Vocabulary for a thousand splendid suns
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2024.06.09 10:32 Nasa-17 Assassin City (please help)
So I started an A-Z playthrough of OWB and now I'm stuck.
215th - 8/10, was fun, though it felt a little repetitive of just "conquer a new country, core land, get a new war goal, rinse and repeat," I thoroughly enjoyed the lore and the caps-related requirements in forming the Splendid Raider's Society. Doing the film decisions, building up trade nodes, and raiding for caps was genuinely fun and earning 4000 caps was a unique objective. There were enough focuses and wars to keep me occupied while working toward this goal without there being too many... Completed by January 1, 2282.
Arborg Junta - 10/10, this was honestly peak gameplay in my opinion. You start out so weak and dealing with so many problems. You have no manpower and no guns or factories, isolated from your only ally and bordered by a much more powerful nation that will kill you. That +90% Infantry Equipment production cost was painful, but the +20% Equipment Capture made it unique. The legitimacy system was fun to interact with also, and I adored the 2 decisions that cost command power- The merc jobs/contracts were a fun piece of flavor to interact with, and the border conflicts were also really fun. I ended up doing 3 playthroughs, in the first I stayed loyal to the Duke and ended up becoming free through the autonomy system. In the second I stayed loyal to the King and discovered you cannot become free through the autonomy system ._. In the third I supported neither side during the civil war and declared independence, conquering the entire kingdom and their Republican enemies in a very challenging war. My only complaint is the lack of extra focuses to complete in the end game, running out of focuses on 2279 kinda sucks. You can't exactly rush down your focus tree either, going after the Damned or border conflicts too quickly will assure your defeat.
Archdiocese of Santa Fe - 6/10. Fun. But not much unique content outside of the national spirits. I have up Santa Fe and held the line against Lanius, killing thousands of his men very easily. Over the course of a few years I built up strength, and when he stopped attacking I drilled my armies to bait him into attacking more and weakening himself further. Eventually he was so weak that in 2279 I melted through his divisions with basic (but not starting) infantry templates. I considered killing the rest of the legion after but decided my goals were accomplished- If didn't feel in-character for the Archdiocese to march to Flagstaff. If anything I'd have just conquered the rest of New Mexico, but there's no formable or unique content so...
Arroyo - 7/10. Quite fun, though I was annoyed that I couldn't complete all the focuses in the tree, and also ran out of focuses early on. The karma system is cool but I think it should be implemented a little better or at least explained more. I don't like getting locked out of vital focuses because I don't know about certain events or details, karma gets entrenched later on... Though by my third playthrough I knew enough of Arroyo that I was able to take all the karma related focuses, albeit not all focuses I wanted because I wanted to have the chosen one as my leader in that attempt. The expansion system is also really cool, though I wish some of Arroyo's expansion targets would be more playable/viable. I did three playthroughs, a neutral one where I didn't do much, a good one where I joined the NCR and took down the Legion, and an evil one where I invaded the NCR as the Chosen One and took over all of California, Nevada and Oregon (as the Mirelurk Tribe conquered the area and invaded me). Took until 2284/5 in the last two, but it was worth it.
...
And next is Assassin City, in stark contrast to my other playthroughs, extremely painful so far and not fun at all for many reasons. The unique skater divisions, rocket skater tech, and unique spirit of the academy that comes with it are cool, but everything else... Ugh...
I've tried over and over all day to no avail for a total of 14 or so attempts. I died so many times I encountered the infamous"game lags unless you restart your PC" issue. The latest I was able to survive was January 18, 2276.
In May, the Brotherhood begins the focus that gives a war goal against you. In June, you get the event where you can either join their alliance (which leads to you getting automatically annexed and a guaranteed game over later (you can't leave the alliance)) or they declare war on you.
There is one strait crossing to the south and four tiles on the border, not defensive at all especially with three civs and only a few months to spend building outposts. No hills or mountains or any advantageous terrain, you have a national spirit that gives you a pretty rough defense penalty, the generic focus tree is not very useful and you likely won't survive long enough to actually pick up any impactful bonuses, partially because each focus takes 60 days and partially because they are so far down the tree- I find myself choosing between either taking the leftmost branch to access +2% -> +3% Recruitable Population or the second from the leftmost branch for caps to buy equipment and the +20% Division Organization, I can't take both in time unfortunately and am always either short on manpower or short on guns. I'm already being attacked before I can even finish researching my first land doctrine trait.
I've tried all sorts of strategies, spamming defensive militia, only using regular infantry, using different advisors, falling back all the way to the capital, holding the border, tried both bunkers and outposts and a combination of the two and alternated which tiles I built them in. Ultimately none of it seems to matter because I'm so far out-teched that I'll always lose every battle. I defensive micro my heart out but I lose manpower about five times as fast as them, and I'm bleeding equipment too, eventually their nonstop attack becomes untenable to hold and I collapse as all my divisions last stand to 0% strength in a last ditch effort to try and survive a couple more days.
Needless to say, I need help. How the heck am I supposed to actually survive survive? Is there a way to go down the alliance with the brotherhood without getting auto annexed and auto game over'd? Does Skater Infantry count under Walking Infantry or Mobile (for bonuses and land doctrine related stuff)
Any other tips or information would also be appreciated.
submitted by Nasa-17 to OldWorldBlues [link] [comments]
215th - 8/10, was fun, though it felt a little repetitive of just "conquer a new country, core land, get a new war goal, rinse and repeat," I thoroughly enjoyed the lore and the caps-related requirements in forming the Splendid Raider's Society. Doing the film decisions, building up trade nodes, and raiding for caps was genuinely fun and earning 4000 caps was a unique objective. There were enough focuses and wars to keep me occupied while working toward this goal without there being too many... Completed by January 1, 2282.
Arborg Junta - 10/10, this was honestly peak gameplay in my opinion. You start out so weak and dealing with so many problems. You have no manpower and no guns or factories, isolated from your only ally and bordered by a much more powerful nation that will kill you. That +90% Infantry Equipment production cost was painful, but the +20% Equipment Capture made it unique. The legitimacy system was fun to interact with also, and I adored the 2 decisions that cost command power- The merc jobs/contracts were a fun piece of flavor to interact with, and the border conflicts were also really fun. I ended up doing 3 playthroughs, in the first I stayed loyal to the Duke and ended up becoming free through the autonomy system. In the second I stayed loyal to the King and discovered you cannot become free through the autonomy system ._. In the third I supported neither side during the civil war and declared independence, conquering the entire kingdom and their Republican enemies in a very challenging war. My only complaint is the lack of extra focuses to complete in the end game, running out of focuses on 2279 kinda sucks. You can't exactly rush down your focus tree either, going after the Damned or border conflicts too quickly will assure your defeat.
Archdiocese of Santa Fe - 6/10. Fun. But not much unique content outside of the national spirits. I have up Santa Fe and held the line against Lanius, killing thousands of his men very easily. Over the course of a few years I built up strength, and when he stopped attacking I drilled my armies to bait him into attacking more and weakening himself further. Eventually he was so weak that in 2279 I melted through his divisions with basic (but not starting) infantry templates. I considered killing the rest of the legion after but decided my goals were accomplished- If didn't feel in-character for the Archdiocese to march to Flagstaff. If anything I'd have just conquered the rest of New Mexico, but there's no formable or unique content so...
Arroyo - 7/10. Quite fun, though I was annoyed that I couldn't complete all the focuses in the tree, and also ran out of focuses early on. The karma system is cool but I think it should be implemented a little better or at least explained more. I don't like getting locked out of vital focuses because I don't know about certain events or details, karma gets entrenched later on... Though by my third playthrough I knew enough of Arroyo that I was able to take all the karma related focuses, albeit not all focuses I wanted because I wanted to have the chosen one as my leader in that attempt. The expansion system is also really cool, though I wish some of Arroyo's expansion targets would be more playable/viable. I did three playthroughs, a neutral one where I didn't do much, a good one where I joined the NCR and took down the Legion, and an evil one where I invaded the NCR as the Chosen One and took over all of California, Nevada and Oregon (as the Mirelurk Tribe conquered the area and invaded me). Took until 2284/5 in the last two, but it was worth it.
...
And next is Assassin City, in stark contrast to my other playthroughs, extremely painful so far and not fun at all for many reasons. The unique skater divisions, rocket skater tech, and unique spirit of the academy that comes with it are cool, but everything else... Ugh...
I've tried over and over all day to no avail for a total of 14 or so attempts. I died so many times I encountered the infamous"game lags unless you restart your PC" issue. The latest I was able to survive was January 18, 2276.
In May, the Brotherhood begins the focus that gives a war goal against you. In June, you get the event where you can either join their alliance (which leads to you getting automatically annexed and a guaranteed game over later (you can't leave the alliance)) or they declare war on you.
There is one strait crossing to the south and four tiles on the border, not defensive at all especially with three civs and only a few months to spend building outposts. No hills or mountains or any advantageous terrain, you have a national spirit that gives you a pretty rough defense penalty, the generic focus tree is not very useful and you likely won't survive long enough to actually pick up any impactful bonuses, partially because each focus takes 60 days and partially because they are so far down the tree- I find myself choosing between either taking the leftmost branch to access +2% -> +3% Recruitable Population or the second from the leftmost branch for caps to buy equipment and the +20% Division Organization, I can't take both in time unfortunately and am always either short on manpower or short on guns. I'm already being attacked before I can even finish researching my first land doctrine trait.
I've tried all sorts of strategies, spamming defensive militia, only using regular infantry, using different advisors, falling back all the way to the capital, holding the border, tried both bunkers and outposts and a combination of the two and alternated which tiles I built them in. Ultimately none of it seems to matter because I'm so far out-teched that I'll always lose every battle. I defensive micro my heart out but I lose manpower about five times as fast as them, and I'm bleeding equipment too, eventually their nonstop attack becomes untenable to hold and I collapse as all my divisions last stand to 0% strength in a last ditch effort to try and survive a couple more days.
Needless to say, I need help. How the heck am I supposed to actually survive survive? Is there a way to go down the alliance with the brotherhood without getting auto annexed and auto game over'd? Does Skater Infantry count under Walking Infantry or Mobile (for bonuses and land doctrine related stuff)
Any other tips or information would also be appreciated.
2024.06.09 09:34 GoAheadMMDay The Jewish religion originated in Egypt.. and was restructured in Babylon
 | Before we begin, let me say I love the Jewish people and Christians, and I consider all of them my brothers and sisters, as I do all people from all religions and walks of life. We are all God's beloved children. submitted by GoAheadMMDay to conspiracy_posts [link] [comments] I thoroughly cherish the ancient wisdom contained in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, and in the sacred books of other faiths as well. Yet over the course of several decades, I discovered several inaccurate teachings which I would like to review. It may not be what most people consider a "conspiracy". Nevertheless, these misconceptions must be revealed for the truth to be known. Egyptian origins Judaism - the Jewish religion - originated in ancient Egypt. A mixed group of people from multiple nationalities, including Egyptian, were expelled from Egypt, taking Egyptian beliefs and practices with them, including Egyptian temple designs. This theory has been around for nearly a hundred years. Sigmund Freud, the famous Austrian neurologist and founder of psychoanalysis who lived from 1856 to 1939, wrote about Judaism's link to ancient Egypt in 1939, the final year of his life. From Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akhenaten: "One of the first to mention this [theory] was Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, in his book Moses and Monotheism.[235] Basing his arguments on his belief that the Exodus story was historical, Freud argued that Moses had been an Atenist priest who was forced to leave Egypt with his followers after Akhenaten's death. Freud argued that Akhenaten was striving to promote monotheism, something that the biblical Moses was able to achieve.[235] Following the publication of his book, the concept entered popular consciousness and serious research.[240][241]" In this post, I will provide my own arguments supporting Freud's proposition. I started thinking about the link between ancient Israel and ancient Egypt many years ago during my Bible studies. I was also fascinated with the histories of ancient Egypt, Sumer, Babylon, and others. Over the years, I began noticing some very significant overlapping beliefs that cannot be dismissed. Some of these points are already known and hotly debated; others are my own observations. I will be brief, however. This topic is absolutely huge in scope - covering history, archeology and religion. If I were to cover the topic to its fullest extent, it would be a book. I will spare you that torture and simply give you the abridged version. My purpose? I put this out there for debate and further research. The exodus out of Egypt In the late 1300's BC, a large group migrated out of Egypt in what is known as "the exodus". The exodus out of Egypt Who were the people who left Egypt in the exodus? The Bible claims they were almost all Israelites who were living in misery in Egypt. But there is good reason to believe the majority were actually Egyptians, as I explain later. Black box - where the exodus settled The group who left Egypt eventually settled between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, forming the nation of Israel. Three major similarities Several similarities exist between ancient Israel's religion and ancient Egypt's religion. These similarities are so striking, I propose the Jewish religion actually originated in Egypt, and was brought out of Egypt in the exodus. • 1) Let's start with the most glaring similarity... the temples. Ancient Egyptian temple Key features of the ancient Egyptian temple: a) outer courtyard, b) two large pillars at front entrance, c) a grand hall, d) an inner shrine with statue. Left - Moses' tabernacle / Right - Solomon's temple Key features of Moses' tabernacle and Solomon's temple: a) outer courtyard, b) two large pillars at front entrance, c) first hall called "the Holy Place", d) an inner sanctuary called "the Most Holy Place" where the Ark of the Covenant was housed. The similarities between ancient Egypt's temples and Judaism's designs are too similar to dismiss. I conclude those who left Egypt in the exodus brought with them Egypt's temple designs. • 2) Animal sacrifice is another similarity I propose was brought out of Egypt in the exodus. "...some of the earliest archeological evidence suggesting animal sacrifice comes from Egypt." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_sacrifice • 3) Lastly, in agreement with Sigmund Freud noted above, I propose Jewish monotheism (worship of one god) was also brought out of Egypt by the migrants who left in the exodus. Monotheism from Egypt? Wasn't Egypt polytheistic, worshipping multiple deities? Not always. Egypt had briefly experimented with the worship of one God who was without form. And this period of monotheism in Egypt lines-up perfectly with the time of the exodus. Egypt's brief experiment with monotheism There was a brief period in Egypt's history when monotheism flourished. This was during the reign of Akhenaten, around the middle 1300's BC. Prior to this, Egypt had always practiced polytheism. But Akhenaten reformed Egyptian religion, focusing on one god instead - "Aten" - who was elevated to supreme god, and "the sole god of the Egyptian state religion". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aten There is much debate over exactly how monotheism was practiced during that time. As Wikipedia explains - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akhenaten: "The views of Egyptologists differ as to whether the religious policy was absolutely monotheistic, or whether it ws monolatristic, syncretistic, or henotheistic.[14][15] This culture shift away from traditional religion was reversed after his death." For this post, it does not matter how narrow or how broad Akhenaten's monotheism really was. What matters in this discussion is that Akhenaten's reign was an interruption in Egypt's religious system. Akhenaten reformed Egyptian religion, which did not sit well with the traditional priestly class. After Akhenaten died, Egypt returned to its previous religious system. Akhenaten was vilified, his images chiselled and defaced. Wikipedia adds: "They discredited Akhenaten and his immediate successors and referred to Akhenaten as "the enemy" or "that criminal" in archival records." This is why today he is described as "the heretic king", referencing how he was considered after his death. Exodus from Egypt I propose Moses was a high ranking member of Akhenaten's court, perhaps even a prince as the Old Testament describes him. Moses likely took over the leadership of the population of monotheists after Akhenaten died. As Wikipedia notes (already quoted above) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akhenaten: "Freud argued that Moses had been an Atenist priest [a priest of the god "Aten"] who was forced to leave Egypt with his followers after Akhenaten's death." I conclude these were the migrants who left Egypt in the exodus. They were Egyptians who practiced monotheism, lead by their high priest, Moses - who was also an Egyptian and priest of the god "Aten". The monotheists had become unwelcome in the land of Egypt which had returned to polytheism. Akhenaten's son - the famous King Tut - even changed his name to disassociate himself from his father and the monotheism he had introduced. King Tut's original name was Tutankhaten, which he changed to Tutankhamun after Akhenaten's death. As Wikipedia explains - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tutankhamun: "The cult of the god Amun at Thebes was restored to prominence and the royal couple changed their names to "Tutankhamun" and "Ankhesenamun", removing the -aten suffix." The suffix at the end of their names indicated whom they worshiped, or the god they were associated with. Akhenaten's suffix was "aten", taken from the god "Aten" whom he associated himself with. Tutankhamun's suffix was "amun", taken from the god "Amun" whom he associated himself with. King Tut thus changed his name to show he was not connected to Akhenaten or the monotheists who worshipped Aten. Egypt's brief experiment with monotheism was over. Clearly there was a lot of hatred for that brief experimentation with monotheism. What would the atmosphere have been like for the followers of that monotheistic system after Akhenaten died? I imagine there would have been widespread persecution, or at the very least, discrimination. I propose this lead to the expulsion of a large mass of people out of Egypt in the exodus. They were the monotheists of Egypt - composed mostly of Egyptians, but likely included foreigners living in Egypt who also practiced the monotheism introduced by Akhenaten. Moses led this group of fellow monotheists out of an angry Egypt that clearly resented the upheaval Akhenaten had brought into Egyptian life. It must have been a forced expulsion, for they were driven into the desert where they were left to roam and fend for themselves. They would not have chosen to go there on their own. The dates match And the dates match. Akhenaten reigned from about 1352 to 1335 BC. Moses lived from about 1391 to 1271 BC. (The Bible writers claim he was 120 years old when he died. Could be true, I suppose.) According to the Bible's account, Moses was 80 years of age at the time of the exodus, dating it to about 1311 BC. That somewhat fits, putting the exodus some 24 years after Akhenaten's death. Personally, though, I do not see that it would have taken 24 years to expel a group of monotheists who were no longer welcome, whose founder (Akhenaten) was vilified, defamed, and so vehemently hated. I propose the monotheists were expelled right away, perhaps a year or two after Akhenaten's death. King Tut - Akhenaten's son noted above - was only 6 years of age when Akhenaten died in 1335 BC, much too young to rule as Pharaoh on his own. It wasn't until 3 years later in 1332 BC when Tut finally ascended to the throne at the age of 9. During this brief interval of 3 years, Egypt's rulership was in contention. There was likely a power struggle. I propose it was during this 3-year period of upheaval when the monotheists were expelled. Another link placing the exodus at the end of Akhenaten's life is a regional plague which struck Egypt and a large part of the Middle East during the last 5 years of Akhenaten's reign. As Wikipedia explains - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akhenaten: "Following year twelve [of Akhenaten's 16-year reign], Donald B. Redford and other Egyptologists proposed that Egypt was struck by an epidemic, most likely a plague.[127] Contemporary evidence suggests that a plague ravaged through the Middle East around this time,[128] and ambassadors and delegations arriving to Akhenaten's year twelve reception might have brought the disease to Egypt.[129] Alternatively, letters from the Hattians might suggest that the epidemic originated in Egypt and was carried throughout the Middle East by Egyptian prisoners of war.[130] Regardless of its origin, the epidemic might account for several deaths in the royal family that occurred in the last five years of Akhenaten's reign, including those of his daughters Meketaten, Neferneferure, and Setepenre.[131][132]" Sound familiar? The Bible's story of the Exodus includes a plague which affected all of Egypt, killing even one of Pharaoh's children. When Moses led the monotheists out of Egypt, he took with him many elements of the monotheistic system that Akhenaten had introduced. I propose this is why Moses' tabernacle looked so similar to Egyptian temples, with even more similarities showing up in Solomon's temple. Joseph was Imhotep Yet the Old Testament borrows more from Egypt than just its religious concepts. I propose it also borrows a very famous person... Imhotep. Multiple similarities exist between Imhotep (a high ranking administrator in ancient Egypt) and the Biblical Joseph (who lived in Egypt before Moses). I propose, as many others do, that the Joseph of the Old Testament was based on Imhotep of ancient Egypt for 3 reasons: • 1) Let's start with their names... In "Imhotep", the 1st vowel is "i", the 2nd vowel is "o", the 3rd vowel is "e", followed by a "p". The name Joseph in Tiberian Hebrew is "Yoseph", and in Aramaic is "Yosep". In both cases, the 1st vowel is "y" (pronounced as short-"i"), the 2nd vowel is "o", the 3rd vowel is "e", followed by a "p" - just as in "Imhotep". Even the "t" in Imhotep and the "s" in Yosep use similar movements of the tongue. • 2) Next, their status... Imhotep occupied a very lofty position in Egyptian court. He was "chancellor to the Pharaoh Djoser, possible architect of Djoser's step pyramid, and high priest of the sun god Ra at Heliopolis". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imhotep Joseph, for his part, is described in the Bible as having been elevated to the 3rd highest position in Egypt. • 3) Finally, their great works... "Imhotep was one of the chief officials of the Pharaoh Djoser. Concurring with much later legends, Egyptologists credit him with the design and construction of the Pyramid of Djoser, a step pyramid at Saqqara built during the 3rd Dynasty. [17] He may also have been responsible for the first known use of stone columns to support a building.[18]" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imhotep Similarly, the Bible describes Joseph as having supervised the construction of numerous large stone granaries in which to store "all the grain of Egypt". Though granaries and pyramids differ in design, we have to acknowledge the similarity... both men were in charge of building massive stone structures. Also, to the Israelites living after the exodus, when the Old Testament was written, the pyramids of Egypt likely looked to them like the remains of giant granaries of long ago. Thus, where the ancient Egyptians credited Imhotep with constructing pyramids, the Israelites credited Joseph with constructing the same structures - which they thought were old ruined granaries. Yet there is one gaping hole in this theory that Joseph was Imhotep... they lived in different time periods. Imhotep lived in the 2600's BC (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imhotep), while Joseph lived in the 1800's BC. Indeed, they lived centuries apart. But let's keep in mind that the writers of the Old Testament did not have such detailed information as archeologists have today. The writers may have placed Joseph in the wrong century, but they were right to place him a few hundred years before the exodus... just as Imhotep also lived centuries before the exodus. The Old Testament writers were also correct in the phonetics of the name, the occupation, the works, and the elevated position of importance. I propose the Old Testament writers took Imhotep and claimed him as their own as Joseph. Claiming Egyptians and others as their own We can see why the writers of the Old Testament wanted to claim Imhotep as their own, as an Israelite. Between 1550 and 1077 BC (which overlapped the time of the exodus), Imhotep was worshipped as a "demigod" - one of only a handful of non-royals ever to be deified. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imhotep) He was the equivalent of today's superstar. To claim Imhotep as a fellow Israelite gave them a tremendous boost of pride. They also claimed Moses as their own. As the Old Testament account goes, Moses was born an Israelite, was sent adrift on a river to escape slaughter, was rescued by an Egyptian princess, and was raised as a prince in Egypt's court. They also claimed Abraham as one of their forefathers, a Mesopotamian who lived in the city of Ur by the lower Euphrates river near the Persian Gulf. Noah, too, was claimed as an even more distant forefather, when in fact the story of Noah, the ark, and the flood were copied from the ancient Sumerian text "The Epic of Gilgamesh". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epic_of_Gilgamesh In The Epic of Gilgamesh, the Sumerian king Uta-napishtim survived a flood by building a large vessel which he filled with animals. As Wikipedia explains - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utnapishtim: "The story of Uta-napishtim has drawn scholarly comparisons due to the similarities between it and the storylines about Noah in the Bible." But why did the Israelites claim all of these people as their own? • The ancient-Sumerian Uta-napishtim (whom they renamed Noah), • the late-Sumerian Abram of Ur (whom they renamed Abraham), • the ancient-Egyptian Imhotep (whom they renamed Joseph), • and the later-Egyptian Moses? I propose it was to give the Israelites a sense of national identity. They were about to form a new nation. Forming a new nation after Babylon In 597 BC, Babylon besieged Jerusalem, taking several thousand Israelites captive to Babylonia. More Israelite captives were taken during the following 10 years. In 587 BC, Jerusalem and its temple were ultimately destroyed. Israel was no longer a nation; its people were captives in Babylon. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylonian_captivity Nearly 50 years later, in 539 BC, Persian king Cyrus the Great and his armies conquered Babylon. As per his tradition, he benevolently released captives. "Cyrus was particularly renowned among contemporary scholars because of his habitual policy of respecting peoples' customs and religions in the lands that he conquered." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyrus_the_Great The Israelites were about to be freed. We can picture Cyrus' officials gathering the Israelite priests and leaders together, telling them to prepare themselves for their return back to their homeland west of the Jordan River. After nearly 60 years in captivity, the Israelites needed to organize themselves into a new nation. They needed laws, a history, and a national identity. I propose this is when the first section of the Old Testament - the Torah - was written... in 539 BC in Babylon, just before returning to their ancestral land west of the Jordan River. The Torah comprises the first 5 books of the Old Testament - Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Leviticus and Deuteronomy. What makes this significant for the Israelites living in Babylon is that these 5 books cover everything they need in forming a new nation - a national history, a code of laws, a structured religion, and a pact with God for his protection - as explained in Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torah: • Of the book of Genesis: "At God's command ... Abraham journeys from his home [in Mesopotamia] into the ... land of Canaan. ... The narrative is punctuated by a series of covenants with God..." This book was important, as it paralleled the journey the Israelites were about to make, leaving Babylon (which was Mesopotamia) on their way to the land of Canaan - just like Abraham had done himself some 1,200 years before. Yet they ought not be fearful, for they were the beneficiaries of multiple covenants with God. • Of the book of Exodus: "...modern scholarship sees the book as initially a product of the Babylonian exile, 6th century BC..." In other words, it was initially compiled in Babylon during Israelite captivity. "Carol Meyers, in her commentary on Exodus, suggests that it is arguably the most important book in the Bible, as it presents the defining features of Israel's identity: memories of a past marked by hardship and escape, a binding covenant with God, ... and the establishment of the life of the community and the guidelines for sustaining it.[31]" In other words, the book of Exodus gave the Israelites valuable guidelines to forming a new nation. • Of the book of Leviticus: "...rules of clean and unclean ... the laws of slaughter and animals permissible to eat ... various moral and ritual laws ... a detailed list of rewards for following God's commandments and a detailed list of punishments for not following them." In other words, Leviticus instructs the Israelites on matters of worship, cleanliness, and diet. Again, important information for a people about to form a new nation. • Of the book of Numbers: "Numbers is the culmination of the story of Israel's exodus from oppression in Egypt and their journey to take possession of the land God promised their fathers." This parallels their situation at that time, in 539 BC, as they too were about to leave oppression in Babylon on their journey back to take possession of the same land. • Of the book of Deuteronomy: "One of its most significant verses is Deuteronomy 6:4 ... which has become the definitive statement of Jewish identity: "Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one." In other words, the Israelites leaving Babylon were reminded of their most identifying characteristic... their monotheism. Borrowing from Babylon Yet in preparing the first 5 books of the Old Testament - the Torah - the Israelite priests in Babylon borrowed much from Babylon itself. They borrowed details from Babylonian creation stories, and copied the flood story from the Epic of Gilgamesh. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilgamesh_flood_myth They also added a code of laws copied from Babylonian laws, as noted in Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammurabi : "The Code of Hammurabi and the Law of Moses in the Torah contain numerous similarities." Hammurabi was a king of ancient Babylon in the 1700's BC, some 400 years before Moses' time, and 1,200 years before the Israelites resided in Babylon. It wasn't really the Law of Moses, but the Code of Hammurabi - tailored, customized, and re-branded as the Law of Moses when the Torah was written in Babylon. Preparing for the journey home The purpose for compiling the first 5 books of the Old Testament was quite simply to prepare the Israelites living in Babylon for their journey back home. This is why they referred to the land they were returning to as "the Promised Land", "a land flowing with milk and honey", and their "inheritance". This is why the Torah contained examples of others who had left one land to go to another. Through the stories of Abraham and Moses, the idea of leaving behind a land they knew to go to a land they did not know was packaged and presented to the Israelites living in Babylon - who were now being asked to do the same thing themselves. Abraham was born and raised in Ur, near the southern Euphrates river in Mesopotamia. That's the land of Babylon, the same land the Israelites were now living in. Yet he moved out of that land and went to the land west of the Jordan River, and the account tells how God blessed him for it. In the time of Moses, a great many Israelites were born and raised in Egypt. Yet they moved out of that land and went to the land west of the Jordan River, and the account tells how God blessed them for it. Do we see the recurring theme? After more than 50 years in captivity, most of the original captives were no longer alive. By the time of their release in 539-538 BC, most Israelites had been born and raised in Babylon. Babylon was the only land they knew. Most did not know the land to which they were going, west of the Jordan River. But if Abraham and his family living in Mesopotamia did it, if Moses and the Israelites living in Egypt did it - that is, left a land they knew to go to a land they did not know - and it went well for them... then it would also go well for the Israelites being asked to leave Babylon, the only land most of them knew, to go to a land almost none of them knew. And thus, I propose... The Old Testament was written to organize the Israelites exiled in Babylon into a new nation, encouraging them to pack their belongings and go to the land west of the Jordan River with zeal and courage. This is why they took several persons from other cultures and made them their own... including Uta-napishtim (whom they renamed Noah), Abram (whom they renamed Abraham), Imhotep (whom they renamed Joseph), and Moses - giving them a sense of national identity and pride. Many of the Old Testament's accounts, laws, and people were adopted from external sources, modified, tweaked, and repackaged to give the Israelites courage on their return to "the land of their forefathers" and the "Promised Land" - a testament and promise that God would be with them just as He was with Abraham and Moses and all the families who made similar moves so very long before. I contend... Yet I contend the most important piece of information was withheld from the Israelites living in Babylon... that their religion was started by an ancient Pharaoh of Egypt whom they didn't even know... Akhenaten. I contend their leader Moses was not of Israelite descent, but was Egyptian, a high priest of the Egyptian god Aten. I contend the early Israelites were not descended from Abram of Ur in Mesopotamia, but were descended from Egyptians, monotheists who were expelled from Egypt when the founder of their religion - Akhenaten - died. I contend the Israelites were first told they descended from Abram in 539 BC when the Torah was written, as they preapred to resettle west of the Jordan River. I further content the only reason they were told they descended from Abram of Ur was to draw a parallel between Abram's leaving the land of Sumer (same land as Babylon) to go west of the Jordan - just as the Israelites were being asked to leave Babylon to go west of the Jordan in 539 BC. I contend Jewish religion was shaped by Babylonian mythology, and their nation was built on Babylonian laws. I further contend that had the Israelites not been taken captive into Babylon, they would not have had the law code they had, nor the same story of creation, nor the story of Noah's flood - for these were all Babylonian. Even their temple and their monotheism were not entirely theirs, but were Egyptian. As much as I cherish the ancient wisdom found in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, I must draw attention to the religion's origins... it originated in Egypt, with significant restructuring in Babylon. Joseph Cafariello |
2024.06.09 09:31 KoreanBunz Japan Trip Report (Last week of May and first week of June)
So, finally, my SO and I back home after an exciting Japanese Vacation. It was on our bucket list for years and we are so glad we did it and it went smoothly.
We landed at Narita Airport at 7 AM and finished our immigration and customs by 7.45 AM. We bought our Passmo Passport from Keisei Information Centre in literally two mins without a queue and were in the three persons queue at the Limousine Bus stop for our airport transfer to Shinjuku. I highly suggest the Limousine Bus Service as it was the most convenient and comfortable ride from NRT Airport to Shinjuku. The staff speaks English and put your luggage in the storage compartment, without you to have to worry about it. You can buy the tickets of limousine bus on KLOOK or at the arrivals hall of NRT airport.
From Shinjuku stop where the limousine bus dropped us and handed our luggage to us, we took a taxi to our hotel. It costed us 1200 yen and 10 mins to our hotel in Nishi Shinjuku. We had typed the hotel name and address in Japanese and printed it out. That piece of paper proved very useful after a 12 hour flight and 2 hour bus ride. We just handed out the printed paper to our taxi driver and he dropped us off at our hotel without a single word exchanged between us except thank you (arigato gozaimasu). It took away the anxiety of explaining our hotel address to taxi drivers in English and broken Japanese.
Our hotel was APA Hotel & Resort NishiShinjuku Gochome Eki Tower. We had booked an early check in for additional payment of 1000 yen per hour. We reached our double room on higher floor with city view and were shocked by the size of it. NO AMOUNT of research and reading up could mentally prepare us for the size of it. It was TINYYYYYYYY. But, very well appointed with night suits, kimono robes, room slippers, onsen slippers, huge TV, small bath tub, king size bed, working station with a chair, etc. We soon found our groove in the tiny room and found it to be very comfortable once the luggage was under the bed. I would highly recommend this hotel as it has an onsite onsen, swimming pool (payable), speedy WiFi, English speaking staff, vending machines, laundromat, luggage storage and transfer facility. But, its biggest plus point is that it’s 100 mts away from the NishiShinjuku Gochome Station with an elevator exit. That was the most convenient for us.
After relaxing in the tiny room for about 3 hours, we left the hotel at 2 PM for Meiji Jingu Shrine. We used the subway for it and it was very convenient. We thoroughly enjoyed the peaceful zen walk into the forest like atmosphere to reach the shrine. It was completely empty barring three more people about 1 km ahead of us. When we reached the Meiji Jingu Shrine we were greeted by a crowd. We spent maximum of 30 mins in the shrine and then walked to Takeshita Street. It was a 15 min relaxed walk and we enjoyed it. We LOVED the Takeshita Street and the hustle bustle there, spent around two hours, shopping for street wear fits and eating the crepes and tanghulu sweet treats. From there we walked the Cat Street, which was almost deserted and we didn’t even realise that we had already finished walking the iconic Cat Street until we asked a local. From Cat Street we walked to Shibuya, it was a 25 minutes walk and I had started to feel the tiredness by now. We found a Tully’s Cafe about 5 mins away from Shibuya crossing and chilled there for one hour having coffee and smoothies.
We reached the Shibuya Crossing by 6.30 PM and the excitement to see thousands of people crossing the iconic junction had pumped the energy back into me and I was ready for more exploring. We took a look at the Hachiku Statue and made our way up to Shibuya Sky for our entry slot of 7 PM. It was the most magical moment when we took the elevator up to the open observatory deck. The sky was turning red and rust and the Tokyo skyline lights were just firing up. We saw the sunset for about 15 minutes before the sky turned dark and then we enjoyed the night light views of Tokyo. It was absolutely STUNNING. Highly recommend booking the 6.45-7 PM slot for Shibuya Sky. We booked it via KLOOK about one month in advance.
We got down from Shibuya Sky by 8.30 PM and although we had a reservation at a vegan restaurant at Shinjuku for 9 PM, I personally couldn’t last any longer. I was extremely tired by that time so we took a subway back to our hotel. We rested in the hotel and had Seven Eleven ice cream and onigiri for dinner in our room and rested till about 11 PM.
At around 11 PM my FOMO kicked in and my partner and I took a cab to Omoide Yakucho drinking lane. It took us 8 mins by cab and 1000 yen. We had a local beer at the Albatross bar there and we loved the atmosphere and experience. We explored some more places in that lane but Albatross Bar was the best vibe. We then walked to Hotel Gracery to see the Godzilla head and Shinjuku neon billboards and lights. We found the area super greasy but it had a vibe of its own. We walked a bit further and found a nice beer brewery and bar and had a few beers there and it was amazing. We left that place by 12.30 AM and took a taxi back to the hotel. It costed us 900 yen. All in all it was the MOST FUN and ICONIC first day of a Tokyo trip. We had clocked 22,000 steps on Day 1.
Day 2:
We woke up by 8 AM and left the hotel by 10 AM. We first reached the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden and had breakfast at the traditional Japanese tea house at the national garden. We relaxed in the garden and explored till about 12.30 pm and we left for TeamLabs Planet. We reached there and booked ourself the lunch experience at Uzu Restaurant at Tokyolabs Planet. It was hands down the ABSOLUTE BEST lunch experience with the yummiest bowl of Vegan Ramen. We enjoyed the immersive experience and were ready for experiencing the main exhibit by 3.30 PM. We spent two hours in the exhibit and it was absolutely the highlight of our trip. We both lovedddddd TeamLabs Planet experience and can’t wait to be back.
At around 6 pm we left for Asakusa area from Teamlabs and reached the Senso Ji temple at around 6.45 pm. We explored the shopping streets around the temple and watched the sun go down behind the temple. It was just so so so so beautiful. We had dinner at a roadside restaurant there and they were plenty. My SO loved the area so much that he made me promise that we will stay in this area instead of Shibuya or Shinjuku on our next visit to Tokyo. The man has taste.
We were back to our hotel by 10 PM and had drinks at our hotel bar and slept off by 12 AM.
We had successfully used the subway system without getting lost but we had also successfully AVOIDED starting or ending our subway journeys from the terrifying Shinjuku Station for first two days and we highly recommend everyone to do the same.
Because on Day 3 we got lost at Shinjuku station and it was NOT FUN. On day 3 we checked out of our hotel by 10 am and took the subway to Don Qui store Shinjuku (our hotel stored our luggage for us post check out). We spent 2.5 hours in Donki and other Shinjuku shopping places and while returning with our shopping bags we got lost in Shinjuku station for about an hour and I personally felt super disoriented but my SO took over the navigation and somehow we reached our hotel by 2 pm.
We then took our bags and made our way to Tokyo International Cruise Terminal via subway and metro. A sweet local Japanese girl guided us to the metro stop which was two floors above from where we were and she very kindly travelled with us on the escalators two whole floors up. I had never experienced such kindness from a stranger and was truly grateful and overwhelmed by her kindness.
We then embarked on our cruise ship at 3.30 PM and I will write the cruise report in the next post.
But, I must say that these 2-2.5 days in Tokyo were genuinely I had dreamed of and more. Although it was tiring t walk 20k steps a day but it was more than worth it. I can’t wait to be back.
submitted by KoreanBunz to JapanTravel [link] [comments]
We landed at Narita Airport at 7 AM and finished our immigration and customs by 7.45 AM. We bought our Passmo Passport from Keisei Information Centre in literally two mins without a queue and were in the three persons queue at the Limousine Bus stop for our airport transfer to Shinjuku. I highly suggest the Limousine Bus Service as it was the most convenient and comfortable ride from NRT Airport to Shinjuku. The staff speaks English and put your luggage in the storage compartment, without you to have to worry about it. You can buy the tickets of limousine bus on KLOOK or at the arrivals hall of NRT airport.
From Shinjuku stop where the limousine bus dropped us and handed our luggage to us, we took a taxi to our hotel. It costed us 1200 yen and 10 mins to our hotel in Nishi Shinjuku. We had typed the hotel name and address in Japanese and printed it out. That piece of paper proved very useful after a 12 hour flight and 2 hour bus ride. We just handed out the printed paper to our taxi driver and he dropped us off at our hotel without a single word exchanged between us except thank you (arigato gozaimasu). It took away the anxiety of explaining our hotel address to taxi drivers in English and broken Japanese.
Our hotel was APA Hotel & Resort NishiShinjuku Gochome Eki Tower. We had booked an early check in for additional payment of 1000 yen per hour. We reached our double room on higher floor with city view and were shocked by the size of it. NO AMOUNT of research and reading up could mentally prepare us for the size of it. It was TINYYYYYYYY. But, very well appointed with night suits, kimono robes, room slippers, onsen slippers, huge TV, small bath tub, king size bed, working station with a chair, etc. We soon found our groove in the tiny room and found it to be very comfortable once the luggage was under the bed. I would highly recommend this hotel as it has an onsite onsen, swimming pool (payable), speedy WiFi, English speaking staff, vending machines, laundromat, luggage storage and transfer facility. But, its biggest plus point is that it’s 100 mts away from the NishiShinjuku Gochome Station with an elevator exit. That was the most convenient for us.
After relaxing in the tiny room for about 3 hours, we left the hotel at 2 PM for Meiji Jingu Shrine. We used the subway for it and it was very convenient. We thoroughly enjoyed the peaceful zen walk into the forest like atmosphere to reach the shrine. It was completely empty barring three more people about 1 km ahead of us. When we reached the Meiji Jingu Shrine we were greeted by a crowd. We spent maximum of 30 mins in the shrine and then walked to Takeshita Street. It was a 15 min relaxed walk and we enjoyed it. We LOVED the Takeshita Street and the hustle bustle there, spent around two hours, shopping for street wear fits and eating the crepes and tanghulu sweet treats. From there we walked the Cat Street, which was almost deserted and we didn’t even realise that we had already finished walking the iconic Cat Street until we asked a local. From Cat Street we walked to Shibuya, it was a 25 minutes walk and I had started to feel the tiredness by now. We found a Tully’s Cafe about 5 mins away from Shibuya crossing and chilled there for one hour having coffee and smoothies.
We reached the Shibuya Crossing by 6.30 PM and the excitement to see thousands of people crossing the iconic junction had pumped the energy back into me and I was ready for more exploring. We took a look at the Hachiku Statue and made our way up to Shibuya Sky for our entry slot of 7 PM. It was the most magical moment when we took the elevator up to the open observatory deck. The sky was turning red and rust and the Tokyo skyline lights were just firing up. We saw the sunset for about 15 minutes before the sky turned dark and then we enjoyed the night light views of Tokyo. It was absolutely STUNNING. Highly recommend booking the 6.45-7 PM slot for Shibuya Sky. We booked it via KLOOK about one month in advance.
We got down from Shibuya Sky by 8.30 PM and although we had a reservation at a vegan restaurant at Shinjuku for 9 PM, I personally couldn’t last any longer. I was extremely tired by that time so we took a subway back to our hotel. We rested in the hotel and had Seven Eleven ice cream and onigiri for dinner in our room and rested till about 11 PM.
At around 11 PM my FOMO kicked in and my partner and I took a cab to Omoide Yakucho drinking lane. It took us 8 mins by cab and 1000 yen. We had a local beer at the Albatross bar there and we loved the atmosphere and experience. We explored some more places in that lane but Albatross Bar was the best vibe. We then walked to Hotel Gracery to see the Godzilla head and Shinjuku neon billboards and lights. We found the area super greasy but it had a vibe of its own. We walked a bit further and found a nice beer brewery and bar and had a few beers there and it was amazing. We left that place by 12.30 AM and took a taxi back to the hotel. It costed us 900 yen. All in all it was the MOST FUN and ICONIC first day of a Tokyo trip. We had clocked 22,000 steps on Day 1.
Day 2:
We woke up by 8 AM and left the hotel by 10 AM. We first reached the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden and had breakfast at the traditional Japanese tea house at the national garden. We relaxed in the garden and explored till about 12.30 pm and we left for TeamLabs Planet. We reached there and booked ourself the lunch experience at Uzu Restaurant at Tokyolabs Planet. It was hands down the ABSOLUTE BEST lunch experience with the yummiest bowl of Vegan Ramen. We enjoyed the immersive experience and were ready for experiencing the main exhibit by 3.30 PM. We spent two hours in the exhibit and it was absolutely the highlight of our trip. We both lovedddddd TeamLabs Planet experience and can’t wait to be back.
At around 6 pm we left for Asakusa area from Teamlabs and reached the Senso Ji temple at around 6.45 pm. We explored the shopping streets around the temple and watched the sun go down behind the temple. It was just so so so so beautiful. We had dinner at a roadside restaurant there and they were plenty. My SO loved the area so much that he made me promise that we will stay in this area instead of Shibuya or Shinjuku on our next visit to Tokyo. The man has taste.
We were back to our hotel by 10 PM and had drinks at our hotel bar and slept off by 12 AM.
We had successfully used the subway system without getting lost but we had also successfully AVOIDED starting or ending our subway journeys from the terrifying Shinjuku Station for first two days and we highly recommend everyone to do the same.
Because on Day 3 we got lost at Shinjuku station and it was NOT FUN. On day 3 we checked out of our hotel by 10 am and took the subway to Don Qui store Shinjuku (our hotel stored our luggage for us post check out). We spent 2.5 hours in Donki and other Shinjuku shopping places and while returning with our shopping bags we got lost in Shinjuku station for about an hour and I personally felt super disoriented but my SO took over the navigation and somehow we reached our hotel by 2 pm.
We then took our bags and made our way to Tokyo International Cruise Terminal via subway and metro. A sweet local Japanese girl guided us to the metro stop which was two floors above from where we were and she very kindly travelled with us on the escalators two whole floors up. I had never experienced such kindness from a stranger and was truly grateful and overwhelmed by her kindness.
We then embarked on our cruise ship at 3.30 PM and I will write the cruise report in the next post.
But, I must say that these 2-2.5 days in Tokyo were genuinely I had dreamed of and more. Although it was tiring t walk 20k steps a day but it was more than worth it. I can’t wait to be back.
2024.06.09 09:13 DragonStryk72 Valoria Saga (Chapter 2)
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Karghol stepped forward. As Rob he might be scared, but he'd been the leader of the group for a long time, operating as our main tank across a ton of games, and now, I could see him taking that step again, "Okay, first thing's first. If they're gonna pop us out of this from the outside, then that's not on us, but we've all seen this anime. If they're not coming, then we need to get to the endgame as fast as possible."
"Nope," I shook my head, surprising even myself at how quickly I'd said something.
He turned, "What? I mean, we gotta get out ahead of this."
"In most games, I'd agree, but not here, not in this game. Also, side-point but decision time for everyone: Real names or character names? I can't keep flipping between them. Lugh is what's on my party registry, so I'm sticking with Lugh," It seemed small but wasn't.
I'd learned well enough that giving people all of the information was most often counter-productive at best. Giving people a small, immediate choice was far preferable and got them on the path to understanding better. Temur snorted slightly at the absurdity, "Well, I suppose you can call me either Temur, or Temur. Whichever floats your boat."
Several groans came out, and finally, some laughter. I mean, it was dad joke humor to be sure, but jokes were probably going to become a much more specific thing for us. From there, everyone chose their character names, either because it was simply easier given the nametags in our party rotation, or because they just didn't want everyone knowing their real ones. Khargol however, was a slight agitated, "Alright, so why not speedrun it?"
"Because speedrunners die and reset constantly."
The slight mirth died out in the room, but Khargol wasn't ready to yield the point, "I've watched you do a no-death run of Dark Souls!"
I nodded, "And do you have any idea how many times I died in that game getting to that level of skill? Look, this isn't Dark Souls. That game has set difficulty levels. Yeah, it's got solid AI, but here? The AI adapts to tactics, and I'm pretty sure the beta test players are about to learn that the hard way."
Everyone was a bit curious at the statement, but it was Shelara who spoke up, "What does that 'adaptive AI' mean?"
I sighed, and took a seat at the head of the table, with Khargol finally sitting down next to me, "It means the AI of the system is learning. Beta testers essentially get to play ahead of the general public to try and stress test the system under actual play conditions. Most usually, they'll try to learn as many exploits as possible, so even if they start out on brand new characters, they're still going to be far ahead of the pack, getting gear and coin ahead of others. Assume that the beta testers have watched things like SAO or other 'trapped in a video game' style series, and they're doing the same as Khargol is suggesting. Problem is, that's exactly what a bunch of them already did, and if the AI works like it's supposed to, then it's ready for them.
"For Valorian Saga, one of the biggest selling points was its adaptive AI system, a system that learns. What that means is that the system behind bosses has already learned those exploits from beta testers and has some sort of answer for them, and they're going to run dead into them."
Chrysta sat forward, leaning her elbows on the table, at least in part to show off her biceps, "Well if a speedrun is out of the question, then what do we do instead?"
Shelara cut back in, "But... shouldn't we try and go save the beta testers?"
I considered, "Shelara, in answer to your question, we can't. Even assuming we could catch up to wherever they're at, there's almost no chance they'd listen to us if we did. They're just as likely to assume we're rivals, or to think we're idiots, but regardless they won't be following our instructions just because we say so. As far as they're concerned, they already know this game, and we're a bunch of sprouts who are panicking. Even if we could get past that point, we don't know the game like they do, and we're more likely to end up needing saving before we ever get to them.
"As to the other question, Chrysta, what we do now is finish up the starter quests, then we use our flyers to join the militia."
Every MMO veteran groaned openly. Arkadi especially was annoyed at the concept, "Come on, man, faction-grinding on day two? We're not even out of the gate yet!"
I'd expected this, and checked my in-game clock, and swore under my breath. We needed to get moving, with only roughly eighteen minutes of daylight left, "Guys, that's why we need to join the militia. It's safe, and grinding up our faction rep with Valoria opens a lot of doors, not least of which is giving us barracks space to live in free of charge, basic equipment upgrades, and getting coin. That's just the short-term gains. Yeah, not much, but it gives us a foundation. We get the lay of the land, and we build up our strategies. There's another reason though, and it's important."
Khargol nodded, "As militia, we get arrest powers in line with the laws of Farrelston."
"Wait, we'd be cops?" Shelera seemed slightly hyped about the concept.
I nodded, "More or less. We aren't out in the main room right now cause everyone's losing their minds out there. They're all coming to terms with the idea that this place is where they might die, and that breeds desperate reactions. Fourteen million players split between fifty servers, giving an average server population of... two-hundred-eighty thousand per server give or take for server popularity. Assume maybe one percent of that go fully around the bend and get violent, and that gives us two thousand eight hundred violent criminals that just hit the city on this server that have the ability to level up within the system.
"Farrelston has to be a safe space for players to return to, but that can't happen if there isn't order, and that means law enforcement."
One of our newcomers made her presence felt, the elf woman from the cathedral, shaking as she spoke, "I'm Layala. What about my brother?"
Tom... "I don't know. I don't what happens to those who die in the game. Maybe they wake up, maybe they're just comatose in a hospital somewhere, or maybe they're gone."
I let it sink in for everyone. Layala's eyes fell to the table as she slowly wept. I hate this, but sugarcoating the thing wasn't good for anyone, "All I can work on right now is keeping us all alive. This is a fantasy RPG, so for all I know, there might be another way to get them back, but I don't want to get anyone's hopes up. Anyone who knows someone who didn't respawn, we'll keep a journal of names, to see that they're remembered. We chronicle the dead, and if the opportunity to get them back presents itself, we go all-in on it.
"I know we all have questions... but we can't stay here to answer them all, and I don't have all the answers for you. We need to start moving, and moving now. We've got thirteen people here, our five and the eight we added on. We've got enough people to form a guild when the time comes, so we should start acting like a guild now."
Layala's voice cracked, "I-I nominate Lugh."
I was startled. I've been very game-knowledgeable, but I wasn't the leader type. It was never my role in the group.
"I second the nomination."
Khargol. My head whipped around, "Look, guys, I'm not a leader. I know stuff, that's what I've got. Khargol's the one who leads."
Khargol shook his head, "Not here, not in this game. I'm all good for the tanking, but you're the only one of us who's putting out a plan of attack, and I'm getting more lost by the minute. It sucks dude, and it hurts to admit it to myself, but you're the guy this time."
Nods occurred, and by show of hands, I was almost unanimously elected to command the 'guild', minus my own dissenting vote. Well.... crapbaskets, "Alright, fine. I won't argue it, but we've gotta get a move on. Get the starter quests going, and when we unlock the job change system, we'll work things out from there. Until then, we'll break into three parties, two four-man parties, and one five-man. Khargol, you're in charge of the five-man, Temur and myself are the other party leaders for now. We'll meet at the barracks come sundown. We spread out the neos amongst the three parties so they're all protected, and we get started. Don't do any combat quests alone."
I picked up Shelera for my party's neo, along with Chrysta and Layala, and the parties agreed to meet up in front of the barracks around sunset so we could join up together. We fought the press of bodies in the tavern to get out into the streets, and headed off for our quests. I could feel my heart racing a bit, the whole thing feeling like some sort of bad dream, but we would need a minute to get things together, "Okay, let's check everyone's quest logs. Any shareable quests, share them with the group so we can all help out and get rewards. We tackle them from lowest to highest."
We moved through the streets to the first quest, running messages around the city for the heralds. The quest was designed to get new players oriented with the larger city of Farrelston and what factions existed within it. The vast majority of players though, were barely moving, either pressed into the tavern or milling about in front of the cathedral. This was a huge problem, and we were finding clusters of people around, hiding and trying to just deal with the enormity of it all. We were running messages to guards, merchants, and nobles on what was a very low-key questline while watching people crying or raging. Shelera moved up next to me, close to tears herself, "We can't do anything?"
a I halted, and looked around again, and noticed some people who weren't in groups. Solo players who had come in by themselves, the same as you'd see in any MMO, and now they were cut off from the world, friends, family, and no party. Solo players really only existed in MMOs, people who would just fill in the gaps, and otherwise keep to themselves, and it worked in the world of video games. In the real world, though, it wasn't good, "We can do a little."
I jogged over to where a powerfully built Dracon with a sword and shield was balled up on the ground, weeping, purple-scaled head buried in his arms. I knelt down next to him, laying a hand on his shoulder, "Hey, what's your character name?"
The Dracon boy looked up imploringly, his voice quavering, "Umbaar..."
"Hi, Umbaar. I'm Lugh, and these are my friends. Why don't you come with us? You can join our party," I kept my tone even by pleasant.
He nodded sheepishly and accepted the party invite, "My mom's gonna kill me. I wasn't even supposed to be playing the game."
Oh God, no, "How old are you, Umbaar?"
"I'll be fourteen in December."
Due to the nature of the game, the minimum age for Valorian Saga was eighteen. He'd likely gotten access to the rig, and just jumped on, and now he was trapped, "I'm sure right now, your mom's just worried about you, but we'll keep you safe. Come on, we've got quests to do."
The absurdity of our questing was fully growing with each step we took. After running messages, we helped the watch with investigating some local crimes to learn the search system, worked with merchants on trading to get the economy down, and along the way, we found some more solos to fill us out to the party cap of eight. The jobs were immaterial to me, but Shelera and Layala both found comfort in picking up more people, with the latter taking over care of Umbaar. NPCs went about their day's work, and I started to catch on to something, "Hey... is this day... running long to anyone else?"
Games don't use full twenty-four-hour days, using a shorter day and night cycle to give the impression of a world without having to artificially inflate the game to make it feel like a full day. Valorian Saga had, in the videos, been shown to have a twenty-minute day, and twenty-minute night, but as we ran around, it had been far more than twenty minutes now. The sun had barely moved in the sky, which given the rest of the game's level of detail wasn't something they would've ignored. Chrysta spoke up after counting her clock, "Uh... well dearheart, I do believe we've got us a twenty-four cycle now."
There were several possibilities to this, perhaps either our minds changed gear to work with in-game time, or the game had altered to have twenty-four-hour time. Either way, we had no answers for it. I was getting a bit sick of having more and more questions I couldn't answer, but I couldn't focus on it in the here and now. I called a halt, and we found a small corner tavern to get food and drink. I took some time with the menu system, and up popped the character status window.
By statistics, we were moving up a bit, but the main stats of our jobs weren't changing very much at all. My basic stats for movement had risen, but not by much, and the gain was tapering off. That was probably from all the walking around the city we were doing. Reputations were going up in the city guilds attached to our quests, but again, they were minor improvements, and the effective XP was tapering off from doing them. I took out my character journal, a system conceit by the devs that the game world was simply too grand in scale to not allow a lot of notetaking, and did stat-math just like when I would spreadsheet my builds at home. From what I could see, the game had no true 'leveling' system. Instead, skills and attributes were built up by how you played, sort of like in Skyrim, but the same actions would not keep getting you the same degree of XP. A common enough point, or else someone could pull a South Park and just merc wolves until they hit the cap. Abilities would unlock as your stats rose, some coming online automatically like Sprint, while others you had to find a trainer for, such as the Double Knock ability for archers. From what I'd seen online, the abilities would unlock advanced jobs, and certain combinations would unlock hybrid jobs, so a Paladin would be a combination of a knight and acolyte. None of the testers had gotten that far, however, they'd just seen the possibility of it.
I noticed Shelera leaning over to look at my journal, and I smiled, "Just doing nerd stuff, plotting my progression to figure out what jobs I need."
She smiled back, "That seems weirdly normal. What are you thinking of doing?"
"Well, for now, I need to move up my abilities as a Hunter, right? Hunter eventually leads to a few choices, so I'm thinking I'll probably go for a Ranger build. That means I can train up Yndress here as a battle companion."
Yndress had been flying about with me, and sometimes resting on my shoulder, and now, she was curled up by my arm on the table as I continued. Shelera reached over and petted Yndress, "That is so cool. She's so warm. I totally should've figured out a way to get the limited edition... so what should I be leveling up?"
"Well, you're a vagabond, so you might look at something like Bounty Hunter since we're working with the militia. Combine that with another job.... huh."
"What?"
Daeva grinned, "Oh, sweetie, he just worked somethin' out. What do you need, Lugh?"
"Give me a minute. I need to go to the scrivener," I shot up and stepped out of the tavern.
It wasn't far to the scrivener where I could buy the supplies I needed. We'd just done an ink delivery there, and now, I would need paper and ink to work with. Returning, I cleared off the tavern table and laid out a large scroll used for maps, currently unmarked, "Okay, I need everyone to bring up your character pages and stand where I can read them."
Gamers generally do have a sense of when someone's worked out an exploit, and this was one of those times. They brought up their screens so I could start marking down abilities, attributes, and skills. Of note, my Scibing ability was ticking slowly upward as I laid things out. Scribing could turn into runic writing and other more arcane and mundane pursuits. What I was working on became a skill tree system, with the various jobs being grouped together. I had to move things around, and in real life I wouldn't be able to do that with ink, but in the game sense, it was pretty simple. I kept moving around my drawing, finally starting to come into a workable initial system of abilities, jobs, and other things that built off of one another. It look a bit mad, like if no one had stopped the devs on Path of Exile's skill tree, but it was there, "We're thinking about this wrong. We need to get to the barracks. I don't want to explain this twice."
Banded back up, I stopped by our newest unlock: Carriage Stations. The city was entirely too big to be running around it all the time, and for just half a silver, we could go to any other ward in the city. I signaled the coachman, handing him my flyer, "Take us to the militia barracks."
The coachman nodded sharply, "Right you are, sir."
The coaches held four, so we split between the two, and I rechecked my numbers. I was pretty certain I was right by the math, but these things didn't always pan out like you wanted, so it was best to recheck. It still seemed to be working out like I thought, but I needed Temur for a blind study of it. We got out at the barracks, a building made up of fortified walls and barred windows with internal shutters. Militiamen NPCs were standing guard out front, while we could just see some working in the training yard to the side. From what I could see, however, we were the only players here.
Temur's party arrived first, and apparently, I wasn't the only one picking up strays as two carriages emptied of people. He was running a full party as well now, and grinning in his uniquely Temur way, even if he did have draconic features now, "So, I see we're all taking in the lost little lambs?"
"I mean, sure, why not? That's how we met, so why not do it here, too?"
He nodded, "Questing went well, if a bit hum-drum, but you have a look in your eyes that says you've worked something out. You got math time!"
I nodded, "Waiting for... yeah, Khargol went off-road, I see."
Temur and I had shown up with two carriages each, only for Khargol to pull up with four, all packed. That put our new numbers at thirty-two players as he practically bounced up to us, "What?!"
We both shook our heads, "Nothing, man. Never change. I've got some news for everyone."
The full mass moved over to the side of the building so we weren't obstructing the entrance, "Party people, I worked something out at lunch."
I rolled out my map of the skills tree, "Okay, so I was going over my character screen, and did some math. I know what we need to do: We need to move up on every job."
Khargol shook his head, "Isn't that gonna leave us as jacks of all trades? We'd be running pretty average."
I gestured with my hands a bit in dismissal, "Usually, you're right, but here, it's different. The stats aren't really separated here, they're intended for cross-classing, and it's not just the combat jobs. I moved up a bit at Scribing here, and it looks like it'll be the same for crafting and gathering jobs. Move up in X, Y, and/or Z jobs and you unlock a hybrid. So like, say you move up as a blacksmith, armorer, and weaponsmith. All three have abilities building into one another, and that can unlock further abilities, other jobs, a whole classification of things we can't see yet.
"Using abilities works up the stats associated with that ability, and the higher the ability, the more XP it generates for the stats. Those stats still stay there when you do a job change, so you could be a Gladiator working up strength by working the forge."
Shelera looked over the drawing, "Okay, so you think if we take every job up, then that'll make us a lot stronger? But won't we end up with a bunch of usless stats?"
I shook my head, "No, for two primary reasons. For one, what if instead of Paladin, you went something like a Hexblade in D&D terms? Or, Shelera, you take Bounty Hunter, then build up your hunter job to Scout, and you have something akin to a Justicar class? Or Khargol, what if you master every weapon group?"
Temur's interest was peaked at mention of Hexblade, "And what is the second reason?"
I sucked in a breath, "It's a job change system. There's a job change skill, and every basic skill I've seen has upgrades, even if I can't see the end of the trees yet. The adaptive AI is going to adapt to our individual tactics, but even if all of us were playing hunters, we'd all approach hunting differently, maybe more reliant on archery, or snares, or pets. It would force the AI to keep readapting its own tactics on the fly. If we build up, we might just be able to get to something better than the sum of our parts."
Karghol nodded, "And that makes it doubly important we get going on the militia stuff. Shall we?"
The lot of us went over to the barracks, where a guard greeted us at the door, "Hold, citizens. What is your business with the thirteenth Valorian militia?"
I stepped forward, "We're here to enlist for service."
The guard perked right up, "Ah, good. Greetings and well met! I am Sergeant-at-Arms Brant. We are in need of stalwart folk to help protect Farrelston and wider Valoria in these trying times. Dark things are afoot both at home and afar, and it speaks well of you that you would choose service. Please, enter the hall, and register yourselves with Yeoman Granger. Welcome once again, may the purple dragon fly eternal!"
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Karghol stepped forward. As Rob he might be scared, but he'd been the leader of the group for a long time, operating as our main tank across a ton of games, and now, I could see him taking that step again, "Okay, first thing's first. If they're gonna pop us out of this from the outside, then that's not on us, but we've all seen this anime. If they're not coming, then we need to get to the endgame as fast as possible."
"Nope," I shook my head, surprising even myself at how quickly I'd said something.
He turned, "What? I mean, we gotta get out ahead of this."
"In most games, I'd agree, but not here, not in this game. Also, side-point but decision time for everyone: Real names or character names? I can't keep flipping between them. Lugh is what's on my party registry, so I'm sticking with Lugh," It seemed small but wasn't.
I'd learned well enough that giving people all of the information was most often counter-productive at best. Giving people a small, immediate choice was far preferable and got them on the path to understanding better. Temur snorted slightly at the absurdity, "Well, I suppose you can call me either Temur, or Temur. Whichever floats your boat."
Several groans came out, and finally, some laughter. I mean, it was dad joke humor to be sure, but jokes were probably going to become a much more specific thing for us. From there, everyone chose their character names, either because it was simply easier given the nametags in our party rotation, or because they just didn't want everyone knowing their real ones. Khargol however, was a slight agitated, "Alright, so why not speedrun it?"
"Because speedrunners die and reset constantly."
The slight mirth died out in the room, but Khargol wasn't ready to yield the point, "I've watched you do a no-death run of Dark Souls!"
I nodded, "And do you have any idea how many times I died in that game getting to that level of skill? Look, this isn't Dark Souls. That game has set difficulty levels. Yeah, it's got solid AI, but here? The AI adapts to tactics, and I'm pretty sure the beta test players are about to learn that the hard way."
Everyone was a bit curious at the statement, but it was Shelara who spoke up, "What does that 'adaptive AI' mean?"
I sighed, and took a seat at the head of the table, with Khargol finally sitting down next to me, "It means the AI of the system is learning. Beta testers essentially get to play ahead of the general public to try and stress test the system under actual play conditions. Most usually, they'll try to learn as many exploits as possible, so even if they start out on brand new characters, they're still going to be far ahead of the pack, getting gear and coin ahead of others. Assume that the beta testers have watched things like SAO or other 'trapped in a video game' style series, and they're doing the same as Khargol is suggesting. Problem is, that's exactly what a bunch of them already did, and if the AI works like it's supposed to, then it's ready for them.
"For Valorian Saga, one of the biggest selling points was its adaptive AI system, a system that learns. What that means is that the system behind bosses has already learned those exploits from beta testers and has some sort of answer for them, and they're going to run dead into them."
Chrysta sat forward, leaning her elbows on the table, at least in part to show off her biceps, "Well if a speedrun is out of the question, then what do we do instead?"
Shelara cut back in, "But... shouldn't we try and go save the beta testers?"
I considered, "Shelara, in answer to your question, we can't. Even assuming we could catch up to wherever they're at, there's almost no chance they'd listen to us if we did. They're just as likely to assume we're rivals, or to think we're idiots, but regardless they won't be following our instructions just because we say so. As far as they're concerned, they already know this game, and we're a bunch of sprouts who are panicking. Even if we could get past that point, we don't know the game like they do, and we're more likely to end up needing saving before we ever get to them.
"As to the other question, Chrysta, what we do now is finish up the starter quests, then we use our flyers to join the militia."
Every MMO veteran groaned openly. Arkadi especially was annoyed at the concept, "Come on, man, faction-grinding on day two? We're not even out of the gate yet!"
I'd expected this, and checked my in-game clock, and swore under my breath. We needed to get moving, with only roughly eighteen minutes of daylight left, "Guys, that's why we need to join the militia. It's safe, and grinding up our faction rep with Valoria opens a lot of doors, not least of which is giving us barracks space to live in free of charge, basic equipment upgrades, and getting coin. That's just the short-term gains. Yeah, not much, but it gives us a foundation. We get the lay of the land, and we build up our strategies. There's another reason though, and it's important."
Khargol nodded, "As militia, we get arrest powers in line with the laws of Farrelston."
"Wait, we'd be cops?" Shelera seemed slightly hyped about the concept.
I nodded, "More or less. We aren't out in the main room right now cause everyone's losing their minds out there. They're all coming to terms with the idea that this place is where they might die, and that breeds desperate reactions. Fourteen million players split between fifty servers, giving an average server population of... two-hundred-eighty thousand per server give or take for server popularity. Assume maybe one percent of that go fully around the bend and get violent, and that gives us two thousand eight hundred violent criminals that just hit the city on this server that have the ability to level up within the system.
"Farrelston has to be a safe space for players to return to, but that can't happen if there isn't order, and that means law enforcement."
One of our newcomers made her presence felt, the elf woman from the cathedral, shaking as she spoke, "I'm Layala. What about my brother?"
Tom... "I don't know. I don't what happens to those who die in the game. Maybe they wake up, maybe they're just comatose in a hospital somewhere, or maybe they're gone."
I let it sink in for everyone. Layala's eyes fell to the table as she slowly wept. I hate this, but sugarcoating the thing wasn't good for anyone, "All I can work on right now is keeping us all alive. This is a fantasy RPG, so for all I know, there might be another way to get them back, but I don't want to get anyone's hopes up. Anyone who knows someone who didn't respawn, we'll keep a journal of names, to see that they're remembered. We chronicle the dead, and if the opportunity to get them back presents itself, we go all-in on it.
"I know we all have questions... but we can't stay here to answer them all, and I don't have all the answers for you. We need to start moving, and moving now. We've got thirteen people here, our five and the eight we added on. We've got enough people to form a guild when the time comes, so we should start acting like a guild now."
Layala's voice cracked, "I-I nominate Lugh."
I was startled. I've been very game-knowledgeable, but I wasn't the leader type. It was never my role in the group.
"I second the nomination."
Khargol. My head whipped around, "Look, guys, I'm not a leader. I know stuff, that's what I've got. Khargol's the one who leads."
Khargol shook his head, "Not here, not in this game. I'm all good for the tanking, but you're the only one of us who's putting out a plan of attack, and I'm getting more lost by the minute. It sucks dude, and it hurts to admit it to myself, but you're the guy this time."
Nods occurred, and by show of hands, I was almost unanimously elected to command the 'guild', minus my own dissenting vote. Well.... crapbaskets, "Alright, fine. I won't argue it, but we've gotta get a move on. Get the starter quests going, and when we unlock the job change system, we'll work things out from there. Until then, we'll break into three parties, two four-man parties, and one five-man. Khargol, you're in charge of the five-man, Temur and myself are the other party leaders for now. We'll meet at the barracks come sundown. We spread out the neos amongst the three parties so they're all protected, and we get started. Don't do any combat quests alone."
I picked up Shelera for my party's neo, along with Chrysta and Layala, and the parties agreed to meet up in front of the barracks around sunset so we could join up together. We fought the press of bodies in the tavern to get out into the streets, and headed off for our quests. I could feel my heart racing a bit, the whole thing feeling like some sort of bad dream, but we would need a minute to get things together, "Okay, let's check everyone's quest logs. Any shareable quests, share them with the group so we can all help out and get rewards. We tackle them from lowest to highest."
We moved through the streets to the first quest, running messages around the city for the heralds. The quest was designed to get new players oriented with the larger city of Farrelston and what factions existed within it. The vast majority of players though, were barely moving, either pressed into the tavern or milling about in front of the cathedral. This was a huge problem, and we were finding clusters of people around, hiding and trying to just deal with the enormity of it all. We were running messages to guards, merchants, and nobles on what was a very low-key questline while watching people crying or raging. Shelera moved up next to me, close to tears herself, "We can't do anything?"
a I halted, and looked around again, and noticed some people who weren't in groups. Solo players who had come in by themselves, the same as you'd see in any MMO, and now they were cut off from the world, friends, family, and no party. Solo players really only existed in MMOs, people who would just fill in the gaps, and otherwise keep to themselves, and it worked in the world of video games. In the real world, though, it wasn't good, "We can do a little."
I jogged over to where a powerfully built Dracon with a sword and shield was balled up on the ground, weeping, purple-scaled head buried in his arms. I knelt down next to him, laying a hand on his shoulder, "Hey, what's your character name?"
The Dracon boy looked up imploringly, his voice quavering, "Umbaar..."
"Hi, Umbaar. I'm Lugh, and these are my friends. Why don't you come with us? You can join our party," I kept my tone even by pleasant.
He nodded sheepishly and accepted the party invite, "My mom's gonna kill me. I wasn't even supposed to be playing the game."
Oh God, no, "How old are you, Umbaar?"
"I'll be fourteen in December."
Due to the nature of the game, the minimum age for Valorian Saga was eighteen. He'd likely gotten access to the rig, and just jumped on, and now he was trapped, "I'm sure right now, your mom's just worried about you, but we'll keep you safe. Come on, we've got quests to do."
The absurdity of our questing was fully growing with each step we took. After running messages, we helped the watch with investigating some local crimes to learn the search system, worked with merchants on trading to get the economy down, and along the way, we found some more solos to fill us out to the party cap of eight. The jobs were immaterial to me, but Shelera and Layala both found comfort in picking up more people, with the latter taking over care of Umbaar. NPCs went about their day's work, and I started to catch on to something, "Hey... is this day... running long to anyone else?"
Games don't use full twenty-four-hour days, using a shorter day and night cycle to give the impression of a world without having to artificially inflate the game to make it feel like a full day. Valorian Saga had, in the videos, been shown to have a twenty-minute day, and twenty-minute night, but as we ran around, it had been far more than twenty minutes now. The sun had barely moved in the sky, which given the rest of the game's level of detail wasn't something they would've ignored. Chrysta spoke up after counting her clock, "Uh... well dearheart, I do believe we've got us a twenty-four cycle now."
There were several possibilities to this, perhaps either our minds changed gear to work with in-game time, or the game had altered to have twenty-four-hour time. Either way, we had no answers for it. I was getting a bit sick of having more and more questions I couldn't answer, but I couldn't focus on it in the here and now. I called a halt, and we found a small corner tavern to get food and drink. I took some time with the menu system, and up popped the character status window.
By statistics, we were moving up a bit, but the main stats of our jobs weren't changing very much at all. My basic stats for movement had risen, but not by much, and the gain was tapering off. That was probably from all the walking around the city we were doing. Reputations were going up in the city guilds attached to our quests, but again, they were minor improvements, and the effective XP was tapering off from doing them. I took out my character journal, a system conceit by the devs that the game world was simply too grand in scale to not allow a lot of notetaking, and did stat-math just like when I would spreadsheet my builds at home. From what I could see, the game had no true 'leveling' system. Instead, skills and attributes were built up by how you played, sort of like in Skyrim, but the same actions would not keep getting you the same degree of XP. A common enough point, or else someone could pull a South Park and just merc wolves until they hit the cap. Abilities would unlock as your stats rose, some coming online automatically like Sprint, while others you had to find a trainer for, such as the Double Knock ability for archers. From what I'd seen online, the abilities would unlock advanced jobs, and certain combinations would unlock hybrid jobs, so a Paladin would be a combination of a knight and acolyte. None of the testers had gotten that far, however, they'd just seen the possibility of it.
I noticed Shelera leaning over to look at my journal, and I smiled, "Just doing nerd stuff, plotting my progression to figure out what jobs I need."
She smiled back, "That seems weirdly normal. What are you thinking of doing?"
"Well, for now, I need to move up my abilities as a Hunter, right? Hunter eventually leads to a few choices, so I'm thinking I'll probably go for a Ranger build. That means I can train up Yndress here as a battle companion."
Yndress had been flying about with me, and sometimes resting on my shoulder, and now, she was curled up by my arm on the table as I continued. Shelera reached over and petted Yndress, "That is so cool. She's so warm. I totally should've figured out a way to get the limited edition... so what should I be leveling up?"
"Well, you're a vagabond, so you might look at something like Bounty Hunter since we're working with the militia. Combine that with another job.... huh."
"What?"
Daeva grinned, "Oh, sweetie, he just worked somethin' out. What do you need, Lugh?"
"Give me a minute. I need to go to the scrivener," I shot up and stepped out of the tavern.
It wasn't far to the scrivener where I could buy the supplies I needed. We'd just done an ink delivery there, and now, I would need paper and ink to work with. Returning, I cleared off the tavern table and laid out a large scroll used for maps, currently unmarked, "Okay, I need everyone to bring up your character pages and stand where I can read them."
Gamers generally do have a sense of when someone's worked out an exploit, and this was one of those times. They brought up their screens so I could start marking down abilities, attributes, and skills. Of note, my Scibing ability was ticking slowly upward as I laid things out. Scribing could turn into runic writing and other more arcane and mundane pursuits. What I was working on became a skill tree system, with the various jobs being grouped together. I had to move things around, and in real life I wouldn't be able to do that with ink, but in the game sense, it was pretty simple. I kept moving around my drawing, finally starting to come into a workable initial system of abilities, jobs, and other things that built off of one another. It look a bit mad, like if no one had stopped the devs on Path of Exile's skill tree, but it was there, "We're thinking about this wrong. We need to get to the barracks. I don't want to explain this twice."
Banded back up, I stopped by our newest unlock: Carriage Stations. The city was entirely too big to be running around it all the time, and for just half a silver, we could go to any other ward in the city. I signaled the coachman, handing him my flyer, "Take us to the militia barracks."
The coachman nodded sharply, "Right you are, sir."
The coaches held four, so we split between the two, and I rechecked my numbers. I was pretty certain I was right by the math, but these things didn't always pan out like you wanted, so it was best to recheck. It still seemed to be working out like I thought, but I needed Temur for a blind study of it. We got out at the barracks, a building made up of fortified walls and barred windows with internal shutters. Militiamen NPCs were standing guard out front, while we could just see some working in the training yard to the side. From what I could see, however, we were the only players here.
Temur's party arrived first, and apparently, I wasn't the only one picking up strays as two carriages emptied of people. He was running a full party as well now, and grinning in his uniquely Temur way, even if he did have draconic features now, "So, I see we're all taking in the lost little lambs?"
"I mean, sure, why not? That's how we met, so why not do it here, too?"
He nodded, "Questing went well, if a bit hum-drum, but you have a look in your eyes that says you've worked something out. You got math time!"
I nodded, "Waiting for... yeah, Khargol went off-road, I see."
Temur and I had shown up with two carriages each, only for Khargol to pull up with four, all packed. That put our new numbers at thirty-two players as he practically bounced up to us, "What?!"
We both shook our heads, "Nothing, man. Never change. I've got some news for everyone."
The full mass moved over to the side of the building so we weren't obstructing the entrance, "Party people, I worked something out at lunch."
I rolled out my map of the skills tree, "Okay, so I was going over my character screen, and did some math. I know what we need to do: We need to move up on every job."
Khargol shook his head, "Isn't that gonna leave us as jacks of all trades? We'd be running pretty average."
I gestured with my hands a bit in dismissal, "Usually, you're right, but here, it's different. The stats aren't really separated here, they're intended for cross-classing, and it's not just the combat jobs. I moved up a bit at Scribing here, and it looks like it'll be the same for crafting and gathering jobs. Move up in X, Y, and/or Z jobs and you unlock a hybrid. So like, say you move up as a blacksmith, armorer, and weaponsmith. All three have abilities building into one another, and that can unlock further abilities, other jobs, a whole classification of things we can't see yet.
"Using abilities works up the stats associated with that ability, and the higher the ability, the more XP it generates for the stats. Those stats still stay there when you do a job change, so you could be a Gladiator working up strength by working the forge."
Shelera looked over the drawing, "Okay, so you think if we take every job up, then that'll make us a lot stronger? But won't we end up with a bunch of usless stats?"
I shook my head, "No, for two primary reasons. For one, what if instead of Paladin, you went something like a Hexblade in D&D terms? Or, Shelera, you take Bounty Hunter, then build up your hunter job to Scout, and you have something akin to a Justicar class? Or Khargol, what if you master every weapon group?"
Temur's interest was peaked at mention of Hexblade, "And what is the second reason?"
I sucked in a breath, "It's a job change system. There's a job change skill, and every basic skill I've seen has upgrades, even if I can't see the end of the trees yet. The adaptive AI is going to adapt to our individual tactics, but even if all of us were playing hunters, we'd all approach hunting differently, maybe more reliant on archery, or snares, or pets. It would force the AI to keep readapting its own tactics on the fly. If we build up, we might just be able to get to something better than the sum of our parts."
Karghol nodded, "And that makes it doubly important we get going on the militia stuff. Shall we?"
The lot of us went over to the barracks, where a guard greeted us at the door, "Hold, citizens. What is your business with the thirteenth Valorian militia?"
I stepped forward, "We're here to enlist for service."
The guard perked right up, "Ah, good. Greetings and well met! I am Sergeant-at-Arms Brant. We are in need of stalwart folk to help protect Farrelston and wider Valoria in these trying times. Dark things are afoot both at home and afar, and it speaks well of you that you would choose service. Please, enter the hall, and register yourselves with Yeoman Granger. Welcome once again, may the purple dragon fly eternal!"
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2024.06.09 08:06 GuiltlessMaple Best Flameless Taper Candles
 | submitted by GuiltlessMaple to u/GuiltlessMaple [link] [comments] https://preview.redd.it/6oc7idbhlh5d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2ebe89d49c688169fc6c4c038bc1bd850982a23d Are you tired of constantly worrying about flickering flames or finding a safe spot for your candles? If so, you're going to love our collection of flameless taper candles. In this article, we'll explore the fantastic world of these innovative candles designed to provide the same warm, glow as traditional tapers, with the added benefit of being completely worry-free. Get ready to discover the perfect balance of functionality and ambiance with our top picks for flameless taper candles. So sit back, relax, and let's dive in! The Top 6 Best Flameless Taper Candles
Reviews🔗Battery Operated Taper LED Flameless Candle with Timerhttps://preview.redd.it/vmukk6khlh5d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9057e4c60fd396a704666ceaeafbed2b503e3182 Using Celestial Lights' Ivory Battery Operated Taper Flameless Flickering Candle has been an absolute delight. The adjustable height feature really allows me to play with its placement in my window, and the timer is a game-changer. It's fantastic how I can have it turn on and off at my desired time, no hassle. One thing that really stands out is its bright LED light. It gives off a warm glow inside my home while showcasing a brilliant shine outside, enhancing the aesthetic appeal of my window. The two-tone LED light inside the clear bulb is a clever design feature, adding flexibility to the brightness level. The only downside, though, is that the bulbs can be a bit delicate, but that's a small price to pay for such a brilliant product. In terms of craftsmanship, these candles truly look like the real thing. They sport a dripped wax look and come with a black onyx finish base, amplifying the overall quality. Plus, the option for a black base candle was quite hard to find and Celestial Lights had exactly what I needed. As for battery life go, though it uses 4 AA batteries per candle, it's not a significant issue considering it lasts up to 30 days. I've had no issues with them thus far. However, it's worth mentioning that some users reported inconsistencies in the timer's functionality, which can be a bit frustrating. But it seems to be a minor problem as the majority of the reviewers praised the timer feature. Overall, these Celestial Lights' Ivory Battery Operated Taper Flameless Flickering Candles have been a wonderful addition to my home décor. Despite some minor issues with the timer, they have more than made up for it with their adjustable height feature, timeless design, and brilliant LED light. It's a product that's definitely worth considering. 🔗Battery Operated LED Flameless Candles with Timerhttps://preview.redd.it/z1ma94zhlh5d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ffd613cb9f166639403466b19886c2f213a9c763 Once upon a time, I decided to enhance my home's aesthetic appeal during the festive season. I came across these Wondise Remote Flameless Window Taper Candles with Timer and Suction Cups, and I must say, they were quite a revelation. The candles are made of realistic wax and feature a gold holder, giving them an elegant and classic look. The best part about these candles is their convenience - they are battery-operated, which means they are smoke and flame-free. This made me feel much safer, especially with little ones running around. Also, they come with a remote control, allowing me to turn them on or off with just a click, even when I'm all snuggled up in bed. Plus, the automatic timer function is a game-changer, turning them on at 4 pm every day - perfect for when the sun starts setting early during winters! However, one downside was that you need to purchase the batteries separately. It would've been great if they came included in the package. All in all, these candles have added a touch of magic to my home this Christmas, and I can't recommend them enough! 🔗8-Pack of 9-inch LED Taper Candles, Dipped in Real Wax, Beigehttps://preview.redd.it/zd7ar69ilh5d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=176e1300cc868fedfdbdc9bc66265ffdb923a8d1 I recently discovered Ashland's 9-inch flameless taper candles and let me tell you, they've become a game-changer in my home. These babies look and feel like real candles, with their patented, realistic wick that flickers just like the real thing. And the best part? They're flameless! No more constantly worrying about extinguishing candles or potential fire hazards. I'm also a big fan of their automatic 5-hour timer. Each morning, I plug them in, set the timer, and voila! I come home to a warm, welcoming ambiance that sets the mood for a relaxing evening. I wish more products had this kind of convenience built into them! However, one thing worth mentioning is their size. I found that these tapers can be a bit too big for some standard candle holders, causing them to struggle to fit securely. But if you've got the right holder, these candles are a surefire hit. Overall, if you're looking for a safe and stylish alternative to traditional candles, Ashland's flameless tapers are definitely worth your consideration. They're elegant, they're effective, and best of all, they're flicker-tastic! 🔗Flameless Flickering Taper Candle Set with Realistic 3D Wick and Remote Timerhttps://preview.redd.it/2emurhtulh5d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f1781734e7d084a5588c81f3d55e8277e2ce3424 Living with a pet and two kids, I've always had to worry about the safety of traditional candles in our home. But ever since I discovered the Eldnacele Flameless Taper Candles, I can finally relax without any fear or mess. These realistic-looking candles come in a cream color and are battery-operated, emitting a warm, flickering light that creates a cozy atmosphere. The 3D wick design is impressive, convincingly replicating a real wax candle. The best part is the remote control feature, allowing us to set timers for each candle and truly enjoy their relaxing ambiance without concern. With two remotes included, I can even control candles in different rooms with ease. These flameless candles are perfect for all occasions and rooms in our house, including the bedroom, bathroom, and living room. However, one downside is that the candles require AA batteries, which we need to manually replace when they run out. Overall, I highly recommend the Eldnacele Flameless Taper Candles for anyone seeking a safe and stylish alternative to traditional candles. 🔗Flameless LED Taper Candle Set with Timer by Ashlandhttps://preview.redd.it/fntzi47vlh5d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fd767dcff3089be3fbd9380d149db8463eeaa2f0 Imagine setting up a warm, inviting atmosphere for a romantic dinner or a cozy evening with family, but you're concerned about potential fire hazards or disturbing wax drips. That's where Ashland's White LED Taper Candles with Timer shine. These tapers effortlessly blend into your candle holders, casting a soft, warm glow without the mess or danger of real candles. One reviewer shared an anecdote about using these candles for their wedding, where real candles were prohibited. These flameless tapers worked perfectly, providing a realistic flickering effect and enhancing the overall ambiance. Another reviewer praised the candles for their safety, particularly with cats and small children around. Despite their many positive qualities, some users have voiced their concerns about the size of the base, which can be too large to fit in standard candle holders. Others wished for a more realistic flame effect, instead of the lighted top portion of the candle. However, overall, the majority of users have praised these LED taper candles for their elegance, effectiveness, and convenience. In summary, Ashland's White LED Taper Candles with Timer are a fantastic addition to any home, offering an attractive, realistic, and safe alternative to traditional candles. With a timer feature for added convenience, these flameless tapers are perfect for creating a warm and inviting atmosphere at your next gathering or simply enjoying a quiet evening at home. 🔗LED Taper Holiday Candleshttps://preview.redd.it/0aekeuovlh5d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=672349edd811eda4817d9f097ac1db51a38704f1 I recently purchased the Mfr Studio LED Taper Candles for my holiday decorations, and I must say, I'm quite impressed! These candles have a warm, inviting glow that makes my home feel so cozy during the festive season. The highlight for me was their realistic flickering effect, which even has a slight twist and twist feature to turn them on and off. One thing I appreciated was their flameless nature - they're safer than traditional wax candles and don't require constant monitoring. I used them on my Christmas table setting and later moved them to my mantle, where they looked equally stunning. However, there were a couple of cons that caught my attention. Firstly, each candle requires its own set of AAA batteries, which can add up cost-wise and generate more waste. Secondly, some users reported issues with the candles' color, as they're described as white but appear more like a taupey-cream. Overall, these LED taper candles are a great addition to any holiday decor, offering a realistic flickering glow without the safety concerns accompanying traditional candles. While there are minor drawbacks, they definitely provide good value for their price, making them an attractive option for those looking to upgrade their home decoration game this holiday season. Buyer's Guidehttps://preview.redd.it/ntr66gdwlh5d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=65df9dd1d5a852a87a5144983f5e6de2cb6ce786 None FAQhttps://preview.redd.it/ehq7a4uwlh5d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6522d6ed03d70edd60fdc07e9e4fe89deb922809 What is a flameless taper candle?A flameless taper candle is an artificial candle designed to resemble traditional taper candles but without the actual flame. These candles are powered by batteries or solar power and emit a flickering light effect, creating a similar atmosphere to real candles without the safety hazards or maintenance involved with traditional candle usage.How do flameless taper candles work?https://preview.redd.it/tl4outuxlh5d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7aca7b17a48f42a4ee4a03c29f0b6e71ba701abe Flameless taper candles use either LEDs, which emit a soft, warm glow, or a low-heat light bulb, creating a realistic flickering effect. They typically feature a hidden power source, such as batteries or a solar panel, and can be easily turned on or off with a switch or remote control. Why choose flameless taper candles over traditional candles?
https://preview.redd.it/vrr2ic7ylh5d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=67cbe920676bf365786c578c54ecb0bc180c96f8 How can I choose the best flameless taper candles for my needs?Consider factors such as the candle's appearance, the type of power source (battery-operated or solar), the candle's dimensions, the brightness and color of the light, and the flickering effect. Read reviews and ratings from previous customers to ensure you're getting a high-quality product that meets your expectations.How do I replace batteries in a flameless taper candle?First, turn off the flameless taper candle and remove it from any holder or socket. Locate the battery compartment cover, which is usually found at the bottom or back of the candle. Open the cover, replace the batteries with fresh ones, ensuring you match the polarity (+ and -) correctly, and close the cover securely. Test the candle to ensure it works properly before placing it back in its holder or socket.How long do flameless taper candles usually last?The longevity of a flameless taper candle depends on the battery or solar power source. Most battery-operated candles can last anywhere between 600 and 1000 hours on a single set of batteries, while others may be powered by rechargeable batteries and require regular charging. Solar-powered candles will last as long as they receive sufficient sunlight to maintain their charge. Keep in mind that some models may have adjustable light and flicker settings that can affect battery life.Are flameless taper candles safe around children and pets?Yes, flameless taper candles are considered safe around children and pets since they do not produce a real flame, smoke, or heat. However, it is still important to practice caution and place the candles out of reach of curious children or animals to prevent potential damage to the product or any accidents. Always follow the manufacturer's recommendations for safe usage and proper placement.As an Amazon™ Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. |
2024.06.09 07:58 WhenIWasMormon I’m pretty sure that life doesn’t have a meaning.
 | The part that gets me the most is submitted by WhenIWasMormon to mormon [link] [comments] I'm pretty sure that life doesn't have a meaning And if there's a god then he doesn't look like me And I'm just a member of the current apex species But there will be another when the humans go extinct We've only been around two hundred thousand years Of thirteen and a half billion years How can we think the pinnacle is here? Isn't that arrogant? There's a couple hundred billion trillion suns And we act like it all was made for us There ain't no way that we're the only ones |
2024.06.09 06:23 Naive-Conclusion-212 Just a moment.
This evening my BS and I were driving home from a party. Our child ignoring the world lost in their headphones and tablets. The sun setting behind us. My hand on her leg. Our fingers intertwined. Just the light rumble of the tires on the road is all we can hear. So just a normal moment in any couples life.
I lightly squeeze her hand and looked into her eyes. "Thank you for taking me back. I love you.." I say from the bottom of my heart. I swear there was a radiance about her as she smiled at me, squeezed my hand and said, "Thank you for coming back. I love you too." I don't know what was different about it. We've said this to each other thousands of times. But for the first time in years, even before the A, I felt a love from you so pure. The thank you was not out of the fear that I'd leave again because you can't provide the type of sex I had with AP. But, the one word I can think of is, gratitude that we are partners, equals in our relationship. It was just a brief moment before we went back to traveling home.
I don't know if any of the above makes sense. I wonder if part of my heart is ready to forgive myself just a little? For all I know we could wake tomorrow and you may be angry with me and that's ok. I love you. I only want to be with you. Thank you my wonderful wife for being so gracious, patient,loving, kind with a man who's unworthy of the gifts you have given me. I will endeavor to make myself worthy of you. I love you my dear.
submitted by Naive-Conclusion-212 to AsOneAfterInfidelity [link] [comments]
I lightly squeeze her hand and looked into her eyes. "Thank you for taking me back. I love you.." I say from the bottom of my heart. I swear there was a radiance about her as she smiled at me, squeezed my hand and said, "Thank you for coming back. I love you too." I don't know what was different about it. We've said this to each other thousands of times. But for the first time in years, even before the A, I felt a love from you so pure. The thank you was not out of the fear that I'd leave again because you can't provide the type of sex I had with AP. But, the one word I can think of is, gratitude that we are partners, equals in our relationship. It was just a brief moment before we went back to traveling home.
I don't know if any of the above makes sense. I wonder if part of my heart is ready to forgive myself just a little? For all I know we could wake tomorrow and you may be angry with me and that's ok. I love you. I only want to be with you. Thank you my wonderful wife for being so gracious, patient,loving, kind with a man who's unworthy of the gifts you have given me. I will endeavor to make myself worthy of you. I love you my dear.
2024.06.09 06:08 GamynTheRed Jayne I - The Precarious World
The road north from King's Landing were flooded the day after the feast. Merchants and farmers who had traveled to the city to sell their wares to the thousands of gathered nobles now leave in all directions, back to the Reach, the Westerlands, some even to Maidenpool. The high summer sun would prevent Jayne from taking in the scenery, however, and she only welcomed enough sunlight into the carriage to read and write with. The ledgers are filling up handily now that the trade deal with Oldtown was complete. It leaves her in a vulnerable position though, Jayne recognized. Though Maidenpool's proximity to Vhagar's flames should mean she would not want to oppose the elder sister, the fact that now all her trade runs through the Stepstones made her subject to Rhaenys' will as well. And the fact the Arryns had the gall to arrest Adaron as well. Jayne mutters a silent prayer for the man, as slippery as the banker is, they're on the same boat now.
The carriage door opened to flood her eyes with sun, as a slim figure slithered into the compartment.
"We don't know what'll happen to the banker, my lady, but we have assurance from the bank that the deal goes on no matter what."
Her Castellan took out a silk handkerchief to wipe the sweat of his brow
"There is also some very big news". He suddenly spoke in a hushed tone. "The Lord Protector has returned."
Jayne's eyes bolted up at the old man and gave a quizzical look.
"The talk of the Red Keep is that he had been in Pentos to raise an army, which now lies beneath the wave after a terrible storm."
"So you're saying he is ...". Jayne suddenly felt a flutter in the pit of her stomach.
"We can't know for sure yet. But the queens are very likely to act now."
That part was true. She had come to King's Landing expecting a great dance and recruitment spree of every noble house to each prince's cause, but what transpired were little more than drum-beating from both sides. They seem prepared to burn the realm and each other with what they have, nevermind reinforcement.
"We cannot declare for a side now". Lolliston understood as much as her the exposure Maidenpool now has with the Stepstones.
"Nevertheless, my lady. If Dorne opposes our side you will lose trade lanes and ships. If we go against the Vale all of Maidenpool will be burnt within the week."
"I understand, Jon."
She took a second to think as the fear flushed out of her system.
"You'll go to Riverrun with me, get Ser Pemford and his men to come as well, the rest will stay in Maidenpool when we get there." Her route to the dragonlord's ruin would take her home first.
The trip to Maidenpool took two days, during which she spent discussing strategy with her Castellan and stewards. Her plan had been to import raw resources from the south and east to fuel manufacturing in the city where labor was cheap and plentiful. Now that war might be on the horizon, everything must be done to secure these trade lanes. First thing first, however, there was still one item of unfinished business. Jayne handed her letter to the Maester the moment she entered the Crone's Bastion. It was to be sent to the Iron Bank inquiring about sourcing Essosi Spices. My final piece. She thought, as she got dressed to go pray for the Lord Protector's safe return. She would only allow herself a bath in Jonquil's Pool and supper with her children before departing for Aegon's Rest in the middle of the night. There can't be any rest now that war is coming.
submitted by GamynTheRed to IronThroneRP [link] [comments]
The carriage door opened to flood her eyes with sun, as a slim figure slithered into the compartment.
"We don't know what'll happen to the banker, my lady, but we have assurance from the bank that the deal goes on no matter what."
Her Castellan took out a silk handkerchief to wipe the sweat of his brow
"There is also some very big news". He suddenly spoke in a hushed tone. "The Lord Protector has returned."
Jayne's eyes bolted up at the old man and gave a quizzical look.
"The talk of the Red Keep is that he had been in Pentos to raise an army, which now lies beneath the wave after a terrible storm."
"So you're saying he is ...". Jayne suddenly felt a flutter in the pit of her stomach.
"We can't know for sure yet. But the queens are very likely to act now."
That part was true. She had come to King's Landing expecting a great dance and recruitment spree of every noble house to each prince's cause, but what transpired were little more than drum-beating from both sides. They seem prepared to burn the realm and each other with what they have, nevermind reinforcement.
"We cannot declare for a side now". Lolliston understood as much as her the exposure Maidenpool now has with the Stepstones.
"Nevertheless, my lady. If Dorne opposes our side you will lose trade lanes and ships. If we go against the Vale all of Maidenpool will be burnt within the week."
"I understand, Jon."
She took a second to think as the fear flushed out of her system.
"You'll go to Riverrun with me, get Ser Pemford and his men to come as well, the rest will stay in Maidenpool when we get there." Her route to the dragonlord's ruin would take her home first.
The trip to Maidenpool took two days, during which she spent discussing strategy with her Castellan and stewards. Her plan had been to import raw resources from the south and east to fuel manufacturing in the city where labor was cheap and plentiful. Now that war might be on the horizon, everything must be done to secure these trade lanes. First thing first, however, there was still one item of unfinished business. Jayne handed her letter to the Maester the moment she entered the Crone's Bastion. It was to be sent to the Iron Bank inquiring about sourcing Essosi Spices. My final piece. She thought, as she got dressed to go pray for the Lord Protector's safe return. She would only allow herself a bath in Jonquil's Pool and supper with her children before departing for Aegon's Rest in the middle of the night. There can't be any rest now that war is coming.
2024.06.09 04:55 godzillavkk How I would execute a Hasbro Cinematic Universe Phase 4
For phase one, see this. https://www.reddit.com/hasbro/comments/1d98069/how_i_would_execute_a_hasbro_cinematic_universe/
For phase two, see this. https://www.reddit.com/hasbro/comments/1d9gpqb/how_i_would_execute_a_hasbro_cinematic_universe/
For phase three, see this. https://www.reddit.com/hasbro/comments/1dalfmw/how_i_would_execute_a_hasbro_cinematic_universe/
Where we last left off: Unicron was finally defeated, the Enforcers grew in numbers, Cadence and Shining Armor have started a family, and The Fallen and Galvatron are scheming to revive Unicron, and this is where Phase 4 begins. Additionally, a multiverse is introduced. There are no new franchises this Phase, just sequels, but there will be hints to the next Phase. anyway, let's begin.
Enforcers: Age of the Fallen
Phase 4 starts with an Enforcers story, in fact, I prefer this to be a sort of Rise Of Unicron Part III, seeing this takes place a couple weeks after the events of Rise of Unicron Part II. In this story, The Enforcers are cleaning up the mass of debris from when Unicron exploded, while Cadence and Shining busy raising their children. However, the plans of Megatronus Prime (aka The Fallen) and the newly-elected leader of the Decepticons, Galvatron, are falling into place as they plan to use Equistria's' sun as a means to create Dark Energon to revitalize Unicron, use Equistria as his new body, and help him continue his devouring of the galaxy and finally destroy Primus. When a battle between the Enforcers and the Decepticons leads to the death of one of the Enforcers, they must now find an ancient Cybertronian to help them revive there friend and stop The Fallen once and for all.
Notable events include
Magic: The Dragon's Curse
We find our wizard friends returning to the land of Amundus following the events of Enforcers: Age of The Fallen to find there home now under the rule of a resurrected Arcan and a long forgotten warlord named Karnous, who has plagued the land with a curse that turns anyone into human/dragon hybrids. So it's now up to our four young wizards to cure the land and stop Arcan and Karnous, while also learning of all of their parents' pasts and discover a secret that may connect them together.
Notable events include
Stretch Armstrong 3
After the events of Enforcers: Age of The Fallen, John is now working on finding out if there exist any alternate realities much like his own. Unbeknownst to him, a being calling itself "Techcore" has copied John's designs for a fully functional muti-dimentional portal and bring forth an alternate version of himself named Richard Armstrong who uses his stretching powers for committing crimes. Now John must stop Richard for besmirching his "Stretch Armstrong" persona's name and stop Techcore from continue use of the portal and save the world once more.
Notable events include
Action Man 3
When we last saw Duke and his Action Man team, not only did they just finish up helping stop Megatronus Prime and Galvatron, but earlier they were introduced to Matt Trakker and his M.A.S.K. team by Agent Jameson. This is where the story begins, with Duke and Matt building a device that can let the M.A.S.K. vehicles be able to go even faster so as to get to the danger quicker before it's too late. However, while developing it, Duke and Matt find out that the device can let them travel to alternate dimensions. This leads them to a world where C.O.B.R.A. has won and rules with an iron fist. Now, Duke, Matt, and the Action Man and M.A.S.K. teams must find a way to get home to their own universe, but must also free the other universe from Cobra Comander's reign.
The only notable event is
Transformers: Shattered Glass
Yes, you read the title correctly, this is an adaptation (sort of) of the Transformers G1 comics alternate universe, "Shattered Glass." In the Shattered Glass universe, it's sort of the same G1 universe, except the fact that anyone who was good in G1 is evil and vise versa for any of the G1 villains. Mostly, it tells the story of the heroic Decepticons, led by the mathmation Megatron, and the evil Autobots, led by the ruthless Optimus Prime. Anyway, the HCU version of this story is that the SG Autobots find a way in to the HCU and plan to take it over and steal all the galaxies resources. However, the SG Decepticons make contact with the HCU Autobots and they decide to team up to stop the SG Autobots, who have now ailed themselves with the HCU Decepticons, and send them back to the SG universe.
Notable events are
My Little Pony/Transformers: Shattered Reflections
Partially based on a IDW comic event, this story for the HCU is about Twilight and Optimus find out about that the Shattered Glass universe has a version of Equistria, but is similar to the Equistria from the Reflections arc in the IDW comics before the Mane Six arrived to it. Once there, they are greeted by Reflections Sombra, who remembers Celestia as if she had visited, leading to a tearful renuion. At the same time, SG Optimus Prime has ailed with Reflections Celestia and Luna, and they plan to find their universes Earth and plan to take it over, and reopen the space bridge to the HCU Earth. So now Twilight and Optimus must team up with Reflections Sombra and SG Megatron to stop SG Optimus and Reflections Celestia and Luna.
Notable events include
Battleship: Manhatten Project
When we last left Joshua Patrick and the crew of the U.S.S. Destiny, they had finished helping their fellow Enforcers stop The Fallen. Now, after a few missions, Joshua has rose to the rank of Commander and now leads a whole fleet of flying battleships called "The Arsenal." Josh then finds out that the United States Department of Defence and the CIA are planing to restart the Manhattan Project, to which Josh signs his fleet up for. However, during the tests, the fleet are whisked away to an alternate universe where the Axis Powers of World War II have won the war, but are in the mist of a super-Cold War. Now, with the help from an alternate version of Agent Jameson, must find a way back home and also to stop an immortal Adolf Hitler from getting the plans to create a flying battleship.
Notable events include
Enforcers: Crisis War Part 1
Yes, you read Twilight's line correctly, Unicron is back and is still alive after the events of the Rise of Unicron two-parter and Enforcers: Age of The Fallen. It's revealed that before Unicron's head was ejected into deep space, he hatched a plan to rebuild his body and get revenge on the ones who destroyed him, The Enforcers and their loved ones. His plan was to eject bits of Dark Energon across the galaxy and implant them into the smartest people in the HCU to construct devices and machines that can open to alternate universes, so that Unicron can send multiple Earths to the HCU, devour them for power, use some of the natural metals and other resources to rebuild his body to be even bigger and more powerful then before, and destroy the Enforcers and finally destroy Primus. So not only do the Enforcers and all of their allies need to stop Unicron once more, but also must face a brand new and mysterious Decepticon by the name of Dreadnaught. Also, some of the Enforcers do get killed off for good in this THREE PART EVENT.
For part 1, When The Enforcers and their allies learn of Unicron being still alive, they must not only stop the multiverse from tearing itself apart, but they must also stop Unicron from gaining a new body while also being stopped by a new and mysterious Decepticon named Dreadnaught.
Notable events include
Enforcers: Crisis War Part 2
Now to part II where we find out that Dreadnaught has formed his own team called The Destroyers, who are kind of an Anti-Enforcers. Meanwhile, Optimus meets up with Jandar and is now in the process of aquireing the Omega Lock (mostly because after the events of Enforcers: Rise of The Fallen, Optimus decides now is the time for Primus to finally be reawaken and up until now, in the background has been hunting down the four Cyber-Planet Keys.) Now, the Enforcers must find away to stop The Destroyers, Unicron (who right now, his head has devowered about 5 of the Earths and his new body is about 47-68% completed.), and still find away to defeat Dreadnaught.
Notable events include
Enforcers: Crisis Part 3
Well, the end of Phase 4, and ZOMG, Cadence is Unicron's new herald! How did that happen? Well, back in Part I, when Dreadnaught (aka Galvatron/Unicron) first appears, he attacks the Crystal Empire and Cadence and Shining Armor begin to protect their kingdom. However, it appeared that Cadence was annihilated when she was hit by Dreadnaught's (Galvatron's/Unicron's) Arm Cannon. However, the cannon actually teleported her the Nemesis, where Unicron injected her with Dark Energon, until she was under Unicron's control. However, what's going on with our friends. Well, now that Primus has been reawaken, The Enforcers now have a chance to stop Unicron once and for all and save the multiverse. However, they soon find out that Unicron's new body is 99% complete and Cadence has been brainwashed to become Unicron's new herald. Now, The Enforcers, with the help of Primus, must free Cadence and stop Unicron once and for all before his spark enters the new body.
Notable events include
To be concluded...
submitted by godzillavkk to hasbro [link] [comments]
For phase two, see this. https://www.reddit.com/hasbro/comments/1d9gpqb/how_i_would_execute_a_hasbro_cinematic_universe/
For phase three, see this. https://www.reddit.com/hasbro/comments/1dalfmw/how_i_would_execute_a_hasbro_cinematic_universe/
Where we last left off: Unicron was finally defeated, the Enforcers grew in numbers, Cadence and Shining Armor have started a family, and The Fallen and Galvatron are scheming to revive Unicron, and this is where Phase 4 begins. Additionally, a multiverse is introduced. There are no new franchises this Phase, just sequels, but there will be hints to the next Phase. anyway, let's begin.
Enforcers: Age of the Fallen
Phase 4 starts with an Enforcers story, in fact, I prefer this to be a sort of Rise Of Unicron Part III, seeing this takes place a couple weeks after the events of Rise of Unicron Part II. In this story, The Enforcers are cleaning up the mass of debris from when Unicron exploded, while Cadence and Shining busy raising their children. However, the plans of Megatronus Prime (aka The Fallen) and the newly-elected leader of the Decepticons, Galvatron, are falling into place as they plan to use Equistria's' sun as a means to create Dark Energon to revitalize Unicron, use Equistria as his new body, and help him continue his devouring of the galaxy and finally destroy Primus. When a battle between the Enforcers and the Decepticons leads to the death of one of the Enforcers, they must now find an ancient Cybertronian to help them revive there friend and stop The Fallen once and for all.
Notable events include
- The Fallen is revealed to be the original herald of Unicron.
- Optimus Prime is killed by Galvatron, to which Megatron assumes command of the Autobots. But he's resurrected later.
- The Matrix of Leadership was placed back onto Cybertron after the events of Enforcers: Rise of Unicron Part II.
- We learn that an Decepticon-turned-Autobot named Jetfire has the knowledge to bring Optimus back to life.
- Shining Armor is killed by Galvatron, but was somehow sent into the All-Spark and meets the twelve of the original Thirteen Primes. He is also resurrected later
- Optimus finds out it is his destiny to find the Cyber-Planet Keys and the Omega Lock and to reawaken Primus.
Magic: The Dragon's Curse
We find our wizard friends returning to the land of Amundus following the events of Enforcers: Age of The Fallen to find there home now under the rule of a resurrected Arcan and a long forgotten warlord named Karnous, who has plagued the land with a curse that turns anyone into human/dragon hybrids. So it's now up to our four young wizards to cure the land and stop Arcan and Karnous, while also learning of all of their parents' pasts and discover a secret that may connect them together.
Notable events include
- The wizards of Amundus are actually all related to each other by royalty and that they are destined to rule Amundus.
- Karnous is revealed to be the evil personality of the first king of Amundus, Gorgran.
Stretch Armstrong 3
After the events of Enforcers: Age of The Fallen, John is now working on finding out if there exist any alternate realities much like his own. Unbeknownst to him, a being calling itself "Techcore" has copied John's designs for a fully functional muti-dimentional portal and bring forth an alternate version of himself named Richard Armstrong who uses his stretching powers for committing crimes. Now John must stop Richard for besmirching his "Stretch Armstrong" persona's name and stop Techcore from continue use of the portal and save the world once more.
Notable events include
- Techcore is actually a former Decepticon who became one of Unicron's slaves and is forced to build the dimensional portal.
- John is almost arrested, until John reveals that Richard is from an alternate universe.
- Techcore is brought to the Autobots after his machine is destroyed.
Action Man 3
When we last saw Duke and his Action Man team, not only did they just finish up helping stop Megatronus Prime and Galvatron, but earlier they were introduced to Matt Trakker and his M.A.S.K. team by Agent Jameson. This is where the story begins, with Duke and Matt building a device that can let the M.A.S.K. vehicles be able to go even faster so as to get to the danger quicker before it's too late. However, while developing it, Duke and Matt find out that the device can let them travel to alternate dimensions. This leads them to a world where C.O.B.R.A. has won and rules with an iron fist. Now, Duke, Matt, and the Action Man and M.A.S.K. teams must find a way to get home to their own universe, but must also free the other universe from Cobra Comander's reign.
The only notable event is
- After defeating the alternate universe version of Cobra Commander, Duke asks Matt if he wants to be an Enforcer, to which Matt declines, citing wanting to form his own team.
Transformers: Shattered Glass
Yes, you read the title correctly, this is an adaptation (sort of) of the Transformers G1 comics alternate universe, "Shattered Glass." In the Shattered Glass universe, it's sort of the same G1 universe, except the fact that anyone who was good in G1 is evil and vise versa for any of the G1 villains. Mostly, it tells the story of the heroic Decepticons, led by the mathmation Megatron, and the evil Autobots, led by the ruthless Optimus Prime. Anyway, the HCU version of this story is that the SG Autobots find a way in to the HCU and plan to take it over and steal all the galaxies resources. However, the SG Decepticons make contact with the HCU Autobots and they decide to team up to stop the SG Autobots, who have now ailed themselves with the HCU Decepticons, and send them back to the SG universe.
Notable events are
- SG Megatron reveals that the SG Decepticons developed a weapon capable of removing a Prime's power.
- In a sneak peek of the 5th and final phase, SG Optimus finds out about the Inhumanoids after SG Perceptor hacks into the Autobots' database.
My Little Pony/Transformers: Shattered Reflections
Partially based on a IDW comic event, this story for the HCU is about Twilight and Optimus find out about that the Shattered Glass universe has a version of Equistria, but is similar to the Equistria from the Reflections arc in the IDW comics before the Mane Six arrived to it. Once there, they are greeted by Reflections Sombra, who remembers Celestia as if she had visited, leading to a tearful renuion. At the same time, SG Optimus Prime has ailed with Reflections Celestia and Luna, and they plan to find their universes Earth and plan to take it over, and reopen the space bridge to the HCU Earth. So now Twilight and Optimus must team up with Reflections Sombra and SG Megatron to stop SG Optimus and Reflections Celestia and Luna.
Notable events include
- SG Optimus reveals the existence of multiple universes to Reflections Celestia and Luna.
- Reflections Sombra is corrupted by a mix of Dark Magic and Dark Energon to the point Optimus is forced to encase him in solidified Energon.
Battleship: Manhatten Project
When we last left Joshua Patrick and the crew of the U.S.S. Destiny, they had finished helping their fellow Enforcers stop The Fallen. Now, after a few missions, Joshua has rose to the rank of Commander and now leads a whole fleet of flying battleships called "The Arsenal." Josh then finds out that the United States Department of Defence and the CIA are planing to restart the Manhattan Project, to which Josh signs his fleet up for. However, during the tests, the fleet are whisked away to an alternate universe where the Axis Powers of World War II have won the war, but are in the mist of a super-Cold War. Now, with the help from an alternate version of Agent Jameson, must find a way back home and also to stop an immortal Adolf Hitler from getting the plans to create a flying battleship.
Notable events include
- The alternate version of Agent Jameson reveals that his universe's version of The Enforcers was easily defeated by the Nazis.
- Hitler's immortality is revealed to come from this universe's Celestia after she was captured by an exploratory group in space.
- About 25% of The Arsenal is destroyed during the final battle with the Nazis.
Enforcers: Crisis War Part 1
Yes, you read Twilight's line correctly, Unicron is back and is still alive after the events of the Rise of Unicron two-parter and Enforcers: Age of The Fallen. It's revealed that before Unicron's head was ejected into deep space, he hatched a plan to rebuild his body and get revenge on the ones who destroyed him, The Enforcers and their loved ones. His plan was to eject bits of Dark Energon across the galaxy and implant them into the smartest people in the HCU to construct devices and machines that can open to alternate universes, so that Unicron can send multiple Earths to the HCU, devour them for power, use some of the natural metals and other resources to rebuild his body to be even bigger and more powerful then before, and destroy the Enforcers and finally destroy Primus. So not only do the Enforcers and all of their allies need to stop Unicron once more, but also must face a brand new and mysterious Decepticon by the name of Dreadnaught. Also, some of the Enforcers do get killed off for good in this THREE PART EVENT.
For part 1, When The Enforcers and their allies learn of Unicron being still alive, they must not only stop the multiverse from tearing itself apart, but they must also stop Unicron from gaining a new body while also being stopped by a new and mysterious Decepticon named Dreadnaught.
Notable events include
- Optimus relays a message that Unicron is still alive and is planing to destroy all of reality once he devours enough Earths and uses the energy to build himself a new body, and finally have the power to destroy Primus.
- Duke's Action Man team is killed during the first onslaught by Dreadnaught in the Crystal Empire.
- Cadence appears to have been killed as well when Dreadnaught's arm cannon appears to disintegrate her.
- Duke is reunited with the rest of the members of G.I. Joe and reforms the team.
- Starscream is killed after he tries to usurp leadership of the Decepicons.
Enforcers: Crisis War Part 2
Now to part II where we find out that Dreadnaught has formed his own team called The Destroyers, who are kind of an Anti-Enforcers. Meanwhile, Optimus meets up with Jandar and is now in the process of aquireing the Omega Lock (mostly because after the events of Enforcers: Rise of The Fallen, Optimus decides now is the time for Primus to finally be reawaken and up until now, in the background has been hunting down the four Cyber-Planet Keys.) Now, the Enforcers must find away to stop The Destroyers, Unicron (who right now, his head has devowered about 5 of the Earths and his new body is about 47-68% completed.), and still find away to defeat Dreadnaught.
Notable events include
- Dreadnaught forms an "Anti" Enforcers-type team called "The Destroyers."
- Optimus meets with Jandar to go to the edge of the Milky Way galaxy to acquire the Omega Lock and the last Cyber-Planet Key in order to reawaken Primus.
- Jandar sacrifices his life force in order to give his energy to the Omega Lock so it can fully power the Cyber-Planet Keys.
- The Enforcers all go to Cybertron as they witness Optimus reawaken Primus and see that Cybertron was escentualy Primus' alt mode.
- Dreadnaught is revealed to be an upgraded Galvatron under the control of Unicron's anti-spark until his new body was completed.
- It's revealed that Cadence was actually kidnapped and brainwashed to become Unicron's new herald.
Enforcers: Crisis Part 3
Well, the end of Phase 4, and ZOMG, Cadence is Unicron's new herald! How did that happen? Well, back in Part I, when Dreadnaught (aka Galvatron/Unicron) first appears, he attacks the Crystal Empire and Cadence and Shining Armor begin to protect their kingdom. However, it appeared that Cadence was annihilated when she was hit by Dreadnaught's (Galvatron's/Unicron's) Arm Cannon. However, the cannon actually teleported her the Nemesis, where Unicron injected her with Dark Energon, until she was under Unicron's control. However, what's going on with our friends. Well, now that Primus has been reawaken, The Enforcers now have a chance to stop Unicron once and for all and save the multiverse. However, they soon find out that Unicron's new body is 99% complete and Cadence has been brainwashed to become Unicron's new herald. Now, The Enforcers, with the help of Primus, must free Cadence and stop Unicron once and for all before his spark enters the new body.
Notable events include
- Cadence is restored to her normal self by Optimus by utalising an overcharged Matrix of Leadership given to him by Primus.
- Unicron's new body is finally completed and is about the size of Jupiter.
- While trying to distract Unicron from destroying Earth and giving Primus time to charge up his power, Joshua, the U.S.S. Destiny, Robert Banks and Joshua's fleet sacrifice themselves as Unicron crushes them all with his fists.
- With additional power from Optimus, the Mane Six, Sgt. Alexander, and Princesses Celestia and Luna, Primus is able to mortally injure Unicron and put him into a ten thousand year long sleep..
To be concluded...
2024.06.09 01:39 Ongoingtwat Slipping through my fingers
Her name was Elouise Winthers and she was the most beautiful human being I had ever seen. And she was kind. So kind. But most of all, she was the only person I'll ever love and the day she died, was the day I started living.
When I first met her, I was just going through the motions. My job as a nurse was tiring and I dreaded every night having to wake up and going there. That changed when she came in to the IR that afternoon. Because Elouise was the reason my soul started to smile again.
It wasn't a busy day like most days were, so when I called out her name at my desk, I took my time. I didn't bother to look up from the pc when I asked her to explain her emergency. When she spoke, she sounded like a thousands symphonies and I just had to see the face that made this angelic sound.
Her light blond hair was shimmering in the sunlight like golden thread in a fairytale. Her heavenly blue eyes met mine and she said: "I think I broke my left arm"
Blood flushed to my head and made my face red. I just nodded and took notes. I was speechless but mustered up the courage to assure her that the doctor would be there shortly.
That evening before I went home, I snuck into her files, found her contact information and started to come up with an excuse for using them. I went in my car but let my mind do the driving and suddenly I was at the earth angels house. I wanted to knock on her door so bad but I couldn't. Instead I just sat in my car outside her house. I sat there until the sun came up and then I sat there some more. In fact I sat there for so long I didn't got to work.
I must have been dozing of because I jolted awake by the sound of a door slamming. Her front door. I looked at my watch and it was way past midnight. I had seven missed calls from work but I turned off my phone. Elouise walked passed my seemingly unnoticeable car and went down the road.
I got out and followed her. I don't know why I just couldn't help it. It was as if I wasn't in control of my body.
She, well we, walked for about ten minutes when we came to an abandoned factory building that had a large entry with hinges and locks on it.
Even though it was pitch black out and no one, except me, was around, she didn't seem at all scared. She walked around the building and while I hid in a bush I heard knocking and a screech as the door she knocked on opened. She went inside and I followed shortly after.
My mind was racing and my heart felt like it was gonna jump out of my chest.
"Why is this beautiful creature here all alone?" I thought to myself and went inside.
I shouldn't have followed. I shouldn't have lurked. I should have been at home in my bed after a days work but I loved her the moment words came out of her mouth formed by her rose red lips. So I had to follow. I had to lurk because I had to have her and to hold her for all eternity.
The old factory building smelled like urine and worse and I almost gagged. Elouise went down a dark corridor and entered a large room. As I hid behind a pillar I observed people in the back of the room. There where candles illuminating their spot and I saw they had mattresses, blankets, a hot plate and stuff like that. They seemed to be a family. Two kids, both girls, at about 6-8 years old and a woman and a man.
I hadn't noticed until now, the shoulder bag Elouise was wearing. She took a brown paperbag out of it and handed it to the couple. I heard them thank her profusely and saw them give her a hug. My stomach turned and I felt sorta jealous.
I was still hiding when the love of my life went back out into the night. Before I followed I saw the family take some cans and stuff out of the paper bag. Elouise that amazing being had brought them food. I told you she was kind.
I followed her home and was just about to go back to my car when Elouise went inside her house without locking her door. I know this, because after she closed it I had my ear pinned up to it in hopes of hearing her voice again.
I just stood there. Again speechless and at last I went ever so gently inside not making even the slightest sound.
I heard water running. She was in the shower. Can you imagine the feelings I felt knowing that my soulmate was naked and wet with hot steaming water?
I knew I should have gone home. I knew I shouldn't have peeked. But I just couldn't help myself. I had to see her the way God created her. I had to touch her naked, and without a doubt, soft skin. So I went into her bathroom. Quietly. I wanted to pull the shower curtain aside but I couldn't.
Instead I found her bedroom and I climbed into her bed and waited. And waited and then I waited some more. Daylight arrived and she still wasn't next to me. The water was still running. I had to check on her. I couldn't have something happen to her. Not before I could get my hands on her.
On the bathroom floor laid my beautiful Elouise blood running slowly out of her head like melting butter on a piece of toast. She wasn't breathing. I was going to call an ambulance anonymously but I still felt like I would have a problem explaining why I was in her home since I was a mere stranger.
So I turned on my phone again and her laptop, which didn't have a password (It must have been fate), found her facebook and send her a friend request from my phone. I accepted it from her computer and then I wrote some messages between us on messenger. I made them sound romantic like we had that relationship we were meant to. But I got way into it and time flew by. I didn't bother eating or drinking or even going to the toilet and then I realized that it had been to whole days.
I didn't care though. I kept on writhing messages between us, building up our love and life and intern jokes and I didn't stop until I felt the cold steel from the handcuffs the police put around my wrists. I screamed and cried but they were brutal and didn't care.
They eventually found that the cause of death was a slip and fall. Elouise had hit her head and died. Her surveillance cameras showed me laying in her bed the moment she fall and died.
They didn't let me go because they said I had been defiling her corpse. That couldn't be further from the truth. I made love to my Elouise. And that is not disgusting. It's the most beautiful thing in the world. Also I got charged with breaking in, stalking and for waiting to long to contact law enforcement.
They said I couldn't go to prison. They said I was dangerous. Nonsense. But now I'm here in the asylum. They give me pills three times a day. I hide them under my tongue, like I hid under Elouise's blankets, and spit them out when the nurse leave.
The say I won't get out for a very long time. But I know where her body is buried and when I get out I will make love to my sweet angel again. Until then I can make plenty a do with her pinky finger, that they did see me cut of off her but didn't see me swallow.
submitted by Ongoingtwat to scarystories [link] [comments]
When I first met her, I was just going through the motions. My job as a nurse was tiring and I dreaded every night having to wake up and going there. That changed when she came in to the IR that afternoon. Because Elouise was the reason my soul started to smile again.
It wasn't a busy day like most days were, so when I called out her name at my desk, I took my time. I didn't bother to look up from the pc when I asked her to explain her emergency. When she spoke, she sounded like a thousands symphonies and I just had to see the face that made this angelic sound.
Her light blond hair was shimmering in the sunlight like golden thread in a fairytale. Her heavenly blue eyes met mine and she said: "I think I broke my left arm"
Blood flushed to my head and made my face red. I just nodded and took notes. I was speechless but mustered up the courage to assure her that the doctor would be there shortly.
That evening before I went home, I snuck into her files, found her contact information and started to come up with an excuse for using them. I went in my car but let my mind do the driving and suddenly I was at the earth angels house. I wanted to knock on her door so bad but I couldn't. Instead I just sat in my car outside her house. I sat there until the sun came up and then I sat there some more. In fact I sat there for so long I didn't got to work.
I must have been dozing of because I jolted awake by the sound of a door slamming. Her front door. I looked at my watch and it was way past midnight. I had seven missed calls from work but I turned off my phone. Elouise walked passed my seemingly unnoticeable car and went down the road.
I got out and followed her. I don't know why I just couldn't help it. It was as if I wasn't in control of my body.
She, well we, walked for about ten minutes when we came to an abandoned factory building that had a large entry with hinges and locks on it.
Even though it was pitch black out and no one, except me, was around, she didn't seem at all scared. She walked around the building and while I hid in a bush I heard knocking and a screech as the door she knocked on opened. She went inside and I followed shortly after.
My mind was racing and my heart felt like it was gonna jump out of my chest.
"Why is this beautiful creature here all alone?" I thought to myself and went inside.
I shouldn't have followed. I shouldn't have lurked. I should have been at home in my bed after a days work but I loved her the moment words came out of her mouth formed by her rose red lips. So I had to follow. I had to lurk because I had to have her and to hold her for all eternity.
The old factory building smelled like urine and worse and I almost gagged. Elouise went down a dark corridor and entered a large room. As I hid behind a pillar I observed people in the back of the room. There where candles illuminating their spot and I saw they had mattresses, blankets, a hot plate and stuff like that. They seemed to be a family. Two kids, both girls, at about 6-8 years old and a woman and a man.
I hadn't noticed until now, the shoulder bag Elouise was wearing. She took a brown paperbag out of it and handed it to the couple. I heard them thank her profusely and saw them give her a hug. My stomach turned and I felt sorta jealous.
I was still hiding when the love of my life went back out into the night. Before I followed I saw the family take some cans and stuff out of the paper bag. Elouise that amazing being had brought them food. I told you she was kind.
I followed her home and was just about to go back to my car when Elouise went inside her house without locking her door. I know this, because after she closed it I had my ear pinned up to it in hopes of hearing her voice again.
I just stood there. Again speechless and at last I went ever so gently inside not making even the slightest sound.
I heard water running. She was in the shower. Can you imagine the feelings I felt knowing that my soulmate was naked and wet with hot steaming water?
I knew I should have gone home. I knew I shouldn't have peeked. But I just couldn't help myself. I had to see her the way God created her. I had to touch her naked, and without a doubt, soft skin. So I went into her bathroom. Quietly. I wanted to pull the shower curtain aside but I couldn't.
Instead I found her bedroom and I climbed into her bed and waited. And waited and then I waited some more. Daylight arrived and she still wasn't next to me. The water was still running. I had to check on her. I couldn't have something happen to her. Not before I could get my hands on her.
On the bathroom floor laid my beautiful Elouise blood running slowly out of her head like melting butter on a piece of toast. She wasn't breathing. I was going to call an ambulance anonymously but I still felt like I would have a problem explaining why I was in her home since I was a mere stranger.
So I turned on my phone again and her laptop, which didn't have a password (It must have been fate), found her facebook and send her a friend request from my phone. I accepted it from her computer and then I wrote some messages between us on messenger. I made them sound romantic like we had that relationship we were meant to. But I got way into it and time flew by. I didn't bother eating or drinking or even going to the toilet and then I realized that it had been to whole days.
I didn't care though. I kept on writhing messages between us, building up our love and life and intern jokes and I didn't stop until I felt the cold steel from the handcuffs the police put around my wrists. I screamed and cried but they were brutal and didn't care.
They eventually found that the cause of death was a slip and fall. Elouise had hit her head and died. Her surveillance cameras showed me laying in her bed the moment she fall and died.
They didn't let me go because they said I had been defiling her corpse. That couldn't be further from the truth. I made love to my Elouise. And that is not disgusting. It's the most beautiful thing in the world. Also I got charged with breaking in, stalking and for waiting to long to contact law enforcement.
They said I couldn't go to prison. They said I was dangerous. Nonsense. But now I'm here in the asylum. They give me pills three times a day. I hide them under my tongue, like I hid under Elouise's blankets, and spit them out when the nurse leave.
The say I won't get out for a very long time. But I know where her body is buried and when I get out I will make love to my sweet angel again. Until then I can make plenty a do with her pinky finger, that they did see me cut of off her but didn't see me swallow.
2024.06.09 01:29 Kioga101 The Ancient Weapons and Possible Real-life Equivalents
The Ancient Weapons. Supposedly weapons of mass destruction that led the front of the Void Century War, so powerful as to erase an island on a single use and raise the world's water levels by meters. We have over the years received small amounts of information on them, and as of 1117 I believe that we can make a pretty solid guess as to what they do (or can do), and as every piece of fiction is an abstraction of the real world and the author's thoughts, I found it interesting to try and relate the ancient weapons with real world weapons that have been planned and researched over the years... Plus a few bonuses because why not. I'm basically just compiling and resuming dozens of wikipedia articles so feel free to go there to know more.
Fleet with four aircraft carriers.
Now, Aircraft Carriers. They don't translate very well to One Piece, after all they have not discovered planes and that technology -- Pluton could have a fleet of aircraft inside of it but in my opinion that's reaching -- yet. It doesn't need to go that far either.
The biggest publicized aircraft carriers, according to the Wikipedia, are about 320 meters in length or about 1050 something feet on average. The longest one ever being the latest USS Enterprise -- the first ever nuclear powered aircraft carrier inaugurated in 1958 -- which is now decommissioned and the biggest and still active ship being the USS Gerald R. Ford that replaced the Enterprise with its class of ships (the class is named after the lead ship). Through my research, aircraft carriers can be as small as 234,40 meters (769ft) but the aircraft carrier exclusive size, the one where only aircraft carriers have is about 300 meters long (~984 ft) and higher.
USS Gerald R. Ford.
These ships are known for the cream of the crop, and their ability to serve as a hangar for other ships, most commonly aircraft. But that's not all they have in store. general features of an aircraft carrier:
USS Iwo Jima, an Amphibious Assault Ship type Aircraft Carrier.
What does this all mean?
This means that if Pluton is indeed inspired on an aircraft carrier, you can expect something with the qualities I described like carrying aircraft could be carrying other regular ships instead; the island of the ship could actually be an island; it could shoot missiles instead of cannonballs or lasers; it could have a robot crew operating it (like those in Enel's cover story) or a super autonomous klabautermann; it could have built-in detection systems for Sea Kings, ships and people; it could make Den Den Mushi useless like the EM wave stuff does to comms; be powered by the mother flame if nuclear power is analogous to it... These are things that you can expect coming from the weapon when it is fully unveiled.
A classic panel, legendary even, showcasing the Sea Kings in their nest in the Calm Belt.
Still! There is a type of vehicle that is pretty much the king of sea warfare, and a type of soldier that works well with it. Poseidon can be a mixture of Nuclear Submarines, Shock Troopers, Frogmen and Commandos.
Nuclear submarine, and people on it!
Sea Kings are known to be very hard to detect underwater, and to be able to cause a lot of damage to a regular or unprepared ship. Sea Kings also grow in both size and intelligence with time, making these older Sea Kings powerful and smart chess pieces.
Nuclear submarines are made to be stealthy and to hold a lot of power with their torpedoes and missiles. They go undetected and strike critical hits on the enemy's fleet multiple times if possible. They can also allow for the infiltration into the enemy line, and advanced espionage. The fact they use nuclear power allows them to stay way more time deployed than a regular one that uses conventional fuel. Thankfully when it comes to features submarines like those are way simpler, not that they're not effective, they're very effective.
Another thing is that Nuclear Submarine CAN be armed with nuclear weapons. I don't know how that would translate to a Sea King.
Shock Troops are special troops made to lead an attack on the enemy. Hit first and hit hard, Commandos are special units that go behind the enemy line to do critical missions and Frogmen are combat swimmers that specialize in doing underwater combat, recon, tactical stuff.
a Frogman underwater.
They may even be able to influence ocean currents in some way, a virtue of their number and size. Poseidon is in a way simpler to interpret and understand than the other two, but it doesn't need it. Such a huge marine force can do a LOT in a world mostly made of islands.
The Lulusia Kingdom never... existed.
The first thing that comes to mind to a visual reader is a Laser Weapon, in real life they aren't all that crazy but fiction is different. DragonFire is a new weapon that is being developed by the British and is said to be used in their Royal Navy by 2027, Laser Defense Systems like the Israeli Iron Beam also come to mind. No doubt military all over the world are researching the possibility of making a super laser pointer to stop anything electronic that comes nearby, sadly, the melting/ vaporizing beam or even Cyclops "Punch Force" beams are not realistic. Laser technology is being developed as we speak and systems that allow for a reasonable charging and firing of a beam is in our futures, only that they'll stop missiles and drones and stuff, probably blind a bird or a pilot maybe. It takes too long for a laser to heat up something for a combat application like the ones in our dreams, it'll remain a thing of the future for a while. Nothing of that spy movie satellite laser stuff (at least not with lasers).
DragonFire being tested.
The first thing that comes to mind to a contextual reader is the Thermonuclear Weapon, a Nuke, I don't need to explain about nukes, everyone knows what it can do and how it gets there and stuff. Nowadays a nation can launch one of those bombs in a missile from strategically placed military bases that have been planned for the best mutual destruction possible. You can always put one in a plane and drop it or in the previously mentioned Nuclear Submarine. They're way more powerful than those infamous nuclear bombs from WW2, they're Hydrogen Bombs now, optimized nuclear fission made to instigate a chain reaction with the most available particle in the surface of Earth. It basically gets the air itself to release energy.
Now comes the fun part to me, finding other weapons besides the most obvious that could've been integrated into the design of Uranus. I'll make a list:
That's pretty much it. From what we know, whatever it was based on, it needs to move to be over the target and needs Mother Flame to work. It looks like a laser and it completely erases an island to an incredible depth.
submitted by Kioga101 to OnePieceSpoilers [link] [comments]
The Ancient Weapons:
PLUTON
Even though Pluton was revealed first, we know surprisingly little about it compared to the other weapons. That said, we know it is some sort of super ship with considerable power, enough to be thought of as unbeatable by anything other than another Ancient Weapon (which is what led to the preservation of Pluton's blueprints until Franky burned them). This makes it easy to make an educated guess because we do already have something of the sort in the real world, something that Oda "surprisingly" hasn't really used in his story's naval combat. I'm talking about aircraft carriers and their general class of ship. The modern flagship of a modern fleet. Until now, we haven't seen anything beyond battleships in the story.Fleet with four aircraft carriers.
Now, Aircraft Carriers. They don't translate very well to One Piece, after all they have not discovered planes and that technology -- Pluton could have a fleet of aircraft inside of it but in my opinion that's reaching -- yet. It doesn't need to go that far either.
The biggest publicized aircraft carriers, according to the Wikipedia, are about 320 meters in length or about 1050 something feet on average. The longest one ever being the latest USS Enterprise -- the first ever nuclear powered aircraft carrier inaugurated in 1958 -- which is now decommissioned and the biggest and still active ship being the USS Gerald R. Ford that replaced the Enterprise with its class of ships (the class is named after the lead ship). Through my research, aircraft carriers can be as small as 234,40 meters (769ft) but the aircraft carrier exclusive size, the one where only aircraft carriers have is about 300 meters long (~984 ft) and higher.
USS Gerald R. Ford.
These ships are known for the cream of the crop, and their ability to serve as a hangar for other ships, most commonly aircraft. But that's not all they have in store. general features of an aircraft carrier:
- Arresting GeaLaunch Systems: basically help planes land on and launch from the hangar on the deck of the ship;
- Huge crews are needed to use it, like thousands of people, even with the help of modern automation (like 2017 stuff), the Ford still needs 2600 sailors to operate;
- Missiles: they can launch missiles from it, they're generally there to intercept aircraft and other missiles, generally integrated into the Ship Self-Defense System, which is pretty much what you think it is;
- Advanced radar systems to detect whatever's nearby underwater and above water;
- The cool ones are nuclear powered. Most of the energy goes to Electromagnetic warfare (it isn't railguns, it's taking over the EM waves aka destroying the enemy's communication network and stuff, essential for this type of combat);
- They have stealth technologies in them. In real life it's to make the ship look smaller than it is through detection systems, because there is no making such a huge thing completely invisible;
- The ability to carry a lot of aircraft. Gerry Ford can carry up to 90 airships, and they're not puny aircraft, it's the stuff that can do stuff;
- Versatility: having what is ostensibly a moving island allows for a lot more than just war. Diplomacy (mostly intimidation diplomacy), transport, humanitarian aid are all on the table;
- These ships were built to be fast, as fast as they can be of course. Gerry reaches 30 knots (56km/h or 35 mph) and you really don't want to know how much force that is, considering a carrier displaces 100000 tons of water to be afloat (that's a lot);
- Electric Armor: it's a new type of reactive armor, before we used explosives to dissipate kinetic impacts but now we could make the hull a huge isolated capacitor that will deflect and vaporize whatever tries to penetrate the ship into doing less damage. Basically, you shoot it and the bullet is shot back and evaporate mid flight instead of completing its trajectory;
- Free-electron laser: Real life laser beams made through fancy science. No they don't do a tenth of what you think it does, it's thought to be used to scramble missile and aircraft systems by sending waves of radiation at them (not X-ray radiation necessarily, the broader definition), basically breaking frying the hardware in them.
USS Iwo Jima, an Amphibious Assault Ship type Aircraft Carrier.
What does this all mean?
This means that if Pluton is indeed inspired on an aircraft carrier, you can expect something with the qualities I described like carrying aircraft could be carrying other regular ships instead; the island of the ship could actually be an island; it could shoot missiles instead of cannonballs or lasers; it could have a robot crew operating it (like those in Enel's cover story) or a super autonomous klabautermann; it could have built-in detection systems for Sea Kings, ships and people; it could make Den Den Mushi useless like the EM wave stuff does to comms; be powered by the mother flame if nuclear power is analogous to it... These are things that you can expect coming from the weapon when it is fully unveiled.
POSEIDON
Poseidon is a living person, and she commands Sea Kings. It is the ancient weapon we probably know the most about. It is also the one that is a bit weird to translate to a real world weapon as Sea Kings and sea creatures, alive and stuff. We don't have a fleet of secret specially trained Dolphins or something irl... probably.A classic panel, legendary even, showcasing the Sea Kings in their nest in the Calm Belt.
Still! There is a type of vehicle that is pretty much the king of sea warfare, and a type of soldier that works well with it. Poseidon can be a mixture of Nuclear Submarines, Shock Troopers, Frogmen and Commandos.
Nuclear submarine, and people on it!
Sea Kings are known to be very hard to detect underwater, and to be able to cause a lot of damage to a regular or unprepared ship. Sea Kings also grow in both size and intelligence with time, making these older Sea Kings powerful and smart chess pieces.
Nuclear submarines are made to be stealthy and to hold a lot of power with their torpedoes and missiles. They go undetected and strike critical hits on the enemy's fleet multiple times if possible. They can also allow for the infiltration into the enemy line, and advanced espionage. The fact they use nuclear power allows them to stay way more time deployed than a regular one that uses conventional fuel. Thankfully when it comes to features submarines like those are way simpler, not that they're not effective, they're very effective.
Another thing is that Nuclear Submarine CAN be armed with nuclear weapons. I don't know how that would translate to a Sea King.
Shock Troops are special troops made to lead an attack on the enemy. Hit first and hit hard, Commandos are special units that go behind the enemy line to do critical missions and Frogmen are combat swimmers that specialize in doing underwater combat, recon, tactical stuff.
a Frogman underwater.
They may even be able to influence ocean currents in some way, a virtue of their number and size. Poseidon is in a way simpler to interpret and understand than the other two, but it doesn't need it. Such a huge marine force can do a LOT in a world mostly made of islands.
URANUS
The newest one to be teased and the first one we got to see working! From high above it strikes dozens and dozens of strikes, each a beam of apparent red light that razes the target until all that remains is a huge hole in the sea. It is confirmed to lead to a rise in sea levels!The Lulusia Kingdom never... existed.
The first thing that comes to mind to a visual reader is a Laser Weapon, in real life they aren't all that crazy but fiction is different. DragonFire is a new weapon that is being developed by the British and is said to be used in their Royal Navy by 2027, Laser Defense Systems like the Israeli Iron Beam also come to mind. No doubt military all over the world are researching the possibility of making a super laser pointer to stop anything electronic that comes nearby, sadly, the melting/ vaporizing beam or even Cyclops "Punch Force" beams are not realistic. Laser technology is being developed as we speak and systems that allow for a reasonable charging and firing of a beam is in our futures, only that they'll stop missiles and drones and stuff, probably blind a bird or a pilot maybe. It takes too long for a laser to heat up something for a combat application like the ones in our dreams, it'll remain a thing of the future for a while. Nothing of that spy movie satellite laser stuff (at least not with lasers).
DragonFire being tested.
The first thing that comes to mind to a contextual reader is the Thermonuclear Weapon, a Nuke, I don't need to explain about nukes, everyone knows what it can do and how it gets there and stuff. Nowadays a nation can launch one of those bombs in a missile from strategically placed military bases that have been planned for the best mutual destruction possible. You can always put one in a plane and drop it or in the previously mentioned Nuclear Submarine. They're way more powerful than those infamous nuclear bombs from WW2, they're Hydrogen Bombs now, optimized nuclear fission made to instigate a chain reaction with the most available particle in the surface of Earth. It basically gets the air itself to release energy.
Now comes the fun part to me, finding other weapons besides the most obvious that could've been integrated into the design of Uranus. I'll make a list:
- MARAUDER: The Magnetically Accelerated Ring to Achieve Ultra-high Directed Energy and Radiation was a project for a plasma railgun. Launching a few miligrams of plasma at super high speeds and heat. it is said that these projectiles could reach 3% of the speed of light, and that these small projectiles could hold 5 pounds of TNT worth of energy. It obviously released a lot of kinetic and thermal energy on impact. It had an added bonus of scrambling electronics on contact. This project was a 90s thing, and doesn't exist anymore (the launcher was probably too bulky and costly for what could be substituted by 5 pounds of TNT in a mortar)
- Howitzer: A mix between a cannon and a mortar. It launches mostly explosive projectiles super high up, and they hit their targets on their fall, allowing them to be sent super far too. A bit of math makes it a staple of modern bombardment technology with precision;
- Bombers: a type of plane that instead of shooting a bomb in a huge arc trajectory from the ground, simply decided to drop it right above the enemy's head in a smaller arc trajectory, even a straight trajectory in the right perspective;
- Kinetic Orbital Strikes: it has various names, "Thor", "The Rods from God", "Hypervelocity Rod Bundles"... It all is the same thing pretty much, just go up to space with some very heavy rods, make the rocket/satellite/whatever go to the target, and drop those extremely heavy rods on them from space, bonus if you attach a turbine to the back. It's actually quite effective, as simple as it is. You can also do it by launching it like a missile. A few tungsten rods at high speeds are basically a meteor strike. People don't really do this because precision is bad with all the interference of the atmosphere and the elements and bringing a bunch of very heavy metal rods up to space is costly, more costly than just launching the equivalent amount of TNT through a howitzer. There are advantages though, it's very hard to defend against a metal rod falling down at Mach 10, its 11 tons of TNT on impact (which is cheaper to launch than doing all this);
- Sun Gun: it's theoretical, but I thought to put it here. If you've ever heard of Archimedes' heat ray, this is a turbo version of that. Put a very good and specialized mirror on a satellite, and burn whatever you aim at like those children that found out a focusing lens can burn stuff from space. Can also be made with a ton of not as awesome reflectors scattered around focusing on the same place. It can boil oceans and burn cities theoretically. I believe that the development of this one was stopped by one of the treaties, looks like more environmental damage than necessary;
- FOBS: Fractional Orbital Bombardment System: Imagine what the Kinetic Orbital Strike does, but instead of heavy metal it's conventional or nukes. That's it. They can't do it directly from space like a KOS because of treaties but they have a system to accurately launch a nuke from their sites to pretty much anywhere relevant in the world. It's a huge political thing, gives a lot of intimidation power and these FOBS are like a loophole in the treaties that lets nations have a nuke at standby;
That's pretty much it. From what we know, whatever it was based on, it needs to move to be over the target and needs Mother Flame to work. It looks like a laser and it completely erases an island to an incredible depth.
BONUS:
- SMILEY(H2S and SHINOKUNI): A living chemical weapon. H2S is Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S, a real chemical that well, acts as the regular chemical weapon, has the smell of rotten egg and does pretty much everything it is shown in the anime. Shinokuni has a resemblance to a volcanic eruption, without the heat and intensity, covering everything in a layer of solid stuff. Difference is, it leads to a slow death to poison instead of what the people at Pompeii went through;
- NHC10: A highly addictive drug, used to control the children in Punk Hazard. It is how addiction is in real life, and how weaponizing it would work if it wasn't out of the picture and impractical;
- RAIN POWDER: Classic Weather Manipulation. Such practices have long been banned for malicious purposes, but it is possible to seed clouds for example. Silver Iodide is a known chemical that when powdered onto clouds will cause them to gather and eventually rain down. It is Rain Powder in real life;
- MH5: Another Chemical Weapon, used by illustrious pirate Don Krieg;
- DEATHPIEA/RAIGO: Curiously, Enel razing an island is very possible the way he did it. That's because the islands he razed were made of clouds and those are indeed susceptible to the huge electromagnetic blast he concocted. Of course, real earth wouldn't dissipate from it but his powers are indeed dangerous in a cloud layer like that of Skypiea;
- BUSTER CALL: Classical bombardment, used a long time ago, still used now. Just blow up a place until it is gone;
- JACK OF THE DROUGHT: Jack is known to cause destruction wherever the goes. That destruction has earned him the nickname of The Drought, as he not only wrecks the place he also leaves it infertile. Doing such things is not a thing you do normally in war, as you generally use the resources conquered to conquer more resources. Russia won against Napoleon and the German by doing that, depriving the land of food and water, breaking homes as they ran further into their territory and letting the cold environment and basic necessities suck the opponent dry, making the opponent too feeble to win. If only regular people were taken into consideration when poisoning the water supply and razing wheat fields;
- KAIDO OF THE BEASTS/MARS: They can shoot extremely destructive lasers. That's more than a lot of weapons;
- SATURN: His stun power resembles a concussive grenade or a stun grenade, as he can immobilize people in an area around him.
2024.06.09 00:57 s0ybeann not sure where to go from here
so, forgive me for a long and difficult post. TRIGGER WARNING FOR WEIGHT TALK, DIET TALK, NUMBERS, AND ED MENTIONS
i'm 24nb and i've literally never been at peace with food. ever since i was a kid, i would eat until someone had to stop me. i cared a lot about my health and weight for most of my life, but that didnt stop me from constantly binge eating. by the time i was 13 i was having daily binges after school.
i've tried every diet under the sun, i've tried binge eating recovery a million times, i've found myself on pro-ed blogs and forums out of desperation. i have a near encyclopedic knowledge of nutrition and eating disorders at this point.
i avoid doctor's visits because my blood pressure is high and i have high liver enzyme levels. my heart is constantly racing and i'm physically extremely out of shape.
i used to see a non-diet dietician, but lately i've found myself cancelling all of my appointments because i feel like i just give up on her advice halfway through the week because i'd rather be eating buldak noodles with kimchi and nothing else. i also just felt like her advice was... idk, not extreme enough? i feel like i have to address my health problems at full force, instead of just "adding more protein and veggies to my normal diet."
the thing about my normal diet is that it's an obscene amount of food. i'm consistently over 3-4 thousand calories and i'm consistently gaining weight. i weigh roughly 350 lbs and am very top heavy. i feel suffocated when i lay down sometimes.
what makes it even more complicated is that i have a constantly shifting body image, probably from my raging bpd. some days i feel like a beautiful plus size goddex. i feel like my body is adorable. i like being fat. but other days, i'm just so sick of not fitting clothes or chairs or bathtubs that i really start to hate myself. i cant make up my mind on what body i would feel most comfortable in. i find myself staring at pictures of other peoples bodies and comparing them to mine, which i know is unhealthy and wrong, but it just takes up so much brain space.
another smaller detail to mention is that i am a sensory seeking autistic person and enjoy strong flavours and sensations, so when i want to feel satisfied, i turn to food.
now that i've explained my situation, here's a more consice list of questions i have to ask:
1) how do i work with my ravenous appetite? 2) how do i choose the right path and stick to it? 3) how can i be gentle with myself while still taking steps towards improving my health?
thanks for listening, and i'm sorry if this was triggering to read. i'm just not sure where else to go.
submitted by s0ybeann to BingeEatingDisorder [link] [comments]
i'm 24nb and i've literally never been at peace with food. ever since i was a kid, i would eat until someone had to stop me. i cared a lot about my health and weight for most of my life, but that didnt stop me from constantly binge eating. by the time i was 13 i was having daily binges after school.
i've tried every diet under the sun, i've tried binge eating recovery a million times, i've found myself on pro-ed blogs and forums out of desperation. i have a near encyclopedic knowledge of nutrition and eating disorders at this point.
i avoid doctor's visits because my blood pressure is high and i have high liver enzyme levels. my heart is constantly racing and i'm physically extremely out of shape.
i used to see a non-diet dietician, but lately i've found myself cancelling all of my appointments because i feel like i just give up on her advice halfway through the week because i'd rather be eating buldak noodles with kimchi and nothing else. i also just felt like her advice was... idk, not extreme enough? i feel like i have to address my health problems at full force, instead of just "adding more protein and veggies to my normal diet."
the thing about my normal diet is that it's an obscene amount of food. i'm consistently over 3-4 thousand calories and i'm consistently gaining weight. i weigh roughly 350 lbs and am very top heavy. i feel suffocated when i lay down sometimes.
what makes it even more complicated is that i have a constantly shifting body image, probably from my raging bpd. some days i feel like a beautiful plus size goddex. i feel like my body is adorable. i like being fat. but other days, i'm just so sick of not fitting clothes or chairs or bathtubs that i really start to hate myself. i cant make up my mind on what body i would feel most comfortable in. i find myself staring at pictures of other peoples bodies and comparing them to mine, which i know is unhealthy and wrong, but it just takes up so much brain space.
another smaller detail to mention is that i am a sensory seeking autistic person and enjoy strong flavours and sensations, so when i want to feel satisfied, i turn to food.
now that i've explained my situation, here's a more consice list of questions i have to ask:
1) how do i work with my ravenous appetite? 2) how do i choose the right path and stick to it? 3) how can i be gentle with myself while still taking steps towards improving my health?
thanks for listening, and i'm sorry if this was triggering to read. i'm just not sure where else to go.
2024.06.09 00:33 Emailabuddy Mercury Square Pluto : Weekly Astrology Horoscope 10–16 Jun
𝗕𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁
The two rulers of Scorpio clash this week so I would have to come out of hibernation to talk about it considering they are my two rulers.
📖 Bookmark this post :
https://astrology-with-charu.medium.com/mercury-square-pluto-weekly-astrology-horoscope-10-16-jun-28aaeb1a3209
It’s needless to say this would be an intense week but intensity has a way of expression. Despite a lot of fear mongering on this poor transit which aims to get us off our relaxed Taurian behinds, I feel Saturn influence this week on Mercury can give us the sobering effect to make best use of it. Making this intensely productive week in my view but not the one of fun and luxury as love bombing of Venus and Jupiter might have made our mind slip into lala land. June is about to show us thousand shades of grey as it goes from all about Jupiter to all about Pluto & Saturn to Neptune to Saturn again as by end of month social planets are to slip into their retrograde journey - Saturn (29 Jun), then Neptune (2 July). One by one external influences affect us a lot this month but each leaves internal conflict of some form which we are left to resolve by ourselves as we would slip from communicative Gemini external talk season to being home with oneself Cancer season on 20th June. This internal conflict that external influences create within us is our driving force this week.
Before Neptune tries to make mush of my 29º Piscean Mercury I will try to get to point now. And despite my natural paranoid self, I would try to keep the remnant lesson of Neptune in Pisces transit - create from faith and not fear even though there is fear attached to this aspect in traditional thinking.
My Uranus ascendent won’t let you believe anything traditional. We wouldn’t make positive Taurean changes in external world where we value stability so much if our internal demons aren’t woken up by Pluto. Its the same place it all comes from - you packed it away due to social fear in the same damn place to hide from the light - your raw desires, “perceived” negative emotions, you need to control to the point of abuse, your need to gain power, your intensity, magnetism as well as sexual magnetism and your ability to make impossible happen - all categorised neatly labelled in one box of underworld demons - all repressed under social pressure never to ever see light of day.
Jupiter in Gemini was generous - said talk openly to me Pluto - I will elevate your darkness to a higher purpose. Your drive will serve a purpose, your anger and your need to control will also serve an elevated purpose. Demons let loose at large in the open light ready to seemingly take over the sacred Jupiter realm which expanded both the influence and somehow made us comfortable with being all we wanted. This created a verbal mind freak Frankenstein of a person which doesn’t fit the transitional Taurian mould does it. Demons roaming in light of day in Taurean light do not look pretty. Here comes the judgement and internal conflict. It’s always the first step of any real external change which would come when Mars Uranus will meet to swallow whole a part of our traditional set up on 15 July (week of). Uranus changes will never stick especially in Taurus (love, money, self worth, beauty) if Pluto our inner engineering is not disrupted. It somehow happens through a trauma but it does. Mars Uranus are suddenly earthquakey shifts which we would be gifted with every two years to change the surface of ground we stand so steady on in our financial world, in our love life, in our self concept, in our idea of what beautiful and what love is and what is worthy or not in our physical world. Pluto helps us dig something more meaningful than crypto gold by conflicting with the material or surface or vain value of this change. So called demons enrich us else we would all be bodies looking for something which would never satisfy the soul.
This need to feel something more than surface is what drives our demons out in the open creating the conflicts we would see this week. Need to have soul attached to a change, hunger for power attached to ambition, hunger control laced in love, edgey dark artist works enriched by emotions not socially accepted to be shown in light of day - they all make what we create now. It will conflict with some people’s values and idea of what “pretty” or “love” or “beauty” looks like and that people would be first you yourself. This is internal conflict, you are inflaming your own body by blocking a part of you - you have labelled as “demonic” due to what you were told cause Aquarian time had not come. Those demons would be normal in a progressive society but they are not today so what do we do this week - do we dress them up in socially acceptable clothing so we can take them out for dinner. If the Beast wears a three vested coat can he dance in a ball with Belle. When you love despite the fear is that deeper than Taurean physical relaxed love or just toxic intensity of forbidden fruit. When you create from a place of trauma and damage is that you being honest in art or just spewing your dysfunction to masses. When you put your foot down to control your ideas and assets instead of freely sharing with traditional institutions are your being a recluse or are you breaking the hierarchy of old institutional structures. When your almost teenage daughter starts looking at black mascara is she acting up or just trying to express her not so nice girl which later can come out in more damaging ways. Perfection in beauty is the most repressive thing in the world - any very symmetrical Libran family can vouch for that. The glossed over, airbrushed, filtered images have made us believe anything else is not pretty. Damage is concealed. Though may be we shouldn’t be looking for soul on tik tok.
That brings me to the point. Are you looking for depth in wrong places. My father once said and he has never been wrong, your profession and passion may never be the same and should not be. He never said to not pursue them both but the concept of it - wanting one thing to be everything. The beast had to turn into the prince for happy ending. Aquarian age solutions might be different - blessing is we have a choice in today’s day and age to possibly pursue both. That’s what Gemini season and Sun Saturn is for - making those new or multi prong approach to get what you want to come to solid life. So first step is to give yourself grace in anger this week when you feel this intensity within yourself of being dissatisfied that traditional ways aren’t giving you the satisfaction of the soul, they were not designed for it - their concept will change overtime as Uranus adds more liberal views and freedom of thought to them. Observe the source of dissatisfaction and see if there are other outlets for the passion which doesn’t make one thing everything. Mars Pluto has the power to move mountains - you could change people’s mind - crypto is everything money, wild passion should be daily part of marriage with a stable not violent human being, you can wear goth make up in your 60s and it would still be cute, billionaires can be quickly made without nefarious plans or having one programmed for power and comfortable with the dark, popular art needs to be as complicated as this article - it wont happen it doesn’t. So we do both we have pop astrology and we have real talk. One makes money and one hopefully feeds the soul, duality of Gemini Jupiter makes us open to more than one options to help our demons run free and give them life to feed us. Can you feed off it and create something meaningful and lucrative both. Accepting that part of what you do would be profession and part would be passion.
That’s the thing with demons - once they have been shown light of day, they get over themselves and transform over time. Whether you verbalise them with help of Jupiter and Mercury in Gemini - I need this, I would like this, I would put my foot down for this, I need ambition, I need more, I need more passion, I need a bit of drama, I need a bit of this which I know is not socially accepted but it is what it is. You will find a way to express it - thats what Gemini season is for and thats what this year of Jupiter in Gemini is for. We should be physically careful but repression of whats coming out of you is not the answer. There is a reason Jupiter held hands with Pluto taking it out in the light. Cause that place where you hid everything away also had your personal power. They call it kundalini release for a reason.
Writing this article has given me a migraine hopefully someone reads it and it can bring comfort to atleast one self condemning person. (Sorry for spelling mistakes, cant edit it I cant see anymore due to ocular migraine)
Love Charu ♥️
submitted by Emailabuddy to WorkingonitAstrology [link] [comments]
The two rulers of Scorpio clash this week so I would have to come out of hibernation to talk about it considering they are my two rulers.
📖 Bookmark this post :
https://astrology-with-charu.medium.com/mercury-square-pluto-weekly-astrology-horoscope-10-16-jun-28aaeb1a3209
It’s needless to say this would be an intense week but intensity has a way of expression. Despite a lot of fear mongering on this poor transit which aims to get us off our relaxed Taurian behinds, I feel Saturn influence this week on Mercury can give us the sobering effect to make best use of it. Making this intensely productive week in my view but not the one of fun and luxury as love bombing of Venus and Jupiter might have made our mind slip into lala land. June is about to show us thousand shades of grey as it goes from all about Jupiter to all about Pluto & Saturn to Neptune to Saturn again as by end of month social planets are to slip into their retrograde journey - Saturn (29 Jun), then Neptune (2 July). One by one external influences affect us a lot this month but each leaves internal conflict of some form which we are left to resolve by ourselves as we would slip from communicative Gemini external talk season to being home with oneself Cancer season on 20th June. This internal conflict that external influences create within us is our driving force this week.
Before Neptune tries to make mush of my 29º Piscean Mercury I will try to get to point now. And despite my natural paranoid self, I would try to keep the remnant lesson of Neptune in Pisces transit - create from faith and not fear even though there is fear attached to this aspect in traditional thinking.
My Uranus ascendent won’t let you believe anything traditional. We wouldn’t make positive Taurean changes in external world where we value stability so much if our internal demons aren’t woken up by Pluto. Its the same place it all comes from - you packed it away due to social fear in the same damn place to hide from the light - your raw desires, “perceived” negative emotions, you need to control to the point of abuse, your need to gain power, your intensity, magnetism as well as sexual magnetism and your ability to make impossible happen - all categorised neatly labelled in one box of underworld demons - all repressed under social pressure never to ever see light of day.
Jupiter in Gemini was generous - said talk openly to me Pluto - I will elevate your darkness to a higher purpose. Your drive will serve a purpose, your anger and your need to control will also serve an elevated purpose. Demons let loose at large in the open light ready to seemingly take over the sacred Jupiter realm which expanded both the influence and somehow made us comfortable with being all we wanted. This created a verbal mind freak Frankenstein of a person which doesn’t fit the transitional Taurian mould does it. Demons roaming in light of day in Taurean light do not look pretty. Here comes the judgement and internal conflict. It’s always the first step of any real external change which would come when Mars Uranus will meet to swallow whole a part of our traditional set up on 15 July (week of). Uranus changes will never stick especially in Taurus (love, money, self worth, beauty) if Pluto our inner engineering is not disrupted. It somehow happens through a trauma but it does. Mars Uranus are suddenly earthquakey shifts which we would be gifted with every two years to change the surface of ground we stand so steady on in our financial world, in our love life, in our self concept, in our idea of what beautiful and what love is and what is worthy or not in our physical world. Pluto helps us dig something more meaningful than crypto gold by conflicting with the material or surface or vain value of this change. So called demons enrich us else we would all be bodies looking for something which would never satisfy the soul.
This need to feel something more than surface is what drives our demons out in the open creating the conflicts we would see this week. Need to have soul attached to a change, hunger for power attached to ambition, hunger control laced in love, edgey dark artist works enriched by emotions not socially accepted to be shown in light of day - they all make what we create now. It will conflict with some people’s values and idea of what “pretty” or “love” or “beauty” looks like and that people would be first you yourself. This is internal conflict, you are inflaming your own body by blocking a part of you - you have labelled as “demonic” due to what you were told cause Aquarian time had not come. Those demons would be normal in a progressive society but they are not today so what do we do this week - do we dress them up in socially acceptable clothing so we can take them out for dinner. If the Beast wears a three vested coat can he dance in a ball with Belle. When you love despite the fear is that deeper than Taurean physical relaxed love or just toxic intensity of forbidden fruit. When you create from a place of trauma and damage is that you being honest in art or just spewing your dysfunction to masses. When you put your foot down to control your ideas and assets instead of freely sharing with traditional institutions are your being a recluse or are you breaking the hierarchy of old institutional structures. When your almost teenage daughter starts looking at black mascara is she acting up or just trying to express her not so nice girl which later can come out in more damaging ways. Perfection in beauty is the most repressive thing in the world - any very symmetrical Libran family can vouch for that. The glossed over, airbrushed, filtered images have made us believe anything else is not pretty. Damage is concealed. Though may be we shouldn’t be looking for soul on tik tok.
That brings me to the point. Are you looking for depth in wrong places. My father once said and he has never been wrong, your profession and passion may never be the same and should not be. He never said to not pursue them both but the concept of it - wanting one thing to be everything. The beast had to turn into the prince for happy ending. Aquarian age solutions might be different - blessing is we have a choice in today’s day and age to possibly pursue both. That’s what Gemini season and Sun Saturn is for - making those new or multi prong approach to get what you want to come to solid life. So first step is to give yourself grace in anger this week when you feel this intensity within yourself of being dissatisfied that traditional ways aren’t giving you the satisfaction of the soul, they were not designed for it - their concept will change overtime as Uranus adds more liberal views and freedom of thought to them. Observe the source of dissatisfaction and see if there are other outlets for the passion which doesn’t make one thing everything. Mars Pluto has the power to move mountains - you could change people’s mind - crypto is everything money, wild passion should be daily part of marriage with a stable not violent human being, you can wear goth make up in your 60s and it would still be cute, billionaires can be quickly made without nefarious plans or having one programmed for power and comfortable with the dark, popular art needs to be as complicated as this article - it wont happen it doesn’t. So we do both we have pop astrology and we have real talk. One makes money and one hopefully feeds the soul, duality of Gemini Jupiter makes us open to more than one options to help our demons run free and give them life to feed us. Can you feed off it and create something meaningful and lucrative both. Accepting that part of what you do would be profession and part would be passion.
That’s the thing with demons - once they have been shown light of day, they get over themselves and transform over time. Whether you verbalise them with help of Jupiter and Mercury in Gemini - I need this, I would like this, I would put my foot down for this, I need ambition, I need more, I need more passion, I need a bit of drama, I need a bit of this which I know is not socially accepted but it is what it is. You will find a way to express it - thats what Gemini season is for and thats what this year of Jupiter in Gemini is for. We should be physically careful but repression of whats coming out of you is not the answer. There is a reason Jupiter held hands with Pluto taking it out in the light. Cause that place where you hid everything away also had your personal power. They call it kundalini release for a reason.
Writing this article has given me a migraine hopefully someone reads it and it can bring comfort to atleast one self condemning person. (Sorry for spelling mistakes, cant edit it I cant see anymore due to ocular migraine)
Love Charu ♥️
2024.06.09 00:03 LordIlthari The Dragon Princess Chapter 3: Great Drama
Thus, wounded, and less victorious than they might have preferred, but victorious nonetheless, the royal three returned to the Macedonian capital. The army returned to Philopolis in triumph, the trio at their head. Leonidas on a replacement for his slain mare, Cassandra astride a titanic black stallion which was exclusively used for parades, and Seramis in her full diluvian glory. Cassandra might have been disappointed that the battle hadn’t been as decisive as she preferred, but she wasn’t about to miss an opportunity for propaganda.
So the group returned to the cheers of their people, the cavalry shining in the summer sun, and the army marching in strict formation. Trumpets heralded their return. Banners flew from the corners of houses. The men sang bawdy songs, as is the tradition of soldiers. Not a spec of blood or rust nor dust was allowed, presenting the image of a spotless, unconquered army. It was all a magnificent production. It was all a lovely welcome home.
When Seramis had first seen Philopolis and Macedon, it had been a very different place. The realm had struck her as grey, very grey, and a place without much beauty. Then, under the rule of the wicked regent Tyndareus, it was a place of iron and blood, a totalitarian state dedicated primarily to a massive conscript army. The hills had been torn open by great pit mines for iron and copper. The forests had been cut down to fuel the fires of industry. The fields were endless, uniform masses of oats, grain, and hay, worked by uncounted slaves, or landless peasants just a bit better than slaves. Over it all, the ancient fortress of the Alexandrian dynasty had loomed as a great edifice; a leviathan of hewn stone and barred windows representing the absolute military power that held all of it in place.
Now, two years hence, it was more alike to how she had first found it than she would have preferred. But transforming a society was hardly a swift process, and the work done was already substantial. Once the place had been a land of iron and blood, and though industry remained, now the smell of olive oil, the sound of potters wheels, and the hawking of merchants filled the air. The monolithic collective farms had shattered into a patchwork quilt of small holdings. The men working them might still have brands, but they and the lands were their own.
Of course, there were still some great expanses of oats and wheat. Those were Cassandra’s lands. She’d been generous with the lands she’d confiscated from the nobility, and in turn with their wealth which now filled her treasury. But she hadn’t given up any of her own family’s territory, and had expanded them substantially. Something like a quarter of the land in the country was the Queen’s personal fief, and she managed it very carefully. The economies of scale she alone had access to provided much needed stability for staple food prices during the transition from a slave-based command economy to a citizen market economy. Beyond that, the lands also provided a substantial portion of government income.
Said income was further complimented by a wide-scale reform to the tax structure. Rather than outsourcing the work to tax farmers, or to any nobility, as that had been liquidated, taxes were collected from a variety of small, but inescapable requirements. The primary tax was simply the surplus tax, an in-kind tax taken from all production. Farmers gave a share of their produce, potters a certain number of pots for each produced, blacksmiths a certain number of finished goods, and so on and so forth. Only the merchants would return hard currency from the surplus tax, the rest a great cross-section of produced goods. These in turn went into great warehouses, which the government might release from to control prices, or sell abroad to bring in further profits. The majority of currency entering the coffers either came from selling such produce, Cassandra’s personal lands, or a variety of import and consumption taxes. No less than a tenth of the entire bureaucracy was funded by the consumption taxes on oil and salt.
Of course managing all this was a good lead more complicated, not least of which because Cassandra had liquidated the aristocracy. This required a rather extensive increase in the bureaucracy, which brought in quite the expense of its own. Overall revenue was vastly increased from the reign of Tyndareus, and indeed all former kings of Macedon. The problem was that expenses had increased in turn. Macdeon was a military stratocracy, and Cassandra was in the process of trying to reform that into a sort of enlightened bureaucratic autocracy. The amount spent on papyrus alone nearly rivaled the payments to the many new government servants, which were not cheap. Educated men and women, able to read, understand the laws, and understand mathematics were not common, and commanded higher prices.
Cassandra had responded both by working to increase the supply of educated citizens, and cut costs in other areas. Firstly, she enacted a massive increase in education, beginning with the orphans of Macedon’s many wars and educating them. Secondly, she had begun offering to pay for the education of the children of public servants as part of their compensation. This allowed her to cut down on salaries and ensure a future educated workforce. Third and finally, she had begun to subsidize educators throughout the kingdom, and begun work to gather and copy many books and tomes to further improve the kingdom’s educational outcomes. Unfortunately, this was work that would take years to bear fruit.
The second arm of this had been to cut costs in other areas, most notably the military. Under Tyndareus, the Macedonian army had grown to a terrifying, if bloated, leviathan. Between the use of conscription, and counting reserves, the former army could have raised nearly thirty thousand men under arms. Cassandra had slashed that, and abolished conscription for the regular army. After intensive cuts, purging Tyndareus’s loyalists, and serious reforms including the near complete reconstruction of the Macedonian Cavalry Corps, the Macedonian Army now numbered a mere nine thousand, with the ability to call upon a further ten thousand former soldiers, now spread out to create a variety of local militias.
Leonidas had taken charge of many of these reforms, bringing in military advisors from Marathon and Achaea. The young prince, in his role as Minister of War, set to work with vigor to refine the Macedonian army down to its purest and strongest form. His high standards might have earned him ire, if not for the personal virtue and discipline he showed to meet those standards. He demanded the best not only from himself and his soldiers, but even from his suppliers and quartermasters. Most of the Macedonian military exports were those arms and armor he found below standard, though many less discerning customers would gladly accept them.
More than simply focusing on the logistics, Leonidas sought to infuse in his army a certain esprit de corps and moral focus. He drew heavily on the legendary philosopher Aristotle, particularly regarding that philosopher’s education of Iskandar, the famed conqueror king who had defined Macedon for the past two centuries. Outside the direct military applications, the young prince kept an eye on the future, sponsoring the growth of sports leagues throughout the kingdom, particularly a great hunting association. The Hunter’s Guild was a particular passion project of his, and he worked tirelessly not only to cultivate skilled hunters to recruit for his scouts, but also to preserve what remained of Macedon’s wild lands, ensuring game populations remained stable, and dangerous animals were quickly eliminated. The prince’s skill at the hunt had even earned him the right to attend the games at Olympus, though it was his mastery of wrestling that had seen him returned crowned with the ultimate honor of the laurels.
Such participation with the rest of the Hellene world had been part of Sera’s work. The young dragonness had held no official position at first, as Cassandra worked to develop her talents. Seramis had loathed etiquette as taught as a set of rules to be followed, but Cassandra revealed their nature as tools and tricks as part of the great game of politics. Allowed to treat the illusion of statecraft as just that, Seramis thrived. Soon appointed as Minister of State, her talent for gathering information, forming schemes, and comprehending languages saw her unleashed as Macedon’s greatest diplomat. All the while, her true title was one that delighted her greatly. Master of Shadows, she wielded the diplomatic corps and her own personal stable of agents like a scythe, harvesting a hoard of secrets she feasted upon. They became as arrows in her quiver, aiding her as she stood alongside Cassandra to carefully guide the ship of state.
On a much less sinister note, Seramis had engaged in quite public work to revitalize Macedon’s stagnating cultural sphere. The dragoness was chiefly known not even as a diplomat, let alone a spymaster, but rather as a patron of the arts. She courted and drew playwrights, actors, bards, conductors, and composers from across the world, placing a great deal of personal effort into producing a cosmopolitan cultural sphere. Though diplomacy, culture, and her eternal scheming, she worked to put the sword of Iskandar in a flowered sheath, in hopes it would never need to be drawn.
The peak of her work in that regard was a mere week away, a grand festival of the arts such as had not been seen in Macedon before. It would be a great festival as if that of the Athenians, now long brought to ruin. For the first time since the wars of the Diadochi, Hellas would come together to celebrate the arts. Naturally, Macedon would be participating, represented by Sera’s own personal theater company: The Mount Ararat Company.
Seramis quickly moved through her remaining business for the day. She met with the Master of Investigations and also her deputy, who had been working to manage her department while she had departed on campaign. Pleasantries were exchanged, and reports given. There was little new, but there was confirmation that the Latins, a curious people from across the western sea, would come to attend the festival. This would have been of little concern, if not for how they were coming.
A long-standing problem of the western coast had been the pirates of Illyria. These seafaring brigands proved a routine nuisance for not only Hellene trade, but all throughout the seas. Achaea and Macedon had both extended offer to the king of Illyria to come and help remove the pirates, but had been rejected. However when the Latins offered, the king accepted. So, the Latins came in force, bringing with them a four mighty legions of men, and crushed the pirate havens by attacking from the land. The problem was, they didn’t leave. While three of the legions returned to Italia, the fourth remained to protect against the return of the pirates, and to protect their Illyrian allies from Achaean or Macedonian aggression.
This was already a provocative move, as the barbarian army now sat on Hellene soil, diplomatically shielded by the cowardly Illyrian king. However, now the Latins made a further move. They had informed the court at Macedon previously that they wished to send a delegation to observe the festival and improve relations. All this was well and good, and naturally they did request to send bodyguards to protect the delegates. This was agreed, but the unscrupulous Latins had interpreted the mention of bodyguards broadly, and deployed a third of the legion infantry as “bodyguards”. Seramis’s reports indicated that these were in fact the Triarii, the third and strongest line, composed of veterans. The remainder of the legion remained encamped alongside the Ilyrian-Macedonian border.
The presence of the legion was concerning, to say the least. It numbered some four thousand five hundred men, about the size of a Macedonian army. The Macedonians held a local advantage, as they maintained two armies. One was directed northwards, towards the barbarians, and the other towards the east, to ward off their Selucid rivals. So they outnumbered the legion present two to one. However, the problem arose with the Latin’s ability to deploy a further three legions, which would reverse that advantage. With aid from Marathon, the Hellenes could match the Latin’s numbers, and with Achaean aid, they would outnumber them. Unfortunately, the Latins had spent much of their recent war with the Phoenicians of Carthage demonstrating an ability to raise new forces frighteningly quickly. Sera’s analysis suggested that if they wished to, they might be able to triple the might of their armies to twelve legions. The sheer military mass of the Latins would be enough to equal all Hellas, but Hellas was still divided, and some, such as the Illyrians, preferred them as allies to their fellow Hellenes.
The simple arithmetic of war indicated that if the Latins wished to conquer Hellas, they probably could. The simple arithmetic of war neglected to account for the power of dragons. But, Sera had observed, it was rare to lose money betting on the arrogance and avarice of humans. The fortunate side of dealing with the Latins was that for all their military might, they had a peculiar custom. They were permitted by ancient law and religious principle from launching a war of aggression, and so only declared war when they or their allies were threatened. This iron law of ancient Roman kings aught to have kept their swords sheathed, but in practice it often meant that an ambitious man of that city would seek to provoke an attack or aggression, that they might have reason for war. This incident with the “bodyguards” was likely such an attempt at provocation by a glory hound.
So, the trio met, and considered how to deal with this. It was decided that they would monitor the Latins closely, and place forces in such a way that they could not be aggressive, but would certainly be ready. The Army of the North was still recuperating from their recent battle with the Scythians, and would remain on standby in the capital to respond to any moves from the Latins or Scythians. At the same time, the northern militias would be stood up, and reinforced by militias from the south. These southern reinforcements would travel along the roads that would place them directly between the two parts of the Roman Legion, ensuring that if hostilities began, the separated legion would be able to be dealt with in parts. Unfortunately, Leon was unable to deploy as many of his scouts to that region as he would prefer, and Sera’s own intelligence assets were likewise pointed northwards. Better to deal with the actively aggressive barbarians, and then the imminently aggressive ones.
So, it was with great care, and no small amount of tension, that the Latin delegates arrived, joined by some three hundred of their Triarii. This was the first that Sera had seen of the Latins, and her initial impressions were somewhat mixed. They moved with distinct discipline, and were in all senses quite well ordered. The Triarii were older, veteran soldiers, generally more in their thirties. As such, they were somewhat more moderate, and avoided the wicked behavior common to many young soldiers. However, this rendered them with an increased air of unmistakable danger. Be wary of old men, even relatively old ones, in professions where men die young, and particularly of a soldier without an obvious vice.
The leader of the Latin delegation introduced himself to the court with a somewhat imperious nature. It likely would have been more imperious had Seramis not taken on her true form. It is difficult, even for a roman, to remain arrogant when there is a fourteen-foot-tall (measured at the shoulder) dragoness looking down at you. He declared himself as Military Tribune Gaius Mummius, representing the Praetor Lucius Cornelius in command of the IV Legion. Though the head of the delegation, he was simply that by right of his military rank. The actual diplomacy was handled by diplomats, not soldiers, though by their attitudes, Seramis might have taken them for sergeants in fancy togas. However, one who did catch her interest was distinct among the delegation, an old man, and truly old, dressed as a seer. He remained close by the ear of Gaius, and the tribune heeded him. Sera watched him warily, for she smelled magic on him, an old magician, and that would be trouble.
Despite her concerns, the Latins did not cause trouble, not even their old magician. They established a small camp for themselves outside the walls of the city, and largely kept to themselves. They came into the city only in small groups based around some member of their number who spoke Greek. They paid with honest coin, and seemed intrigued by the preparations for the festival. They seemed unusually preoccupied with finding barbers, as they were each clean-shaven, in contrast to the bearded Hellenes. Leonidas found this utterly hilarious, as he had spent more time than he would ever admit trying to find ways of improving his own facial hair. Now that it had finally come in, he spent more time managing his admittedly impressive beard than he ever had dealing with his actual hair. Sera, lacking any hair whatsoever, found the human preoccupation with it utterly confusing.
Bearded or otherwise, Hellene, Latin, and miscellaneous others soon came to attend the great drama festival. The idea of cancelling was briefly considered, and summarily rejected. Continuing to have a great celebration in the face of Latin provocation and Scythian Assault showed not only the power of the kingdom, that its people could act without concern, but also its prestige through mastery of the arts. The fact that many of the participants in the festival were from elsewhere in Hellas was politely overlooked. After all, Macedon had gathered them, and thus got credit.
The festival went on for three days, and proved to be a generally joyous, if somewhat chaotic time. Even the dour Latins eventually became swept up in the atmosphere. While this wasn’t technically a Bacchanalian festival, mostly due to the fact that Bacchus was very dead, it certainly carried some of that legacy. Of course the highlight, at least for men who considered them cultured, was the great drama productions. All manner of productions were put on display, from great recreations of the Athenian classics, to new twists, foreign productions, historical plays, retellings of myths, and of course many a comedic tragedy and initially tragic comedy.
Seramis’s own company had three productions, set into place over three days. The first two were well known, and practiced. Sera’s company had begun expediting the revitalization of the cultural scene with regular performances. Some of these had been well-worn classics, but the Mount Ararat Company would bring none of these to this stage. Instead, they brought two original, but already tested plays, and one of excellent ambition.
The first was a Satire, in the style of The Clouds which Sera had dubbed Tartarus. This piece was set in the depths of the underworld, that darkest pit where wicked men and monsters alike were tormented. These tormented souls took on the role of the choir, being intensely irritated by the antics of the four main players. Those four were of course the three great Greek philosophers: Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, and their own tormentor; Diogenes. The play largely consisted of the main three wandering through Tartarus, further tormenting the tormented souls with long winded and pedantic arguments about the torments they witnessed. All the while, Diogenes routinely appeared to torment them in turn. The play as a whole made light of philosophies, and generally teased out the problems with focusing overmuch on the world of the mind while actual suffering could be addressed.
This play was well received, for it was humorous and mocked philosophers, which few people cared for. The humor wavered between high and low brow, with both clever jokes sprinkled in amongst the arguments of the philosophers, and cruder humor delivered by the tormented souls and Diogenes. A certain degree of slapstick was involved as well, often involving a great paper-Mache boulder being rolled by Sisyphus.
The second of Sera’s plays was a somewhat grander production, though was likewise satirical. It turned the classic play Oedipus Rex somewhat on its head with The Choir’s Apologia. The original play was an archetypical tragedy, following the story of Oedipus, son of the King of Thebes. Due to a prophecy, his father cast him out to be slain, but he would live, and later unknowingly slay his father, and wed his mother. The play detailed how the gods smote the city with a plague as a result of this kinslaying and incest. Oedipus sought the answer to this, and in doing so discovered the terrible truth, and blinded himself for shame.
The Choir’s Apologia put a twist on this, as the Choir itself determines to get involved. This broke their usual role as mere background singers, and saw them take the stage to try and prevent the tragedy. The play played out as usual, but regularly, the mortal actors would freeze in place before a great event. The Choir would then step to center stage, and petition the gods for redress. First they asked Apollo, bidding him not deliver the ruinous prophecy, for without it nothing would come, but he rejected them. Next they implored Hermes to warn Oedipus against his folly, but Hermes declared he was helpless before Zeus. Finally, the Choir dared to approach Zeus himself, demanding that he cease to punish all Thebes for Oedipus’s mistake.
This proved a failure in the end, as Zeus rebuked them and struck the choir down one by one. The message was clear, that the gods were cruel and arbitrary, delivering unjust judgements. They did what they would, for they were strong, and the choir suffered what it must, for it was weak. At last only Oedipus remained, able now to see Zeus and his murder of the choir. Oedipus and Zeus contested one another in song, and while Zeus struck down the king, it was not before the hero doomed by prophecy delivered a defense and a prophecy of his own. Oedipus defended his record as king of Thebes, how he had overthrown a tyrant, protected his people, improved their lives, and sought their good even at terrible cost to himself. He, the one the gods judged, had been a better ruler than the gods. If indeed the gods would persist in their arbitrary wickedness, then one day this would be their doom, for the world would not abide such tyrants. Zeus struck him down, but went in dread because of the prophecy.
This production produced some degree of controversy. It always had, and such was the intent. It was well understood that the gods were dead, and Olympus was silent, but this play indicated such was not a bad thing. Given it was written by a dragoness, a natural enemy of the gods, the take was not unexpected. Beyond this, its use of another play as a framing device gave it a rather meta feel, and some found it pretentious. Others, by contrast, found the reframing of a classic play refreshing, and enjoyed the novelty of the choir acting as a major character.
The third play was a new production, and meant to be the one to blow the sandals off the audience. It was a bigger, grander, and of much more spectacular production values. All of this was in theory. In practice, it was put on at the end of three days of performances and partying, and became more of a farce than an epic. The Davidiad told the story of the legendary Hebrew king David, of both his rise to power and fall from grace. It was told in three acts, and all three had some manner of disaster.
The first act told of the heroic youth of David before he was king, and how he defeated the giant Goliath. Goliath himself was a complicated costume made by having three already tall men standing on one another’s shoulders. When struck by a sling, he was to topple over onto his army, which would catch the performers and prevent any harm. Unfortunately, due to an earlier scene involving David being anointed with oil, there was a slick patch on stage. Goliath’s lower third slipped, and the towering giant fell flat on his face and collapsed into himself in the middle of a monologue. This was considered absolutely hilarious by the audience, and Seramis, upon seeing this, physically shrank from embarrassment.
The second act saw the conflict between the good future king David and the wicked king Saul. Saul was meant to begin more coherent, but gradually jealousy and fear would twist him into wickedness. Unfortunately, Saul’s actor had been out late, and showed up to the production very hung over. This made Saul’s descent far more predictable and robbed the second act of much of its drama. Unfortunately, the actor in question attempted to remedy this by using a hangover cure involving undiluted wine. This made him less hungover, and more drunk, so Saul went from being scowling and sickly to very obviously drunk. This became a minor peril during a later scene where Saul threw his spear at David. Not only did Saul miss, as intended, but he proceeded to hurl the (thankfully fake) spear into the audience, where it proceeded to hit a man in the chest. He was unharmed, but believed he had been slain and fainted, causing a minor panic.
The third act was nearly canceled, but went ahead anyways. The cursed production continued to be cursed, as a major set piece exploded earlier. The third act was meant to show how the throne gradually corrupted David, and led him to murder a man to cover up an affair with his wife Bethsheba. This would climax with the death of a son produced from that affair, and the collapse of a great temple edifice David had been constructing. The play would end with David weeping, but repentant, and turning to begin rebuilding the ruined temple, representing his disgraced morality. Instead of this, the temple collapsed immediately the moment David and Bethsheba locked eyes, which somewhat gave the game away.
Sera did not bother to see the audience’s reaction when the curtain closed. She’d already left from sheer embarrassment. She was helping the troupe pack up, so the lot of them could scatter to cope with this catastrophe in their own way. Once the curtain closed and the actors departed the stage, she handed Saul his last payment, a polite, if curt, farewell, and departed. She avoided the rest of the festival, marinating in her disappointment at the bottom of a nearby lake.
Eventually, evening did come, and Sera slunk her way back into the city. She spoke briefly with her troupe, congratulating them on the work they did, and laboring to encourage their spirits. The production of the Davidiad had gone horribly wrong, but these were technical and production errors, not fundamental flaws. They would try again, after taking time to rest, recover, and focus on building back up to such a grand production with greater skill and experience. Their reach had, quite simply, exceeded their grasp, and ruin had come because of hubris. They would recover from this, and move forwards.
Much as she managed the speech, she felt like she was having to put on her own performance to manage that. Privately, the failure on such a massive stage hung over the young dragoness. She quietly made her way into the palace, and made her way to where Leon and Cassandra were. Unfortunately for her, the pair were currently in the process of discussing the festival. Glumly, she sat silently, nursing a large bowl of wine as Casandra and Leon deliberated a victor.
“The first step is that we can scratch off any troupes that simply re-enacted an existing play. Those were simply derivative, and giving a victory to that in our first festival sets an unfortunate precedent.” Cassandra remarked, working off a clay tablet listing the various performances. Lines went through about a third of the participants. “We can also do away with anything that tried to relate to Iskandar or my own dynasty, and especially that gods-awful recreation of our little scheme to destroy Tyndareus.”
“I personally found that one funny.” Sera piped up, remembering the comically inaccurate play. “Though they did manage quite the trick with their costume for me, I’ll need to get in touch with their costume department to see how the internals worked.”
“It was funny, mostly because it was inaccurate enough we could probably bring a suit for slander, libel, and slanderous libel against them.” Leon grumbled with arms folded. He had been made the butt of many a joke in that production, with the comedy of the valiant warrior being utterly surpassed by two women being a common refrain. “Beyond that, we don’t want to give the wrong impression about what exactly is acceptable to say about a queen.”
“The Corinthians have something of an irreverent streak, that much is for certain. Unfortunately we can only bring slander, libel, and slanderous libel and not treason, as they are presently foreigners.” Cassandra demurred. “Still, delivering sanctions on the Ember Island Company could be an effective way to get the message across to Corinth that a more peaceful Macedon is not a pushover.”
“With regard to the reproductions, what about The Choir’s Apologia?” Leon asked, throwing Sera a metaphorical bone. She ate literal bones as well, but if Leon threw her one he’d soon find out what it was like to skydive before the invention of a parachute.
“Disqualified as well. It deviates from the standard formula, but relies on you already understanding it. Really, if you didn’t know much about theatre to begin with, at lot of it would be lost on you. It ultimately came off as pretentious, and despite its inherently kind of ridiculous premise, was more depressing than anything. This sort of meta-commentary might work better for the sake of humor rather than trying for serious drama. Trying it here simply made the play exhausting and the sort of thing Tartarus really felt like it was mocking. That said, its pretention and grim character could give a good impression that the Macedonian theatre scene is serious and educated, but then I’d have to watch so many more like it. I don’t have enough absinthe to get through more than about one of those in a single festival.” Cassandra replied to that, and drew a second line through Apologia to emphasize her point. Seramis shrank into her cushions.
“Ah, so you enjoyed Tartarus then?” Leonidas asked in turn, trying to navigate the conversation to something less liable to torment the dragoness.
“Oh I most certainly did, but we can’t give it the win. As amusing as it is, it’s ultimately a very limited production. I like it, but giving it the victory would indicate a degree of “small scale” theatre in Macedon. I don’t want to give anyone else opportunity to degrade the work that’s been done here by suggesting that the Macedonian theatre lacks ambition.” Cassandra said with a sigh, and began crossing out any plays of similar scale.
“Which would be possessed by the Davidiad, but we all know how catastrophically wrong that went, so pray spare me whatever salt you were going to pour into that wound. I know that with all the bacchanalian delights available, you probably have managed to find someone who enjoys being tormented, but I am not that someone. So please, if you’re going to continue trying to murder me with words, use the ones that summon that lightning ball that nearly splattered me across the wall. It was a gentler execution.” Seramis grumbled, finally speaking up for herself.
Cassandra realized she’d gone to far, and put down the tablet. “I’m sorry Sera, I meant to tease, but not be cruel. I actually would agree that the Davidiad’s ambition was most impressive, and if not for some production hiccups, I think it might have had a chance at winning. I do tease, but I really do appreciate all the work you’ve put in to this, not just your company, but allowing this whole festival to go off. So, please forgive me if I’ve stepped too far from jest into mockery.”
“It’s fine, simply a very fresh disappointment. I’m afraid I missed most of the festival as I was busy running things or, well, pouting in a lake.” Seramis replied, waving away the problem with her tail. “So aside from everything you’ve disqualified, what do you think actually won?”
“I do have a personal preference.” Cass admitted, though she seemed a touch embarrassed by it. “The Court of Autumn.” The other two looked at her carefully with that. The Court of Autumn had been a much more romantic retelling of the story of Hades and Persephone, focused on the courtship of the pair, and the conflict that arose from a disapproving and overbearing Demeter. Neither of the pair had expected Cass to favor a romance, and their expressions showed it plainly. Cassandra merely shrugged. “We all desire what we cannot have, and it comes to a question of character whether we become envious of those lucky enough to have it, or delight sorrowfully that another is so blessed, even if they might not realize it.”
“I mean, I can’t deny that it was very well done. If I didn’t know better then I’d say that the two leads actually were a couple.” Leon replied with a nod. “It certainly doesn’t lack for ambition either, nor courage to speak the names of the Dread Queen and Lord With Many Guests so commonly.”
Cass smiled at that. “The fact that they do so is also part of why I like it. Persephone and Hades are dead, all the Olympians are. The reverence shown to corpses is illogical.”
Seramis processed this information, and considered her memory banks. “The company behind it, they’re one of the Theban companies, the Men of the Muses, correct?” She asked, and Cass checked, then nodded. “Ah, then yes, the two leads are actually husband and wife, they’ve got something of a specialty for romances as a result.”
“Write, or as the case may be, act, what you know.” Cassandra said with a shrug. “So we concur, The Court of Autumn is the victor?”
“I can’t argue against it.” Leon replied.
“Nor can I, but that’s more due to the aforementioned lack of context. One can make arguments without information, but I have a bit too much respect for the pair of you to engage in full sophistry.” Seramis admitted begrudgingly.
“Well, that absence may actually work to our advantage, returning from these pleasant distractions to the business of rule.” Cassandra said with a smile. “The Latins were particularly delighted with Tartarus, and actually wished to see the director. Said director was currently indisposed, but they have extended something of an open invitation. I think that accepting would provide quite the opportunity. It isn’t often one has a chance to walk right into the midst of a potentially hostile camp and see what they’re up to under guest-right.”
Seramis rose in interest at the idea, and cracked her neck. Cracking such a long neck was a process, creating a rippling crackling sound as vertebrae popped along the serpentine trunk. She grinned in anticipation. “I’ll melt myself a new dress.”
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So the group returned to the cheers of their people, the cavalry shining in the summer sun, and the army marching in strict formation. Trumpets heralded their return. Banners flew from the corners of houses. The men sang bawdy songs, as is the tradition of soldiers. Not a spec of blood or rust nor dust was allowed, presenting the image of a spotless, unconquered army. It was all a magnificent production. It was all a lovely welcome home.
When Seramis had first seen Philopolis and Macedon, it had been a very different place. The realm had struck her as grey, very grey, and a place without much beauty. Then, under the rule of the wicked regent Tyndareus, it was a place of iron and blood, a totalitarian state dedicated primarily to a massive conscript army. The hills had been torn open by great pit mines for iron and copper. The forests had been cut down to fuel the fires of industry. The fields were endless, uniform masses of oats, grain, and hay, worked by uncounted slaves, or landless peasants just a bit better than slaves. Over it all, the ancient fortress of the Alexandrian dynasty had loomed as a great edifice; a leviathan of hewn stone and barred windows representing the absolute military power that held all of it in place.
Now, two years hence, it was more alike to how she had first found it than she would have preferred. But transforming a society was hardly a swift process, and the work done was already substantial. Once the place had been a land of iron and blood, and though industry remained, now the smell of olive oil, the sound of potters wheels, and the hawking of merchants filled the air. The monolithic collective farms had shattered into a patchwork quilt of small holdings. The men working them might still have brands, but they and the lands were their own.
Of course, there were still some great expanses of oats and wheat. Those were Cassandra’s lands. She’d been generous with the lands she’d confiscated from the nobility, and in turn with their wealth which now filled her treasury. But she hadn’t given up any of her own family’s territory, and had expanded them substantially. Something like a quarter of the land in the country was the Queen’s personal fief, and she managed it very carefully. The economies of scale she alone had access to provided much needed stability for staple food prices during the transition from a slave-based command economy to a citizen market economy. Beyond that, the lands also provided a substantial portion of government income.
Said income was further complimented by a wide-scale reform to the tax structure. Rather than outsourcing the work to tax farmers, or to any nobility, as that had been liquidated, taxes were collected from a variety of small, but inescapable requirements. The primary tax was simply the surplus tax, an in-kind tax taken from all production. Farmers gave a share of their produce, potters a certain number of pots for each produced, blacksmiths a certain number of finished goods, and so on and so forth. Only the merchants would return hard currency from the surplus tax, the rest a great cross-section of produced goods. These in turn went into great warehouses, which the government might release from to control prices, or sell abroad to bring in further profits. The majority of currency entering the coffers either came from selling such produce, Cassandra’s personal lands, or a variety of import and consumption taxes. No less than a tenth of the entire bureaucracy was funded by the consumption taxes on oil and salt.
Of course managing all this was a good lead more complicated, not least of which because Cassandra had liquidated the aristocracy. This required a rather extensive increase in the bureaucracy, which brought in quite the expense of its own. Overall revenue was vastly increased from the reign of Tyndareus, and indeed all former kings of Macedon. The problem was that expenses had increased in turn. Macdeon was a military stratocracy, and Cassandra was in the process of trying to reform that into a sort of enlightened bureaucratic autocracy. The amount spent on papyrus alone nearly rivaled the payments to the many new government servants, which were not cheap. Educated men and women, able to read, understand the laws, and understand mathematics were not common, and commanded higher prices.
Cassandra had responded both by working to increase the supply of educated citizens, and cut costs in other areas. Firstly, she enacted a massive increase in education, beginning with the orphans of Macedon’s many wars and educating them. Secondly, she had begun offering to pay for the education of the children of public servants as part of their compensation. This allowed her to cut down on salaries and ensure a future educated workforce. Third and finally, she had begun to subsidize educators throughout the kingdom, and begun work to gather and copy many books and tomes to further improve the kingdom’s educational outcomes. Unfortunately, this was work that would take years to bear fruit.
The second arm of this had been to cut costs in other areas, most notably the military. Under Tyndareus, the Macedonian army had grown to a terrifying, if bloated, leviathan. Between the use of conscription, and counting reserves, the former army could have raised nearly thirty thousand men under arms. Cassandra had slashed that, and abolished conscription for the regular army. After intensive cuts, purging Tyndareus’s loyalists, and serious reforms including the near complete reconstruction of the Macedonian Cavalry Corps, the Macedonian Army now numbered a mere nine thousand, with the ability to call upon a further ten thousand former soldiers, now spread out to create a variety of local militias.
Leonidas had taken charge of many of these reforms, bringing in military advisors from Marathon and Achaea. The young prince, in his role as Minister of War, set to work with vigor to refine the Macedonian army down to its purest and strongest form. His high standards might have earned him ire, if not for the personal virtue and discipline he showed to meet those standards. He demanded the best not only from himself and his soldiers, but even from his suppliers and quartermasters. Most of the Macedonian military exports were those arms and armor he found below standard, though many less discerning customers would gladly accept them.
More than simply focusing on the logistics, Leonidas sought to infuse in his army a certain esprit de corps and moral focus. He drew heavily on the legendary philosopher Aristotle, particularly regarding that philosopher’s education of Iskandar, the famed conqueror king who had defined Macedon for the past two centuries. Outside the direct military applications, the young prince kept an eye on the future, sponsoring the growth of sports leagues throughout the kingdom, particularly a great hunting association. The Hunter’s Guild was a particular passion project of his, and he worked tirelessly not only to cultivate skilled hunters to recruit for his scouts, but also to preserve what remained of Macedon’s wild lands, ensuring game populations remained stable, and dangerous animals were quickly eliminated. The prince’s skill at the hunt had even earned him the right to attend the games at Olympus, though it was his mastery of wrestling that had seen him returned crowned with the ultimate honor of the laurels.
Such participation with the rest of the Hellene world had been part of Sera’s work. The young dragonness had held no official position at first, as Cassandra worked to develop her talents. Seramis had loathed etiquette as taught as a set of rules to be followed, but Cassandra revealed their nature as tools and tricks as part of the great game of politics. Allowed to treat the illusion of statecraft as just that, Seramis thrived. Soon appointed as Minister of State, her talent for gathering information, forming schemes, and comprehending languages saw her unleashed as Macedon’s greatest diplomat. All the while, her true title was one that delighted her greatly. Master of Shadows, she wielded the diplomatic corps and her own personal stable of agents like a scythe, harvesting a hoard of secrets she feasted upon. They became as arrows in her quiver, aiding her as she stood alongside Cassandra to carefully guide the ship of state.
On a much less sinister note, Seramis had engaged in quite public work to revitalize Macedon’s stagnating cultural sphere. The dragoness was chiefly known not even as a diplomat, let alone a spymaster, but rather as a patron of the arts. She courted and drew playwrights, actors, bards, conductors, and composers from across the world, placing a great deal of personal effort into producing a cosmopolitan cultural sphere. Though diplomacy, culture, and her eternal scheming, she worked to put the sword of Iskandar in a flowered sheath, in hopes it would never need to be drawn.
The peak of her work in that regard was a mere week away, a grand festival of the arts such as had not been seen in Macedon before. It would be a great festival as if that of the Athenians, now long brought to ruin. For the first time since the wars of the Diadochi, Hellas would come together to celebrate the arts. Naturally, Macedon would be participating, represented by Sera’s own personal theater company: The Mount Ararat Company.
Seramis quickly moved through her remaining business for the day. She met with the Master of Investigations and also her deputy, who had been working to manage her department while she had departed on campaign. Pleasantries were exchanged, and reports given. There was little new, but there was confirmation that the Latins, a curious people from across the western sea, would come to attend the festival. This would have been of little concern, if not for how they were coming.
A long-standing problem of the western coast had been the pirates of Illyria. These seafaring brigands proved a routine nuisance for not only Hellene trade, but all throughout the seas. Achaea and Macedon had both extended offer to the king of Illyria to come and help remove the pirates, but had been rejected. However when the Latins offered, the king accepted. So, the Latins came in force, bringing with them a four mighty legions of men, and crushed the pirate havens by attacking from the land. The problem was, they didn’t leave. While three of the legions returned to Italia, the fourth remained to protect against the return of the pirates, and to protect their Illyrian allies from Achaean or Macedonian aggression.
This was already a provocative move, as the barbarian army now sat on Hellene soil, diplomatically shielded by the cowardly Illyrian king. However, now the Latins made a further move. They had informed the court at Macedon previously that they wished to send a delegation to observe the festival and improve relations. All this was well and good, and naturally they did request to send bodyguards to protect the delegates. This was agreed, but the unscrupulous Latins had interpreted the mention of bodyguards broadly, and deployed a third of the legion infantry as “bodyguards”. Seramis’s reports indicated that these were in fact the Triarii, the third and strongest line, composed of veterans. The remainder of the legion remained encamped alongside the Ilyrian-Macedonian border.
The presence of the legion was concerning, to say the least. It numbered some four thousand five hundred men, about the size of a Macedonian army. The Macedonians held a local advantage, as they maintained two armies. One was directed northwards, towards the barbarians, and the other towards the east, to ward off their Selucid rivals. So they outnumbered the legion present two to one. However, the problem arose with the Latin’s ability to deploy a further three legions, which would reverse that advantage. With aid from Marathon, the Hellenes could match the Latin’s numbers, and with Achaean aid, they would outnumber them. Unfortunately, the Latins had spent much of their recent war with the Phoenicians of Carthage demonstrating an ability to raise new forces frighteningly quickly. Sera’s analysis suggested that if they wished to, they might be able to triple the might of their armies to twelve legions. The sheer military mass of the Latins would be enough to equal all Hellas, but Hellas was still divided, and some, such as the Illyrians, preferred them as allies to their fellow Hellenes.
The simple arithmetic of war indicated that if the Latins wished to conquer Hellas, they probably could. The simple arithmetic of war neglected to account for the power of dragons. But, Sera had observed, it was rare to lose money betting on the arrogance and avarice of humans. The fortunate side of dealing with the Latins was that for all their military might, they had a peculiar custom. They were permitted by ancient law and religious principle from launching a war of aggression, and so only declared war when they or their allies were threatened. This iron law of ancient Roman kings aught to have kept their swords sheathed, but in practice it often meant that an ambitious man of that city would seek to provoke an attack or aggression, that they might have reason for war. This incident with the “bodyguards” was likely such an attempt at provocation by a glory hound.
So, the trio met, and considered how to deal with this. It was decided that they would monitor the Latins closely, and place forces in such a way that they could not be aggressive, but would certainly be ready. The Army of the North was still recuperating from their recent battle with the Scythians, and would remain on standby in the capital to respond to any moves from the Latins or Scythians. At the same time, the northern militias would be stood up, and reinforced by militias from the south. These southern reinforcements would travel along the roads that would place them directly between the two parts of the Roman Legion, ensuring that if hostilities began, the separated legion would be able to be dealt with in parts. Unfortunately, Leon was unable to deploy as many of his scouts to that region as he would prefer, and Sera’s own intelligence assets were likewise pointed northwards. Better to deal with the actively aggressive barbarians, and then the imminently aggressive ones.
So, it was with great care, and no small amount of tension, that the Latin delegates arrived, joined by some three hundred of their Triarii. This was the first that Sera had seen of the Latins, and her initial impressions were somewhat mixed. They moved with distinct discipline, and were in all senses quite well ordered. The Triarii were older, veteran soldiers, generally more in their thirties. As such, they were somewhat more moderate, and avoided the wicked behavior common to many young soldiers. However, this rendered them with an increased air of unmistakable danger. Be wary of old men, even relatively old ones, in professions where men die young, and particularly of a soldier without an obvious vice.
The leader of the Latin delegation introduced himself to the court with a somewhat imperious nature. It likely would have been more imperious had Seramis not taken on her true form. It is difficult, even for a roman, to remain arrogant when there is a fourteen-foot-tall (measured at the shoulder) dragoness looking down at you. He declared himself as Military Tribune Gaius Mummius, representing the Praetor Lucius Cornelius in command of the IV Legion. Though the head of the delegation, he was simply that by right of his military rank. The actual diplomacy was handled by diplomats, not soldiers, though by their attitudes, Seramis might have taken them for sergeants in fancy togas. However, one who did catch her interest was distinct among the delegation, an old man, and truly old, dressed as a seer. He remained close by the ear of Gaius, and the tribune heeded him. Sera watched him warily, for she smelled magic on him, an old magician, and that would be trouble.
Despite her concerns, the Latins did not cause trouble, not even their old magician. They established a small camp for themselves outside the walls of the city, and largely kept to themselves. They came into the city only in small groups based around some member of their number who spoke Greek. They paid with honest coin, and seemed intrigued by the preparations for the festival. They seemed unusually preoccupied with finding barbers, as they were each clean-shaven, in contrast to the bearded Hellenes. Leonidas found this utterly hilarious, as he had spent more time than he would ever admit trying to find ways of improving his own facial hair. Now that it had finally come in, he spent more time managing his admittedly impressive beard than he ever had dealing with his actual hair. Sera, lacking any hair whatsoever, found the human preoccupation with it utterly confusing.
Bearded or otherwise, Hellene, Latin, and miscellaneous others soon came to attend the great drama festival. The idea of cancelling was briefly considered, and summarily rejected. Continuing to have a great celebration in the face of Latin provocation and Scythian Assault showed not only the power of the kingdom, that its people could act without concern, but also its prestige through mastery of the arts. The fact that many of the participants in the festival were from elsewhere in Hellas was politely overlooked. After all, Macedon had gathered them, and thus got credit.
The festival went on for three days, and proved to be a generally joyous, if somewhat chaotic time. Even the dour Latins eventually became swept up in the atmosphere. While this wasn’t technically a Bacchanalian festival, mostly due to the fact that Bacchus was very dead, it certainly carried some of that legacy. Of course the highlight, at least for men who considered them cultured, was the great drama productions. All manner of productions were put on display, from great recreations of the Athenian classics, to new twists, foreign productions, historical plays, retellings of myths, and of course many a comedic tragedy and initially tragic comedy.
Seramis’s own company had three productions, set into place over three days. The first two were well known, and practiced. Sera’s company had begun expediting the revitalization of the cultural scene with regular performances. Some of these had been well-worn classics, but the Mount Ararat Company would bring none of these to this stage. Instead, they brought two original, but already tested plays, and one of excellent ambition.
The first was a Satire, in the style of The Clouds which Sera had dubbed Tartarus. This piece was set in the depths of the underworld, that darkest pit where wicked men and monsters alike were tormented. These tormented souls took on the role of the choir, being intensely irritated by the antics of the four main players. Those four were of course the three great Greek philosophers: Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, and their own tormentor; Diogenes. The play largely consisted of the main three wandering through Tartarus, further tormenting the tormented souls with long winded and pedantic arguments about the torments they witnessed. All the while, Diogenes routinely appeared to torment them in turn. The play as a whole made light of philosophies, and generally teased out the problems with focusing overmuch on the world of the mind while actual suffering could be addressed.
This play was well received, for it was humorous and mocked philosophers, which few people cared for. The humor wavered between high and low brow, with both clever jokes sprinkled in amongst the arguments of the philosophers, and cruder humor delivered by the tormented souls and Diogenes. A certain degree of slapstick was involved as well, often involving a great paper-Mache boulder being rolled by Sisyphus.
The second of Sera’s plays was a somewhat grander production, though was likewise satirical. It turned the classic play Oedipus Rex somewhat on its head with The Choir’s Apologia. The original play was an archetypical tragedy, following the story of Oedipus, son of the King of Thebes. Due to a prophecy, his father cast him out to be slain, but he would live, and later unknowingly slay his father, and wed his mother. The play detailed how the gods smote the city with a plague as a result of this kinslaying and incest. Oedipus sought the answer to this, and in doing so discovered the terrible truth, and blinded himself for shame.
The Choir’s Apologia put a twist on this, as the Choir itself determines to get involved. This broke their usual role as mere background singers, and saw them take the stage to try and prevent the tragedy. The play played out as usual, but regularly, the mortal actors would freeze in place before a great event. The Choir would then step to center stage, and petition the gods for redress. First they asked Apollo, bidding him not deliver the ruinous prophecy, for without it nothing would come, but he rejected them. Next they implored Hermes to warn Oedipus against his folly, but Hermes declared he was helpless before Zeus. Finally, the Choir dared to approach Zeus himself, demanding that he cease to punish all Thebes for Oedipus’s mistake.
This proved a failure in the end, as Zeus rebuked them and struck the choir down one by one. The message was clear, that the gods were cruel and arbitrary, delivering unjust judgements. They did what they would, for they were strong, and the choir suffered what it must, for it was weak. At last only Oedipus remained, able now to see Zeus and his murder of the choir. Oedipus and Zeus contested one another in song, and while Zeus struck down the king, it was not before the hero doomed by prophecy delivered a defense and a prophecy of his own. Oedipus defended his record as king of Thebes, how he had overthrown a tyrant, protected his people, improved their lives, and sought their good even at terrible cost to himself. He, the one the gods judged, had been a better ruler than the gods. If indeed the gods would persist in their arbitrary wickedness, then one day this would be their doom, for the world would not abide such tyrants. Zeus struck him down, but went in dread because of the prophecy.
This production produced some degree of controversy. It always had, and such was the intent. It was well understood that the gods were dead, and Olympus was silent, but this play indicated such was not a bad thing. Given it was written by a dragoness, a natural enemy of the gods, the take was not unexpected. Beyond this, its use of another play as a framing device gave it a rather meta feel, and some found it pretentious. Others, by contrast, found the reframing of a classic play refreshing, and enjoyed the novelty of the choir acting as a major character.
The third play was a new production, and meant to be the one to blow the sandals off the audience. It was a bigger, grander, and of much more spectacular production values. All of this was in theory. In practice, it was put on at the end of three days of performances and partying, and became more of a farce than an epic. The Davidiad told the story of the legendary Hebrew king David, of both his rise to power and fall from grace. It was told in three acts, and all three had some manner of disaster.
The first act told of the heroic youth of David before he was king, and how he defeated the giant Goliath. Goliath himself was a complicated costume made by having three already tall men standing on one another’s shoulders. When struck by a sling, he was to topple over onto his army, which would catch the performers and prevent any harm. Unfortunately, due to an earlier scene involving David being anointed with oil, there was a slick patch on stage. Goliath’s lower third slipped, and the towering giant fell flat on his face and collapsed into himself in the middle of a monologue. This was considered absolutely hilarious by the audience, and Seramis, upon seeing this, physically shrank from embarrassment.
The second act saw the conflict between the good future king David and the wicked king Saul. Saul was meant to begin more coherent, but gradually jealousy and fear would twist him into wickedness. Unfortunately, Saul’s actor had been out late, and showed up to the production very hung over. This made Saul’s descent far more predictable and robbed the second act of much of its drama. Unfortunately, the actor in question attempted to remedy this by using a hangover cure involving undiluted wine. This made him less hungover, and more drunk, so Saul went from being scowling and sickly to very obviously drunk. This became a minor peril during a later scene where Saul threw his spear at David. Not only did Saul miss, as intended, but he proceeded to hurl the (thankfully fake) spear into the audience, where it proceeded to hit a man in the chest. He was unharmed, but believed he had been slain and fainted, causing a minor panic.
The third act was nearly canceled, but went ahead anyways. The cursed production continued to be cursed, as a major set piece exploded earlier. The third act was meant to show how the throne gradually corrupted David, and led him to murder a man to cover up an affair with his wife Bethsheba. This would climax with the death of a son produced from that affair, and the collapse of a great temple edifice David had been constructing. The play would end with David weeping, but repentant, and turning to begin rebuilding the ruined temple, representing his disgraced morality. Instead of this, the temple collapsed immediately the moment David and Bethsheba locked eyes, which somewhat gave the game away.
Sera did not bother to see the audience’s reaction when the curtain closed. She’d already left from sheer embarrassment. She was helping the troupe pack up, so the lot of them could scatter to cope with this catastrophe in their own way. Once the curtain closed and the actors departed the stage, she handed Saul his last payment, a polite, if curt, farewell, and departed. She avoided the rest of the festival, marinating in her disappointment at the bottom of a nearby lake.
Eventually, evening did come, and Sera slunk her way back into the city. She spoke briefly with her troupe, congratulating them on the work they did, and laboring to encourage their spirits. The production of the Davidiad had gone horribly wrong, but these were technical and production errors, not fundamental flaws. They would try again, after taking time to rest, recover, and focus on building back up to such a grand production with greater skill and experience. Their reach had, quite simply, exceeded their grasp, and ruin had come because of hubris. They would recover from this, and move forwards.
Much as she managed the speech, she felt like she was having to put on her own performance to manage that. Privately, the failure on such a massive stage hung over the young dragoness. She quietly made her way into the palace, and made her way to where Leon and Cassandra were. Unfortunately for her, the pair were currently in the process of discussing the festival. Glumly, she sat silently, nursing a large bowl of wine as Casandra and Leon deliberated a victor.
“The first step is that we can scratch off any troupes that simply re-enacted an existing play. Those were simply derivative, and giving a victory to that in our first festival sets an unfortunate precedent.” Cassandra remarked, working off a clay tablet listing the various performances. Lines went through about a third of the participants. “We can also do away with anything that tried to relate to Iskandar or my own dynasty, and especially that gods-awful recreation of our little scheme to destroy Tyndareus.”
“I personally found that one funny.” Sera piped up, remembering the comically inaccurate play. “Though they did manage quite the trick with their costume for me, I’ll need to get in touch with their costume department to see how the internals worked.”
“It was funny, mostly because it was inaccurate enough we could probably bring a suit for slander, libel, and slanderous libel against them.” Leon grumbled with arms folded. He had been made the butt of many a joke in that production, with the comedy of the valiant warrior being utterly surpassed by two women being a common refrain. “Beyond that, we don’t want to give the wrong impression about what exactly is acceptable to say about a queen.”
“The Corinthians have something of an irreverent streak, that much is for certain. Unfortunately we can only bring slander, libel, and slanderous libel and not treason, as they are presently foreigners.” Cassandra demurred. “Still, delivering sanctions on the Ember Island Company could be an effective way to get the message across to Corinth that a more peaceful Macedon is not a pushover.”
“With regard to the reproductions, what about The Choir’s Apologia?” Leon asked, throwing Sera a metaphorical bone. She ate literal bones as well, but if Leon threw her one he’d soon find out what it was like to skydive before the invention of a parachute.
“Disqualified as well. It deviates from the standard formula, but relies on you already understanding it. Really, if you didn’t know much about theatre to begin with, at lot of it would be lost on you. It ultimately came off as pretentious, and despite its inherently kind of ridiculous premise, was more depressing than anything. This sort of meta-commentary might work better for the sake of humor rather than trying for serious drama. Trying it here simply made the play exhausting and the sort of thing Tartarus really felt like it was mocking. That said, its pretention and grim character could give a good impression that the Macedonian theatre scene is serious and educated, but then I’d have to watch so many more like it. I don’t have enough absinthe to get through more than about one of those in a single festival.” Cassandra replied to that, and drew a second line through Apologia to emphasize her point. Seramis shrank into her cushions.
“Ah, so you enjoyed Tartarus then?” Leonidas asked in turn, trying to navigate the conversation to something less liable to torment the dragoness.
“Oh I most certainly did, but we can’t give it the win. As amusing as it is, it’s ultimately a very limited production. I like it, but giving it the victory would indicate a degree of “small scale” theatre in Macedon. I don’t want to give anyone else opportunity to degrade the work that’s been done here by suggesting that the Macedonian theatre lacks ambition.” Cassandra said with a sigh, and began crossing out any plays of similar scale.
“Which would be possessed by the Davidiad, but we all know how catastrophically wrong that went, so pray spare me whatever salt you were going to pour into that wound. I know that with all the bacchanalian delights available, you probably have managed to find someone who enjoys being tormented, but I am not that someone. So please, if you’re going to continue trying to murder me with words, use the ones that summon that lightning ball that nearly splattered me across the wall. It was a gentler execution.” Seramis grumbled, finally speaking up for herself.
Cassandra realized she’d gone to far, and put down the tablet. “I’m sorry Sera, I meant to tease, but not be cruel. I actually would agree that the Davidiad’s ambition was most impressive, and if not for some production hiccups, I think it might have had a chance at winning. I do tease, but I really do appreciate all the work you’ve put in to this, not just your company, but allowing this whole festival to go off. So, please forgive me if I’ve stepped too far from jest into mockery.”
“It’s fine, simply a very fresh disappointment. I’m afraid I missed most of the festival as I was busy running things or, well, pouting in a lake.” Seramis replied, waving away the problem with her tail. “So aside from everything you’ve disqualified, what do you think actually won?”
“I do have a personal preference.” Cass admitted, though she seemed a touch embarrassed by it. “The Court of Autumn.” The other two looked at her carefully with that. The Court of Autumn had been a much more romantic retelling of the story of Hades and Persephone, focused on the courtship of the pair, and the conflict that arose from a disapproving and overbearing Demeter. Neither of the pair had expected Cass to favor a romance, and their expressions showed it plainly. Cassandra merely shrugged. “We all desire what we cannot have, and it comes to a question of character whether we become envious of those lucky enough to have it, or delight sorrowfully that another is so blessed, even if they might not realize it.”
“I mean, I can’t deny that it was very well done. If I didn’t know better then I’d say that the two leads actually were a couple.” Leon replied with a nod. “It certainly doesn’t lack for ambition either, nor courage to speak the names of the Dread Queen and Lord With Many Guests so commonly.”
Cass smiled at that. “The fact that they do so is also part of why I like it. Persephone and Hades are dead, all the Olympians are. The reverence shown to corpses is illogical.”
Seramis processed this information, and considered her memory banks. “The company behind it, they’re one of the Theban companies, the Men of the Muses, correct?” She asked, and Cass checked, then nodded. “Ah, then yes, the two leads are actually husband and wife, they’ve got something of a specialty for romances as a result.”
“Write, or as the case may be, act, what you know.” Cassandra said with a shrug. “So we concur, The Court of Autumn is the victor?”
“I can’t argue against it.” Leon replied.
“Nor can I, but that’s more due to the aforementioned lack of context. One can make arguments without information, but I have a bit too much respect for the pair of you to engage in full sophistry.” Seramis admitted begrudgingly.
“Well, that absence may actually work to our advantage, returning from these pleasant distractions to the business of rule.” Cassandra said with a smile. “The Latins were particularly delighted with Tartarus, and actually wished to see the director. Said director was currently indisposed, but they have extended something of an open invitation. I think that accepting would provide quite the opportunity. It isn’t often one has a chance to walk right into the midst of a potentially hostile camp and see what they’re up to under guest-right.”
Seramis rose in interest at the idea, and cracked her neck. Cracking such a long neck was a process, creating a rippling crackling sound as vertebrae popped along the serpentine trunk. She grinned in anticipation. “I’ll melt myself a new dress.”
2024.06.08 23:37 mining_moron World History of the Kyanah Homeworld: Part II Road to Hope
Savanna Dominion (~900BC-200 AD). The second phase of Kyanah civilization, it would emerge in the flatter and warmer boreal savannas just south of the Great Polar Plateau. Initially, small city-states arose in the boreal savannas in 1700 BC, relying on nyruds they brought with them from the boreal scrublands, as well as the native tyukruds. However, with the fall of Scrubland-dominion, the economic and technological center of gravity would shift to the boreal savannas, whose civilizations would be a quantum leap forward from their predecessors. Even before Savanna-dominion, these city-states had built complex irrigation works and knew how to work bronze by 1150 BC, and by 900 BC, would rediscover some of the lost knowledge about crop rotation. As their environment was quite different from the boreal scrublands, they were more able to drive away the invading ratorkortyot-skull-wearers from the north. However, their biggest advantage would be the development of proper writing systems--first picture-based proto-writing scratched into rocks or mud-bricks by 1150 BC and later, actual symbolic written language, around 950 BC. This would prevent the loss of knowledge between generations and enable more complex and accurate record-keeping. The first true written works appear to be collections of ground truths and relations between them, geared towards helping whatever pack wrote it track complex relations between different packs to find useful allies in the complicated and cutthroat city-state environment and maximize their own influence more efficiently than trying to work everything out in their heads. They thus include countless statements indicating what some pack said or did, interactions between other packs, and useful recipes or procedures.
By 800 BC, these informal writings created by various--likely powerful and influential--packs would become more formalized and standardized, being refined into the first legal codes and professional scribe and arbiter packs by 700 BC. Concurrently, the development of writing would also allow for the first rigorous study of mathematics, leading to nascent accounting, allowing for a more diversified economy, and the study of complex tree and graph like data structures, often used by the ruling elite to model various engineering and statecraft problems. All of this led to a drastic increase in the cohesiveness of the state apparatus, with a basic bureaucracy and formal tax code. An increase in farming the more intensive nyruds likely also contributed. However, this efficiency also led to a major stratifying of society and decrease in the autonomy of farmers and crafts-packs. Instead of working their own fields and herds and handing over a portion of the meat as tribute, they were now working the state's fields and herds and in return getting to keep a portion of the meat for themselves. And instead of succession being determined through strength in combat and allied packs to back up their claims, it was determined through highly ritualized show fights between the mostly closed set of allied packs who owned the land and nyruds.
This is the basis of the Noble Ikoin system, more stable and less bloody than its predecessor, Rule by Righteous Strength, yet ultimately less free--though many packs were not 100% bound to the land like serfs and had some limited ability to choose whose fields they worked in certain circumstances, as noble packs were always seeking to maximize their own work force at the expense of rivals'. Unlike human nobles, this nobility was often but not strictly hereditary--as has been discussed, Kyanah packs generally don't form emotional bonds with those outside their packs, so would have little inherent reason to give land to packs that happen to contain their adult children. Thus it's occasionally possible for the nobility to decide that a pack of nobles' young are just commoners (albeit likely rich ones), or to elevate an entirely common pack into the set of nobles. Elaborate weighted voting systems and trial by ritualized combat are often used to settle disputes between nobles without resorting to having to kill each other, as in older systems. With these more rigid and well-defined states came the first known political and philosophical treatise in Raknatay city-state by ~664 BC, as well as the first gods who haven't been lost to time and are still worshiped by some modern Kyanah.
Bolstered by widespread written languages, technology and science would advance in Savanna-dominion city-states. Iron-smelting without relying on meteoric iron would be developed between 700 and 600 BC. Additionally, architecture advanced considerably over Scrubland-dominion city-states. Before about 1000 BC, Kyanah in boreal savanna city-states would mostly put their nests inside hide or leaf tents, due to relative lack of timber. However, advances in stacking-stone technology eventually allowed dry-stone architecture, with carefully selected stones being fitted together without mortar to create sturdy buildings; the 1.4G gravity of the Kyanah homeworld necessitated very skilled and precise engineering to pull this off. With iron tools making it more practical to shape stones to reduce gaps and bumps and make them interlock to increase stability, this really took off after 600 BC, even enabling the construction of two and three story buildings, high walls, and watch towers.
Beginning around 500 BC, noble packs and City Alphas would begin adopting this technology to build some of the oldest surviving great monuments, having their laborers stack thousands of stones into large piles. They would often have an elaborately shaped footprint rather than a simple square or circle, with the base stones being extensively carved, polished, and covered in writing and relief sculpture. The idea was that the pack who commissioned it would be laid to rest at the top, drawing the attention of the gods to ensure that they would be included in the universe's next iteration and not forgotten. Competition amongst elites within and between city-states would over time lead to bigger and bigger monuments, with the largest in 100 AD being upwards of 40 meters high. Over time they have partially collapsed and become overgrown, but hundreds are still recognizable and remain prominent tourist attractions.
The flatter and more open terrain of the boreal savannas also made wheel-based transport more practical and so two and four wheeled nyrud-drawn carts were invented even before Savanna-dominion, and had spread across the boreal savannas already by 800 BC. This enabled them to carry larger loads than just riding on the back of a nyrud, though advances were made in this area as well, with the development of practical nyrud saddles by 500 BC. (Notably, riding nyruds is unlike riding a Terran horse--nyruds are so wide that it's physically impossible to straddle them, so riders have to either sit sideways or kneel on the back of the nyrud, and also entire packs would typically share one or two nyruds when riding; thus nyrud saddles were designed very differently from horse saddles; in lieu of stirrups, stabilizing devices like straps would be popularized by 200 BC.)
This increase in nyrud-based transport also led to the first known road networks between city-states, stretching tens or even hundreds of kilometers. At first these were dirt roads, but by 400 BC, some gravel roads would be created and maintained. In the interest of optimizing these road networks, advanced--for the time--surveying methods would be discovered and quickly optimized, leading to the creation of surprisingly detailed regional maps, whose accuracy was not surpassed until the modern era. In fact, it was this increase in organized long-distance travel, combined with strange and subtle inaccuracies in some of their biggest maps (failing to take into account planetary curvature!) that led to boreal savanna cultures being the first to see--by 100 BC--the Kyanah homeworld as a finite sphere with a single sun circling around it, rather than an infinite plane with suns constantly rising out of the ground in the day and sinking back in at night. New maps taking into account planetary curvature, combined with the development of the magnetized compass in the first century AD, enabled the first long-range expeditions. The first known deliberate attempts to reach the North Pole were made soon after--albeit polar herders and hunter-trappers had likely passed near it unwittingly for thousands of years--and likely succeeded, judging by the anachronistic presence of iron tools and tyukrud bones near the north pole about 200 Earth years before iron-working and tyukrud farming were being done there. There is no record of any successful circumnavigation of the Kyanah homeworld in the Savanna-dominion, though it's unclear of the packs who attempted died or just abandoned the mission and settled in some other city-state. With a human mentality, this would lead to the formation of the first empires, but with Kyanah mentality, such large-scale social organization was virtually impossible.
The Savanna-dominion was ended by the -42nd epoch impact event, in the late 2nd century AD by Earth time. A large asteroid impact around 62N, 10E caused regional devastation that led to a collapse in the major boreal savanna cities and caused less apocalyptic but still significant effects to food supply across the northern hemisphere. The cartographic revolution of 300-100 BC was not limited to just surface maps; cartographers also mapped soil, geology, and ecosystems, leading to further refinements in agriculture and more stable support of large populations around oases. During the Savanna-dominion, world population would increase from 550 million to around 1.8 billion (equivalent population density to an Earth with ~203 million people), likely falling to around 1.7 billion in the years after the impact event.
Over this period, city-states, second-order agriculture, and metallurgy would continue to expand across the northern hemisphere, with a resurgence in the boreal scrublands around 700 BC; iron-working would follow eventually, leading to the iron-nail cultures arising in 400 BC, using (obviously) iron nails to hold together dwellings instead of sinews or fibers as in the Scrubland-dominion. In the Kuayen plains, between the Western Sector and the Deadlands, civilization would develop around 500 BC and by 100 AD would have organized city-states nearly as advanced as the boreal savannas, with an independently developed written language and legal system, sophisticated cisterns and filters for storing water in this semi-arid region, and elaborate glassworks. While in the Middle South, cold-walker farming civilizations continued to expand. The Dunelands had city-states by 1 AD, leaving the only fully un-civilized areas in the northern hemisphere some of the more arid and mountainous regions near the equator, and the Deadlands. In the Far South, between the Middle South and the Green Impact Range at around 60-70S, civilizations would arise around 600 BC. The earliest Kyanah presence at the south pole dates to around 200 BC, though it would be highly sporadic until after 300 AD.
submitted by mining_moron to goodworldbuilding [link] [comments]
By 800 BC, these informal writings created by various--likely powerful and influential--packs would become more formalized and standardized, being refined into the first legal codes and professional scribe and arbiter packs by 700 BC. Concurrently, the development of writing would also allow for the first rigorous study of mathematics, leading to nascent accounting, allowing for a more diversified economy, and the study of complex tree and graph like data structures, often used by the ruling elite to model various engineering and statecraft problems. All of this led to a drastic increase in the cohesiveness of the state apparatus, with a basic bureaucracy and formal tax code. An increase in farming the more intensive nyruds likely also contributed. However, this efficiency also led to a major stratifying of society and decrease in the autonomy of farmers and crafts-packs. Instead of working their own fields and herds and handing over a portion of the meat as tribute, they were now working the state's fields and herds and in return getting to keep a portion of the meat for themselves. And instead of succession being determined through strength in combat and allied packs to back up their claims, it was determined through highly ritualized show fights between the mostly closed set of allied packs who owned the land and nyruds.
This is the basis of the Noble Ikoin system, more stable and less bloody than its predecessor, Rule by Righteous Strength, yet ultimately less free--though many packs were not 100% bound to the land like serfs and had some limited ability to choose whose fields they worked in certain circumstances, as noble packs were always seeking to maximize their own work force at the expense of rivals'. Unlike human nobles, this nobility was often but not strictly hereditary--as has been discussed, Kyanah packs generally don't form emotional bonds with those outside their packs, so would have little inherent reason to give land to packs that happen to contain their adult children. Thus it's occasionally possible for the nobility to decide that a pack of nobles' young are just commoners (albeit likely rich ones), or to elevate an entirely common pack into the set of nobles. Elaborate weighted voting systems and trial by ritualized combat are often used to settle disputes between nobles without resorting to having to kill each other, as in older systems. With these more rigid and well-defined states came the first known political and philosophical treatise in Raknatay city-state by ~664 BC, as well as the first gods who haven't been lost to time and are still worshiped by some modern Kyanah.
Bolstered by widespread written languages, technology and science would advance in Savanna-dominion city-states. Iron-smelting without relying on meteoric iron would be developed between 700 and 600 BC. Additionally, architecture advanced considerably over Scrubland-dominion city-states. Before about 1000 BC, Kyanah in boreal savanna city-states would mostly put their nests inside hide or leaf tents, due to relative lack of timber. However, advances in stacking-stone technology eventually allowed dry-stone architecture, with carefully selected stones being fitted together without mortar to create sturdy buildings; the 1.4G gravity of the Kyanah homeworld necessitated very skilled and precise engineering to pull this off. With iron tools making it more practical to shape stones to reduce gaps and bumps and make them interlock to increase stability, this really took off after 600 BC, even enabling the construction of two and three story buildings, high walls, and watch towers.
Beginning around 500 BC, noble packs and City Alphas would begin adopting this technology to build some of the oldest surviving great monuments, having their laborers stack thousands of stones into large piles. They would often have an elaborately shaped footprint rather than a simple square or circle, with the base stones being extensively carved, polished, and covered in writing and relief sculpture. The idea was that the pack who commissioned it would be laid to rest at the top, drawing the attention of the gods to ensure that they would be included in the universe's next iteration and not forgotten. Competition amongst elites within and between city-states would over time lead to bigger and bigger monuments, with the largest in 100 AD being upwards of 40 meters high. Over time they have partially collapsed and become overgrown, but hundreds are still recognizable and remain prominent tourist attractions.
The flatter and more open terrain of the boreal savannas also made wheel-based transport more practical and so two and four wheeled nyrud-drawn carts were invented even before Savanna-dominion, and had spread across the boreal savannas already by 800 BC. This enabled them to carry larger loads than just riding on the back of a nyrud, though advances were made in this area as well, with the development of practical nyrud saddles by 500 BC. (Notably, riding nyruds is unlike riding a Terran horse--nyruds are so wide that it's physically impossible to straddle them, so riders have to either sit sideways or kneel on the back of the nyrud, and also entire packs would typically share one or two nyruds when riding; thus nyrud saddles were designed very differently from horse saddles; in lieu of stirrups, stabilizing devices like straps would be popularized by 200 BC.)
This increase in nyrud-based transport also led to the first known road networks between city-states, stretching tens or even hundreds of kilometers. At first these were dirt roads, but by 400 BC, some gravel roads would be created and maintained. In the interest of optimizing these road networks, advanced--for the time--surveying methods would be discovered and quickly optimized, leading to the creation of surprisingly detailed regional maps, whose accuracy was not surpassed until the modern era. In fact, it was this increase in organized long-distance travel, combined with strange and subtle inaccuracies in some of their biggest maps (failing to take into account planetary curvature!) that led to boreal savanna cultures being the first to see--by 100 BC--the Kyanah homeworld as a finite sphere with a single sun circling around it, rather than an infinite plane with suns constantly rising out of the ground in the day and sinking back in at night. New maps taking into account planetary curvature, combined with the development of the magnetized compass in the first century AD, enabled the first long-range expeditions. The first known deliberate attempts to reach the North Pole were made soon after--albeit polar herders and hunter-trappers had likely passed near it unwittingly for thousands of years--and likely succeeded, judging by the anachronistic presence of iron tools and tyukrud bones near the north pole about 200 Earth years before iron-working and tyukrud farming were being done there. There is no record of any successful circumnavigation of the Kyanah homeworld in the Savanna-dominion, though it's unclear of the packs who attempted died or just abandoned the mission and settled in some other city-state. With a human mentality, this would lead to the formation of the first empires, but with Kyanah mentality, such large-scale social organization was virtually impossible.
The Savanna-dominion was ended by the -42nd epoch impact event, in the late 2nd century AD by Earth time. A large asteroid impact around 62N, 10E caused regional devastation that led to a collapse in the major boreal savanna cities and caused less apocalyptic but still significant effects to food supply across the northern hemisphere. The cartographic revolution of 300-100 BC was not limited to just surface maps; cartographers also mapped soil, geology, and ecosystems, leading to further refinements in agriculture and more stable support of large populations around oases. During the Savanna-dominion, world population would increase from 550 million to around 1.8 billion (equivalent population density to an Earth with ~203 million people), likely falling to around 1.7 billion in the years after the impact event.
Over this period, city-states, second-order agriculture, and metallurgy would continue to expand across the northern hemisphere, with a resurgence in the boreal scrublands around 700 BC; iron-working would follow eventually, leading to the iron-nail cultures arising in 400 BC, using (obviously) iron nails to hold together dwellings instead of sinews or fibers as in the Scrubland-dominion. In the Kuayen plains, between the Western Sector and the Deadlands, civilization would develop around 500 BC and by 100 AD would have organized city-states nearly as advanced as the boreal savannas, with an independently developed written language and legal system, sophisticated cisterns and filters for storing water in this semi-arid region, and elaborate glassworks. While in the Middle South, cold-walker farming civilizations continued to expand. The Dunelands had city-states by 1 AD, leaving the only fully un-civilized areas in the northern hemisphere some of the more arid and mountainous regions near the equator, and the Deadlands. In the Far South, between the Middle South and the Green Impact Range at around 60-70S, civilizations would arise around 600 BC. The earliest Kyanah presence at the south pole dates to around 200 BC, though it would be highly sporadic until after 300 AD.
2024.06.08 22:18 Hintek Calming Capital
Times have been tough recently, maybe you’ve been dealing with some bad luck, maybe your minds been beating you down extra bad lately, friend or family problems, whatever the reason, you’ve taken a walk. Honestly, it had helped a little, following the dirt path into the beauty of nature.
However there was a calling deep in the ground, you looked longingly into the soil, the insecurities within your mind fading out as you wandered ever closer.
In the distance you could see the object that created the calling. When you looked at it, only then and truly was your mind clear.
These spaces are only accessible to people close to you and will be closed off to any general human public.
The Building you saw was the -
Colourful Cottage - Getting closer and closer to the cottage you noticed a few things. The trees covered in beautiful chalk patterns, beautiful flowers in painted pots spread around the clearing. Directly in the centre of the clearing was a cute stone cottage, the walls contain beautiful murals and pieces of graffiti, just outside is an entire set of painting materials, from canvas to pastel.
The building itself includes a personal study, a bathroom, a storage that seems to fill itself with resources that run out. The insides contain much more of these artistic materials allowing for all forms of creation, including digital!
If you go past the Cottage you will find an array of woodland critters and many pathways to smaller clearings where you can sit and set up shop. These pathways have the artwork of many others, maybe you can make your mark here too. Anything you create here you can take back and rest assured whatever you do take back will not be lost or broken in the journey back.
Beach-side Bungalow - The clearing soon went from soil to sand, a wooden bungalow, the front of which looking out into the most beautiful blue beach. The pink sand, warm to the touch. A heavenly touch of the sun shining down. The waves rolling calmly.
The building itself includes a bedroom, tiki bar, dressing room with swim suits and other swimming related items, and a bathroom. Many drinks of all kinds line the shelves, as well as piles of exotic fruits that seemingly refuse to go bad.
Past the Bungalow is the beautiful beach. Chairs and towels line sections of the beach, along with umbrellas. On the left is a small fishing boat filled with all the essentials needed to go fishing. Fish of all kinds float in these waters, some would pay a fortune for some of these, you are very welcome to take all of your catches back.
Acorn Apartments - The clearing contained a large set, a small complex of apartments, eight doors in total, wandering to and fro into the forest was spirit like people. These people are the type you would only hear of in the Japanese tales of yokai, it made sense how the apartment complex was reminiscent of the ones you would see.
Your apartment is a small studio apartment as all the others are, of course taking on japanese architecture. There is a bathroom, space for what could be considered a lounge and bedroom, the kitchen is on the other side of this room. There is a communal bathhouse just beside the building, run by one of its residents.
The spirits are incredibly friendly and are welcome in becoming friends with the eighth resident of the complex. They are also comfortable to give the new human resident tasks that they can no longer partake in as spirits, in return they can give blessings or objects. Tasks like, go help this sweet sick old lady to learn the basics of a whole other language which may or may not be dead, the rewards could range from a teapot that makes any tea a soothing pot to a book that could import a term of classes in your head, very rare indeed. They will be very grateful and will not at all mind if you decline.
Twilight Treehouse - The clearing contains a huge tree as wide as a house and as tall as five entire stories. The branches could be considered walkways into other trees. In the trees floor of planks are filled with many kinds of furniture. Lanterns of large paper stars follow these pathways into the other areas around the trees.
There’s lots of space in these floors to look up to the stars. The tree includes an area filled with various powerful telescopes and cameras. A place where star-maps of thousands of years have been categorised from parchment to usb sticks. There are also tools of all kinds to record the night sky yourself. A gorgeous past-time and any map and record you create will be incredibly valuable to Astro-Based Researchers everywhere.
For some-reason whenever you’re here it’s always night. The stars move as if they have a mind of their own, comets fly frequently. But by a will you can make it stop. Create incredible constellations. The power of the night, controlled by a tree. As an added bonus during your starsign’s month, you could see as good as any telescope with your eyes alone.
Whole Wheat Windmill - The clearing instead leads into a beautiful field, other than dirt paths, wheat covers a huge area of the fields directly in the middle of the fields is a large dutch windmill connected to a small bakery. A cobblestone base, but everything is made heavily out of strong woods.
When walking inside you enter a waiting area first with tables and chairs, from this point you can see a countertop and past that is a large kitchen with old but incredibly productive cast iron ovens. There is a small bookshelf in this area filled with many recipes of pastries and baked goods. Past the kitchen is a small bedroom and kitchen.
And lastly, of course is the windmill. It is self working of course, however you’ll need to supply the wheat yourself. The fields will always be fertile, but you must still take the time to maintain them. This place is quite different on this list, as people will be allowed to come by and buy baked goods, this will lead to a steady and above average income, only getting better as your baking skills get better.
Mix’n’Match Mentality - A special offer for those who really need the calming sensation, or those who can’t make a decision on just one. Instead take two of the choices and fuse them, put in the comments what you create.
Life can be tough sometimes! Hydrate, think and recuperate! Humans can be allowed to rest. Have a lovely time-zone!
submitted by Hintek to 6Perks [link] [comments]
However there was a calling deep in the ground, you looked longingly into the soil, the insecurities within your mind fading out as you wandered ever closer.
In the distance you could see the object that created the calling. When you looked at it, only then and truly was your mind clear.
These spaces are only accessible to people close to you and will be closed off to any general human public.
The Building you saw was the -
Colourful Cottage - Getting closer and closer to the cottage you noticed a few things. The trees covered in beautiful chalk patterns, beautiful flowers in painted pots spread around the clearing. Directly in the centre of the clearing was a cute stone cottage, the walls contain beautiful murals and pieces of graffiti, just outside is an entire set of painting materials, from canvas to pastel.
The building itself includes a personal study, a bathroom, a storage that seems to fill itself with resources that run out. The insides contain much more of these artistic materials allowing for all forms of creation, including digital!
If you go past the Cottage you will find an array of woodland critters and many pathways to smaller clearings where you can sit and set up shop. These pathways have the artwork of many others, maybe you can make your mark here too. Anything you create here you can take back and rest assured whatever you do take back will not be lost or broken in the journey back.
Beach-side Bungalow - The clearing soon went from soil to sand, a wooden bungalow, the front of which looking out into the most beautiful blue beach. The pink sand, warm to the touch. A heavenly touch of the sun shining down. The waves rolling calmly.
The building itself includes a bedroom, tiki bar, dressing room with swim suits and other swimming related items, and a bathroom. Many drinks of all kinds line the shelves, as well as piles of exotic fruits that seemingly refuse to go bad.
Past the Bungalow is the beautiful beach. Chairs and towels line sections of the beach, along with umbrellas. On the left is a small fishing boat filled with all the essentials needed to go fishing. Fish of all kinds float in these waters, some would pay a fortune for some of these, you are very welcome to take all of your catches back.
Acorn Apartments - The clearing contained a large set, a small complex of apartments, eight doors in total, wandering to and fro into the forest was spirit like people. These people are the type you would only hear of in the Japanese tales of yokai, it made sense how the apartment complex was reminiscent of the ones you would see.
Your apartment is a small studio apartment as all the others are, of course taking on japanese architecture. There is a bathroom, space for what could be considered a lounge and bedroom, the kitchen is on the other side of this room. There is a communal bathhouse just beside the building, run by one of its residents.
The spirits are incredibly friendly and are welcome in becoming friends with the eighth resident of the complex. They are also comfortable to give the new human resident tasks that they can no longer partake in as spirits, in return they can give blessings or objects. Tasks like, go help this sweet sick old lady to learn the basics of a whole other language which may or may not be dead, the rewards could range from a teapot that makes any tea a soothing pot to a book that could import a term of classes in your head, very rare indeed. They will be very grateful and will not at all mind if you decline.
Twilight Treehouse - The clearing contains a huge tree as wide as a house and as tall as five entire stories. The branches could be considered walkways into other trees. In the trees floor of planks are filled with many kinds of furniture. Lanterns of large paper stars follow these pathways into the other areas around the trees.
There’s lots of space in these floors to look up to the stars. The tree includes an area filled with various powerful telescopes and cameras. A place where star-maps of thousands of years have been categorised from parchment to usb sticks. There are also tools of all kinds to record the night sky yourself. A gorgeous past-time and any map and record you create will be incredibly valuable to Astro-Based Researchers everywhere.
For some-reason whenever you’re here it’s always night. The stars move as if they have a mind of their own, comets fly frequently. But by a will you can make it stop. Create incredible constellations. The power of the night, controlled by a tree. As an added bonus during your starsign’s month, you could see as good as any telescope with your eyes alone.
Whole Wheat Windmill - The clearing instead leads into a beautiful field, other than dirt paths, wheat covers a huge area of the fields directly in the middle of the fields is a large dutch windmill connected to a small bakery. A cobblestone base, but everything is made heavily out of strong woods.
When walking inside you enter a waiting area first with tables and chairs, from this point you can see a countertop and past that is a large kitchen with old but incredibly productive cast iron ovens. There is a small bookshelf in this area filled with many recipes of pastries and baked goods. Past the kitchen is a small bedroom and kitchen.
And lastly, of course is the windmill. It is self working of course, however you’ll need to supply the wheat yourself. The fields will always be fertile, but you must still take the time to maintain them. This place is quite different on this list, as people will be allowed to come by and buy baked goods, this will lead to a steady and above average income, only getting better as your baking skills get better.
Mix’n’Match Mentality - A special offer for those who really need the calming sensation, or those who can’t make a decision on just one. Instead take two of the choices and fuse them, put in the comments what you create.
Life can be tough sometimes! Hydrate, think and recuperate! Humans can be allowed to rest. Have a lovely time-zone!
2024.06.08 22:07 Bedtime_Games Perpetual Rain
The year is 2121, and it always rains. Always.
The rain forms puddles, and in the puddles, you see the reflections of lights of a thousand colors, the large neon billboards that cover the towering skyscrapers of Ascension Bay’s center.
You can’t remember the last time you saw the sun, or the last time you saw the night, for that matter. All that matters is what you are going to do with the time that has been given to you.
As you look at the scrapers, you remember that you were never cut for that. For grinding out your days in the hope of one day sitting at the top of them.
As you give the scrapers your back, you venture into the blocks; grim, dirty, cold and damp, where at every corner something unexpected awaits. Now that’s the life, provided you have what it takes to survive
Perpetual Rain is the new cyberpunk themed game that rests on a philosophy of simplicity and brutality. In this game you will find:
submitted by Bedtime_Games to TTRPG [link] [comments]
The rain forms puddles, and in the puddles, you see the reflections of lights of a thousand colors, the large neon billboards that cover the towering skyscrapers of Ascension Bay’s center.
You can’t remember the last time you saw the sun, or the last time you saw the night, for that matter. All that matters is what you are going to do with the time that has been given to you.
As you look at the scrapers, you remember that you were never cut for that. For grinding out your days in the hope of one day sitting at the top of them.
As you give the scrapers your back, you venture into the blocks; grim, dirty, cold and damp, where at every corner something unexpected awaits. Now that’s the life, provided you have what it takes to survive
Perpetual Rain is the new cyberpunk themed game that rests on a philosophy of simplicity and brutality. In this game you will find:
- Simple character generation. Chose among 6 careers and get done in five minutes.
- A less is more philosophy when it comes to combat: shootouts in this game are extremely lethal, encouraging players to avoid violence and solve situations through stealth, subterfuge, deduction and role play.
- Easy hacking mechanics which let your hacker take control of the world through a few dice rolls.
- Large choice of weaponry, body implants and other high tech gadgets.
- A fully fleshed out setting and lore, enjoy the vibrant metropolis of Ascension Bay, in the small nation of Esmeralda, ruled by old crime families, ruthless corporation and a corrupt private police force.
2024.06.08 22:04 Bedtime_Games Perpetual Rain, an OSR style, cyberpunk themed ttrpg for lovers of noir stories under neon lights and rain.
 | The year is 2121, and it always rains. Always. submitted by Bedtime_Games to rpgpromo [link] [comments] The rain forms puddles, and in the puddles, you see the reflections of lights of a thousand colors, the large neon billboards that cover the towering skyscrapers of Ascension Bay’s center. You can’t remember the last time you saw the sun, or the last time you saw the night, for that matter. All that matters is what you are going to do with the time that has been given to you. As you look at the scrapers, you remember that you were never cut for that. For grinding out your days in the hope of one day sitting at the top of them. As you give the scrapers your back, you venture into the blocks; grim, dirty, cold and damp, where at every corner something unexpected awaits. Now that’s the life, provided you have what it takes to survive Perpetual Rain is a new OSR style, cyberpunk themed game that rests on a philosophy of simplicity and brutality. In this game you will find:
|
2024.06.08 21:32 Etlot How do you envision a deal for long term peace in Israel & Palestine?
How do you guys views a long term solution for the Israel-Palestine conflict? I think getting into the merits of who's right and who's wrong is meaningless, what's done is done and we have to create a viable way out of this mess.
PS: I posted this in Zionist servers, the reactions were mixed, mostly negative. I'd like to see how an anti Zionist server would react to it. Keep in mind that my focus here was realism, what outcome would be mutually acceptable even if both sides end up displeased. I do not wish to create conflict, only to see how people from another context envision a solution
My opinion: The London Treaty for Israel and Palestine
Right of Return
— Thousand of Palestinians fleed or were expelled during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, that's an historic fact. However, it's also a historic fact that thousands of Jews fleed or were expelled from Arab countries and from the West Bank/Judea and Samaria. Both have been out for 80 years and most of them got new citizenships by that point, any side discussing the “right of return” is not productive and ignores the historical formation of the other. However, when the State of Palestine is formed, they may welcome these people as an independent country with their own sovereignty over immigration inside their lands as defined by this treaty.
Borders outside of Jerusalem
— The borders will mostly follow the ones proposed by the 2008 David Olmert Proposal ( https://shortlurl.com/C429 ) with the exception of Jerusalem, which will be under a different status under this treaty. All Israeli people under Palestinian territory as defined by this document must be evacuated to Israel unless the State of Palestine allows any individual part to stay.
— However, holy sites for Judaism inside the West Bank like Eshtemoa synagogue, the Hill of Phinehas and other territories which must be defined, as well as settlements that grew to a certain side in the West Bank, will become Israeli exclaves inside of Palestine. Those will be Israeli land connected by tunnels to the State of Israel, the area inside those tunnels will also be Israeli land. The exclaves will have an extra area of 500 meters under Israeli sovereignty to ensure security.
— Furthermore, a Tunnel between the West Bank and Gaza will be built, the area inside this tunnel will belong to Palestine as well. Besides, a port for commercial ships must be built in Gaza. The construction of the tunnels and the port will be entirely covered by Israeli money.
Jerusalem
— Jerusalem will be a territory of both Israel and Palestine following the armistice line after the 1948 War, the border control will not be imposed inside the city but in bordering cities, everyone residing in Jerusalem will be able to move and work freely on both sides, but will only be able to own property in the side they're under legal status. People who are not citzens of Israel or Palestine will need to get a visa from both sides to enter the city.
— Both countries will extradite anyone that committed a crime while inside any part of Jerusalem under the jurisdiction of the other. Real estate may not be under dual legal status, the legal system that will apply to a building will be determined by which side of the border the entrance of the property is on, if the entrance is in the border or the property has entrances is both sides the owner of the building will determine which legal system will be applied inside the building. Buildings can't change the border, instead both sides agree to let the legal system of the other apply to avoid complications, new buildings can't go over the border without the municipal government of both sides agreeing to it and the ones already existing can't be expanded without authorization from both sides as well.
— The neighborhood of Har Hola will belong to Israel and be connected to the neighborhood of Gilo by a road sovereign to Israel, Gilo will then be connected to West Jerusalem. The same thing that happened with the neighborhood of Gilo will happen to the neighborhoods of East Talipot, Ma'alot Dalma, Ramot Alon, Ramat Shlomat and Giv'at HaMivitar, all with Israeli sovereign roads connecting it to West Jerusalem. The following areas will be Israeli territory with Israeli road connecting them to the following land mentioned: Jerusalem airport to Atarot Industrial Zone to Never Ya'akov to Pisgat Ze'ev to Giv'at Shapira which will then be connected to Giv'at HaMivitar. Image for reference: https://www.shaularieli.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Jerusalem-1948-1967-scaled.jpg
Borders in The Old City
— The Old City will vary according to the day of the week, when the sun sets on Friday to the moment when the sun rises on Thursday it'll be under Israeli Jurisdiction while from the moment when the sun rises on Thursday to the moment when the sun sets on Friday it'll be under Israeli Jurisdiction. It also will be also under Israeli Jurisdiction on the holidays of Rosh Hashaná, Yom Kippur, Sucot, Shemini Atzeret, Simchat Torá, Hanukkah, Tu Bishvat, Purim, Pessach, Yom HaShoá, Yom HaZikaron, Yom HaAtzmaut, Lag BaOmer, Yom Yerushalayim, Shavuot, Tishá B'Av. However, during the holidays of Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, Ramadan, Mawlid al-Nabi, Lailat al-Miraj, Lailat al-Qadr, Ashura it will be under Muslim jurisdiction. If a holiday is bigger and intersect with a tinier holiday, the tinier holiday will transfer the jurisdiction to it's host, this will not take into consideration other smaller holidays that will also intersect with the bigger holiday. Protests, constructions, demolitions or changes to buildings inside the Old City may only happen with authorization from both sides.
Palestine's Army
— Palestine may never have an army and no citizen of the country may get a gun except for policeman, the people choosen to be police in Jerusalem must be approved by Israel as well as Palestine. The number of policeman in Palestine must be limited to 15% of the amount of active soldiers in the IDF. Israel must approve the guns they can have and the amount of those guns too. Israel must also approve the any military deals or land cessions made between Palestine and any other entities. However, Israel must recognize Palestine's statehood and renounce any use of force against the State except in self defense or when authorized by courts that will be mentioned later in that document. Both sides will renounce to violent solutions to conflicts and commit to the borders and rules determined by the treaty.
Israeli Help
— The Israeli Government must send 4% of all the money it gets from taxation to Palestine's Government during 40 years. Israel will be obliged to defend Palestine if it's aggressed by another country. Furthermore, Israel must sell at least 10% of the water it gets from desalination to Palestine at production cost and must commit to send aid to the country while it develops.
The Court for Disagreements
— An international court composed by 3 Israeli judges nominated by the president of Israel and with a mandate of 25 years, 3 Palestinian Judges nominated by the Chief of Government and with a mandate of 25 years and 3 international judges which must be nominated by both leaders with a lifetime mandate is to be established. This court will solve conflicts when there's a disagreement about the interpretation of this and future treaties between the countries, for a solution to be implemented the court needs a ⅔ majority. The court decisions may not change the borders established by this treaty unless both sides agree to it.
— The judges may renounce at any time and the national judges may be impeached with a ⅔ votes on the Parliament from the country that nominated them or with a ⅗ majority in both countries for international judges.
Media and Education
— Both sides must create educational rules that support peace, this treaty and the two state solution. It would be prudent for supremacist and ati two state solution speech to be criminalized in both countries. All educational material that talks about the conflict in both sides must be approved by a ⅔ majority in the court mentioned above. Politicians from both Palestine and Israel that participate in speech against this treaty may be criminally prosecuted by the court and be in prison for up to 10 years and lose political rights permanently. The media must support this treaty and any media speech against it may be punished by the court with the same punishment as those defined by politicians.
Avoiding Legal Complications
— To avoid legal complications, dual citizenship between Israel and Palestine shall not be allowed. Also, Palestinians, the Palestinian Government and Palestinian Companies will not be able to own shares in Israeli companies and vice versa. This treaty will have a supra-constitutional legal status in both countries.
— This treaty may be amended if ⅗ of both national parliaments approve and amendment once then again 3 years later then again 3 years later, only them it'll be amended. Each individual voting must be approved with ⅗ of the seats in favour, if any of the country has more than one house in the Parliament all houses will have to approve with the same ⅗ quorum. Amendments votes can only happen if previously approved by 7/9 judges in the Court.
Edits suggested by people that I agree should be added
submitted by Etlot to AskMiddleEast [link] [comments]
PS: I posted this in Zionist servers, the reactions were mixed, mostly negative. I'd like to see how an anti Zionist server would react to it. Keep in mind that my focus here was realism, what outcome would be mutually acceptable even if both sides end up displeased. I do not wish to create conflict, only to see how people from another context envision a solution
My opinion: The London Treaty for Israel and Palestine
Right of Return
— Thousand of Palestinians fleed or were expelled during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, that's an historic fact. However, it's also a historic fact that thousands of Jews fleed or were expelled from Arab countries and from the West Bank/Judea and Samaria. Both have been out for 80 years and most of them got new citizenships by that point, any side discussing the “right of return” is not productive and ignores the historical formation of the other. However, when the State of Palestine is formed, they may welcome these people as an independent country with their own sovereignty over immigration inside their lands as defined by this treaty.
Borders outside of Jerusalem
— The borders will mostly follow the ones proposed by the 2008 David Olmert Proposal ( https://shortlurl.com/C429 ) with the exception of Jerusalem, which will be under a different status under this treaty. All Israeli people under Palestinian territory as defined by this document must be evacuated to Israel unless the State of Palestine allows any individual part to stay.
— However, holy sites for Judaism inside the West Bank like Eshtemoa synagogue, the Hill of Phinehas and other territories which must be defined, as well as settlements that grew to a certain side in the West Bank, will become Israeli exclaves inside of Palestine. Those will be Israeli land connected by tunnels to the State of Israel, the area inside those tunnels will also be Israeli land. The exclaves will have an extra area of 500 meters under Israeli sovereignty to ensure security.
— Furthermore, a Tunnel between the West Bank and Gaza will be built, the area inside this tunnel will belong to Palestine as well. Besides, a port for commercial ships must be built in Gaza. The construction of the tunnels and the port will be entirely covered by Israeli money.
Jerusalem
— Jerusalem will be a territory of both Israel and Palestine following the armistice line after the 1948 War, the border control will not be imposed inside the city but in bordering cities, everyone residing in Jerusalem will be able to move and work freely on both sides, but will only be able to own property in the side they're under legal status. People who are not citzens of Israel or Palestine will need to get a visa from both sides to enter the city.
— Both countries will extradite anyone that committed a crime while inside any part of Jerusalem under the jurisdiction of the other. Real estate may not be under dual legal status, the legal system that will apply to a building will be determined by which side of the border the entrance of the property is on, if the entrance is in the border or the property has entrances is both sides the owner of the building will determine which legal system will be applied inside the building. Buildings can't change the border, instead both sides agree to let the legal system of the other apply to avoid complications, new buildings can't go over the border without the municipal government of both sides agreeing to it and the ones already existing can't be expanded without authorization from both sides as well.
— The neighborhood of Har Hola will belong to Israel and be connected to the neighborhood of Gilo by a road sovereign to Israel, Gilo will then be connected to West Jerusalem. The same thing that happened with the neighborhood of Gilo will happen to the neighborhoods of East Talipot, Ma'alot Dalma, Ramot Alon, Ramat Shlomat and Giv'at HaMivitar, all with Israeli sovereign roads connecting it to West Jerusalem. The following areas will be Israeli territory with Israeli road connecting them to the following land mentioned: Jerusalem airport to Atarot Industrial Zone to Never Ya'akov to Pisgat Ze'ev to Giv'at Shapira which will then be connected to Giv'at HaMivitar. Image for reference: https://www.shaularieli.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Jerusalem-1948-1967-scaled.jpg
Borders in The Old City
— The Old City will vary according to the day of the week, when the sun sets on Friday to the moment when the sun rises on Thursday it'll be under Israeli Jurisdiction while from the moment when the sun rises on Thursday to the moment when the sun sets on Friday it'll be under Israeli Jurisdiction. It also will be also under Israeli Jurisdiction on the holidays of Rosh Hashaná, Yom Kippur, Sucot, Shemini Atzeret, Simchat Torá, Hanukkah, Tu Bishvat, Purim, Pessach, Yom HaShoá, Yom HaZikaron, Yom HaAtzmaut, Lag BaOmer, Yom Yerushalayim, Shavuot, Tishá B'Av. However, during the holidays of Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, Ramadan, Mawlid al-Nabi, Lailat al-Miraj, Lailat al-Qadr, Ashura it will be under Muslim jurisdiction. If a holiday is bigger and intersect with a tinier holiday, the tinier holiday will transfer the jurisdiction to it's host, this will not take into consideration other smaller holidays that will also intersect with the bigger holiday. Protests, constructions, demolitions or changes to buildings inside the Old City may only happen with authorization from both sides.
Palestine's Army
— Palestine may never have an army and no citizen of the country may get a gun except for policeman, the people choosen to be police in Jerusalem must be approved by Israel as well as Palestine. The number of policeman in Palestine must be limited to 15% of the amount of active soldiers in the IDF. Israel must approve the guns they can have and the amount of those guns too. Israel must also approve the any military deals or land cessions made between Palestine and any other entities. However, Israel must recognize Palestine's statehood and renounce any use of force against the State except in self defense or when authorized by courts that will be mentioned later in that document. Both sides will renounce to violent solutions to conflicts and commit to the borders and rules determined by the treaty.
Israeli Help
— The Israeli Government must send 4% of all the money it gets from taxation to Palestine's Government during 40 years. Israel will be obliged to defend Palestine if it's aggressed by another country. Furthermore, Israel must sell at least 10% of the water it gets from desalination to Palestine at production cost and must commit to send aid to the country while it develops.
The Court for Disagreements
— An international court composed by 3 Israeli judges nominated by the president of Israel and with a mandate of 25 years, 3 Palestinian Judges nominated by the Chief of Government and with a mandate of 25 years and 3 international judges which must be nominated by both leaders with a lifetime mandate is to be established. This court will solve conflicts when there's a disagreement about the interpretation of this and future treaties between the countries, for a solution to be implemented the court needs a ⅔ majority. The court decisions may not change the borders established by this treaty unless both sides agree to it.
— The judges may renounce at any time and the national judges may be impeached with a ⅔ votes on the Parliament from the country that nominated them or with a ⅗ majority in both countries for international judges.
Media and Education
— Both sides must create educational rules that support peace, this treaty and the two state solution. It would be prudent for supremacist and ati two state solution speech to be criminalized in both countries. All educational material that talks about the conflict in both sides must be approved by a ⅔ majority in the court mentioned above. Politicians from both Palestine and Israel that participate in speech against this treaty may be criminally prosecuted by the court and be in prison for up to 10 years and lose political rights permanently. The media must support this treaty and any media speech against it may be punished by the court with the same punishment as those defined by politicians.
Avoiding Legal Complications
— To avoid legal complications, dual citizenship between Israel and Palestine shall not be allowed. Also, Palestinians, the Palestinian Government and Palestinian Companies will not be able to own shares in Israeli companies and vice versa. This treaty will have a supra-constitutional legal status in both countries.
— This treaty may be amended if ⅗ of both national parliaments approve and amendment once then again 3 years later then again 3 years later, only them it'll be amended. Each individual voting must be approved with ⅗ of the seats in favour, if any of the country has more than one house in the Parliament all houses will have to approve with the same ⅗ quorum. Amendments votes can only happen if previously approved by 7/9 judges in the Court.
Edits suggested by people that I agree should be added
- Freedom of religion to all religions and legal protections to women and LGBTQ people should be secured in Jerusalem. Religious buildings in each side of Jerusalem may not be built, demolished or changed without the other side agreeing to it.
- Foreign countries which must be defined in the treaty may get protector status, they may legally use of military power to enforce the treaty and court decisions if either side breaks it. More countries (which must be approved by both Israel and Palestine) may get protector status too after this treaty is ratified
- Protections to Israelis and Palestinians legally passing through the land of another side must be included
- Israel is not responsible for Palestinian citzens and vice versa. Neither side is obligated to accept citzens of the other inside their border
2024.06.08 20:47 howmymindworks Palestinian Connection to ancient Canaan
A common theme I see among Zionists is an attempt to erase or belittle Palestinians existence and emotional, historical, and cultural connection to the land. Zionists often juxtaposed Jewish connection to the land with Palestinian connections. This lacks understanding of the sociological understanding of culture.
Zionists detail Jewish connection to the land, most commonly language, religious practices, and calendars, as evidence that they are more connected to the land than Palestinians and claim to be indigenous to Palestine, labeling the latter as colonists. This assertion lacks evidence.
DISPELLING THE COLONIST MYTH
There is no evidence of mass migration from Arabia to Palestine in the 7th century as the Umayyads conquered Jerusalem, and there is no evidence of any Arab colonies set up. On the contrary, the Umayyads didn’t conquer empty space. They conquered people who have lived on the land for several millennia who are the descendants of Canaanites, and Palestinians are genetically descended from these inhabitants whose existence on the land predates the emergence of Jewish people as a distinct people group 3,000 years ago [1][2]. In other words, Jews were not the first ones on the land, a land that has over 10,000 years of history and were never the only ones on the land. The following will demonstrate how they maintained their connection to the land. But first, memes.
MEMES
What is culture? Culture is fundamentally a body of memes. Memetics is a concept in sociology which defines memes as cultural units of information that are analogous to genes, in that they are passed down (or around) as humans mimic one another and mutate. Mutation means that memes are dynamic, almost living things.
It’s important to understand that no society has experienced a "stop" and complete "reset" of memes. In other words, a group of people cannot completely change every single facet of their behavior, thinking, beliefs, ideas, and practices and adopt new ones without the old ones affecting the new ones. That would require a complete reset of the brain. For example, let's consider language, which we can illustrate as a family tree, where our ancestors have built up sounds to communicate meaning, imitated those sounds, and built upon those sounds to create sentences, so on and so forth. Palestinians preserved Aramaic words and grammar in their speech over time, so it is logical to conclude that since all memes behave the same, that other 'memes' within Palestinian culture have preserved memes from pre-arabization and pre-Islamization. Zionists often claim that even if Palestinians are descendants of Canaanites and other people groups in the region, that they are completely severed from their ancestor’s culture, and that is simply nonsensical.
Palestinians are descendants of people groups that have lived on the land for hundreds if not thousands of years, and it is impossible for a group of people to share the same space for that long and not develop a culture that is tied to the land. Sociologically speaking, when individuals gather, they begin mirroring one another’s behavior, form new vocabulary through shared experiences, and a group dynamic forms. One of those experiences is as broad as living in the same space. A group of newly introduced people in New York City would develop ways of thinking that are influenced by different facets of living in New York, like concepts of time, daily life pace, food, ect, and their identity as a group would be inseparable from New York, in the same way that any individual’s way of viewing the world would be oriented around their immediate environment.
How could this be any different from Palestinians? Their shared cultural experience is glued to the soil of Canaan. Especially considering that most of Palestine was rural until the 20th century, there is great emotional attachment to farming, shepherding, and the rolling hills of the countryside. If you look at Palestinian art, music, and literature, you'll observe some nostalgic feeling about the countryside, the vineyards, the oranges, the apricots, the olives, and a love of the soil. They have a deep attachment to the soil where they work, where they were born and grew up, where their ancestors and prophets are buried. A change in language and religion doesn't completely sever one from 100s of years of history.
CANAANITE CULTURE
Scholars unfortunately do not know a lot about Canaanite culture. There was no unified “Canaanite culture”, and each people group throughout Palestine had different ways of worshiping, ways of behaving, and ways of viewing the world. Also, Palestine is at the crossroads of 2 continents and at the intersection of important trade routes, so it was always the epicenter of exchanges of ideas, technologies, and religious practices. To have a culture that preserves every aspect of its culture would be impossible.
Jewish culture arose from Canaanite culture around 3,000 years ago, and their culture is like any other culture that has changed due to the exchange of memes. Their religion changed (please see Mark S. Smith on this exciting topic), as Israelites (save a few staunch monotheists) were mostly polytheistic until after the Babylonian exile. Their understanding of God developed as the gods El and Yahweh merged into one supreme being while under Assyrian and Babylonian rule (God was seen as less tribal and more universal). The temple was Canaanite, and the architecture and religious items within it mirror Canaanite religion. Their language changed. It is highly unlikely that a Hebrew speaker could transport back in time to King David’s court in 990BC and could understand David for many reasons. This is mainly because this was nearly 3,000 years ago, because linguists aren’t certain of the vowels ancient Israelites used (the written language only shows consonants) and that Hebrew has since been influenced by 3,000 years of interaction with other languages! This is not to undermine Jewish culture, but to demonstrate that every culture changes and is affected by others.
LANGUAGE
Logically, it is nonsensical to believe that a population can acquire a language over a period of several centuries without maintaining some vocabulary of their previous language in their vernacular. This topic has recently piqued my interest, so I don't have a ton of literature to share, but this paper by Ibrahim Bassel demonstrates how Aramaic was conserved in Palestinian Arabic.
b. Bannur
c. Ba’ar (to glean the grain and fruits behind the harvesters)
d. ǧift (residue of olive ‘turf’) borrowed in Spoken Arabic from Jewish Aramaic or Mishnaic Hebrew.
If Palestinians in the 21st century were not connected to the land and to their ancestors, they would not be using words used by their ancestors thousands of years ago.
ISLAM
Zionists dismiss Islam as being a purely Arab religion. However, with a cursory glance we can see some threads of ideas preserved from Judaism to Islam due to Muhammad’s exposure to Jews and Christians in Syria and Arabia, like the prophets and their narratives, religious practices modified like the three daily Jewish prayers, how they pray, what they say while praying, when and how they fast ect. These practices “originated” in Canaan, therefore Palestinians are connected to Canaan.
Culture is a diffusion of ideas and its impossible to say that one was preserved more than the other, and more so it's foolish to place a moral judgment on which culture is most pure.
This is in no way some contribution to a “competition” to see who is more connected to the land. It’s irrefutable that Jewish people have roots in the land that are thousands of years deep. It is important for Zionists to know that culture is big. It’s a dynamic and living thing which refuses to be distilled down to one or two components, and protests laymen arbitrarily defining what makes one group more indigenous than the other by identifying factors that apply to them while neglecting others. Palestinians are native to Palestine. If they have a cultural connection to the land, then they have an emotional connection to the land as well.
I'm a layman and have just started to dive into the subject of Palestinian connection to ancient Canaan so I'd love if anyone had any more information to offer or refutations with scholarly articles!
submitted by howmymindworks to IsraelPalestine [link] [comments]
Zionists detail Jewish connection to the land, most commonly language, religious practices, and calendars, as evidence that they are more connected to the land than Palestinians and claim to be indigenous to Palestine, labeling the latter as colonists. This assertion lacks evidence.
DISPELLING THE COLONIST MYTH
There is no evidence of mass migration from Arabia to Palestine in the 7th century as the Umayyads conquered Jerusalem, and there is no evidence of any Arab colonies set up. On the contrary, the Umayyads didn’t conquer empty space. They conquered people who have lived on the land for several millennia who are the descendants of Canaanites, and Palestinians are genetically descended from these inhabitants whose existence on the land predates the emergence of Jewish people as a distinct people group 3,000 years ago [1][2]. In other words, Jews were not the first ones on the land, a land that has over 10,000 years of history and were never the only ones on the land. The following will demonstrate how they maintained their connection to the land. But first, memes.
MEMES
What is culture? Culture is fundamentally a body of memes. Memetics is a concept in sociology which defines memes as cultural units of information that are analogous to genes, in that they are passed down (or around) as humans mimic one another and mutate. Mutation means that memes are dynamic, almost living things.
It’s important to understand that no society has experienced a "stop" and complete "reset" of memes. In other words, a group of people cannot completely change every single facet of their behavior, thinking, beliefs, ideas, and practices and adopt new ones without the old ones affecting the new ones. That would require a complete reset of the brain. For example, let's consider language, which we can illustrate as a family tree, where our ancestors have built up sounds to communicate meaning, imitated those sounds, and built upon those sounds to create sentences, so on and so forth. Palestinians preserved Aramaic words and grammar in their speech over time, so it is logical to conclude that since all memes behave the same, that other 'memes' within Palestinian culture have preserved memes from pre-arabization and pre-Islamization. Zionists often claim that even if Palestinians are descendants of Canaanites and other people groups in the region, that they are completely severed from their ancestor’s culture, and that is simply nonsensical.
Palestinians are descendants of people groups that have lived on the land for hundreds if not thousands of years, and it is impossible for a group of people to share the same space for that long and not develop a culture that is tied to the land. Sociologically speaking, when individuals gather, they begin mirroring one another’s behavior, form new vocabulary through shared experiences, and a group dynamic forms. One of those experiences is as broad as living in the same space. A group of newly introduced people in New York City would develop ways of thinking that are influenced by different facets of living in New York, like concepts of time, daily life pace, food, ect, and their identity as a group would be inseparable from New York, in the same way that any individual’s way of viewing the world would be oriented around their immediate environment.
How could this be any different from Palestinians? Their shared cultural experience is glued to the soil of Canaan. Especially considering that most of Palestine was rural until the 20th century, there is great emotional attachment to farming, shepherding, and the rolling hills of the countryside. If you look at Palestinian art, music, and literature, you'll observe some nostalgic feeling about the countryside, the vineyards, the oranges, the apricots, the olives, and a love of the soil. They have a deep attachment to the soil where they work, where they were born and grew up, where their ancestors and prophets are buried. A change in language and religion doesn't completely sever one from 100s of years of history.
CANAANITE CULTURE
Scholars unfortunately do not know a lot about Canaanite culture. There was no unified “Canaanite culture”, and each people group throughout Palestine had different ways of worshiping, ways of behaving, and ways of viewing the world. Also, Palestine is at the crossroads of 2 continents and at the intersection of important trade routes, so it was always the epicenter of exchanges of ideas, technologies, and religious practices. To have a culture that preserves every aspect of its culture would be impossible.
Jewish culture arose from Canaanite culture around 3,000 years ago, and their culture is like any other culture that has changed due to the exchange of memes. Their religion changed (please see Mark S. Smith on this exciting topic), as Israelites (save a few staunch monotheists) were mostly polytheistic until after the Babylonian exile. Their understanding of God developed as the gods El and Yahweh merged into one supreme being while under Assyrian and Babylonian rule (God was seen as less tribal and more universal). The temple was Canaanite, and the architecture and religious items within it mirror Canaanite religion. Their language changed. It is highly unlikely that a Hebrew speaker could transport back in time to King David’s court in 990BC and could understand David for many reasons. This is mainly because this was nearly 3,000 years ago, because linguists aren’t certain of the vowels ancient Israelites used (the written language only shows consonants) and that Hebrew has since been influenced by 3,000 years of interaction with other languages! This is not to undermine Jewish culture, but to demonstrate that every culture changes and is affected by others.
LANGUAGE
Logically, it is nonsensical to believe that a population can acquire a language over a period of several centuries without maintaining some vocabulary of their previous language in their vernacular. This topic has recently piqued my interest, so I don't have a ton of literature to share, but this paper by Ibrahim Bassel demonstrates how Aramaic was conserved in Palestinian Arabic.
Researchers studying the vocabulary of spoken Arabic in Palestine and who are familiar with Aramaic dialects find substrata of Aramaic: nouns, verbs, grammatical forms that are alien to classical Arabic, and are typical of the Arabic spoken in the region of Aramaic influence – especially in the vernacular Arabic of Syria and Palestine. [3]Bassel gives several examples,
- Palestinian Arabic speakers use Arabic words with Syriac or Aramaic diminutive suffixes not found in Classical Arabic dictionaries
- “La” as an object marker in Palestinian Arabic, In Aramaic, the use of la is limited to definite objects.
- There are words that are absent in Classical Arabic dictionaries that are found in Palestinian Arabic that have roots in Aramaic, primarily concerning agriculture and the household, like
b. Bannur
c. Ba’ar (to glean the grain and fruits behind the harvesters)
d. ǧift (residue of olive ‘turf’) borrowed in Spoken Arabic from Jewish Aramaic or Mishnaic Hebrew.
If Palestinians in the 21st century were not connected to the land and to their ancestors, they would not be using words used by their ancestors thousands of years ago.
ISLAM
Zionists dismiss Islam as being a purely Arab religion. However, with a cursory glance we can see some threads of ideas preserved from Judaism to Islam due to Muhammad’s exposure to Jews and Christians in Syria and Arabia, like the prophets and their narratives, religious practices modified like the three daily Jewish prayers, how they pray, what they say while praying, when and how they fast ect. These practices “originated” in Canaan, therefore Palestinians are connected to Canaan.
Culture is a diffusion of ideas and its impossible to say that one was preserved more than the other, and more so it's foolish to place a moral judgment on which culture is most pure.
This is in no way some contribution to a “competition” to see who is more connected to the land. It’s irrefutable that Jewish people have roots in the land that are thousands of years deep. It is important for Zionists to know that culture is big. It’s a dynamic and living thing which refuses to be distilled down to one or two components, and protests laymen arbitrarily defining what makes one group more indigenous than the other by identifying factors that apply to them while neglecting others. Palestinians are native to Palestine. If they have a cultural connection to the land, then they have an emotional connection to the land as well.
I'm a layman and have just started to dive into the subject of Palestinian connection to ancient Canaan so I'd love if anyone had any more information to offer or refutations with scholarly articles!
2024.06.08 20:37 Etlot How do you envision a long term plan for peace?
How do you guys views a long term solution for the Israel-Palestine conflict? I think getting into the merits of who's right and who's wrong is meaningless, what's done is done and we have to create a viable way out of this mess.
My opinion: The London Treaty for Israel and Palestine
Right of Return
— Thousand of Palestinians fleed or were expelled during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, that's an historic fact. However, it's also a historic fact that thousands of Jews fleed or were expelled from Arab countries and from the West Bank/Judea and Samaria. Both have been out for 80 years and most of them got new citizenships by that point, any side discussing the “right of return” is ridiculous, this discussion shouldn't even exist. However, when the State of Palestine is formed, they may welcome these people as an independent country with their own sovereignty over immigration inside their lands as defined by this treaty.
Borders outside of Jerusalem
— The borders will mostly follow the ones proposed by the 2008 David Olmert Proposal ( https://shortlurl.com/C429 ) with the exception of Jerusalem, which will be under a different status under this treaty. All Israeli people under Palestinian territory as defined by this document must be evacuated to Israel unless the State of Palestine allows any individual part to stay.
— However, holy sites for Judaism inside the West Bank like Eshtemoa synagogue, the Hill of Phinehas and other territories which must be defined, as well as settlements that grew to a certain side in the West Bank, will become Israeli exclaves inside of Palestine. Those will be Israeli land connected by tunnels to the State of Israel, the area inside those tunnels will also be Israeli land. The exclaves will have an extra area of 500 meters under Israeli sovereignty to ensure security.
— Furthermore, a Tunnel between the West Bank and Gaza will be built, the area inside this tunnel will belong to Palestine as well. Besides, a port for commercial ships must be built in Gaza. The construction of the tunnels and the port will be entirely covered by Israeli money.
Jerusalem
— Jerusalem will be a territory of both Israel and Palestine following the armistice line after the 1948 War, the border control will not be imposed inside the city but in bordering cities, everyone residing in Jerusalem will be able to move and work freely on both sides, but will only be able to own property in the side they're under legal status. People who are not citzens of Israel or Palestine will need to get a visa from both sides to enter the city.
— Both countries will extradite anyone that committed a crime while inside any part of Jerusalem under the jurisdiction of the other. Real estate may not be under dual legal status, the legal system that will apply to a building will be determined by which side of the border the entrance of the property is on, if the entrance is in the border or the property has entrances is both sides the owner of the building will determine which legal system will be applied inside the building. Buildings can't change the border, instead both sides agree to let the legal system of the other apply to avoid complications, new buildings can't go over the border without the municipal government of both sides agreeing to it and the ones already existing can't be expanded without authorization from both sides as well.
— The neighborhood of Har Hola will belong to Israel and be connected to the neighborhood of Gilo by a road sovereign to Israel, Gilo will then be connected to West Jerusalem. The same thing that happened with the neighborhood of Gilo will happen to the neighborhoods of East Talipot, Ma'alot Dalma, Ramot Alon, Ramat Shlomat and Giv'at HaMivitar, all with Israeli sovereign roads connecting it to West Jerusalem. The following areas will be Israeli territory with Israeli road connecting them to the following land mentioned: Jerusalem airport to Atarot Industrial Zone to Never Ya'akov to Pisgat Ze'ev to Giv'at Shapira which will then be connected to Giv'at HaMivitar. Image for reference: https://www.shaularieli.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Jerusalem-1948-1967-scaled.jpg
Borders in The Old City
— The Old City will vary according to the day of the week, when the sun sets on Friday to the moment when the sun rises on Thursday it'll be under Israeli Jurisdiction while from the moment when the sun rises on Thursday to the moment when the sun sets on Friday it'll be under Israeli Jurisdiction. It also will be also under Israeli Jurisdiction on the holidays of Rosh Hashaná, Yom Kippur, Sucot, Shemini Atzeret, Simchat Torá, Hanukkah, Tu Bishvat, Purim, Pessach, Yom HaShoá, Yom HaZikaron, Yom HaAtzmaut, Lag BaOmer, Yom Yerushalayim, Shavuot, Tishá B'Av. However, during the holidays of Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, Ramadan, Mawlid al-Nabi, Lailat al-Miraj, Lailat al-Qadr, Ashura it will be under Muslim jurisdiction. If a holiday is bigger and intersect with a tinier holiday, the tinier holiday will transfer the jurisdiction to it's host, this will not take into consideration other smaller holidays that will also intersect with the bigger holiday. Protests, constructions, demolitions or changes to buildings inside the Old City may only happen with authorization from both sides.
Palestine's Army
— Palestine may never have an army and no citizen of the country may get a gun except for policeman, the people choosen to be police in Jerusalem must be approved by Israel as well as Palestine. The number of policeman in Palestine must be limited to 15% of the amount of active soldiers in the IDF. Israel must approve the guns they can have and the amount of those guns too. Israel must also approve the any military deals or land cessions made between Palestine and any other entities. However, Israel must recognize Palestine's statehood and renounce any use of force against the State except in self defense or when authorized by courts that will be mentioned later in that document. Both sides will renounce to violent solutions to conflicts and commit to the borders and rules determined by the treaty.
Israeli Help
— The Israeli Government must send 4% of all the money it gets from taxation to Palestine's Government during 40 years. Israel will be obliged to defend Palestine if it's aggressed by another country. Furthermore, Israel must sell at least 10% of the water it gets from desalination to Palestine at production cost and must commit to send aid to the country while it develops.
The Court for Disagreements
— An international court composed by 3 Israeli judges nominated by the president of Israel and with a mandate of 25 years, 3 Palestinian Judges nominated by the Chief of Government and with a mandate of 25 years and 3 international judges which must be nominated by both leaders with a lifetime mandate is to be established. This court will solve conflicts when there's a disagreement about the interpretation of this and future treaties between the countries, for a solution to be implemented the court needs a ⅔ majority. The court decisions may not change the borders established by this treaty unless both sides agree to it.
— The judges may renounce at any time and the national judges may be impeached with a ⅔ votes on the Parliament from the country that nominated them or with a ⅗ majority in both countries for international judges.
Media and Education
— Both sides must create educational rules that support peace, this treaty and the two state solution. It would be prudent for supremacist and ati two state solution speech to be criminalized in both countries. All educational material that talks about the conflict in both sides must be approved by a ⅔ majority in the court mentioned above. Politicians from both Palestine and Israel that participate in speech against this treaty may be criminally prosecuted by the court and be in prison for up to 10 years and lose political rights permanently. The media must support this treaty and any media speech against it may be punished by the court with the same punishment as those defined by politicians.
Avoiding Legal Complications
— To avoid legal complications, dual citizenship between Israel and Palestine shall not be allowed. Also, Palestinians, the Palestinian Government and Palestinian Companies will not be able to own shares in Israeli companies and vice versa. This treaty will have a supra-constitutional legal status in both countries.
— This treaty may be amended if ⅗ of both national parliaments approve and amendment once then again 3 years later then again 3 years later, only them it'll be amended. Each individual voting must be approved with ⅗ of the seats in favour, if any of the country has more than one house in the Parliament all houses will have to approve with the same ⅗ quorum. Amendments votes can only happen if previously approved by 7/9 judges in the Court.
Edits suggested by people that I agree should be added
submitted by Etlot to IsraelPalestine [link] [comments]
My opinion: The London Treaty for Israel and Palestine
Right of Return
— Thousand of Palestinians fleed or were expelled during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, that's an historic fact. However, it's also a historic fact that thousands of Jews fleed or were expelled from Arab countries and from the West Bank/Judea and Samaria. Both have been out for 80 years and most of them got new citizenships by that point, any side discussing the “right of return” is ridiculous, this discussion shouldn't even exist. However, when the State of Palestine is formed, they may welcome these people as an independent country with their own sovereignty over immigration inside their lands as defined by this treaty.
Borders outside of Jerusalem
— The borders will mostly follow the ones proposed by the 2008 David Olmert Proposal ( https://shortlurl.com/C429 ) with the exception of Jerusalem, which will be under a different status under this treaty. All Israeli people under Palestinian territory as defined by this document must be evacuated to Israel unless the State of Palestine allows any individual part to stay.
— However, holy sites for Judaism inside the West Bank like Eshtemoa synagogue, the Hill of Phinehas and other territories which must be defined, as well as settlements that grew to a certain side in the West Bank, will become Israeli exclaves inside of Palestine. Those will be Israeli land connected by tunnels to the State of Israel, the area inside those tunnels will also be Israeli land. The exclaves will have an extra area of 500 meters under Israeli sovereignty to ensure security.
— Furthermore, a Tunnel between the West Bank and Gaza will be built, the area inside this tunnel will belong to Palestine as well. Besides, a port for commercial ships must be built in Gaza. The construction of the tunnels and the port will be entirely covered by Israeli money.
Jerusalem
— Jerusalem will be a territory of both Israel and Palestine following the armistice line after the 1948 War, the border control will not be imposed inside the city but in bordering cities, everyone residing in Jerusalem will be able to move and work freely on both sides, but will only be able to own property in the side they're under legal status. People who are not citzens of Israel or Palestine will need to get a visa from both sides to enter the city.
— Both countries will extradite anyone that committed a crime while inside any part of Jerusalem under the jurisdiction of the other. Real estate may not be under dual legal status, the legal system that will apply to a building will be determined by which side of the border the entrance of the property is on, if the entrance is in the border or the property has entrances is both sides the owner of the building will determine which legal system will be applied inside the building. Buildings can't change the border, instead both sides agree to let the legal system of the other apply to avoid complications, new buildings can't go over the border without the municipal government of both sides agreeing to it and the ones already existing can't be expanded without authorization from both sides as well.
— The neighborhood of Har Hola will belong to Israel and be connected to the neighborhood of Gilo by a road sovereign to Israel, Gilo will then be connected to West Jerusalem. The same thing that happened with the neighborhood of Gilo will happen to the neighborhoods of East Talipot, Ma'alot Dalma, Ramot Alon, Ramat Shlomat and Giv'at HaMivitar, all with Israeli sovereign roads connecting it to West Jerusalem. The following areas will be Israeli territory with Israeli road connecting them to the following land mentioned: Jerusalem airport to Atarot Industrial Zone to Never Ya'akov to Pisgat Ze'ev to Giv'at Shapira which will then be connected to Giv'at HaMivitar. Image for reference: https://www.shaularieli.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Jerusalem-1948-1967-scaled.jpg
Borders in The Old City
— The Old City will vary according to the day of the week, when the sun sets on Friday to the moment when the sun rises on Thursday it'll be under Israeli Jurisdiction while from the moment when the sun rises on Thursday to the moment when the sun sets on Friday it'll be under Israeli Jurisdiction. It also will be also under Israeli Jurisdiction on the holidays of Rosh Hashaná, Yom Kippur, Sucot, Shemini Atzeret, Simchat Torá, Hanukkah, Tu Bishvat, Purim, Pessach, Yom HaShoá, Yom HaZikaron, Yom HaAtzmaut, Lag BaOmer, Yom Yerushalayim, Shavuot, Tishá B'Av. However, during the holidays of Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, Ramadan, Mawlid al-Nabi, Lailat al-Miraj, Lailat al-Qadr, Ashura it will be under Muslim jurisdiction. If a holiday is bigger and intersect with a tinier holiday, the tinier holiday will transfer the jurisdiction to it's host, this will not take into consideration other smaller holidays that will also intersect with the bigger holiday. Protests, constructions, demolitions or changes to buildings inside the Old City may only happen with authorization from both sides.
Palestine's Army
— Palestine may never have an army and no citizen of the country may get a gun except for policeman, the people choosen to be police in Jerusalem must be approved by Israel as well as Palestine. The number of policeman in Palestine must be limited to 15% of the amount of active soldiers in the IDF. Israel must approve the guns they can have and the amount of those guns too. Israel must also approve the any military deals or land cessions made between Palestine and any other entities. However, Israel must recognize Palestine's statehood and renounce any use of force against the State except in self defense or when authorized by courts that will be mentioned later in that document. Both sides will renounce to violent solutions to conflicts and commit to the borders and rules determined by the treaty.
Israeli Help
— The Israeli Government must send 4% of all the money it gets from taxation to Palestine's Government during 40 years. Israel will be obliged to defend Palestine if it's aggressed by another country. Furthermore, Israel must sell at least 10% of the water it gets from desalination to Palestine at production cost and must commit to send aid to the country while it develops.
The Court for Disagreements
— An international court composed by 3 Israeli judges nominated by the president of Israel and with a mandate of 25 years, 3 Palestinian Judges nominated by the Chief of Government and with a mandate of 25 years and 3 international judges which must be nominated by both leaders with a lifetime mandate is to be established. This court will solve conflicts when there's a disagreement about the interpretation of this and future treaties between the countries, for a solution to be implemented the court needs a ⅔ majority. The court decisions may not change the borders established by this treaty unless both sides agree to it.
— The judges may renounce at any time and the national judges may be impeached with a ⅔ votes on the Parliament from the country that nominated them or with a ⅗ majority in both countries for international judges.
Media and Education
— Both sides must create educational rules that support peace, this treaty and the two state solution. It would be prudent for supremacist and ati two state solution speech to be criminalized in both countries. All educational material that talks about the conflict in both sides must be approved by a ⅔ majority in the court mentioned above. Politicians from both Palestine and Israel that participate in speech against this treaty may be criminally prosecuted by the court and be in prison for up to 10 years and lose political rights permanently. The media must support this treaty and any media speech against it may be punished by the court with the same punishment as those defined by politicians.
Avoiding Legal Complications
— To avoid legal complications, dual citizenship between Israel and Palestine shall not be allowed. Also, Palestinians, the Palestinian Government and Palestinian Companies will not be able to own shares in Israeli companies and vice versa. This treaty will have a supra-constitutional legal status in both countries.
— This treaty may be amended if ⅗ of both national parliaments approve and amendment once then again 3 years later then again 3 years later, only them it'll be amended. Each individual voting must be approved with ⅗ of the seats in favour, if any of the country has more than one house in the Parliament all houses will have to approve with the same ⅗ quorum. Amendments votes can only happen if previously approved by 7/9 judges in the Court.
Edits suggested by people that I agree should be added
- Freedom of religion to all religions and legal protections to women and LGBTQ people should be secured in Jerusalem. Religious buildings in each side of Jerusalem may not be built, demolished or changed without the other side agreeing to it.
- Foreign countries which must be defined in the treaty may get protector status, they may legally use of military power to enforce the treaty and court decisions if either side breaks it. More countries (which must be approved by both Israel and Palestine) may get protector status too after this treaty is ratified
- Protections to Israelis and Palestinians legally passing through the land of another side must be included
- Israel is not responsible for Palestinian citzens and vice versa. Neither side is obligated to accept citzens of the other inside their borders
2024.06.08 20:22 CrazyBalrog Hallowed Be Thy Name wins 7 minutes - Best song of each length Day 7: 8 minutes
 | Options for today: submitted by CrazyBalrog to ironmaiden [link] [comments] Alexander the Great (SIT) - 8:37 The Unbeliever (X Factor) - 8:10 Don’t Look Into the Eyes of a Stranger (V11)-8:04 The Thin Line Between Love and Hate (BNW) - 8:27 Dance of Death (DOD) - 8:36 Paschendale (DOD) - 8:28 Brighter Than a Thousand Suns (AMOLAD)-8:46 Satellite 15…..The Final Frontier (TFF) - 8:40 The Man Who Would Be King (TFF) - 8:28 If Eternity Should Fail (TBOS) - 8:28 Senjutsu (Senjutsu) - 8:20 |