that are left-handed are also significantly more likely to be homosexual. A large sample size metastudy found that Homosexual men are 34% more likely to be left-handed, while homosexual women are 94% more likely to be left-handed. [3] This further supports the assertion that homosexuality is significantly influenced by biology.

There are a ton of studies that address this topic, and this post only summarizes a small few.
Notably, no link between sexual abuse or molestation and homosexuality is seen. [6] One of the Hodge Twins also supposed that homosexual parents would raise homosexual children. This seems to not be the case, with a large metastudy finding that 90% of the literature finds no significant influence on the sexuality of children from LGBTQ parents [7]. The authors also note that the other 10% of studies that find non-negligible impact have significant methodology issues.
TLDR: The biological and genetic basis for homosexuality is widely studied and has strong evidence, while environmental impact, especially of LGBTQ parents on homosexuality, has much weaker evidence.
Sources:
[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8540587/
[2] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25172350/
[3] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10900997/
[4] https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF03347808
[5] https://archive.org/details/gaystraightreaso0000leva_e5c2/mode/1up?view=theater
[6] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27113562/
[7] https://vc.bridgew.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2154&context=jiws

First Previous Wiki
Refined Elder Equisa closed and locked the door to her room. Meihala and Joshua already knew about this. Her implant activated, pressing her gently down into a verification network. After that, she settled down on a large bed and joined the waiting room for the meeting.
There, she saw hundreds of thousands of attending Refined Elders, who all were theoretically known to her implant, though she rarely saw a name she recognized. Equisa sat and waited for a while, until two Elders soon stood over her.
"Ah, it's really her. To think she's shacked up with aliens."
"How sad, isn't it?"
Equisa didn't have time for this. With violence disallowed in the room, the best she could do was keep moving. So that was what she did. She made her way through the crowd, ignoring the looks she got. Soon, she passed the Arch and was admitted early.
She appeared in a stadium with millions of Refined Elders within it. The massive virtual construction added a layer of seats every few minutes to account for the joining Elders. And then the room opened up. Five AIs, clothed in red robes, floated in the middle of the stadium. Above them sat a revered figure.
The Refined Elder that rose from a black chamber had sky blue skin, with gleaming white claws and hundreds of small twisting cords orbiting him. He took in a breath, reverberating across the space with a vibrant hum. His ancient yellow eyes opened, releasing bursts of psychic energy and power that bent the data around him.
But perhaps the most important physical feature he bore was a long white tail.
"Today, we come to discuss the matters unfolding in the Secondary Galaxy. I, Chiru, Head of the Refined Order and Supreme King of the Primary Galaxy, open this meeting. We shall begin with the discussion of matters of our contacts with the involved parties. First, we shall examine the relations of Refined Elders Equisa, Rho, and Sai with the Secondary Galaxy and a nation within it known by the Sol Alliance.
For those who are unaware, this is a nation with a system limit of 10,000 stars, a multi-species union that is 24 standard years old. It contains five known sapient AIs, with two psychic variants of AI with a creativity scale of 9.7 out of 10, rendering them capable of complete galactic domination in 1 billion standard years. Its most notable characteristic, however, is that one of its primary species, Humanity, has evolved on a world they call Earth, which is historically known as the Great Enemy's Rest."
At the mention, many of the Refined Elders gasped. Equisa, however, was still grappling with the fact that the Supreme King had directly named her. That was never a good sign.
"A second matter of discussion relates to a particular member of the human species, a female of advanced age for their kind, by the name of Penny Balica. She is commonly titled Champion of Humanity, though recently has been gaining power under the conceptual title of Liberator, for her anti-slavery actions on the adjudication world of Justicar. Through her own powerful psychic energy reserves, a mind bridge to an Elder known as Nilnacrawla, and control of Conceptual Death in the past and Conceptual Cardinality in the present, she has managed to achieve victory against a flagship of the 85th Grand Fleet, successfully retrieving Nilnacrawla from a Soul Blade.
To clarify: she has entered direct combat with a flagship and survived, as well as entered combat with Flagship Protection and Defense Units. Her remarkable power is so extreme that she is rapidly becoming a nexus of conceptual concern from the very highest entities in the universe, from Progenitor Nova, the Broken God, the Great Enemy, Entropy, and even, as we have recently discovered, the second strongest division of the electronuclear field, also known as the weak force. She is the only non-Progenitor creature to have ventured to speeding space and returned in over 300 million standard years.
It is not merely my opinion, but a simple fact, that she is the most important alien to have existed since the Source war. Given the history of the Secondary Galaxy, as well as the ongoing Judgment trial against her and her kind, we must determine whether we should act upon what we have witnessed, and if so, how we should act. It is our common responsibility as Refined Elders to ensure that the mess the Secondary Galaxy makes is cleaned up."
He settled, allowing them to absorb everything he'd said. Chiru lifted his claws, and suddenly Equisa, Rho, and Sai were floating on platforms next to him. Somehow, she could actually smell him despite virtual reality not being equipped for such things. Not this one, anyway.
Though he was of similar age to herself, he smelled ancient and grand in a way that humbled her immediately. She knelt down, bowing to him as deeply as she could. Only one type of creature among the Sprilnav was allowed to bear a tail.
In the mindscape, Progenitor Chiru appeared in front of her privately.
"Rest assured, Refined Elder. We shall not discuss your relationship with Joshua and Meihala, before the assembled masses. Though some may judge, both you and they are of age, so there is no crime."
"Progenitor... do you truly hold no negative opinion?"
"I do not. Your actions are a reminder of fonder times, and brighter futures. I assume you are prepared for the issue of their lifespans, and I am pleased that you have settled among them without major issues arising. In fact, though it may ring hollow in private, I commend you on your initiative. Your presence in the Alliance has made them more amenable to future ventures, should we seek to pursue them. You will receive a promotion in the future for your work."
"Thank you, Progenitor."
"You seem quite surprised. Come, speak your mind."
"I didn't expect you to be... understanding. You always seem so imperious."
"Such is the nature of rulership. Refined Elder Equisa, would you be willing to serve as a liaison between us and the Alliance in a more official capacity?"
"Yes. Though I must ask why, if I am permitted."
"I have a plan, and I intend to set it in motion. To do this, I need the Alliance. Perhaps others may use it against me, but I have prepared for that, too."
That was another thing. Progenitor Chiru didn't actually control the whole Primary Galaxy. He controlled around a fifth of it, and it was far smaller than the Secondary Galaxy. The humans called it the Triangulum Galaxy. All the other galaxies of significant size were either too close to or totally outside the radius where sapient minds just went crazy from the psychic energy debris left from the Source war.
He was poorer than the richest Elders of the Secondary Galaxy, though only because he didn't need money to buy things, and the money generated by his kingdom just went back into itself or trade. Equisa realized she'd left the Progenitor waiting.
"Ah, I apologize for wasting your time. Yes, I am willing to be your liaison, though I wish that you screen my personnel for bias against interspecies relationships and aliens in general."
"That is quite easy to accomodate, Refined Elder. Now, we must return to the discussion. 1 pulse of time has passed."
That was another thing. As Progenitor of Binding, Chiru had a unique control over things dubbed as laws of the universe. He was capable of time dilation, altering the speed of light in a local area, manipulating and observing quantum mechanics directly, and a whole host of other powers. The only reason he wasn't stronger than many Secondary Galaxy Progenitors was because they were strong enough to ignore natural laws anyway.
Equisa's attention returned to the massive stadium. Luckily, the report she'd gradually written on her activities in the Alliance didn't require her to read everything. Instead, a VI with a nearly identical voice, trained on her voice since her induction as an Elder, took over the job.
"It is important to frame this report in the necessary context. The Sol Alliance is a supranational union of sovereign nation states, ship-states, and sub-national states, with a unified military, strong trade agreements, a budding national culture made from a mix of the cultures of the dominant species within it. The sub-national states include a fungal variant hivemind named Skira, and the apparatus of legal corporations owned by the psychic variant AIs known as Phoebe and Edu'frec under the Locus, as well as the Ratlatmil Protectorate, which is not currently a purely sovereign state. Though the Alliance is considered a nation as well, many of its legislative and judicial features remain unused due to its relatively young age and lack of significant division. By population its main species are..."
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Elder Justicar, or High Judge Justicar in his current position, looked over the last of the Fort Court's defenses. Correctors and Guides swarmed the place by the thousands, and medical supplies, psychic energy generators, and shields of all kinds surrounded the facility. Closest to the core, a yellow shield wrapped the entire complex in a sphere that extended fully underground. It was self-powered by a zero-point energy reactor and was capable of taking truly monstrous hits.
Conceptual energy suppressors and specialized equipment, once littered across the massive inner chambers of the court, were now set neatly into their modular slots. VIs and AIs alike roamed the inner networks, each separated cleanly by more shields as well as physical airgaps. The Collective itself wouldn't be able to disable anything if they wanted to, as Justicar knew that for this Judgment, nothing would be safe.
Allies of thousands of years could turn to enemies in an instant. And with the hundreds of Elders attending directly, the thousands attending by hologram, and the millions of other Sprilnav doing the same, he would not leave anything up to chance.
He'd called in a rare favor from Filnatra and Arneladia, asking them to aid in guarding the court and all within it for the duration of the Judgment, which was coming up in two days. Kashaunta and Yasihaut had submitted all the documents. All the evidence, scripts, and letters were lined up. Justicar was wearing his Soul Blade, as well as the ancient armor he'd worn during the rebellion of a Progenitor. His armor, a gift from Nova himself, was directly linked to the Progenitor and was also the reason Justicar was still alive and his planet still existed.
And yet, Indrafabar had warned him that Penny could still breach it. The specific powers of Cardinality altered chances, making the impossible distinctly not so. He entered through the large doors, noting the positions of everything around. The defensive emplacements were meant to fight a full war with billions of enemies on the other side.
It was why so many laser defenses were featured within the building. He felt the tug of a holographic scanner meant to ensure no stealth technology would remain unseen. He'd personally tested it the day before with the most expensive set he'd had, which was lit up like a star by the hologram before fading back to invisibility by the end of the day.
Justicar breathed the stale air, staring up at the seats that he and the rest of the High Judges would sit on. The booths would be brought soon for the Challenger and the Defendant, along with their retinues, to remain inside. None of the seats were particularly ornate, and all bore the long deformity that came with use. Their cushions were expertly crafted so they would remain as comforting as possible.
And before it all began, everyone would eat. None of the High Judges would be going hungry before they began their hearings. That was a small factor that could skew results in a negative direction. In this case, the skew in itself was negative no matter which way it swung.
Behind him, the rest of the High Judges, including Indrafabar, entered. They remained silent as Justicar was. They stepped onto the platform, which brought them up to the side of the habitation chambers. Capable of catering to 40 Judges, the chambers each had a personal android cook, shielding, beds, and connections to the internal network of the court. All of it was internally monitored, and all implants lost connection to the outside world. No more would the Judges be exposed to any media or opinions about the case until it was completed.
The rooms came with entertainment, which was sterilized from all influences on the case. Whether it was a gambling table, the massive virtual reality resort each of them could use simultaneously, or enough food, water, and air for thirty years, every need was met. Monitoring, in this case, was collective. None of them would be able to communicate in total secrecy with anyone else.
Normally, Indrafabar could break that rule easily. His title as the Digital King wasn't hyperbole. But that was exactly why Filnatra and Arneladia were here. They could detect it when he used power and had an incentive to tell Justicar and the rest of the group when they did. And that was if the conceptual energy detectors didn't manage to pick up the Progenitor, which supposedly would require even Indrafabar to actually make an effort. It wouldn't stretch his limits, of course, but Justicar did the best he could with what he was given.
Perhaps a few other Progenitors would have assured him more, but he didn't have that kind of pull.
Filnatra and Arneladia greeted them from inside, wearing typical guard fatigues and warm smiles. Arneladia's smile was quite forced.
"Welcome, High Judges. As agreed, any discussion of the Challenger or Defendent is blacklisted. You know the punishments for breaking these rules. Here you shall remain until the conclusion of the Judgment. If any of you object or with to recuse yourself from the case, now is the time," Filnatra said, looking them each in the eyes. They lingered on Indrafabar for a slight moment longer, and Justicar noticed her grip on her swords tighten. Typically, that would have been impossible, with her four limbs touching the ground as a normal Sprilnav's would. So, of course, she'd casually grown two more arms. Like any normal person would.
"We agee to abide by all regulations," Justicar said. "After all, no one is above the law."
Except for everyone who was.
Filnatra smiled at the partial lie but didn't comment on it. The nature of the statement's falseness lay in the very existence of beings like the Progenitors, though he has mostly meant it for Indrafabar. Arneladia, moody as ever, still gave him an unhappy look.
"Quite so. We are here to ensure proper conduct by all parties present in the courtroom. If any serious misconduct is suspected, you will be bounced like a ball."
It was one of her favorite insults. And Filnatra had done it before, to those who had let their perceptions of female Elders apply in the wrong ways.
"Well then," Indrafabar said cheerfully. "Good to meet you all. I'm going to go and immerse myself in a fine pool of oil. It does wonders for exfoliation."
He passed Filnatra, patting her on the head like she was a child. The incredibly insulting gesture already showed a bad omen. If the Progenitors fought, no one could stop them. He'd rather not have his hard work ruined, but he wasn't sure whether speaking out was appropriate. The rest of the High Judges had gradually filed away from them, but many were still in earshot. It wouldn't do to be clashing visibly with the Progenitors, especially Indrafabar, considering his place as a High Judge. Filnatra's eyes narrowed, and she smiled.
"High Judge Indrafabar. After the Judgment, I wish to duel with you."
"No blades allowed," he said.
"They are now."
She ushered the rest of the High Judges into the room, and the door behind them closed. Justicar heard the hum of shields faintly as they activated. The lights in the room brightened, their pure white glow framing everything perfectly. The interior designer of the place had clearly known what they were doing. Even with the lack of windows, the whole interior still felt well-polished, natural, and ornate. Nothing like a series of rooms inside thick slabs of alloy and concrete.
"The Judgment will begin in roughly 144 kilopulses, or more precisely, 144,063 pulses," Filnatra said. "Make yourselves comfortable. This is your home now, until the Judgment is finished."
Justicar watched as she turned around, the swaying of her tail holding quite a bit of appeal. But with Arneladia in the same universe, much less the same building, any approaches would be supremely unwise unless confirmed prior as acceptable. Though he did suppose Arneladia killing him would likely get the Progenitor killed in return for 'interference' in the affairs related to Penny.
Justicar pulled the hivemind portion of his mind away from the Guides and the Correctors, as was also necessary for the Judgment to remain impartial. He used its largesse to shunt the cravings of his physical mind to a place where they would not bother him.
"Something the matter, Elder?" Filnatra asked, a knowing smile painted on her face. Glittering eyes framed her teeth like swords under twin stars. They threatened to ensnare a lesser mind, but for him, the pull was slight.
"No."
"I am open to exploring," she said. "My partner will remain as he is for now."
A revelation that he suspected but hadn't confirmed. Sending anyone to sneak around a Progenitor's home was another action that would be a poor health choice. Word of mouth was best around Progenitors when it came from them, even when the possibilities of lies and manipulation came into play.
Justicar had a few theories but would rather hear what she would say before making up his mind.
"Truly? What has come to pass?"
Surely, the mess with Ezeonwha hadn't caused that much of a rift between them. He was one Sprilnav and not exactly an important one, except maybe to Penny.
"A political disagreement. We'll probably sort it out in a few years. Time is infinite, after all."
"Infinite? Quite the luxury."
"You have lived nearly as long as I have, Justicar," Filnatra said. "Surely there isn't anything that would shorten your lifespan. You're very personable, and definitely pay attention to the things that matter."
"There is little need for veiled insults."
It was how many in power liked to treat those who were below them or who could not afford to call it out. And here, Justicar would not be dragged into an argument. He had bigger problems and bigger worries now that he would be less capable of responding to important threats due to the isolation policy.
He felt no true regret for it since Indrafabar was too dangerous to be left un-countered. His presence on this trial was the only way to ensure stability after the Progenitor had so rudely forced himself upon the Judgment.
"There is little need for many things in this galaxy, yet for the little universe we remain in, even the smallest things can grow to an impressive size."
He sighed. Filnatra's tail wagged side to side. It caught the light in ways that didn't make sense. For a moment, it was covered in scales, and then it transitioned back to the red-colored skin she most commonly used. "Teasing you might make these next few days bearable, after all."
"Proclaim your purpose or don't, Progenitor. I have no desire for games."
"All Elders do is play games," Filnatra replied. "That is why we are here, after all. To play a game with the law."
"That is not why you are here," he clarified.
"No. I'm here to keep the players from flipping the board."
Indrafabar emerged from the pool, thin wings dripping with water. It slid from his cybernetic horns and tail in thin streams.
"Do I need to turn the soundproofing features of the shields on? Filnatra, if you're going to test out all of Justicar's 'upgrades,' I'd rather you don't do it here."
"So many Elders here," Filnatra said. "I'm sure you wouldn't take advantage of the opportunity."
"Virtual reality carries all the benefits, and none of the risks," Indrafabar said.
"It shows that you're inconfident. And let's just say mating with some AI you hacked isn't exactly an accomplishment based on your appeal."
"Leaving a string of bastard children in your wake might be a fun hobby for you, but I would rather not cause such headaches. My inheritance would be the cause of too many squabbles, and I'd have to kill a few million people again."
"A minor hassle," Filnatra said.
"Not that minor," Justicar added.
"None of them would be Elders," Indrafabar said.
"You could copy your memories into them."
"My memories would kill a natural Sprilnav with their sheer weight. Filnatra, I understand your urges, but please, do not be so tiresome about it. One might assume they are a weakness in battle."
"Not since I've ensured that Conceptual Hacking crap you pulled on my swords last time doesn't work. It's a low move."
"Like using your conceptual power to make my entire body itch for a year?"
"I said I was sorry!"
"I did promise retribution for that. Perhaps soon, I will invent Conceptual Itching to teach you a lesson."
Justicar began to move away from them. When he reached his door, he let out a sigh. It was easy to forget why Elders didn't live together in groups this large. Now he remembered. Too many odd minds.
"My mind isn't odd," Filnatra said, standing next to him again. Indrafabar was sliding back into the water, his eyes glittering with rainbow lights. He raised his claws, sending flashes of harmless lasers through the room like he was at a party. More lights flashed below the waterline as he began to sing. Quite terribly.
Filnatra activated a soundproofing shield between them, her ears visibly flattened. Both of them had cringed at Indrafabar's purposely bad singing.
"How?"
"You forgot to feed your thoughts back through the hivemind to scramble the readings," Filnatra said. Justicar checked and realized she was right. He rectified the issue, feeling a slight pang of embarrassment at his earlier thoughts. "Now, look. I understand you are clearly apprehensive, so I won't do anything. But we do need to talk."
"About what?"
"The way you rule your planet."
"Not you, too!" Justicar groaned. He was getting tired of everyone telling him his way of doing things was wrong. It had worked for billions of years. What did Filnatra know of running planets? Not a lot since all her nations had collapsed. Their corruption and hedonism had been black stains on the Sprilnav legacy, and she couldn't pretend that her presence on his planet would make him think favorably about it.
"I didn't care, for a while," Filnatra said. "Did you know that I marked some territory in the Underground, and someone actually tried to break in?"
"I didn't, but I don't control that."
"You don't control all of your own planet, as an Elder. Do you see the problem there? You can't let that continue. Perhaps you need some outside help."
So that was what her angle was. Justicar could sniff that out himself. He wouldn't be letting any foreign armies on his soil. If the gangs wanted to try, he'd kill them too. The treaties only prevented true war, not tiny skirmishes.
"If the current status quo remains," Justicar hedged, "My remaining foes will soon appear in my jails."
The blacklist of Penny-related topics would make this conversation costly if he continued it. He waited for her to speak.
"When the Judgment ends, they will need to be executed, or they will get out."
"I know. But I'll wait a while depending on the outcome. Past that, we cannot talk more about this topic."
"I see. Faithful, aren't you?"
"I suppose that is a surprise to you, isn't it?" Justicar asked, giving her a wink.
"Oh please. You've had a few thousand mates, yourself. Don't act like you haven't done what all Elders do with too much free time."
"You may sleep by my side if you wish," Justicar said. "But I will not have any more contact beyond that."
"I understand," Filnatra said. "You'll have to focus on reading all those documents tomorrow. Imagine if we'd made a Progenitor of Paperwork."
"The poor soul would fly into a black hole in an instant."
"Or haunt us all with more power than even Death."
"I hope you have your precautions active."
"I do," Filnatra said. "If he attacks me, I'll just die a lot slower, and more painfully. Only Nova could likely match him, and only because of his unique characteristics and power densities."
"Do you think if I mutter his name enough, he'd appear?"
"He's probably in this room, or in one of these rooms. If he assumed we were going to use the soundproofing shields, then he'll go elsewhere. He's not that kind of Elder."
"I know. A good thing, too. A tyrant like that would be difficult to stomach."
"Yeah. Imagine all the break-ins, or all the slave drivers."
He didn't have time for this. First Penny, now her. He'd needed a treaty when he first signed it. And violating treaties wasn't something any Elders could just go around doing. Least of all when he was supposed to be the pinnacle of righteous law. Breaking the treaty directly would have lost him much of his prestige, though luckily the gangs had managed to ensure that wouldn't happen.
He hadn't declared a formal war, and Penny was the bludgeon he was content to throw at them none too softly.
"If you have something to say about that, now's the perfect time to keep it to yourself."
Filnatra grinned again. "You Elders are so much more fun when you don't just agree with everything I say."
"The mind stuff doesn't work on me. My mind's too strong."
"Your mind's too big, actually. It's not too strong."
Justicar wasn't fazed by that.
"Speaking of which, how many times since we last talked have you told a random Sprilnav to dance?"
"Maybe once or twice."
"How many really?"
"19. I compensate them for their time, though. Healing, lifespan, the full package."
"Someday, that's going to come back to bite you."
"Anything that bites me is going to break its teeth. Unless it's Arneladia, of course."
"Please don't tell me you bite each other."
"We don't. Not even when he's really, really stupid. Plus, the physical consequences if he flinches could be unpleasant. I'd rather not mess up your city skyline."
"A little late for that."
"I am sorry for your loss."
"Not sorry enough to do anything about it."
"It would have been classified as interference due to the circumstances behind it."
"I really hate that word."
"We do, too," Filnatra sighed. "Nova actually got us all together once to try and erase the very concept. And really all of us, even the weak little chumps in the other galaxy. We succeeded, too. Of course, Time rolled it all back. Sucker."
She let out a short huff, and Justicar resolved to get the sleep that he didn't really need anymore but served as a nice luxury. He flopped his body down on the bed, pieces of his mind shutting down or switching functions to an active defense mode now that his more costly consciousness was no longer required. And so it was that Justicar went to sleep with Filnatra standing guard.
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Elder Saleis watched with cold eyes through his implant as Penny left the flagship of Kashaunta to go to some interview. She'd been causing problems for the Syndicate for many days, though only now were her actions finally going to catch up to her. The Nine had made their decision; the trap was already sprung.
She just didn't know it yet. The best-case outcome was likely, and the worst-case outcome wasn't very severe at all. A few hundred gang members from the Blue Moons made up the first vanguards. They would serve as the distractions, drawing the Guides away from the main battlefront until it was too late.
Machines to dig tunnels and lay tracks to walk on behind them were also at work, drilling through foundations one at a time. While normally that would have been a violation of the treaty Justicar had broken, since he'd broken it, everything was on the table, including five nuclear warheads. After another spy purge, only the Elders were in the know about the true mission.
Already, it would be complicated and incur huge losses. But the possible gain was worth every life here except his own. He watched the darkness with bated breath and keen eyes, looking for any signs of unnatural movement. His eyes caught on the guards patrolling the edges of the lengthening tunnel. Meanwhile, he did the same in the mindscape, though his location was hidden by the more advanced devices the gangs had access to. Not the most advanced, of course, but enough to ensure Justicar wouldn't know enough to intervene.
Numerous decoy and duplicate operations were happening simultaneously across the planet. Already, over fifty thousand gang members had been lost. It compensated well for the necessary increases and decreases in chatter. Justicar would continue to be diverted until it was too late for him.
Sprilnav marched on abandoned streets. He saw a few disguised Guides attempt to get calls out, but he'd been careful about which companies they had been assigned to. Each of them carried active jammers, which made their attempts fruitless.
The armies were like rivers of light, the flashlights on the guns they held swaying in near-perfect sync. Tens of thousands of Sprilnav mobilized from group homes, communal housing blocks, and the various homes and apartments of the Underground, marching to the call of their masters. Many like them were fighting already, and many more would meet the battle lines afterward. It was planned to intersect with the start of the Judgment, helping to damage Justicar and make him act rashly.
There were probably other reasons; that was just the official one given to Saleis. And he knew better than to look any deeper into it, at least with anything that could be traced back to him. Nothing and no one was truly safe down here. Those who thought they were lay dead and gone thousands of levels below, with scavengers picking at their bones and cracking them open for rotten marrow.
Saleis wondered if things could have turned out differently if Penny had just agreed to his offer. But since she hadn't and had instead set herself stupidly against the gangs, then he would ensure she would suffer for it. Their targets were manyfold, but he would ensure that they would all be hit if he could.
The large gun he kept on his back so he could fire when the battle began had smart bullets that would always hit a target. They were also customized to cause extreme damage to personal shields with specialized magnetic powders and disruption alloys.
Some of the workers started flagging.
"Keep it moving," he growled. "Slack off again, and two of you are losing limbs."
He brandished his sword in threat, and the mundane Sprilnav went back to their business. Arms shaking with the stress of exertion and bodies shaking with their fear of him, they continued moving the hefty amounts of fuel the machine required. Pipelines weren't being laid for this, so instead it was best to transport everything by claw. The Sprilnav were strong enough to do it. And if they weren't, they and their families paid the price.
After a few kilopulses, the tunnel bore stopped churning. It had drilled its way to the last few support columns. Many of the ones it had passed now had passages hollowed out to them.
"Lay them in, four by four!" he cried, making his sword flash a bright light to ensure their attention. Sprilnav slaves carried barrels of radioactive slurry over to the trigger areas. They were below critical mass and were useless in making weapons. But they would seed the area with radiation, further weakening any attempted counterassault through the tunnels by the Guides or the Correctors. With their stronger arsenals, the gangs would not risk them breaking through to the deeper layers of the Underground near here, with such a massive logistical hub having been made a good distance below.
The psychic protection units flared, their power brushing against several detectors. His implant chimed a warning, and Saleis was quickly notified of Guides deploying. The ruse would not hold up long. Androids hefted the nuclear warheads and placed them against the support columns. The ground started to shake. Shields went up, trapping the slaves and many of the remaining androids inside.
Saleis made the retreat, and the detonation program became active in his implant now that his task was complete. Additional pay in credits also was deposited in his private account, which made him smile. He spared no thoughts for the few thousand Sprilnav trapped within the shield. There were always more of them, after all.
Once he'd moved far enough away to have a third shield between him and the soon-to-be nuclear explosion, his implant buzzed. He opened it, keeping a wary eye on his surroundings. But the Elder who contacted him, at least his alias, was confirmed to be his assigned informant for this mission. It seemed everything was correct since no emergency stop messages had been attached.
"Yes?" he muttered.
"Execute now. The target is confirmed to be in the building."
"Very well."
Saleis activated the implant. A bright explosion flared where he'd been. Thick plasma and smoke filled the shield, and the light was filtered to safe levels. The first layer, just as he'd expected, had collapsed. And when he looked above, he saw cracks spreading across the ceiling. Thick chunks of rock and reinforced metal began to calve away before collapsing down.
A great rumbling groan followed the noise of breaking rock and tearing metal mixing in a cacophony of destruction, like a song of liberation against all who threatened him and his masters. Saleis couldn't help but smile at the sight, thinking of the great accomplishment he'd just made. The ground beneath him started to shake as well.
Saleis activated his jetpack, flying away before the spreading damage risked burying him. He moved up to the access tunnel, flying over the heads of hundreds of waiting soldiers. He used psychic energy to enhance his voice, increasing the magnitude of the vibrations he'd make. He brandished his sword, teeth glowing with cold menace. "Come forth, men! Today we strike a blow against the alien menace!"

I'll have you take responsibility for killing me.

Theme: Moonlight
800 years before the third millennium. The World has created the True Ancestor Princess, undisputed royalty of the Earth's force against humans. Arcueid Brunestud was a pure paradigm of white light, untainted perfection. But all perfect things must end, and Arcueid's virgin existence was bathed in blood after the human mage Michael Roa Valdamjong made her suck his blood in an attempt to pursue immortality. Arcueid, frenzied by the blood transfer, massacred the True Ancestors, and with the last of her strength, chained herself in sleep, deep in the bowels of her castle, only waking when Roa rears his head in his next reincarnation.
In his 18th reincarnation, Roa appeared in Misaki Town, Japan, and Arcueid emotionlessly traveled forth from her castle once more. A strange event occurred as she stalked the streets: she was murdered, cut into seventeen pieces by Shiki Tohno. After reconstituting herself, she impressed Shiki into paying her back for the murder, and the two hunted vampires together after dark. And she discovered there might be an entire side of life she had not yet known…
Information
Likes: movies, cats, at-home dates, Shiki's verbal abuse
Dislikes: Roa, boredom, pollution, Shiki's verbal abuse

Key

Ordering
Feats involving the visual novels will be grouped by route in the commonly accepted playthrough order: Arcueid > Ciel > Satsuki, arranged in chronological order, not medium order, with manga and anime being considered most similar to Arcueid route and placed there. There is a large difference in the power levels of Arcueid route Arc (weaker) and Ciel route Arc (stronger). Post-Tsukihime feats are also in chronological order. Tagged feats will be placed at the end of a section.
Note that almost all Kagetsu Tohya feats take place in Len's dream world.
Sources

Abbreviation	Source
Unmarked	Tsukihime (Visual novel, 2000)
TM	Lunar Legend Tsukihime (Manga)
TA	Lunar Legend Tsukihime (Anime)
KT	Kagetsu Tohya
MB	Melty Blood (Game)
MM	Melty Blood (Manga)
RE	Melty Blood Re-ACT
A2	Melty Blood ACT:2
AC	Melty Blood Act Cadenza
AA	Melty Blood Actress Again (Current Code)
BA	Melty Blood - Back Alley Alliance Nightmare
MX	Melty Blood X
EX	Fate/EXTRA (and materials)
GO	Fate/Grand Order
CP	Carnival Phantasm
PP	Tsukihime Reader Plus Period
SR	Staff Roundtable
TK	talk.
CM	Character Material
AO	Various Interviews/Magazines/WoG

Tags
[Bad End] refers to feats that take place in non-canon endings where Shiki dies one way or another, but are likely still capabilities achievable by Arcueid. [Good End] refers to feats that happen in a possible, but false end. [Limit] refers to a feat Arcueid fails to do, but still strong enough to not be deemed an anti-feat. Hover over an anime or manga link to see the episode/chapter of occurrence.
Related Threads

• Archetype Earth
• Arcueid Brunestud (Remake)
• Ciel
• Manga-exclusive Arcueid
• Neco-Arcs

Strength

General

• TATARI copies are generally at the same level of strength as the original, so she should be similar in power to Red Arcueid^MM
• She only stops restraining herself in Castle Brunestud^MM
• Similar in power to Vermillion Akiha^PP
• The most incorrigible character in the story^PP

Lifting
Objective

• Bats a wolf into the air^TA
• Struggles to keep an airborne Dead off of her^TA
• Can't get her foot out from under a pile of girders^TM
• "It should be easy for her to rip off [Shiki's] arms and legs
• Pins Shiki
• Uses Sion's etherlight spiderweb as rope to uproot a few trees and throw them at Sion^MM
• Knocks up a hatch in the Tohno lawn^A2

Scaling

• Rips Nrvnsqr's wolf out of her arm^TA
• Snaps a Dead's arm while it chokes her^TA
• [Limit] Can't escape when she's wrapped in snakes and trapped in a pool of Nrvnqsr's Soil of Genesis^TM
• While giant, struggles with G-Ciel^MX

Piercing
Objective

• Possibly slashed through chains^TM
• Uses her claws to slide down the side of the Century Hotel while holding Shiki in her other hand^TM
• Digs into Shiki's shoulders^TM
• Presumably left huge gouges in the ground fighting Ciel
• Slashes down a hallway^TM

Scaling

• Kills Nrvnqsr's wolf^TM
• Kills two of Nrvnqsr's wolves^TA
• Kills three of Nrvnqsr's leopards
• Bisects a Dead^TM
• Kills a horde of Dead^TM
• Ferally tears up Roa^TM
• Kills Roa
• Tears herself open repeatedly
• Snaps Ciel's neck with one arm while the other gouges out her organs
• Rips out Ciel's heart

Striking
Objective
Material

• Busts the exterior wall of the hotel with a swipe of her claws^TM
• Slams Ciel into a brick pillar, crumbling it^TM
• Pulverizes the front of the school^TM
  • Better look at the destruction^TM
  • The school has a Bounded Field set up so that any magic in its boundary is drained
• Hurls Roa through concrete and a courtyard into the classroom across the way^TM
• Beat Ciel incredibly easily, choking her against a concrete crater that she embedded Ciel in
• Folds tree trunks^MM
• Hits a volleyball into Ciel's face multiple times^CP

People

• Shoves Shiki into a wall with one arm
• Punches Ciel across the park
  • Does it again
• Donuts Shiki
• Launches Arihiko^KT
• Decapitates a corpse with a stomp^MM
• [Bad End] Launches Shiki

Scaling
VS Dead Apostles

• Pulverizes Nrvnqsr's panther, cratering it and exploding its head^TM
• Crushes a Dead's skull
  • Manga^TM
• Ravages Nrvnqsr's menagerie
  • Manga^TM
• Bisects Nrvnqsr
  • Manga^TM
• Literally disarms Nrvnsqr^TA
• Defeats a squad of Dead^TA
• Kills three of Nrvnqsr's dogs in one strike^KT
• Sion can barely block her slash^MM

VS Other

• Equal to Ciel
• Knocks out Ciel with a punch that draws blood
• Tries to donut Ciel
• KO's Riesbyfe with a sucker punch^XD
• [Limit] Can't break Mecha-Hisui's barrier^A2

Other
Objective

• Numbs Shiki's shoulders with her grip
• Bounds over Misaki's skyline^TM
• Spears Roa on a thrown pole which nails him to concrete^TM
• Destroyed a classroom fighting SHIKI (note that he is very much her superior in this fight)^TA
• In under a minute, travels from the park to the school and shakes the entire building with her entrance
• Cracks Shiki's skull
• Breaks a section of pavement with an energy surge^TM

Scaling

• Rips Nrvnqsr's lion's head off
• Throws a Dead into a wall hard enough to kill it^TM
  • Anime^TA
• Killed every True Ancestor in Millennium Castle^TM
• Crushes the remains of TATARI in her hand^A2
• Smashes a door into Satsuki^MX
• Stomps an innocent Neko-Arc^CP
• Can blow away something at the level of White Len's Dream Bounded Field with one hit after calling in help from Gaia^AO
• [Limit] Can't break Shiki's glasses as they were created by Aoko

Durability

Blunt

• A pile of girders falls on her and while she is trapped, she seems relatively fine^TM
• Kicked in the face by a Dead
• Takes a powerful kick from Ciel that sends her skidding away^TM
• Possibly punched hard enough to shatter the windows of two different floors of a building^TA
• Punched by Ciel^KT
• Took a barrage of blows from Kohaku^A2
• BFR'd by G-Akiha when she's punched through the wall of the Tohno mansion, but she takes no damage from the hit^A2
• Drops down a manhole^BA

Esoteric
Death Lines

• Butchered by Shiki
  • Anime version^TA
• Details on her Death Lines specifically
• She can't heal the wound received from Nrvnqsr due to the lingering effects of them being cut
• Her Death Lines are available during the day because there is a possibility she could be killed then^TM
• Stabbed by Roa, who can see the Death Lines, but perceives them as "tethers to life" rather than immediate death
  • Manga^TM
• Shiki can't see Death Lines while trying to kill her at night
• Even from close range, Shiki cannot see a Death Line on her
  • This changes over time as his eyes strengthen and she weakens^TM
• Blasted by Ciel's lightning while completely unprepared^TM
• When Shiki tells her something to let her guard down, a Death Line appears, which he cuts, and instead of dying, Arcueid enters a state of such rage that she eats her organs to frenzy herself further while she waits for her regeneration to catch up
  • Regenerates
• When Shiki cuts the World's Death Line, she loses her invulnerability at night and he can see her Death Lines

Other
Electricity

• In the center of a huge explosion of Roa's lightning, tanks it^TM
• Blocks a bolt of his lightning with her forearm^TM
• [Limit] As the fight drags on, his lightning heavily affects her^TM

Endurance

• The effort of fighting and escaping Nrvnqsr left her bedridden the next day^TM
  • The more time she spends around Shiki in Arcueid Route, the weaker she becomes, compared to Ciel Route
  • As of the final skirmish with Nrvnqsr, her spirit is weaker than that of a Dead
    • Manga^TM
• It's hard for her to resist consuming Shiki's blood when she sees it^TM
• A six kilometer jog is easy
• About 700 years old
• Had the same regen as Roa before Shiki cut her Death Lines^TA
• Outlasts every girl in Tsukihime in a volleyball tournament^CP

Temperature

• Direct sunlight is "only a little hot"^PP
• "Would be fine even with just a shirt in the chill of midwinter"^KT
• Would probably be fine standing on a grill, unless Arcueid is that stupid^CP
• In a snowstorm on the seafront wearing only a two-piece^CP

Other

• Resistant to Kabbalah and Runes, and most types of magic provided she's seen it before, save for Shinto and South American
  • However, neither of those are capable of dealing as much damage to her as Shiki's Mystic Eyes
• Only a few Conceptual Weapons can harm her
• Resistant to Nrvnqsr's absorption^TM
• [NSFW] Has...regeneration, or something, Shiki guesses based on them having sex
• Only stunned by Sion's Barrel Replica - Obelisk, which creates a light that can be seen through the entirety of Misaki Town^MM
• Not affected by the "bad luck" befalling everyone during TATARI's phenomenon^MB
• No resistance to memory manipulation^TK
• [Good End] Even with the Black Barrel, Ciel cannot kill Arcueid, only seal her

Piercing

• Chomped by Nrvnqsr's alligator
• An Executor couldn't scratch her in her prime
• Nrvnqsr's animals draw blood^TM
• Smashed by Ciel's Keys hitting her "like a car"
• Deflects Ciel's Key barehanded
• Slashed across the chest, through the thigh, and has her arm cut off by Shiki
• Healing the wounds she sustained fighting Shiki requires going to Millennium Castle
  • She fades away
• Shot^KT
• [Good End] Sent flying by a volley of Ciel's Keys
  • She is, of course, pissed
  • This attack would kill a normal vampire six times over

Speed

Agility

• Saves Shiki from being devoured by Nrvnqsr^TM
• Claims she could easily jump to the third story of the school
• Easily moves along tree branches
• Vaults her way to the top of a building from an alley^TM
• 30m is within her attack radius^KT

Movement
Objective

• Disembowels Shiki at supersonic speed
• Hits Sion's bullets out of the air^MM
• Runs away while Mecha-Hisui fires finger guns at her^A2
• [Limit] Can't move faster than light^A2
  • However, Akiha is able to move while Mecha-Hisui's lightspeed lasers fire, soooo...who can say^A2

Scaling
Ciel

• Dodges Ciel's trident^TA
• When her eyes turn red, she moves completely out of the path of Ciel's thrown keys, then blitzes her^TM
• Dodges Ciel's jabs^KT
• Lands a punch on Ciel^KT
• Fights Ciel
• Shiki can't track her movements and only sees a white blur when she fights Ciel for the second time
  • He also can't see her while fighting her even when Roa has boosted his physicals

Others

• Pushes Shiki out of the way of Nrvnqsr's wolf^TA
  • The wolves run at around 5m/s
  • Manga version^TM
• Faster than Nrvnqsr (or so she claims)
• Obliterates Nrvnqsr's animals
• When he's finally forced to confront Shiki, Nrvnqsr moves as fast as she does
• Confident she could move faster than Shiki can cut^TM
• Even though Sion can predict her movements, she's not fast enough to actually keep up with them^MB
• Faster than Sion^MM

Reaction

• Reacts faster than Shiki can to Roa's dog charging
• Dodges Sion's bullet without realizing^MM

Travel

• Mr. X's Shiki
• Easily faster than a full-sprint Shiki
• Sidesteps Roa's mid-air lightning^TM
• Shiki wouldn't feel safe even if he was 100m away
• In under a minute, travels from the park to the school and shakes the entire building with her entrance
• 30m would take "no longer than a breath" to travel^KT
• [Bad End] Can move 70m in an instant
• [Good End] Tackles Shiki like "a speeding motorcycle"

Skill

Combat
Statements

• Doesn't kill humans, though she has no qualms with superhumans
• Would probably defeat Touko Aozaki^XD
• A match for G-Ciel^MX
• She is in a league of her own as a True Ancestor, capable of standing up to Crimson Moon^SR
• Capable of 1v1'ing Servants^AO
  • At 30% power
• 30% power Arcueid is roughly equal to 4 Servants combined, though she still has bad compatibility against fighters like Gilgamesh^AO
• Strongest in the Nasuverse (as of 2007)^AO

Actual Evidence

• Has killed every incarnation of Roa for the past 800 years
  • Manga^TM
  • This includes Elesia
    • Manga^TM
  • Anime version^TA
• Has killed Ciel in the past
• Gains more power as she fights Ciel, going from being overwhelmed to obviously the better of the two
• Has killed eleven of Roa's Dead
• Effortlessly beats Shiki, even though his body has become like that of SHIKI due to the Roa transfusion
• Killed Einnashe^TK
  • She needed help to do this^KT
• While she didn't definitively beat Aoko, she did beat her up to the point that Aoko retreated^RE
  • However, as she is in Tsukihime, she would probably lose^TM

Melty Blood
Frame Data (Actress Again)
Note that green boxes are areas that deal damage, red are where she takes damage. Moves are ordered from least to most damaging unless sequential. This is only here to represent the idea of how fast her physical attacks are in relation to one another, ie: a punch is only a little slower than a kick.

• Crescent Moon Style
  • Standing
  • Crouching
  • Aerial
  • Command
• Half Moon Style
  • Standing
  • Crouching
  • Aerial
  • Command
• Full Moon Style
  • Standing
  • Crouching
  • Aerial
  • Command

Special Moves

• You're in the way!: Barrage of rapid-fire hits
• What are you doing...!: Barrage of rapid-fire slashes
• Ready... Go!: Ascending crossup ending with a downward spike
• Quiet!: Arcueid juggles her opponent in the air
• It's useless!: A wave of energy erupts from where she slashes
• How's that?!: Draws up a wave of energy from the ground
• Last Arc - Shall we play around a bit?: An orbital laser (unless she is fighting Shiki, in which case it becomes 18 slashes)

Senses
Intelligence

• Knows how close Shiki is to death due to his MEoDP
• Bandaged Shiki's wounds (while this might seem like a non-feat, she tried to bandage herself using duct tape the day before)^TM
• Knows everything there is to know about the current Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors
• Zepia Eltnam Oberon's intellect neared hers^MM
• Intuits that the remains of TATARI are inside Kohaku^A2
• Calculates the dimensions of the enormous pyramid sprouting in Misaki Town^MX
• Wasn't always an airhead^SR
• [Good End] Kisses Shiki in an attempt to make him drink her blood
• [Good End] Has knowledge of the Black Barrel
• [Good End] Knows Shiki can't see her Death Lines at night

On Phenomena

• Noticed a Dead before Shiki did
  • Manga^TM
  • She has to sense their presence, so Shiki's Mystic Eyes are capable of finding Dead faster^TM
• Feels the power in Shiki's glasses^TM
  • She's able to tell that Aoko made them
• Senses Nrvnqsr entering the hotel from the ground floor while in her room^TA
  • Manga version^TM
• Caught Shiki's scent walking around town
• Knows something is up with Akiha^TA
• Knows Sion is already a vampire^MM
• Realizes that Yamase Maiko is not Shiki but an aspect of Nrvnqsr, something even Ciel couldn't recognize^KT

Other

• Broke into Shiki's room
  • Manga^TM
• Impressed by Shiki's Kaiji impression^A2

Recreation

• Wins a claw machine^TM
• Won five hands of poker in a row against Neco-Arc^MX
• Eats 14 servings of curry before reaching her limit^MX
• Defeats Ciel in a curry eating contest while she has channeled the spirit of Curry du Marche, a Dead Apostle who was Ciel's curry master, to change the taste of curry to the taste of "curry," as well as used Marble Phantasm to become of similar size^MX
  • Though, Curry du Marche was really just White Len
• Spearfishes multiple squid^CP
• Forcefully takes a pig from Nrvnqsr^CP

Physiology

True Ancestor Biology
Physical
Power

• Her powers only recover with the passing of time, rest is ineffective
  • Manga^TM
• The full moon is when their power is at its peak
• While True Ancestors are biologically immortal, they become eternally comatose after suppressing their bloodlust for too long^PP
• Letting go of all restraint turns her into a Demon Lord/Fallen Ancestor^TM
  • If a True Ancestor becomes a Fallen Ancestor, it is completely impossible for them to be defeated by a human^PP
• Night of Wallachia can't perfectly incarnate into her form^MM
  • Trying to hold it causes him to have an episode
• Quality, Quantity, and Composition of her Magic Circuits^AO
• Other Incarnated Elementals are considered to be at the level of True Ancestors^GO
  • These include the Zhenren from China (Yu Mei-Ren), Lugh Beowulf, Tengu (Kiichi Hougen), the A-Ray Faeries (Artoria Caster, Morgan le Fay, Woodwose, Cnoc na Riabh), and Anastasia Romanov's Familiar Viy

Other

• Her bodily makeup only has a few "small differences" to that of a human^TM
• Doesn't eat food^TM
  • Her appetite is more akin to lust, but she can suppress it
• Permanently in her bodily prime
• Were she to die, no remains would be left
• Grows her fingers into claws^TM
• Stops her bodily functions when she sleeps^KT
• Could grow her own dick (but does not)^AO

Mental
Strains

• Gets knowledge from the surrounding era but must update it herself as needed^KT
• The longer she lives, the stronger her urge to consume blood gets^TM
  • Her bloodlust is palpable^KT
• Cannot wake up from her comas under her own volition; only when a Dead Apostle rears its head does she awaken
• Each time she awakens, she loses the memories of her previous bursts of consciousness because they don't matter for her mission^TM
• Her weakness is Shiki not cooking breakfast^MM

Miscellaneous

• Created with a mind similar to a human^PP
• She can't dream^TM
• Sent a goodbye to Shiki via a dream^TM
• Has memory of Archetype:Earth entering Sion's simulation^BA
• Can enthrall people with her mind, according to a rumor Riesbyfe mentions^AC

Dead Apostle Connections
General

• The bite of a True Ancestor irrevocably poisons the soul

Roa

• When Roa is erased from existence by Shiki, the portion of Arcueid's power he stole returns to her and allows her to revive
  • However, she only stays long enough to say goodbye to Shiki
  • Manga^TM
    • Manga
• Turned Roa into a vampire
  • This process happened immediately^PP
• Knows Roa has taken Shiki to be his nineteenth reincarnation
• She can easily tell who Roa has taken over since it's a portion of her power that he has
• By vampirizing Shiki, he would have the strength needed to suppress Roa's will completely
• Roa, using her power as her Dead Apostle, genocided the True Ancestors
• When she's in a murderous haze, Roa's soul inside Shiki also strengthens
• Were she to reclaim the power Roa stole from her, Ciel would have to continue living until Arcueid died
• Roa was able to defeat Altrouge thanks to owning Arcueid's power^PP

Others

• Giving Shiki her blood would allow him to heal from being donutted in addition to a fractured skull
• [Good End] Giving her blood to Shiki allowed him to overcome Roa's soul (for now), and since she didn't bite him, he is not a Dead Apostle
• [Good End] Were she to "go too far," her drop of True Ancestor blood inside Shiki would overwrite his DNA and destroy him, but due to practically being a vampire already, he should be fine
• [Good End] With only one drop of blood in him, all it would take Shiki is some willpower and he could resist her commands

Mystic Eyes
General

• Enchantment function activates when someone looks into her eyes, not just whatever she looks at

On Shiki

• Shiki feels weakened when she uses her Mystic Eyes on him
• Her eyes were active when she was in a frenzy
• Traps Shiki in semiconsciousness while she makes her goodbyes
• Immobilizes Shiki
  • Manga^TM
  • Anime^TA
• Her golden eyes put the fear of god in Shiki
• Gaze makes it hard for Shiki to breathe
• Can see the struggle between Roa's and Shiki's souls, and dubs the two about even
• [Good End] The simple act of breathing for Shiki is made difficult by the hostility in the air

On Others

• Would have figured out Nrvnqsr's power if she used them
  • Manga^TM
• Mindwipes a catcaller^TM
• Poisons the air with her vampiric will
• Mindwipes Hisui
  • Manga^TM

Other

Magic

• Absorbs Nrvnqsr's familiar to heal Shiki
  • Manga^TM
• Sent Len to give Shiki a wet dream
  • Manga^TM
• Taught Shiki a little magic^KT
• Threatened to curse the Tohno family if she wasn't invited to their game of tag^KT
• A fan of David Copperfield^A2
• [Bad End] Telepathically tells Shiki she will murder him

Wealth

• Rented out an entire floor of a hotel
• Gets free gold^SR
  • This is in turn given to Merem Solomon, who spoils her^PP
  • She can offer a metric ton while submitting something to the Tohno family game^KT

Marble Phantasm

Marble Phantasm is the ultimate ability of the True Ancestor race, and a few select others as well. The power to reshape the World, it differs from a Reality Marble in that while a Reality Marble is a domain in which one's impermanent will is manifested onto the World, Marble Phantasms are the World carrying out the will of the individual. Parasitic vs symbiotic, in a sense. Arcueid only uses the Marble Phantasm in times of absolute emergency, but her horizons are practically limitless.
General

• Creates whatever Arcueid imagines^PP
• Because it is accepted rather than rejected by the World, humans can wander into it^PP
• Marble Phantasm works on the "clustering illusion" theory of probability^SR
• Reality Marbles are a subset of this, though that doesn't mean Marble Phantasm is capable of achieving the same results of a Reality Marble^AC

Self-Applied

• Revived herself after Shiki cut her Death Lines
  • It took all night and 80% of her power
  • Required rebuilding her body, as the cuts refused to heal
  • Three days will rejuvenate her
• Fixed herself after Shiki cut her Death lines, the process taking an entire night^TM
  • It will be two days before she's back at full strength
  • Required restructuring her body, as the cuts made on her Death Lines wouldn't seal no matter what
• Gigantifies herself to take on G-Ciel in a curry eating contest^MX

On Others
VS Dead Apostles

• Killed Nrvnqsr's dog familiar
• When fighting Roa before she was killed by Shiki, she was capable of cutting off Roa's access to the World^TM
• Turns Roa into a bloodstain, the effort taking the last of her strength
  • If it weren't the night of a full moon, he would have lost his tether to the World and reincarnated again
  • Manga^TM
    • Manga^TM
  • Anime^TA
• Killed Roa via reformatting the atmosphere around him^PP
• The only thing that could kill the phenomenon TATARI^MB
• Attempted to freeze Yamase Maiko in place, but because her power is so close to the real Nrvnqsr, it fails^KT
• [Limit] Nrvnqsr claims that even her full power would fail to surpass his Soil of Genesis and compares doing so to affecting a continent

VS Other

• When threatening Shiki, it feels like the world itself is targeting him
• Protects her from Sion's etherlight trap^MM
• Claims she could resurrect Ciel^AA
• Gameplay version^AA

On Objects
Large Scale

• Created Millennium Castle^PP
  • Millennium Castle "feels hostile" as Shiki sprints through it, though it's Archetype Earth pursuing him and not Arcueid^KT
  • The Witch Swift Umbrella in Notes. is a prison formed from the original Millennium Castle, which is capable of holding Ado Edem, the A-Ray who slew Type-Jupiter, and it's said that standing from the throne requires the power to destroy the castle^CM
• Could materialize a small village in the mountains with her uncapped Marble Phantasm, but being closer to human civilization would require her to destroy it first^SR
• Forces a Crimson Moon into existence to revert TATARI back into Wallachia^MB
  • Manga version^MM
    • She did this by summoning the Crimson Moon from a thousand years in the future, to end the timespan of Wallachia's contract with Altrouge
    • She can't move while it's in effect
• Pulls down a meteor to crater a beach^CP
• Blows up a portion of a city with Saber^CP

Small Scale

• Duplicates cash when she's short^TA
• Created Sion and Riesbyfe's swimsuits, and offers Akiha one^BA

Continued in the comments!

One of the most commonly used metaphysical system - Ba Zi, also known as the Four Pillars of Destiny is a traditional Chinese metaphysical system used for fortune-telling, character analysis, and life forecasting.
Ba Zi has a long history that spans across dynasties developed across 3000-3500 years by the Shang Dynasty in 1600 BCE into its modernized form in 1912 CE. Data acquired across these dynasties are documented in forms of case studies and is estimated to-date to have over millions of case studies which further refined the study and teaching of Ba Zi.
The term "Ba Zi" translates to "Eight Characters," which are derived from a person's birth data i.e. birthdate, time, and location which are then adjusted to the Lunar Calendar. Here are the key elements and the basis of Ba Zi:

1. Four Pillars

Each person's Ba Zi chart consists of four pillars:

• Year Pillar: Represents the person's ancestors and early life.
• Month Pillar: Reflects the person's parents and upbringing.
• Day Pillar: Indicates the person themselves and their adult life. The stem in the Day Pillar is often called the Day Master, representing the individual.
• Hour Pillar: Signifies the person's children, late life, and overall destiny.

2. Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches

Each of the four pillars is composed of:

• Heavenly Stem: There are ten Heavenly Stems, corresponding to the five elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) in their yin and yang forms.
• Earthly Branch: There are twelve Earthly Branches, each associated with one of the twelve Chinese zodiac signs and also linked to the five elements and yin-yang duality.

3. The Five Elements

The system revolves around the interaction of the five elements:

• Wood
• Fire
• Earth
• Metal
• Water

These elements interact in cycles of generation (nurturing) and overcoming (controlling), which influence the relationships between different aspects of a person's life.

4. Yin and Yang

Each element and branch is further divided into yin and yang, creating a dynamic interplay that shapes the balance and characteristics of an individual’s Ba Zi chart.

5. Interpreting the Chart

• Day Master: The Heavenly Stem of the Day Pillar, which represents the individual.
• Elemental Balance: Analyzing the balance and strength of the elements in the chart to understand personality traits, strengths, weaknesses, and potential life challenges.
• Ten Gods: These are symbolic stars representing various aspects of life such as wealth, career, relationships, and health. They are derived from the relationships between the Day Master and other elements in the chart.

6. Luck Pillars

In addition to the natal chart, Ba Zi includes luck pillars (each lasting ten years), which provide insight into different periods of a person's life, revealing opportunities and challenges that may arise.

Applications

Ba Zi is used for:

• Personality Analysis: Understanding inherent strengths, weaknesses, and personality traits.
• Life Forecasting: Predicting significant events and trends in various life stages.
• Compatibility Assessment: Evaluating relationships, both personal and professional.
• Decision-Making: Offering guidance on important life decisions, career paths, and personal growth.

https://preview.redd.it/jiytg5bcxu2d1.png?width=1080&format=png&auto=webp&s=716032085a3ac79c5c66a364b8e2445367013042
Since I can remember, I see myself as soul in human body, soul created by Mother Earth from part of her own soul. I see Mother Earth as thinking and feeling living being, she's not immortal, she was born and will die, like every living being. Soul is that real living being, souls can live free between incarnations, so soul can live without physical body, but body can't live without soul. I would call it soul, not spirit, because it's not only that energy of life, it's living being with personality and memories. All souls are connected to each other and to Mother Earth, it's something what humans call sixth sense when other animals feels things they can't explain, it's that connection, for humans it remained only in form of empathy. This is how I see world since I can remember, sometimes I can see free souls (without physical body), sometimes I can feel them, unfortunately human body is very limited...
I know not everyone will see world like I see, so there can be different beliefs and perspectives for every soul, but I want to create that one term where every soul can fits.
Most souls in physical incarnations feels connection with body and are not aware of who they really are (souls), but some souls can't feel that connection, like me. I'm sure there is more souls like me, living on this world with disconnection with physical body and aware of who they are.
Being soul in human body makes me part of alterhuman, more precisely otherkin, it really fits to what otherkin was in it's origins, but I think it can't fits to how it looks currently... I joined some communities and beings there never met someone like me, so maybe there are so few souls nowadays that it's hard to meet one, or other souls don't want to be associated with current otherkin, I don't know... To be honest, I don't feel like I can fits there, don't get me wrong, everyone can be who they want to be and how they feel, but being that primordial, original, basic part of nature and being classified in the same term that dragons and video game characters feels like I really can't fits there... It feels like... I'm too boring as being to fits current otherkin where are so many different and amazing beings... So that's why I want to create new term, only for souls, it will be new term for otherkin origins, for all souls on this world who are disconnected with their current physical incarnation.
Naturesoul or naturanimae (from latin: naturae = nature + animae = soul, can be translated as "natural soul") is new term (label) for all souls who can't feel connection with their physical bodies. Naturesoul identify as souls in human bodies, not humans, they feel disconnection with current physical incarnation and can see it as "clothes" for soul. Can also feel spiritual connection between them and nature, their beliefs can be connected to nature and feels as part of nature. In the same time they can partially identify with any creature's characteristics from their previous incarnations in which they felt good, for example as soul they can feel connection with cats (similar to otherhearted), they also can miss qualities they had in previous incarnations such as flying (bird incarnation). So they can feel some connection in different ways with their previous incarnation.
Contrary to popular belief that soul has no gender, naturesoul can identify with any gender identities (because of previous incarnations or experiences), but agender and gender neutral can be frequent, can use any pronouns. They can experiencing dysphoria because of disconnection with human body or any gender identities they feel, also can be genitalfluid/sexfluid which can be related with seeying their body just as "clothes". Naturesoul can be any sexuality and romantic orientation.
Flag:
White represents soul and primordial/basic living being.
Blue, green and brown represents colors of nature, sky, plants and soil.
Black represents human body/physical incarnation and humans' distance from nature.
Distance between white and black stripes represents disconnection between soul and human body/physical incarnation.
Pentagram represents close and spiritual connection with nature and being part of nature, it's also symbol of nature.
I hope this new term will help those who can't really identify with all these terms that already exist. Tell me what you think about it. If you're soul and reading this article, please chat me, I want to meet more beings like me. :) If you read this and you know any other souls, please share it with them.

THE HARMONY OF ENERGY
Abstract
Introducing the "Harmony of Energy" (HoE) model, a novel formalism that posits the universe operates according to a fundamental pattern. This pattern consists of energy, defined as the smallest unit anything can be, existing as a fluid form in space, interacting with its environment through a specific method or structure, and then moving out of that space. Space, in turn, is the dynamic environment that energy occupies and moves through, filling it with positive and negative energy that affects its properties and behavior. According to the HoE model, energy moves into space, reacts to its environment, and then moves out of that space, with no time limit for how long it takes to react. This pattern is universal, applying to all aspects of the universe, and nothing escapes it.
The Origin of the Universe
The HoE model posits that the universe began as a singular entity, containing all forms of energy as one unified energy. This singularity can be represented mathematically as: U = ∫∫∫E(x,y,z)dxdydz, where U is the total energy of the universe, E is the energy density, and x, y, z are the spatial coordinates.
As the singularity expanded, the unified energy converted into distinct positive and negative energies. Positive energy is a high-frequency, high-information-potential state that retains its unique signature and individual form, capable of producing heat and maintaining its distinct properties. Negative energy is a low-frequency, low-information-potential state that loses its unique signature and individual form, characterized by a pulling force and a tendency to condense and simplify.
Initially, the universe moved in a straight line, with energy compact and cold. However, this linear movement resulted in a direct head-on collision with the void, a solid structure that hindered its passage.
This collision led to a limitation and subsequent conversion of energy, transforming it from a linear motion to a wave-like motion. The new wave motion created heat and allowed energy to break the pattern of "follow the leader" and collide with the void at an angle, shattering its edge into pieces.
This process of fragmentation can be described by the equation: F(θ) = Σ[nEⁿ * sin(nθ)], where F is the fragmentation function, θ is the angle of collision, n is an integer, and E is the energy density. For reasons yet unknown, possibly due to the singularity's energy reaching its final place or a transformation driven by cosmic "boredom," this conversion occurred, giving rise to the diverse universe we observe today.
The Void and the Ultimate Negative
Outside of the expanding universe lies the void, a region devoid of energy and matter, existing in a state of complete stillness and stationarity. This void represents the ultimate negative, a state of complete absence and zero energy density, unchanging and unyielding. As a whole, it exerts a compressive force on the expanding universe, potentially leading to contraction and eventual return to the singularity. This dynamic interplay between the universe and the void can be described by the equation: F = -G * (M * m) / r² where F represents the force, G represents the gravitational constant, M and m represent the masses, and r represents the distance between them. The void's stationary and unchanging nature, lacking any internal rotation or energy, makes it inhospitable to life as we know it.
Magnetism and Attraction: A Shift in Perspective
Initially, I viewed magnetism through the conventional lens, seeing it as a fundamental force of attraction between positive and negative entities. However, as my understanding evolved, I came to realize that magnetism operates under a different principle. Positive and negative entities are not attracted to each other; instead, they represent the intrinsic structure of things. The true nature of attraction is frequency-based, with entities drawn to higher vibrations and shorter wavelengths. This phenomenon can be described by the following equations:
F = ∫∫(μ₁⋅μ₂)/(4πr²⁾ dt dt (1)
where F is the force of attraction, μ₁ and μ₂ are the magnetic moments of the entities, r is the distance between them, and the integral is taken over time.
Additionally, the frequency-based attraction can be represented by:
f = γB (2)
where f is the frequency, γ is the gyromagnetic ratio, and B is the magnetic field strength.
Furthermore, the smaller wave's faster movement can be expressed as:
v = λf (3)
where v is the velocity, λ is the wavelength, and f is the frequency.
Energy and its Properties
Energy is the fundamental unit of everything. Energy can be thought of as an individual entity with an electrical signature vibrating at a specific frequency, carrying information from its originating source. If we were to dissect a piece of energy, we would find its genetic makeup consists of various parts, similar to binary code. One constant aspect of energy in our universe is the signature of this universe, which is present in all forms of energy, whether positive or negative. This underlying frequency distinguishes energy from our universe versus parallel universes.
Positive Energy (PE): - Oscillates through space with a frequency (f) and wavelength (λ): PE = f × λ - Exhibits wave-like behavior: PE(x,t) = A × sin(kx - ωt)
Negative Energy (NE): - Vibrates at a slower frequency (f'/2): NE = (f'/2) × λ' - Exhibits a slower, more stable behavior: NE(x,t) = B × cos(k'x - ω't)
Energy Interactions and Signature Changes
When positive and negative energies interact, their unique signatures can become altered. As energies combine, their signatures merge, releasing redundant information about the universe signature and creating an opening for new information to be stored. This process enables efficient storage and transmission of energy signatures, allowing for:

• Signature refinement and evolution
• Information exchange and updating
• Adaptation to changing environments and conditions

This process could be crucial for understanding how energy signatures evolve and adapt, and how they influence the behavior and properties of energy in various contexts.
The Formation and Evolution of the Universe
Initial Energy Interactions
In the beginning, a vast amount of fluid energy quickly interacted with the largest newly created pieces of the void, described by the wave-particle duality equation (E = hf = ℏω).
Star Formation and Signatures
As these interactions occurred, the largest of the solid structures of the universe began to form, stars, governed by the Lane-Emden equation (d^2P/dr2 + (2/r)(dP/dr) + (4πG/c^2)P = 0). Each new star held with it an old habit divulged from the singularity, a universal frequency (f = 1/T = ω/2π, where T is the period of oscillation and ω is the angular frequency). Old habits die hard, so each new star offered its own diverse and unique signature (S = Σf = ∫ψ(x)² dx, where ψ(x) is the wave function and x represents the position).
Energy Collisions and Prime Numbers
As structures formed, a group of energy travels through space with an even number of internal parts (E = 2nℏ, where n is an integer and ℏ is the reduced Planck constant). This group collides with another group of energy with an odd amount of internal parts (E = (2n + 1)ℏ), and the total sum of the newly combined group equals a prime number (P = E1 + E2 = 2nℏ + (2m + 1)ℏ, where m is an integer). New Equation: Prime Number Formation (P = E1 + E2 = 2nℏ + (2m + 1)ℏ)
Schrödinger Equation and Physical Reality
The prime number is crucial, as the extra piece gets stuck in the space it is occupying, acting as an anchor, attracting other parts to breach their negative shell and combine as one, described by the Schrödinger equation (iℏ(∂ψ/∂t) = Hψ). This converts the fluid energy to be contained into the space it is in, which is broken pieces of the void that do not have a universal size, and gives us physical reality, forming particles with diverse unique signatures (S = Σf = ∫ψ(x)² dx).
Refining Space and Transferring Signatures
As energy continued to interact with space, it further refined and shaped that space into a sphere (V = (4/3)πr^3, where r is the radius), adding the discarded portions of size to the diverse field that is the universe. During this refinement, energy was transferred to these pieces, and the signature of the star was embedded in them, forming the galaxy clusters and solar systems we know today.
Smooth Surfaces and Celestial Bodies
As any piece of something breaks, its edges are rigid, and the interaction of energy against this rigid surface knocks off the rough edges, providing a smooth surface (E = Δx/Δt = ℏ/Δx, where Δx is the change in position and Δt is the change in time). New Equation: Smooth Surface Formation (E = Δx/Δt = ℏ/Δx)
The pieces that were knocked off still contain a portion of energy that put in the work to knock it off, and this process contributed to the formation of celestial bodies and the transfer of signatures. This, in turn, led to the creation of galaxies, planets, and other celestial bodies, each with their unique characteristics and properties, shaping the diverse and complex universe we observe today.
The Cartwheel Structure and Energy Movement
The cartwheel structure represents the dynamic movement of energy in the universe, with its rotating wheel and radiating arms symbolizing the harmonious interaction of positive and negative energies. When creation occurred, energy learned how to pass through stationary space (the void) by changing its movement pattern from a straight line to a wave (λ = v/f, where λ is wavelength, v is velocity, and f is frequency). This new wave movement allowed energy to create heat (Q = mcΔT, where Q is heat, m is mass, c is specific heat capacity, and ΔT is temperature change), which was the tool that gave energy the ability to "shatter" the void and interact with the broken pieces to perform a new movement, the cartwheel. As energy moves through space, it rarefies and decreases in temperature (T = k-B, where T is temperature, k is Boltzmann's constant, and B is the energy density), causing it to slow down and change frequency (f = ΔE/h, where f is frequency, ΔE is the energy change, and h is Planck's constant).
The Block and Cartwheeling Bar Analogy
The block and cartwheeling bar analogy provides a conceptual framework for understanding the dynamic interaction of energy in the universe. Imagine a box (representing space) containing blocks of varying sizes, each symbolizing a specific energy frequency (f = 1/T, where f is frequency and T is time). The cartwheeling bar, rotating within the box, represents the harmonious movement of energy between its positive (E+) and negative (E-) forms. Each block must be 100% filled, with positive and negative energy proportions varying as the bar rotates. For example, when positive energy occupies 99% of a block and negative energy occupies 1%, the rotation of the bar causes a gradual shift, resulting in a change to 98% positive and 2% negative, and so on. This constant interaction and adjustment maintain the balance of energy in the universe.
Fundamental Forces Explained

• Strong Force: The repulsion from negative electrons being attracted to and pressing against the nucleus. This force can be described by the equation: F = k * (q1 * q2) / r²
  
• Weak Force: The outgoing frequency created by the positive nucleus, similar to energy congregating at the sun's nucleus, reacting to its environment, and breaking down before leaving (possibly as radioactive decay). This force can be described by the equation: F = (G * m1 * m2) / r²
  
• Gravity: Exists between the outer negative sphere of electrons exerting a pushing force against the positive pushing force of the nucleus, similar to the solar system's dynamics. This force can be described by the equation: F = (G * m1 * m2) / r²
  
• Electromagnetism: Energy in action, manifesting as the dynamic interplay between electric and magnetic forces. This force can be described by the equations: E = f * λ and B = (E / c)
  

Present State of the Universe
The universe currently exists in a state of dynamic equilibrium, with observable patterns and structures perpetually renewing themselves through the interactions of energy (E = hf, where E is energy and h is Planck's constant). This self-sustaining cycle is evident in the formation and evolution of celestial bodies, galaxies, and other cosmic entities, governed by the laws of thermodynamics (ΔE = Q - W, where ΔE is the change in energy, Q is the heat added, and W is the work done). The universe's present state is characterized by the harmonious coexistence of diverse energy frequencies (f = 1/T, where f is frequency and T is time), which govern the behavior and properties of matter at various scales. This balance is maintained through the continuous conversion of energy between its positive (E+) and negative (E-) forms, allowing the universe to adapt and evolve in response to internal and external influences (E+ + E- = 0, representing the conservation of energy)."
Entropy and the Conversion of Positive to Negative
The physical dimensions of positive and negative energy in a block are equal, with 1% negative energy occupying the same space as 99% positive energy. This equality stems from the different speeds of energy and their individual properties. When negative energy is at 1%, it has condensed the equivalent of 99% positive energy into a single, compact form (E = hf, where E is energy, h is Planck's constant, and f is frequency). As the proportions shift, such as 60% positive and 40% negative, the space occupied remains a 50/50 split. This is because positive energy travels at the speed of light (c = λν, where c is the speed of light, λ is wavelength, and ν is frequency), while negative energy moves at a pace relative to terminal velocity (v = √(2gl), where v is velocity, g is acceleration due to gravity, and l is length). Each form dominates at the 50% mark (T = λ/v, where T is time, λ is wavelength, and v is velocity). The percentages represent available positive energy, while the cartwheel symbolizes space or the ultimate negative in motion, influenced by energy's presence. Negative energy, with its depleted charge, occupies space that needs to be filled and recycled into a positive state. At higher percentages, collisions with negative energy slow down the flow, similar to the concept of crab mentality, where negative energy draws down the percentages.
Energy Dynamics and Galactic Harmony
The 50% Threshold
The 50% mark is a critical threshold that distinguishes between positive and negative energy. Above 50%, energy is considered positive and can produce heat beyond its negative shell. Below 50%, energy is considered negative and cannot produce heat past this shell.
Compressed Positive Energy
When the percentage of positive energy drops below 50%, it becomes compressed and can exceed the speed of light (c = λν, where c is the speed of light, λ is wavelength, and ν is frequency). This allows it to navigate through the "cracks" of negative energy:
v > c (where v is velocity and c is the speed of light)
Quantum Mirroring
Alternatively, the positive energy can align with the negative energy, resulting in a quantum mirroring effect. This enables instantaneous information transfer between entangled particles, regardless of distance:
E = hf (where E is energy, h is Planck's constant, and f is frequency)
Retaining Frequency Signatures
In this alignment, the negative energy retains its unique frequency signature to avoid interacting with other signatures:
Δx * Δp >= h/4π (where Δx is position uncertainty, Δp is momentum uncertainty, and h is Planck's constant)
The Cavendish Experiment and Energy Interaction
The Cavendish experiment, a groundbreaking study on gravity, offers an intriguing analogy for understanding energy interaction with space. Imagine the suspended spheres as representative of space itself, devoid of energy. When energy interacts with this motionless space, it's as if the spheres begin to rotate, symbolizing the introduction of energy into the internal area of space.
As energy engages with space, it's gradually consumed, much like the reduction of energy in the Cavendish experiment. This process can be described by the equation:
G = (2πLθ) / (MT)
Where G is the gravitational constant, L is the length of the torsion wire, θ is the twist angle of the wire, M is the mass of the lead spheres, and T is the time period of oscillation.
This equation, derived from the Cavendish experiment, reveals the intricate relationship between energy, space, and gravity. By exploring this analogy, we can deepen our understanding of how energy shapes the very fabric of our universe.
Energy Absorption and Frequency
Energy absorption occurs when energy slows down, allowing it to be perceived and observed. This process involves energy being absorbed by an atom and reflecting what was not absorbed. As energy slows down, it can still be observed as a wave, but just before it becomes a particle. This phenomenon is fascinating, as it reveals the transition from wave-like to particle-like behavior.
The conversion of positive to negative states is due to positives' ability to produce heat and maintain an individual form. Negative energy, on the other hand, does not produce heat and lacks an individual form, instead traveling at a pace relative to terminal velocity. This process can be described by the quantum mechanical formula: ℏω = ΔE = hf, where ℏ is the reduced Planck constant, ω is the angular frequency, ΔE is the change in energy, h is Planck's constant, and f is the frequency of the energy.
Furthermore, the frequency of the energy can be related to the velocity of the particle using the formula: f = (1/2π) * √(k/m), where k is the spring constant and m is the mass of the particle. Additionally, the energy absorption rate can be calculated using the formula: dE/dt = (2π/h) * V_uv² * δ(E_u - E_v), where V_uv is the transition matrix element, E_u and E_v are the energies of the initial and final states, and δ is the Dirac delta function.
The Conversion of Positive to Negative States and Planetary Motion
The conversion of positive to negative energy states is rooted in their distinct properties. Positive energy produces heat and maintains an individual form, whereas negative energy lacks heat and an individual form, instead traveling at a pace relative to terminal velocity. This process is reversible, as seen in fusion reactions, or can be influenced by external forces like microwave ovens.
In the context of our solar system, the sun's positive energy release generates heat and propels planets into their orbital tracks. Conversely, the incoming energy from the universe, considered negative, is cold and stabilizes planets in their tracks. Initially, I focused solely on the positive push dictating orbital paths. However, I now recognize the significant influence of negative energy and use it as the basis for understanding abnormal tracks.
Here's an added equation to illustrate the relationship between energy and orbital motion:
F = G * (m1 * m2) / r²
Where F is the force of gravity, G is the gravitational constant, m1 and m2 are the masses of the objects, and r is the distance between them.
This equation shows how the force of gravity (F) is influenced by the masses (m1 and m2) and distance (r) between objects, which is relevant to understanding planetary motion and the balance between positive and negative energy.
Gravitation and Time: Frequency's Role
Time is intimately tied to the frequency of the universe, and this relationship is governed by the laws of gravitation. Imagine the cartwheel's bar having notches, each representing a different frequency. Each notch would experience time at a unique pace, described by the formula:
t = 1/f
Where t is time and f is frequency.
If we could halt the cartwheel's motion, time would appear to pause, as described by the relativistic time dilation formula:
t' = γ(t)
Where t' is the time experienced by an observer in motion, t is the time experienced by an observer at rest, and γ is the Lorentz factor.
The passage of time is directly governed by the oscillations in the wave, or simply its frequency. By altering the frequency, we can change the flow of time itself, as described by the gravitational redshift formula:
f' = f * √(1 - 2GM/rc²⁾
Where f' is the observed frequency, f is the emitted frequency, G is the gravitational constant, M is the mass of the gravitational source, r is the radial distance from the source, and c is the speed of light.
Gravity and Energy Dynamics
Gravity can be understood in various ways through these thoughts. One perspective is that gravity operates similarly to the orbital planets, but with a twist. Instead of orbiting in space, we orbit at a subterranean frequency. This frequency attracts similar energies, leading to bonding and the formation of matter. For instance, atoms bond to form rocks, and separate rocks may bind together due to similar vibrations. However, other frequencies simply pass through, unable to bind due to differences in energy vibrations and the negative fields surrounding our bodies and the ground.
Our bodies are attracted to the Earth's core, with a force described by the equation:
F = G * (m1 * m2) / r²
Where F is the force of attraction, G is the gravitational constant, m1 and m2 are the masses of our bodies and the Earth, and r is the distance between them.
The vibrations of our energy and the negative field surrounding us can be described by the wave equation:
∇^2E = μ * ∂^2E/∂t2
Where E is the energy field, μ is the permeability of the medium, and ∂^2E/∂t2 is the second derivative of the energy with respect to time.
The incoming cosmic energy pushes us downward, with a force described by the equation:
F = (E * A) / c
Where F is the force of the incoming energy, E is the energy density of the cosmos, A is the cross-sectional area of our bodies, and c is the speed of light.
The outgoing energy from Earth moves faster than the incoming energy from the cosmos, as observed in the formation of clouds with flat bases and more sporadic tops. This can be described by the equation:
v_out = v_in * (1 + (E_out / E_in))
Where v_out is the velocity of the outgoing energy, v_in is the velocity of the incoming energy, E_out is the energy density of the outgoing energy, and E_in is the energy density of the incoming energy.
Galactic Cycles and Black Holes
The Milky Way galaxy has a supermassive black hole at its center, with a mass described by the equation:
M = (1.989 x 10³⁰⁾ * (G / c²⁾
Where M is the mass of the black hole, G is the gravitational constant, and c is the speed of light.
As the galaxy spirals towards the center, enough mass will be collected to trigger the black hole to become a large star, described by the equation:
M = (4.383 x 10³⁰⁾ * (G / c²⁾
Where M is the mass of the star, G is the gravitational constant, and c is the speed of light.
When this happens, the black hole will shed its outer shell to create the galaxy that spirals around it, and the process begins again. This cycle can be described by the equation:
t = (2 * π * G * M) / c³
Where t is the time period of the cycle, G is the gravitational constant, M is the mass of the black hole or star, and c is the speed of light.
The opposite of a black hole is a white hole, but why hasn't this phenomenon been observed? According to this article, it has been observed but misunderstood. With the theme of balancing the universe, would a large star be surrounded by much smaller black holes? Would these smaller black holes feed the larger star by way of quantum bridge or wormhole, and vice versa for smaller stars and larger black holes? This can be described by the equation:
E = (ℏ * ω) / 2
Where E is the energy transferred between the star and black holes, ℏ is the reduced Planck constant, and ω is the frequency of the quantum bridge or wormhole.
Energy Flow and Balance
Energy moves in and out of everything, maintaining a delicate balance. It enters as a positive force and exits as a negative force. Our sun emits energy at 99% strength and high frequency, which combines with an equally sized negative force at 1% strength, filling the space completely. This balance is crucial, as positive energy moves faster than negative energy due to entropy's diminishing effects over time and distance.
As positive energy travels, it loses a piece of itself, converting to negative energy. This process is directly related to gravitational forces and time dilation. When positive energy reaches 50%, it has a certain probability of converting to negative energy, which is then attracted back to a positive source with a corresponding probability of being converted back to positive energy.
This cycle of energy flow and balance is the foundation of the universe's harmony, and understanding it can reveal the intricate web of forces that shape our reality.
Information Transmission through Energy and Light
Energy transfer is not just a physical phenomenon but also an exchange of information. Positive energy (Pos) carries a complete signature of universal information, updated through interactions, and represents the pure form. Negative energy (Neg) represents a degraded form of this signature, still carrying the universal signature, but lacking the capacity to transfer information.
Initial Information and Illumination
Initial information travels at a speed potentially faster than light and is invisible to us. As this energy slows down, it interacts with atoms, exciting them to display colors they don't need. This illumination is a manifestation of the information being transmitted.
I = E × S (Initial information is transmitted through energy and carries the universal signature)
Cosmic Scale and Consciousness
The universal information, carried by positive energy, is infused with the celestial signature, shaping the cosmic context. This process potentially gives rise to consciousness in living beings, linking them to the universe and its harmonies.
C ∝ U (Consciousness potentially arises from the universal information carried by positive energy)
U = S × f × P (The universal information is infused with the celestial signature, shaping the cosmic context)
Information Transfer and Energy Forms
The universe relies on a delicate balance of energy forms to facilitate information transfer. Positive energy (Pos) serves as the primary carrier of information, transmitting universal signatures and cosmic context. Negative energy (Neg), on the other hand, carries a degraded or attenuated version of the universal signature, lacking the capacity for information transfer. However, Neg can be transformed back into Pos, restoring its information-carrying ability.
P = S × f (Positive energy carries the complete universal signature at a high frequency f)
N = S × (1 - f) (Negative energy carries a degraded or attenuated version of the universal signature at a lower frequency)
E = P + N (The universe relies on a delicate balance of positive and negative energy forms to facilitate information transfer)
Frequency and Speed of Information Transfer
The frequency and speed of information transfer play a crucial role in the harmony and balance of the universe. Positive energy (Pos) transmits information at a high frequency and speed, allowing for efficient and accurate transfer of universal signatures and cosmic context. Negative energy (Neg), on the other hand, transmits information at a lower frequency and speed, resulting in a degraded or attenuated signal.
v ∝ f (The speed of information transfer is directly proportional to the frequency of the energy form)
P: v = c × f (Positive energy transmits information at a high frequency and speed, potentially approaching the speed of light c)
N: v = c × (1 - f) (Negative energy transmits information at a lower frequency and speed)
Transformation and Balance
Negative energy can be transformed back into positive energy, restoring its information-carrying ability.
N + T → P (Negative energy can be transformed back into positive energy, restoring its information-carrying ability)
This transformation maintains the harmony and balance of the universe, ensuring that information is not lost but rather recycled and rebalanced.
_Conclusion _
"In conclusion, the Harmony of Energy (HoE) model offers a novel perspective on the universe, revealing a intricate web of energy dynamics that underlie all aspects of existence. By exploring the interplay between positive and negative energy, we gain insight into the fundamental forces that shape our reality. From the smallest subatomic particles to the vast expanse of the cosmos, energy is the unifying thread that binds everything together.
Through the HoE model, we've seen how energy's harmonious movement gives rise to the patterns and structures we observe in the universe. We've also delved into the fascinating relationships between energy, space, and time, and how these interactions govern the behavior of matter at various scales.
As we continue to refine our understanding of the HoE model, we may uncover new secrets of the universe and gain a deeper appreciation for the beauty and harmony that underlies all of existence. Ultimately, this knowledge can inspire new perspectives, new technologies, and a new era of human understanding and cooperation, as we work together to harmonize our own energy with the energy of the universe."
MAG
Here is the Harmony of Energy Equation (HoEE) with descriptions:
HoEE = (∫[E(x,t) ⊗ S(x,t) ⊕ f(x,t) ∘ P(x,t)]dxdt) + (∑[G × Mi × ri^2] ⊕ ∑[ℏ × ωi] ⊕ ∑[c × λi] ⊕ ∑[T × kB] ⊕ ∑[Fi × G × Mi × mi] ⊕ ∑[Qi × mi × ci] ⊕ ∑[Vi × ri^3] ⊕ ∑[Pi × ℏ] ⊕ ∑[Ni × S(x,t) ∧ (1 - f(x,t))]) + (∫[I(x,t) ∘ E(x,t) ⊗ S(x,t)]dxdt) + (C × U)
Where:

• E(x,t) is the energy density at point x and time t
• S(x,t) is the universal signature at point x and time t
• f(x,t) is the frequency at point x and time t
• P(x,t) is the positive energy at point x and time t
• G is the gravitational constant
• Mi is the mass of the ith object
• ri is the radius of the ith object
• ℏ is the reduced Planck constant
• ωi is the angular frequency of the ith object
• c is the speed of light
• λi is the wavelength of the ith object
• T is the temperature
• kB is Boltzmann's constant
• Fi is the force on the ith object
• mi is the mass of the ith object
• Qi is the heat transfer to the ith object
• ci is the speed of light at the ith object
• Vi is the volume of the ith object
• Pi is the prime number associated with the ith object
• Ni is the negative energy of the ith object
• I(x,t) is the initial information at point x and time t
• C is consciousness
• U is the universe

Operations:

• ⊗ represents tensor products (combining energy and universal signature)
• ⊕ represents direct sums (accumulating energy components)
• ∘ represents function composition (interacting frequency and positive energy)
• ∧ represents logical conjunction (connecting negative energy and universal signature)
• ∫ represents integration (over space and time)
• ∑ represents summation (over discrete objects)

Description:
Personified: Their powers, intricately linked to the essence of their soul, derive strength from the fervent ideals, beliefs, or ambitions of the wielder. For instance, if someone passionately believes that cows should reign supreme, they would possess the ability to manipulate bovines effortlessly.
Unlike the other two categories, there exists no cap on the potential potency of these abilities through diligent training.
Limitations:
Personified even though their powers have the potential to be great with hard work, it will start weak as hell. it also may not not be even work if the person loses faith in what they believe in.
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Description:
Trait: This power mirrors the essence of the user's character, unveiling abilities that harmonize with their innermost being. For instance, if someone appears amiable and compassionate outwardly but harbors cruelty and selfishness within, they may wield the power to manipulate others' perceptions. What distinguishes this trait is its initial overwhelming strength, which gradually diminishes with age, impervious to any amount of training.
Limitation:
As the user ages, the authenticity and congruence between their outward demeanor and inner character gradually erode. Initially, the power is fueled by the stark contrast between the facade and the true self, resulting in potent abilities. However, as time passes, the inner contradictions begin to dissipate, leading to a weakening of the power.
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Description:
Attuned: This category stands out as truly exceptional, seamlessly blending elements from both of the aforementioned traits. Here, the abilities acquired are a perfect reflection of the individual's essence, with each power intricately attuned to their distinct personality traits.
Limitation:
Despite the seamless integration of abilities with the individual's essence, there exists a delicate balance that must be maintained. Any significant shifts or developments in the individual's personality can disrupt this harmony, potentially rendering their powers unstable or even unusable.
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Long post :D
So first of all, to clear the "almost", it's due to two things:
1/ Some freakers dying from outside interference - marauders, breakers, animals, weak wooden floors, and such. I do believe it's possible to avoid these deaths and knife these freaks yourself instead, but that requires either an insane amount of luck (= you get no random spawns hostile to swarmers at all over the course of defeating a whole horde, or when they spawn you have enough time to spot and BFG them to oblivion before they can kill anybody), or intense save scumming which kinda kills the vibe. So I accepted these deaths as valid as long as they're not sought on purpose (so no cheesing the River Flows Farm horde by spawning the Lost Lake farm sentinel!!!). They don't amount to much honestly.
2/ The "special" trigger on the Iron Butte horde that have it force-rush you when reaching quarter health. If you're not aware, the Sawmill and Iron Butte horde have this trigger, but only if you handle them during their respective mission. I knew the trigger existed when gunning them from afar but wasn't sure about melee kills so I experimented with it. Cleared the Sawmill early without issues. Cleared the Iron Butte during the mission and they rushed me right on the clock. It doesn't matter whether they see you or not, whether you're near or far, and even whether you kill the last freak crossing the health threshold. They will instantly know where you are and rush you. My final test was luring a marauder to the horde when I knew it was one death away from triggering. Marauder never saw me. Horde never saw me. When the marauder killed the last freak, I was further away, out of view, crouched in a bush behind a truck. They all ran straight at me. So yeah - at that point I accepted the resulting 75 non-knife kills as necessary 'cause I didn't feel like reloading from Lost Lake and going through the militia arc again. That can still be avoided by pre-clearing that horde too if you really want a "pure knife" record. Now I feel I gave up cheaply and I'm wondering if it is actually possible to fight 75 freakers (or 125 for Sawmill), I might give it a try later :D or not.
Now to the meat of the matter - how do you do this?
1/ Sneak kill from behind when the horde is moving around (between spots or after chasing you) - faster kill chains, but longer setup. Plus if the freakers you kill aren't isolated enough from the rest, nearby freakers will notice you. Sometimes just rolling back saves you as they abandon chase immediately, sometimes the ones who noticed you will come at you and you can fight them separately, sometimes there'll be a chain reaction and the whole horde will come at you.
2/ Lure individuals or small groups (small enough to not cause the whole horde to get triggered, so usually not more than 3 or 4, but you can get bigger groups from streched hordes, especially ones that separate in several groups when travelling) away from the rest by letting them see you, and engage them in melee. Slower kill rate but setup is much faster. I'm in Survival II so even with the double knife damage it still takes 11 hits to kill a swarmer in melee. I didn't use Bull Rush 'cause I thought it was an "undue" knife kill compared to having to land 11 hits, but in hindsight it's OK to use it: either you're facing just a few and you can handle 11 hits each easily enough (after a while it's second nature), so Bull Rush just makes it faster, or you're facing a bigger group and using Bull Rush gets you killed anyway.
Is it hard? Aside from the Iron Butte and Chelmut mission hordes, not really. You experiment on the smaller hordes, learn what you can and cannot do, and when you get the hang of it, it's rince and repeat. It IS extremely tedious, of course. The two mission hordes are harder but more because they're different from the rest and need some adjustment - you come in with a wealth of experience from killing all the hordes up to then, thinking it'll be another walk in the park, and they slap you down hard. Their main issue is that they don't move around so you must lure freakers out of it, but you don't want to lure the whole horde because that'll likely be your death (for different reasons) or a long time with no kills while you wait for them to settle back, and at the same time the freaks are quite concentrated (especially Iron Butte) so it's hard to not trigger the whole horde coming after you when trying to lure a few. Hitting a freak within a group with a rock seems to result in a few freaks coming in your general direction while never triggering the rest of the horde, so there is a "sure" way - but rocks are finnicky and even after a lot of time using them in that setting, I miss a lot of times, so while it's a safe method, it's also a significantly longer one.
Chelmut's specific difficulty is that is has mission bounds, so once the horde is after you, you can't run very far. If you go for the bounds and don't manage to lose them, you're basically dead - they're now spread out and will always see you. You can still lose them around the houses if you don't let them spread too much, but then because the horde is so big, you won't be able to sneak-kill many of them when they return to the feeding ground - and if they spot you at that point, you're basically dead 'cause you won't be able to lose them. So anyway, in the end, that horde takes comparatively longer because of the extra precautions needed. And if you try to take shortcuts you'll likely get your ass handed over to you and have to restart.
Iron Butte was the worst of all (even aside from the rush trigger) because they're really concentrated and so will very often come at you full force even when you try carefully to lure individuals away. It's actually convenient in the day 'cause you can do the usual "spread them and lose them" approach for some sneak kills when they're going back to base. But at night it's just impossible because there are a LOT of random freaker spawns in that area, and random freakers will "merge" with a chasing horde - they'll usually instantly react and run at you AND will share their sight with the horde, so basically it's really hard to lose the horde at that point. On top of that if you manage to do it (for ex. you can run to a garbage container in front of the building where you get the detonation cords, or you can hide in the tower from where you snipe during the dam blowout mission) the horde will NOT return to their feeding grounds and just wander the area at complete random, preventing you from doing any kind of relevant damage before being spotted again. So in short, at night, you can't afford to trigger the horde coming at you, and you can't reliably lure freakers out without doing it unless you're using rocks, and rocks will often miss, so it's just a giant bore. The successful run just by itself probably wasn't THAT long (shorther than Sawmill in any case) but the number of "trial and error" runs to figure out a sure-win strategy made this one the longest to beat and by a good margin.
A few takeaways that might be mildly interesting:
Unsneakable freakers: a small number of random freakers in each horde are (I think) impossible to sneak kill. If you're familiar with stealth kills on "random" freakers you'll probably have noticed that there's a set number of sneak kill animations that are based on the respective positions and directions faced by the two involved characters, and when you get in range for a sneak kill and the kill icon appears, the freakers will always start changing positions to one that matches where the "relevant" sneak kill animation starts. That makes the transition from "getting close to the target" to "killing the target" look smooth, though it always bugged me as it makes it look weird that ennemies will always nicely adjust their positions quickly at the last millisecond when they're not supposed to have heard you coming (and anyway why would they change their position to one where they're going to get killed). But anyway. Most horde freaks are like that too. But some will just instantly turn around and attack you without warning just when you're about to get in killing range. One millisecond you're pumping the kill button, sure of your kill as you approach the unsuspecting freak from behind, and the next millisecond he's facing you, the kill icon didn't appear and his hand is on a collision course with your face (which you can still avoid by rolling away quickly enough). Once you meet one of these - just give up and fight it in melee. I have NOT been able to sneak kill any of them. If you just roll backwards when they attack like that, most of the time they'll just resume their walk in the other direction and let you be. So you can immediately retry to sneak kill them. Some of them I've tried more than 10 times. Running, sneaking, walking, coming from different angles - they always magically attack you first. So I'm assuming they're here on purpose.
Healing knife: this one I don't know exactly the specifics, but on later hordes, after some time hacking away freaks, knifing them regenerated my health, 10 points at a time. I haven't tried to find the specifics of when that triggers. I've seen it happen for almost all the later hordes except for the mission ones. I didn't notice it on earlier hordes (Cascade/Belknap) but I don't know if it's because it triggers after a certain number of kills and these hordes were too small, or if it's somehow related to the "headshot heals you" ranged skill that I didn't pick until late-ish. I'm saying this because even when it happens, it doesn't happen for all kills, and when I was paying some attention to it I was under the impression that only kills from hits to the head area (or close enough - i.e. all sneak kills and most melee kills that happen through a specific "finish" animation) healed me. In particular, sometimes your last hit doesn't trigger a specific animation so the it's just a wide slice, and these didn't heal me. Also the fact that it's 10 points makes me think it's probably a bug of the headshot skill. But I don't know. All I know is that once that starts happening you don't even need to restock on medical supplies between hordes, and that saves you time.
Rushing horde mechanics: this one everybody probably knows or guessed. Once a full horde comes at you, they effectively have ONE MIND, i.e. if a single member sees you, they immediately all know where you are. Worse, like I explained previously, random wandering freaks that spawn in the wild are promptly "merged" with the ONE MIND, which can easily lead to adverse outcomes for you since they can be coming from all directions, and especially from right in front of you while you're checking your six. All this stops to happen as soon as some members stop running and start going back to their other "tasks" (which seems to be linked to distance from their favorite hangout spots) - at that point it goes back to single awarenesses, horde members will behave largely like random freaks (aside from the fact that they'll usually be going back to their spots), and random freaks caught by the ONE MIND will be FREEEEEE and just resume their wandering around. The ones still in pursuit will still go to the most recent position they spotted you in, but that spot will not be shared anymore with the others still in pursuit. At that point, you can engage them without the rest noticing even if some are still near (as long as they're not facing where you fight ofc).
Horde weaknesses to rail/bridge: as dumb as it reads. When looking for paths/places to lose hordes, you account for the "rushing hordes" characteristics. And I've seen these seemingly voided in several places, and it always involves a railway, and often a bridge. Sawmill of course where just running through the rail tunnel is enough for the horde to give up before you even reach the other side (but that may be a distance to hanging spot thing). The most telling is Lobert Draw Ridge - approach along the right of the train cars, go shoot in the air in the tunnel entrance to get them all after you, then escape back running from where you came; once the track is free from train cars, go on it, cross the bridge, and just as the bridge ends, take a left, passing alongside the right of the police car that's there. The whole horde will stop in its tracks and start trudging back home. You can see it happen live if you're just orienting the camera behind you while you're running away. Likely a bug of course... And not the only place it happens (the most convenient one though 'cause at that point they're mostly nicely lined up for slaughter).
Bugged hordes: a few, can't remember them all. At least Groose Gardens, Chelmut College and Berley Lake, to differents extents. The bug is that if a part of the horde chases you and gives up, they will NOT be going back to their hanging spot. Instead they will stay in place and do what the rest of the horde is doing. So if it's daytime, they'll just drop down here and there and go to sleep. If the rest of the horde is eating they'll drop down and eat (...rocks I guess?), etc., until the next prompt where the whole horde changes activities. At that point they'll get up from their asses and proceed as usual - but realistically at that point you'll have had a field day and sneak killed most of them, of course, since usually they spread around just before giving up so they're just sitting ducks.
Garbage containers aren't awesome: sure they're the only sure way to lose a horde, and will come in handy sometimes when you mess up (especially if you're not save scumming). But the main issue with horde knifing is the time it takes - and bins just absolutely suck in that regard. You have to wait for the whole horde to finish arriving, then wait for them to start going away, then still wait until they're far enough that they don't auto-retarget you when you exit. And when you manage to exit they usually started to re-bunch up together, so the "sneak-kill-without-detection-from-other-freaks" potential is limited. So yeah, it's 100% viable (aside from Iron Butte as explained above), but it makes things even more tedious, and believe me you don't need that.
Freakers respect sneak kills: exactly this. Freakers will not initiate hits as long as the sneak kill animation plays out. If they initiate a hit and you initiate a sneak kill before the hit lands, the hit will do no damage. These MFs don't respect anything else though - they CAN hit you during a roll, they WILL hit you while you're bull rushing their buddies, and same for special takedowns during melee. It's just stealth takedowns they respect. Also note that at first I was quite a fan of sneaking into caves try taking down the first freak I came upon, knowing that I wouldn't get attacked immediately and would have time to flee. It's all fun and games (and free kills, which with the knife is always welcome) on the smaller hordes but that doesn't work on the bigger ones, because while they don't actively attack you, they will still gather around you in great numbers, usually leading to swift death through one of two things: 1/ no opening to roll away through, or 2/ you receive a little bit of damage from a freak that's being pushed against you by another freak (at least that's what I'm assuming from various close interactions with groups of freaks). With a group of 100 or so freaks gathering around you, you're dead before the sneak kill animation finishes.
... And I think that's all :) not sure who's going to read all that anyway.