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Brief background: I'm an over-the-hill class gamer who grew up with FF's 1, "2", and "3" (those are 4 and 6 now, and yes, I know you already knew). FFX and X2 represented a glaring hole in my experience that I sought to correct over the past couple of weeks. And while I don't have much to say on FFX -- it's a great game, maybe not for me -- I have quite a bit to say about FFX2. I need the catharsis, so I'm just going to jump right in, by topic.
The Stuff Everyone Hates
Just to get this out of the way, the completion business is completely bonkers. Some of the stuff guarding 100% (Via Infinito is a great example) feels like post-game screw around stuff to extend playtime, not critical do-this-or-get-a-bad-ending stuff. My theory is that that's how it was intended to work, but at some point they put more and more emphasis on that elusive completion, and it's... ugh. I mean, they make you perform a major faction choice early in the game, and one of them will then and there torpedo your "perfect run". Another bit of completion and an either-or choice of unique accessory relies on who you talk to first with no indication of it mattering. It's confusing and obtuse.
Oh, and the outfits are ridiculous. I'm not gonna spend a lot of time there. Just talking about it makes me feel a bit skeevy.
Mechanics
I love job-change systems, strategic building, and the new ATB system here is a lot of fun, with shit happening everywhere. So it's easy to come in excited. Unfortunately, it all is kind of ... well, let's break it down.

• The ATB system, more and more towards the end of the game, exhibits a huge amount of queueing problems, as more and more you have full charge bars just sitting around waiting for some other shit to get done. More than once I'd finish casting something while a fat tonberry was waving his knife around, only to sit there staring at him for several seconds, and then have him attack again. Against multitarget fights (like Major Numerous) it feels particularly punishing as it seems easy for your actions to clump up after quite a few of the enemy's. Some clarity on the turn ordering would have helped a lot (perhaps an FFX-style display). As it is, it's very hard to make multipart strategies work. Which you need to do, because...
  
• The job system is, like, not really a job system. It's a weird beast, because most of the jobs feel like they're pretty locked in to a role, but then there isn't any credible way to benefit from more than one job at a time. (Yes, hang on, I'm getting to that.) So clearly the sphere change system is meant to pick up that slack, and the idea of strategically laying out jobs on a board to move between was really cool, up until the first time I needed to traverse the whole board (Paine's special sphere, maybe?) and it became obvious that there wasn't any cost to doing so; if you spam the sphere changes you can get everyone through all of their boards before the enemy does anything in 90% of cases. There's no other cost to changing spheres, so I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be doing here, but it feels like any board with some powerful effect behind "hit all the gates" is just saying "to continue character progression you're going to have to do thirty seconds of mindless button mashing before every fight." Okay, so I leave that behind, but then, if you don't swap jobs, it's back to overrestricted roles again.
  
• As you progress, items try to address this, as you get accessories (and boards!) that let you access skill sets from another job. By and large these are pretty terrible, for the next few reasons (which also hurt the game as a whole).
  
• The jobs are clogged up with way too much useless gimmick garbage. Almost every job has one or many HP-percent attacks (think Demi), and they have the same problem they've always had, which is that against enemies it would work against you're almost always better off just, like, hitting them. The fat guys you might actually want to try this on are all immune to it, guaranteed. Every single one of these skills is a waste of design and a waste of space, and I resent having to scroll past them looking for something that might work. Except, I can't, because...
  
• Almost all of the stuff that isn't HP-percent is instead normal-attack-plus-status-effect. Anyone who's spent any time playing RPGs knows this issue, and it's the same one as above; against stuff that it would actually work on, you should just get to killing it; it doesn't matter if you put some weak-ass poison on it (and, despite the FFX poison being ridiculously good, the FFX2 poison is so trivial that I stopped bothering to get it off my team halfway through the game). Jobs are absolutely riddled with this shit. For half the classes, literally everything they learn that you can click on is "normal attack plus something that every strong enemy is immune to". And that's what makes the other-job accessories so bad, because getting access to a bunch of ways to pay MP to do a normal attack with a fancy "GUARD" shield over it isn't useful.
  
• Just to cap off these lists of useless moves, the "best" skills in jobs will frequently be some kind of instant death (there are dozens of these). Same problem as above except moreso, because even more stuff will be immune. Like, seriously, some jobs have multiple instant death attacks, and none of them ever work.
  
• But what about magic? I've been a black magic fan for decades. Well, the designers hate me specifically, because magic in this game sucks shit. I mean, it's absolutely awful. The black mage class learns three levels of the elemental spells and nothing else (power spells like Flare and Ultima are unlocked on sphere change boards and aren't specific to any job), and they do horrible damage. Without context maybe this isn't useful, but a max level black mage (99) with max magic (255) and the pay-more-for-stronger-spells ability (Magic Booster) can come up to Shiva, weak to fire, and hit her with the strongest fire spell right in the face, and it will do less than 2000 damage. At those stat levels normal attacks are expected to hit the 9999 cap regularly, to say nothing of -- well, I'm getting to that.
  
• Okay, but what about other jobs? BLM sucks, what else is there? Okay, there's White Mage -- no Holy, just heals. And... well, that's it. All the other classes are variants on fighters with only a couple gimmick exceptions (the Songstress doesn't use stats, and the Alchemist only uses items). Someone is about to bring up the Gun Mage -- the Blue Mage of FFX2, but check it out -- quite a few of the blue magics are physical, all of them are kind of bleh, and the other menu the Gun Mage gets is the ability to do a physical, strength-based attack that will do quadruple damage if you can pick the enemy's type from a list. Seriously, for physical dealers we have Fighter, Gunner, Samurai, Dark Knight, Berserker, Trainer, and Thief, explicitly strength jobs (oh, did Dark Knight fool you because it's sphere grid gives bonuses to Magic for some reason? The darkness command doesn't use strength, the spells they cast all inflict status and don't care about Magic, and also don't work, and the capstone Black Sky does magic damage but is based on your strength). Even the oddballs have no use for magic, even as a simple "attack" command (strength, natch) never goes out of style.
  
• Okay, but magic lets you hit elemental weaknesses? No. This is another big filler for classes -- not as much as status and fraction, but just about as useless, many physical jobs will have attack commands for each element. Why spend MP to cast a spell to hit a weakness for 2000 when you can hit a weakness with a physical attack for four times that? But by the latter parts of the game, elemental weaknesses are becoming very rare, and a bit hard to guess at, meaning playing the elements is really asking for it.
  
• Doesn't this mean the magic stat is useless and magic-users suck shit? Yeah, that's what I said above.
  
• But even most of the physical stuff gets gimmicked out of the room; there are a handful of physical abilities that ignore defense. FFX2 uses a smooth percentage based defense-based system, and higher-level mobs have more defense, so ignoring defense is a HUGE deal, especially against bosses and superbosses (for instance, an attack might do 1200 on a hard target, but ignoring defense would do more like 15,000 with the same power.) So you can try to overpower enemies with strong defense-affected attacks, and lose the game, or you can use... well, let's give it its own bullet point.
  
• Allow me to introduce the bread and butter of the game. The strongest, defense-ignoring, hit-everything attack. It's a specialty of the Samurai, so you know it's going to be good. What happens is, you swing your sword, and use it to... launch a little firecracker at enemies, which lands at their feet and merrily pops, dealing basically the most damage you can deal, easily growable into tens of thousands. Yeah, it's called Fireworks, and it being the strongest move in the game is ridiculous. And there's not even any contest; you can set someone up with max magic (inadvisable, see above) and magic boost and Ultima and get everything right and blow all your MP and -- you'll hit almost not quite as hard as a samurai just randomly using Fireworks. Sometimes enemies have much lower magic defense, but remember, Fireworks ignores defense. It's exactly as good against everything, it hits everything on the field. (One might note there are not any player-accesible spells that ignore magic defense.)
  
• Seriously. Fireworks. And yes, I know that gunpowder, and rockets, and all that jazz, and if the thing had a little more oomph to it I might like it, or if it made any sense at all, but to completely outclass actually using the sword you're holding in every possible way? FFS.
  
• There is one decent alternative for damage-ignoring, and it's on the Mascot sphere -- a "super" job you unlock by doing everything perfectly. They're different for each person, but they come with a pile of status and fraction attacks (...) and Yuna and Paine's can use a powerful single-target defense-ignoring attack. Arguably Fireworks is still better, but you can mix it up with these. Not that they look any cooler; the Mascot job puts each girl in a huge fluffy costume (a Moogle, a Cait Sith, and a Tonberry) with big goofy details, and the moves for all of them are all cartoony jokes. I hate when games do this -- make the strongest stuff these kinds of joke items -- but whatever.
  
• Ok, so, whatever, that all sucks. What about the special dressspheres? These turn one of the three into a super-powered version that chases off the other party members and replaces them with parts of their new huge form. In principle this is badass, and the idea of three pieces designed to work together is cool, and it's a powerful moment to go completely... well, whatever they're going. If the things were ever useful it'd be great. Unfortunately, they have stats that are fixed to your level, and don't gain the effect of any equipment you have, and don't get the benefit of the sphere grid you used (apart from a small HP bonus for larger ones), and their stats are not great. They accelerate at high levels, but by then you'll have accessories that increase your power dramatically, and losing those for the special spheres means they're going to struggle to do any damage at all. Oh, and they're clogged to the gills with status attacks, and instant death, and all that, of course. They woulnd't really be usable even if you didn't have to play fox-and-hound on your controller for thirty seconds to unlock changing into them.
  
• I'm getting too worked up, let me segue. Equipment consists entirely of two accessories per person, and any bonus effects on your sphere grid. There aren't any weapons and armor; the aesthetics (and, nominally, the stats) are built into the jobs themselves, so you're always using the same weapon. I found this really boring, especially since most of the accessories for most of the game are simple stat bonuses or immunity to one specific status effect. Later you start getting more interesting options, but then those get blown away again by the late-game stuff; massive stat bonus items and needing to use an accessory to break the damage cap. (And another to break the HP cap, if that's your thing.) You can't really get this stuff intrinsically, creating a "tax" on a resource you only have two of. Notably, the special spheres I mentioned above can learn to break the damage cap automatically, which is hilarious because typically it doesn't matter, they can't do 9999 anyway. And if that wasn't enough, you have to unlock that ability with FFX-flavored finding key items in random places everywhere.
  
• Areas? The outdoor environments are beautiful and varied, and while the new "jumping" (read: "hold B to keep going") is a bit cheesy and obstructionist at times the areas are interesting to navigate and explore. Of course, then you go in a dungeon and everything is murky square corridors forever. It's kind of a jarring change.
  
• Oh, that reminds me. You know how sometimes in RPGs they'll make dungeons that have just ridiculously long, featureless corridors, obviously there just to make you get in more fights? Via Infinito is 100 floors of that, and it's an absolute grind, and it's needed for completion. I mean, this thing is worse than the Chrysler Building, or the Karma Palace. It's just... ugh.
  

Okay, I'm tired of talking about mechanics. Basically, they suck, the game hates the Magic stat and anyone who wants to cast a spell, there's one ability out of all the abilities on every job that matters and it throws a little party for the enemy before breaking the game over your knee. Hope you like fireworks.
Story
The story is told from a unique perspective and with kind of a unique flavor. Some of that flavor I absolutely hate -- the music for most of the game just kind of grates on me, some of the characters are just too much, and things stay always a little silly -- but that's not bad, it's more a matter of preference. I think that writing this story was a fun experiment. By the time it had concluded I feel like it lost track of what it was doing and left some stuff just kind of hanging, but all in all I enjoyed it. It's frustrating because so many elements and details are locked behind impossible-to-predict random actions, triggers, and areas, so to see it all you need a walkthrough and a spreadsheet, which really kills the flow of the story itself.
** Creature Creator **
This -- where you capture fiends and make them fight in arena battles -- is completely disconnected from the rest of the game, but is a lot of fun. I enjoyed trying different strategies with different creatures, and since you can customize their abilities by feeding them items it helped to recapture some of that tactical complexity that I feel is missing with the specialized jobs and no equipment. Really, I wish it wasn't there, because I would have been done with this game 100 hours earlier, but it was fun to mess around with.
The stories you unlock from releasing monsters are all basically comedy skits, but some are entertaining and it's fun to get a glimpse into the lives of random people.
** Other **
I really enjoyed most of the battle quips and the quotes that go with the various jobs, although sometimes they were a bit forced. This, though:

• "Duck soup!"
  
• "Duck what?"
  

is the funniest thing I've heard all year and I'm not kidding.
** Overall **
You know already just from the word count above. I found the story inoffensive and some of the side activities fun, but the mechanical aspects of this RPG feel very... I don't know, amateurish, like they were put together by someone who has never actually played an RPG and confronted the harsh reality of strong enemies being immune to things. Between that, and the domination of Fireworks, and the deep hostility to magic, there was never really anything I was excited about learning or developing. I'd get a new job and I'd know already what I'd find -- more pointless attacks and a couple of good auto-abilities. There was precious little to look forward to getting, meaning the strategic element I crave in my number-based games was almost entirely missing. It promises Tactics and delivers Mystic Quest. (No shade, FFMQ had amazing music and I really kind of like it, even if it's a wafer-thin game.)
I'd love to discuss any of this in the comments with anyone with different experiences. Having put the game to rest, in retrospect it felt... draining, more than anything. A billion things to keep track of over tiny little fractions of percent of progress, dozens and dozens and dozens of "attack-plus-this" that don't matter, and probably the worst black magic nerf of any FF game. Pretty disappointing overall.

As cliché as it may sound, that was a dark, cold and stormy night; In a small road cafeteria they were sheltering from the rain, drinking coffee and listening to the radio, a trucker who passed by and had stopped to drink coffee, a doctor who had done the same taking advantage of a break from his night shift at the hospital. , a surprisingly young and even attractive waitress who was counting tips while listening to the radio , a strange and diffident bespectacled guy crouching in a secluded corner , and the town sheriff sitting at a table drinking coffee , plus a young man who for the moment seemed quiet and reserved. He was wearing a red sweatshirt with a hood and pockets and sweatpants , as well as a pair of sneakers that finished off his ensemble , and sitting on a stool near the bar , he was eating a cheeseburger immersed in his own thoughts while his eyes They were oscillating between looking at the thunder through the window or looking at what the waitress was doing. She had blonde hair pulled back, was wearing a button-up green shirt that had her name written on the side, and a short black skirt. Although her work outfit was not particularly flattering, it could be seen that she had a good figure.
On the radio they advised not to go out due to the rain and they also reported a series of strange disappearances that had been taking place recently in the towns near the cafeteria. Missing animals, missing children, it didn't matter what the local authorities didn't seem to care about, at least not enough...
After counting the money and putting everything in the cash register , the girl went into the bathroom and , since her shift for that day had already finished , or rather , it should have already finished if it were not for the fact that they could not get out due to Due to the torrential rain that was falling, she decided to dress up as much as she could in front of a mirror that she had in front of her and change her work shirt for a top that she carried in her bag. Leaving the bathroom, the boy looked at her again and decided to take the opportunity to try to start a conversation: "Hey, since we're not going to be able to get out of here for at least the next few hours, would you like to chat for a while?" he said ending the sentence with a crude attempt to show his best smile.
"Of course, why not?" , the girl was friendly . The boy , beyond just being attracted to the young woman , dreamed of being a writer and had thought that at least he could come up with an idea for a character by chatting with the girl for a while . The girl approached him and sat next to him. "I've seen your name on the side of your uniform, Liv, my name is Jake"
"Nice to meet you , Jake, do you live around here?" Liv asked.
"Yeah, yeah, I guess so," Jake said, thinking about the words while scratching the side of his head - "And you?"
"Yeah …"
Jake noticed that Liv was wearing three bracelets on one arm: one in a pastel tone that read QHMM (which could perfectly mean "What Would Midge Maisel Do"), another that read "NORMAL PEOPLE SCARE ME" ( one of Tate Langdon's signature phrases from the American Horror Story series, and a rose that seemed to have a spider web pattern, which immediately reminded him of the Spider-Gwen character.
Have you seen the new Spider-Man movie? Jake asked, looking closely at the girl's bracelet.
“Yeah, yeah,” Liv said, noticing Jake looking at her bracelets.
"And did you like me?"
"Are you kidding, man? That movie is a fucking masterpiece."
At that moment, it seemed to Jake that the sky opened before his eyes, giving way to a beautiful sunset. At least in his head, it was still raining heavily outside. So with the gates of Olympus opening before him, metaphorically speaking, he gained a bit of self-confidence and started talking to Liv without worries as if he had known her forever...
They were talking quietly when suddenly and with a kind of noise, a middle-aged man who was a local guy entered the cafeteria. His clothing consisted of jeans, a faded leather hooded sweatshirt, and cowboy boots with worn soles. In addition , on the sweatshirt , he wore some pins , among them the most notable ones were one with a smiley face and a bullet hole in the head , one with a peace symbol and one with the letters CK . The strange man sat down at a table and asked for a coffee, to which the girl said that, since her work day was technically over, she could pour herself the coffee from the coffee maker and leave the money on the table. The guy got up, went to the bar and put a crumpled bill and a couple of coins there, then he took the jug from the coffee maker and a cup and poured himself some coffee. He took a small sip and looked suspiciously at the two youngs who had been talking until then.

Patterns:
• Most of the people who end up in the town seem to have recently had some kind of major life event. At least 1 person in each vehicle, but not always the driver (such as the business man in the backseat of the car). Ex: decision on divorce/death of child, going to rehab, finished paying tuition, sold their company, retired and received a boat as a gift, etc.
• No one ever comes alone..? (Correct me if I'm wrong). It seems every vehicle has always had at least 2 people in it.
• Everyone turned back when they saw the tree in the road and the crows. No one ever ventured on foot beyond the tree.
• No one ever arrives on foot. It's always in a car, bus, or RV. No motorcycles, planes, helicopters, or people on foot have been found yet. ***Although, animals have been found in the forest.
• Everyone arrives by driving somewhere in the US. I don't believe anyone arrived by driving outside the United States.
---------------
Questions:
• What would've happened if people walked past the tree on the ground, instead of driving back?
• Can people create their own Talismans?
• Do the creatures know things about everybody by listening from below?
• How do the creatures interact with the dangling wires in terms of supplying and stopping the flow of electricity?
• Why do the creatures sleep?
• Why do the creatures change form between monster form and human form? Can they shapeshift and take other forms? Why not just keep the monster form? Did they have a monster or human form before the Talismans were used? (It was noted that the creatures only shrieked before the talismans, but now they whisper)
• What happens if a creature is out during daylight? Why do they go back at night?
• What would happen if someone used a compass (or made a makeshift compass) to view their directions? Would it be possible to see the exact point when the terrain loops?
• What would happen if someone stood watch and staked out new vehicles coming into the town? Would they see the vehicle suddenly appear out of nowhere? Or would it always appear to be coming from over the horizon?
• How do the things that have voices know what's going to happen next, such as 2 vehicles coming on the same day?
​
---------------
Open Ended Concepts:
• The boy in white -- how he communicates without talking -- why only certain people can hear and see him.
• The voices in the girl's head
• Why are the unseen figures (boy in white, voices, etc) also stuck in this place? How did they get here?
• Why did the voices tell the girl to kill the little boy?
• The worms in Boyd's blood
- somehow harmful to the creatures?
- is something hunting him for this blood?
- is this blood a power or a curse?
- does sharing the blood make it disappear for oneself, or only spread so multiple people have it?
- how did the original person (who was locked up) get this blood?
- how was the original person found and bound?
• What happens when the music stops? Who are the creatures who are supposedly worse than the ones that come out at night? What do they do that's worse?
• What's the meaning of the puppet Victor is so scared of?
• Who do the creatures torture people, instead of just consuming them?
• Where did the creatures come from? How did they become that way?
• Who are the children creatures the mom keeps seeing in her visions?
• The meaning of the symbol the business guy keeps seeing and writing
- information so far: the last person who kept seeing this symbol presumably killed everybody in the community
• How do the faraway trees work?
• Why are the trees changing?
• The symbols on the Talismans and what they mean
• Who created or originally placed the Talismans
• Why can't the Talismans be in contact with the ground to work?
• Why do Talismans only work with shelters and cause doors and entryways to become impenetrable by the creatures?
• What's the significance of the lighthouse
• What moved the tent to the cobweb area
• How is electricity supplied by dangling wires?
• Why does opening a hole in the ground causes material above it to break and collapse?
• What's the meaning of the bottles with messages in the trees? Why does the sound of them rattling bug the girl?
• Why do only some people have seizures or visions?
• How did the creature on the radio know information about everyone and things happening in the home's basement? -- why was the creature even awake at daytime to communicate?

Missile strikes are like those pictures that take the sides off things so you can see how they work underneath. Zeus Ceramica is-was-a-factory as big as several blocks of apartments, and the corrugated metal walls look more like cardboard now, all curled up, flapping or missing, exposing the factory beneath. Factories it turns out are just several giant bits of connected processes wrapped up in one big cardboard box – this box was broken, of course, so you could clearly see the bucket in it the size of one of the apartment blocks – I guess that’s where they mixed the earth and the water to make the mud – what? the clay? oh – and perhaps if another missile hit, we might get to see a giant spoon. And look there on the other side, an oven perhaps? And that part is straight out of a mid 20th century cartoon, with its dandy little conveyor belts taking the ceramics in soldier-like lines diagonally up and across. And it sounds almost funny talking about it, and there was a part of me that was genuinely learning, like my walk past was not one of open-mouthed horror but a field trip I would occasionally remember I was on while engaged in experiments on the compounds of laughter with my fellow schoolmate scientists Professor Rib and Doctor Fool.
Two hundred metres away is another factory, that has also been turned into a flappy cardboard box, and there is a reason I am talking about this all as if I were ten again, because within the same square kilometre a third building was hit, and this one was made of bricks that crumbled, and just outside in the grass stood coloured climbing frames: another monumentally broken school. And just before then I passed a boy about the age I was when feeding my farm animal survey into the rotating maw of a farm animal goat – that compound sparked some laughs – and this kid lived somewhere round here in a neighbourhood of intact residential buildings, and I don’t know what he tells himself about why the one building in the whole area apart from the factories that got hit was the little one built for him to experiment in with his own Ukrainian Professor Rib and Doctor Fool.
And I tried to be sympathetic, I tried, when my Russian friend took the risk of talking to me to say that their town had been blighted by poverty since the Norwegians who owned the factory shut it down because of the war. But it’s one thing not having a job to go to, and another the whole damn place getting ripped apart by a missile strike, after which they rubble your kids’ primary school next door.
And the scorched earth a whole hundred metres away from where the missile hit Zeus – burnt reeds by the water’s edge, and a plastic sack of some ceramica-related stuff – clay? – flapping like the factory’s entrance flags weren’t able to from its mast of a nearby tree. It wasn’t just the Ukrainian flag that was low in the wind outside that workplace no more – there was the Italian flag, and the ring of stars that needs to really mean something now on the flag of the EU.

Hey friends! So, my group is playing a VERY homebrewed RotF campaign. Same basic structure, but running it for much higher level ending and many other political aspects to it. My group just defeated Xardarok and the Chardalyn Dragon took off right as combat started. The group has found they will have access to an airship they will have to take at least an hour to repair. After the airship is repaired, the group plans to use it to fight against the Chardalyn Dragon, and take on invading duergar forces who are attacking alongside the dragon.
The group knows the path of the dragon and we're able to adjust it within some parameters. Their path is basically a clockwise journey starting in Bryn Shander and dougans hole, and ending in Goodmead. The group is the local government at this point for goodmead, and they have done a bunch to improve the town. They also would like to attack the dragon at least once along the way and save who they can.
My party is made of 5 level 10 players. There is a wizard, rogue, barb/druid, and Ranger. They will be riding a 30x20ft airship around icewind dale in the midst of a large scale duergar incursion. It will take several hours to arrive at 10 towns, and hours of travel catching up to the dragon and stopping by towns. There are enemy airships, gyrocopters, and tank like vehicles transporting duergar to all ten towns to attack. The airship will likely have a mounted weapon and possibly an npc pilot.
Here is where I need advice. What are the sights, problems, activities, and enemies encountered during this flying time. I will be doing several encounters as well as a skill challenge or two. I have a lot of ideas but always like to ask for more advice. Some ideas I have so far are....
-Fighting enemy patrols to lessen damage to towns -Saving people on the road. -Laying traps for patrols -The ship slows as it gets more damaged, making players decide carefully when and where to attack or intervene. -Fighting air combat between dog fighter like gyrocopters and slower airships. -limited space and weight capacity on the airship willl limit who can be physically rescued. -Important people in distress in each town can provide bonuses if rescued, but exposes ship to attack and uses time.
I have others, but this is the kind of tone I am going for. I love dilemmas with two bad outcomes more than problems with a single answer. This campaign has been all about consequences and choices, and I'd love some ideas that emphasize that. Also, any 'cutscene' sights seen as ten towns burns.
Thank you all in advance! I am always amazed by the ideas i get from reddit.

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ArtemisSwap, a Binance Smart Chain-based decentralized exchange (DEX), is set to launch soon. According to the announcement via Twitter, ArtemisSwap leverages Binance Smart Chain's low transaction fees and fast transactions to provide users with a seamless decentralized trading experience. The DEX is also optimized for mobile devices, adding to its accessibility and convenience. ArtemisSwap aims to offer users top-notch security and advanced trading features, including limit orders and staking rewards. Furthermore, it will introduce unique, innovative tokens and NFTs to its user base. As demand for decentralized finance (DeFi) continues to grow, ArtemisSwap's launch is highly anticipated by crypto enthusiasts.
As the Meme Coin Craze Shows No Signs of Slowing Down, Here Are 3 Tokens That Could Explode Next
The meme coin craze is taking the crypto world by storm, and investors are constantly on the lookout for the next hot token. With Dogecoin's meteoric rise to fame, many wonder which meme coins will be next to explode. Cryptopotato has selected three tokens with unique features that could potentially be the next big thing in the meme coin arena. The article provides an analysis of these tokens and highlights their strengths, weaknesses, and potential for growth. Investors who are interested in the fast-paced world of meme coins should definitely check out this article for some promising leads.
10 Best Altcoins to Invest in 2023: Compare New Altcoin Projects
Are you looking for the best altcoins to invest in for the future? The cryptocurrency world is expanding, and many investors have their eyes on the new altcoins projects that can provide attractive returns in the coming years. This article outlines the top 10 altcoins that have significant growth potential for the year 2023. The report highlights the innovation, features, and growing market that these altcoins offer to investors. The comprehensive analysis will provide a clear and unbiased idea of what makes these altcoins a valuable investment. If you are considering investing in altcoins, this article is an excellent resource to compare different projects and choose the best ones fitting your investment strategy.
Dogecoin Price Prediction: Will DOGE Price Break $0.1 in June?
Dogecoin has been on a wild ride this year, with its price surging to all-time highs before plummeting back down. Many investors and traders are wondering if DOGE will make a comeback and break the $0.1 mark in June. Several factors could influence Dogecoin's price movement, including Elon Musk's tweets, adoption by businesses as a form of payment, and overall market sentiment. While some analysts are bullish on DOGE's potential, others remain cautious and advise investors to do their research before making any investment decisions. As with any highly volatile asset, it's crucial to approach DOGE with caution and consider the potential risks before investing.
DOGE Surges Over 60% After Elon Musk Tweets About It Again
Dogecoin (DOGE) has seen an unprecedented surge of over 60% in the past 24 hours, reaching a new all-time high of $0.405 after Elon Musk tweeted about it yet again. The Tesla CEO and Dogecoin enthusiast posted a poll on Twitter asking his followers whether they want his company to accept DOGE as a payment method, with 78.2% of over 3.5 million votes in favor of the move. This has resulted in a massive surge in interest and investment in DOGE, with its market cap now exceeding $50 billion. This surge is a reminder of the influence that social media can have on the cryptocurrency market and highlights the growing popularity of meme-inspired cryptocurrencies like DOGE.
Dogecoin (DOGE)
Dogecoin is a cryptocurrency that was created in 2013 as a joke by software developers Billy Markus and Jackson Palmer. Despite its origins, Dogecoin has evolved into a serious digital asset with a passionate community. Its use cases range from tipping content creators online to sponsoring Nascar drivers. Dogecoin's supply is uncapped, meaning an unlimited number of coins can be created. Its block time is just one minute, making it faster than most other cryptocurrencies. Overall, Dogecoin is known for its lighthearted nature and its devoted fanbase.
Dogecoin price jumps as Elon Musk says SpaceX will put literal Dogecoin on the moon
Dogecoin, the meme-inspired cryptocurrency, saw a surge in value after Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted that SpaceX will put a Dogecoin-funded mission on the moon. The cryptocurrency hit an all-time high, with its value reaching over 50 cents for the first time on April 20th. However, Dogecoin's value has been highly volatile and often driven by social media hype. Experts caution investors against putting substantial amounts of money into the cryptocurrency, as it is not backed by any tangible assets or regulated by any governments or financial institutions. Despite these warnings, the meme-based currency remains popular among some traders and has managed to stay in the spotlight due to endorsements from prominent figures like Elon Musk.
Dogecoin (DOGE) Price Prediction 2021, 2022, 2025, 2030, 2040, 2050
Looking for an in-depth analysis of Dogecoin's future price potential? MarketBeat offers predictions for DOGE's price over the next several years. The page includes factors that may affect the cryptocurrency's value, such as supply and demand, market sentiment, and technological developments. It also highlights industry experts' various price predictions for Dogecoin, from conservative to highly optimistic. Whether you're a long-term holder or a short-term trader, this article provides valuable insights for anyone interested in investing in Dogecoin.
Dogecoin Price Prediction for 2022-2030
Check out the updated Dogecoin price prediction for the years 2022-2030 on 30rates.com. Currently, Dogecoin is one of the most popular cryptocurrencies on the market. Created as a joke back in 2013, it gained massive attention lately due to celebrity endorsements, tweets, and mentions. The Dogecoin community is vibrant, active, and growing, and the coin's popularity only seems to be increasing. This article provides an analysis of the current market situation for Dogecoin and offers a price forecast for the future, based on the historical data and current events affecting the cryptocurrency's value. If you're a Dogecoin investor or enthusiast, don't miss this so you can make informed decisions.
Dogecoin Price & Market Data Crypto.com
Get the latest Dogecoin (DOGE) price and market data on Crypto.com. Dogecoin started as a meme-inspired cryptocurrency but has since become a popular option within the crypto community. With Crypto.com, you can stay up-to-date on the current DOGE price, trading volume, market cap, and more. Get real-time price charts and historical data to make informed investment decisions. Whether you're hodling or day trading, Crypto.com provides all the information you need to stay on top of the Dogecoin market. Join the millions of happy users using Crypto.com's platform to buy, sell, and trade cryptocurrency today.
Dogecoin Price Prediction: Will DOGE Break $1 in 2021 and Beyond?
As one of the most popular cryptocurrencies on the market, Dogecoin ($DOGE) has been making headlines recently with its skyrocketing price. But what does the future hold for DOGE? Many investors and analysts are predicting that the beloved meme-inspired coin could reach $1 or higher in 2021. Some even speculate that it could surpass Ethereum and become the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap. However, others are skeptical and caution that the current hype could lead to a bubble that bursts. This article takes a closer look at the factors driving DOGE's surge and offers insights into its future price potential.
Dogecoin (DOGE) Price, Chart, Market Cap, and Info CoinGecko
Get the latest Dogecoin (DOGE) price, chart, market cap, and info at CoinGecko. DOGE is a cryptocurrency that was created in 2013 as a joke but quickly gained popularity. It features the likeness of the Shiba Inu dog from the "Doge" internet meme as its logo and mascot. Despite its humorous beginnings, Dogecoin has become a serious digital asset with a strong online community behind it. Its blockchain is based on Litecoin and it is available for trading on various exchanges. Stay informed about the latest DOGE price movements and developments at CoinGecko.
Invest in DOGE on eToro: Dogecoin market overview
Learn everything you need to know about investing in Dogecoin (DOGE) on eToro's Dogecoin market overview page. This interactive page lets you track the performance of DOGE over time, view real-time prices, and analyze charts and statistics. eToro also provides in-depth information about Dogecoin's history, unique features, and potential uses cases, so you can make informed investment decisions. Signing up for an eToro account allows you to buy, sell, and trade DOGE along with other cryptocurrencies, stocks, and commodities. With low fees, an intuitive trading platform, and a robust community of investors, eToro is a great place to start your Dogecoin investment journey.
The Rise of Dogecoin: Exploring the Memecoin's Popularity
Dogecoin has been garnering a lot of attention lately among investors and crypto enthusiasts alike. One of the reasons for this surge in popularity is its origin as a meme, making it a popular and lighthearted alternative to other more serious and complex cryptocurrencies. In this article, we explore the factors behind the rise of Dogecoin, including its social media presence and celebrity endorsements, as well as its limitations as compared to other cryptocurrencies. With its unique backstory and growing following, there's no doubt that Dogecoin is here to stay.
#dogecoin symbol DOGE - Latest Price, Market Analysis and Insights on Economic Times Crypto
Stay ahead in the dynamic world of cryptocurrency with Economic Times Crypto’s insightful and up-to-date analysis on the latest #dogecoin trends. Our expert team provides you with the latest updates on #dogecoin symbol DOGE, including detailed analysis and a comprehensive overview of the market trends. Follow us for in-depth reports and exclusive insights on everything #dogecoin.
#SIGN Coin
Get real-time #SIGN coin price updates and charts on Investing.com. #SIGN coin is a cryptocurrency based on the Scrypt algorithm. It aims to provide fast and secure transactions with low fees. The #SIGN coin team is planning to create mobile games and a decentralized exchange in the future. The current price of #SIGN coin is [insert current price here]. Follow the latest news and updates on this emerging cryptocurrency with Investing.com.
Dogecoin Price Analysis: DOGE Price To Skyrocket By 200%
The Dogecoin price has been constantly fluctuating in the crypto market. The past few weeks have been great for DOGE. The crypto asset has managed to climb up, steadily surging higher and higher. Dogecoin’s popularity soared after Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla tweeted about it. As per the recent update, the DOGE price is expected to skyrocket by 200%. This price surge is predicted to be in favor of the Dogecoin investors. DOGE has seen a great deal of interest from buyers in recent weeks, and the price momentum is likely to continue. The article takes a deep dive into the Dogecoin price analysis, fundamental factors, technical analysis, and price prediction for the upcoming years.
Mysterious Disappearance of MultiChain CEO Sends Shockwaves Through Crypto Community
The crypto community is reeling from the news of the mysterious disappearance of MultiChain CEO Gideon Greenspan. According to reports, Greenspan was last seen on May 6th, and has not been in contact with friends, family, or colleagues since. The company has not released an official statement on his disappearance, and there are no leads on his whereabouts. MultiChain is a blockchain platform that allows businesses to build and deploy private blockchain networks. The company has not announced any plans to replace Greenspan, leading to speculation about the future of the platform. The disappearance of a high-profile figure in the crypto world has sent shockwaves through the community, sparking concerns about the safety and security of those involved in the industry.
Dogecoin's June Surge: Experts Predict Price Explosion for Beloved Meme Coin, Is $1 within Reach?
Experts in the cryptocurrency world are optimistic about the future of Dogecoin following its impressive surge in June. The beloved meme coin has risen by over 40% in the past month, reaching a market capitalization of over $30 billion. Some experts predict that Dogecoin could reach $1 in the near future, which would be a significant milestone for the cryptocurrency. Many factors are fueling the rise of Dogecoin, including its growing acceptance among retailers, the increasing number of celebrity endorsements, and its communities' passionate and loyal fanbase. While some remain skeptical of Dogecoin's long-term potential, others believe that this is just the beginning of the meme coin's journey to the top.
Dogecoin’s June Surge: Experts Predict Price Explosion for Beloved Meme Coin, Is $1 Within Reach?
The meme-inspired cryptocurrency, Dogecoin, has been on a roll in the month of June. From the recent partnership with SpaceX to the announcement of being listed on Coinbase, the dogecoin hype seems to be never-ending. Experts predict the crypto's value to reach $1 soon. The rise in the price of Dogecoin is attributed to significant endorsements from high-profile individuals such as Elon Musk, Mark Cuban, and Snoop Dogg. Although there are always two sides to a coin, many investors see this as an opportunity to invest in a potentially profitable cryptocurrency that has managed to capture the mainstream attention. It's exciting times for the Dogecoin community as they eagerly anticipate the explosion of the meme coin's value.
Reddit Cryptocurrency Page
The Reddit Cryptocurrency Page is a vibrant community dedicated to discussing all things related to digital assets. The subreddit boasts over 2.3 million members and counts many industry experts among its contributors. Discussions range from price analysis and market trends to news and developments related to various cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin. Members can also share their investment strategies and insights into the latest ICOs. With daily updates and a passionate community, the Reddit Cryptocurrency Page is a must-visit destination for anyone interested in the world of digital currencies.
Understanding Memecoins: A Beginner's Guide
This article provides a comprehensive guide for beginners to understand the concept of memecoins. Memecoins are a new phenomena that emerged from the popularity of internet memes and have evolved into a digital currency that relies on community participation and enthusiasm. The article delves into the history and origins of memecoins and how they have gained popularity amongst the younger generation. The author also discusses key players in the memecoin market such as Dogecoin and explains how to invest in memecoins safely. Additionally, the article provides an insight into the future of memecoins, their potential impact on the crypto market and how they can be used to support charitable causes. Overall, this is a valuable resource for anyone interested in learning more about memecoins and their potential.
While XRP Pumps Up 10% in 7 Days, Whales Are Accumulating This Lesser-Known Penny Crypto - Here's Why
Crypto traders are watching a relatively unknown penny crypto called Dogecoin ($DOGE) closely, as whales seem to be accumulating this altcoin amidst surging interest and social media buzz. Unlike XRP, which has seen significant gains over the past week, Dogecoin is still trading at penny-level prices. However, the crypto has seen a significant increase in volume and price action, leading some experts to speculate that this may be the next big thing in cryptocurrency. Dogecoin was first introduced in 2013 as a joke, featuring a meme of a Shiba Inu dog, but has since garnered a sizable following and has even been mentioned by Elon Musk. Despite its somewhat humorous origins, it remains to be seen whether Dogecoin can truly rival more established cryptocurrencies.
Top 5 Meme Crypto to Buy in June 2023: Floki, Pepe, Aidoge and more
Looking to invest in meme-inspired cryptocurrencies? Check out this list of the top 5 meme cryptos to buy in June 2023, including Floki, Pepe, and Aidoge. While these tokens may have started as jokes, they have gained traction in the crypto world and have the potential for big gains. Learn about the unique features of each meme coin and how they fit into the larger crypto ecosystem. Don't miss out on the opportunity to invest in the hottest meme cryptos of the moment!
[VIDEO] The History of Dogecoin: The Rise of a Meme Currency
In this informative video, the host takes you through the history of Dogecoin, from its origins as a joke currency inspired by a popular internet meme to its current status as a legitimate cryptocurrency with a passionate following. The video begins by introducing Dogecoin's creators and the inspiration behind the currency, before detailing its early adoption and meteoric rise in popularity. The host also explores the impact of major events, such as the Dogecoin community's charitable giving efforts and the recent surge in value, and looks ahead to the future of this beloved altcoin. Whether you're a die-hard Dogecoin fan or simply interested in learning more about the cryptocurrency space, this video is a must-watch.
#DOGECOIN surpasses expectations with remarkable climb to $0.70
The resilient DOGECOIN has exceeded all expectations with a significant climb to $0.70. This landmark achievement has taken the cryptocurrency world by storm and has been attributed to the social media frenzy created by influential figures like Elon Musk. The cryptocurrency has gained immense popularity among investors, high-profile celebrities, and speculators. However, some experts warn that the cryptocurrency market is highly volatile and investors should be cautious. Despite the potential risks, the DOGECOIN is still going strong, and investors continue to have a keen interest in its growth potential.
Stay Up-to-Date with Binance News and Announcements
Binance is a global cryptocurrency exchange that provides a platform for trading various cryptocurrencies. In the constantly evolving world of crypto, staying up-to-date can be difficult. Binance aims to make it easier for users to keep up with news and announcements by providing a feed on their website. The feed includes information on new listings, security updates, and other important news related to Binance and the broader crypto industry. By checking the feed regularly, users can stay informed and make more informed trading decisions. Additionally, Binance offers a variety of other resources, such as educational articles and live webinars, to help users stay informed and succeed in the crypto market.
Shiba Inu Innovative Shib Burning Tools to be Unleashed in June 2023
Shiba Inu, the popular dog-themed cryptocurrency, is set to introduce new innovative Shib burning tools by June 2023. This move is aimed at tightening the security and protection of Shib from malicious actors who might want to undermine the integrity of the network. The tools, named "Flaming Shib" and "Blazing Shib," will enable holders to burn Shib tokens easily and securely. These tokens will then be sent to a black hole address, effectively eliminating them from circulation, making each remaining Shib token more valuable. Shib has been one of the fastest-growing cryptocurrencies in 2021, with its value increasing by over 10,000% in less than six months. The new innovative burning tools are expected to push the value even further, reinforcing its position in the crypto market.
New Pepe the Frog Meme Currency is Exploding in Price - Live Bitcoin News
Pepe the Frog, one of the most popular memes on the internet, now has its own cryptocurrency. Launched on April 1st, 2021, the new Pepe the Frog Meme Coin has already gained traction among the meme-loving crypto community. The currency's price exploded by over 1000% within 24 hours of its launch, with a market capitalization of over $150 million at its peak. However, the meme coin's value has since decreased, and it remains to be seen whether it will continue to be a viable investment. Despite this, the new Pepe the Frog Meme Coin demonstrates the growing trend of meme-based currencies in the crypto market.
Elon Musk just changed Twitter's logo to the Dogecoin symbol
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has once again brought attention to the cryptocurrency Dogecoin. In a tweet yesterday, Musk changed his Twitter profile picture to the Dogecoin logo. This move sparked a surge in the price of Dogecoin, which has become popular among retail investors for its meme-inspired branding. Musk has been an outspoken supporter of Dogecoin, and his tweets have been known to drive up the cryptocurrency's value. However, some experts warn that investing in Dogecoin can be risky due to its lack of utility and infrastructure. While the future of Dogecoin is uncertain, one thing is clear: Elon Musk's influence over the cryptocurrency market shows no signs of slowing down.
[On-chain data shows bitcoin price spike may have been driven by Coinbase whale]("https://kortanews.com/posts/aHR0cHM6Ly9jb2luZ2FwZS5jb20vb24tY2hhaW4tZGF0YS1zaG93cy1iaXRjb2luLXByaWNlLW1vdmUtcGFzdC0yOGstcmVzaXN0YW5jZS8=")
According to recent on-chain data, the latest spike in Bitcoin's price may have been influenced by a whale operating on Coinbase. The whale has been identified to have made transactions worth more than $200 million on the platform over the past few weeks, coinciding with the recent price surge of the cryptocurrency.
This news has sparked speculations about the possibility of market manipulation, with critics worried that such actions by a few powerful players undermine the trust in the decentralized nature of cryptocurrencies.
However, some experts argue that such market movements are not uncommon, and that the nature of cryptocurrencies allows for individuals with large holdings to have a significant impact on their prices.
As the debate continues, it remains to be seen how these recent developments will affect the future of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
Daily Cryptocurrency News Roundup
Stay up-to-date with the latest happenings in the world of cryptocurrencies with BizFeed's daily news roundup. From market updates to new coin launches, this channel provides comprehensive coverage of the cryptocurrency space. Be the first to know about any major developments and make informed decisions about your crypto investments. Join BizFeed's Daily Cryptocurrency News Roundup today!
Bitcoin Price Analysis: BTC Price Soars Higher by 1.7% to Make a New ATH Above $59000
Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, has reached another all-time high. In recent trading, bitcoin's price surged 1.7% to exceed $59,000 and set a new high. Some attribute this increase to the rising demand for cryptocurrencies and institutional adoption. Bitcoin's growing mainstream acceptance as an asset class has been a primary driver of its price. The market remains optimistic that its value will continue to grow. Bitcoin is seen as a hedge against inflation, and with the U.S. economy continuing to expand monetary supply, Bitcoin's fundamental drivers may persist into the future.

I'm going to an Indian wedding and I'll need a sari. I have absolutely no idea where to start!!! I live downtown so any stores downtown like Jackson Square would be helpful, but I will travel if necessary if there are better options.

i opened my window with my lights off just to look outside and a bat flew in, it didn’t touch me but eventually went into this like kind of cage thing in the floor of my room? not sure what it is, like a tiny square of the floor has metal caging over a small hole. i put a box over the hole so it can’t come out but i’m not sure how to get it out safely since it’s staying under the metal cage.

The soldiers lined on Ardenholms beaches. Their bright, jewel encrusted armor flashed brightly in the glaring summers sun. The warriors were eager to get on with their game of conquering and subjugating. They were Ardenholmites, Humilauians, and Pommedorans, as well as Tuberite religious warriors hailing from Solanum. They were gathered in Ardenholm to prepare for an imminent invasion from Veritas and their leader, BB.
Ardenholm, Humilau and especially Pommedora were in open rebellion from BB. They thought of him as a tyrannical leader, levying heavy taxes and other unreasonable demands. They finally decided to declare themselves separate from BB, but the turmoil quickly devolved into a fight for control of the entire island chain.
Pommedora was a Tuberist nation, so they called upon their Solanarian brothers to help the fight. The Tuberists, thinking it would be an easy battle, happily joined in.
As the Tuberites made the short voyage to Pommedora, tensions arose. There was an attempt to reestablish diplomatic relations which quickly broke down, resulting in a raid from Veritas on Pommedora, their closest neighbor.
The Tuberites arrived far too late to join the fray, but fortunately the raid was mostly scared off before any real fighting could occur, and the casualties were 6 in Pommedora, after a single arrow barrage and 8 Veritasian raiders who brought their boat too close to the walls and were sunk by a well placed explosive firework.
Thus began an alarmingly fast arms race. Both sides were on islands, so a full force invasion was not viable…yet. Seemingly overnight the once windswept and backwater islands in rebellion turned to industry. The once salty and warm air choked with the smoke from the flames of fires roaring in their mighty hearths. Peaceful and sunny harbors because overrun with heavy bots of war.
Veritas kept pace with the industrial might and the islands were equal in strength. Both bought mercenaries to fight, but Veritas gained a significant upper hand by taking a hefty loan from bankers overseas and buying much better metals than could ever be reaped from the earth on the barren island chain.
Finally the mines were depleted of what little resources they could muster. Though bright earthen metals were occasionally still warm from being melted and pounded into their molds.
With no more brawn games to play, both sides made a quick shift to mind games. Spies. Spies everywhere. In the streets. In the factories. In the harbors. Everywhere. Private conversations became public knowledge overnight. The town square of Ardenholm ran red with the blood of those suspected of treason.
Next came the starvation. The already small fields had been neglected because the farmers had been made to become factory workers. This time, the rebellion got the upper hand, with the Tuberists providing food from their vast fields back in Solanaria. Veritas attempted a naval blockade to stop the shipment of food from arriving. The Tuberists didn’t slow down. The naval commander ordered them to hold. The Tuberists, already very near to the maximum pace, almost appeared to speed up. Finally they stopped just outside of cannon range. They waited in a locked stalemate for 3 days until the Veritasians ran out of water and were forced to return to port. Thus, they spent the winter on meager rations and had to sell some of their newly bought steel to pay for food.
Finally, after a long and cold winter of light eating and intense stare-offs, the spring blossomed in the remaining fields.
The Veritasians had survived the winter by the skin of their teeth and knew that they could not survive another winter. This years winter had been astoundingly warm (by West Phagosian standards). In fact, this was the warmest winter ever recorded.
Over on Pommedora, which at this point had been established as the capital, the situation was almost as grim. The Tuberists, who were creeping up on a years time spent on an island were becoming increasingly obstinate and downright treasonous. They longed to go back to their homeland, and run on green fields, with gently rolling hills bordered by lush, fertile marshes, encased by the great mountains far to the west, just where the eye could see them. They downright despised the cramped island.
Tensions were starting to boil over on all sides of the war, until finally the spy game did its job. The Pommedorans received definitive proof that the Veritasians would be sailing for a “surprise” attack on Ardenholm in one months time. This was the break they needed and with this knowledge they could easily win the war.
Under the cover of darkness they began to very slowly and methodically ship soldier to Ardenholm. They arrived on mail boats and pleasure crafts, in wine barrels and tiny crude rafts. Simultaneously, these same craft evacuated the women and children, bringing them safely to Pommedora.
Then, the day before the battle, an idea was had. It was decided that instead of defending the city they should go on the offensive while the opposing military was away. The idea was they would go quickly to Veritas and slay BB, and then swiftly bring his head back over to Ardenholm where his army, seeing that they had nothing to fight for, would surrender.
There were problems with this plan, though. The entire army was already on Ardenholm, and Pommedora was still the closest island to Veritas, so it would make no sense to keep an army anywhere but there. Also, the ships would probably sail right by each other on their way to conquer their respective islands.
“None the matter with these details” said the commanders, “This plan is too good to pass up.”
And thus we pick up where we started, with the solders, armed to the teeth, sitting in the early morning sun, waiting for their boats to take them to Veritas.
They boarded and set off. 1/10 of the army was left behind to There was nothing but excitement as they lost sight of the shore. The soldiers were tremendously confident in their plan.
The boats sailed for 38 minutes without interruption.
Suddenly, a lookout sounded their horn. The soldiers instantaneously switched from their excited and eager chatter to silence as they looked on the horizon, expecting to see a fleet of opposing ships.
Instead they saw a tiny island. Barely even an island. More like a sad sandbar. The entire island was completely covered in Veritasian troops. They were all standing on the island, their bodies facing the fleet. They were all watching the fleet sail by.
All wielded a dull blue trident, the color of cold and drear ocean
Then one, the commander most likely, stepped forth and walked slowly to the edge of the shore, about 10 feet. He stopped at the edge and dipped the pronged fork of his trident into the water
Not a single eye strayed from his trident as it leapt to life. It’s dull and sad color replaced by an electric blue. The blue started from where the water touched the prongs and snaked down the trident at a decently fast pace.
Then he did the most unexpected thing of all, and fell face first into the water. All eyes remained on where he fell. The seconds ticked by. 15. 30. 60. 90. Was he dead? 120. Then at 133 exactly he sprang from the water. His right hand clamped so tightly around his trident his knuckles were bleached like dead coral. He sailed 50 meters in the air, well above the masts of the boats, and about 150 meters towards the boats.
Then his army all seemingly sprang to life and walked swiftly to the waters edge. It was a trap! They didn’t pause for dramatic effect like he did, diving headfirst into the water and sailing through the air with almost no delay.
The archers attempted to ready their bows but the boats were already packed tight with men, horses, cannons, and all sorts of equipment of war.
The tridenteers sprang forth and plunged into the ocean like rain. A hundred a twenty, they numbered. They rapidly began closing the distance. The archers pulled back their bows and waited for them to get into firing range. They quickly closed in. Finally, they were in shooting distance and they fired. None of the shots struck. In fact, none even came close. The soldiers were simply too small to hit accurately, especially from a rocking boat.
The tridenteers then passed overhead, and did the most unexpected thing of all. A few reached into their pouches and pulled out a single gray stick about the size of a baton. They then dropped them.
All of the tridenteers possessed 8 of these sticks, so most waited until they had clear shots to drop. A few thought they did right then, and threw their sticks towards the ships.
All except one missed. It was tremendously hard to fire accurately while trying to dodge projectiles.
The one that didn’t miss sailed down, down, down until it landed barely on the port side of a medium sized Humilauian cruiser. The wood of the boat was no match for the explosion that rang out. The front port side was torn. The water spout produced from the explosion went 15 meters into the air.
The ship sank in 2 minutes.
Immediately it’s neighboring boats turned sharply to rescue the screaming survivors. The tridenteers passed about a kilometer away from the boats before veering to the left and turning to made another pass.
The ships were thoroughly spooked, and most moved to do evasive maneuvers.
Suddenly, three powerful horn blasts rang out. This was the sign to press forth. The ships readjusted course to fan out, but 9 blasts rang out, the sign to stick together.
A second pass was made with 2 ships sunk. Another pass was made, but no ships were sunk. Than another with no ships. Another with 1. Another with 1. Another with none. This continued until 87 passes were made. There were 137 boats in total at the beginning, 7 large, 38 medium and 94 small. 93 remained. There were 4 large boats remaining (the 3 that were sunk had been sunk at the very beginning), 15 medium boats, and 75 small boats. Almost all of the surviving medium and large boats had tied themselves together with rope and formed a sort of floating pontoon. This greatly increased the sailing time, and a journey of 3 hours took 6.
Not all of the ships that were lost had sunk. Of the 19 small boats that were not present in the final fleet, only 2 had actually been sunk.
There had been a sort of mutiny aboard some of the smaller boats after the 8th pass. 2 of the 7 large boats had been hit and were sinking and the situation was looking very dire. In the rear, 9 of the small boats and 8 of the medium boats (the medium boats were the very end of the fleet) all mutinied against their captains, with three being stabbed to death and one being cast into the sea and turned around back to Ardenholm. Watching them sail away nearly caused the entire fleet to break apart but they were guided by a common foe.
A few of the boats lagged behind. 4 medium boats couldn’t keep pace due to being non-fatally struck and turned around. The tridenteers were given orders to at least damage the ships heavily enough to force them to turn around, so they allowed those ships to flee.
3 small ships, in an interesting turn of fate, were nearest to the islands when the bombing started. They were the ones who had sounded the alarm. The tridenteers had passed over them entirely without dropping a single bomb. They were still horrified watching the preliminary carnage before the ships could form up, and decided to run themselves aground on the tiny island the Veritasians had started out in.
They hid under the 6 palm trees for 8 days, not knowing anything about the status of any of the nations. They survived by eating the horses they had brought and drinking the wine they had brought which they were going to celebrate with once the island of Veritas was conquered.
Finally, after 6 hours, the boats sighted Veritas. The midday sun was high in the air and the archers could not see the trident wielders through the sun, accelerating their losses.
Veritas looked abandoned. The alarm has been raised but very few troops were on the walls, looking very frightened.
The soldiers let out a halfhearted cheer upon laying eyes on the island. The Veritasian tridents veered right after the fleet made their way into the smooth natural harbor.
The tridenteers had only lost 11. 7 from lucky bow shots, 3 from the binding from their wrists to their tridents slipping off, and 1 stupid soldier who tried to land on a small boat and was instantly slain.
The boats neared the docks of Veritas. The harbor wasn’t much of a harbor at all, only having a narrow wave-breaking sandspit that only extended past a third of the docks.
The boats made passes towards the docks, with some soldiers being so desperate to get off of them they leaped from the boats and swam to shore.
The boats all started to unload as normal, with horses being placed on the shore and equipment to breach the great gate of Veritas being unloaded
Suddenly the great gate of Veritas, which was expected to be a large obstacle swung open and half of Veritas’s army (still a formidable number mind you) roared forth, banging their shields, and sprinted at the unprepared rebels.
This was not expected at all, and no precautions for this had been taken. The rebels on the beach all turned to run back to the boats when, alas! The tridenteers reappeared from out of nowhere behind the boats. They hurtled towards the crafts, flying much more recklessly now, and dropped their bombs. The boats were not moving or fighting back this time and 8 were struck.
In the same run, 47 of the tridenteers dropped their explosives on top of the docks, blowing all except two up. Those two would be decommissioned in the next run.
This mostly stranded the peoples on the shore, whose only option now was the rowboats from the large ships. Some ran towards those but right then the charging army from the gates slammed into those on the shore.
18 rowboats were cast off, from the beach and the rest were not able to and were scuttled. The battle for the beach was a terrible situation for the rebels with them being completely pinned against the sea.
The battle lasted 15 minutes. There was no command from any officers due to most still being present on the boats. No definitive line was formed up and many men swam out to sea to try to wait out the slaughter. Most men threw their weapons on the ground and begged for mercy.
1/6 of the seaborn army was slain and 1/6 of the army surrendered on the beach, totaling 1/3 of invasion, or exactly 642 men.
The boats tried to leave the harbor but all tried to leave at once and a few collisions occurred. The boats that made it out were harassed by the tridenteers the entire time. A few tridenteers were observed landing on the decks of boats and stabbing sailors as they tried to get the boats under control before running away
To top it off, the winds were blowing in an awful direction and most of the boats were blown far to the right. They nearly crashed into an unwalled peninsula. The horn of orders was silent because the ship they were on had taken a direct hit and was rapidly sinking. The commander of the entire operation, on that ship, had died instantly in the blast. The entire senior commanding force had migrated to that boat during the trident harassment because it was centrally located and the safest option. None of the senior officers survived, as the bomb quite literally split the ship in two, and as they were gathered midship below the upper decks they had either been torn up from wood splinters or went down with the ship and were drowned.
Due to the lack of orders, all ships had their own idea of what to do. Most of them thought that the wind was far too unfavorable to set into open water so decided to land on the peninsula. About 1/3 decided to try the winds and sailed in various directions to various islands. This time, the tridenteers could harass them all they wanted and most would not get far. One tridenteer was assigned per boat, which ended up being a large blunder on Veritas's part because most were out of ammunition and could not do any damage.
Those who landed on the peninsula were met with an immediate problem. Unloading. Most of the men jumped overboard to swim to shore and some ships went completely unmanned before being either sunk or captured by the opposing force. Some men who didn't take of their armor were weighed down by it and drowned. The same happened for the archers, who's quivers filled completely with water instead of arrows, and if they were unable to get the quiver off they drowned.
There was one final factor that was at play. The peninsula itself. It was very long and narrow. So narrow that a tridenteer could safely jump all the way over it without being dashed apart on the rocks.
A single tridenteer sprang fourth. Their bright blue trident electric against the sky, which was growing progressively cloudier. They reached into their pocket and pulled out one of the sticks. They lazily let it go before safely landing in the water on the other side.
They didn’t even have to aim. It exploded on the top right corner of the peninsula and some were caught in the blast.
The other tridenteers followed suit. There were only 26 archers still armed as almost all of them had either abandoned their gear or were weighed down by it trying to swim over.
The entire peninsula was scourged. The walls extended to the beach on either side, and the coast became far too treacherous and rocky to swim around.
40% of the entire army was slain on the peninsula. A further 20% (of the men on the peninsula) surrendered and only 19 men escaped. 9 on a rowboat that was let go because of its irrelevance and 10 somehow survived the swim around the walls and ran up the island before stealing a sailboat and escaping.
Those that turned around and fled immediately suffered casualties, but not to the scale of this. About 5% of the army died on the sail back from getting picked off. Most of the tridenteers ran out of ammunition.
A grand total of 67% of the army perished in this advancement. A further 14% surrendered and of those, 1% died in prison from disease or starvation. 1,531 men in total lost their lives.
As for the boats, of the ones that made it to Veritas, none of the large ships survived, 4 of the medium ships made it back (2 were captured, 9 sank) and 29 of the small ships made it back (38 sunk, 8 captured). Of the 18 rowboats that were on the beach during the initial beach attack, 15 landed on the peninsula, with the other three rowing all the way to Pommedora.
Those that escaped ended up on all manner of islands in the surrounding area. One boat drifted with only one man on board for 8 days. He too survived off of horseflesh but also was lucky enough to get rainwater.
The other half of Veritas’s army had taken a longer route to Ardenholm. Ardenholm somehow managed to pull off an astonishing victory, despite being outnumbered 5-1. They were helped by the crew that had mutinied initially. They made use of their thick walls and used a turtle strategy to wait for help, until after 24 hours when they realized that something had gone seriously wrong they then went on a sudden offensive catching the Veritasian army completely by surprise because they had grown used to not being shot at.
The Ardenholm fighters used bows and a ridiculously large pile of arrows to shoot at the invaders non-stop until they finally gave up and went home. They were significantly hampered by not having the other half of their army. Both sides suffered relatively minor casualties, with Ardenholm losing 19 men and Veritas losing exactly 100.
Veritas lost 58 of their 120 tridenters, with the vast majority being lost by flying too close to the boats and being shot with arrows. Interestingly, 82% of those that landed on boats to stab individual sailors would perish. Their army suffered a loss total of 329.
This defeat left the rebels in shock. Their entire standing army had been effectively wiped out. They would start having to recruit younger men and paying more for mercenaries.
The Tuberists had taken the highest casualty rate, with an unimaginable 80% casualty rate and 16% captured. Only 4%, or just 16 men on one small boat, which they never left, managed to make it back. When the elder potatoes learned about this, they were understandably shocked and devastated and justifiably withdrew all future support to the rebellion. They claimed that the Tuberites had been used as cannon fodder and that that was an stupidly high casualty rate for a defensive mission. They had lost every single one of their ranking officers they had sent on that mission and demanded insanely high rates of compensation. It wasn’t until the battle was thoroughly explained and they were promised that all the islands would convert to Tuberism that they agreed to help once more.
The defeat didn't spell doom for the rebels, but would certainly go on to hamper their future efforts.
And that is the story of one of the worst strategical blunders in Stoneworks history.
This story is based around the truth. Ardenholm was indeed attacked by Veritas and BB after rebelling with Pommedora and Humilau. The Tuberists did indeed help out for religious reasons. There was indeed a failed charge counterattack which was poorly planned and the casualty numbers are accurate if you combine the dead and captured and just consider them all dead. The Veritasians did indeed use tridents to pick most of us off, and I myself died. This would have easily cost us the battle as we lost 80% of our total gear and didn’t really have enough time to make a proper repot. We used the good old 0-armor-stone-axe-rush strategy and only won because they placed capture points underwater which is illegal. So yeah the next battle is in a week (I think) and we have a LOT of grinding to do haha.
Also Stoney hmu if you ever want any scriptwriting help. I love to do this.
If you read this far um gg I guess
- lnedible

I was shopping online yesterday and put a Scotty Cameron in my shopping cart. Before I hit purchase I thought, "what if there is actually something better?" I went into the putter rabbit hole as a result. Today I was able to test all the following brands in person locally. These are my findings.
Top putter brands/technology

• Scotty Cameron, legacy brand.
• LA Golf, Cobra and formally SIK, DLT Technology (some times referred to as SIK Technology)
• Evnroll, Evnroll Technology (Sweet Face)
• LAB Golf, Lie Angle Balanced aka L.A.B.

Evnroll's Sweet Face has your ball end up in the same place no matter where on the face you hit the ball. It is a really unique technology that puts the brands worth way past LAB and Scotty IMO. This offers horizontal face forgiveness.
DLT Technology, a putter face with different lofts from the top of the blade to its sole. Descending Loft Technology, which includes as much as 4-dgrees of loft toward the top down to 1-degree. This allows a player to maintain a consistent loft no matter how they deliver the club at impact. This offers vertical face forgiveness.
LAB Golf's goal is to removed torque from putting. The idea is you won't need to compensate for any rotation produced by that torque. Other putters that open and close during the stroke will need some kind of swing manipulation to come back square. This manipulation happens either consciously or subconsciously. Good putters have mastered this manipulation and will probably play worst with a LAB putter as a result. This is the least impressive of the bunch IMO but it could be the best option for a casual golfer.
Scotty Cameron is a "fell" putter through and through. Buyers say the brand has a smoother feel than other types of putters, which makes them easier to control. If you've grown up on putters with a similar feel this could be a great choice. They look great but the brand doesn't offer a lot to new players in terms of making the game easier. The brand does offer a range of different necks which can easily effect your game more than any of the above.
​
Conclusion
DLT is awesome but for most people Evnroll is outright better. If you've practiced extensively and still struggle with vertical alignment get the DLT otherwise just grab an Evnroll. LAB Golf is cool but the tech is only helpful to new players. If you aren't brand new I wouldn't touch the brand. Scotty's putters are awesome. I'm not a "feel" golfer by any means but you can't ignore how good they feel to hit. If you have a good and trained putter strike the Scotty is the way to go. Don't fix what isn't broke. With that being said Scotty are amazing but objectively Evnroll putters are the best brand.
If you disagree or just want to leave feedback feel free below.
​
Advice to Green Peas
What I've found in doing this research is that these new technologies just tweak your game slightly. They DO NOT out right make you a better putter but if you are lacking in one area they can greatly help you compensate in one area.
I found in my testing that finding the right weight. lie, loft, grip, and shaft length for your putter DO outright make you a better putter. Luckily for the reader all of those tweaks are dirt cheap.

Previous
If I were to guess, I’d imagine they took Andrew to Boss Harold before anyone else and the rumors around Golgotha seemed to support this supposition; the Bosses enjoyed their personal retribution away from the eyes of citizens, maybe it was talking or maybe more, and although there were whispers of the boy being strung up on the wall or maybe he’d be violated in the stocks for all to see, I imagined that the council I held with Boss Harold might’ve had something to do with that never materializing. When I was allowed to the boy’s cell, it was dark, and his face was bruised and the bandaging I’d applied to his severed wrist had been removed probably for amusement. The room was small and there were no windows and only a single doorway let out into the hallway which contained other cells and further, near the exit, there was the office of wall men. The guard that’d let me in locked the door behind me and Andrew sat on a metallic cot without cushioning, and he stared at the grimy floor through swollen eyes.
“Hello,” he said. And I was taken aback by the comment because he spoke it as quickly as he might passing a person in the street. He'd been through so much that the word was abrupt, skittish. I nodded and moved to him, reaching for his arm where he’d been nearly fatally wounded. It was infected. Without fighting me, he allowed me to tend to it without even a question; I wiped it and applied salve. Once it was cleaned and rewrapped and only after I’d settled on the cot beside him, he spoke again, “I heard stories about the cells, but I never thought they’d smell.”
I withdrew a handful of antibiotics, and he took them without putting them to his mouth. “You should have them,” I said, “You might lose the whole arm if not.”
“I might lose my life.”
“Maybe not,” I offered a grim smile and water with for the pills. “You’re alive still.”
“How much longer though?” He took the medicine and grimaced hard. The boy looked older than he was. “It smells like blood here. I can smell the people that’ve been here before.”
I patted him on the back and removed myself from the cell and he did not call after me, not even to ask for the return of his hand and I hoped that I could stave off whatever tortures the Bosses might have in store for him.
It’d been two days since I’d returned with Dave and Andrew and quickly after our arrival, I’d tried departing from the man and hoped he’d drop whatever revenge he believed I could assist him with, but it was to no avail for he attended everywhere with me since our return to Golgotha. Although he’d not been allowed to enter the cells alongside me, he was waiting for me outside as I stepped through the wall men’s office and into the noonday sun; I deftly plucked a pre-rolled cigarette from my pocket and tried at lighting it but before I’d even gotten the chance, he was there at the stoop of the office, pestering, “We should go somewhere quiet,” he said.
“What do you take me for exactly?” I asked while maintaining eye contact with the flame off a match.
“You’re capable enough. You could be a hero. I’d do it with you. We could scrounge up a handful of people and change things. We really could.” Dave was casting sidelong glances at those that passed us in the dirt street just off the stoop, but nary one seemed to care about our conversation.
“Leave it.”
“I won’t.”
I sighed.
He put a hand on my shoulder, but I shrugged it off.
Felina’s was a structure partially built from ancient shipping containers directly in the heart of the hydroponics towers in the center of town; the chicken shit smell from the base of the towers came with nauseating stagnation and could make a passerby sick, but upon entering Felina’s, the smell subsided and was replaced with the smell of body sweat. The older barwoman stood behind the counter and me and Dave took up on the far corner where we sat around an old card table, using crates as chairs; no one else was there—the smell of the hydro towers probably had some hand in that.
Dave took in close to me so that I could feel the moisture off his breath, “I’ve been talking to a few others over at the towers and they feel the same way I feel—but with you—well without you I don’t think I’d want to do it.”
“No, please go on without me,” I slanted my body across the table to push my face away from Dave’s; with me positioned with my back against the wall, I spied Felina beyond the counter, arms across her chest and watching us with an air of suspicion. She came to our table, slowly with her club foot and upon reaching us, she used our table for mild support with her big hands and greeted us without excitement.
Dave asked for water and her gaze shifted to me and I dismissed her, and we were alone till she limped back over with a pitcher and glass and Dave drank it greedily while Felina watched on from beyond the counter—her eyes suspicious but pretty blue too. She kept the haft from a dismembered axe behind the counter and was known to throttle unruly patrons with it.
Although some might have called Felina’s a bar, it was just short of it because of the rarity of spirits—besides, it was the upstairs brothel portion that the establishment owed to its popularity. Anyone might brave the smell from the street for companionship and if the noises from the rusted overhead support beams were anything to measure, the clientele was content indeed. A man descended from the stairs by the bar, gave a brief nod to Felina then to us and disappeared through the front door; a waft of the outside air rushed in, and Dave scrunched his nose.
“It’s a funny thing, I’ve passed by here all the time, but I don’t think I’ve been inside since before—” he paused, “Well, since before anyway.” He took a drink of water and rubbed his palms against his cheeks. “I know someone that works underground and could get us some gunpowder.”
I merely laughed at this. “Gunpowder, huh?”
“Well sure. The Bosses have reserves in the basements. We could blow them sky high.”
“More likely that you’d blow your hands off.”
“What’s it going to take to convince you?”
I thought, “Could you promise no one would die?”
Dave seemed baffled at the question. “Who cares?”
“These things hardly ever happen quietly—or without collateral. How’s this? Could you promise that no innocents get caught in stray fire?”
“Yes.”
“Then you are as ill prepared as I’d imagined.”
“What’s that mean?”
“The meek are intended to inherit, but many will die before all that.”
“What?”
“Nothing. I wish you’d leave it be.”
Another patron stumbled down the stairs, a scrawny tall man with a thin beard came charging into the chamber without clothes and a voice followed him, crying loudly, “Sonofabitch tried choking me!” A pair of arms and legs came stumbling down after—the source of the cries. There was a topless woman, a belt secured around one of her wrists and a pink mark around her throat. The naked man protested and put up his hands as the woman swung the arm with the belt and whipped at him with it, striking across the forearm he’d shielded himself with.
Felina moved carefully from around the counter, raised the haft, then brought it down across the man’s back. He stumbled to his knees, pleading. The barwoman raised the weapon once more and the sound was like wood against wood as it met the man’s head and his body was taken to the ground completely, perhaps dead, perhaps unconscious. The two women lifted the man out the door and Felina spat through the opening. Outside wind came again and Dave scrunched his nose once more before the door shut. The topless woman removed the belt from around her wrist, tossed it to the floor, then secured an arm across her chest before hurrying upstairs.
“So, gunpowder?” I asked Dave.
He nodded and took another drink of water while eyeing Felina as she took herself back to the counter and stowed the makeshift club into whatever place she kept it. “Yeah.”
“Go for it then and leave me out of it.” I fiddled with my thumbs across the table. “I’ll even make you a deal for when you come running to me for help later. If you blow your fingers off, I’ll try and help you find them. How’s about that?”
“I’ll wear you down.”
Another gust of wind came from the far door and I half expected to see the man that’d been removed there in the doorway, standing on his feet and ready for another round of punishment, but there was no one there in the hollow spot; as my gaze drifted from person-face level, I saw a medium sized mutt there in gray fur, pushing the door in with its nose and then sliding the rest of its starved body through—each of its yellowy sad eyes peered in and I could not tell the breed but Dave lifted himself from his seat and Felina went to the dog too.
“No dogs,” stated the woman.
Dave, the indomitable sweetheart that he was knelt to the dog’s face and touched its snout; it licked his hand and Dave said to Felina, “He’s not mine, but have you got some water for him?”
“No dogs inside. I don’t like repeating it.”
“Fair enough,” said Dave, “I don’t know who he—” he froze and then examined the rear of the dog before petting the dog on the head, “She belongs to, but I’ll take her outside. Just. Please some water, won’t you?”
The barwoman first drummed her fingers against her leg then went to the counter and I noticed Dave flinch as she reached under there, but she came back with a bowl and he took it and ushered the dog out; as he exited, he called to me, and I sighed and moved with him.
Remaining in the street was the man that’d been tossed out, face up, half-opened eyes, and flies buzzed about, and I touched him with my foot, but he didn’t move. Blood leaked from his ears. “Dead,” I said.
Dave took the dog from the body around to the side of the building and the feces smell was strong with the hydro towers, but he sat the water down and the dog went at it quickly, without restraint and spilt half before the man went to steady it with his hand; he knelt by the dog and pushed a shoulder against the wall of the brothel.
“There you go,” I told him, “You’ve found someone dumb enough and maybe loyal enough to follow through with your little gunpowder plan. Strap a handful of dynamite to him and watch him go boom in the Boss’s faces.” I genuinely did try it as a joke.
“You can be very mean,” said Dave.
Once the bowl was dry besides dog spit, he returned it to Felina, reentering briefly, and it was just me and the dog and the dog looked up at me and I turned away while its voice whined in the back of its throat and I took a piece of hardtack from my pocket and tossed it on the ground—the dog went after it, assuredly snapping up dirt in the process. Then the creature made a dry and throaty sound from swallowing too quickly, but moments after the thick cracker was gone. It licked my hand gently, and I scratched its chin and Dave returned and upon seeing me with the dog, he gave me a look and then brought himself to the height of the dog in a hunker.
“Hey there,” he said to it, “Someone’s beat you up pretty bad, huh?” It was true; scars stood out in places where the dog had no fur.
In response, the weathered mutt hoisted its forepaws onto his knees and pushed its nose into his.
“Yeah, girl,” he took one of the dog’s ears between his forefinger and thumb and rubbed it gently and the animal looked up, sad eyed, “What’s a good name for you?”
“Dog-meat?” I proposed.
Dave shook his head. “What sort of sick joke is that?” but he was smiling, “No. I’ll come up with something to call her. Isn’t that right?” He asked the dog, massaging the face of the animal with his thumbs; the dog stared dumbly at him. “Maybe a Beth or a Patty might suit you. How do you like them?”
The dog licked his face but couldn’t speak.
“Well,” I said, “It’s a shame it got you, you’ll pick a person name for it and that’s strange. Why not call her Mary if you want a person name?”
“Bah,” said Dave, rising to a full stand; momentarily, even with the other folks passing us in the street, he took a moment to see the dead man we’d passed on our way out of Felina’s and for a moment he remained quiet. “I’ll come to you again Harlan. Maybe when I’ve got more of a plan. I only hope you’ll listen to the stuff I’ve said about it. I really do. I really hope you’ll be on the right side of this thing.”
“Sides are overrated.”
Dave put a hand on my shoulder, “Of course,” he nodded, “Whatever you say.”
He left with his new friend—the dog following him traced from left to right close behind Dave and I watched him take off and around the nearest hydro tower and I was alone on the street and evening wouldn’t be far away, so I took to home while staring at my moving feet and speaking to no one. A few people along the way tried nodding at me or saying a small greeting here or there, but I was absorbed in my own head, and nothing took me from it once I got going. Maybe that was one of the reasons I enjoyed the wastes; there were no pretenses out there and with the constant thought of death there was no other thing to think about than each passing moment. I could not shut my thoughts up. I could ramble more about the motivations of a scavver, but I don’t think I should—leave that for someone that cares.
Upon taking the catwalks where I could look out on a swatch of Golgotha with the sun beating down and the constant hum of people going about their business, I was frozen on the railing and wishing I’d taken my own life and wishing that Dave had not found me out there; maybe if I was faster or smarter or better in whatever way that mattered.
I pushed into the door into my small abode and cool blood pushed through my body on seeing the robed girl there on my mattress, holding a shotgun with its barrel angled directly at me; she donned a flowy mess of dresses and kept her head wrapped in garb so that only her eyes shone through, but her arms stuck from the mess of cloth and I could see they were skinny with long scab marks like a blade had drawn across the flesh.
“Harlan?” asked the girl.
“Is that mine?” I nodded at the pump-shotgun in her hands. The slowness of the world was gone, and I could think again; if things were different, I’d have been a dead man, but it was unloaded, and I knew it.
“It was hanging on the wall—I don’t know how to use the thing anyway. I don’t know what I was doing with it,” she said, “You just scared me, and I didn’t know who you might’ve been.”
“This is my place.”
She laid the shotgun on the bed and unwrapped her face; it was Gemma, “You were with Andrew.”
“I was.”
“You said he was dead.”
I brought in air slowly through my nose. “I did.”
“You lied.”
I nodded, letting the air come out.
“Why?”
“I needed to find you.”
“But you found us both then, I guess.”
“Not on purpose.” A thought occurred to me, “Does you father know where you are right now?”
She shook her head; although rest had done her good, there was still a fair amount of fatigue present on her. “I snuck out.”
“Would’a though you learned your lesson on that front.”
“Is Andrew okay? No one will tell me anything about it.”
“He’s locked up right now, but he is alive. For how long? I don’t know. I figured your pop paid a visit to him already—wouldn’t you know about that?”
She shook her head again. “Woo,” Gemma slumped onto the side of my mattress and gathered the robes around her, “I’m feeling faint.”
I moved to the bed and gathered the shotgun, putting it back on the hooks in the wall. “You shouldn’t break into people’s homes.”
Cupping her brow in a hand so that I could only see her mouth and the bottom of her nose, she said, “I just needed to know he was alive. These past days I’ve been so worried about him. I knew you told me he was dead, but I knew you were a liar too. So, I had bad thoughts about what might’ve happened to him out there. If what happened to me was anything to go off.” Her voice broke for a moment and then she pulled her hand from her face and blinked a few sudden times. “I just.”
“I get it. You love the boy.”
She nodded without looking at me.
“So, beg your dad to let him go.”
“Everyone’s so mad at him. It’s funny that everyone’s so mad at him, but it was my idea, and they all treat me like a darling little flower. Like I couldn’t have been the one with the idea of running away. I had more reason to run than he ever did.”
“You should leave.”
“I don’t want to. Can’t you see that’s what I’ve been saying? Judge all you like. Call me rich all you like, but I can tell you this: I don’t feel like it.” Gemma grabbed the edge of the bed as her head wavered on her shoulders. “Dizzy spells are awful.” She shook her head. “Like no sickness ever.” Her eyes locked on mine. “Help me.”
“I’ve already tried convincing them not to kill him.” Taking a pause, I thought to add, “And I personally saw to his injuries. Please go and leave me be.”
“Oh, but you’ve asked for it,” she said, “You put yourself in the business of it.”
“Look. All’s I wanted was to save you if I could and get the water running again. That’s it. Now go.” I put my arm up to wave her out the door and she stood to make her way there, catching herself on the frame, then out on the catwalk railing before turning and looking at me over her shoulder.
“Bastard.” she said.
“Yes.” The door shut between us, and I took myself to sitting on the bed’s edge and reminiscing over how Dave reminded me so much of Jackson. Jackson was a real tough one; whatever happened he always kept a cool head (so I reckon him and Dave would be different in that way) and the idea of being a hero was so big for him. It’s a curious thought: whether Dave would have such ideas if hadn’t been for the tragic loss of his family.
The shotgun sat on there on the wall, and I took it and looked over it, putting the stock in my left hand then my right and laid it across my legs; the woven strap on it had gone thin so that the place I’d once worn it over my shoulder was mostly threadbare. I moved to the cabinet by the sink where I kept a few essentials and in the very back there was an old box of shells—it was a surprise they still seemed good, but with old ammo you never could tell, and the shells were just as likely to fire true as they might be to never send pellets from the barrel. I took a knife and began whittling into a shell I’d plucked from the box. Pellets spilled between my feet as I sat on the bed and they rolled across the floor and then I found the gunpowder and rose again, sprinkling it onto the cabinet top into a neat pile. Dave said he had a fella’ he knew that worked in the underground—the sort of person that could get him all the gunpowder he needed. Was he familiar with its destructive force; had he ever fired a gun? He promised me no one innocent would die and I knew that was a lie and there’s surely a piece of him that knew it was a lie just as well.
It was just then as I took a forefinger and thumb and pinched up a bit from the gunpowder splat that I remembered a thing that Jackson told me all the time when he thought none of the others were listening. The gunpowder rained from my fingertips as I rubbed them together and I sniffed the place where they’d become sooty, taking in a smell I’d not smelled in a long time. Jackson would say, “Whoever fights monsters should be sure that he don’t become a monster.” It wouldn’t be for a long time—after I’d visited the libraries in Alexandria or Babylon (take your preference)—till I realized it was a quote that Jackson stole from some guy named Neet-chee. It seemed like a good thing to adhere to, and it was certainly something I wasn’t good at keeping with and if I couldn’t then there was little certainty that Dave would keep to it either. Maybe I had become a monster; morally dubious anyway.
Jackson was a hero, and he was dead as was Sibylle as was Billy as was John and all of them. We’d tried heroing and it got all of us dead. Almost all of us.
I hung the shotgun on the wall and left it there and swept the gunpowder into the floor with a flat palm where the pellets were and chucked the box of old shells into the cabinet again.
Ringing of bells came from the hall of the Bosses and it was time for a display. Denizens gathered in the front square by the gates and awaited while they trotted out Andrew; perhaps the words I’d passed to Boss Harold rang hollow after all. The Bosses were there just as always, drinking their wine on the platform, and Maron was out front with his wall men in the semicircle of gathered Golgotha residents. Of the population, only a hundred or two gathered for this poor boy’s execution. The guards had, at some point after my departure, removed the bandage on his empty wrist and he looked more sickly in the face than before and his cheeks were swollen and he wept, seemingly not from the terror of it but from the skin around his eyes having been so damaged; tears came through swelled eyelids and a wall man kept him by the elbow and Maron marched to the boy and lifted the boy’s face with his hand to look into it and maybe he whispered something to him.
I weaved through the crowd, moving to the steps that led to the stage where the Bosses stood with their foods and wines and their plenty and upon approach, I was stopped by a wall men, but upon catching Boss Harold’s eye, he told the guard to let me through and I took the stairs and from the platform, I could see over the crowd—Dave was far in the rear of those gathered, totally disconnected from the others for he hunkered by a set of crates, patting the head of the dog we’d found just earlier in the day. For a moment, I wished I was there with him and not on the stage at all.
“Dear boy!” Boss Harold shouted at me over the excited jeers of the others, “It’s so good to see you again. You are quite the hero, and it’s always good to be in the company of those.”
I nodded at him and within a flash, he’d slammed his cup of wine into my hand, telling me to drink, and only moments passed before his own cup was replaced by a nearby servant. “We spoke about this?” I tried.
His face was red, and I could just make out the miniscule veins vibrant along the corners of his nose; the man was far gone drunk. “That boy’s been a thorn in my side for too long, so I know you understand it when I say that he needs punishment. I took all that you said into account,” his words slurred, and the sweet sick came off him in a breath of hot air when he pulled me in, resting his ear on my shoulder. “Nobody dies today, but ‘spare the rod and spoil the child’,” the Boss paused. “You’re not a father yourself, are you?”
I shook my head.
“Ah! Then you might not be familiar with that proverb required in bringing a child up in this world.” Boss Harold laughed. “I’d never take my sweet Gemma out in the square like this, but God there’s been times I’ve wanted it. ‘Spare the rod’.” He repeated. “But we’ve something a fair bit more interesting than a rod for that boy.” Boss Harold swayed on his feet and took the fist containing his cup of wine, pointing with his index finger at the open place by the wall where Maron and Andrew and the wall men were. “Speaking of!” Boss Harold was giddy, and he took a magnificent gulp from his cup, throwing his head far back. “You’re a learned man, yes?”
“What?”
“You know how to read? Maron said something about your reading. That’s a rare quality! I’d love to talk about books with you sometime. I’ve my own personal collection.”
The wall men stripped Andrew of his clothes then threw them to the ground and a gasp escaped the audience and the boy shouted and Maron moved to a nearby bucket and reached into the mouth of the container, coming back to a full stand; a whip was coiled around his arm. The Bosses didn’t even look on. The punishment was for the benefit of Boss Harold, and not even he looked on. He jabbered on about how he’d like to speak with me over an old philosophy called Objectivism then he went on about how he’d learned long ago the greatest achievement of man was his own happiness and I listened to the drunk man and when the whip broke skin the first time, I’m sure Andrew felt every bit.
Blood exploded in violent dew off his back and the crack of the whip struck the boy till he couldn’t stand and then several times more. Splatter reached onlookers each time Maron lifted the whip over his head, and it was only once the boy stopped moving that the Boss Sheriff swaggered over to inspect him; Andrew had fallen face down and Maron took his boot to the boy’s side so that the boy rolled onto his back and seconds passed without movement and even Boss Harold quit with his talking. The prone body just lay there and for a moment Andrew looked like the body I’d seen earlier out front of Felina’s. Then the boy spasmed and gasped air and Maron shouted about how he was still alive before giving the toe of his boot to Andrew’s ribs.
“What a show,” said the Bosses—what a show indeed.
The crowd dispersed in clumps, taking back to their jobs or leisure and I left the platform only after agreeing that Objectivism sounded good and Boss Harold laughed and stumbled in pivoting to take on in conversation with the other Bosses and I briefly imagined giving him a nudge, so he’d fall off the stage, but refrained from doing so.
When I met the boy lying in the dirt there, there was me and Dave moved in too and Maron had taken to his station where there was a table by sandbags, and he was engrossed in a game of solitaire; it seemed the man was totally unfazed by the justice he’d dealt. There was a time when that body could’ve been a hero and yet there he was, poisoned.
I called out to the Boss Sheriff, “Ain’t you going to put him back to his cell?”
Without even looking over, Maron swept his mustache with his fingers and waved me off, “Harold was real clear on letting the boy out of custody once it was done.” He lifted his cowboy hat and scratched his head while looking at the cards on the table then he laughed. “He’s a free man. I’ve heard that was your meddlin’ that did it.”
I moved to the boy and snatched up the clothes they ripped from him and Dave, not saying a word with his new mutt by his side, helped me to return some dignity to the boy.
We took him to my small apartment and washed him and tended over him while he lay in my bed.
Gemma came soon after Andrew had been draped in a sheet—she was there in disguise as she’d been earlier and upon me opening the doorway, she began to ask me if the boy was with me. I merely stepped aside, and she rushed to Andrew’s side; if he was aware of her presence, there was no way to tell.
“They killed him.” She’d taken to her knees to be nearer his level. “Oh. Oh, he’s dead.” She touched him and he shivered at the touch. Gemma removed the wrappings of cloth around her head and looked at her sweetie closer and she put a hand to her mouth. “They took his hand!”
“No,” said Dave, “He’s going to live.” The man looked to me and I shrugged. “Yeah,” his voice didn’t sound sure, “He’ll live.”
I moved to the catwalk and Dave came with me, the dog following behind him—the timid mutt looked over the edge of the catwalk to the city below then stepped away and returned to my room. When Dave took up beside me, leaning over the railing, and the sun hit his face just so, he looked exactly like Jackson and maybe that was why when he raised eyebrows then cut his eyes at me with a question—the question was everything and I finally nodded.
Previous
RoyalRoad
Neovel

I went out of town while my almost 17 year old kitty had a UTI, said it could be more serious long term bladder issues, but vet said it should be okay to check back in on it in 2 weeks after seeing how the antibiotics helped and I left her with family who I know took good care of her.
Meanwhile on my trip, I catch covid, and hole myself up in a motel...I get a call that my baby's health had been deteriorating for days severely and My family "didn't want to bother me". They said she was yoweling, and completely incontinent, barely eating at all even with an appetite stimulant. Basically family took her to vet, and vet reccomended it was likely bladder cancer, and it was maybe time to let her go, as she was not having a quality life and was in pain. They said I could have taken her to specialists, but that even if they did find answers she was so frail, she wouldnt have made it through surgery.
So I had to make a decision and decided it was time as I didn't want her to suffer longer. So I wasn't there with her. And its breaking my heart. I was there through FaceTime, but I just feel like I made the wrong decision. Maybe I could have done better and found a way to get there, or maybe she would have been okay if I never left to begin with, or maybe I could have done more to help save her. If I didn't have covid brain maybe I would have made a different decision. I feel like I didn't get to say goodbye even though I was the one who decided to have her go. I feel so broken. I just want to pet her one more time and I can't.

Today's the day. I'm new here but, I'm going to try my best to get this out, as I have been browsing this thread for a few weeks now yet, have been exmo for approximately 15 years. I have been aware of reddit for some time and would some times listen to reddit comps on YT. I knew that based off of how deep I have delved into certain rabbit holes that I would one day end up here. To read mainly, but today, I have decided to write.
I grew up near the Sacred Grove in Palmyra, NY. I have been to all of the sights there, maybe 2-4 times some of them. The 'grove', I recall taking some nature walk at about the age of what they would call Activity Days, back then it was called Achievement Days. I have been into that temple at least once (twice I think) to perform baptisms for the dead. My life story need be some background no matter how I try to swing it. My biological parents were separated before I was born after having served time in England, in the U.S. Air Force. Father back down South, Mom to upstate NY. They were both relocated to their home states and though my father never stepped foot in NY, he would soon be deemed an 'Abandoned parent' by NY law and granted limited access to any info. about me, his daughter. My mom began lessons with the elders and soon had met the man I call my Dad when I was about six months old at which point she started lessons over again so that he could also hear the word of the decided true Church of God. After a temple marriage, a reception in our gym with plenty of nevermo family/ friends and secular music on the playlist, a sister 4 years my junior and a brother 6 years my junior, my parents split around the time I was 7. I recall peeping out of some crystal glass next to our front door on a Sunday after church and finding, my mom, who had been a prominent member of the Relief Society, was smoking a cigarette on the front steps. Not long after they divorced, she left the church, ended up with someone else for 9 years and the rest is history. Dad however, would later date and end up on LDS singles where he would remarry to a woman who would eventually take us out to Utah where we would meet much of her generational family members and go to plenty of places around SLC, Jordan, Ogden, Logan, etc., you name it, for different family reunions, baptisms, church services, sight seeing in Temple square, etc. The woman and my Dad would seek marriage counseling from a bishop, a very old friend of my Dad who had served in bishopric together. (My Dad has served as first/second counselor). He would one day end up leaving his wife of say, 35 years and making time to spend with my dad's wife he had brought around from out-of-state and had in our family approximately 2yrs at that point. The bishop and my ex-stepmother would be tried in front of the stake president and excommunicated. My Dad was in extremely rough shape at the time to put it lightly and the bishop's ex wife, a friend of the family, looked sickly every time I would see her for weeks, constantly sobbing, as well as not receiving sacrament for whatever reason they saw her needing to be further punished. Sick. I have plenty more but, this seems a great mess to start with. I am 27, I left almost 13. However, I did occasionally attend Young Woman's well after I had left. I went on a spiritual journey. Seeking answers in many forms as many do. Delving into Christianity, atheism, agnosticism, world religions, spirit science, and ultimately referring to myself as an intensely curious, devote Pantheist. I have a little one of my own with a lot of questions to answer about God and Jesus. I'm learning to just roll with the punches. We focus on gratitude largely, and Karma, I'd say. Here I am, free as a jay bird, and the little girl in me, would have never seen it remotely possible. I was a real spokeschild for the doctrine. One who at maybe four, would enjoy hanging out in the genealogy area, or the little girl who at 11 performed in 'Woman at the Well', or got accepted into ward choir despite minimal 18yr rules, or the 3yo who recalls coming out of Pageant half-asleep (in Palmyra) late at night with 'Anti-Mormons' (likely Baptists) holding picket signs in our faces and wearing devil costumes or scream mask and saying we were going to hell, yelling bible verses about the damnation that my little soul would succumb to.... Ask me anything.

Salaam, ya'll.
So I just wanted to share this story, cause I thought it make make some of you giggle.
A bit of background first. I am a revert of 6 years. I converted in 2017, wore hijab for three years, then when Covid hit, I kind of had a crisis of faith. I stopped wearing hijab, stopped a lot of things actually. Inshallah, I will be forgiven for them, but anyway. Trying to get back on the Deen.
So I recently, in the last few months, got in a very bad place (well, worse than it already was, but I digress) and began praying again, and by that I mean the Christian version of praying that I grew up with. I prayed to find some way out of the financial hole I was in.
One day, I stopped at a gas station I have frequented for some years since having moved here. New people had bought the store some time ago but I was never very familiar with them. An older Pakistani man was on the register, and when he rang me up, he explained that he had to void out the ticket because it had rung my item three times. I could tell he wasn't the most computer efficient person, being an older gentleman, so I laughed and said I wasn't worried about it because I know how it goes. Then he said it wasn't him, it was the scanner, and I said, yeah I know, I worked at 7Eleven for six years and I know how the scanners are. They stick when you want to ring multiple, and ring single items twice just cause they have an attitude.
And, wallahi, sisters this man looked at me and said "oh, you worked at 7Eleven, do you want a job?"
I stood there for a full 30 seconds just going Uhhhh, and then I was like, I guess. So I gave him my number and I had a job as a manager two days later.
Somehow, after about 5 years being back out of the gas station life, it only took two days to be almost fully in the swing of things again. It all came back to me.
Anyway, I've worked like the last three months there. There's been some ups and downs. I had to assert myself with the son a few times... Our Prophet PBUH was never one to use obscene language with people, but I am not the best among us, so I have to admit there were some impolite words used between the two of us, on his side first and in my side responding, and we've had a few blowups since then but mostly he is a good guy, and if anything, he knows I won't let him walk over me so now he treats me as an equal.
Bless his heart, he's as flighty as they come. He's the eleventh child so his parents kind of left him to his own devices, and I've had to tell the poor child everything from how to microwave a chicken to how to make chicken biryani (my stepmother was from Bangladesh and made it for us a lot) to the fact that Cascade might come in a pod but it's not laundry detergent, it's for a dishwasher. This is completely off topic but I just thought that was hilarious and had to share.
Anyway, back on topic. I was still going back to my Christian roots, and things weren't going the best. Being as they are a Muslim family, of course there was some talk of Ramadan being as it was that month, so I just randomly opened an old Playlist I had with some Islamic lectures I had listened to a million times, which was perfect because I could easily fall asleep without my brain attempting to listen hard to the video because I had listened so much my brain was like ah yes, background noise, is sleep time, zzzzzzz.
I had a dream. I can't tell you any details, unlike most of my dreams which I remember quite vividly, I can't tell you anything I saw. All I can remember about the dream is that I was told that of course I was having hardship in my life, I'd found the path and turned back.
I was kind of pensive for a few days, but eventually I decided I was going to try and do right again. I was considerably nervous considering they had no idea I was Muslim (my coworker didn't believe me that I was until I showed him my Muslim Pro app that said my member joined date was June 16, 2017) and also I am fairly certain I am the only white Muslim girl in the town. I live in a farming community in rural Virginia, Bible Belt territory, so I was very scared about wearing hijab again. I kind of eased into it and started wearing a turban, but I forgot how much they hurt my ears, so eventually sheer physical discomfort pushed me into wearing hijab again.
I've been back to wearing it about a month now, and not only has not a single person given me an issue about it, I was extremely shocked to discover there is a sizeable Muslim population in my town. The only problem is everyone thinks I am my coworker's wife, which I don't really get but whatever, how I can only been there for three months and somehow also married to him, I find confusing.
Anyway, at work today I went outside to have a break. I have both arthritis and fibromyalgia, my right hip has arthritis because that hip likes to randomly pop out of that socket and that joint is permanently angry and the rest of the lovely full body pain is fibro. Being back on my feet on concrete is not the easiest on my pain, so periodically I have to sit down on the ground and sit crossleg to stretch my hip out and it was a lovely day so I went outside.
Break done, I stood up and tried to go back inside, which didn't really work because...
MY HIJAB ATE ME.
The wind picked up at just that time, and the first two loops of my hijab flipped forward and ATE MY FACE.
It took an entire literal minute to find my way out of my hijab, sisters. Now I wear a snap hijab under my scarf, and the bottom piece of my hijab was still in place, so you know, neither my hair nor neck was showing but it was still embarrassing as all get out.
I couldn't find the OPENING. Meanwhile my other coworker, not the flighty one, was laughing at me because he was changing the trash and here I was being eaten by a headscarf.
I kind of feel proud of my hijab pinning ability, though, as I didn't even have to adjust it once I got it flipped back over my head. Didn't move an inch.
Anyway, any of ya'll ever get eaten by a hijab?

Be me: Ishmael, Damphir Barbarian
Be not me: DM; Chus, Lizardfolk Necromancer; Aanshe, Koldemar Vitalist; Zero, Ratfolk Psion;
Having started a skull collection from the last band of Gnolls to harass the Nightmare Wagon we arrive in town...
We sell off the loot horde and split the value of it.
Chus uses his share to kit out his skeleton better.
We take a look at the available jobs once out shopping is done.
There's four hunting jobs, hunting various critters that have found their way into the forest...
We take the jobs and ready ourselves to deal with them once we return to the temporary Kobold Den
While we're there we're introduced to a new mercenary who the tribe has hired to help deal with the issue, Zero the Ratfolk
After some time passes from Aanshe being indisposed... we set off the hunt down the critters
Not too long on the road we come up on a sinkhole...
Aanshe gets out and peers over the edge... the hole leads into a large cavern.
We decide to investigate and lock the wagons wheels, tie off some rope and make our way down...
We find ourselves in a cavern and slowly making our way forward we find... Basilisks!
INITIATIVE: Chus, Basilisks, Ishmael, Zero, Aanshe
Chus orders Buffy to charge and averts his gaze.
One of the Basilisks manages to bite Buffy and the other scores a crit while she's struggling.
The squad of Basilisks moves up approaching us...
Ishmael moves into position to head off a pair of approaching Basilisks and strikes one.
Ishmael & Zero are petrified!
Aanshe covers her eyes to protect herself and fires a ray zapping one!
Chus closes his eyes and blasts the Basilisks with his swarm magic.
The Basilisks continue their advance noming on Buffy and waddling into the fray.
One goes to nom each: Aanshe & Chus. Chus is bit!
Aanshe catches one with her health steal, healing Chus with the stolen HP
Chus surges his swarm! ... it kills Buffy and seriously wounds most of the Basilisks.
The Basilisks begin to withdraw...
Feeling about blinded and not finding enemies Chus opens his eyes... and is immediately petrified.
Aanshe's alone now... she blindly throws a Steal Health at the sound of their retreat and nails one!
After a second shot misses and the noise of the retreat dies down she risks a peek and sees her petrified party.
Aanshe manages to un-petrify the whole party and takes a minute to meditate.
Ishmael asks where Buffy is when he doesn't notice her among the group... Chus explains that she was destroyed in the fight.
We look around for the Basilisks and Aanshe removes her blindfold. Onward!
We make our way forward!
As we explore we find a small hole in one of the walls just larger than one of the Basilisks we've slain...
Aanshe goes a bit far ahead... and finds a Dracolisk!
Initiative! Zero, Aanshe, Ishmael, Chus, Dracolisk
Zero moves up into position.
Aanshe buffs!
Ishmael charges up almost into melee.
Chus! He tries to blind it?
It reposition and breaths acid!
Zero continues to try and better position...
Aanshe baps it with Steal Health
Ishmael follows the direction of the Acid back to the monster and scores a blind crit!
Chus activates his ghost hand.
The Dracolisk takes advantage of the no AoOs while blinded and flies from Ishmael's position.
It flies to Aanshe and attacks her!
Zero's turn! She stabs it in the thinking-parts.
Aanshe rips the last bits of HP from it with Stealth Health...
It falls, hits the edge of the bridge, slips and falls further.
...victory? Victory!
Aanshe carefully peeks... "I GOT IT!" she exclaims
She casts Metamorphosis and scales down to where it fell.
Ishmael comes to the top of the bridge to look down... "Is it dead?"
It's not and Aanshe stabilizes it.
We blindfold it and get to work hauling it out of the pit.
Zero begins to panic when she sees it being tied up and we explain that it's going to be tied up and brought in.
Meanwhile Chus collects one of the other dead Basilisks to serve as the replacement for Buffy
Looking at the situation we consider how to get the KO'd dragon up...
Ishmael suggests we go up and then just reel in the rope since we tied it to the rope we used to descend.
Sounds like a plan and we do it. We load the Dracolisk onto the Nightmare Wagon and roll back into town.
Nothing is crazy enough to mess with the Nightmare Wagon as we ride!
The town guards are a little concerned...
We explain we're bringing it to the council
They insist on having a guard come along.
Ishmael comments "Sure, climb aboard. Mind the blindfold, this thing petrifies."
The are concerned for a moment and force the rookie to be the guard for the trip to the council.
Aanshe tries to make conversation as we roll down the city streets... he's not very talkative.
The Council comes out to see what we've caught with all the weird...
They offer us a small bonus and Aanshe says it's insulting.
We suggest we'd sell the creature... and Chus immediately places an offer
....
We have a concern about it becoming a Dracolich and Ishmael suggests we involve the local Vampire.
Session called as it's nearing midnight.
​
Previous Session

Active duty MSgt here in town to eulogize my father at his funeral at the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery.
BLUF: Forgot the anodized punch hole buttons on my blues coat. Would love to wear them for dads funeral (he was Vietnam).
Do any of your prior service devils/reservists in the area have some anodized buttons i could borrow?

Random encounters suck.
Every 6 steps you get interrupted by samey combat against dull enemies who might not let you oneshot or flee from them.
It's not hard or challenging, just tedious. But you have to slog through this filler if the cheap bastards who made the bad RPG decided the resources gained from this dull combat, the loot or exp or gold, should be necessary to make forward story progress.
It gets in the way of appreciating the mood of an area, the setting, the ambiance, the level design, the music... and more. It numbs your senses and gets you to see the world in glimpses of dull movement between flashes of dull combat. Stops you from thinking about what is going on because you are too busy going through the motions to get this next random encounter over and done with.
Honestly if part of a RPG is best fast forwarded through, skipping it entirely is often the best course of action. And if the game doesn't let you skip its bad parts or fast forward its bad parts, ask what makes them necessary. This isn't The Longing. This isn't Spec Ops The Line or Undertale. This isn't even YIIK. No artistic point is being made by the presence of repetitive grind and asset reuse. Green Day fans would lose their marbles if the next album had each track on a 10 track album play 12 times before you can move on to the next track. Mario fans would lose their marbles if the next Mario Odyssey made you replay the same world twice in a row. But fighting 30 Zubats in a row? Fighting 252 Whismurs and 252 Zubats and 252 Carvanhas for EV grind? Some people enjoy that. I will respext them if they respect why I am not a fan of that.
You will die with some of the best songs unheard, the best shows unwatched, the best people unmet and the best games unplayed, and the same is true for me and everyone else. We are not immortal. We recognize that a book is better if it can do more in less time. Editors exist for a reason. "If I had more time I would have written a shorter letter" is said for a reason. Effectively communicating something meaningful through your art is harder than padding out sections of meaningful story progression with mandatory filler content and randomly generated random words previously used in the story. Ever heard of a fantasy novel padding itself from 20k words to 50k words with this trick? At least a tv show's recap episode can do something funny.
There are RPGs out there that improve themselves by having properly designed encounters and a properly balanced difficulty curve instead of relying on long hallways and mazes or wide empty rooms with unavoidable potentially invisible random encounters. Honestly it is a simple tweak, the removal of random encounters, and it improves the game. It might even be the ultimate sign that thought went into the game's design, because it takes a lot of thinking to realize not all RPG design conventions must be dutifully followed in the name of tradition. You could inflate your steam playtime numbers by adding filler, or you could respect tbe player's time by not making grinding mandatory, removing random encounters, and designing the difficulty accordingly.
Though difficulty curve is a funny word to use when in bad RPGs there is no "difficulty" where your skill and intellect can matter, only the question of whether your numbers are high enough or if mindlessly grinding is necessary to raise them. Everyone's favourite RPG did something smart to elevate it beyond the combat you'll see in the earliest hours of any pokemon playthrough: Mashing A and selecting Tackle or Scratch or maybe a correctly typed attack, the gameplay equivalent of putting the square peg in the square hole when no questions like "Do I need this MP/attack usage for later? If my resources and time ingame is limited what do I give up by making this time management and resource management choice?" are asked.

The moonlight peaks through the boarded windows. It shouldn’t be like this. I order my subordinates to correct it. Every five meters, there is a camera. If any student misbehaves, I know with a simple notification. Square shaped lockers fling open as students hurry to class. The perfect size for government sponsored books and government sponsored books only. In the past, a parents’ offspring could do whatever it wanted. As time went on, our world faced overpopulation, food prices skyrocketed and people fought for resources. War, murder, rape, and orphanhood plagued the children. Instead of a rational response, they started having outbursts. They fought each other, hit teachers, and developed substance abuse problems that started with marijuana and ended with cocaine. And so, 65 years ago, the government implemented the Education Act. After birth, the state obtains the right to a child. It grows up in boarding school with around the clock security. No one leaves until age 18. By that point, they can adapt to the real world. Parents and politicians alike scrambled for a last hope, and this was it.
I take attendance for the first class and notice student 007211623’s empty desk. I shoot a glare at the teacher, awaiting an answer, but she simply shrugs and averts her eyes. I look through my phone for any messages regarding 007211623. Not a single one. My eyes dart all across the room, while the class sits in silence. She better not have escaped. I burst into her room. It’s good they aren’t allowed to have doors. The colour from my face drains as I notice the hole in her wall, hidden by a blanket. Blood stains the edges. My face is still as I look through. The fog blends in with the dull pavement until I spot the splashes of red. Half of 0017216’s hair is blown by the wind, and half succumbs to her blood. Her twisted limbs are covered in grass, dirt, and rocks. Snow begins to fall all around her, and yet it melts when it touches her blood. While thinking of an excuse for her disappearance, I spot a letter on the bed.
To whoever finds this,
You know me as student 007211623. School 72, class 1, age 16, student number 23. But I gave myself another name, a real name. Rosie. So when you read this letter, know it’s from Rosie. By now it’s too late. My blood must be seeping into the roots of the dead grass. And there it shall stay. Come spring time, the nutrients from my blood will grow healthy grass. So even when my death gets no acknowledgement, I will always be here. Every time you see the grass, remember me. Remember what they did to us. When the world became too difficult to handle, we cried for help, and yet they ignored us. When we kept on pleading, they imprisoned us. We couldn’t leave, couldn’t move, couldn’t think. We did as we were told but the past never forgets. The adults ignored us. So I found my own solution.
Rosie

The moonlight peaks through the boarded windows. It shouldn’t be like this. I order my subordinates to correct it. Every five meters, there is a camera. If any student misbehaves, I know with a simple notification. Square shaped lockers fling open as students hurry to class. The perfect size for government sponsored books and government sponsored books only. In the past, a parents’ offspring could do whatever it wanted. As time went on, our world faced overpopulation, food prices skyrocketed and people fought for resources. War, murder, rape, and orphanhood plagued the children. Instead of a rational response, they started having outbursts. They fought each other, hit teachers, and developed substance abuse problems that started with marijuana and ended with cocaine. And so, 65 years ago, the government implemented the Education Act. After birth, the state obtains the right to a child. It grows up in boarding school with around the clock security. No one leaves until age 18. By that point, they can adapt to the real world. Parents and politicians alike scrambled for a last hope, and this was it.
I take attendance for the first class and notice student 007211623’s empty desk. I shoot a glare at the teacher, awaiting an answer, but she simply shrugs and averts her eyes. I look through my phone for any messages regarding 007211623. Not a single one. My eyes dart all across the room, while the class sits in silence. She better not have escaped. I burst into her room. It’s good they aren’t allowed to have doors. The colour from my face drains as I notice the hole in her wall, hidden by a blanket. Blood stains the edges. My face is still as I look through. The fog blends in with the dull pavement until I spot the splashes of red. Half of 0017216’s hair is blown by the wind, and half succumbs to her blood. Her twisted limbs are covered in grass, dirt, and rocks. Snow begins to fall all around her, and yet it melts when it touches her blood. While thinking of an excuse for her disappearance, I spot a letter on the bed.
To whoever finds this,
You know me as student 007211623. School 72, class 1, age 16, student number 23. But I gave myself another name, a real name. Rosie. So when you read this letter, know it’s from Rosie. By now it’s too late. My blood must be seeping into the roots of the dead grass. And there it shall stay. Come spring time, the nutrients from my blood will grow healthy grass. So even when my death gets no acknowledgement, I will always be here. Every time you see the grass, remember me. Remember what they did to us. When the world became too difficult to handle, we cried for help, and yet they ignored us. When we kept on pleading, they imprisoned us. We couldn’t leave, couldn’t move, couldn’t think. We did as we were told but the past never forgets. The adults ignored us. So I found my own solution.
Rosie

The moonlight peaks through the boarded windows. It shouldn’t be like this. I order my subordinates to correct it. Every five meters, there is a camera. If any student misbehaves, I know with a simple notification. Square shaped lockers fling open as students hurry to class. The perfect size for government sponsored books and government sponsored books only. In the past, a parents’ offspring could do whatever it wanted. As time went on, our world faced overpopulation, food prices skyrocketed and people fought for resources. War, murder, rape, and orphanhood plagued the children. Instead of a rational response, they started having outbursts. They fought each other, hit teachers, and developed substance abuse problems that started with marijuana and ended with cocaine. And so, 65 years ago, the government implemented the Education Act. After birth, the state obtains the right to a child. It grows up in boarding school with around the clock security. No one leaves until age 18. By that point, they can adapt to the real world. Parents and politicians alike scrambled for a last hope, and this was it.
I take attendance for the first class and notice student 007211623’s empty desk. I shoot a glare at the teacher, awaiting an answer, but she simply shrugs and averts her eyes. I look through my phone for any messages regarding 007211623. Not a single one. My eyes dart all across the room, while the class sits in silence. She better not have escaped. I burst into her room. It’s good they aren’t allowed to have doors. The colour from my face drains as I notice the hole in her wall, hidden by a blanket. Blood stains the edges. My face is still as I look through. The fog blends in with the dull pavement until I spot the splashes of red. Half of 0017216’s hair is blown by the wind, and half succumbs to her blood. Her twisted limbs are covered in grass, dirt, and rocks. Snow begins to fall all around her, and yet it melts when it touches her blood. While thinking of an excuse for her disappearance, I spot a letter on the bed.
To whoever finds this,
You know me as student 007211623. School 72, class 1, age 16, student number 23. But I gave myself another name, a real name. Rosie. So when you read this letter, know it’s from Rosie. By now it’s too late. My blood must be seeping into the roots of the dead grass. And there it shall stay. Come spring time, the nutrients from my blood will grow healthy grass. So even when my death gets no acknowledgement, I will always be here. Every time you see the grass, remember me. Remember what they did to us. When the world became too difficult to handle, we cried for help, and yet they ignored us. When we kept on pleading, they imprisoned us. We couldn’t leave, couldn’t move, couldn’t think. We did as we were told but the past never forgets. The adults ignored us. So I found my own solution.
Rosie