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The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
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A subreddit dedicated to the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
2023.04.01 06:02 cebjorn "You never quit Runscape" is said to many players that take a break...
It is extremely concerning to hear that there are still games out there that do not provide proper security measures for their players. Online gaming is supposed to be a fun and entertaining experience, but unfortunately, it can also be a source of vulnerability even if the proper safety measures are in place.
Runescape has been around for more than two decades. I have had my account for now 15.5 years. In that time, my account has been hacked 6 times. Despite its longevity and popularity, it is surprising to know that the game still lacks proper security measures to protect its players. The security in place currently may be industry standard, but it is not effective.
One of the most crucial security measures that every online game should have is two-factor authentication. Two-factor authentication is a security process in which the user provides two means of identification to verify their identity. In Runescape, players can use the Google Authenticator app to secure their in-game bank access. However, Google Authenticator can be deactivated by a hacker.
Furthermore, securing the email connected to your Runescape account is also essential. Your email account is often the gateway to your online accounts, and if it is compromised, it can lead to disastrous consequences. Runescape does not provide any additional security measures to secure the email address associated with the account, leaving players vulnerable to hacking attempts. Upon checking my email, after this recent hack, I noticed two emails that I did not request; (1) "Runescape character imported" and (2) "You have requested to change your email address". The first email is their attempt to have one password for all accounts one person has. Seems like there is already a flaw and it's not released yet. I have tried to reset my password for my RS login but I can't get the troubleshooter to send me a reset link to my connected email. When I input my username to prompt the email being sent I always get a response "Please enter a valid email address or username". So I have no clue what the hacker has done. I can login to my account through Steam but that's it. If I continue playing the game through Steam the hacker will just clean my account again. Sure I could report this RS support but it's just not worth your time since they will just rinse and repeat what they say to anyone and of course point the finger at you.
It is also worth noting that phishing and scams are prevalent in online gaming. I had this one particular email explicitly for my Runescape account. Any emails sent to it only pertained to Runescape. Therefore, nothing external to Runescape was sent to this gmail account.
The fact that my Google Authenticator was deactivated and password was compromised is a clear indication that Runescape needs to step up its own security measures. As a player, I feel that we have the right to demand better security measures to ensure that our accounts are safe from hacking attempts. Online gaming companies have a responsibility to provide their players with a secure gaming experience, and Runescape should not be an exception. If Runescape had their own security system in place rather than a third party service maybe it'd be more secure since it would be on their servers. Therefore, they may take security more seriously.
In conclusion, it is crucial for online gaming companies to prioritize the security of their players. Two-factor authentication, securing email accounts, and educating players about phishing and scams are just a few of the essential security measures that every online game should provide. Even with all of the above measures being used, it is concerning to hear that Runescape still lacks proper security measures. I hope that the company will take action to address this issue and provide a safer gaming experience for its players. I will be taking a break (a long one) because last time I wrote anything about this issue RS support just stone walled me:
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"Thanks for contacting us about your recent item loss.
After an intensive investigation of your account history, we've been unable to verify your claim for the loss of items you've mentioned.
We've thoroughly reviewed trades, drops, and other account behaviour and there is no evidence to suggest that any valid items were lost outside of intended game mechanics. As described in our lost items policy, we're only able to return eligible items that have been lost due to a recognised service disruption or confirmed bug.
For help with any other issues, check out our Support Centre. Thanks, Mod Dorothy Jagex Support"
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I didn't respond since they pretty much told me that they had no capability of providing optimal security in their game. I am just one person out of the many that pay for membership, so not so bad of a loss for them if I stop playing. Unfortunately they have my money that I paid them for membership which should also include adequate security to each and every players account.
Honestly I just finished rebuilding my account, just to login to my account Friday after work to find all my recent efforts just gone. Seeing my account in legacy mode is a clear indicator (from experience) that my account was tampered with.
submitted by cebjorn to runescape [link] [comments]
Runescape has been around for more than two decades. I have had my account for now 15.5 years. In that time, my account has been hacked 6 times. Despite its longevity and popularity, it is surprising to know that the game still lacks proper security measures to protect its players. The security in place currently may be industry standard, but it is not effective.
One of the most crucial security measures that every online game should have is two-factor authentication. Two-factor authentication is a security process in which the user provides two means of identification to verify their identity. In Runescape, players can use the Google Authenticator app to secure their in-game bank access. However, Google Authenticator can be deactivated by a hacker.
Furthermore, securing the email connected to your Runescape account is also essential. Your email account is often the gateway to your online accounts, and if it is compromised, it can lead to disastrous consequences. Runescape does not provide any additional security measures to secure the email address associated with the account, leaving players vulnerable to hacking attempts. Upon checking my email, after this recent hack, I noticed two emails that I did not request; (1) "Runescape character imported" and (2) "You have requested to change your email address". The first email is their attempt to have one password for all accounts one person has. Seems like there is already a flaw and it's not released yet. I have tried to reset my password for my RS login but I can't get the troubleshooter to send me a reset link to my connected email. When I input my username to prompt the email being sent I always get a response "Please enter a valid email address or username". So I have no clue what the hacker has done. I can login to my account through Steam but that's it. If I continue playing the game through Steam the hacker will just clean my account again. Sure I could report this RS support but it's just not worth your time since they will just rinse and repeat what they say to anyone and of course point the finger at you.
It is also worth noting that phishing and scams are prevalent in online gaming. I had this one particular email explicitly for my Runescape account. Any emails sent to it only pertained to Runescape. Therefore, nothing external to Runescape was sent to this gmail account.
The fact that my Google Authenticator was deactivated and password was compromised is a clear indication that Runescape needs to step up its own security measures. As a player, I feel that we have the right to demand better security measures to ensure that our accounts are safe from hacking attempts. Online gaming companies have a responsibility to provide their players with a secure gaming experience, and Runescape should not be an exception. If Runescape had their own security system in place rather than a third party service maybe it'd be more secure since it would be on their servers. Therefore, they may take security more seriously.
In conclusion, it is crucial for online gaming companies to prioritize the security of their players. Two-factor authentication, securing email accounts, and educating players about phishing and scams are just a few of the essential security measures that every online game should provide. Even with all of the above measures being used, it is concerning to hear that Runescape still lacks proper security measures. I hope that the company will take action to address this issue and provide a safer gaming experience for its players. I will be taking a break (a long one) because last time I wrote anything about this issue RS support just stone walled me:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Thanks for contacting us about your recent item loss.
After an intensive investigation of your account history, we've been unable to verify your claim for the loss of items you've mentioned.
We've thoroughly reviewed trades, drops, and other account behaviour and there is no evidence to suggest that any valid items were lost outside of intended game mechanics. As described in our lost items policy, we're only able to return eligible items that have been lost due to a recognised service disruption or confirmed bug.
I understand this isn't the news you were hoping for and how frustrating this could be, however please be aware that this decision has not been made lightly and is final.
We hope you understand and wish you all the best on your future adventures.For help with any other issues, check out our Support Centre. Thanks, Mod Dorothy Jagex Support"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I didn't respond since they pretty much told me that they had no capability of providing optimal security in their game. I am just one person out of the many that pay for membership, so not so bad of a loss for them if I stop playing. Unfortunately they have my money that I paid them for membership which should also include adequate security to each and every players account.
Honestly I just finished rebuilding my account, just to login to my account Friday after work to find all my recent efforts just gone. Seeing my account in legacy mode is a clear indicator (from experience) that my account was tampered with.
2023.04.01 02:42 Theumaz [Old School Review] 7.4KG CSSbuy Haul to The Netherlands - ONLYFANS, Essentials, Nike, Stone Island, Represent, Stussy & More random finds + Reviewing previous review
![[Old School Review] 7.4KG CSSbuy Haul to The Netherlands - ONLYFANS, Essentials, Nike, Stone Island, Represent, Stussy & More random finds + Reviewing previous review](https://b.thumbs.redditmedia.com/0O7YN2CNY8MZMWqT3uXcyPF5jXbq5h3sDZiJA3qs9AY.jpg "[Old School Review] 7.4KG CSSbuy Haul to The Netherlands - ONLYFANS, Essentials, Nike, Stone Island, Represent, Stussy & More random finds + Reviewing previous review") | IntroductionWelcome (back) everyone,As some of you might remember; I recently posted my third haul and you guys LOVED it, and for that I am very grateful. I said there was another haul coming, and today is the day it arrived. If you are interested into my previous haul, please check it out HERE. I might be biased, but if you have some time it is definitely worth reading as I'll review my review a bit as well to set some things straight. You can find that in the comments. I'd like to state that if anyone has any questions regarding the items, shipping, my CSSbuy experience, general feedback/tips or anything like that then please shoot me a question in this topic and not in DM, I will not respond to those. I'll try to get back to you ASAP. Just make sure you have read the entire thread so I don't repeat myself like 20 times. You can also find me in a lot of the Rep discords: Spoontech#0001 About me
CSSbuyJust like the previous haul I used CSSbuy for this haul. Nothing really changed with my CSS experience so I'll just quote what I said last time about them.One last thing that I'd like to add is that CSSbuy has a new share option that creates links similar to the dreaded Pandabuy links. I'm not sure how Pandabuy works with its cancerous links, but if someone makes a purchase through said links the person who shared the initial link will earn a couple of Yuan. Therefore I WILL INCLUDE these (optional) links in my haul if you'd like to give some small support to me. I do these detailed reviews for free and I absolutely will continue doing that. The review will always be as brutally Dutch honest as I am and I will not hesitate to give something a negative review if I feel that this is deserved. If you like any of the stuff I included in my haul and want to buy it I would feel honored if you could use said CSSbuy link I provide. This (sort of I guess) helps me building next hauls for this community to enjoy. If you just want to use the regular W2C I will not care and I will appreciate you just as much as someone who did use the link. Edit: I'm currently writing my review and notice the first three/four items have a pretty high grade in my overall grading. This might be because I'm pretty picky when it comes to picking stuff price/quality ratio and that I'm already fairly satisfied with my items before they even arrived. I just wanted to write this as a disclaimer, do with it what you want to do. This is the second package I have built with CSSbuy. I lost my rep virginity with WeGoBuy (which I think is one of the best for beginners, even if shipping is more expensive), but switched to CSSbuy since then since I feel like I got the hang of the game fairly quick. The overall prices of CSSbuy are amazing, but I also know that they can be a bit sloppy at times. QC pictures can be pretty bad, getting in touch with your agent can be a bit rough and the UI simply lacks behind competitors. Shipping, Invoice & ParcelParcel stats
https://preview.redd.it/15u34ooz55ra1.png?width=3072&format=png&auto=webp&s=94c1c9f42c5e150bdd25d9fb56f44d041bdeff85 https://preview.redd.it/q39z1gx165ra1.png?width=1152&format=png&auto=webp&s=549a4780281bf44858fb215846c82dbb71e901b9 I was not home when this haul arrived and my curious family decided to open it already (I don't mind) so this is the only picture of the arrival I have unfortunately. Nevertheless the packaging looks just like how I would expect my package to be shipped. Good corner protection, tough to open, well wrapped and just well-protected overall. Good job CSSbuy and shipping lines for making sure everything arrived in good condition. Shipping line used: SAL Courier name: China EMS (ePacket) Transit day: March 12, 2023 (Sun) Delivery date: March 31, 2023 (Fri) Total days in transit: 19
Invoice:Nothing special really. Less than $12/kg, so it definitely is possible. I never do $12/kg though. HaulFinally we get to the moment you've all been waiting for. The haul. If I am missing anything, or you have some knowledge that I don't have and want to give me some feedback on the quality of certain pieces, please do not hesitate. A lot of these pieces were first-timers, and therefore I cannot give the best QC check to you guys. I am happy with my haul, but there are always improvements to be made or pointed out, don't hesitate.\The moment of truth is here: The haul. As I mentioned in my previous haul; I am not a good QC'er so don't treat me like one. Represent 'Eagle-print' T-shirt White W2C WAREHOUSE FIT IN HAND CSSlink Review: I like this tee. The print feels good and not really cheap. I expected it to be a bit looser but I'm definitely not complaining. I sized down on this tee and as you can see it fits me perfectly. The material is somewhat thick (not too thick you can't wear it on a warm day) and the stitching is perfectly fine but only time and a couple washes will tell how it holds up. For ¥76 I didn't expect THAT much, and my current verdict is that it easily passes the first test. I did notice a stain on the shirt on the (for me when I wear it) left side in the middle next to the eagle. It's in the washing machine's hands right now to fix this. Final grade: 6.8/10. Definitely not bad, if you have some space left for this in your haul this is a cop without much thought. Gallery Dept Car Drive Thru Tee Dark Grey ¥75.00 Size M 294g W2C WAREHOUSE FIT IN HAND CSSlink Review: I've bought at Mystery seller before, and I am a happy Essentials customer of his. It's very cheap, but also pretty reliable (will get back at that later on). As I had a couple essentials pieces that were oversized I decided to size down on this one. Quite honestly this is probably the best for this product. It's pretty wide, while not being the longest. If I would've taken a Large I most likely would've drowned in this thing. The fleece is nice and warm. I do worry a bit about this color looking dirty quite quick, but only time will tell. Stitching is a bit of a mess, but there aren't a lot of loose hanging threads so I'm willing to turn a blind eye on that. The quarter zip goes pretty deep, but this is not a negative for me. I think it adds some character and allows for some nice styling. Like the previous shirt, I downsized on this so it wouldn't be too boxy. Personally I think I made the correct choice as I love the fitting of this tee. Again, the print feels very good for the price I paid. The stitching is the thing that impressed me the most. There's virtually not a single loose thread to be found which really impresses me. I absolutely love the simplicity of the front and the eye-turning backprint that'll make you go like this. The dark grey color of the tee is very nice as well. From some angles it'll look like a very dark brown, and in some you can see the charcoal-like color it actually has. Final grade: 7/10. When considering this tee was so little money, this is a must have as well if you're a fan of big and eyecatching backprints. Just like the previous one, definitely worth a spot in your next haul. One thing I did not like at first glance was the very 'Chinese factory'ish' smell this shirt had, so it's instantly thrown on the washing machine VIP list. Onlyfans T-shirt White ¥65.00 Size L 408g W2C WAREHOUSE FIT IN HAND CSSlink Review: I saw this shirt pop up in the Freps discord and I instantly loved it. It's tacky, it's funny, it's a nice nod and on top of that it was pretty cheap too. I instantly bought the shirt and it's not only a super funny shirt but apparently the fans on the shirt speeds up the shipping too as it was in my warehouse in no time. Just like the GD tee the stitching on this shirt is very good too. I bought it as an L and again it fitted me perfectly. It's a bit looser than the previous two shirts but that makes it also a great option to have something like a hoodie, shirt or vest over it. Final grade: 9/10. A big part of this great grade is just because how much I like it because it's so damn hilarious, so the grade might (most likely is) be a bit skewed. The quality is very passable (I hesitate with using 'good' too much) though, but once again it has to face the washing machine test to find out about its true potential. Can't really go wrong for the price though. Doves T-shirt (unknown brand) Black ¥39.90 Size XXL 314g W2C WAREHOUSE FIT IN HAND CSSlink Review: What a fucking banger this tee is. The print is of a high quality and contrasts so damn much on the black background it's almost like it sheds a beacon of light. I think I found this seller on a post here somewhere and goddamn he sells so many great lesser known designs. I double sized up on this shirt (not sure why as I can't find a size chart on the post) and if you want a similar fitting I recommend you doing the same. The quality definitely passes the first impression test too but we all know the washing machine story at this point so I'm not going to continue repeating myself. Final grade: 8/10. I'm in love with the print of this tee and it not really being a massively known brand (hell, I don't even know the brand) so it doesn't have potential to be super a super corny hypebeast tee. Stussy Logo Cap White ¥18.00 Size N/A 95g W2C WAREHOUSE FIT IN HAND CSSlink Review: It's a hat. It's Stussy. It fits my head. The stitching doesn't look like it'll fall apart any time soon. There isn't really much to say about this hat. If you like hats it can be a nice addition to your haul as it weights and costs next to nothing. One thing I'm not a massive (only)fan of is that you can't hide the strap. But hey, it's a fucking 18 yuan hat. Final grade: 7/10. I am not gonna say a lot about it. It's a fucking hat, how good/bad can it get? Essentials Crewneck Khaki/Tan ¥57.00 Size L 528g W2C WAREHOUSE FIT IN HAND CSSlink Review: Some of you might remember I bought this exact item in my last haul but somehow Essentials has the weirdest fittings of all brands. Some items are TTS, some fit small and some fit large. I made the mistake of buying an M last time, and this time I made the correct choice: Large. I'm a big fan of the color and fleece materials as it'll definitely keep me warm during those cold rainy western-European days in the spring. Final grade: 7/10. Last time I gave a 6/10 because of the annoying sizing (which was partially my fault), but this time it fits exactly how I like it. I can't promise I won't buy more of these. Stone Island Sherpa Jacket/Vest (FANTASY) Cream (Off-white) & Green hints ¥128.00 Size L 770g W2C WAREHOUSE FIT IN HAND CSSlink Review: I'm fairly sure the 'original' is a Carhartt sherpa but this one has SI tags and a (horrible) badge. Thankfully I am a very smart man who has some Topstoney badges to fix that. I am very impressed to say the least. The inner fleece is giga warm and the bottom/wrist has some elastic viber in it that stretches very easily and gets back into its original position too (reminder: I wore this thing for like 5 minutes at best and it is absolutely possible this 'good' elastic turns into a wet used condom that won't get back into its original shape if I wear it enough). Like I said before the SI badge is absolutely horrible so definitely get yourself a Topstoney badge if you want this item. I could have gone with a larger size I think but not every jacket of mine has to be oversized so I can absolutely live with the fact that it doesn't cover my tiny cock when wearing. The fleece part around the neck is a tiny bit tight for me, but I don't really plan on ever fully zipping it anyways so I don't mind. Final grade: 6.5/10. I think it's too early to give a proper rating as I need to wear this outside to truly test its warmth and how easily it stains. I ordered another one too but the seller sent the wrong color and after returning it I couldn't bother ordering another one, so keep in mind the seller MIGHT also send you the wrong color. Adidas Yeezy Slide Onyx ¥59 Size 45 715g W2C WAREHOUSE FIT IN HAND CSSlink Review: I already have the 'Bone' colorway of these slides which I'm pretty sure are from the same seller. That gave me a nice baseline to compare as I wear those damn things in my house every day. The first thing I noticed was the smell of them that basically Chez Pierred my entire living room. There is a tiny problem with that though. I do love Chez Pierre perfumes (I own three, which I all love. You can ask me about them if you want), but I did not love the foul chemical smell of these slides. But that Yighury slave factory smell will wear off so it won't affect my grading too much. As with the Bone slides, they start off pretty stiff. Something I did not encounter with the real deal if I remember correctly. But alright, that's just the rep game init. One thing I did notice is that even though they're the same slides these feel a bit more snug than the bone variant. From what I've heard is that Adidas played a bit around with the slides so that could be an explaination. They're also definately smaller than my bone slides, but they we're like 1-2cm too long for me so that isn't excactly a negative. Keep that in mind though if you'd like to purchase these and have prior experience with rep Yeezy slides. Final grade: 6.5/10. I'll wear them a lot. They're super cheap, they're (hopefully) gonna break in quick and give me as much comfort as the Bone slides have been doing. If that happens, easy 7/10. If you buy them, drop the damn box. Nike Air Presto x Off-White 'The Ten' OWF Black ¥290.00 Size 44 1043g W2C WAREHOUSE FIT IN HAND CSSlink Review: I had these in my warehouse already during the time of the previous haul. I wanted some good shoes that I could carelessly use as a beater which preferably was black (the only other 'black' pairs I got are a cheap rep Panda Dunk, Coconut Patta's (real), Mini Swoosh Bred's (real) and the NYC Chinatown's (real). Those last three will NOT be used as a beater, and those Panda reps are pretty meh comfort wise. Presto time it is. As far as I'm aware this is the best batch of them so I just yolo'd the trigger. Upon arrival I switched the laces to orange and I just wore them to the gym. They are indeed comfortable. I can totally understand this shoe isn't to everyone their liking though. I still have to get used to it a bit too and I am fully aware that with certain pants this shoe is gonna look like terrible if you care about that. On one of the orange laces the cringe "Shoelaces" part had a small scuff in the text, but I'm not cringe so I don't care about that. Comfort wise I like this shoe, and it feels pretty breathable too. I am basically calling this a slightly less comfortable Yeezy 700 v1. I'm not sure about any potential flaws on this shoe so please point stuff out to me if you notice something. Final grade: 6.5/10. I still have to get used to the silhouette. Feels good on the foot though. Nike Air Jordan x Cactus Jack PK Reverse Mocha ¥430.00 Size 44 1433g W2C WAREHOUSE FIT IN HAND CSSlink Review: If you loose lace you're a nonce. Sorry, I had to get that off my chest. If you want comfort, don't get a Jordan 1 (low), but that's basically common knowledge nowadays. What isn't common knowledge is what the best batch for these is. I chose PK batch as there's a general consensus this is at least a top 3 reverse mocha batch on the market right now. I'm not going to nitpick every difference between the batches as I am A. Not someone who cares and B. Not knowledgeable enough. I really like the colors of this shoe (even though I wasn't a fan at first). These also came with a pretty overwhelming glue smell so I am airing these out as we speak. Near the sole you can spot some glue stains too. On the Travis Scott face on the back I can see a small scuff, so keep an eye out if you don't want that. Final grade: 7/10. I'm not going to wear these every day, but to some occasions they might actually be very nice and I'm glad I got these. Goyard 'Saint Sulpice' Card Holders Light Blue - Yellow - Blue ¥35 each Size N/A 300g (all) W2C WAREHOUSE 'Light Blue' WAREHOUSE 'Yellow' WAREHOUSE 'Blue' IN HAND CSSlink Review: Most of the new people probably don't know about this absolute 2021 Fashionreps staple. If this wasn't in your haul, your haul was shit. I already have one of these in another colorway and I haven't used my regular wallet since. It's durable (enough), holds plenty of cards, can hold some cash and is tiny enough to fit in your pocket easily. Absolute gem of an item and a true Fashionreps icon. Now the rest of my family has one too that they can use. Final grade: 9/10. I hate thick and bulky wallets (it's bulky because of all the money we 'save' by buying reps right?), and this thing simply is the perfect solution to that. You wouldn't ever want to get something else. Card holders are the GOAT. Changes to previous haul reviewIn this chapter I will go a bit more into detail of some items I bought in my last haul. This way you guys can get a better and more true review, as things tend to change with time. Essentials Quarter-Zip Fleece Sweater Charcoal ¥79.00 Size M 585g W2C WAREHOUSE FIT IN HAND CSSlink Review: I've bought at Mystery seller before, and I am a happy Essentials customer of his. It's very cheap, but also pretty reliable (will get back at that later on. As I had a couple essentials pieces that were oversized I decided to size down on this one. Quite honestly this is probably the best for this product. It's pretty wide, while not being the longest. If I would've taken a Large I most likely would've drowned in this thing. The fleece is nice and warm. I do worry a bit about this color looking dirty quite quick, but only time will tell. Stitching is a bit of a mess, but there aren't a lot of loose hanging threads so I'm willing to turn a blind eye on that. The quarter zip goes pretty deep, but this is not a negative for me. I think it adds some character and allows for some nice styling.) Bonus points for the seller being a pretty quick shipper. What changed? I feel like the material could've been a bit stretchier as it can sometimes feel a bit of a hassle to get it on/off, and I will definitely recommend going true to size. Final grade: 7.2/10. Supreme Nike Arc Corduroy Hooded Jacket Black ¥285.00 Size XL 1148g W2C WAREHOUSE FIT IN HAND CSSlink Review: This is the item I was looking forward to the most. I was doubting about the sizing at first, but decided to go with an XL because I'd rather have a jacket be a teeny bit longer and more spacious in case I want to have some layers under it. This was ultimately the right choice. As seen on the pictures, the jacket fits very well, so I would definitely recommend a SIZE UP if you're planning to buy this. As one of the more expensive pieces in this multiple-part haul I think it is fair to have high expectations of the piece. The padding inside the jacket actually surprised me with the amount of warmth it gives. This piece was intended as a good in between jacket for mild spring days, but if dressed according to the weather I think this will keep you warm at pretty 'warm' (let's say 5+ degrees Celcius winter days if you put some layers under it. The stitching also looks very fine (correct me if I'm wrong), and the zippers give me a good feeling at first glance too. Like with every zipped jacket you have to learn how to zip it correctly, which gave me some issues the first time I wore it. I think this is a me-issue though, but I might come back to that. The Supreme print also looks very good and accurate (to pictures I am checking during this review). Overall the quality definitely matches the expectations.) I promised you guys a windproof test and here it is. When it's really cold, this jacket won't keep you THAT warm and you must consider that when picking layers underneath it. Since it's a corduroy the wind gets through somewhat easily and can catch you by surprise if you're not prepared. When wearing a good hoodie underneath the wind blowing through this jacket isn't a massive problem though. Final grade: 8.2/10. Slightly in the middle of my previous grade. It's a very cool jacket and does the job perfectly. FinallyThis is my 2nd 'old school review' on Fashionreps and I have tried to write it was as much honesty and passion as I could. I'm very satisfied with this haul as it included some pieces that are perfect for the upcoming couple of seasons. I have a couple items laying in a Basetao warehouse which I will probably ship in a couple of months, but unless it's another big haul (or I get a lot of requests) I most likely will not post that one as the items I have got in that haul so far aren't super impressive.I am most definitely happy with the result of this haul, especially the sleeper picks like the Onlyfans tee or the Doves tee. The price-quality ratio is definitely great and I feel these picks are pretty unique. CSS will remain the agent of my choice, but I am definitely willing to test out others like Basetao. SAL was a bit slower than last time which surprised me, but 19 days is still solid enough for me to keep considering SAL. It could've been at least 3-4 days less if it wasn't 'stuck' in Dutch customs. That's it for now. Up until next time. |
2023.04.01 01:42 NinnyBoggy With 10.0 coming to a close soon, how do you feel about the new profession system?
Long read ahead!
Personally, I'm a fan overall. I like that crafters aren't all equal, and I enjoy the crafting system. They feel more engaging than just churning out 150 recipes and unlocking everything except for rep-based formulas.
Enchanting can make some weapon appearances if you farm up a very low drop rate formula. If you go a certain Spec, you can make some pets, but that'll hamstring you when it comes to effective enchants for content. These two things are the only things that crafting orders ever appear for, which means I've not done a single crafting order since the system's launch.
The only effective things we can make is profession equipment for enchanting. But again, going to spec in that makes it so you can't really use enchanting for its usual purpose of enchanting gear for content. These pieces also cost hundreds of mettle, so missing an inspiration proc sets you back weeks worth of resources. I can't pretend it doesn't feel like shit having friends that hit gold cap off of Lariat work orders while I stared at 100g work orders for a weapon illusion that literally wasn't in the game until primal storms started.
However, the same enchants can sell on the AH instead of crafting orders. That means that the best thing to do is pick a type of gear and try to 3-star those enchants. The only things worthwhile to do that for from a financial gold-making point of view is weapons, and the price drops after the first month. Once someone enchants their weapon once, they never need it again.
On top of that, Enchanting doesn't engage with the system of different quality mats. Leather, herbs, and ores can all be 1, 2, or 3-star. For Enchanting, the three mats are their usual universal quality they've always been. So as a whole, Enchanting doesn't have any mechanics with the new Quality system and barely engages with the new Crafting system.
This was particularly vicious at the start of the patch. Any weapon enchantment (and some others) required 3 Glowing Titan Orbs. These had a ~2% drop chance from very specific mobs only in Tyrhold, with very few exceptions. The orbs sold for 5-10k gold at any time, which is why your 3-star Sophic Devotion cost as much as a WoW token until they buffed the drop rates.
Because we didn't engage in lower-quality mats or the Crafting Order system, an Enchanter was forced to farm for hours to get these mats or drop tens of thousands on the orbs themselves, just to have a low chance at maybe 3-starring an enchantment. We could use Mettle to try to raise our Inspiration proc %, but Mettle was so trickled in the start of the expac that the amount of Mettle needed to roll the dice was insane.
Despite not engaging with the new Quality system, one of the specs that you'll want to sink points into is the Disenchanting tree. In previous expacs, disenchanting has essentially guaranteed materials of a quality equal to the quality of the gear being disenchanted. Now, you can disenchant a mythic raid drop and get a blue shard out of it. Leveling disenchanting is required to get the appropriate mats, and it still isn't a 100% chance. I think it'd be better if the drop was still guaranteed and leveling disenchanting increased the amount you received from disenchantment, but that's just my personal take.
It'd be cool to have a Cooking skill tree where you focused on feasts or stat food. A tertiary tree could focus on quality of food versus multicrafting lower-quality food en masse. If I have different qualities of weapon runes, armor kits, and sharpening stones, why not give me the same options for my stat food?
Fishing has the same. Why can't I spec toward having a higher chance to get materials or fishing crates? Maybe a capstone spec in Fishing could give me a once-a-day ability to spawn a pool, or double the duration of my attached bait. Fish and cooking ingredients also don't engage with the Quality system, but if they did, a Fishing tree could do the same as the above cooking idea - put points toward catching a high quantity of fish or a higher quality, lower amount of fish.
It's strange because they've made large improvements in both professions, particularly Fishing. There's world quests, daily nets, a reputation-locked system to improve my Fishing gear, etc. They've added so much, but they cut Fishing out of the new systems. Cooking, meanwhile, feels no different from previous expansions.
It feels like they're pushing toward making these secondary professions obsolete. They've removed Archaeology and First Aid entirely, and these are the only other professions everyone can engage with. Given that they're the only professions that 100% of the playerbase can simultaneously have, it feels like they'd do more to make them benefit from the complete overhaul that professions underwent.
One upside of them not engaging with the Quality system is that it keeps bag-bloat down. Even with the new Reagent Slot bags, I'm commonly full on mats. Herbalism can take up a dozen slots, plus Primal Chaos, crafting motes, sparks, vials, etc. If every fish and cooking mat had different Qualities, it'd definitely bloat fast. Then again, a single hour in 10.0.7 showed me they don't mind bloating my bags with random shit too much.
There are no catch-up mechanics on Knowledge points. My Druid that just hit 70 has Skinning, and it'll be early August before that toon is where my main is. Mettle is heavily restricted since I'm not doing any production professions on this toon, making it much more difficult for me to do a crafting order for Skinning tools.
I have the same problem on 3 other toons. If I want to engage on professions with them, I have to do the weekly chores to get free Knowledge points and pick up the free Knowledge drops from skinning, mining, herbing, etc. But even if I get every possible point on them, I'll never catch up to my main's Enchanting until they're all maxed out - a process that will likely take the rest of this calendar year.
Alts do have one beneficial recourse: Rabul, the Artisan's Consortium quartermaster, sells books that give you Knowledge. These are purchasable on alts regardless of rep. Unfortunately, they also require Mettle to purchase - 100, 150, and 200. These prices are also effectively lowered to 25, 75, and 125 because the books give 15 Knowledge, which returns 75 Mettle to you.
These books are one-use and give a total of 45 points. You can buy them for both of your professions. 45 points is enough to fill out a single node, but past that, you're back to being wildly behind. For comparison, my main has spent about 240 points on Enchanting alone. That 200-point gap is insurmountable at the moment.
Of course, it's completely possible I'm missing something. They've added several systems for alt-catchup, and I'd generally call the game's current state the most alt-friendly I've seen it in quite some time. But when it comes to professions, the timegating on Knowledge and the importance of specializations makes picking up professions on an alt or switching professions on your main a daunting, near-impossible task.
I don't know the fix for alts. For mains, I think there should be some sort of point-refund system. Something taxing enough that people can't just repeatedly re-skill to craft a max tier item from one tree and then switch back to their normal tree, but something friendly enough that you aren't bricked by weeks or months if you went down the wrong tree. Primal chaos became irrelevant within the first month of the patch from how fast we got it - why not let us refund a point per X amount of chaos?
I think the best part is that they've really made crafting feel like a community. I have the battle tags of cross-faction players because they can craft things for me. I've recommended crafters to people and asked around my circle to find crafters that can make the exact item I need. I've made friends with people because they could help me figure out the best spec tree or craft something for me. I have a string of letters back and forth with someone I've otherwise never met, cheering and making bets on whether her Inspiration would proc to 5-star my Lariat.
It also feels like professions are more varied now. Enchanting isn't just Enchanting - now it's Weapon Enchanting, Ring Enchanting, Gear Enchanting, Tool Enchanting, Pet Making, Transmog Illusions. Are these paths all equal? Absolutely not. But do I as a player get the option of picking one of these paths? Sure do!
It's brought a lot more life into a system that was otherwise extremely stale. It's made it so profession gear is something I actually think about instead of maybe bothering to grab a mining pick from a Trade Goods NPC.
On top of it all, it's also given a huge boost to the economy. Region-wide AH killed the prices on a lot of things, but the new crafting system helped bring that back. As someone who farms up enough gold to play the game for free on a monthly basis, I find this an awesome bonus. It's also just more fun to have an in-game economy that's truly player-driven.
There were some other benefits. It was cool at the start of the expac that you could use professions to power-level alts. Blizzard put a stop to it, and I get that it was an unintended thing, but I like that you can still get a couple levels from your first crafts.
Overall, I think the new crafting system is great. It's helped bring life to a once-stale system, it's encouraged a sense of community, and it's boosted server and region player-driven economies.
I think to improve it, they should look at some professions that didn't benefit. Enchanting barely engages with the new system except for Specialization, and our spec trees aren't great if we want to continue doing what Enchanting is typically meant for. Cooking and Fishing should be brought into the new system instead of left outside to freeze, especially since Fishing received so many boosts this patch.
More than anything, there should be more systems in place to catch alts up. A character that picks up a profession today has months of work ahead of them if they want to get to where the current standard is. That standard is only going to keep moving, so alts or people switching professions are essentially set back perpetual months.
If you read this whole thing, thank you! If you think I'm a dumbass and my viewpoints are stupid as shit, that's cool, too! I'd love to hear everyone's experience with their professions, how many gold caps your Lariat got you, and how successful you feel when your inspiration procs for a 5-star craft.
submitted by NinnyBoggy to wow [link] [comments]
Personally, I'm a fan overall. I like that crafters aren't all equal, and I enjoy the crafting system. They feel more engaging than just churning out 150 recipes and unlocking everything except for rep-based formulas.
Unequal Professions
That said, I don't think they're all equal. My main is Enchanting and the crafting orders system doesn't exist for Enchanters. On most professions there's something vital that people need, mostly in the form of gear. Lariats and rings, armor and weapons, etc.Enchanting can make some weapon appearances if you farm up a very low drop rate formula. If you go a certain Spec, you can make some pets, but that'll hamstring you when it comes to effective enchants for content. These two things are the only things that crafting orders ever appear for, which means I've not done a single crafting order since the system's launch.
The only effective things we can make is profession equipment for enchanting. But again, going to spec in that makes it so you can't really use enchanting for its usual purpose of enchanting gear for content. These pieces also cost hundreds of mettle, so missing an inspiration proc sets you back weeks worth of resources. I can't pretend it doesn't feel like shit having friends that hit gold cap off of Lariat work orders while I stared at 100g work orders for a weapon illusion that literally wasn't in the game until primal storms started.
However, the same enchants can sell on the AH instead of crafting orders. That means that the best thing to do is pick a type of gear and try to 3-star those enchants. The only things worthwhile to do that for from a financial gold-making point of view is weapons, and the price drops after the first month. Once someone enchants their weapon once, they never need it again.
On top of that, Enchanting doesn't engage with the system of different quality mats. Leather, herbs, and ores can all be 1, 2, or 3-star. For Enchanting, the three mats are their usual universal quality they've always been. So as a whole, Enchanting doesn't have any mechanics with the new Quality system and barely engages with the new Crafting system.
This was particularly vicious at the start of the patch. Any weapon enchantment (and some others) required 3 Glowing Titan Orbs. These had a ~2% drop chance from very specific mobs only in Tyrhold, with very few exceptions. The orbs sold for 5-10k gold at any time, which is why your 3-star Sophic Devotion cost as much as a WoW token until they buffed the drop rates.
Because we didn't engage in lower-quality mats or the Crafting Order system, an Enchanter was forced to farm for hours to get these mats or drop tens of thousands on the orbs themselves, just to have a low chance at maybe 3-starring an enchantment. We could use Mettle to try to raise our Inspiration proc %, but Mettle was so trickled in the start of the expac that the amount of Mettle needed to roll the dice was insane.
Despite not engaging with the new Quality system, one of the specs that you'll want to sink points into is the Disenchanting tree. In previous expacs, disenchanting has essentially guaranteed materials of a quality equal to the quality of the gear being disenchanted. Now, you can disenchant a mythic raid drop and get a blue shard out of it. Leveling disenchanting is required to get the appropriate mats, and it still isn't a 100% chance. I think it'd be better if the drop was still guaranteed and leveling disenchanting increased the amount you received from disenchantment, but that's just my personal take.
Cooking and Fishing
Enchanting is far from the only profession with issues, but I feel like it's the hardest struck by the new systems. I think you could make the same argument for Cooking and Fishing. Both were left out of the new systems, but why?It'd be cool to have a Cooking skill tree where you focused on feasts or stat food. A tertiary tree could focus on quality of food versus multicrafting lower-quality food en masse. If I have different qualities of weapon runes, armor kits, and sharpening stones, why not give me the same options for my stat food?
Fishing has the same. Why can't I spec toward having a higher chance to get materials or fishing crates? Maybe a capstone spec in Fishing could give me a once-a-day ability to spawn a pool, or double the duration of my attached bait. Fish and cooking ingredients also don't engage with the Quality system, but if they did, a Fishing tree could do the same as the above cooking idea - put points toward catching a high quantity of fish or a higher quality, lower amount of fish.
It's strange because they've made large improvements in both professions, particularly Fishing. There's world quests, daily nets, a reputation-locked system to improve my Fishing gear, etc. They've added so much, but they cut Fishing out of the new systems. Cooking, meanwhile, feels no different from previous expansions.
It feels like they're pushing toward making these secondary professions obsolete. They've removed Archaeology and First Aid entirely, and these are the only other professions everyone can engage with. Given that they're the only professions that 100% of the playerbase can simultaneously have, it feels like they'd do more to make them benefit from the complete overhaul that professions underwent.
One upside of them not engaging with the Quality system is that it keeps bag-bloat down. Even with the new Reagent Slot bags, I'm commonly full on mats. Herbalism can take up a dozen slots, plus Primal Chaos, crafting motes, sparks, vials, etc. If every fish and cooking mat had different Qualities, it'd definitely bloat fast. Then again, a single hour in 10.0.7 showed me they don't mind bloating my bags with random shit too much.
Falling Behind on Alts
A third issue I wanted to highlight is that the new Specialization system makes grabbing professions on an alt a terrible experience. I have a lot of alts, but because of specializations, they're professionless.There are no catch-up mechanics on Knowledge points. My Druid that just hit 70 has Skinning, and it'll be early August before that toon is where my main is. Mettle is heavily restricted since I'm not doing any production professions on this toon, making it much more difficult for me to do a crafting order for Skinning tools.
I have the same problem on 3 other toons. If I want to engage on professions with them, I have to do the weekly chores to get free Knowledge points and pick up the free Knowledge drops from skinning, mining, herbing, etc. But even if I get every possible point on them, I'll never catch up to my main's Enchanting until they're all maxed out - a process that will likely take the rest of this calendar year.
Alts do have one beneficial recourse: Rabul, the Artisan's Consortium quartermaster, sells books that give you Knowledge. These are purchasable on alts regardless of rep. Unfortunately, they also require Mettle to purchase - 100, 150, and 200. These prices are also effectively lowered to 25, 75, and 125 because the books give 15 Knowledge, which returns 75 Mettle to you.
These books are one-use and give a total of 45 points. You can buy them for both of your professions. 45 points is enough to fill out a single node, but past that, you're back to being wildly behind. For comparison, my main has spent about 240 points on Enchanting alone. That 200-point gap is insurmountable at the moment.
Of course, it's completely possible I'm missing something. They've added several systems for alt-catchup, and I'd generally call the game's current state the most alt-friendly I've seen it in quite some time. But when it comes to professions, the timegating on Knowledge and the importance of specializations makes picking up professions on an alt or switching professions on your main a daunting, near-impossible task.
I don't know the fix for alts. For mains, I think there should be some sort of point-refund system. Something taxing enough that people can't just repeatedly re-skill to craft a max tier item from one tree and then switch back to their normal tree, but something friendly enough that you aren't bricked by weeks or months if you went down the wrong tree. Primal chaos became irrelevant within the first month of the patch from how fast we got it - why not let us refund a point per X amount of chaos?
The Good
I said at the start that I like the profession system overall and then pointed out glaring flaws for a long ass time. These flaws are the only flaws that I personally see. Everything else about the systems, I find a massive success.I think the best part is that they've really made crafting feel like a community. I have the battle tags of cross-faction players because they can craft things for me. I've recommended crafters to people and asked around my circle to find crafters that can make the exact item I need. I've made friends with people because they could help me figure out the best spec tree or craft something for me. I have a string of letters back and forth with someone I've otherwise never met, cheering and making bets on whether her Inspiration would proc to 5-star my Lariat.
It also feels like professions are more varied now. Enchanting isn't just Enchanting - now it's Weapon Enchanting, Ring Enchanting, Gear Enchanting, Tool Enchanting, Pet Making, Transmog Illusions. Are these paths all equal? Absolutely not. But do I as a player get the option of picking one of these paths? Sure do!
It's brought a lot more life into a system that was otherwise extremely stale. It's made it so profession gear is something I actually think about instead of maybe bothering to grab a mining pick from a Trade Goods NPC.
On top of it all, it's also given a huge boost to the economy. Region-wide AH killed the prices on a lot of things, but the new crafting system helped bring that back. As someone who farms up enough gold to play the game for free on a monthly basis, I find this an awesome bonus. It's also just more fun to have an in-game economy that's truly player-driven.
There were some other benefits. It was cool at the start of the expac that you could use professions to power-level alts. Blizzard put a stop to it, and I get that it was an unintended thing, but I like that you can still get a couple levels from your first crafts.
Conclusion
When I started this post, it was two paragraphs. I'm procrastinating work so I made a wall that will almost undoubtedly get lost in this sub, because I sure as fuck wouldn't read all this if I clicked over.Overall, I think the new crafting system is great. It's helped bring life to a once-stale system, it's encouraged a sense of community, and it's boosted server and region player-driven economies.
I think to improve it, they should look at some professions that didn't benefit. Enchanting barely engages with the new system except for Specialization, and our spec trees aren't great if we want to continue doing what Enchanting is typically meant for. Cooking and Fishing should be brought into the new system instead of left outside to freeze, especially since Fishing received so many boosts this patch.
More than anything, there should be more systems in place to catch alts up. A character that picks up a profession today has months of work ahead of them if they want to get to where the current standard is. That standard is only going to keep moving, so alts or people switching professions are essentially set back perpetual months.
If you read this whole thing, thank you! If you think I'm a dumbass and my viewpoints are stupid as shit, that's cool, too! I'd love to hear everyone's experience with their professions, how many gold caps your Lariat got you, and how successful you feel when your inspiration procs for a 5-star craft.
2023.04.01 01:04 MarcusKestrel Sand and Steel- Chapter 1
Kjell and Crispus glittered in the hard light of early spring as they waited on the dock to board a trading ship. Kjell had bought a full knee-length coat of fine chain mail and a spear to go with his new sword. Crispus had decided on a lighter coat that came only to his elbows and mid-thighs. Both men had also procured round wooden shields, with an iron boss in the center. Kjell had decorated his with a red wolf’s head on a black background. Crispus had his Clef symbol painted in white over blue.
Vasil had her new swords and daggers, only Oniga was armed more or less as she had been when they arrived. Her one change was that after some discussion with Master Gnatic, she had allowed a ring of lead to be fitted around her applewood cudgel and screwed into place, converting the long club into a de-facto mace.
Vasil was a bit leery of traveling on a merchant vessel again. She had much more to lose this time, and there was no guarantee that a second pirate crew would welcome her little company. She thought that the group of them might do more to keep another pirate vessel from closing, if they were spotted. Vasil had brought thirty arrows this time, and Kjell had a spear, but mostly they hoped their vessel wouldn’t be attacked by pirates.
If nothing else, they could be confident that the Storsjuduret would not threaten them. Jarvik had tried to convince the group to remain with him for another summer of raiding and piracy. He had told Vasil that women were supposed to be bad luck at sea, but he had never experienced such good luck as the summer when he took her and Oniga aboard.
Vasil had declined on behalf of the whole group, and Jarvik had accepted their departure without hard feelings. After his success the previous year he had no difficulty in filling his rowing benches again. As a mark of the Sverij captain’s favor, he had given Vasil and each of her companions a heavy open-ended bracelet made of twisted silver bar stock and marked with the name of the Storsjuduret in runes.
Kjell had proudly put the jewelry on his left wrist, and Oniga and Crispus had copied him. Kjell had later confided to Vasil that a gifted arm ring was a mark of favor in the Sverij warrior culture. While Kjell still considered himself a merchant, he enjoyed being accepted by the fighters his people revered.
Vasil had found the bracelet too big to fit comfortably on her wrist, but had noted that Jarvik, who wore several arm rings, had two stacked on each wrist and one more above each elbow. Those arm bracelets had been joined by new rings made of gold since the last summer. Vasil found that her new jewelry fit fairly well on her left arm over her armor. Added to the silver chain around her neck, and the gold ring on her left middle finger, Vasil could display enough wealth to look quite formidable when she chose.
Vasil regarded her companions. Crispus and Kjell were well-armed and armored in metal, Vasil and Oniga were each wearing armor of leather and iron. Additionally, Vasil was carrying a bow and covered in blades, while Oniga’s club and red hair marked her as one of the feared Onepiede, a barbarian tribe of such savagery it had been repulsed by the world’s most powerful empire only with great difficulty.
The arm rings declared the group to be warriors amongst the Sverij, and the staggering value of their blades would not be apparent with the weapons in their sheaths. They looked like successful warriors, and not like wealthy merchants, though that was what the quartet aspired to be. The point was too look like the group would be too much trouble to attack for the risk to be worth the potential reward.
Vasil hoped it would work, they had a lot of ground to cover.
The group had plowed most of their profits from the sale of their furs into buying weapons and some jewels, all purchased from the Ossetian dwarves. They had then spent the winter in Svastjar.
Crispus had defrayed their costs by singing in several inns, which had been happy to offer him room and board, and discounted rates for the others. Crispus had been enormously popular as he used his growing command of Sverij to translate his favorite Samnatian ballads and sing them for new audiences. Translating the songs had seemed an intimidating task to Vasil, but Crispus had clearly enjoyed the challenge, and had frequently asked her to offer him synonyms as he constructed rhymes in Sverij.
Vasil and Oniga had agreed that learning the songs along with Crispus had enormously increased their proficiency in Sverij. The three of them all still spoke with an accent, but had acquired a good command of the language before spring arrived.
The ability to communicate fluently had helped with the task of selling their dwarf-wrought goods, including the two extra swords they had commissioned specifically as merchandise. Vasil and Oniga had provided the steel for those two blades and had also paid to have them completed in Svastjar. The two wootz blades had been finished with fancy hilts of brass and silver, then placed in similarly showy scabbards, after which Kjell had helped to close a transaction with two separate princes in Svastjar. Vasil and Oniga had each received a bit more than one hundred gold coins in mixed currency. Vasil had chortled over a pile of glittering coins that included Samnatian nomismas, Ghazna dinars, and dwarven fathus, which were square, but had the same weight as both nomisma and dinars. It seemed the Sverij did not bother to mint their own coins.
The other swords and axes had brought more modest profits, but by mid-winter the group had added a nice margin to the fantastic pile of money they had made in their trip to the dwarfhame. By early spring they had turned those profits into yet more furs, which they had taken to the dwarf mine and sold. As Kjell had warned, their percentage of profit was significantly lower in the spring that it had been with winter closing in to end trade for the year, but they did still profit.
They had originally planned to keep their earnings in cash. Kjell wanted to be able to travel swiftly to the city of the spice merchants, and he had been warned that those men would accept nothing but silver and gold for their wares. Vasil and the others had been shocked to tally up their total profits and realize that the amount of gold they had to transport would be better measured by the pound than by the coin. It was too much to carry safely, they couldn’t reasonably secrete about their persons, and if placed in a strong box, it would draw unwanted attention.
Instead Kjell had engaged in another bout of negotiation.
When he returned to the inn that the companions were sharing Kjell placed a small bronze and iron box on the table of the private room they had reserved for their supper. The container was small enough to fit on Vasil’s two palms upturned, but was quite heavy, indicating that its walls were thick. Vasil examined the cask and found that it had no keyhole, and the hinges were recessed, which would make them difficult to attack with a chisel and impossible to cut with a file.
The piecework on the top of the lid could be moved, so Vasil looked at Kjell and said, “It’s a puzzle box.”
Kjell nodded, “A nested puzzle box.”
Vasil glanced at Oniga who raised her eyebrows to indicate that she didn’t know the term either.
“More boxes fit inside this one?”
Kjell grinned, “After a manner of speaking.” The trader then shifted the pieces on the top of the box through a complicated set of movements, and was rewarded with a distinct click, after which the top of the box popped open.
Kjell lifted the lid and showed a small space inside the coffer. It was only about three inches high by four inches wide and another three inches deep. The walls of the miniature chest were nearly an inch thick.
Vasil blinked, “It’ll protect what we put in there I guess, but it won’t hold much.”
Kjell nodded, “That is where the nesting comes in.”
Vasil peered closely at the walls, she didn’t see any lines to indicate that inner trays could be lifted out. “It only has one lid as far as I can see.”
Kjell’s grin looked like it would split his face as he pressed the lid shut again, while holding a portion of the lid to one side. The lid made a distinctly different click as it closed, then Kjell moved the puzzle pieces through a different sequence and was rewarded with a double click. He opened the lid again. This time, as the lid rose, it pulled up four semi-circular rings which stood up above the sides of the coffer, in the center of each side of the box. Kjell pulled the rings, which allowed him to extend the inner walls of the little chest up six inches, at which time the next layer of the walls was pulled up the same distance, then the next set and then a fourth, fifth, and sixth set, so that the little box extended up a rather odd looking three feet, creating a rectangular bronze and iron column that tapered toward the top.
Kjell then pulled the small half-rings directly to the sides. There was another set of clicks and the sides of the box slid over the lower portions and locked into place creating smooth walls. Vasil squinted at the box, what Kjell had just done couldn’t be physically possible, but she couldn’t see any flaw in the sides of the now regular column of metal.
Kjell then carefully tugged the rings outward again, and the box appeared to stretch. The front and back appeared to unroll somehow, allowing the box to get wider. Kjell then performed a similar pull on the front and back rings, stretching the box again, so that it was now about the size of one of the sea-chests that served as rowing benches on the Storsjuduret.
Still grinning as broadly as Crispus at an ovation, Kjell reached down into the rather large box and pulled out a sack, which he handed to Oniga with apparent effort. Oniga took the offered burden, and looked a question at Kjell.
“Is this a sandbag?”
Kjell’s grin looked ridiculous, “A fifty-pound sandbag.”
Oniga frowned, “There is no way this was in that box.”
“Exactly.” Kjell agreed, then gestured to indicate that Oniga should hand the sandbag to Vasil, who received the heavy sack and agreed that it must weigh about fifty pounds.
Vasil considered the sandbag. “So where was it?”
Kjell shrugged, “I didn’t understand the explanation. Somewhere else, a void exactly the size of that chest.” He indicated the expanded puzzle box on the table. “It doesn’t add to the weight of the box, because it isn’t in the box, so we should be able to move a significant amount of money in it on our way to the spice port, and a significant value in spices in it on the way back.”
Kjell considered the box for a moment. “I wish we could afford to buy one for each of us, but the nested puzzle boxes are quite rare specimens of dwarf-work, and if we were able to find and purchase a second example I fear we wouldn’t have the funds needed to buy spices when we reach our destination.”
Kjell clapped his hands together, “Now, let me show you the trick to opening it, and then to opening it again.”
Once Vasil learned the procedure she appreciated the box as a fantastic smuggler’s tool. The sequence to open the box the first time was fairly complex, and would reveal the contents of the mundane container. The group agreed that they would keep a valuable jewel in that space, since any tax assessor would be certain that such an elaborate box must contain some treasure. The majority of their money would go in the alternate space.
No one could facet stones more finely than a dwarven gem cutter, so the group resolved to turn an impressive pile of their coins into glittering jewels. That money had purchased two small pouches of brilliant rubies and sapphires, which had been placed into the box. The remaining several pounds of their gold was placed into the box’s larger hidden compartment, and then it was folded back up again.
Vasil and her friends also held on to a significant handful of coins in both gold and silver, but in a quantity that could reasonably be kept on their person at all times. Now they stood on the dock and waited for permission to board the merchant vessel that would carry them south toward Kobuleti, the port that would be their entry into the Ghazna Empire. Vasil thought that the group of them looked quite imposing, she hoped that any bandits or pirates who saw them would agree.
The trip to Kobuleti was pleasantly uneventful. Vasil and her companions had been watched the whole time by the crew. The downside of looking imposing turned out to be that it provoked suspicion that the four of them might try to overpower the crew and seize the ship, or that they might possibly be working with pirates who would swoop down on the vessel during its transit. As a result the captain made them agree not to wear swords or armor on deck except when they were in port. Vasil thought that he might relax that prohibition if they were attacked by sea-raiders, but given that he obviously suspected them of being in league with pirates, he might not want them armed even then.
Vasil had to admit that neither was an unreasonable suspicion, Jarvik and his fellows had been very hard on merchant shipping of late. Vasil’s time as part of Jarvik’s crew had also given her the knowledge and abilities to determine that she probably could seize the merchant vessel if her companions helped her. She was certain that the four of them could easily arm themselves at night and take control of the vessel. After their summer at sea the quartet would know enough about ships now to be able to direct a couple of the merchant sailors to take the ship to Svastjar, where they could sell it, and the surviving crew.
The idea was mildly amusing, and made Vasil feel powerful in a way she hadn’t really experienced since she left Adrianople and lost Niko’s backing, but Vasil had other plans. Even if she had wanted to seize the round-bellied ship, Vasil was sure that neither Crispus nor Oniga would agree to help with such a scheme. She wasn’t as sure about Kjell, but thought he probably wouldn’t be enthusiastic either. It didn’t matter, as the vessel was not threatened by pirates at any point during the short five-day voyage and Vasil didn’t even raise the possibility of trying to hijack the ship with her companions.
Kobuleti seemed to be a fairly standard port. The main fortifications were of stone, rather than the wood that walled Svastjar. The walls were obviously quite old, and were not in particularly good repair. Vasil supposed that the city hadn’t been threatened recently. The harbor looked like a harbor, functionally it did not differ much from the one that served Svastjar or the three that performed the same functions for Adrianople. The people were generally dressed differently than Vasil would have expected either in her home city or the Sverij capital, though she had seen a few people in the colorful and heavily embroidered robes that seemed to mark the wealthy of Kobuleti in each of those cities.
The strangest thing about Kobuleti was how Vasil left it. On its face there was nothing odd about her transportation, Vasil rode a horse. What made it exotic to her was that she had never ridden a horse before, and had never really thought about what it would take to do so. She had ridden in a carriage a couple of times in Adrianople, but mostly she had walked anywhere she needed to go in the city. During her last couple of years there that hadn’t generally been very far from the Squint’s dozen to sixteen blocks of territory.
Since leaving Adrianople Vasil had spent a lot of time on ships. In a way that was much more exotic than riding a horse, especially once she had become responsible to help direct the ship, instead of merely being a passenger.
Vasil had seen people on horses before. There were horse races as well as chariot races in Adrianople’s hippodrome, though she hadn’t been a regular spectator at either sort of event. Vasil knew that rich people got around outside the city by riding horses, and some of them even rode the animals inside the city, though the crowding supposedly made it at least somewhat difficult to do so.
Vasil had never really considered that their plan would require her to learn to ride a horse, but now found herself having to add another new skill to her repertoire. She didn’t like it much.
Crispus was not a skilled horseman, but he had at least sat on one of the animals a few times before. Kjell said he wasn’t much of a rider either, but claimed that it wasn’t really difficult. Oniga was frankly thrilled to be introduced to the horses. She liked animals of all types, and wasn’t apparently dissuaded a bit by the size of the beasts. Oniga had made friends with her horse within a few minutes, petting the animal and talking to it. Oniga’s enthusiasm appeared to be rewarded as the beast seemed to reciprocate her affection.
Vasil was not as quick to trust her horse, which appeared equally dubious about her. Vasil wasn’t afraid of the creature, just aware that her horse was much larger and stronger than she was. Vasil was skeptical that a piece of iron in the animal’s mouth would stop the thing from doing what it wanted to if there was a disagreement.
Still, Vasil grimily buckled down to learn the details of how to get the horse saddled, and bridled, and how to put the bit into its mouth. The saddling was a chore, since Vasil had a difficult time even seeing over the back of the smallest of the horses. She got it done though, and the horse didn’t seem to go to any effort to make it difficult, which was reassuring. After that Vasil climbed into the saddle and got some very basic instruction from Crispus to kick the horse in the ribs with her heels to make it start walking, and to do that some more to get it to speed up.
If she pulled the reins on one side or the other the horse did actually turn as directed, and it stopped when she pulled evenly on both reins, as she had been promised. Overall the experience of riding turned out all right for the first day, though she was amazed at the amount of physical effort it took for her to ride the horse. Vasil wondered if there was really any energy savings from riding as opposed to walking, or any speed advantage, since they walked the horses nearly all day.
Kjell and Crispus briefly had the whole group try a trot a couple of times, which Vasil found incredibly bouncy and unpleasant, and then rein up to a canter, which was smoother, but alarmingly fast. Kjell looked at Vasil’s face during the canter and announced that they wouldn’t try a gallop until the next day, or possibly the day after.
Vasil tried not to show how relieved that made her feel.
They rode most of the day and stopped for the night at an inn. Vasil found that she had a wide band of sore muscles in her torso, and her thighs had a jelly-like feeling that indicated she’d worked her legs hard too. Vasil suspected that if she hadn’t spent much of the previous summer rowing, and then spent the winter training rigorously with her swords, that she would have been too sore to sleep that night. Instead she was tired enough to drop off minutes after she reached her rented pallet.
The next couple of days were spent in the town of Tiflis while Kjell sought an audience with the noble who administered the settlement. The title for the ruler of the town was Bey, and Vasil did not have any real desire to pay court on the man.
Instead Vasil and Oniga got out every day to practice riding for at least an hour or two, with Crispus as their only slightly more experienced instructor. On the third evening Kjell brought back the welcome news that the Bey had provided them with a letter of introduction that they could present to the Khan of Absheron.
This was critical, because foreigners could not legally travel within the Ghazna Empire unless they had a written passport. The Khan could provide a passport as far as Karaj if he cared to, and Kjell believed that a letter from the Bey would assist in that effort.
The bad news was that Kjell had learned from other merchants in Tiflis that no travelers had arrived from Absheron so far this spring. It was still early, but the lack of travelers was making the local tradesmen nervous. It concerned Vasil too.
“What do you think the problem is?” she asked Kjell.
He spread his hands, “We have no way of knowing. The road could be out, but in this region bandits are a more likely explanation.”
Oniga pursed her lips, then asked, “Wouldn’t bandits be better for us? We could probably detour around a washed out road, since we’re not going to have any wagons, but if it was buried under a rockslide we’d be stuck. Bandits might look at us and decide we aren’t worth it. That’s what we were trying for, isn’t it?”
Kjell nodded, “That is what we are hoping for, with our obvious weapons and armor, and lack of anything expensive-looking to guard. Of course a large enough band of thieves might decide to overwhelm us just to steal our chain mail, but the only defense against that would be to travel with an army, which isn’t really an option.”
Vasil chewed on her lower lip for a second, then said, “Well you’re the professional. What do you think we should do?”
Kjell rubbed his hands together. “As I see it we have two basic choices. Attempt the pass, or go back to Kobuleti, take a ship to Trebizond, and cross into the Ghazna Empire from there. Going to Trebizond will take extra time and money, and we don’t know for sure that there is any real problem with the pass.” He paused, “I suppose we could spend a few more days in town and see if any more information comes down to us from the mountains. I hate to waste time and money sitting in one place, but it might be our best option. We cannot make an informed decision until we know what is going on.”
Vasil looked at Oniga and Crispus and saw the same indecision on their faces that she felt. She sighed, “What are the possible outcomes? It we try the pass and it’s blocked we’ll have to come back and go to Trebizond, which will cost at least as much time as waiting for more information. If we try the pass and there are bandits, then they’ll either ignore us or attack us. If they ignore us we get through like we wanted to. If they attack us they’ll probably kill or enslave us, since they won’t attack unless they’re pretty sure they can win. If we sit here, maybe we can get more information about whether we should go up the mountain or go back to Kobuleti. Does that sound right to everyone?”
Kjell, Oniga, and Crispus all nodded.
“Okay, then I vote we head up the mountain. As I see it, the closer we get to the pass the better chance we’ll have of talking to someone who can tell us if there is a problem up there. That’ll probably be just as quick as waiting here, and it probably won’t cost us any more. If there’s a problem we come back, if there isn’t a problem then we’re closer to our goal. What do you think?”
Oniga nodded, “I think it’s a good plan.”
Crispus agreed with Oniga, which wasn’t much of a surprise, and with the other three in favor of heading up the pass Kjell quickly agreed as well. Vasil got the impression that he was happy to have someone willing to choose one course of action over the others, just so that they could move on.
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Vasil had her new swords and daggers, only Oniga was armed more or less as she had been when they arrived. Her one change was that after some discussion with Master Gnatic, she had allowed a ring of lead to be fitted around her applewood cudgel and screwed into place, converting the long club into a de-facto mace.
Vasil was a bit leery of traveling on a merchant vessel again. She had much more to lose this time, and there was no guarantee that a second pirate crew would welcome her little company. She thought that the group of them might do more to keep another pirate vessel from closing, if they were spotted. Vasil had brought thirty arrows this time, and Kjell had a spear, but mostly they hoped their vessel wouldn’t be attacked by pirates.
If nothing else, they could be confident that the Storsjuduret would not threaten them. Jarvik had tried to convince the group to remain with him for another summer of raiding and piracy. He had told Vasil that women were supposed to be bad luck at sea, but he had never experienced such good luck as the summer when he took her and Oniga aboard.
Vasil had declined on behalf of the whole group, and Jarvik had accepted their departure without hard feelings. After his success the previous year he had no difficulty in filling his rowing benches again. As a mark of the Sverij captain’s favor, he had given Vasil and each of her companions a heavy open-ended bracelet made of twisted silver bar stock and marked with the name of the Storsjuduret in runes.
Kjell had proudly put the jewelry on his left wrist, and Oniga and Crispus had copied him. Kjell had later confided to Vasil that a gifted arm ring was a mark of favor in the Sverij warrior culture. While Kjell still considered himself a merchant, he enjoyed being accepted by the fighters his people revered.
Vasil had found the bracelet too big to fit comfortably on her wrist, but had noted that Jarvik, who wore several arm rings, had two stacked on each wrist and one more above each elbow. Those arm bracelets had been joined by new rings made of gold since the last summer. Vasil found that her new jewelry fit fairly well on her left arm over her armor. Added to the silver chain around her neck, and the gold ring on her left middle finger, Vasil could display enough wealth to look quite formidable when she chose.
Vasil regarded her companions. Crispus and Kjell were well-armed and armored in metal, Vasil and Oniga were each wearing armor of leather and iron. Additionally, Vasil was carrying a bow and covered in blades, while Oniga’s club and red hair marked her as one of the feared Onepiede, a barbarian tribe of such savagery it had been repulsed by the world’s most powerful empire only with great difficulty.
The arm rings declared the group to be warriors amongst the Sverij, and the staggering value of their blades would not be apparent with the weapons in their sheaths. They looked like successful warriors, and not like wealthy merchants, though that was what the quartet aspired to be. The point was too look like the group would be too much trouble to attack for the risk to be worth the potential reward.
Vasil hoped it would work, they had a lot of ground to cover.
The group had plowed most of their profits from the sale of their furs into buying weapons and some jewels, all purchased from the Ossetian dwarves. They had then spent the winter in Svastjar.
Crispus had defrayed their costs by singing in several inns, which had been happy to offer him room and board, and discounted rates for the others. Crispus had been enormously popular as he used his growing command of Sverij to translate his favorite Samnatian ballads and sing them for new audiences. Translating the songs had seemed an intimidating task to Vasil, but Crispus had clearly enjoyed the challenge, and had frequently asked her to offer him synonyms as he constructed rhymes in Sverij.
Vasil and Oniga had agreed that learning the songs along with Crispus had enormously increased their proficiency in Sverij. The three of them all still spoke with an accent, but had acquired a good command of the language before spring arrived.
The ability to communicate fluently had helped with the task of selling their dwarf-wrought goods, including the two extra swords they had commissioned specifically as merchandise. Vasil and Oniga had provided the steel for those two blades and had also paid to have them completed in Svastjar. The two wootz blades had been finished with fancy hilts of brass and silver, then placed in similarly showy scabbards, after which Kjell had helped to close a transaction with two separate princes in Svastjar. Vasil and Oniga had each received a bit more than one hundred gold coins in mixed currency. Vasil had chortled over a pile of glittering coins that included Samnatian nomismas, Ghazna dinars, and dwarven fathus, which were square, but had the same weight as both nomisma and dinars. It seemed the Sverij did not bother to mint their own coins.
The other swords and axes had brought more modest profits, but by mid-winter the group had added a nice margin to the fantastic pile of money they had made in their trip to the dwarfhame. By early spring they had turned those profits into yet more furs, which they had taken to the dwarf mine and sold. As Kjell had warned, their percentage of profit was significantly lower in the spring that it had been with winter closing in to end trade for the year, but they did still profit.
They had originally planned to keep their earnings in cash. Kjell wanted to be able to travel swiftly to the city of the spice merchants, and he had been warned that those men would accept nothing but silver and gold for their wares. Vasil and the others had been shocked to tally up their total profits and realize that the amount of gold they had to transport would be better measured by the pound than by the coin. It was too much to carry safely, they couldn’t reasonably secrete about their persons, and if placed in a strong box, it would draw unwanted attention.
Instead Kjell had engaged in another bout of negotiation.
When he returned to the inn that the companions were sharing Kjell placed a small bronze and iron box on the table of the private room they had reserved for their supper. The container was small enough to fit on Vasil’s two palms upturned, but was quite heavy, indicating that its walls were thick. Vasil examined the cask and found that it had no keyhole, and the hinges were recessed, which would make them difficult to attack with a chisel and impossible to cut with a file.
The piecework on the top of the lid could be moved, so Vasil looked at Kjell and said, “It’s a puzzle box.”
Kjell nodded, “A nested puzzle box.”
Vasil glanced at Oniga who raised her eyebrows to indicate that she didn’t know the term either.
“More boxes fit inside this one?”
Kjell grinned, “After a manner of speaking.” The trader then shifted the pieces on the top of the box through a complicated set of movements, and was rewarded with a distinct click, after which the top of the box popped open.
Kjell lifted the lid and showed a small space inside the coffer. It was only about three inches high by four inches wide and another three inches deep. The walls of the miniature chest were nearly an inch thick.
Vasil blinked, “It’ll protect what we put in there I guess, but it won’t hold much.”
Kjell nodded, “That is where the nesting comes in.”
Vasil peered closely at the walls, she didn’t see any lines to indicate that inner trays could be lifted out. “It only has one lid as far as I can see.”
Kjell’s grin looked like it would split his face as he pressed the lid shut again, while holding a portion of the lid to one side. The lid made a distinctly different click as it closed, then Kjell moved the puzzle pieces through a different sequence and was rewarded with a double click. He opened the lid again. This time, as the lid rose, it pulled up four semi-circular rings which stood up above the sides of the coffer, in the center of each side of the box. Kjell pulled the rings, which allowed him to extend the inner walls of the little chest up six inches, at which time the next layer of the walls was pulled up the same distance, then the next set and then a fourth, fifth, and sixth set, so that the little box extended up a rather odd looking three feet, creating a rectangular bronze and iron column that tapered toward the top.
Kjell then pulled the small half-rings directly to the sides. There was another set of clicks and the sides of the box slid over the lower portions and locked into place creating smooth walls. Vasil squinted at the box, what Kjell had just done couldn’t be physically possible, but she couldn’t see any flaw in the sides of the now regular column of metal.
Kjell then carefully tugged the rings outward again, and the box appeared to stretch. The front and back appeared to unroll somehow, allowing the box to get wider. Kjell then performed a similar pull on the front and back rings, stretching the box again, so that it was now about the size of one of the sea-chests that served as rowing benches on the Storsjuduret.
Still grinning as broadly as Crispus at an ovation, Kjell reached down into the rather large box and pulled out a sack, which he handed to Oniga with apparent effort. Oniga took the offered burden, and looked a question at Kjell.
“Is this a sandbag?”
Kjell’s grin looked ridiculous, “A fifty-pound sandbag.”
Oniga frowned, “There is no way this was in that box.”
“Exactly.” Kjell agreed, then gestured to indicate that Oniga should hand the sandbag to Vasil, who received the heavy sack and agreed that it must weigh about fifty pounds.
Vasil considered the sandbag. “So where was it?”
Kjell shrugged, “I didn’t understand the explanation. Somewhere else, a void exactly the size of that chest.” He indicated the expanded puzzle box on the table. “It doesn’t add to the weight of the box, because it isn’t in the box, so we should be able to move a significant amount of money in it on our way to the spice port, and a significant value in spices in it on the way back.”
Kjell considered the box for a moment. “I wish we could afford to buy one for each of us, but the nested puzzle boxes are quite rare specimens of dwarf-work, and if we were able to find and purchase a second example I fear we wouldn’t have the funds needed to buy spices when we reach our destination.”
Kjell clapped his hands together, “Now, let me show you the trick to opening it, and then to opening it again.”
Once Vasil learned the procedure she appreciated the box as a fantastic smuggler’s tool. The sequence to open the box the first time was fairly complex, and would reveal the contents of the mundane container. The group agreed that they would keep a valuable jewel in that space, since any tax assessor would be certain that such an elaborate box must contain some treasure. The majority of their money would go in the alternate space.
No one could facet stones more finely than a dwarven gem cutter, so the group resolved to turn an impressive pile of their coins into glittering jewels. That money had purchased two small pouches of brilliant rubies and sapphires, which had been placed into the box. The remaining several pounds of their gold was placed into the box’s larger hidden compartment, and then it was folded back up again.
Vasil and her friends also held on to a significant handful of coins in both gold and silver, but in a quantity that could reasonably be kept on their person at all times. Now they stood on the dock and waited for permission to board the merchant vessel that would carry them south toward Kobuleti, the port that would be their entry into the Ghazna Empire. Vasil thought that the group of them looked quite imposing, she hoped that any bandits or pirates who saw them would agree.
The trip to Kobuleti was pleasantly uneventful. Vasil and her companions had been watched the whole time by the crew. The downside of looking imposing turned out to be that it provoked suspicion that the four of them might try to overpower the crew and seize the ship, or that they might possibly be working with pirates who would swoop down on the vessel during its transit. As a result the captain made them agree not to wear swords or armor on deck except when they were in port. Vasil thought that he might relax that prohibition if they were attacked by sea-raiders, but given that he obviously suspected them of being in league with pirates, he might not want them armed even then.
Vasil had to admit that neither was an unreasonable suspicion, Jarvik and his fellows had been very hard on merchant shipping of late. Vasil’s time as part of Jarvik’s crew had also given her the knowledge and abilities to determine that she probably could seize the merchant vessel if her companions helped her. She was certain that the four of them could easily arm themselves at night and take control of the vessel. After their summer at sea the quartet would know enough about ships now to be able to direct a couple of the merchant sailors to take the ship to Svastjar, where they could sell it, and the surviving crew.
The idea was mildly amusing, and made Vasil feel powerful in a way she hadn’t really experienced since she left Adrianople and lost Niko’s backing, but Vasil had other plans. Even if she had wanted to seize the round-bellied ship, Vasil was sure that neither Crispus nor Oniga would agree to help with such a scheme. She wasn’t as sure about Kjell, but thought he probably wouldn’t be enthusiastic either. It didn’t matter, as the vessel was not threatened by pirates at any point during the short five-day voyage and Vasil didn’t even raise the possibility of trying to hijack the ship with her companions.
Kobuleti seemed to be a fairly standard port. The main fortifications were of stone, rather than the wood that walled Svastjar. The walls were obviously quite old, and were not in particularly good repair. Vasil supposed that the city hadn’t been threatened recently. The harbor looked like a harbor, functionally it did not differ much from the one that served Svastjar or the three that performed the same functions for Adrianople. The people were generally dressed differently than Vasil would have expected either in her home city or the Sverij capital, though she had seen a few people in the colorful and heavily embroidered robes that seemed to mark the wealthy of Kobuleti in each of those cities.
The strangest thing about Kobuleti was how Vasil left it. On its face there was nothing odd about her transportation, Vasil rode a horse. What made it exotic to her was that she had never ridden a horse before, and had never really thought about what it would take to do so. She had ridden in a carriage a couple of times in Adrianople, but mostly she had walked anywhere she needed to go in the city. During her last couple of years there that hadn’t generally been very far from the Squint’s dozen to sixteen blocks of territory.
Since leaving Adrianople Vasil had spent a lot of time on ships. In a way that was much more exotic than riding a horse, especially once she had become responsible to help direct the ship, instead of merely being a passenger.
Vasil had seen people on horses before. There were horse races as well as chariot races in Adrianople’s hippodrome, though she hadn’t been a regular spectator at either sort of event. Vasil knew that rich people got around outside the city by riding horses, and some of them even rode the animals inside the city, though the crowding supposedly made it at least somewhat difficult to do so.
Vasil had never really considered that their plan would require her to learn to ride a horse, but now found herself having to add another new skill to her repertoire. She didn’t like it much.
Crispus was not a skilled horseman, but he had at least sat on one of the animals a few times before. Kjell said he wasn’t much of a rider either, but claimed that it wasn’t really difficult. Oniga was frankly thrilled to be introduced to the horses. She liked animals of all types, and wasn’t apparently dissuaded a bit by the size of the beasts. Oniga had made friends with her horse within a few minutes, petting the animal and talking to it. Oniga’s enthusiasm appeared to be rewarded as the beast seemed to reciprocate her affection.
Vasil was not as quick to trust her horse, which appeared equally dubious about her. Vasil wasn’t afraid of the creature, just aware that her horse was much larger and stronger than she was. Vasil was skeptical that a piece of iron in the animal’s mouth would stop the thing from doing what it wanted to if there was a disagreement.
Still, Vasil grimily buckled down to learn the details of how to get the horse saddled, and bridled, and how to put the bit into its mouth. The saddling was a chore, since Vasil had a difficult time even seeing over the back of the smallest of the horses. She got it done though, and the horse didn’t seem to go to any effort to make it difficult, which was reassuring. After that Vasil climbed into the saddle and got some very basic instruction from Crispus to kick the horse in the ribs with her heels to make it start walking, and to do that some more to get it to speed up.
If she pulled the reins on one side or the other the horse did actually turn as directed, and it stopped when she pulled evenly on both reins, as she had been promised. Overall the experience of riding turned out all right for the first day, though she was amazed at the amount of physical effort it took for her to ride the horse. Vasil wondered if there was really any energy savings from riding as opposed to walking, or any speed advantage, since they walked the horses nearly all day.
Kjell and Crispus briefly had the whole group try a trot a couple of times, which Vasil found incredibly bouncy and unpleasant, and then rein up to a canter, which was smoother, but alarmingly fast. Kjell looked at Vasil’s face during the canter and announced that they wouldn’t try a gallop until the next day, or possibly the day after.
Vasil tried not to show how relieved that made her feel.
They rode most of the day and stopped for the night at an inn. Vasil found that she had a wide band of sore muscles in her torso, and her thighs had a jelly-like feeling that indicated she’d worked her legs hard too. Vasil suspected that if she hadn’t spent much of the previous summer rowing, and then spent the winter training rigorously with her swords, that she would have been too sore to sleep that night. Instead she was tired enough to drop off minutes after she reached her rented pallet.
The next couple of days were spent in the town of Tiflis while Kjell sought an audience with the noble who administered the settlement. The title for the ruler of the town was Bey, and Vasil did not have any real desire to pay court on the man.
Instead Vasil and Oniga got out every day to practice riding for at least an hour or two, with Crispus as their only slightly more experienced instructor. On the third evening Kjell brought back the welcome news that the Bey had provided them with a letter of introduction that they could present to the Khan of Absheron.
This was critical, because foreigners could not legally travel within the Ghazna Empire unless they had a written passport. The Khan could provide a passport as far as Karaj if he cared to, and Kjell believed that a letter from the Bey would assist in that effort.
The bad news was that Kjell had learned from other merchants in Tiflis that no travelers had arrived from Absheron so far this spring. It was still early, but the lack of travelers was making the local tradesmen nervous. It concerned Vasil too.
“What do you think the problem is?” she asked Kjell.
He spread his hands, “We have no way of knowing. The road could be out, but in this region bandits are a more likely explanation.”
Oniga pursed her lips, then asked, “Wouldn’t bandits be better for us? We could probably detour around a washed out road, since we’re not going to have any wagons, but if it was buried under a rockslide we’d be stuck. Bandits might look at us and decide we aren’t worth it. That’s what we were trying for, isn’t it?”
Kjell nodded, “That is what we are hoping for, with our obvious weapons and armor, and lack of anything expensive-looking to guard. Of course a large enough band of thieves might decide to overwhelm us just to steal our chain mail, but the only defense against that would be to travel with an army, which isn’t really an option.”
Vasil chewed on her lower lip for a second, then said, “Well you’re the professional. What do you think we should do?”
Kjell rubbed his hands together. “As I see it we have two basic choices. Attempt the pass, or go back to Kobuleti, take a ship to Trebizond, and cross into the Ghazna Empire from there. Going to Trebizond will take extra time and money, and we don’t know for sure that there is any real problem with the pass.” He paused, “I suppose we could spend a few more days in town and see if any more information comes down to us from the mountains. I hate to waste time and money sitting in one place, but it might be our best option. We cannot make an informed decision until we know what is going on.”
Vasil looked at Oniga and Crispus and saw the same indecision on their faces that she felt. She sighed, “What are the possible outcomes? It we try the pass and it’s blocked we’ll have to come back and go to Trebizond, which will cost at least as much time as waiting for more information. If we try the pass and there are bandits, then they’ll either ignore us or attack us. If they ignore us we get through like we wanted to. If they attack us they’ll probably kill or enslave us, since they won’t attack unless they’re pretty sure they can win. If we sit here, maybe we can get more information about whether we should go up the mountain or go back to Kobuleti. Does that sound right to everyone?”
Kjell, Oniga, and Crispus all nodded.
“Okay, then I vote we head up the mountain. As I see it, the closer we get to the pass the better chance we’ll have of talking to someone who can tell us if there is a problem up there. That’ll probably be just as quick as waiting here, and it probably won’t cost us any more. If there’s a problem we come back, if there isn’t a problem then we’re closer to our goal. What do you think?”
Oniga nodded, “I think it’s a good plan.”
Crispus agreed with Oniga, which wasn’t much of a surprise, and with the other three in favor of heading up the pass Kjell quickly agreed as well. Vasil got the impression that he was happy to have someone willing to choose one course of action over the others, just so that they could move on.
2023.03.31 23:32 Eay7712 [Excerpt: Echoes of Eternity]: Vulkan tells Magnus in no uncertain terms that Magnus did, in fact, do many things wrong.
Context: As they face off in the Webway, Vulkan, primarch of the Salamanders, exchanges barbed words with Magnus, lord of the Thousand Sons. Magnus, over and over, tries to justify and excuse everything he has done, tries to paint his cause as just, and Vulkan just isn't having any of it. A few bits have been emboldened for emphasis.
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In his dreams, his brother still looked like his brother. The landscape around them was a volcanic nightmare – a realm of black skies and boiling earth; a dragon’s delight. The two brothers took counsel together in psychic silence, the two of them facing one another here in the arena of the unreal.Then, just before their duel in the Webway ends, we have this exchange:
His brother was the one to bring them both here each time. And if it wasn’t his brother’s will, then it was the whim of the things with their talons around his brother’s heart. Vulkan no longer believed there was a difference.
When he saw his reflection in a pool of volcanic glass, he appeared the way he felt: weary to the point of ruination – a fact he could mask easily enough in the Throne Room, yet had no hope of hiding here. In this place, he appeared as a dragon on the edge of decrepitude. His scales no longer shimmered with an emerald lustre; instead they were faded to flawed jade. His eyes, which had been searing red, were tight and dull with torment. Even the fire within him was down to an ember, a guttering flicker of warmth.
His brother, the Sorcerer, descended slowly in a haze of purifying light. The light warmed the Dragon. It quickened his blood and reknit the throbbing internal breaches inside his body. It promised true healing, if he would only stop resisting it.
‘I hate seeing you like this,’ his brother said. Compassion shone in the Sorcerer’s one eye. ‘It needn’t be this way, brother.’
‘You are not my brother.’ The Dragon grunted as he shifted his pained form. Even his bones ached. They sent pulses of cold through the meat of his muscles.
‘You still deny me,’ the Sorcerer said, the words rich with regret. ‘Do I not bring you here, to Nocturne, to ease your spirit?’
The Dragon managed a laugh, though it tasted of dust instead of fire. ‘This is not Nocturne,’ he said. ‘The stars hang where they should in the sky, yet they shine wrong in the black. The chemical processes of the rocks are exact, yet the stone feels wrong to the touch. This is Nocturne through the eyes of someone that has seen my home world but never understood it. Someone that never loved it.’
The Dragon, despite his throbbing joints, bared his fragile fangs in a tired smile. ‘Someone,’ he added, ‘or something.’
The Sorcerer went to one knee, the very image of unthreatening reverence. His voice, trembling with emotion, scarcely rose above a whisper. ‘I am still me, brother. I speak only the truth.’
The Dragon sighed another ashy breath. ‘The truth, if it even matters in dreams, is that my brother died long ago. You are not Magnus. You are an impossible god’s idea of Magnus.’
Laughter echoed all around them. The laughter of a thousand mocking voices, delighted at a joke only one of the brothers could ever understand. The Dragon crawled back from the chorus of mad mirth. All while the Sorcerer stood in silence, radiating compassion, radiating patience and understanding.
‘How can you not hear that laughter?’ the Dragon asked him. ‘You are mocked, mocked without end, by the god you pretend you do not pray to.’
‘There is no laughter,’ said Magnus the Red. ‘I hear nothing but your lies, Vulkan.’
The Dragon gave a weary smile with a mouthful of cracked fangs. ‘Enough. Enough of you, and enough of the thing animating you. Leave me be.’
‘Let me in,’ countered the Sorcerer. ‘This is only the beginning of your pain, brother. I’ve foreseen far greater agony in your future, agony even you cannot endure. But that pain will end with the mercy I bring. In place of devastation, I offer you enlightenment.’
The Dragon dared not turn his back on his one-eyed brother, even here in dreams. He withdrew slowly, crawling over the rocks, his slitted gaze never leaving the Sorcerer.
‘Let me in,’ Magnus said again. ‘How much strength does father have left? How much time remains in His performative defiance? An hour? A day? The sky above the ash cloud seethes with the gods’ arrival. The Khan is finished. Guilliman is still lost in the endless black. Angron bathes the Palatine Ring in Imperial blood, and soon he will break Sanguinius. Fate sings of all of this, Vulkan. I will reach the webway portal. I will break father’s barrier. In a million futures, I already have. Don’t make me break you with it.’
The Dragon gave a growl. ‘I am not sure I can be broken.’
‘You can die, Vulkan. You can be unmade. Everything of mortal origin can be unwoven with the lullaby of obliteration. Please don’t make me be the one to end you.’
‘Does this fate of yours sing of that, too?’
Magnus smiled. ‘It grieves me to admit it, brother, but yes. To oppose me is to suffer annihilation. I wish it were not so. And it need not be so.’
The Dragon managed to return the smile. He was too weary to be amused, but the Sorcerer’s insistencies still kindled something like mirth deep within.
‘Of the many failures in our family,’ the Dragon said through clenched teeth, ‘you stand exalted above the rest of us, wrapped so comfortably in your delusions. At least the others have the courage to face up to what they’ve become. Only you, Magnus… Only you still – still – cannot see who you really are.’
The Dragon kept crawling, slowly retreating. The sky fractured with knives of laughter. The illusion before him broke apart.
Magnus was gone. Or, rather, Magnus was finally there. The Sorcerer was no longer Vulkan’s brother; he was a towering monstrosity, a beast of cloven hooves and with a crown of fire, a monster with wings that shed mother-of-pearl feathers. The Dragon stared at this thing, this thing of mutation and mutilation, this thing that stank of all the lies it didn’t know it had devoured.
‘There you are.’ The Dragon breathed the words, feeling the fire awaken inside, tasting the smoke running between his sore teeth. ‘There you are, brother.’
Magnus was down on one knee, his wings broken, his face a cracked portrait.
‘No more, Vulkan.’ He dribbled the words through a crushed jaw. ‘No more.’
Vulkan circled the downed creature, red eyes narrowed for even the merest movement. The daemonic blood on his hammer steamed with the smell of a funeral pyre. He didn’t trust his brother’s vulnerability, and he saw his caution reflected at him in Magnus’ blood-webbed eye.
‘I sense the energies you have wrought,’ said Vulkan. ‘Thinner, weaker, but still curling in the air around us. You are still attacking father.’
He expected Magnus to laugh. Instead, the sorcerer sighed.
‘You deal with forces you do not comprehend. Killing me may let the Emperor breathe easier, but it will not free Him from the Golden Throne.’
Vulkan’s tone was ice and iron. ‘Nevertheless, you die.’
‘So finish it.’ Magnus hunched over, lowering his head for the executioner’s blow. ‘Save the Emperor. Let ignorance triumph over truth.’
Vulkan hesitated.
‘Can you afford to wait any longer, little dragon?’ Magnus slowly raised his head, and in his gaze was the mockery Vulkan had been expecting. ‘Where is your urgency now? Where is all that righteousness?’
Knowing it was a trap, knowing he had no choice but to spring it, Vulkan raised his hammer. As it fell, the world turned.
It wasn’t blackness, this time. He saw planets turning in the deep night, beautiful no matter their colours or surface conditions, beautiful for their infinite complexity. Vulkan never looked at a planet and saw territory, cities or resources. He saw a geological jewel, a sphere formed by astrophysical law and the geo-mathematical processes that bound it all together. Each world was unique, shaped just so. He believed there was beauty in that.
He drifted through space, descending to one world until it was a plateau beneath him of hazy blue atmosphere and immense wilderness. He knew it at once.
‘Prospero,’ said Magnus, by his side.
His brother wasn’t a daemon. Magnus was the man he’d been long ago: red of skin, darkened further by the sun, clad in a toga of white silk. He smelled of ink, fine parchment and lies.
‘I thought we could speak,’ the sorcerer said. ‘One last time.’
Vulkan tensed, preparing to–
‘No, brother.’ Magnus showed his pale red palms, bare of any weapon. ‘No time is passing. In the Labyrinth of the Old Ones, our hands are around each other’s throats, with death yet to be decided. Here, we exist between heartbeats.’
Vulkan stared into his brother’s remaining eye. ‘I believe you,’ he said.
Magnus gave a tired smile. ‘It has been a long time since I heard those words.’
Prospero turned beneath them. Vulkan gazed at the wild lands of the vast Pangean continent, and the distant silver pinprick of Tizca, the world’s only city.
‘Speak, then.’
‘And you will listen?’
Vulkan nodded.
‘Very well. This is what I would have you understand, brother. The Imperium is the lie we tell ourselves, to make sense of a reality we fear to face. We tell each other that it is necessary. That we do what must be done. That whatever might replace it would be worse. But look at all we do not say. Father is a tyrant, and you, out of all of us, should have seen that first. The Imperium is built on the lies of a would-be god and the violence of His crusade. What benevolent monarch instigates a crusade?
‘Under the Emperor, we have perpetuated a holy war that has sucked worlds dry of resources and cost billions upon billions of lives. We have spent life like meaningless currency, all because one man said we must. How many cultures have we annihilated, Vulkan? How many have we assimilated and robbed of their vitality, replacing innovation with conformity? How much knowledge have we destroyed because father decided no one was allowed to learn it?’
Vulkan considered this. The planet rolled on, sedate and slow despite its relative astronomical speed. He realised he wasn’t wounded here. He wore his armour, but it was pristine, not the scraps of torn ceramite left to him on the bridge.
‘This is how it got to you, isn’t it?’ Vulkan knew the answer even as he asked the question. ‘The creature that gouged its way inside your soul and laid its eggs there. The thing that pulls on your strings. Did it promise you knowledge? Did it paint the Emperor as the death of enlightenment?’
Magnus’ expression answered for him. Long red hair fell to frame his face, and the sorcerer brushed it back from his cheeks.
‘The Imperial Truth is a lie. The empire we built cannot be reformed, only overthrown. From violence it was born, and in violence it must end. Don’t you see? Once the board is swept clean, we can start again with our eyes open, aware of the truths of the universe.’
‘You make this sound like a principled stand,’ said Vulkan. ‘As if all you have done, all Horus has done, could ever be justified.’
Magnus turned to him sharply. ‘I? What do I have to justify? Each time I was attacked, I defended myself. Each time they tried to silence me, I made sure to speak out. The Imperium lavished punishments upon my Legion, draping its hypocrisy over us as a funeral shroud. We fought back.’
Vulkan met Magnus’ gaze, seeing the ironclad surety there. This was futile, he knew it, yet the words came forth anyway.
‘Look at the horrors your side has unleashed upon Terra. The massacres, the mutations. Magnus, you are taking part in the extinction of your species… You cannot truly think you have done nothing wrong. Even you, brother. Even you, in your arrogance, cannot believe this is justified.’
‘Necessity justifies all. And this is necessary. Without this primeval force, without this Chaos, there will be stagnation. Ignorance instead of illumination. Existence instead of life. I did not write the laws of our universe, brother. I take no joy in the truth of reality. But I won’t hide from it.’
Vulkan looked at him as if he spoke in another tongue. ‘Necessary, you say.’ Magnus nodded, and Vulkan continued, ‘Necessary according to whom? The alien god that exalted you and now demands you commit genocide?’
Magnus clenched his teeth, and the world turned…
…but not far. It turned to reveal Tizca, City of Light, metropolis of white pyramids and silver spires. The city was aflame beneath them, burning from the raining hellfire of an Imperial fleet. The golden vessels of the Emperor’s chosen. The sleek black hunting ships of the Silent Sisters. The many, many warships in the storm-cloud grey of the Space Wolves.
‘The Razing of Prospero.’ There was murder in Magnus’ eye. Murder and sorrow. ‘Bear witness to our brother Russ, bringing death to my home world and all its people. Tell me, Vulkan, would you have reacted with temperance to this, had it been the destruction of Nocturne?’
Vulkan didn’t need to stare at the orbital bombardment. He’d read the reports, he’d seen the picts and the footage and spoken to many of the Custodians that took part in the ground assault. Nothing unfolding here was a revelation he wished to experience twice.
‘Russ was lied to by Horus, deceived into attacking.’
‘I know. It changes nothing.’
‘But it should. You, who value truth so highly, willingly align yourself with the one that engineered Prospero’s death. And when the Space Wolves fleet arrived in your sky, what did you do, Magnus? Did you try to enlighten Russ? Did you use your power to prevent the assault? Or did your belief in your own persecution leave you assuming the worst of the Emperor’s intentions? All witness accounts say you languished in your tower, welcoming the destruction as your penance, until you decided to fight in the final hours, when it was far too late to stop the massacre.’
Vulkan gestured to the destruction raining from the upper atmosphere: lance strikes, drop pods, the slower trails of gunships making their descent. ‘Why would the Emperor order you and your entire Legion dead? Did you not stop to wonder at the scale of this misunderstanding?’
Magnus laughed at the questions, the sound wet and bitter. He gestured away from the burning city, and the world turned, falling away.
They were in the webway again, but no longer upon the lost bridge. They drifted through the oval tunnels, following angles that hurt the human eye. Always ahead of them, an avatar of fire blazed through the tunnels, shattering the wraithbone membranes without heed, blind and deaf to the horde of daemons surging into the webway in its wake.
‘I did this,’ said Magnus. ‘I thought He wished to punish me for ruining His Great Work.’ For a moment, Magnus paused, gazing at the host of Neverborn darkening the tunnels, as if seeing them for the first time.
‘But how was I to know? He refused to tell me of His grand plan. If He had told me…’
Vulkan resisted the urge to spit at the sudden foul taste on his tongue. ‘Again, you see the worst in all others, absolving yourself of blame. Why did you need to know of the Great Work? You were warned not to toy with the warp. We all were. But you couldn’t resist. You believed that you knew more, that you knew best. And why is it that you alone lament being kept unapprised of father’s plans? Why is Sanguinius not enraged that he never knew of the Webway Project? Why am I not enraged that I was kept ignorant of it? Why did you need to know?’
Magnus’ eye gleamed with the reflection of the burning icon ahead. His former self, years before, racing to warn the Emperor of Horus’ betrayal. Reducing the webway to unsanctified rubble with his passing.
‘Had I known the truth, I would never have… done what I did. Father should have told me.’
Vulkan laughed, unable to believe what he was hearing. ‘How could father have predicted you would defy His one command? Not only did you use the warp against His orders, you fuelled your psychic warning with human sacrifice. How could any of us have known you were capable of such barbarity?’
Magnus exhaled slowly, his hands clutching the folds of his toga. He spoke a word of power, and the world turned.
They were in the Throne Room. The blazing avatar had incarnated before the scientists and techno-magicians of the Emperor’s secret work. It had forced the webway portal open, making it radiate wounded light. Already, it grew dark with the silhouettes of daemons as they drew near.
The Custodians present – precious few of them, for how could they have anticipated the sudden death of the Emperor’s dream? – opened fire on the image of ghostly flame. It ignored their paltry defiance, and it ignored the explosions its arrival had birthed across the great laboratory. It hovered before the Emperor, like some spectre of religious revelation from the ancient tomes, when such things were believed by credulous men.
‘I had to warn Him,’ said Magnus, watching the scene.
‘No,’ Vulkan said gently. ‘You believed you had to warn Him. You believed as you always believe – that you knew best, that you had to act, that you alone knew what had to be done. And never once did you think, through all this destruction, that there was something deceiving you.’
The sorcerer glared at him. ‘Why do you speak to me as if I were a lowly pawn in this game of regicide? The Warmaster and the Emperor both know I am the most valuable piece on the board.’
Vulkan was unmoved by the sorcerer’s words, and by the cataclysm playing out before him. His tone was patient, as it had been in the days before the war.
‘Vanity is what leads you, Magnus. You choke on arrogance, unable to see you are the architect of your own downfall. All the others, all of Horus’ broken monsters, at least they can see the bars of their cages. Even Horus, driven out of his mind to serve as a hive for the Pantheon, knows in his soul’s core that he has lost control. You are the only one that still believes he is free.’
In silence, Magnus shook his head. The world turned with the motion.
They remained in the Throne Room, but the great machines were overloaded and black, slain by esoteric forces, and the industry of the laboratory was replaced by the militancy of a garrison presence. It was no longer a place of vision – it was a barracks. And it was closer to Now. This was how the Throne Room had looked when Vulkan had last been here.
Vulkan and Magnus were present at this point in the recent past, as well as drifting through it in their current incarnations. They watched themselves at the foot of the Golden Throne: Vulkan implacable but for the regret lining his features; Magnus manifest as a being of light, shimmering in and out of the layers of reality perceptible to the human eye.
‘Here,’ said the Magnus of Now, watching the Magnus of Then. ‘Here is where I made my choice. You saw the Emperor make His final offer to me. You heard Him promise me a new Legion, if I would only forsake Horus and come back to you all. A matter of mere weeks ago, brother. Will you tell me you’ve forgotten it?’
Vulkan sighed. He seemed suddenly weary.
‘That is not what transpired here, Magnus. The last unstained shard of your soul burst into the Throne Room and begged to be saved. With a heavy heart, father refused you. That is what I saw. That is what happened.’
Magnus’ laughter was blunt, practically a derisive bark. ‘And you say I’m the one who has been deceived?’
Vulkan was too tired to rise to the bait. He met derision with solemnity.
‘This thing that runs through you, this chaotic force you proclaim as freedom, is not a disease to be caught on contact. It is the layer of emotion behind reality, a poison that has achieved near sentience. It makes its prey into willing victims in their own damnation. You are riven by it, Magnus. Hollowed out by it.
‘And it was already in your Legion, in your sons’ blood and genetic code, in the form of the Flesh Change. And when you dealt with the Pantheon, believing you had cured your children, all you really achieved was a deepening of the taint, hiding it from sight, delaying the inevitable. This thing, this force, cannot be cured, Magnus. You cannot pray it away once the rot sets in. Once you are on the Path… your fate is sealed.’
‘Wait, Vulkan. Wait. How can this be? How do you know all of this?’
In the silence that reigned in the wake of those words, the Throne Room began to fade. Golden mist hazed its way around them, revealing patches of wraithbone architecture.
Vulkan was relentless, his voice growing firmer. ‘How could the Emperor ever trust you now? Why would He offer you a new Legion, let alone a place at His side? You dreamed up your own redemption, just to give yourself something to rage against. Because you need to feel as though you are the one choosing, not having the choices made for you. The creature that exalted you will never let you see the chains that bind you to its will.’
The mist was everywhere, thickening. Magnus felt the change upon him, and beneath the sensation of power was a pull, a wrenching, the sensation of a trillion filaments woven into the cells of his body, dragging at him.
‘How…?’ Magnus asked, barely above a breath. Where the mist touched him, his flesh was darkening, swelling. The shadows of ragged wings loomed above his shoulders. ‘How do you know all of this?’
Vulkan remained in place, saying nothing, doing nothing.
‘Who are you?’ demanded Magnus.
The world turned, and this time it wasn’t moved by Magnus’ will.
The first strike of the hammer pounded Magnus to the wraithbone ground, a magma flow of ectoplasm running from his riven skull. The second cracked the bones of one wing, splintering the spine and shoulder blade beneath. The third eradicated the daemon’s right hand, rendering it into dissolving paste.
Breathless, standing over the paralysed remnant of his mutated brother, Vulkan raised his hammer. In the same moment, Magnus somehow lifted his head. The sorcerer stared past Vulkan, over his executioner’s shoulder. Either he saw nothing, or he saw without the use of his eye, which was a burst fruit of a thing, turned to leaking pulp in its shattered socket.
‘Wait,’ the daemon wheezed, the word ruined by the graveyard of his teeth. ‘Father. Wait.’
Father is far from here, Vulkan almost said, wondering what visions were conjured in his brother’s dying mind. But he saw the fear on Magnus’ face, imprinted with the lines of regret. It was enough to make him hesitate.
I don’t have to do this.
But he did. Not just because it would free the Emperor from the sorcerer’s assault, not just because thousands were dying in front of the Eternity Gate, but because this was how the Archenemy drilled inside a heart and soul. The creatures sank their tendrils into a person’s hesitations, cracking them open to become doubts. They caressed along the edges of someone’s virtues, heightening them, souring them into flaws.
They would do the same with Vulkan’s mercy. Mercy was how the Pantheon would welcome him, and how he would begin to do their will. He would trust someone that breathed deceit. He would spare the life of a man that must die.
And he would feel righteous, as his nine traitorous brothers felt righteous, deaf to the laughter of the gods as he moved to their etheric melodies. Like his brothers, he would believe it was his own virtue guiding his hand.
2023.03.31 22:07 PoofBattie Have you ever wondered
If perhaps the narcissist in your life has ruined the possibility of any other potential relationship for you? That perhaps they have assembled a team of toxic and abusive individuals from discord group to create a false narrative , painting a picture of someone and executing it in flawless fashion? That maybe they pretend to be someone else in your life to make that certain person come across to you as psychotic? Maybe even building a stone wall preventing communication between you and that specific person who threatens them and their plans? Leaving you wondering “why they aren’t contacting me “ ? Or “ why won’t he respond to me? I thought we had something real “ ?
Im talking about the same person who never changes and only gets worst over time , and always has something new for you to become “used to” ? But is unable to accept you and your flaws ? A One sided “attack “ on you but when you “defend” they are unable to deal with it ?
Maybe you don’t have flaws ? But they programmed you to believe so?
Maybe they’re pretending to be someone in particular , and writing letters here to throw off your energy / vibe / spirit? Giving you a hot n cold feeling ?
The same person who has made you believe that your time and dreams are expendable in comparison to his time and dreams ? Leaving you feeling drained / unfulfilled while his vibe is always in a higher place? Pretty much suffocating you and letting go before you completely run out of breath ?
Or is it just me that thinks I have a psycho after me ? He already proved to be responsible for ruining my business based on his own feeling of the people around him . Lacking communication and making decision that cost everyone dearly.
I think you know who I’m talking about too .
submitted by PoofBattie to UnsentLetters [link] [comments]
Im talking about the same person who never changes and only gets worst over time , and always has something new for you to become “used to” ? But is unable to accept you and your flaws ? A One sided “attack “ on you but when you “defend” they are unable to deal with it ?
Maybe you don’t have flaws ? But they programmed you to believe so?
Maybe they’re pretending to be someone in particular , and writing letters here to throw off your energy / vibe / spirit? Giving you a hot n cold feeling ?
The same person who has made you believe that your time and dreams are expendable in comparison to his time and dreams ? Leaving you feeling drained / unfulfilled while his vibe is always in a higher place? Pretty much suffocating you and letting go before you completely run out of breath ?
Or is it just me that thinks I have a psycho after me ? He already proved to be responsible for ruining my business based on his own feeling of the people around him . Lacking communication and making decision that cost everyone dearly.
I think you know who I’m talking about too .
2023.03.31 17:47 dblack246 [Spoilers Published] About that event below Storm's End.
![[Spoilers Published] About that event below Storm's End.](https://external-preview.redd.it/rGTon7YnVQLBEXI9Ta0NCMFo-jDRY2hcIg6fYjcyLfU.jpg?width=320&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=156a6cb557f01b9a77e1f5fd67a71dc58d89e943 "[Spoilers Published] About that event below Storm's End.") | submitted by dblack246 to asoiaf [link] [comments] "The seeing, the true seeing, that is the heart of it." -Syrio Forel Arya V, AGOT. If only it were this easy to see through a glamor. In book one, George is kind enough to give a guide to how to read the story by way of Syrio Forel. Syrio tells us there will be deceptions ahead and we have to see through these deceptions. "The cat was an ordinary cat, no more. The others expected a fabulous beast, so that is what they saw. How large it was, they said. It was no larger than any other cat, only fat from indolence, for the Sealord fed it from his own table. What curious small ears, they said. Its ears had been chewed away in kitten fights. And it was plainly a tomcat, yet the Sealord said 'her,' and that is what the others saw. Are you hearing?"If you've read some of my musing here and wondered why I think Quentyn wasn't burned by a dragon; Robb didn't name Jon heir, or Mance did not go to Winterfell to save Arya, it is because I am trying to spot whether George has taken an ordinary cat and convinced readers it is a fabulous beast. I think George has invited most readers to conclude they saw a fabulous beast below Storm's End in Davos II. I think instead of witnessing the birth of a shadow baby, we saw a well-executed, carefully crafted and expertly timed glamor. I am going to attempt to lay out why the event below Storm's End was a glamor. If you haven't already skipped to the comments to tell me this is unhinged tinfoil, thank you for that. It is always nice when people consider the argument before responding. I fully expect some passionate pushback on this one. As we were told in "They Live", people can be somewhat resistant to a new perspective. I do not mind if you disagree. Theories do not improve in echo chambers. I only ask that you consider the offerings and that your disagreement be polite and constructive. So, a quick recap for those who have not poured over Davos II, ACOK in a while. Following the death of Renly in Catelyn IV, ACOK, (and we will get to that because that is really important) Stannis is camped outside of Storm's End demanding the castle and Edric Storm. Ser Courtnay Penrose refuses. Ser Cortnay did not seem surprised. "Is it the justice of your cause you doubt, my lord, or the strength of your arm? Are you afraid I'll piss on your burning sword and put it out?"Stannis then speaks with Davos about the matter with Melisandre present. Melisandre sees that Stannis trusts Davos. Davos had come too far with Stannis to play coy now. "Last year they were Robert's men. A moon ago they were Renly's. This morning they are yours. Whose will they be on the morrow?"Stannis tells Davos of Melisandre's vision as well as the need to take the Castle. Davos Seaworth felt the small hairs rising on the back of his neck. "My lord, I do not understand you."Davos offers some protest, but he does not refuse his king. "I must have the boy, Davos. Must. Melisandre has seen that in the flames as well."Keep in mind that Davos is required here. Put a pin in that for now we'll get back to that. Shortly thereafter, Davos sails then rows Melisandre beneath the walls of Storm's End. While they row there, they speak of other deaths Davos has connected to Melisandre. "Yet you mean to kill a man tonight," he said. "As you killed Maester Cressen."So Davos has some interesting thoughts here. He thinks Melisandre came here to kill Penrose though she did not say this. He believes she killed Cressen and Renly though she denies it. Davos without any real evidence other than proximity, blames Melisandre for events. This is not an uncommon mistake. Story characters do this all the time and people reading the story do the same. This is human nature. Mel claims she needs to be inside the walls of Storm's End. Together they tied off the sail as the boat rocked beneath them. As Davos unshipped the oars and slid them into the choppy black water, he said, "Who rowed you to Renly?"When they arrive beneath Storm's End... "Have we passed within the walls?"And shortly after this event we learn Penrose died. "Why no, I trust you implicitly." A bitter laugh echoed off the shuttered windows. "I trust you like one of my own blood, in truth. Now tell me how Cortnay Penrose died."So there are several possible theories about how Penrose died. The first theory--and by far the most popular-- is that the shadow Davos saw threw Penrose over the walls. And yes, that is a theory because we do not see the shadow do anything and therefore we can't point to text to clearly state this shadow is real. A second theory--one I have not even seen Preston Jacobs offer--is the shadow Davos saw was nothing more than a glamor and Penrose was killed by some other act. I believe the second theory is the more likely of the two to be true. And I will offer why herein. Why I think it was a glamorSo after seeing a shadow kill Renly in the Catelyn POV, and seeing Melisandre give birth to a shadow that entered Storm's End, and learning that Penrose was thrown over the walls I am going to argue that what Davos saw was a glamor?Yes, I am. Glamors are a major story plot point as are the varying levels of success characters have with spotting glamors. Characters and readers are given several clues on how to spot glamors and I think if we apply those lessons to what we see below Storm's End, we can make a strong argument that this was a glamor. I am not here to convince you I got this right. The only purpose of this post is to share my thoughts and perhaps get a few of you to consider whether the fantastic beast the author offered you was actually something less spectacular. If after reading and considering, you are convinced the shadow beneath Storm's End was real, that is fine. You might even be right. It is just a theory I have that I offer for your consideration. Melisandre and glamorsSo any argument that the Storm's End event could be a glamor must start with a good understanding of what glamors are, how they operate and their limitations. After trying to define the elements of a glamor as presented to us in the text, I will see if that is consistent with what Davos sees below Storm's End.As Syrio explained to Arya (and to us readers), a glamor gives the appearance of something present that is not really there. People with sharp eyes can see through glamors. This position is repeated to Arya (and the readers) by the Kindly Man. "Mummers change their faces with artifice," the kindly man was saying, "and sorcerers use glamors, weaving light and shadow and desire to make illusions that trick the eye. These arts you shall learn, but what we do here goes deeper. Wise men can see through artifice, and glamors dissolve before sharp eyes" The Ugly Little Girl, ADWD.Melisandre also acknowledges that glamors are a trick of the visual and they are not foolproof. "The spell is made of shadow and suggestion. Men see what they expect to see. The bones are part of that." Was I wrong to spare this one? "If the glamor fails, they will kill you." Melisandre, ADWD.Her line about men seeing what they expect to see is important. This does not just apply to story characters. I think it can be applied to readers as well. We will get back to this. You'll recall before she showed the crowd at Dragonstone a glamored sword, she told them they would see a sword of fire. Melisandre was robed all in scarlet satin and blood velvet, her eyes as red as the great ruby that glistened at her throat as if it too were afire. "In ancient books of Asshai it is written that there will come a day after a long summer when the stars bleed and the cold breath of darkness falls heavy on the world. In this dread hour a warrior shall draw from the fire a burning sword. And that sword shall be Lightbringer, the Red Sword of Heroes, and he who clasps it shall be Azor Ahai come again, and the darkness shall flee before him." She lifted her voice, so it carried out over the gathered host. "Azor Ahai, beloved of R'hllor! The Warrior of Light, the Son of Fire! Come forth, your sword awaits you! Come forth and take it into your hand!" [...] So we know when dealing with Melisandre, we should always question whether a glamor is in play because it is one of the tools in her bag and she is very good at using them to get what she wants. With that in mind, let's discuss the limitations of glamors. We know glamors can dissolve before sharp eyes as Arya who was trained by Syrio to see through glamors demonstrates. "Let us see." The priest lowered his cowl. Beneath he had no face; only a yellowed skull with a few scraps of skin still clinging to the cheeks, and a white worm wriggling from one empty eye socket. "Kiss me, child," he croaked, in a voice as dry and husky as a death rattle.Also important to note is that because glamors only impact the visual sense, when other senses come to bear, you start to question what you see. Davos knelt, and Stannis drew his longsword. Lightbringer, Melisandre had named it; the red sword of heroes, drawn from the fires where the seven gods were consumed. The room seemed to grow brighter as the blade slid from its scabbard. The steel had a glow to it; now orange, now yellow, now red. The air shimmered around it, and no jewel had ever sparkled so brilliantly. But when Stannis touched it to Davos's shoulder, it felt no different than any other longsword. "Ser Davos of House Seaworth," the king said, "are you my true and honest liege man, now and forever?" Davos IV, ASOS.Those who do not rely on the visual aren't so easily fooled. The king frowned. "Everyone else has seen the thing, why not a blind man?" His swordbelt and scabbard hung from a peg near the hearth. He took the belt down and drew the longsword out. Steel scraped against wood and leather, and radiance filled the solar; shimmering, shifting, a dance of gold and orange and red light, all the bright colors of fire.Maester Aemon is telling us that a glamor can have no impact on the physical. There will be nothing to feel, it will leave no marks on the environment. It is strictly a thing of the visual. Which is why Mel insists Mance wear those bones. Melisandre felt the warmth in the hollow of her throat as her ruby stirred at the closeness of its slave. "You have put aside your suit of bones," she observed.And... Every day I think how easy it would be to pry it out, and every day I don't. Must I wear the bloody bones as well?"The bones are important to the Rattleshirt glamor because everyone expects to hear the clacking of the bone armor. When things are different from what is expected, keen minds notice. One time Arya woke in the dark, frightened for no reason she could name. Above, the Red Sword shared the sky with half a thousand stars. The night seemed oddly quiet to her, though she could hear Yoren's muttered snores, the crackle of the fire, even the muffled stirrings of the donkeys. Yet somehow it felt as though the world were holding its breath, and the silence made her shiver. She went back to sleep clutching Needle.Mel wants Mance to wear the bones to keep people from looking closer. Jon almost noticed something was off with the fRattleshirt when they fought in the yard. But Jon has not been trained to see through glamors as George has tried to train we readers. The point of all these citations is to make it clear that you can spot a glamor by looking for evidence beyond the visual. If the only proof a thing is present is that you see a thing, you might want to look closer especially if it involves a known glamor caster. George has consistently showed us via Aemon's questioning of Lightbringer and Arya's grabbing the worm, that physical impact matters. And this is also the approach he took with the Renly event. The Renly ShadowIn my informal discussions on the subject, the response I get most often to the suggestion that the Storm's End shadow is glamor is "what killed Renly then?" This is an excellent question and one we must look at because I think the details of the Renly event really help us understand why the Storm's End event might just be a light show. Here is the relevant text from the Renly event."I beg you in the name of the Mother," Catelyn began when a sudden gust of wind flung open the door of the tent. She thought she glimpsed movement, but when she turned her head, it was only the king's shadow shifting against the silken walls. She heard Renly begin a jest, his shadow moving, lifting its sword, black on green, candles guttering, shivering, something was queer, wrong, and then she saw Renly's sword still in its scabbard, sheathed still, but the shadowsword . . .This was no glamor. We know this because in addition to Cat and Brienne seeing it, the shadow had a clear impact on the physical world. George writes that the shadow entered the tent with a parting of the tent door, then when it was near Renly he felt cold and finally we saw the shadow rip through a steel gorget and open Renly's throat. We are also told Stannis has a telepathic link to the shadow that killed Renly. For a long time the king did not speak. Then, very softly, he said, "I dream of it sometimes. Of Renly's dying. A green tent, candles, a woman screaming. And blood." Stannis looked down at his hands. "I was still abed when he died. Your Devan will tell you. He tried to wake me. Dawn was nigh and my lords were waiting, fretting. I should have been ahorse, armored. I knew Renly would attack at break of day. Devan says I thrashed and cried out, but what does it matter? It was a dream. I was in my tent when Renly died, and when I woke my hands were clean." Davos II, ACOK.So I will say unequivocally that a real shadow assassin with the face of Stannis killed Renly. I am not arguing against that or denying that. However, this does not mean Melisandre birthed the shadow that killed Renly. Melisandre kinda tells on herself in the next book. "No." Perhaps he should have lied, and told her what she wanted to hear, but Davos was too accustomed to speaking truth. "You are the mother of darkness. I saw that under Storm's End, when you gave birth before my eyes."Melisandre drew of enough light to make at least one son from Stannis likely the one that killed Renly. She claims she can make more with another man, but if that is the case, why aren't there an army of them? There is no lack of men who would want to bed Melisandre either for pleasure or to serve the Red God. Why are there not more shadows? I think it is because she is not the one with the power; it's Stannis ( We will get to that part of the theory in a bit). I know. You are like "What?! Obviously she did. She is a shadow binder from the West and we see her giving birth. We can put two and two together. We don't need to see it." I am not suggesting any of you lack the ability to put two and two together. That would be rude and insulting and I am not fond of such discourse. I will however suggest that maybe what you think are two and two aren't two and two because even if the Renly tent shadow is a two, when you do a side-by-side with the Strom's end shadow... well that thing is too different to be a two. The Renly tent shadow:
But if you think the shadow below Storm's end was real, just go and apply the basic glamor test that Maester Aemon gives us and find any physical evidence that the Storm's End shadow was there beyond the half blinded visuals of Davos. Why would George when writing the Storm's End event leave out all opportunities to demonstrate a single impact on the physical when he spent text space making that an issue with Lightbringer, Mance and the Renly event? Was it an oversight or a clue? So what killed Penrose?Penrose was tossed over the walls of Storm's End. I am not denying that. I also will not argue that he felt despair and decided to kill himself. He seems pretty confident when he meets with Stannis."As the gods will it. Bring on your storm, my lord—and recall, if you do, the name of this castle." Ser Cortnay gave a pull on his reins and rode back toward the gate. Davos II, ACOK.Ser Cortnay does not sound all that worried about the Castle being stormed or a long siege. That castle can't be breached by an army of any size. And if the granaries are full which they should be after such a long and bountiful summer, he could hold up inside for years. So what killed him in one night if not the shadow assassin Davos saw? My theory is a mutiny by someone already inside. And why a mutiny? "I give you fair warning. If you force me to take my castle by storm, you may expect no mercy. I will hang you for traitors, every one of you." -The Mannis. Because it is Stannis outside the gates. And he is the man stubborn enough to sit there a decade if he needed to. And the moment the last starving man gives in, he'd take the castle and hang that last man. Everyone knows this about Stannis. Moreover, with Renly and Robert dead, Storm's End passes to him anyway. Robert gave it to Renly and Renly had no heir. Robert is dead. Stannis is the last living Baratheon so it is his by law. All it would take was one or two men inside the castle who decided they were not about to die for the whims of a castellan who wanted to withhold the castle from the rightful lord. Men generally don't want to die for no good purpose isn't that right Dagon Cod? He is drunk, Reek realized. The ale is speaking. "Believe what you want. I have brought Lord Ramsay's message. Now I must return to him. We'll sup on wild boar and neeps, washed down with strong red wine. Those who come with me will be welcome at the feast. The rest of you will die within a day. The Lord of the Dreadfort will bring his knights up the causeway, whilst his son leads his own men down on you from the north. No quarter will be granted. The ones that die fighting will be the lucky ones. Those who live will be given to the bog devils."All it takes is one man who isn't willing to die and someone else can take charge and open the gates. "Then hear me. Ser Cortnay's lieutenant is cousin to the Fossoways. Lord Meadows, a green boy of twenty. Should some ill chance strike down Penrose, command of Storm's End would pass to this stripling, and his cousins believe he would accept my terms and yield up the castle." Davos II, ACOK.Garrison duty is usually left to green boys who lack the experience to go to war or grey beards who are long in service. The green boys do not want to die and the old men have served too long to know anything but obedience. Either could have turned on Penrose. That makes more sense than a shadow that finds Penrose in the huge castle then pushes Penrose over the walls rather than just stabbing him like the Renly shadow did. Why would the shadow throw him off the walls? There is no reason for Penrose to go up there. So the shadow would have to drag him up there. Nobody saw this or heard this? Anyway the point here is, there remains no evidence the shadow at Storm's End did anything. If Mel can see the future as she claims, she may have seen the mutiny in her fires and simply positioned herself to take credit for something she had nothing to do with. Why would Mel bother with such a ruse?Since Melisandre was introduced in ACOK, only two people who Stannis respects and trusts have spoken against her. Cressen and Davos. Cressen is dead which leave Davos as the last person who could speak against her. Mel knows this.Davos had come too far with Stannis to play coy now. "Last year they were Robert's men. A moon ago they were Renly's. This morning they are yours. Whose will they be on the morrow?"I theorize Mel wanted to get Davos alone to try and convince him or her power because if he was on her side, she would have less opposition. This could not be as simple as summoning Davos to her tent to witness the birth. For one, Davos would refuse anyone but Stannis. The king gave a curt nod. "You will need a small boat. Not Black Betha. No one must know what you do."Also of note is Stannis saying no one must know. Stannis also tells Davos that Melisandre has already seen Penrose's death. She likely also told him what she needed to ensure this. She requested Davos and to be alone with him. The best way to do this was to get him involved in something only he could do. The Lightbringer show worked on the others, but Davos required something more intimate. So she got him alone and showed him a form he knows well and respects: a woman great with child. Davos has seven sons by his wife. He knows the power of the form of an expecting mother. "Power resides where men believe it resides. No more and no less."Davos believes in the power of seas, ships, sons and Stannis. All four of the pillars of his beliefs are exploited by Melisandre here. Speaking of exploiting the audience. George set this up brilliantlyI think George enjoys tricking his readers. He often uses very careful and cryptic language when discussing plot elements, which is why I generally steer well clear of SSM. He does the same with his writing though. Here is how the set up for us to reach a bad conclusions works (I theorize).George first introduces us to the idea of shadows assassins with the event in Renly's tent. We only see the shadow and the impact it has. We don't how it came to be and we are hungry for an answer. A few POV's later we are given an option for the solution. And in our understandable desire to have an answer, we take the first option without questioning it's validity. And in doing so, we do not consider other possibilities. The first offered answer might not be the correct one. Narrative purposeOne of the things I learned from mu Quentyn discussions is when confronted with a challenge to the accustomed interpretation of the story, readers want to know what the narrative purpose of the challenge is. It is a fine and fair inquiry. I generally don't like to get into it because narrative purpose is a weathervane and each reader provides their own wind. Everyone approaches this story in a unique way and this is a wonderful thing. If we all had the same view, what would be the point of this subreddit and it's 800k members? So, I am not going to get into the subjective nature of what each of thinks is the correct narrative purpose. However, I think there are some objective elements we can discuss.George put glamors in the story as a purposeful choice. He took the time to tell us about glamors, how to spot them, he has revealed some to us and left some for us to puzzle out on our own. George is writing a narrative full of misdirection and apparent contradictions. I think we should look out for them. George has made Davos' guilt over his involvement in this an important plot point in the Davos POV. She laughed. "Is it me you fear? Or what we do?"And... Silent, Davos tended to his course. The shore was a snarl of rocks, so he was taking them well out across the bay. He would wait for the tide to turn before coming about. Storm's End dwindled behind them, but the red woman seemed unconcerned. "Are you a good man, Davos Seaworth?" she asked.And George touches on this guilt again in ASOS. Perhaps it was only wind blowing against the rock, or the sound of the sea on the shore, but for an instant Davos Seaworth heard her answer. "You called the fire," she whispered, her voice as faint as the sound of waves in a seashell, sad and soft. "You burned us . . . burned us . . . burrrrned usssssss."I found Davos I, ASOS one of the most powerful chapters he's written. Does this section of ASOS work unless Davos is struggling with his guilt and feeling complicit in all the death that has taken place? So even if you fine redditor do not see the sense in having Davos row Melisandre under Storm's End, George wanted him there and wanted him feeling guilt and conflict over it. And George used that conflict later. Another narrative purpose for the Storm's End event being a glamor is that is could serve as a distraction from another plot George is not ready to reveal, such as Stannis having special abilities like we see in the Starks, Targaryens, and other wargs. Mel claims there is power in king's blood. Stannis does have king's blood. And Stannis is a distant relation to the Targaryens who also have special abilities related to there genetics. Some of that ability may be within Stannis and all Melisandre did was help unlock it while he slept. A person with latent powers they are unable to unlock consciously is something George has written about in his other works. George borrows heavily from his other works elsewhere in ASOIAF. One more thing, George's favorite science fiction film is Forbidden Planet. In this movie, one of the characters is able to summon telekinetic a manifestation of his id while he sleeps to kill his rivals. It may be that George had Stannis do exactly that. In Conclusion Even if you conclude the Storm's End event was not a glamor (it is fine if you do. I might be wrong), I think it is wise to at least question the event because if it was a glamor below Storm's end, then this opens a number of new possibilities for the story. I think this story is deserving of applying the lesson at Syrio Forel offered. "Opening your eyes is all that is needing. The heart lies and the head plays tricks with us, but the eyes see true. Look with your eyes. Hear with your ears. Taste with your mouth. Smell with your nose. Feel with your skin. Then comes the thinking, afterward, and in that way knowing the truth." Arya V, AGOT. When we apply senses other than the visual to the event below Storm's End and then really think about it from the perspective of touch, sound and smell, are we still sure that our eyes alone told us the truth? But what say ye fine Redditors? Is the event below Storm's End worthy of closer inspection? Is the choice by George to exclude any physical evidence of the shadow a clue to this being a glamor from a known glamor caster? As always, polite disagreement and constructive feedback are always welcome. TL;DR: The commonly accepted position on the event below Storm's End in Davos II, ACOK may be incorrect. There are a number of inconsistencies between the shadow that killed Renly and the one that Davos sees below Storm's End. These inconsistencies should not be dismissed. It is highly possible that the event below Storm's End was a glamor cast by a known glamor caster. |
2023.03.31 10:25 Proletlariet Lina Inverse Strength
Strength
- Snaps a metal plate in half
- Breaks a pair of handcuffs that don't snap from a hit that propels two people through a roof
- KOs four men with one kick
- Punches through a stone balcony barrier, then breaks the rest of it
- Sends Naga flying a huge distance with a kick
- Knocks the living armor Nama’s helmet a good distance with an elbow
- Kicks Nama’s head off so hard it ricochets rapidly around the room.
- Kicks Nama to pieces Nama is durable enough that a Fireball from Amelia can’t blast her apart
- Karate chops a table in half
- Throws a boulder
- Lifts a stone pillar, then breaks it in half
- Cuts off part of a sword
- Gut-punches Gourry hard enough to floor him
- Drives Gourry into the ground with a punch to the head
- Throws Gourry at a warthog with “the power of tens of thousands of horses” hard enough to knock it out
- Throws a woman while she’s carrying a heavy clay statue
- Easily throws a woman out a window with one arm while asleep
- Throws a man into a large door hard enough to shatter it
- Launches Gourry through the air casually
- Kicks Gourry into the air; he shatters the ground when he lands
- Throws Gourry a huge distance one-handed
- Runs so fast while carrying Gourry that his legs don't touch the ground
- Struggles with and pins Pokota to the ground. Potoka is strong enough to roll giant solid stone balls with enough force to smash golems.
- Kicks a troll into the air
- Kicks a guy across a chapel
- Kicks a large log off a cliff
- Lifts and slams a giant slug monster
- Punches a man through a table, shattering it
- While stripped of magic, briefly holds off an army of demons by battering them with a stick
- Breaks metal binding while being shocked
- While under a curse that reflects her attacks, gets knocked into a wall by the force of her own kick hard enough to turn it to rubble
- Sprints through a group of stone golems, shattering them to pieces
- Trades blows with Zuuma, who is strong enough to shatter a golem with thrown projectiles and slap away a giant stone sword thrown by Gourry
- Fights with a brainwashed Gourry. Gourry is capable of slicing through a large pillar of ice
- Blocks strikes from Zahhard, who can cut two stone-shelled creatures in half with one swipe
- Kicks over Zelgadis, Gourry, and Amelia at the same time
- Smashes down a ship’s mast during a brawl
- Smashes through a boulder, creating a large crater in the ground
- Punches two monsters far away without any magic
- Uppercuts a man through the roof of a building and high into the sky, accidentally causing herself to be dragged behind him as she’s attached to him by handcuffs
- With Amelia, bashes her way through a wall of ice a monster creates around the building she’s in.
- With Gourry, lifts and throws several crates of rubbish
- With Gourry and Pokota, knocks over and pins a Dullahan The Dullahan in question is stupidly strong
Agility
- Rapidly clashes forks with a food-lusted Gourry
- Blocks a projectile thrown at her using a drumstick
- Kicks up a fallen sword into her hand and throws it to intercept an enemy sorcerer’s fireball
- Avoids a large number of thrown weapons by jumping up into a ship’s rigging
- Dodes telekinetically thrown daggers and several spells from a vampire
- Dodges a Flare Arrow from Zelgadis
- Dodges two spells in a row from Pokota
- Dodges four blasts in a row from Joyrock
- Dodges three of Naga’s Freeze Arrows
- Dodges Nama’s rapid fire Freeze Arrows
- Dodges a blast of electricity from the Chaotic Eye
- Dodges a swipe from a teleporting monster, who compliments her speed
- Dodges repeated strikes from Marlene, who is quick enough to deflect rapid fire Flare Arrows
- Dodges a barrage of spears from city guards
- Avoids getting stabbed by a wall of spears suddenly shooting out behind her.
- Dodges several swipes from Zangulus. Zangulus is fast enough to duel with and tag Gourry
- Weaves between beams from reincarnated Zanaffar
- Dodges a sword swing from Duclis. Duclis is quick enough to avoid attacks from Pokota who can rapidly chop through stone projectiles flying at him
- Hits a vengeful ghost in-between hammer strikes; The ghost can swing pretty fast
- Keeps pace with the legendary assassin Zuuma in a fight, though she is eventually disarmed by him
- Reacts to and shoots down cannonballs after they’ve been fired
- Moves FTE to dodge a magic blast
- Repeatedly dodges a faster-than-eyesight attack
- Dodges lightning strikes
- Uses chains like whips to tie up three sorcerers at a distance
- Avoids and outruns a giant serpent made of water
- Kicks off Gourry’s falling body midair to gain some extra height
- Walljumps off the side of a pillar and backflips to avoid a strike from a Saviour Octopus
- Runs up a rope, then swings on a rope
- Leaps from stone pillar to stone pillar
- Jumps up high into the air
- Keeps pace with a bird in flight
- Crosses a large field in a short time
- Spins hard enough to smash through rock, which she then rapidly reforms into a pyramid and coffin to stay in
2023.03.31 10:25 Proletlariet Lina Inverse backup
Where monsters rampage, I'm there to take them down! Where treasure glitters, I'm there to claim it! Where an enemy rises to face me, victory will be mine!
This RT was a collaboration between Cleverly_Clearly and Proletlariet with MyNameIsJeffHarrison helping with formatting.
Notes
- The Slayers setting features a race of demonic beings known interchangeably as “Monsters,” “Mazoku,” and “Demon-folk”. For the purpose of clarity, whenever the word “Monster” is used in this thread, it is referring to this species.
- While the invocations for magic spells in the Slayers setting can be fudged or in some cases be performed wordlessly, the caster must be able to speak. When Lina can't speak properly she loses control of her magic and can't use any spells.
- After Xellos reluctantly sells Lina some magical talismans, her magic power increases. Feats involving these talismans will be marked.
Dragon Slave
One of Lina's most powerful spells, and also the move she tends to use most often when she wants to end a fight quickly. While it usually requires a lengthy incantation, it's not necessary to recite the whole thing Though the incantation can be fudged, if Lina can't speak it properly at all the spell will be interrupted.- A “Sudden Dragon Slave” cast without saying the incantation engulfs a nearby hillside
- Blasts a golem across a city and into a giant magic-proof monster hard enough to propel them both into a mountain, shattering them together. It also leaves behind this crater
- Obliterates a ring of large columns, also killing a giant fish in the process
- Blasts a monster across a body of water like a skipping stone, until he disappears in the horizon
- Overpowers a powerful monster while damaging the landscape
- Tears up a stone landscape
- Blows up a theme park attraction
- Destroys a giant Naga-shaped golem, also blasting away trees, boulders, boats, and stadium seating. It also erases half of two castles
- Partially destroys a giant train
- Blasts a huge, deep hole in the ground
- Disintegrates a massive sea monster. Gif for size reference
- Destroys a tower and the cliff it's on
- Obliterates a dragon that no-sold one of her fireballs, along with the surrounding town
- Defeats the dragon Gaizno with a city-busting explosion. Here’s a picture of the crater the explosion left
- Destroys another town
- Craters a town
- Blows up a forest
- Craters a lake
- Craters a temple
- Craters a mountain that takes "an entire day" to walk around
- Craters another mountain
- Explodes in the ocean, creating a tidal wave that destroys a coastal town
- [Talismans] Craters a desert plain
- [Talismans] Nukes a forest
- [Talismans] Destroys the giant falling landmass above the city of Seyruun, accidentally destroying a bit of Seyruun in the process
- [Talismans] Uses a dagger to fire a Dragon Slave inside of Valgaav's body, piercing his defenses, destroying a crystal structure (this did not kill him, however)
- Although it normally cannot harm him, casting Dragon Slave near Shabranigdo can siphon his power and weaken him
Lord of Nightmares
The Lord of Nightmares is the source of all chaos in the universe and the power source for the Giga Slave and the Ragna Blade.Giga Slave
Shabranigdo is capable of no-selling a Dragon Slave, because it is made of black magic, which Shabranigdo powers. To get around this, Lina calls upon the much stronger Lord of Nightmares to obliterate Shabranigdo with the more powerful Giga Slave. However, Lina states her Giga Slave was only about "one-third" of what defeated him, along with the Sword of Light and a body that Shabranigdo was possessing rebelling against him. Furthermore, calling on the Lord of Nightmares runs the risk of the caster's self being consumed
- Destroys Shabranigdo again, this time without the Sword of Light, though instead she is boosted by her talismans
- Giga Slave significantly harms then kills Hellmaster, who tanked two Dragon Slaves at once
- A miscast Giga Slave could suck the whole world into nothingness
This is a powerful spell which calls upon the Lord of Nightmares to power.
- Clashes with and overpowers the Sword of Light copy wielded by Monster-Arms Zuuma,cutting off his hands in the process. Even before his transformation, Zuuma was strong enough to shatter stone golems with thrown projectiles and with his monster-arms, he could oneshot Dugld and Gduza with one arm each. Dugld took a swipe from Zelgadis’s Astral Vine enchanted sword while Gduza endured a barrage of Amelia’s Vis-Fan Rank punches and both kept fighting. Zuuma was also durable enough to charge straight through Lina’s Fireball without a scratch on him.
- Creates a large explosion, overpowering the Phibrizzo-empowered Gourry who blocked and reflected the Dragon Slave
- Slices through a powerful defensive barrier
- [Talismans] Despite being caught in an anti-magic aura that negated spells from herself, Amelia, and Zelgadis, she was able to use the talismans to summon the Ragna Blade and impale the mechanical woman Ozzel
- [Talismans] While she had trouble controlling it, was still able to crack a stone wall, breaking a monster's dimensional barrier, and the monster she was using it against said he was worried for a moment
- [Talismans] Slices through the wall of a dimension, opening a portal to another dimension, then defeats Kanzel Kanzel could take a hit from Lina’s Dragon Slave and keep fighting
- [Talismans] One-shots Saygram, who could withstand a talisman-powered Dragon Slave
- [Talismans] Slices through the demon king Gaav's sword and his body Gaav tanks Zelgadis’s Ra-Tilt and compares it to a kitten’s scratch
- [Talismans] Slices through a spatial distortion barrier
- [Talismans] Overpowers Almayce's weapon, which functions similarly to the Sword of Light
In her fight against Phibrizzo, while using the talismans, Lina Inverse channels the Lord of Nightmares directly- the Lord directly takes over her body, seemingly consuming Lina's personality, until interference from Gourry brings her back.
- Destroys the illusion that Phibrizzo had created of a destroyed city and all its inhabitants
- Destroys the Demon Lord Phibrizzo in one blast
- During the battle against the reincarnation of Zanaffar, Pokota lent Gourry his replica of the Sword of Light. To strike the killing blow against Zanaffar, Lina combined the Ragna Blade with the Sword of Light to create a single fused blade through which she channeled a boosted Dragon Slave. Reincarnated Zanaffar was so so durable that a massed assault from the kingdom of Seyruun’s army didn’t scratch him, and he was immune to the rest of the party’s spells and physical attacks. A base power Dragon Slave can’t touch him.
Fire Magic
Flare LanceFlare Arrow
- Shoots explosive magic arrows
- Arrows bounce off of walls
- Can rapid-fire these arrows so quickly that they mimic a tank’s machinegun
- Shatters the rocks at the edge of a hot spring
- Intercepts a volley of cannonballs, shooting them out of the air
- Fries a bandit into a charred corpse
- Defeats three wolfmen at once
- Destroys some large golems
- Blows through a metal door
- Blows through a metal door and shakes a building
- Targets and cuts through the strings of several large puppets at once with a volley of simultaneous arrows
- Clashes evenly with Naga’s Freeze Arrow, also putting a hole in the wall behind her
- Clashes evenly with Alphonse’s Freeze Arrow, creating an explosion Alphonse’s spells can shatter the crystal wall of a cave and send Lina flying through the air
- Staggers a massive dragon. Here’s one of its footprints for scale
- Craters the ground
- Blows up a restaurant.
- Sinks a whole fleet of pirate ships
- Destroys some large golems
- Torches a huge section of forest, also defeating a gang of werewolves
- Blows away an enemy horde
- Obliterates a group of trolls
- Kills a mob of orcs
- Defeats three of the strongest men on an island in one hit
- Roasts a group of enemies with a huge pillar of flame
- Knocks away two Saviour Octopi, making them drop Zelgadis and Amelia. Saviour Octopi are tough enough to ignore attacks from Zelgadis
- Destroys a hut
- Blows a huge hole in a mansion
- Clashes evenly with Naga’s Freeze Brid, both spells cancelling each other out
- Blasts a crater in stone ground
- Blasts a hole in a stone wall, sending people flying everywhere
- Heats a cold pool of water into a hot spring
- Evaporates a giant serpent made of water
- Says that her Fire Ball can melt iron
- Her fireballs can curve in midair
- Holds her fireball in midair
- Can fire two at once using two hands
- Blows up a restaurant
- Blows the roof off a barn
- Creates a mushroom cloud
- Blasts away a very large man who claims to be the tenth strongest in the region, leaving a crater in the ground
- Blasts a wizard high into the sky
- Blasts away a few bandits and craters the ground
- Destroys five zombies, causing bits of them and their armor to rain down
- Causes the floor of a crystal cave to explode under a man’s feet
- Craters stone ground
- Cracks stone ground and blows up two men
- Blasts three people, including Naga, very high into the air
- Blasts Naga and a large tree high into the sky
- Lina draws a circle in the dirt to contain the explosion, then blows up three bandits
- Clashes evenly with Naga’s, tearing up the street and kicking up a huge cloud of dust
- Creates a towering explosion
- Blows up a woman and the rock she’s standing on
- Knocks out two guys and scorches them with a flame blast
- Cracks the stone ground and KOs two men
- Kicks up huge chunks of the stone floor and makes a vampire bleed. The vampire was previously completely unharmed by Lina’s Flare Arrow and Fireball
- The blast pushes the giant Lina golem she’s inside back it its feet when it can’t stand up, also headbutts a giant Naga golem hard enough to stagger it
- Rends the ground and blows up a tower
- Destroys a mansion
- Wipes out an army of knights in plate armor and turns a town square to rubble.
Electric Magic
Digger Bolt- Electrifies her sword powerfully enough to fry a troll
- Magnetizes a suit of living armor to a girder, trapping it
- Electrifies a minotaur
- Fries a whole group of knights
- Shatters stone and sends Nama the living armor flying
- Shoots an explosive electrical blast
Dynast Bras
- Even without fully casting it, creates a large electrical field that tears up the ground
- Creates a powerful blast of lightning
- Summons a flash of light that engulfs a tavern and chases away two powerful monsters
- Clashes with Naga’s Bomb Di Wind, creating an explosion that wipes out a town square
- Chars Nama the living armor
Wind Magic
Diem Wing- Blasts Zelgadis with a gust of wind
- Blows a man high into the air
- Clashes evenly with Naga’s Freeze Arrow
- Uses the propulsion from Diem Wing to fly a raft down a river fast
Sudden Blam Gush
Bom Di Wind
- Stops and redirects a gigantic cannonball blast
- Rapidly casted, propels a ship quickly through calm waters and onto land, into a town
- Propels Pokota through a stone dome and far into the distance
Windy Shield
- Blocks a Diem Wing from Pokota. Pokota’s Diem Wing smacks Gourry out of the air
- Blocks a barrage of attacks from Lesser Demons. Lesser Demons’ projectiles are powerful enough to shatter stone ground
- Blocks several spells from Amelia and Pokota
- Blocks a spell from Amelia that blasts a massive crater into the ground
Ice Magic
Freeze Arrow- Throws a javelin of ice
- Freezes a man’s sword solid, causing it to shatter
- Freezes three wolfmen solid.
- Destroys some large golems
- Covers the ground in ice
- Throws several tiny ice spears
- Freezes a field of tall grass.
- Freezes a dragon’s mouth shut before it can breathe fire
- Curves it up into the air, creating gigantic ice crystals to drop on a dragon’s head
Van Rail
- Freezes tree trunks
- With help from Amelia and Zelgadis, freezes a Dullahan. The Dullahan in question is stupidly strong
- Traps Halcyform in ice
Dynast Bras
- Conjures a large chunk of ice which blocks a blast from reincarnated Zanaffar. Zanaffar’s blasts are powerful enough to destroy a castle tower
Earth Magic
Dug Haut- Disrupts another magic user channeling magic through the earth by causing it to erupt beneath them
- Causes a stone spike to erupt from the ground, impaling a demon
- Creates a pillar of earth to halt the fall of a huge boulder
- Creates a massive pillar of stone that shatters against reincarnated Zanaffar
- Creates a pillar of earth that lifts up a tank
Water Magic
Ext BallSea Blast
- Creates a blast of water that counters a dragon's laser blast which could counter Zelgadis and Amelia together
Dolph Zork
Offensive Magic
Balus RodRagna Blast
Gaav Flare
- Blows up a line of stone columns, also sending a bunch of werewolves flying
- Blasts apart a stone-shelled creature
- Creates a small lingering explosion
- Turns a large demon to ash
- Working with Naga, blasts through the Chaotic Eye The Chaotic Eye tanked a Flare Arrow from Lina and a Felzareid from Naga
- Clashes evenly with Alphonse’s Fireball. Alphonse’s spells can shatter the crystal wall of a cave and send Lina flying through the air
- Blows through a wall
- Blasts through a door
- Blasts apart a huge chunk of frozen river
- Topples a ship’s mast
- Destroys the roof of a house
- Destroys a boulder
- Sends a stone bull golem flying high into the air with Naga
- Shatters a large stone golem
- Blasts a hole through a giant stone golem, launching chunks of it at a wizard hard enough to destroy his magical shield
- Destroys a clock tower
Mono Bolt
Elmekia Lance
Bephis Bring
Mosu Variam
Blam Blazer
- Blasts a man off his feet, sending the cursed mirror he’s holding flying into the air so it shatters on landing
- Blasts a man, ragdolling him backwards skidding across the street
- Shoots out several bouncing energy blasts rapid-fire
- Dispels a group of ghosts
- Destroys the vines restraining the party and sends a Dullahan flying a good distance
- Blocks an energy spell that causes a cave-in
Blast Ash
- Blasts apart a demon
- Blasts apart three large demons
- Blocks and forces back Gourry's power-boosted Sword of Light, which could cut through a swath of forest
Generic Magic Blasts
- Electrocutes a man with a touch
- Zaps Naga
- Blows up a balcony
- Destroys part of a building’s roof
- Destroys a fortress
- Blasts three people through a pair of stone doors
- Blasts away a bear
- Defeats a whole group of a kingdom's finest warriors in one shot
- Blows away some bad guys
- Blasts open a large door
- Blasts a hole in a stone wall
- Blows up a bandit encampment
- Creates a huge explosion that can be seen from a distance
- Fires a magic blast that creates explosions along a mountainside
- Lays waste to a gigantic structure
- While inside of a golem’s core powering it and firing off spells Lina blows up a gazebo and a boat. Powering the golem was actively draining her magic at the time
Support Magic
Light- Creates a light in a dark area
- Stuns Zelgadis with a flashbang-like spell
- "Lightning", another flashbang-like spell, stuns Halcyform and makes him drop his spell
Levitation
- Casts Levitation quickly and wordlessly
- Lifts her and Gourry high into the air
- Floats a group of people to the top of a tower
- Flies herself back onto an island after falling in a way where her opponent doesn't realize she had flown away
- Rapidly flies across sand dunes carrying an old woman
- Flies fast enough to keep pace with a magic chariot
- Flies quickly after the chariot up onto a castle wall
- Flies up and out of the way of a massive tsunami
- Offers flight with more range of movement than Levitation
- Puts multiple people into bubbles and floats them around
- Lets her recover midair after being hit by Naga’s attack that sends her flying
- Creates an air bubble sufficient to let her and the rest of the party dive to the bottom of the ocean and into an underwater temple
- Has her arm dislocated by a monster and heals it back into place
- Casts a healing spell on herself, which she says can heal her chest injury in a few minutes
- Heals two men after roasting them with Mega Brando
- Even when her magic was weakened, was able to heal away Gourry’s injuries.
- Together with Amelia, restores Filia's stamina
- [Limit] Can’t heal severe wounds like what Amelia suffers from Saygram
- Wordlessly repels a sorceress's spell
- Blocks a barrage of attacks from Lesser Demons each strong enough to shatter the ground
- Holds back Rezo's magical blast with a protection barrier for a moment
- Blocks a magic blast that tears through the landscape
- Blocks an explosive that's as powerful as a Dragon Slave
- Together with Amelia and Zelgadis, blocks a barrage of attacks that destroy a town
- Her headband protects against some of Eris's magic
Miscellaneous Magic
Boo BrymerBloom Brymer Special
- [Talismans] Shapes large stone blocks into intricate statues
- Creates a giant golem in the shape of a dung beetle
- Creates a large stone golem, then has it turn its arm into a sword for Gourry
Ferious Breed
- Summons a dove, opening a dimensional hole to break Lina out of a pocket dimension
- Summons a swarm of birds to peck her foe into submission
Shadow Snap
Galvayra
Galvayra is a legendary Weapon of Light, one of the five weapons created from Dark Star Dugradigdu's subordinates, specifically a powerful bow. The Sword of Light is one of its sister weapons, but the Sword of Light's power doesn't even come close to Galvayra. After Lina discovered it, Xellos stole it
- Blasts a hole in a stone ceiling, then blows a hole in cloud cover
- Vaporizes a large amount of water
- Blocks a blast from another Weapon of Light
- Casts a Dragon Slave through Galvayra
- Even spells she calls ‘trivial’ are powerful enough to blast through stone and shake surrounding trees
- Her magic is powerful enough to passively power a huge golem just by being inside it
- Casts a spell to put a troll to sleep
- Uses a spell to divine whether magic spells were cast on two items
- Puts a protection spell on her treasure to prevent it from being found through scrying
- Says that a mind-control spell is "easy"
- Reverses the healing factor of some trolls so that a small wound destroys their whole body
- Instantly recognizes the enchantment used on a suit of armor and that the expense required to cast it means its wearer has a wealthy sponsor
- Uses some magic to turn flawed rubies into an amulet of protection
- Lights a campfire with her hands.
- Rapidly constructs a pyramid and sarcophagus which then sink into the ground
- Blows up a castle using multiple spells
- Defeats a large number of Chimeras even while holding back
- Working with the rest of the party, slays a fierce dragon
- Working with the rest of the party, defeats a sea serpent and takes its tail
- Working with the rest of the party, defeats a large army of bandits
Physicals
Limits
- Her powers are heavily limited during her menstrual cycle
- Terrified of slugs
- Susceptible to hypnosis. Though the hypnotist in question is considered by Lina to be a master
- Has problems with friendly fire
Other
- Being Lina Inverse is a crime
- Dragons are naturally afraid of her
- Her reputation is so fierce that pirates instantly surrender to her; in some villages, it’s said that not even God can help when she comes for you.
- Killed so many bandits they became “an endangered species” and she had to switch to fighting pirates.
- Capturing her is more difficult than capturing a demon or a dragon
- Is the only person in her party to realize that she has been intentionally served a different kind of meat than she ordered
- Designed and built a Magic Tank powerful enough to smash through buildings and tank hits from Amelia and Pokota’s spells
- Improvises a fishing rod and catches a big fish
- Screams hard enough to topple a pile of rubble
- When angered, stormclouds gather overhead
- Hits Gourry with her sweat drop
- Projects a flashback of an earlier scene for Gourry
- Breaks the fourth wall
- Has a dagger
- Swordfights Zahhard, who is noted to be skilled with a sword and can cut two stone-shelled creatures in half with one swipe
- Carries her coinpurse on a string to thwart would-be thieves
- The jewels on her shoulder pads are explosive when removed
When you pick a fight with Lina Inverse, consider yourself lucky to get off this easy!
2023.03.31 04:14 SensitiveEye6725 The Beauty of Adam Young's Christian Lyrics (Coco Moon)
(NOTICE: I do not plan to cause a ruckus with this post. Just in case, this post does not go against any rules and is simply just another interpretation of Adam's astounding and heartfelt lyrics told in light of the perspective of a fellow brother in Christ (Christian.))
Edit: please read before downvoting.. The upvote rate has been very quickly decreasing and I would prefer that you either leave this post alone or explain why you downvoted it..
I'm sure many will skip this post, but that's okay! I just felt like making a compilation like this for any that are interested!
Adam has said himself, " Stay in the Word. The moment you start letting go of that, you're on the road to compromise. Stay grounded, remain pure, keep your eyes fixed on Jesus." source and I think that is a beautiful example of what he has done. Whether you are Christian or not, you can't deny that his love for Christ is certainly what has kept him pure and staying true to himself even through his rapid entrance into fame! Anyways, without further ado, here is my list of his Christian lyrics that I find so absolutely heartening!
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The song is a modern retelling of the parable of Hidden Treasure in Matthew 13:44 which reads, "The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field." -- I personally have fallen in love with the lyrics of this song after realizing it's like a 5 and a half minute long catchy parable!
It is also very personal to Adam I am sure. Sure he is certainly very well off compared to must of us due to his success, but he really did give away so many opportunities that could have made him SO much more popular and successful (we all know he could be VASTLY more popular than he is now and he deserves it!) but rather, he sold it all to keep "his treasure in heaven, not under the ground"! "You might call it foolish, but I call it faith! Trusting in God so gladly, you can't hardly wait!"
Adam spends time with God and His Word daily and understands the worth of the field (heaven) he has purchased. "Cause betting the farm is well worth the risk to carefully keep such a beautiful gift that is yours forever is a pretty good deal!"
He ends the song by saying the two things more valuable than wealth is your heart and soul. Adam is not the kind of guy to knock on your door and preach you fire and brimstone. xP kinda wish I had more friends in church like him!
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This song was honestly not one of my favorites when I first heard it. It took me quite a few listens to really understand it. Then I did some searching on my own time and found something really amazing! This song is about the rapture! (not mentioned by name in the Bible, just a name Christians gave to a very well known prophecy in the Bible) and it tells an amazing story of our imperfection being made perfect as we follow God!
Mark 3:17 reads, "And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:" So when adam starts off the song saying "We are the new Sons of Thunder" He is telling modern day disciples (Christians) that they are the new James and John. Which honestly, if you think about it, doesn't sound that great concerning James was the first apostle to be killed for his faith and John died unjustly imprisoned on the Isle of Patmos 🙃. But I think this is definitely relevant and comforting still if you look at it the right way. True Christianity will never fit in with modern culture and I as a Christian have had my fair share of well, beatings from lovely classmates who disapproved though I would absolutely not claim those experiences to be as bad as being stabbed with a sword (James) or being worked to death in a prison camp (John).
ON A LIGHTER NOTE! 😂👉👈
this is a song of hope! And I think it is beautiful the way Adam portrays this hope and even calls back to an old hymn that my mom used to sing to me (it made this song very emotional to me for a few listens)
here is a small list of lines in this song along with verses they call out to or similar ideas
"And when we leave the Earth with a shower of sparks, we'll meet in the sky and we'll walk among the stars" - reference to being caught up in the sky as Christ returns for those who trust in Him.
"And with young unbroken hearts, we'll walk among the stars" - Revelation 21:4-5 “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful." that's just.. Wow. I love this ageless book. Adam is speaking of the new bodies we will have in heaven as mentioned in these verses. For the rest of eternity we will not experience the pain of loss, we will not experience broken bones or bruises, and we will have no heartache.
"We'll fly" -- I'll get to this later as this phrase is very personal to me 😌
"In the twinkling of an eye" -- 1 Corinthians 15:52 “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” this is probably the most explicitly stated of the lyrics. A very catchy way to allude to it though! "In the twiinlingg of an EEEYYYYEEEEE" come on, I know you've done it too! x3
"And even though we are strange and exquisitely scarred, we won't need to pretend to be anything we aren't" -- This is not a direct quotation, but it is alluding to the concept in Psalms 139:13-16 "For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. 14I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. 15My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them." This verse talks about how our imperfection is what makes us unique. We are not expected to be perfect to live our best life, and by embracing his quirkiness, Adam has stayed true to this! I'm sure some of you hardcore fans like me have dug up some of his old youtube videos he uploaded with his school friends... The dude is a wacko!! XD but it really just makes him even more lovable doesn't it? And I don't think he would have the same wonderful imagination that brought us all to admire his work if he didn't embrace that part of him! ((I hear a lot of talk about how people don't like the weird ways to describe the listeners in this song, but in light of this line, it makes a lot more sense. He is just alluding to the uniqueness of humanity))
"We're all too familiar with the fires of life, But we are resilient survivors. And one day we'll be free of nefarious schemes, of cruel twists of fate and evil kings and queens" -- as the idea has already been passed, I won't go into much detail. Just another glimpse of the sinless world heaven will be! A world with only one just ruler as shown in Revelation 4:2-3 "And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. 3And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald."
"You were made to run and not be faint" -- an allusion to Isaiah 40:29-31 "He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. 30Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 31But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." essentially, those who rely and rest in God's comfort will find strength and energy even when life wears them out. As a college student, I can verify this verse rings true! xP
"So take heart, wild one, for there is a God who loves you to death no matter what you've done. So don't lose hope Cause He will lead you home!" -- a beautiful illustration of God's patience. This song is an absolute carnival ride through all of my favorite parts of the Bible and is absolutely convoluted with hints of God's love and understanding of humanities flaws! It is so well written for an audience that may not be listening for his Christian morals that even I took about an hour to write it all down slowly reading the lyrics to find all of these references ^^'
now for the part I said I would get to.. I don't know if it was intentional, but the phrase "We'll fly" reminded me of an old hymn that means a lot to me. It is one of the first Christian songs I remember hearing as a kid. It's pretty short, it goes:
Some glad morning when this life is over
I'll fly away
To a home on God's celestial shore
I'll fly away
I'll fly away, oh, Glory
I'll fly away
When I die, Hallelujah, by and by
I'll fly away
Just a few more weary days and then
I'll fly away
To a land where joy shall never end
I'll fly away
I'll fly away, oh, Glory
I'll fly away
When I die, Hallelujah, by and by
I'll fly away
Yeah, when I die, Hallelujah, by and by
I'll fly away
It made me nearly cry when I made this connection because that song has been engraved in me as a young child and when I head Adam (my greatest inspiration under the sky) say it himself, I was just overwhelmed with a mix of emotion and longing for that day!
NEXT UP:
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and of course, let's start with the most shocking part! xD
"It sounded like a freight train was draggin' me to Hell" -- "DiD aDaM yOuNg SaY hElL?!" Yes he did! 😂 Adam won't use it as a curse word (What the **) or take the authority to condemn people to it (Go to **), but he will definitely use it as a place as he and any Christian believes that Hell is a real place and the use of it fits very effectively here and really adds another dimension to the emotion in his voice! Hell is of course one of the two places the Bible says you will go (Or three if you count "Abraham's Bosom" in the Old Testament. (Charming name, right)? The use of this word clearly show that Adam was very scared in the moment. A loud and frightening whirlwind was shouting in his ears like a literal freight train dragging him to literal Hell. I'd be scared too! This also explains his usage of it in Field Notes: "Like there was Hell to pay" I don't personally use this phrase, but it is technically correct to use it that way. It essentially means his dog was barking very angrily like it was gonna tear into something or someone for wronging it.
"And this was my prayer 'save me from this terrible nightmare'" -- I can't speak for everyone, but I've had a few near death experiences of my own. Mostly as a kid that got myself into tricky situations in the woods (nearly falling down what I thought at that age was a mountain side to be saved by my Dad's catch and legitimately going unconscious (by suffocation not drowning, I did not inhale any water as far as I know) in a lake cos I decided to wear jeans while swimming but saved by someone and brought to shore) each of these times I distinctly remember going "Ok, I'm literally going to die, I better repent" cos I knew all too well where I was going at that point in my life, heh..
(melody) -- You can hear it in the music. He prays and suddenly peace comes, a pleasant melody plays even though the storm hasn't stopped yet. The beauty of this to Christians is enough to bring us to tears. At least for me. Jesus cleared literal storms in the Bible, but even when I pray and my metaphorical storm (trial or heartache) doesn't clear immediately, there's just this overwhelming peace I feel personally as I feel Him say "I see you". Adam not only has used His lyrics to show his faith, but even the way he plays his music, and this is just.. Wow, it's like a giant warm comforting hug!!
"That was when I saw my family with my eyes shut real tight. Would they know how much I loved them if this was how I died...?" -- Adam loves his family as we all know. He has written about them, and the respect he has for his parents is just so heartwarming! - So, in this section, as Adam's (or whoever this story is written as) peace sits in, he gets a vision of his family and is overwhelmed with love for them. Just as he was afraid of having anything wrong in him that would send him to Hell, he feared that maybe he hasn't done enough to show his family just how much he really loves them. You can take this with a grain of salt, but I would say that was imagery from God due to his prayer because this is the imagery that gives him the determination to keep "tankin' on" and get through the storm!
and the rest of the song speaks for itself!
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The song plays like a dream; a dream of wartime. Enemy against enemy, foe against foe. War is terrible, it is heartbreaking. and it shows the worst of humanity.
Two enemies cross paths and the minute they take notice of each other, they aim. Ripped away from their families and drafted into, well, metaphorical Hell as you can put it, they hesitate. It's a standstill, but who will shoot first? Frozen by sight, the one from perspective of the writer hears that calm whisper I am all too familiar with. "My son, if my disciple be, show grace and love your enemy." Surely in the moment this sounded absurd! This is war! Surely this voice could not know better than me! But nonetheless, even if this kills me, I will trust in you. This is why this is a hard song to write and only the strongest of Christians can write a song like this. Whether you are a Christian or not, history itself shows Jesus Christ was an actual living breathing man put to death by Pontius Pilate and was doomed to the most brutal, slow, gruesome and painful death documented in history; Crucifixion. (read at your own caution.)
So, from a Christian perspective (This is not a preaching point, please do not misread, I am just explaining the importance of this to Adam as a Christian.), the Bible says that this was an intentional and necessary sacrifice. The perfect "Lamb of God" had to be the last sacrifice which ended the Old Testament method of animal sacrifice and the veil in the Jewish temple was torn signifying that God was no longer only available to the priests and that anyone could have a relationship with Him. You begin to see just how much this means to Christians like me and Adam, right? Putting down your weapon to spare the life of another is a mere inconvenience compare to the grace Jesus showed His church as He willingly stood silent in trial and took the most painful persecution in history that literally caused earthquakes.
"If I should live to see more days, I pray the Lord to guide my ways. With grace to love my enemy, for grace my Savior showed to me."
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However, there is one AMAZING section of this song that means so much to me!
"So I'll say it now before we're at the door that someday we'll walk through" -- Talking about one of them passing. "Till death do us part."
next he says, "and if I'm the only one left in the room, "There's nowhere else I'll rather be than HOME with you" -- I just can't! That's so beautiful!!! I mean sure, it's pretty obvious to say that you would want to be with your beloved especially once they pass, but there's something different here that I didn't notice till like, my 10th time listening. During other sections similar to this one, he always says "I'd rather be here with you" but here he didn't! He can't be "here" with her if she is in Heaven! Instead he says "I'll rather be home with you" He and Abbey know this world is not their home and someday they will be home eternally together and I don't think you can get any more heartwarming than that thought!
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the end ^^
submitted by SensitiveEye6725 to OWLCITY [link] [comments]
Edit: please read before downvoting.. The upvote rate has been very quickly decreasing and I would prefer that you either leave this post alone or explain why you downvoted it..
I'm sure many will skip this post, but that's okay! I just felt like making a compilation like this for any that are interested!
Adam has said himself, " Stay in the Word. The moment you start letting go of that, you're on the road to compromise. Stay grounded, remain pure, keep your eyes fixed on Jesus." source and I think that is a beautiful example of what he has done. Whether you are Christian or not, you can't deny that his love for Christ is certainly what has kept him pure and staying true to himself even through his rapid entrance into fame! Anyways, without further ado, here is my list of his Christian lyrics that I find so absolutely heartening!
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Field Notes:
This one is pretty obviously Christian, but it took me many listens to really understand just how deep this song was!The song is a modern retelling of the parable of Hidden Treasure in Matthew 13:44 which reads, "The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field." -- I personally have fallen in love with the lyrics of this song after realizing it's like a 5 and a half minute long catchy parable!
It is also very personal to Adam I am sure. Sure he is certainly very well off compared to must of us due to his success, but he really did give away so many opportunities that could have made him SO much more popular and successful (we all know he could be VASTLY more popular than he is now and he deserves it!) but rather, he sold it all to keep "his treasure in heaven, not under the ground"! "You might call it foolish, but I call it faith! Trusting in God so gladly, you can't hardly wait!"
Adam spends time with God and His Word daily and understands the worth of the field (heaven) he has purchased. "Cause betting the farm is well worth the risk to carefully keep such a beautiful gift that is yours forever is a pretty good deal!"
He ends the song by saying the two things more valuable than wealth is your heart and soul. Adam is not the kind of guy to knock on your door and preach you fire and brimstone. xP kinda wish I had more friends in church like him!
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Sons of Thunder:
this one is loaded lol, sorry for such a big section.This song was honestly not one of my favorites when I first heard it. It took me quite a few listens to really understand it. Then I did some searching on my own time and found something really amazing! This song is about the rapture! (not mentioned by name in the Bible, just a name Christians gave to a very well known prophecy in the Bible) and it tells an amazing story of our imperfection being made perfect as we follow God!
Mark 3:17 reads, "And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:" So when adam starts off the song saying "We are the new Sons of Thunder" He is telling modern day disciples (Christians) that they are the new James and John. Which honestly, if you think about it, doesn't sound that great concerning James was the first apostle to be killed for his faith and John died unjustly imprisoned on the Isle of Patmos 🙃. But I think this is definitely relevant and comforting still if you look at it the right way. True Christianity will never fit in with modern culture and I as a Christian have had my fair share of well, beatings from lovely classmates who disapproved though I would absolutely not claim those experiences to be as bad as being stabbed with a sword (James) or being worked to death in a prison camp (John).
ON A LIGHTER NOTE! 😂👉👈
this is a song of hope! And I think it is beautiful the way Adam portrays this hope and even calls back to an old hymn that my mom used to sing to me (it made this song very emotional to me for a few listens)
here is a small list of lines in this song along with verses they call out to or similar ideas
"And when we leave the Earth with a shower of sparks, we'll meet in the sky and we'll walk among the stars" - reference to being caught up in the sky as Christ returns for those who trust in Him.
"And with young unbroken hearts, we'll walk among the stars" - Revelation 21:4-5 “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful." that's just.. Wow. I love this ageless book. Adam is speaking of the new bodies we will have in heaven as mentioned in these verses. For the rest of eternity we will not experience the pain of loss, we will not experience broken bones or bruises, and we will have no heartache.
"We'll fly" -- I'll get to this later as this phrase is very personal to me 😌
"In the twinkling of an eye" -- 1 Corinthians 15:52 “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” this is probably the most explicitly stated of the lyrics. A very catchy way to allude to it though! "In the twiinlingg of an EEEYYYYEEEEE" come on, I know you've done it too! x3
"And even though we are strange and exquisitely scarred, we won't need to pretend to be anything we aren't" -- This is not a direct quotation, but it is alluding to the concept in Psalms 139:13-16 "For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. 14I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. 15My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them." This verse talks about how our imperfection is what makes us unique. We are not expected to be perfect to live our best life, and by embracing his quirkiness, Adam has stayed true to this! I'm sure some of you hardcore fans like me have dug up some of his old youtube videos he uploaded with his school friends... The dude is a wacko!! XD but it really just makes him even more lovable doesn't it? And I don't think he would have the same wonderful imagination that brought us all to admire his work if he didn't embrace that part of him! ((I hear a lot of talk about how people don't like the weird ways to describe the listeners in this song, but in light of this line, it makes a lot more sense. He is just alluding to the uniqueness of humanity))
"We're all too familiar with the fires of life, But we are resilient survivors. And one day we'll be free of nefarious schemes, of cruel twists of fate and evil kings and queens" -- as the idea has already been passed, I won't go into much detail. Just another glimpse of the sinless world heaven will be! A world with only one just ruler as shown in Revelation 4:2-3 "And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. 3And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald."
"You were made to run and not be faint" -- an allusion to Isaiah 40:29-31 "He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. 30Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 31But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." essentially, those who rely and rest in God's comfort will find strength and energy even when life wears them out. As a college student, I can verify this verse rings true! xP
"So take heart, wild one, for there is a God who loves you to death no matter what you've done. So don't lose hope Cause He will lead you home!" -- a beautiful illustration of God's patience. This song is an absolute carnival ride through all of my favorite parts of the Bible and is absolutely convoluted with hints of God's love and understanding of humanities flaws! It is so well written for an audience that may not be listening for his Christian morals that even I took about an hour to write it all down slowly reading the lyrics to find all of these references ^^'
now for the part I said I would get to.. I don't know if it was intentional, but the phrase "We'll fly" reminded me of an old hymn that means a lot to me. It is one of the first Christian songs I remember hearing as a kid. It's pretty short, it goes:
Some glad morning when this life is over
I'll fly away
To a home on God's celestial shore
I'll fly away
I'll fly away, oh, Glory
I'll fly away
When I die, Hallelujah, by and by
I'll fly away
Just a few more weary days and then
I'll fly away
To a land where joy shall never end
I'll fly away
I'll fly away, oh, Glory
I'll fly away
When I die, Hallelujah, by and by
I'll fly away
Yeah, when I die, Hallelujah, by and by
I'll fly away
It made me nearly cry when I made this connection because that song has been engraved in me as a young child and when I head Adam (my greatest inspiration under the sky) say it himself, I was just overwhelmed with a mix of emotion and longing for that day!
NEXT UP:
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The Tornado:
I'm sure a lot of you will agree with me when I say, I LOVE THIS SONG!!! Oh my goodness Adam's vocals make this song a thrilling adventure every time! Just as with most of Adam's songs, it is easy to pick out some hints of his Christianity. But when you look a little bit deeper, you see this is a story of answered prayer, a story of repentance and yet again, hope!and of course, let's start with the most shocking part! xD
"It sounded like a freight train was draggin' me to Hell" -- "DiD aDaM yOuNg SaY hElL?!" Yes he did! 😂 Adam won't use it as a curse word (What the **) or take the authority to condemn people to it (Go to **), but he will definitely use it as a place as he and any Christian believes that Hell is a real place and the use of it fits very effectively here and really adds another dimension to the emotion in his voice! Hell is of course one of the two places the Bible says you will go (Or three if you count "Abraham's Bosom" in the Old Testament. (Charming name, right)? The use of this word clearly show that Adam was very scared in the moment. A loud and frightening whirlwind was shouting in his ears like a literal freight train dragging him to literal Hell. I'd be scared too! This also explains his usage of it in Field Notes: "Like there was Hell to pay" I don't personally use this phrase, but it is technically correct to use it that way. It essentially means his dog was barking very angrily like it was gonna tear into something or someone for wronging it.
"And this was my prayer 'save me from this terrible nightmare'" -- I can't speak for everyone, but I've had a few near death experiences of my own. Mostly as a kid that got myself into tricky situations in the woods (nearly falling down what I thought at that age was a mountain side to be saved by my Dad's catch and legitimately going unconscious (by suffocation not drowning, I did not inhale any water as far as I know) in a lake cos I decided to wear jeans while swimming but saved by someone and brought to shore) each of these times I distinctly remember going "Ok, I'm literally going to die, I better repent" cos I knew all too well where I was going at that point in my life, heh..
(melody) -- You can hear it in the music. He prays and suddenly peace comes, a pleasant melody plays even though the storm hasn't stopped yet. The beauty of this to Christians is enough to bring us to tears. At least for me. Jesus cleared literal storms in the Bible, but even when I pray and my metaphorical storm (trial or heartache) doesn't clear immediately, there's just this overwhelming peace I feel personally as I feel Him say "I see you". Adam not only has used His lyrics to show his faith, but even the way he plays his music, and this is just.. Wow, it's like a giant warm comforting hug!!
"That was when I saw my family with my eyes shut real tight. Would they know how much I loved them if this was how I died...?" -- Adam loves his family as we all know. He has written about them, and the respect he has for his parents is just so heartwarming! - So, in this section, as Adam's (or whoever this story is written as) peace sits in, he gets a vision of his family and is overwhelmed with love for them. Just as he was afraid of having anything wrong in him that would send him to Hell, he feared that maybe he hasn't done enough to show his family just how much he really loves them. You can take this with a grain of salt, but I would say that was imagery from God due to his prayer because this is the imagery that gives him the determination to keep "tankin' on" and get through the storm!
and the rest of the song speaks for itself!
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The Meadow Lark:
It takes a strong Christian to write a song like this.. You cannot write away this song as being spiritual propaganda by any means. As Adam said, "The point is that “Coco Moon” is a very Owl City album. It is quirky. It is odd. It is unapologetically myself. I made an album that is exactly the way it was supposed to be, not an album that popular culture, or algorithms, or analytics, or anyone else on planet Earth told me to make. I wrote me. Average, ordinary, weird me." Source This song is personal to Adam, the message is personal to him. The story may be for the sake of the song but the message.. No, that WAS for Adam.The song plays like a dream; a dream of wartime. Enemy against enemy, foe against foe. War is terrible, it is heartbreaking. and it shows the worst of humanity.
Two enemies cross paths and the minute they take notice of each other, they aim. Ripped away from their families and drafted into, well, metaphorical Hell as you can put it, they hesitate. It's a standstill, but who will shoot first? Frozen by sight, the one from perspective of the writer hears that calm whisper I am all too familiar with. "My son, if my disciple be, show grace and love your enemy." Surely in the moment this sounded absurd! This is war! Surely this voice could not know better than me! But nonetheless, even if this kills me, I will trust in you. This is why this is a hard song to write and only the strongest of Christians can write a song like this. Whether you are a Christian or not, history itself shows Jesus Christ was an actual living breathing man put to death by Pontius Pilate and was doomed to the most brutal, slow, gruesome and painful death documented in history; Crucifixion. (read at your own caution.)
So, from a Christian perspective (This is not a preaching point, please do not misread, I am just explaining the importance of this to Adam as a Christian.), the Bible says that this was an intentional and necessary sacrifice. The perfect "Lamb of God" had to be the last sacrifice which ended the Old Testament method of animal sacrifice and the veil in the Jewish temple was torn signifying that God was no longer only available to the priests and that anyone could have a relationship with Him. You begin to see just how much this means to Christians like me and Adam, right? Putting down your weapon to spare the life of another is a mere inconvenience compare to the grace Jesus showed His church as He willingly stood silent in trial and took the most painful persecution in history that literally caused earthquakes.
"If I should live to see more days, I pray the Lord to guide my ways. With grace to love my enemy, for grace my Savior showed to me."
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My Muse:
this one is clearly about Abbey, and as they are a Christian couple making Christian vows, there's a lot in this song that you would expect. Marriage is described in the bible as an expression of how God loves the church and this idea is what has helped many Christian families stay closely knit and pure and undivided even with growing pressure to divorce quick and divorce often. I know this from experience in my church but here is even a non-Christian source (this is a phenomenal article and I highly suggest you read it.) This is what allowed Adam to make such a beautiful song about his unwavering commitment to his wife, Abbey, despite the struggles he has said that they faced.However, there is one AMAZING section of this song that means so much to me!
"So I'll say it now before we're at the door that someday we'll walk through" -- Talking about one of them passing. "Till death do us part."
next he says, "and if I'm the only one left in the room, "There's nowhere else I'll rather be than HOME with you" -- I just can't! That's so beautiful!!! I mean sure, it's pretty obvious to say that you would want to be with your beloved especially once they pass, but there's something different here that I didn't notice till like, my 10th time listening. During other sections similar to this one, he always says "I'd rather be here with you" but here he didn't! He can't be "here" with her if she is in Heaven! Instead he says "I'll rather be home with you" He and Abbey know this world is not their home and someday they will be home eternally together and I don't think you can get any more heartwarming than that thought!
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the end ^^
2023.03.31 02:23 MaggieQueenOfBB6 George vs Sharn
So Sharn and George are the only two players who have made the finale twice. So let's compare them as players. Before you just say George because he is the flashier player, let's really dig into the statistics.
Physical Game- Sharn easily gets it. Sharn won 4 immunities in CvC and 1 in All Stars. She is strong at endurance challenges, and a lot of help during tribal challenges as well. George is notorious for being unable to be unable to win challenges. Sharn could win her way to the end if she needed to.
Social game- Sharn wins by default I think. Sharn is able to work with anyone meanwhile George is prone to alienating half of the players based on his personality. George's upside is that if he can get with a solid group that likes him, he is locked in stone with those players. Meanwhile Sharn is the type of player who sketches everyone out, but positions herself in a way that makes people need to work with her.
Strategic game- George has a great strategic mind and can pull of amazing and flashy moves that produce all time great moments in terms of TV. Sharn is a more strategically sound player who focuses on positioning and getting to the end. Both are players who are able to make string strategic moves, but also players capable of making strategic blunders. I feel like George's blunders are usually bigger, but his flashy moves are more likely to stun fellow players. Sharn is a more covert player. I think you could argue either one of them, do you want a more consistent and level game (although Sharn does crumble under pressure) or a strategic game with higher highs and lowers lows. I would give the slight edge to George.
Jury management- This is both of their biggest flaws. Both players will always struggle to win a jury vote. Both had arguably one season where they were drawing dead by the F3 (All Stars for Sharn (although I think it is a toss up between her and Moana) and BvB for George) Both had one season where they had the most impressive resume on paper, but between their actions and angles of their pitches, they lost the vote or got sniped too early. I think George was closer to winning HvV than Sharn was to winning CvC, but that is solely because that season had a Final 3. If it was a final 2 like Sharn had to make in CvC (and All Stars) he almost 100% gets cut in 3rd place. I think looking solely at jury management, George gets the point.
Longevity/threat management- Sharn wins hands down. Making 2 Final 2's in a row is impressive as hell. Especially when the narrative after your first season is that you should have won. Sharn has NEVER been in danger of leaving pre merge meanwhile George made himself a target early both times he played. Easy point for Sharn.
Entertainment/legacy- to appease the George stans, George wins this, but this is a moot point when comparing these people as PLAYERS.
The main point, who do I have more confidence in to win a season of Survivor- from what I've seen from Sharn over 100 days and George over 98, I have to give the title of the two time finale maker I think could win to Sharn. Sharn falls much more in line with the rest of our Australian Survivor winners we've seen: Kristie, Jericho, Shane, Pia, Hayley, Mark, and Liz where they played slow, more socially-oriented burning games without a ton of flashy and explosive moves. The only exception is David, who is obviously comparable to George.
So I believe Sharn is the stronger player of the two players who have made multiple finales. What do you think?
submitted by MaggieQueenOfBB6 to survivorau [link] [comments]
Physical Game- Sharn easily gets it. Sharn won 4 immunities in CvC and 1 in All Stars. She is strong at endurance challenges, and a lot of help during tribal challenges as well. George is notorious for being unable to be unable to win challenges. Sharn could win her way to the end if she needed to.
Social game- Sharn wins by default I think. Sharn is able to work with anyone meanwhile George is prone to alienating half of the players based on his personality. George's upside is that if he can get with a solid group that likes him, he is locked in stone with those players. Meanwhile Sharn is the type of player who sketches everyone out, but positions herself in a way that makes people need to work with her.
Strategic game- George has a great strategic mind and can pull of amazing and flashy moves that produce all time great moments in terms of TV. Sharn is a more strategically sound player who focuses on positioning and getting to the end. Both are players who are able to make string strategic moves, but also players capable of making strategic blunders. I feel like George's blunders are usually bigger, but his flashy moves are more likely to stun fellow players. Sharn is a more covert player. I think you could argue either one of them, do you want a more consistent and level game (although Sharn does crumble under pressure) or a strategic game with higher highs and lowers lows. I would give the slight edge to George.
Jury management- This is both of their biggest flaws. Both players will always struggle to win a jury vote. Both had arguably one season where they were drawing dead by the F3 (All Stars for Sharn (although I think it is a toss up between her and Moana) and BvB for George) Both had one season where they had the most impressive resume on paper, but between their actions and angles of their pitches, they lost the vote or got sniped too early. I think George was closer to winning HvV than Sharn was to winning CvC, but that is solely because that season had a Final 3. If it was a final 2 like Sharn had to make in CvC (and All Stars) he almost 100% gets cut in 3rd place. I think looking solely at jury management, George gets the point.
Longevity/threat management- Sharn wins hands down. Making 2 Final 2's in a row is impressive as hell. Especially when the narrative after your first season is that you should have won. Sharn has NEVER been in danger of leaving pre merge meanwhile George made himself a target early both times he played. Easy point for Sharn.
Entertainment/legacy- to appease the George stans, George wins this, but this is a moot point when comparing these people as PLAYERS.
The main point, who do I have more confidence in to win a season of Survivor- from what I've seen from Sharn over 100 days and George over 98, I have to give the title of the two time finale maker I think could win to Sharn. Sharn falls much more in line with the rest of our Australian Survivor winners we've seen: Kristie, Jericho, Shane, Pia, Hayley, Mark, and Liz where they played slow, more socially-oriented burning games without a ton of flashy and explosive moves. The only exception is David, who is obviously comparable to George.
So I believe Sharn is the stronger player of the two players who have made multiple finales. What do you think?
2023.03.30 20:34 MCMIVC My thoughts on each of the directors of the series.
Chris Columbus was a fantastic choice for Philosopher's Stone and Chamber of Secrets. He really understood the world and characters. These two first films are by far the ones that feel the most like their source books.
Alfonso Cuarón was a great choice for Prisoner of Azkaban. There are some parts that I think he could have handled a little bit better (Marauder's subplot), but the the overall package is great, and the film feels quite a lot like it's source book.
Mike Newell was a ambitious but flawed choice for Goblet of Fire. The film is very good, and works as a film in itself, but it leaves out so much and really doesn't capture the tone of the book for me, with some exeptions, like the graveyard scene, which I think he nailed. Both as a scene in itself, and as an adaption from the book. This book really needed to be two films, though. All in all I think Newell did well with the darker elements of the story, and he played to his strengths, thus the film is quite dark all the way through, as opposed to the book, that has a more gradual build-up and then the final whiplash with Voldemorts return. Behind-the-scenes footage shows that he had a great level of energy that is felt in the film for better and for worse.
I have mixed feelings about Yates as a director of the franchise.
David Yates was a fantastic choice for Order of the Phoenix. That film works fantastically as film in itself, and while cutting out a lot of the source, it captures more of the spirit of its source book than some of the other films do.
Yates was a... I'll be generous and say; misguided choice for Half-Blood Prince. The way the story is adapted and structured, what elements from the book he chose to focus on, doesn't work well with his strengths. He wanted to do a teen rom-com. And he doesn't really pull it off. Ironically, I think if he had included more of Voldemort's Backstory and the horcrux plot, he would have done better, as what little remains of it in the film, are the parts he actually does quite well.
Yates was a good choice for Deathly Hallows. In part 1, I think he flounders a little bit in some parts, but still does a decent job. Part 2 is really quite brilliant.
If I could change things around and rewrite history to create my ideal film and director lineup for the series, still including each director it would be: PS - Columbus CoS - Columbus PoA - Cuarón GoF pt. 1 & 2 - Columbus OotP - Yates HBP pt. 1 & 2 - Cuarón Deathly Hallows pt. 1 & 2 - Newell
I'd also want Columbus to stay on as producer through the whole series. If I don't have to include all directors, I'd instead have either Yates, Cuarón or Columbus for Deathy Hallows, but everything else as is.
Also maybe get some other screenwriters than Steve Kloves after PoA. Maybe Columbus could stay on as writer after being finished directing? Michael Goldenberg can stay on as writer for OotP.
submitted by MCMIVC to harrypotter [link] [comments]
Alfonso Cuarón was a great choice for Prisoner of Azkaban. There are some parts that I think he could have handled a little bit better (Marauder's subplot), but the the overall package is great, and the film feels quite a lot like it's source book.
Mike Newell was a ambitious but flawed choice for Goblet of Fire. The film is very good, and works as a film in itself, but it leaves out so much and really doesn't capture the tone of the book for me, with some exeptions, like the graveyard scene, which I think he nailed. Both as a scene in itself, and as an adaption from the book. This book really needed to be two films, though. All in all I think Newell did well with the darker elements of the story, and he played to his strengths, thus the film is quite dark all the way through, as opposed to the book, that has a more gradual build-up and then the final whiplash with Voldemorts return. Behind-the-scenes footage shows that he had a great level of energy that is felt in the film for better and for worse.
I have mixed feelings about Yates as a director of the franchise.
David Yates was a fantastic choice for Order of the Phoenix. That film works fantastically as film in itself, and while cutting out a lot of the source, it captures more of the spirit of its source book than some of the other films do.
Yates was a... I'll be generous and say; misguided choice for Half-Blood Prince. The way the story is adapted and structured, what elements from the book he chose to focus on, doesn't work well with his strengths. He wanted to do a teen rom-com. And he doesn't really pull it off. Ironically, I think if he had included more of Voldemort's Backstory and the horcrux plot, he would have done better, as what little remains of it in the film, are the parts he actually does quite well.
Yates was a good choice for Deathly Hallows. In part 1, I think he flounders a little bit in some parts, but still does a decent job. Part 2 is really quite brilliant.
I'd also want Columbus to stay on as producer through the whole series. If I don't have to include all directors, I'd instead have either Yates, Cuarón or Columbus for Deathy Hallows, but everything else as is.
Also maybe get some other screenwriters than Steve Kloves after PoA. Maybe Columbus could stay on as writer after being finished directing? Michael Goldenberg can stay on as writer for OotP.
2023.03.30 16:42 Choice_Muffin2233 What is this kind of dream?
Before i starts sorry for my bad english my english is not good.
last year I had a dream and until now my dream continues, it's about a flaming eye with a ring and wings and on its wing there are small eyes around it but before that in my dream I was there in a grass that there are many trees and on the side of that there is a stream and in that stream there are people shouting but because I am far away all I can understand is that they are shouting for help and it seems random to listen because I am far away... I try to approach but there is a man there with wings but he doesn't have a face because he is covered with a blue and black robe and he is holding a cane... I asked him if what is going on here why there are so many people stuck in the creek but he answered me that "you can't go here because it's not your time yet, and the people here are the ones who didn't pass because of the test of faith" and I was surprised because he pushed me so hard and I just saw that I changed places in the woods and then I saw the flaming eyes with a sounding trumpet and like lightning that is incomprehensible but good to listen to the ears... I hid because of fear but he saw me and said " why are you here you can't come here! " He screamed and then I ran away while he was following me and suddenly I bumped into a small eye with a ring and a lot of wings and he pulled me up even though he didn't touch me then he said at the same time " why are you here who gave you permission to enter the clock of life? "then because I was so scared I threw a stone at him but he didn't hit him and he kept saying things I couldn't understand except for a few words like "I am the one who watches over time and life, I am the one who crosses life and death, I am the one watching over him" then suddenly the place moved to my house and I opened our door and then looked for something that I could throw at him until I didn't see him but when I was approaching my room I saw an old man who was very perfect to the point with no flaws in his appearance then he didn't let me near my body until I took a pair of scissors and stabbed him in the head but he just smiled but the color of his blood was different like light yellow and white which was very hot in my hand then when I stabbed him he pulled my hand on his head and I pulled his hair then suddenly i woke up and there was a yellow liquid on my hand but after a few seconds that yellow liquid disappeared but I felt very tired and my tears kept falling... I just let it go until I calm down for a few hours until i fall asleep again because I'm just thinking it's a dream or im having a sleep paralysis. and I fell asleep again.
and according to my dream I see my body falling asleep but I'm flying high as if I'm free.... I enjoyed myself but I saw the old man the one that i stabbed and he changed form into a flaming eye but the trumpet and lightning are still playing around... I asked him "who are you why are you following me?" he answered me that "I am the clock of life, I am the one who gives orders to people like me, I the one who will watch over him" but now he seems to be neutral towards me... until he asked me "do you want to see where I live?" but I hesitated and said no but suddenly I changed place and saw the garden it's so beautiful but this time it's different that I see it's a big mansion that's all white with lots of plants and a lot of trees that are very dazzling to the eyes and have fruits that you can't see here in our world... but while I was walking I heard what rafiel say (that's what I named him until now because I always see him and im with him in my dreams he answered me that is his name) "wait, im hungry then he suddenly changed to huge eyes with a ring and he was full of wings then he suddenly reached for the flying one that looked like a square with wings and ate it, he was filled with a yellow liquid that looked like their blood and when it was all gone he returned to his human figure then I was sitting in fear but he just told me "don't be afraid because you chose this thing, you can't get out of it even if you want to" then he says a lot that I don't understand idk what dialect that is but I've searched and searched and still can't find it...
This is what I'm going to tell you because I want to know what does this dream means.
I have a lot more to follow here because I want to understand what's going on because I feel like I'm going crazy (I'll tell you why next time) if anyone ever knows about this please reach out to me I need help.
submitted by Choice_Muffin2233 to Dreams [link] [comments]
last year I had a dream and until now my dream continues, it's about a flaming eye with a ring and wings and on its wing there are small eyes around it but before that in my dream I was there in a grass that there are many trees and on the side of that there is a stream and in that stream there are people shouting but because I am far away all I can understand is that they are shouting for help and it seems random to listen because I am far away... I try to approach but there is a man there with wings but he doesn't have a face because he is covered with a blue and black robe and he is holding a cane... I asked him if what is going on here why there are so many people stuck in the creek but he answered me that "you can't go here because it's not your time yet, and the people here are the ones who didn't pass because of the test of faith" and I was surprised because he pushed me so hard and I just saw that I changed places in the woods and then I saw the flaming eyes with a sounding trumpet and like lightning that is incomprehensible but good to listen to the ears... I hid because of fear but he saw me and said " why are you here you can't come here! " He screamed and then I ran away while he was following me and suddenly I bumped into a small eye with a ring and a lot of wings and he pulled me up even though he didn't touch me then he said at the same time " why are you here who gave you permission to enter the clock of life? "then because I was so scared I threw a stone at him but he didn't hit him and he kept saying things I couldn't understand except for a few words like "I am the one who watches over time and life, I am the one who crosses life and death, I am the one watching over him" then suddenly the place moved to my house and I opened our door and then looked for something that I could throw at him until I didn't see him but when I was approaching my room I saw an old man who was very perfect to the point with no flaws in his appearance then he didn't let me near my body until I took a pair of scissors and stabbed him in the head but he just smiled but the color of his blood was different like light yellow and white which was very hot in my hand then when I stabbed him he pulled my hand on his head and I pulled his hair then suddenly i woke up and there was a yellow liquid on my hand but after a few seconds that yellow liquid disappeared but I felt very tired and my tears kept falling... I just let it go until I calm down for a few hours until i fall asleep again because I'm just thinking it's a dream or im having a sleep paralysis. and I fell asleep again.
and according to my dream I see my body falling asleep but I'm flying high as if I'm free.... I enjoyed myself but I saw the old man the one that i stabbed and he changed form into a flaming eye but the trumpet and lightning are still playing around... I asked him "who are you why are you following me?" he answered me that "I am the clock of life, I am the one who gives orders to people like me, I the one who will watch over him" but now he seems to be neutral towards me... until he asked me "do you want to see where I live?" but I hesitated and said no but suddenly I changed place and saw the garden it's so beautiful but this time it's different that I see it's a big mansion that's all white with lots of plants and a lot of trees that are very dazzling to the eyes and have fruits that you can't see here in our world... but while I was walking I heard what rafiel say (that's what I named him until now because I always see him and im with him in my dreams he answered me that is his name) "wait, im hungry then he suddenly changed to huge eyes with a ring and he was full of wings then he suddenly reached for the flying one that looked like a square with wings and ate it, he was filled with a yellow liquid that looked like their blood and when it was all gone he returned to his human figure then I was sitting in fear but he just told me "don't be afraid because you chose this thing, you can't get out of it even if you want to" then he says a lot that I don't understand idk what dialect that is but I've searched and searched and still can't find it...
This is what I'm going to tell you because I want to know what does this dream means.
I have a lot more to follow here because I want to understand what's going on because I feel like I'm going crazy (I'll tell you why next time) if anyone ever knows about this please reach out to me I need help.
2023.03.30 16:34 Choice_Muffin2233 I don't know what is the meaning of this dream.
What is the meaning of this dream..
Before i starts sorry for my bad english my english is not good.
last year I had a dream and until now my dream continues, it's about a flaming eye with a ring and wings and on its wing there are small eyes around it but before that in my dream I was there in a grass that there are many trees and on the side of that there is a stream and in that stream there are people shouting but because I am far away all I can understand is that they are shouting for help and it seems random to listen because I am far away... I try to approach but there is a man there with wings but he doesn't have a face because he is covered with a blue and black robe and he is holding a cane... I asked him if what is going on here why there are so many people stuck in the creek but he answered me that "you can't go here because it's not your time yet, and the people here are the ones who didn't pass because of the test of faith" and I was surprised because he pushed me so hard and I just saw that I changed places in the woods and then I saw the flaming eyes with a sounding trumpet and like lightning that is incomprehensible but good to listen to the ears... I hid because of fear but he saw me and said " why are you here you can't come here! " that screamed and then I ran and ran while he was following me and suddenly I bumped into a small eye with a sing sing and a lot of wings and he pulled me up even though he didn't touch me then he said at the same time " why are you here who gave you permission to enter the clock of life? "then because I was so scared I threw a stone at him but he didn't hit him and he kept saying things I couldn't understand except for a few words like "I am the one who watches over time and life, I am the one who crosses life and death, I am the one watching over him" then suddenly the place moved to the house and I opened our door and then looked for something that I could throw at him until I didn't see him but when I was approaching my room I saw an old man who was very perfect to the point with no flaws in his appearance then he didn't let me near my body until I took a pair of scissors and stabbed him in the head but he cursed because the color of his blood was different like light yellow white which was very hot in my hand then when I stabbed him he pulled my hand on his head and I pulled his hair then when I woke up there was a yellow liquid on my hand but after a few seconds that yellow liquid disappeared but I felt very tired and my tears kept falling... I just let it go until I calm down for a few hours until you fall asleep again because I'm just thinking it's a dream or im having a sleep paralysis. and I fell asleep again.
and according to my dream I see my body falling asleep but I'm flying high as if I'm free.... I enjoyed myself as in but I saw the old man I stabbed and he changed form with eyes that were burning and he is very wise but the trumpet and lightning are still playing around... I asked him "who are you why are you following me?" he answered me that "I am the clock of life, I am the one who gives orders to people like me, I the one who will watch over him" but now he seems to be neutral towards me... until he asked me "do you want to see where I live?" but I hesitated and said no but suddenly I changed place and saw the garden it's so beautiful but this time it's different that I see it's a big place that's all white with lots of plants and a lot of trees that are very dazzling to the eyes and have fruits that you can't see here in our world... but while I was walking I heard what the eyes say (that's what I named him until now because I always see him and with him while I'm there in my dreams) "wait, im hungry then he suddenly changed to huge eyes with a ring and he was full of wings then he suddenly reached for the flying one that looked like a square with wings and ate it, he was filled with a yellow liquid that looked like their blood and when it was all gone he returned to his human figure then I was sitting in fear but he just told me "don't be afraid because you chose this thing, you can't get out of it even if you want to" then he says a lot that I don't understand idk what dialect that is but I've searched and searched and still can't find it...
This is what I'm going to tell you because I want to know what does this dream means.
I have a lot more to follow here because I want to understand what's going on because I feel like I'm going crazy (I'll tell you why next time) if anyone ever knows about this please reach out to me I need help.
submitted by Choice_Muffin2233 to Dream [link] [comments]
Before i starts sorry for my bad english my english is not good.
last year I had a dream and until now my dream continues, it's about a flaming eye with a ring and wings and on its wing there are small eyes around it but before that in my dream I was there in a grass that there are many trees and on the side of that there is a stream and in that stream there are people shouting but because I am far away all I can understand is that they are shouting for help and it seems random to listen because I am far away... I try to approach but there is a man there with wings but he doesn't have a face because he is covered with a blue and black robe and he is holding a cane... I asked him if what is going on here why there are so many people stuck in the creek but he answered me that "you can't go here because it's not your time yet, and the people here are the ones who didn't pass because of the test of faith" and I was surprised because he pushed me so hard and I just saw that I changed places in the woods and then I saw the flaming eyes with a sounding trumpet and like lightning that is incomprehensible but good to listen to the ears... I hid because of fear but he saw me and said " why are you here you can't come here! " that screamed and then I ran and ran while he was following me and suddenly I bumped into a small eye with a sing sing and a lot of wings and he pulled me up even though he didn't touch me then he said at the same time " why are you here who gave you permission to enter the clock of life? "then because I was so scared I threw a stone at him but he didn't hit him and he kept saying things I couldn't understand except for a few words like "I am the one who watches over time and life, I am the one who crosses life and death, I am the one watching over him" then suddenly the place moved to the house and I opened our door and then looked for something that I could throw at him until I didn't see him but when I was approaching my room I saw an old man who was very perfect to the point with no flaws in his appearance then he didn't let me near my body until I took a pair of scissors and stabbed him in the head but he cursed because the color of his blood was different like light yellow white which was very hot in my hand then when I stabbed him he pulled my hand on his head and I pulled his hair then when I woke up there was a yellow liquid on my hand but after a few seconds that yellow liquid disappeared but I felt very tired and my tears kept falling... I just let it go until I calm down for a few hours until you fall asleep again because I'm just thinking it's a dream or im having a sleep paralysis. and I fell asleep again.
and according to my dream I see my body falling asleep but I'm flying high as if I'm free.... I enjoyed myself as in but I saw the old man I stabbed and he changed form with eyes that were burning and he is very wise but the trumpet and lightning are still playing around... I asked him "who are you why are you following me?" he answered me that "I am the clock of life, I am the one who gives orders to people like me, I the one who will watch over him" but now he seems to be neutral towards me... until he asked me "do you want to see where I live?" but I hesitated and said no but suddenly I changed place and saw the garden it's so beautiful but this time it's different that I see it's a big place that's all white with lots of plants and a lot of trees that are very dazzling to the eyes and have fruits that you can't see here in our world... but while I was walking I heard what the eyes say (that's what I named him until now because I always see him and with him while I'm there in my dreams) "wait, im hungry then he suddenly changed to huge eyes with a ring and he was full of wings then he suddenly reached for the flying one that looked like a square with wings and ate it, he was filled with a yellow liquid that looked like their blood and when it was all gone he returned to his human figure then I was sitting in fear but he just told me "don't be afraid because you chose this thing, you can't get out of it even if you want to" then he says a lot that I don't understand idk what dialect that is but I've searched and searched and still can't find it...
This is what I'm going to tell you because I want to know what does this dream means.
I have a lot more to follow here because I want to understand what's going on because I feel like I'm going crazy (I'll tell you why next time) if anyone ever knows about this please reach out to me I need help.
2023.03.30 15:20 DaenerysMadQueen GoT Mythology Iceberg
"A wise man once said the true history of the world is the history of great conversations in elegant rooms."
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Daenerys is a tragic heroine
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According to Aristotle and all literature, poetry and theater. Daenerys is a noble, a goddess above mortals, with a destiny and a fatality. She is the tragic heroine, like Titus in Berenice by Racine, she must choose between love and power.
"I am not your little princess. I am Daenerys Stormborn of the blood of Old Valyria, and I will take what is mine. With fire and blood, I will take it."
Jon Snow is a superhero
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He is the modern hero, the virtuous chosen one, the saviour. He always makes the right choices, sacrifices himself for the general interest, he is Neo, Iron Man, Superman and even Batman. Because the tragic heroine falls from her pedestal, the superhero also falls before moral paradoxes. Jon Snow is Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight, he is the myth of the modern, fallible and contradictory hero.
“Kill the boy, Jon Snow. Winter is almost upon us. Kill the boy and let the man be born.”
Tyrion is just a man
The true savior of the world is not the tragic heroine, it is not the superhero. Tyrion has qualities and flaws. He is not immoral, he is not virtuous. He's just a human.
The savior of the world is mortal, because only mortals can direct their destiny, false gods and false idols will not come as saviors. It is the compromise between passion and reason that triumphs. Between love and duty, between ice and fire.
"Did you bring any wine ?"
Sansa is just a woman
Tyrion is the little man who saves the world, Sansa is the young girl who saves the world. She is the one who wins the battle of the Bastards, she is the one who stands up to Daenerys, she is the reason for Jon Snow's final choice. Sansa is the young girl who makes Daenerys tremble.
Tragic heroes and superheroes do not save humanity. Only men and women have this power.
"What about the North ? It was taken from us, and we took it back. And we said we'd never bow to anyone else again. What about the North ?"
The Iron throne is the symbol of Absolute Power
A pile of cold, rusty, sharp swords. Many fight to sit on it, and gain absolute power over the seven kingdoms. It is not the throne that confers the legitimacy to reign. Legitimacy must already be acquired to sit on it. The throne is just a symbol.
"The Iron Throne. Perhaps you should try wanting something else."
Cersei and Jaime are Shakespearean characters
Daenerys is grey. Morally ambiguous. Cersei and Jaime have very clear reasons and objectives. Protect theirs, and destroy their enemies. They are white and black, good and bad.
They are tragic Shakespearian characters, just humans, not gods, not totally bad or totally good.
"- I want our baby to live. I want our baby to live. I want our baby to live. (Jeoffrey, Myrcella, Tommen) Don't let me die, Jaime. Please don't let me die.
- It's all right.
- Please don't let me die.
- It's all right.
- I don't want to die.
- Just look... Look at me. Look at me. (x3)
- Not like this. Not like this. Not like this. (Jeoffrey, Myrcella, Tommen)
- Look... Look...Look me in the eye. Don't look away. Don't look... Look at me ! Just look at me. (+2; Tyrion/Brienne)
Nothing else matters. Nothing else matters. Only us."
Sunset not romantic
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It's at the beginning of the series. It is the inversion of ideas and symbolism. A honeymoon, on a beach, at sunset, with the horses as witnesses. It's romantic put like that, but in GoT, the sunset represents the end of the day, the beginning of darkness, the dusk of Dany's innocence, and the beginning of trauma. This image has all the ambiguity and the double game of the story of Daenerys.
"If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention."
The crowd is a character
The death of Ned Stark, the trial of Tyrion or the humiliation of Cersei. The crowd is a character who has a role, sometimes bad, sometimes neutral, sometimes endearing. The crowd is humanity, it is mortals, the tools and playthings of kings and gods. The crowd is the tool that legitimizes the reign of Aegon II in HotD, and does not legitimize the reign of Daenerys. The crowd is us.
"I know you don't care about your people. Why should you ? They hate you and you hate them.
But you're not a monster."
Bran and Arya are characters from the tale
Once upon a time, in a magical world, a brother and his sister embarked on a great quest... The elements of the tale can be found in the journey of our two little heroes, however it's not just that. Bran and Arya also have a mysterious Cinema aura with them. We also find the tale with Daenerys and Cersei, and the prophecies of the witches. Beauty and the Beast, Little Red Riding Hood or Snow White, there are many references to the tale in GoT/HotD. Alicent is a lot of Cinderella for example.
"My favorites were the scary ones."
Daenerys, destiny and fatality
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She wins the throne, she fulfills her destiny. But the price to pay is heavy, it is fatality, the inexorable fall. She has the throne, and at the same time she imprisons herself in this ruined ark.
Isle of the Dead, Gate of the Underworld, Prison or even a Guillotine, this ark is sinister. It is death that is linked to success.
"- I'm not my father.
- No, Your Grace, thank the gods. But the Mad King gave his enemies the justice he thought they deserved. And each time, it made him feel powerful... and right... until the very end."
Winter is coming
but the wall has stood through it all, and every winter that ever came has ended. The archmaestre of the Citadel had not panicked. The great epic fight of good against evil in fantasy is banal, deja vu. This is not the major issue in the great story of ice and fire. It's just a disturbing element. One spectacular battle. A great victory for good, for the living, but a total defeat for Daenerys, the tragic heroine.
Who's raining ashes on King's Landing ? Winter is the metaphor for cataclysm, and the cataclysm is Daenerys, not the Long Night.
The Night King is Death
Characters in GoT/HotD are good or bad, or grey. The Night King is absolute evil. Silent, unstoppable death. He's not really a character, he's a concept, a real, uncompromising threat. The great villain of the great fight of good against evil. The metaphor of the existential crises of our world.
"What do we say to the god of death ?"
Nymeria is a direwolf
Gray Wind, Summer or Ghost, all stayed close to their "master." We're going to dive below the surface of the iceberg now, let's just remember that Nymeria's story was very...different.
"When the Long Night comes again, I need to be ready."
Daenerys kills the crowd, because of Jon Snow
"People work together when it suits them. They're loyal when it suits them. They love each other when it suits them. And they kill each other when it suits them."
Jon's legacy and his spreading secret is the red thread of season 8. It is Ned Stark's well-kept secret, the original mystery of this series. Daenerys is a chess player, she is several moves ahead of everyone, all the time. When the bells ring... she knows what she has to do to be able to rule without having a revolt. Kill Jon Snow, or kill the crowd.
She is a tragic heroine, these choices are inaccessible to the mortals that we are.
"There is no power but what the people allow you to take."
"I don't want to be his queen. I want to go home."
Love blinds Tyrion and Jon
They are in love with Daenerys, like everyone else. Only Sansa and Varys don't fall for her charms. So Tyrion loses control, makes bad decisions, and Jon only sees the good side of Daenerys, only the dream. Yara Greyjoy is also in love with Daenerys, she still defends her legend at the very end.
"We're all human. Oh, we all do our duty when there's no cost to it. Honor comes easy then. Yet sooner or later in every man's life there comes a day when it's not easy. A day when he must choose."
Drogon is the real absolute power
The throne is the symbol. Drogon is the tool that allows Daenerys to take the throne. Nothing is stronger than Drogon, he is a fighter plane capable of annihilating any army. Drogon is the physical materialization of absolute power. He destroys the throne, because the real symbol is him.
Everyone wanted to have the throne to have absolute power. Everyone except Daenerys, who already had absolute power.
Bran can change the past
https://preview.redd.it/2w174yz3mvqa1.png?width=3864&format=png&auto=webp&s=d17ffcc78a9b7197259a0a1cd93411f481e03534
There's a scene where Bran calls his father, in the past, and Ned Stark turns around. The old Three Eyed Raven tells him it's the wind. Bran says no.
There are bushes, tree leaves and sand in this scene... and... there is no wind.
"Don't listen to it. Crows are all liars. I know a story about a crow."
Rhaegal's death si the death of Rhaegar Targaryen. The myth of Icarus.
Icarus enjoyed his aerial power and, taking more and more altitude, thought himself the equal of birds. But, unable to resist the intense heat of the star, the wax on its wings began to melt, and the young boy was thrown into the void before diving into the sea which today bears his name.
It is Daenerys' arrogance that is punished with the death of the dragon. A ridiculous ambush, easily avoidable and in a second, it is the death of hopes. Tyrion had told Daenerys that all it took was one arrow to make it all stop. Sansa had insisted that Daenerys rest in Winterfell. The arrogance of the tragic heroine, falling from the pedestal, at the height of her glory.
Just like Rhaegar who was supposed to heal the reign of Aerys II, who could overcome the rebellion, and who dies, foolishly, in a river, his ruby armor scattering in the waters, as Rhaegal's blood splashes upon the waves. Shattered hopes.
"Do you know what kept me standing through all those years in exile ? Faith. Not in any gods, not in myths and legends, in myself. In Daenerys Targaryen."
The Night King is a metaphor
The idea of uniting to face common threats. Jon Snow's great speech on unity, truth and duty. The Night King is the Covid, it's climate change, it's wars, it's asteroid falls.
In Westeros there are people who don't believe in White Walkers, and even when given proof of their existence, they act for their best interests above all else. Yes, it is very realistic.
The Long Night is a message of hope for humanity, it is the idea that by uniting we can overcome hardships. A kind and positive message from Fantasy, which seems flat next to the great philosophical and moral themes.
The Long Night is also a satire.
We are going to dive even deeper my dear reader, hang on.
Nymeria should have eaten Arya. Bran saved her.
Once upon a time, Little Red riding hood and the big bad wolf, in winter, in a forest, met again...
Season 1/episode 2 contains the parallel scenes between Summer and Nymeria. The two wolves save the life of their "master". Summer is rewarded by being able to sleep on the bed, Nymeria is abandoned in the forest. Nymeria wasn't much trained and trained, she didn't bring back the gloves. The viewer understands why Arya gives up Nymeria, to save her life. Did Nymeria figure this out ? "That's not you" The direwolf has returned to the wild, the predator is dangerous, free and vengeful like Arya...
"A Direwolf's no pet. Get her a dog, she'll be happier for it."
There is no magical bond between Arya and Nymeria in the series. The beginning of the scene is a real horror scene. The scene ends with a mystery. Impossible to solve before the mystery that followed.
"- I'm going now.
- Go where ?"
Melisandre sacrificed the Dothraki cavalry
The Dothraki are powerful in the open fields. The tension is high, the whole army of the good guys is waiting for the army of the dead. Melisandre arrives, ignites the swords, triggering the charge of the horde, galvanized. Davos' gaze is the only terrified one in this scene.
No one would have given the order, and the army of the dead would have crushed the motionless cavalry. Melisandre did what was necessary, sacrifice the Dothraki, to allow the final victory.
"- Valar morghulis.
- Valar dohaeris."
Willys couldn't hold the door
No one could. Hold the door by being eaten alive by frozen zombies. Everyone would have left the door. Bran's rescue must be through this door. What is old Three Eyed Raven doing with Bran in Winterfell ? The Night King is coming, there is no time to lose, Bran must be saved. Time may be just an illusion, there may be enough time in fact. It's the old man who makes Hodor.
The last act of the multiple life and multiple temporalities of the old Three eyed Raven is to save Bran, and he does it, by making a Hodor, able to hold the door.
"Listen to your friend, Brandon."
No elephants
We wanted to see the elephants. We wanted to see circus games, gladiators and lions. We wanted our big, glorious, epic battle.
The moral of the bells is that war is not a game, war is disgusting and out of control. End of recess.
"I wanted those elephants."
Bran stopped Drogon from killing Jon
https://preview.redd.it/0c82gxfbmvqa1.png?width=206&format=png&auto=webp&s=1c1bf903613721e1750b3ac0e3976a5991c44a76
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In HotD, Vhagar explained to us that a dragon could kill a Targaryen and take revenge easily. And Bran has a long reign allowing him to watch again, and again, and again, the death of Daenerys and the death of Jon Snow. Maybe with enough training and experience, he could act...
"What kind of person climbs on fucking dragon ? A madman ? Or a King ?"
Daenerys could have children
"- I can't have children.
- Who told you that ?
- The witch who murdered my husband.
- Has it occurred to you she might not have been a reliable source of information ?"
The witch tells Daenerys that she cannot have children, and so Daenerys believes her, and does not try to have children. The prophecy is true, only because Daenerys believes in it.
Arya died during The bells
Everything collapses around her, it's the black screen. Arya is dead, and yet gets up, in the middle of the corpses. Nothing that could have saved her is visible.
White tree and black tree
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The staging of the mystery. These are clues. One side visible, one side hidden.
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There are symbols and codes in this series. The branches, the stones, the shadow and the light, the candles, the columns, the prison, the Y, the X... and maybe others...
Bran destroyed the symbol of absolute power, using the real absolute power
The throne is the symbol of absolute power, and Drogon is a dragon, absolute power physically. Drogon wanted to avenge his mother and kill Jon Snow. It is Bran who destroys the throne, not Drogon. Bran is the guardian of absolute power, he's the keeper of this story.
"The boy who fell from a high tower and lived… He's our memory. The keeper of all our stories."
The death of Missendei
A lifelong slave, Missendei dies like Ned Stark, like a great lord of Westeros. She is a miniature metaphor of Daenerys, starting from nothing with nothing, she falls to the top. With a good heart, she gives up in the face of adversity and her last word will be "Dracarys", merciless revenge. She is the slave who brings down queens. And Gray Worm is the slave who brings down kings.
"The things we love, destroy us every time."
Arya died in the forest
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"You're not supposed to be here. No one is supposed to be here."
Bran saved Arya in the forest... the second time. He says it: "I thought you might go to King's Landing." Arya reunites in Winterfell with a Bran who hasn't seen her cross paths with Nymeria. So it's not "this" Bran who saved her, but Bran from the Long Night. The reality that we discover is a second temporal reality, like the reality with Hodor. And so... Arya first died in the forest. The first version of Little Red Riding Hood has no hunter. Nobody was there the first time to stop the wolf.
When Bran gives the dagger to Arya, it's the second try, the second and last chance.
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"When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives."
Dany's suicide
At the start of the bells, there is a conversation between Tyrion and Daenerys. It's the mourning of Missendei and Rhaegal, and yet Daenerys doesn't talk about it. She is fixated on Jon Snow's secret, facing a Tyrion unable to understand the problem. It is the misunderstanding between the tragic archetype and the comic archetype. The symbolism in this scene is the suicide of Dany, the innocent young princess with a good heart, and only the legend will remain.
"- But it doesn’t matter now.
- No. It doesn’t matter now."
It's very hard to explain, I put you the link of the post where I analyze this scene: https://www.reddit.com/naath/comments/110zl7a/the_cave_of_madness/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
Arya & the Waif
"Haven't we been through this already ? That won't help you."
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Arya killed The Waif ? Are you sure ? Probably. Did The Waif kill and replace Arya ? Probably too...
The scene of their duel ends in mystery and tension, which will never be completed. At the end of GoT, Arya is still in an uncertain state, alive or dead, we cannot know. It is the same uncertainty as the death of Syrio Forel. It's a Schrodinger's cat. Arya is quantum physics, a free electron. 50% alive 50% dead. The symbol is visible in Arya's final shot, the tension is still there, the mystery too.
Arya's ending is the direct reference to Carpenter's The Thing ending, it's the mystery that's scary.
"- Well, what do we do ?
- Why don't we just... wait here for a little while... see what happens ?"
Here a post that explains the logic with more details: https://www.reddit.com/naath/comments/11ovi9f/arya_and_horror_cinema/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
Lies, Time and Cinema
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How to film time and time travel, how to represent different realities, how to stage the invisible ?
“We're all astronauts, really, aren't we; interstellar astronauts, travelling so far into the blackness we can never return.”
GoT shows the lies and hides the truth. "Today is not the day I die." "I am not here to be queen of the ashes." "The past is already written. The ink is dry." Beautiful punchlines, beautiful lies.
GoT's time travel is not the "What happened is always happened" like in Lost, 12 monkeys by Terry Gilliam, or the variant in Final Destination by James Wong. This is the theory of time from The Butterfly Effect, from the same film by Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber. Theory of time respected in Source Code by Duncan Jones and also in the Avengers Endgame by Disney. It's the same theory used in Back to the Future by Robert Zemeckis, without the paradoxes.
Infinite time loops are also possible with the butterfly effect theory, which is what happens to Ashton Kutcher's father in the movie. Bran isn't trapped in the loop, it's Hodor. If Bran breaks the loop, he dies, so he can't modify it. Hodor has always been Hodor to Bran and to the viewer. But not for the time traveler, not for the old liar.
Bran is the time traveler, he is the only one who has seen the previous realities. We, poor spectator not omniscient, we saw the last reality. Arya quietly traversing a forest filled with ferocious wolves, the all-too-easy victory of the Long Night, and Drogon burning an iron throne.
"- I'm going now.
- Go where ?"
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No more climbing Brandon. But Bran keeps climbing, and doesn't fall, unless someone pushes him. Don't try to alter the past, Brandon, you can't. But Bran keeps going...and doesn't fall...unless someone pushes him. Like Cathelyn Stark, the old Three eyed Raven wants to protect Bran, and the world. Because altering the past is a very dangerous game. But Bran does not fall.
"It means I can see everything. Everything that's ever happened to everyone.
Everything that's happening right now."
Bran learning to partly control a dragon. It must have been years of training and failed attempts. The little boy from the tale facing the dragon on the mountain of the gods. An endless fight.
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It's like in the manga All You Need Is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, adapted as a movie with Edge of Tommorrow by Doug Liman. Except that here, in this story, it's Jon Snow who dies, again and again.
Jon Snow is like Prometheus, who gave fire to humanity, the savior, who is condemned by the gods to be devoured by the dragon every day, and who is reborn every day.
"I fought, I lost. Now I rest. But you, Lord Snow, you'll be fighting their battles forever."
The White Horse
Arya died partly in a cave in Braavos, Arya died once by Nymeria in a timeline, Arya was protected by the God of Light, and Arya died during the bells. Poor Arya. But who saved Arya at King's Landing ?
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Those who have the power to make black screens ?
Divine light and camera flare. A small, subtle technical exit from the diegesis, the revelation of the world above. The White Horse gets killed at the start of the battle, and magically reappears at the end, like a too visible Deus Ex-Machina. Like the magician's white rabbit, which disappears and reappears at the end of the trick. This white horse is the materialization of the true gods of this universe: The creators of the series. Arya dies during the bells, black screen, and the creators perform yet another Arya rescue. The white horse is the god of illusion, revealed at the end. It is this same white horse that brings Tywin Lannister to Harrenhal one day earlier than expected, and saves Arya and Gendry. This same white horse that magically appears to allow Daenerys to make her speech of liberation from the unsullied. The white horse is magic in GoT, it is the tool for gods interventions.
"There's plenty of pious sons of bitches who think they know the word of god or gods. I don’t. I don’t even know their real names. Maybe it is the Seven. Or maybe it’s the old gods. Or maybe it’s the Lord of Light. Or maybe they’re all the same fucking thing. I don’t know.
What matters, I believe, is that there’s something greater than us."
The Starbucks cup
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Do you really think this stuff was forgotten ? The gods make their cameo in the universe of GoT, come to party among mortals, like Zeus or Aphrodyte among the Greeks. They left an artifact of Olympus, of their true world, on the table.
And as Daenerys began to slide into madness, the people of the kingdom of the gods of GoT also began to slide into madness, furious at D&D for daring to disrupt Westeros' heroes party.
The white horse is a hole in the 4th wall. The Starbuck cup is the destruction of the wall.
It's the satire on the consumer society. Satire on the way we consume stories and mythologies. If we pay attention to moral lessons, or just to "cool" scenes.
"It's not even about the gods. It's about you."
And so begins this story...
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submitted by DaenerysMadQueen to naath [link] [comments]
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Daenerys is a tragic heroine
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According to Aristotle and all literature, poetry and theater. Daenerys is a noble, a goddess above mortals, with a destiny and a fatality. She is the tragic heroine, like Titus in Berenice by Racine, she must choose between love and power.
"I am not your little princess. I am Daenerys Stormborn of the blood of Old Valyria, and I will take what is mine. With fire and blood, I will take it."
Jon Snow is a superhero
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He is the modern hero, the virtuous chosen one, the saviour. He always makes the right choices, sacrifices himself for the general interest, he is Neo, Iron Man, Superman and even Batman. Because the tragic heroine falls from her pedestal, the superhero also falls before moral paradoxes. Jon Snow is Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight, he is the myth of the modern, fallible and contradictory hero.
“Kill the boy, Jon Snow. Winter is almost upon us. Kill the boy and let the man be born.”
Tyrion is just a man
The true savior of the world is not the tragic heroine, it is not the superhero. Tyrion has qualities and flaws. He is not immoral, he is not virtuous. He's just a human.
The savior of the world is mortal, because only mortals can direct their destiny, false gods and false idols will not come as saviors. It is the compromise between passion and reason that triumphs. Between love and duty, between ice and fire.
"Did you bring any wine ?"
Sansa is just a woman
Tyrion is the little man who saves the world, Sansa is the young girl who saves the world. She is the one who wins the battle of the Bastards, she is the one who stands up to Daenerys, she is the reason for Jon Snow's final choice. Sansa is the young girl who makes Daenerys tremble.
Tragic heroes and superheroes do not save humanity. Only men and women have this power.
"What about the North ? It was taken from us, and we took it back. And we said we'd never bow to anyone else again. What about the North ?"
The Iron throne is the symbol of Absolute Power
A pile of cold, rusty, sharp swords. Many fight to sit on it, and gain absolute power over the seven kingdoms. It is not the throne that confers the legitimacy to reign. Legitimacy must already be acquired to sit on it. The throne is just a symbol.
"The Iron Throne. Perhaps you should try wanting something else."
Cersei and Jaime are Shakespearean characters
Daenerys is grey. Morally ambiguous. Cersei and Jaime have very clear reasons and objectives. Protect theirs, and destroy their enemies. They are white and black, good and bad.
They are tragic Shakespearian characters, just humans, not gods, not totally bad or totally good.
"- I want our baby to live. I want our baby to live. I want our baby to live. (Jeoffrey, Myrcella, Tommen) Don't let me die, Jaime. Please don't let me die.
- It's all right.
- Please don't let me die.
- It's all right.
- I don't want to die.
- Just look... Look at me. Look at me. (x3)
- Not like this. Not like this. Not like this. (Jeoffrey, Myrcella, Tommen)
- Look... Look...Look me in the eye. Don't look away. Don't look... Look at me ! Just look at me. (+2; Tyrion/Brienne)
Nothing else matters. Nothing else matters. Only us."
Sunset not romantic
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It's at the beginning of the series. It is the inversion of ideas and symbolism. A honeymoon, on a beach, at sunset, with the horses as witnesses. It's romantic put like that, but in GoT, the sunset represents the end of the day, the beginning of darkness, the dusk of Dany's innocence, and the beginning of trauma. This image has all the ambiguity and the double game of the story of Daenerys.
"If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention."
The crowd is a character
The death of Ned Stark, the trial of Tyrion or the humiliation of Cersei. The crowd is a character who has a role, sometimes bad, sometimes neutral, sometimes endearing. The crowd is humanity, it is mortals, the tools and playthings of kings and gods. The crowd is the tool that legitimizes the reign of Aegon II in HotD, and does not legitimize the reign of Daenerys. The crowd is us.
"I know you don't care about your people. Why should you ? They hate you and you hate them.
But you're not a monster."
Bran and Arya are characters from the tale
Once upon a time, in a magical world, a brother and his sister embarked on a great quest... The elements of the tale can be found in the journey of our two little heroes, however it's not just that. Bran and Arya also have a mysterious Cinema aura with them. We also find the tale with Daenerys and Cersei, and the prophecies of the witches. Beauty and the Beast, Little Red Riding Hood or Snow White, there are many references to the tale in GoT/HotD. Alicent is a lot of Cinderella for example.
"My favorites were the scary ones."
Daenerys, destiny and fatality
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She wins the throne, she fulfills her destiny. But the price to pay is heavy, it is fatality, the inexorable fall. She has the throne, and at the same time she imprisons herself in this ruined ark.
Isle of the Dead, Gate of the Underworld, Prison or even a Guillotine, this ark is sinister. It is death that is linked to success.
"- I'm not my father.
- No, Your Grace, thank the gods. But the Mad King gave his enemies the justice he thought they deserved. And each time, it made him feel powerful... and right... until the very end."
Winter is coming
but the wall has stood through it all, and every winter that ever came has ended. The archmaestre of the Citadel had not panicked. The great epic fight of good against evil in fantasy is banal, deja vu. This is not the major issue in the great story of ice and fire. It's just a disturbing element. One spectacular battle. A great victory for good, for the living, but a total defeat for Daenerys, the tragic heroine.
Who's raining ashes on King's Landing ? Winter is the metaphor for cataclysm, and the cataclysm is Daenerys, not the Long Night.
The Night King is Death
Characters in GoT/HotD are good or bad, or grey. The Night King is absolute evil. Silent, unstoppable death. He's not really a character, he's a concept, a real, uncompromising threat. The great villain of the great fight of good against evil. The metaphor of the existential crises of our world.
"What do we say to the god of death ?"
Nymeria is a direwolf
Gray Wind, Summer or Ghost, all stayed close to their "master." We're going to dive below the surface of the iceberg now, let's just remember that Nymeria's story was very...different.
"When the Long Night comes again, I need to be ready."
Daenerys kills the crowd, because of Jon Snow
"People work together when it suits them. They're loyal when it suits them. They love each other when it suits them. And they kill each other when it suits them."
Jon's legacy and his spreading secret is the red thread of season 8. It is Ned Stark's well-kept secret, the original mystery of this series. Daenerys is a chess player, she is several moves ahead of everyone, all the time. When the bells ring... she knows what she has to do to be able to rule without having a revolt. Kill Jon Snow, or kill the crowd.
She is a tragic heroine, these choices are inaccessible to the mortals that we are.
"There is no power but what the people allow you to take."
"I don't want to be his queen. I want to go home."
Love blinds Tyrion and Jon
They are in love with Daenerys, like everyone else. Only Sansa and Varys don't fall for her charms. So Tyrion loses control, makes bad decisions, and Jon only sees the good side of Daenerys, only the dream. Yara Greyjoy is also in love with Daenerys, she still defends her legend at the very end.
"We're all human. Oh, we all do our duty when there's no cost to it. Honor comes easy then. Yet sooner or later in every man's life there comes a day when it's not easy. A day when he must choose."
Drogon is the real absolute power
The throne is the symbol. Drogon is the tool that allows Daenerys to take the throne. Nothing is stronger than Drogon, he is a fighter plane capable of annihilating any army. Drogon is the physical materialization of absolute power. He destroys the throne, because the real symbol is him.
Everyone wanted to have the throne to have absolute power. Everyone except Daenerys, who already had absolute power.
Bran can change the past
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There's a scene where Bran calls his father, in the past, and Ned Stark turns around. The old Three Eyed Raven tells him it's the wind. Bran says no.
There are bushes, tree leaves and sand in this scene... and... there is no wind.
"Don't listen to it. Crows are all liars. I know a story about a crow."
Rhaegal's death si the death of Rhaegar Targaryen. The myth of Icarus.
Icarus enjoyed his aerial power and, taking more and more altitude, thought himself the equal of birds. But, unable to resist the intense heat of the star, the wax on its wings began to melt, and the young boy was thrown into the void before diving into the sea which today bears his name.
It is Daenerys' arrogance that is punished with the death of the dragon. A ridiculous ambush, easily avoidable and in a second, it is the death of hopes. Tyrion had told Daenerys that all it took was one arrow to make it all stop. Sansa had insisted that Daenerys rest in Winterfell. The arrogance of the tragic heroine, falling from the pedestal, at the height of her glory.
Just like Rhaegar who was supposed to heal the reign of Aerys II, who could overcome the rebellion, and who dies, foolishly, in a river, his ruby armor scattering in the waters, as Rhaegal's blood splashes upon the waves. Shattered hopes.
"Do you know what kept me standing through all those years in exile ? Faith. Not in any gods, not in myths and legends, in myself. In Daenerys Targaryen."
The Night King is a metaphor
The idea of uniting to face common threats. Jon Snow's great speech on unity, truth and duty. The Night King is the Covid, it's climate change, it's wars, it's asteroid falls.
In Westeros there are people who don't believe in White Walkers, and even when given proof of their existence, they act for their best interests above all else. Yes, it is very realistic.
The Long Night is a message of hope for humanity, it is the idea that by uniting we can overcome hardships. A kind and positive message from Fantasy, which seems flat next to the great philosophical and moral themes.
The Long Night is also a satire.
We are going to dive even deeper my dear reader, hang on.
Nymeria should have eaten Arya. Bran saved her.
Once upon a time, Little Red riding hood and the big bad wolf, in winter, in a forest, met again...
Season 1/episode 2 contains the parallel scenes between Summer and Nymeria. The two wolves save the life of their "master". Summer is rewarded by being able to sleep on the bed, Nymeria is abandoned in the forest. Nymeria wasn't much trained and trained, she didn't bring back the gloves. The viewer understands why Arya gives up Nymeria, to save her life. Did Nymeria figure this out ? "That's not you" The direwolf has returned to the wild, the predator is dangerous, free and vengeful like Arya...
"A Direwolf's no pet. Get her a dog, she'll be happier for it."
There is no magical bond between Arya and Nymeria in the series. The beginning of the scene is a real horror scene. The scene ends with a mystery. Impossible to solve before the mystery that followed.
"- I'm going now.
- Go where ?"
Melisandre sacrificed the Dothraki cavalry
The Dothraki are powerful in the open fields. The tension is high, the whole army of the good guys is waiting for the army of the dead. Melisandre arrives, ignites the swords, triggering the charge of the horde, galvanized. Davos' gaze is the only terrified one in this scene.
No one would have given the order, and the army of the dead would have crushed the motionless cavalry. Melisandre did what was necessary, sacrifice the Dothraki, to allow the final victory.
"- Valar morghulis.
- Valar dohaeris."
Willys couldn't hold the door
No one could. Hold the door by being eaten alive by frozen zombies. Everyone would have left the door. Bran's rescue must be through this door. What is old Three Eyed Raven doing with Bran in Winterfell ? The Night King is coming, there is no time to lose, Bran must be saved. Time may be just an illusion, there may be enough time in fact. It's the old man who makes Hodor.
The last act of the multiple life and multiple temporalities of the old Three eyed Raven is to save Bran, and he does it, by making a Hodor, able to hold the door.
"Listen to your friend, Brandon."
No elephants
We wanted to see the elephants. We wanted to see circus games, gladiators and lions. We wanted our big, glorious, epic battle.
The moral of the bells is that war is not a game, war is disgusting and out of control. End of recess.
"I wanted those elephants."
Bran stopped Drogon from killing Jon
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In HotD, Vhagar explained to us that a dragon could kill a Targaryen and take revenge easily. And Bran has a long reign allowing him to watch again, and again, and again, the death of Daenerys and the death of Jon Snow. Maybe with enough training and experience, he could act...
"What kind of person climbs on fucking dragon ? A madman ? Or a King ?"
Daenerys could have children
"- I can't have children.
- Who told you that ?
- The witch who murdered my husband.
- Has it occurred to you she might not have been a reliable source of information ?"
The witch tells Daenerys that she cannot have children, and so Daenerys believes her, and does not try to have children. The prophecy is true, only because Daenerys believes in it.
Arya died during The bells
Everything collapses around her, it's the black screen. Arya is dead, and yet gets up, in the middle of the corpses. Nothing that could have saved her is visible.
White tree and black tree
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The staging of the mystery. These are clues. One side visible, one side hidden.
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There are symbols and codes in this series. The branches, the stones, the shadow and the light, the candles, the columns, the prison, the Y, the X... and maybe others...
Bran destroyed the symbol of absolute power, using the real absolute power
The throne is the symbol of absolute power, and Drogon is a dragon, absolute power physically. Drogon wanted to avenge his mother and kill Jon Snow. It is Bran who destroys the throne, not Drogon. Bran is the guardian of absolute power, he's the keeper of this story.
"The boy who fell from a high tower and lived… He's our memory. The keeper of all our stories."
The death of Missendei
A lifelong slave, Missendei dies like Ned Stark, like a great lord of Westeros. She is a miniature metaphor of Daenerys, starting from nothing with nothing, she falls to the top. With a good heart, she gives up in the face of adversity and her last word will be "Dracarys", merciless revenge. She is the slave who brings down queens. And Gray Worm is the slave who brings down kings.
"The things we love, destroy us every time."
Arya died in the forest
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"You're not supposed to be here. No one is supposed to be here."
Bran saved Arya in the forest... the second time. He says it: "I thought you might go to King's Landing." Arya reunites in Winterfell with a Bran who hasn't seen her cross paths with Nymeria. So it's not "this" Bran who saved her, but Bran from the Long Night. The reality that we discover is a second temporal reality, like the reality with Hodor. And so... Arya first died in the forest. The first version of Little Red Riding Hood has no hunter. Nobody was there the first time to stop the wolf.
When Bran gives the dagger to Arya, it's the second try, the second and last chance.
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"When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives."
Dany's suicide
At the start of the bells, there is a conversation between Tyrion and Daenerys. It's the mourning of Missendei and Rhaegal, and yet Daenerys doesn't talk about it. She is fixated on Jon Snow's secret, facing a Tyrion unable to understand the problem. It is the misunderstanding between the tragic archetype and the comic archetype. The symbolism in this scene is the suicide of Dany, the innocent young princess with a good heart, and only the legend will remain.
"- But it doesn’t matter now.
- No. It doesn’t matter now."
It's very hard to explain, I put you the link of the post where I analyze this scene: https://www.reddit.com/naath/comments/110zl7a/the_cave_of_madness/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
Arya & the Waif
"Haven't we been through this already ? That won't help you."
https://preview.redd.it/efe8fxsnmvqa1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=c8a4b96b5402f5cf090ebe7283b9ab1646334ee0
Arya killed The Waif ? Are you sure ? Probably. Did The Waif kill and replace Arya ? Probably too...
The scene of their duel ends in mystery and tension, which will never be completed. At the end of GoT, Arya is still in an uncertain state, alive or dead, we cannot know. It is the same uncertainty as the death of Syrio Forel. It's a Schrodinger's cat. Arya is quantum physics, a free electron. 50% alive 50% dead. The symbol is visible in Arya's final shot, the tension is still there, the mystery too.
Arya's ending is the direct reference to Carpenter's The Thing ending, it's the mystery that's scary.
"- Well, what do we do ?
- Why don't we just... wait here for a little while... see what happens ?"
Here a post that explains the logic with more details: https://www.reddit.com/naath/comments/11ovi9f/arya_and_horror_cinema/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
Lies, Time and Cinema
https://preview.redd.it/3qa4qgopmvqa1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8e36da2ecd431f41c2bb9fbd41ba61757208b45b
How to film time and time travel, how to represent different realities, how to stage the invisible ?
“We're all astronauts, really, aren't we; interstellar astronauts, travelling so far into the blackness we can never return.”
GoT shows the lies and hides the truth. "Today is not the day I die." "I am not here to be queen of the ashes." "The past is already written. The ink is dry." Beautiful punchlines, beautiful lies.
GoT's time travel is not the "What happened is always happened" like in Lost, 12 monkeys by Terry Gilliam, or the variant in Final Destination by James Wong. This is the theory of time from The Butterfly Effect, from the same film by Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber. Theory of time respected in Source Code by Duncan Jones and also in the Avengers Endgame by Disney. It's the same theory used in Back to the Future by Robert Zemeckis, without the paradoxes.
Infinite time loops are also possible with the butterfly effect theory, which is what happens to Ashton Kutcher's father in the movie. Bran isn't trapped in the loop, it's Hodor. If Bran breaks the loop, he dies, so he can't modify it. Hodor has always been Hodor to Bran and to the viewer. But not for the time traveler, not for the old liar.
Bran is the time traveler, he is the only one who has seen the previous realities. We, poor spectator not omniscient, we saw the last reality. Arya quietly traversing a forest filled with ferocious wolves, the all-too-easy victory of the Long Night, and Drogon burning an iron throne.
"- I'm going now.
- Go where ?"
https://preview.redd.it/wo4uzxlrmvqa1.jpg?width=1600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ca2e6ca9915f05ecfe57463fad070ae01d040dda
No more climbing Brandon. But Bran keeps climbing, and doesn't fall, unless someone pushes him. Don't try to alter the past, Brandon, you can't. But Bran keeps going...and doesn't fall...unless someone pushes him. Like Cathelyn Stark, the old Three eyed Raven wants to protect Bran, and the world. Because altering the past is a very dangerous game. But Bran does not fall.
"It means I can see everything. Everything that's ever happened to everyone.
Everything that's happening right now."
Bran learning to partly control a dragon. It must have been years of training and failed attempts. The little boy from the tale facing the dragon on the mountain of the gods. An endless fight.
https://preview.redd.it/jj0ttretmvqa1.png?width=3860&format=png&auto=webp&s=5c5184c9798256feda1456f4878c7ecb80a7e02c
It's like in the manga All You Need Is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, adapted as a movie with Edge of Tommorrow by Doug Liman. Except that here, in this story, it's Jon Snow who dies, again and again.
Jon Snow is like Prometheus, who gave fire to humanity, the savior, who is condemned by the gods to be devoured by the dragon every day, and who is reborn every day.
"I fought, I lost. Now I rest. But you, Lord Snow, you'll be fighting their battles forever."
The White Horse
Arya died partly in a cave in Braavos, Arya died once by Nymeria in a timeline, Arya was protected by the God of Light, and Arya died during the bells. Poor Arya. But who saved Arya at King's Landing ?
https://preview.redd.it/5ip7n0nvmvqa1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=93415b0d4823db496f42b005446a462621278baa
Those who have the power to make black screens ?
Divine light and camera flare. A small, subtle technical exit from the diegesis, the revelation of the world above. The White Horse gets killed at the start of the battle, and magically reappears at the end, like a too visible Deus Ex-Machina. Like the magician's white rabbit, which disappears and reappears at the end of the trick. This white horse is the materialization of the true gods of this universe: The creators of the series. Arya dies during the bells, black screen, and the creators perform yet another Arya rescue. The white horse is the god of illusion, revealed at the end. It is this same white horse that brings Tywin Lannister to Harrenhal one day earlier than expected, and saves Arya and Gendry. This same white horse that magically appears to allow Daenerys to make her speech of liberation from the unsullied. The white horse is magic in GoT, it is the tool for gods interventions.
"There's plenty of pious sons of bitches who think they know the word of god or gods. I don’t. I don’t even know their real names. Maybe it is the Seven. Or maybe it’s the old gods. Or maybe it’s the Lord of Light. Or maybe they’re all the same fucking thing. I don’t know.
What matters, I believe, is that there’s something greater than us."
The Starbucks cup
https://preview.redd.it/xww1hczwmvqa1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=499f68e106f7b347746d0308294fd6f4e2e042cc
Do you really think this stuff was forgotten ? The gods make their cameo in the universe of GoT, come to party among mortals, like Zeus or Aphrodyte among the Greeks. They left an artifact of Olympus, of their true world, on the table.
And as Daenerys began to slide into madness, the people of the kingdom of the gods of GoT also began to slide into madness, furious at D&D for daring to disrupt Westeros' heroes party.
The white horse is a hole in the 4th wall. The Starbuck cup is the destruction of the wall.
It's the satire on the consumer society. Satire on the way we consume stories and mythologies. If we pay attention to moral lessons, or just to "cool" scenes.
"It's not even about the gods. It's about you."
And so begins this story...
https://preview.redd.it/jyvcfmzxmvqa1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=70fc9f524629eb0011e388185efbd4892cdd6ec1
2023.03.30 14:27 acsacsII Found my 2nd Elder Scroll
 | submitted by acsacsII to ElderKings [link] [comments] |
2023.03.30 03:04 imurpops984 Any help for a black missing/flickering texture that only appears in snowy areas?
Video
LO
Ussep
Beyond reach 1 & 2
Cheat room
Quest Debugger
GDO no extra npcs
Ars Metallica
Ars Metallica smelting fix
Busty Skeevers
Unread books glow sse
Npc clothes changemaintainer
Gist w/varla
Dear Diary Lockpick Interface
Hotkey controller
Gildergreen regrown
Wearable lanterns
Pierced ears - earrings ebony
Lore friendly guns
50 pct perks
Perks at 50 75 100
Eldritch battery
Vokrii maxx
Mysticism
Mysticism vokrii patch
Dynamic dungeon loot (ddl)
Improved bandits
Serene wispmothers
Treble Clefas
Veydosebrom
Landscape fixes for grass
7b body red
Pyrocity
Mature skin unp
7b armor refit
Xpmsse
Racial body morphs 1st person camera
360 walk run
Smim essentials
Pvas 2 - just the architecture
Hyperborean snow
Northern Shores
Dave's ufhd mountains
Blended roads redone
Blended roads redone - bridges addon
Septentrional 1k
^ light LOD
Tera armors 7b
Amidianborn cabal's cut
Elaborately opulent textiles
Scimitar replacer se
Blood and bubbles
RASS
AI overhaul 1.8.3
Realistic wildlife behavior
Extended encounters
Kyne's temple consequences
More tavern Idles
Dova can sit kneel lean
High poly hair
Vanilla hair retexture v3.1
Brows
Beards
Kijiko hair cc
Bosmer have antlers
Natural eyes
Naturens underverk
Happy little aspens
Patron gods of skyrim
Sea Dragon
Superior standing stones
Destination weddings
Aft ae
Katria follower
More to say 9.0.2
Sissel book quest addon
Darker brotherhood v2
Wear Multiple rings
Realm of lorkhan
Rdo
Rdo aft patch
My home is your home
Ws modules
Vedur vatn ljos
Gdb's the revenge
Skysa dual wield parry
Violens
RBM Redux extreme
Unp muscle solution
submitted by imurpops984 to SkyrimModsXbox [link] [comments]
LO
Ussep
Beyond reach 1 & 2
Cheat room
Quest Debugger
GDO no extra npcs
Ars Metallica
Ars Metallica smelting fix
Busty Skeevers
Unread books glow sse
Npc clothes changemaintainer
Gist w/varla
Dear Diary Lockpick Interface
Hotkey controller
Gildergreen regrown
Wearable lanterns
Pierced ears - earrings ebony
Lore friendly guns
50 pct perks
Perks at 50 75 100
Eldritch battery
Vokrii maxx
Mysticism
Mysticism vokrii patch
Dynamic dungeon loot (ddl)
Improved bandits
Serene wispmothers
Treble Clefas
Veydosebrom
Landscape fixes for grass
7b body red
Pyrocity
Mature skin unp
7b armor refit
Xpmsse
Racial body morphs 1st person camera
360 walk run
Smim essentials
Pvas 2 - just the architecture
Hyperborean snow
Northern Shores
Dave's ufhd mountains
Blended roads redone
Blended roads redone - bridges addon
Septentrional 1k
^ light LOD
Tera armors 7b
Amidianborn cabal's cut
Elaborately opulent textiles
Scimitar replacer se
Blood and bubbles
RASS
AI overhaul 1.8.3
Realistic wildlife behavior
Extended encounters
Kyne's temple consequences
More tavern Idles
Dova can sit kneel lean
High poly hair
Vanilla hair retexture v3.1
Brows
Beards
Kijiko hair cc
Bosmer have antlers
Natural eyes
Naturens underverk
Happy little aspens
Patron gods of skyrim
Sea Dragon
Superior standing stones
Destination weddings
Aft ae
Katria follower
More to say 9.0.2
Sissel book quest addon
Darker brotherhood v2
Wear Multiple rings
Realm of lorkhan
Rdo
Rdo aft patch
My home is your home
Ws modules
Vedur vatn ljos
Gdb's the revenge
Skysa dual wield parry
Violens
RBM Redux extreme
Unp muscle solution
2023.03.29 23:58 jedisalsohere Short Trips Book Review #2: More Short Trips edited by Stephen Cole
1. Totem by Tara Samms (a pseudonym for Steve Cole)
Regulars: Eighth Doctor, Seventh Doctor
Hmm. A weird one to start off with to be sure - I had to read it again to actually get what it was trying to say, but it’s a nice character study for the Doctor, as a widow slowly falls in love with him and he casts off the last vestiges of his former self. Quite nice, but I think starting the collection with this story was a bad move. 7/10
2. Scientific Adviser by Ian Atkins
Regulars: Second Doctor, the Brigadier
Against my better judgement, I do find myself liking this one. It's repetitive and monumentally stupid in terms of premise - the Doctor creates a fake movie about the Cyberman invasion and a resurrected Cyber-Planner uses this to plot another invasion - but it's charming and likeable for what it is. It's really nice seeing the Brig with Two again, and yes, the little girl that the Doctor befriends is very adorable. A probably unearnt 7/10.
3. Missing, Part One: Business as Usual by Gary Russell
Regulars: Mel
Huh? Apparently this was a bit that was edited out of the novel Business Unusual, and then got stuck in this collection. Maybe it works better with context? As I saw it, it’s a total waste of paper that I can’t really rate fairly. ?/10
4. Moon Graffiti by Dave Stone
Regulars: Sixth Doctor, Peri
Dave Stone is one of the most divisive Who writers I can think of. I’ve heard both scathing criticism and venerating praise for his writing, and with this being my first encounter with his work myself, I was more curious going in than anything. Thankfully, I really enjoyed it. I will say that the prose does kind of strangle the pacing and flow at times, often resorting to being excessively flowery and overwritten, but the setting is excellent, the Wibliwee and Pararachnids are both fantastic one-off alien races and the body horror is sickeningly great. I absolutely adored the Doctor’s random diatribe about the anthropology of hat-wearing and, what’s more, it perfectly captures the true existential horror that is being Peri. 9/10
5. One Bad Apple by Simon A. Forward
Regulars: Fourth Doctor, Leela
This one invokes Biblical imagery and Cyberman lore in a surprisingly clever and interesting way, but is ultimately let down by its lack of a real plot, and the Doctor's constant berating and bullying of Leela is just as uncomfortable here as it always has been. That said, Joshua is easily the most interesting antagonist in this collection and definitely bumps the story back up a fair bit. 6/10
6. 64 Carlysle Street by Gary Russell
Regulars: First Doctor, Steven, Dodo
This story just goes to show how important format can be when crafting an engaging short story. If it were just told in standard third person, there would have been almost nothing to recommend here. However, having it instead consist of a series of police statements made by the members of the titular household adds a real sense of charm and whimsy that wouldn’t be present otherwise, as well as managing to flesh out practically all the side characters despite so little time. The regulars are excellent, the villain is memorable, it utilises continuity in a clever and non-intrusive way - I really can’t find a flaw here. Full marks. And from Gary Russell, of all people. 10/10
7. The Eternity Contract by Steve Lyons
Regulars: Fifth Doctor, Nyssa
Lyons here delivers an excellent claustrophobic horror story, which features developed and interesting side characters, a compelling villain, captivating haunted house imagery and some truly fantastic moments of development for Five - and all in the span of twenty-three pages. The only thing that holds it back is the ending, which feels like it was written in about five minutes. 9/10
8. The Sow in Rut by Robert Perry and Mike Tucker
Regulars: Sarah-Jane, K-9
Attempts to draw from the extremely shallow well that is K-9 and Company and comes out with a laughable horror story about pigs or whatever. I also have no idea what the ending was supposed to be. 2/10
9. Special Weapons by Paul Leonard
Regulars: Seventh Doctor, Mel
Paul Leonard is for the second time responsible for the longest story in the volume after The People's Temple from the first book, and again the old adage about brevity being the soul of wit holds true here. This story really needed some tightening up to be properly effective. Also: what is it with the Seventh Doctor and Nazis? Curse of Fenric, Timewyrm: Exodus, Just War, Colditz, the two Klein trilogies… at least they're fairly well fleshed out here, not feeling like the one-dimensional killers they usually do. It's nice seeing Mel get put into a different kind of story, even if the random human she gets paired up with is hugely unmemorable, and I thought that the lightwanderer was quite interesting as far as alien presences go. Not bad, but messy. 6/10
10. Honest Living by Jason Loborik
Regulars: Third Doctor, Jo, the Brigadier
Quite good, actually. This story focuses on temporal paradoxes and is one of the most tense and compelling outings I've seen in quite a while, especially where the Third Doctor is concerned. The villains are sympathetic and memorable (being refugees fleeing the events of Day of the Daleks), the regulars are excellently written and it caps off on a genuinely emotional note. 8/10
11. Dead Time by Andrew Miller (another pseudonym for Steve Cole)
Regulars: Eighth Doctor, Sam
Bloody Sam, I can't get away from her. She's the only real low point in what is otherwise an interesting exploration of a hitherto unseen aspect of Gallifreyan lore, inside a fascinating setting that only gets more interesting when we find out what it actually is. I don't think I would want every story to be this abstract and strange, but as a one-off it works really well. 8/10
12. Romans Cutaway by David A. McIntee
Regulars: First Doctor, Ian, Barbara, Vicki
A really unnecessary prequel to The Romans, which explains how they got the villa that they begin that story in. That said, it is a genuinely good character piece - McIntee has an excellent grasp on One and his companions and the story works fairly well because of it. I liked the scene where Ian accidentally confessed his love for Barbara at the end especially. Plus, it’s fun seeing Ian fight a lion. 6/10
13. Return of the Spiders by Gareth Roberts
Regulars: Romana II, K-9
Planet of the Spiders already didn't do much to win me around to the Eight Legs and this story really doesn't help in that regard. Boring, badly paced and far less funny than it thinks it is. 3/10
14. Hot Ice by Christopher Bulis
Regulars: Fifth Doctor, Peri
A very straightforward story, but one executed very well. While the Ventrosians are all absolutely pathetic, I liked the parallels between the human thief, Len, and the alien one, and Five and Peri are both excellent here. That said, I think it would have been a lot better if it was all told from Len's POV. 7/10
15. uPVC by Paul Farnsworth
Regulars: Second Doctor, Seventh Doctor, Jamie, Zoe, Ace
Exceptional. Genuinely exceptional. This story transitions from actually funny absurdist comedy to a powerful, poignant study of the Doctor's character absolutely perfectly, and does exactly what a good short story should: show us the Doctor from an angle we might never before have considered. Everyone who likes Doctor Who should read this. 10/10
16. Good Companions by Peter Anghelides
Regulars: Unspecified future Doctor, Tegan
An elderly, grieving, depressed Tegan meets a future incarnation of the Doctor and his companion. I liked the villains a lot, but annoyingly they were only there for about three pages. The rest of it, though… it really does read like bad fan fiction, I’m sorry. The wilderness years had an annoying fondness for giving us glimpses into the miserable lives of past companions after they left the Doctor, and Tegan is just another uninteresting example of this trope. The future Doctor himself is a really forgettable non-character, and the same goes for his companion, Anna. But again, the Sigrarnons are great. 4/10
17. Missing, Part 2: Message in a Bottle by Robert Perry and Mike Tucker
Regulars: Mel
Successfully managed to make me feel sad. Pretty impressive for less than a page. 8/10
18. Femme Fatale by Paul Magrs
Regulars: Eighth Doctor, Sam
I think I liked it? It's told in a non-linear way and is primarily a first person piece from the POV of Iris Wildthyme, and I suppose it does manage to capture its psychedelic Sixties setting very well. The presence of Andy Warhol and the dreamlike structure and prose style definitely do make it feel like a strange Doctor Who-induced drug trip, which was probably the point. There's a plot involving clones somewhere in here as well? Honestly I don't know, but it was atmospheric and likeable enough to hold my attention. 7/10
Bonus. Bounty by Peter Anghelides and read by Paul McGann
Regulars: Eighth Doctor, Sam
This story is a lot of firsts. It is a) the first and only original performed story featuring Sam, b) the first instance of Paul McGann reprising his role as the Doctor post-TV movie, and c) Sam's first TARDIS trip chronologically. All of those facts are more interesting than the actual story. There's really nothing here beyond a thin plot about a generic alien shape-shifting bounty hunter. 3/10
Overall I would call this one better than the first. Only a couple of really bad stories, with most ranging from pretty good to really good. Oh yeah, and the introduction and About the Author section were both surprisingly entertaining.
submitted by jedisalsohere to gallifrey [link] [comments]
Regulars: Eighth Doctor, Seventh Doctor
Hmm. A weird one to start off with to be sure - I had to read it again to actually get what it was trying to say, but it’s a nice character study for the Doctor, as a widow slowly falls in love with him and he casts off the last vestiges of his former self. Quite nice, but I think starting the collection with this story was a bad move. 7/10
2. Scientific Adviser by Ian Atkins
Regulars: Second Doctor, the Brigadier
Against my better judgement, I do find myself liking this one. It's repetitive and monumentally stupid in terms of premise - the Doctor creates a fake movie about the Cyberman invasion and a resurrected Cyber-Planner uses this to plot another invasion - but it's charming and likeable for what it is. It's really nice seeing the Brig with Two again, and yes, the little girl that the Doctor befriends is very adorable. A probably unearnt 7/10.
3. Missing, Part One: Business as Usual by Gary Russell
Regulars: Mel
Huh? Apparently this was a bit that was edited out of the novel Business Unusual, and then got stuck in this collection. Maybe it works better with context? As I saw it, it’s a total waste of paper that I can’t really rate fairly. ?/10
4. Moon Graffiti by Dave Stone
Regulars: Sixth Doctor, Peri
Dave Stone is one of the most divisive Who writers I can think of. I’ve heard both scathing criticism and venerating praise for his writing, and with this being my first encounter with his work myself, I was more curious going in than anything. Thankfully, I really enjoyed it. I will say that the prose does kind of strangle the pacing and flow at times, often resorting to being excessively flowery and overwritten, but the setting is excellent, the Wibliwee and Pararachnids are both fantastic one-off alien races and the body horror is sickeningly great. I absolutely adored the Doctor’s random diatribe about the anthropology of hat-wearing and, what’s more, it perfectly captures the true existential horror that is being Peri. 9/10
5. One Bad Apple by Simon A. Forward
Regulars: Fourth Doctor, Leela
This one invokes Biblical imagery and Cyberman lore in a surprisingly clever and interesting way, but is ultimately let down by its lack of a real plot, and the Doctor's constant berating and bullying of Leela is just as uncomfortable here as it always has been. That said, Joshua is easily the most interesting antagonist in this collection and definitely bumps the story back up a fair bit. 6/10
6. 64 Carlysle Street by Gary Russell
Regulars: First Doctor, Steven, Dodo
This story just goes to show how important format can be when crafting an engaging short story. If it were just told in standard third person, there would have been almost nothing to recommend here. However, having it instead consist of a series of police statements made by the members of the titular household adds a real sense of charm and whimsy that wouldn’t be present otherwise, as well as managing to flesh out practically all the side characters despite so little time. The regulars are excellent, the villain is memorable, it utilises continuity in a clever and non-intrusive way - I really can’t find a flaw here. Full marks. And from Gary Russell, of all people. 10/10
7. The Eternity Contract by Steve Lyons
Regulars: Fifth Doctor, Nyssa
Lyons here delivers an excellent claustrophobic horror story, which features developed and interesting side characters, a compelling villain, captivating haunted house imagery and some truly fantastic moments of development for Five - and all in the span of twenty-three pages. The only thing that holds it back is the ending, which feels like it was written in about five minutes. 9/10
8. The Sow in Rut by Robert Perry and Mike Tucker
Regulars: Sarah-Jane, K-9
Attempts to draw from the extremely shallow well that is K-9 and Company and comes out with a laughable horror story about pigs or whatever. I also have no idea what the ending was supposed to be. 2/10
9. Special Weapons by Paul Leonard
Regulars: Seventh Doctor, Mel
Paul Leonard is for the second time responsible for the longest story in the volume after The People's Temple from the first book, and again the old adage about brevity being the soul of wit holds true here. This story really needed some tightening up to be properly effective. Also: what is it with the Seventh Doctor and Nazis? Curse of Fenric, Timewyrm: Exodus, Just War, Colditz, the two Klein trilogies… at least they're fairly well fleshed out here, not feeling like the one-dimensional killers they usually do. It's nice seeing Mel get put into a different kind of story, even if the random human she gets paired up with is hugely unmemorable, and I thought that the lightwanderer was quite interesting as far as alien presences go. Not bad, but messy. 6/10
10. Honest Living by Jason Loborik
Regulars: Third Doctor, Jo, the Brigadier
Quite good, actually. This story focuses on temporal paradoxes and is one of the most tense and compelling outings I've seen in quite a while, especially where the Third Doctor is concerned. The villains are sympathetic and memorable (being refugees fleeing the events of Day of the Daleks), the regulars are excellently written and it caps off on a genuinely emotional note. 8/10
11. Dead Time by Andrew Miller (another pseudonym for Steve Cole)
Regulars: Eighth Doctor, Sam
Bloody Sam, I can't get away from her. She's the only real low point in what is otherwise an interesting exploration of a hitherto unseen aspect of Gallifreyan lore, inside a fascinating setting that only gets more interesting when we find out what it actually is. I don't think I would want every story to be this abstract and strange, but as a one-off it works really well. 8/10
12. Romans Cutaway by David A. McIntee
Regulars: First Doctor, Ian, Barbara, Vicki
A really unnecessary prequel to The Romans, which explains how they got the villa that they begin that story in. That said, it is a genuinely good character piece - McIntee has an excellent grasp on One and his companions and the story works fairly well because of it. I liked the scene where Ian accidentally confessed his love for Barbara at the end especially. Plus, it’s fun seeing Ian fight a lion. 6/10
13. Return of the Spiders by Gareth Roberts
Regulars: Romana II, K-9
Planet of the Spiders already didn't do much to win me around to the Eight Legs and this story really doesn't help in that regard. Boring, badly paced and far less funny than it thinks it is. 3/10
14. Hot Ice by Christopher Bulis
Regulars: Fifth Doctor, Peri
A very straightforward story, but one executed very well. While the Ventrosians are all absolutely pathetic, I liked the parallels between the human thief, Len, and the alien one, and Five and Peri are both excellent here. That said, I think it would have been a lot better if it was all told from Len's POV. 7/10
15. uPVC by Paul Farnsworth
Regulars: Second Doctor, Seventh Doctor, Jamie, Zoe, Ace
Exceptional. Genuinely exceptional. This story transitions from actually funny absurdist comedy to a powerful, poignant study of the Doctor's character absolutely perfectly, and does exactly what a good short story should: show us the Doctor from an angle we might never before have considered. Everyone who likes Doctor Who should read this. 10/10
16. Good Companions by Peter Anghelides
Regulars: Unspecified future Doctor, Tegan
An elderly, grieving, depressed Tegan meets a future incarnation of the Doctor and his companion. I liked the villains a lot, but annoyingly they were only there for about three pages. The rest of it, though… it really does read like bad fan fiction, I’m sorry. The wilderness years had an annoying fondness for giving us glimpses into the miserable lives of past companions after they left the Doctor, and Tegan is just another uninteresting example of this trope. The future Doctor himself is a really forgettable non-character, and the same goes for his companion, Anna. But again, the Sigrarnons are great. 4/10
17. Missing, Part 2: Message in a Bottle by Robert Perry and Mike Tucker
Regulars: Mel
Successfully managed to make me feel sad. Pretty impressive for less than a page. 8/10
18. Femme Fatale by Paul Magrs
Regulars: Eighth Doctor, Sam
I think I liked it? It's told in a non-linear way and is primarily a first person piece from the POV of Iris Wildthyme, and I suppose it does manage to capture its psychedelic Sixties setting very well. The presence of Andy Warhol and the dreamlike structure and prose style definitely do make it feel like a strange Doctor Who-induced drug trip, which was probably the point. There's a plot involving clones somewhere in here as well? Honestly I don't know, but it was atmospheric and likeable enough to hold my attention. 7/10
Bonus. Bounty by Peter Anghelides and read by Paul McGann
Regulars: Eighth Doctor, Sam
This story is a lot of firsts. It is a) the first and only original performed story featuring Sam, b) the first instance of Paul McGann reprising his role as the Doctor post-TV movie, and c) Sam's first TARDIS trip chronologically. All of those facts are more interesting than the actual story. There's really nothing here beyond a thin plot about a generic alien shape-shifting bounty hunter. 3/10
Overall I would call this one better than the first. Only a couple of really bad stories, with most ranging from pretty good to really good. Oh yeah, and the introduction and About the Author section were both surprisingly entertaining.
2023.03.29 19:07 DharmaSalad Please help me unroot my cynicism in "Golden People"
Hello. Throughout my college experience I've encountered many peers I might consider "golden people." I'm worried that my bitter frustration is preventing me from properly socializing with new people in my university. My extreme cynicism makes it very hard to open up and trust new people from different backgrounds.
I'm a fifth-year transfer undergraduate student who grew up with a middle-upper class background. As a microbiology major, I have a lot of pride in my smarts, but I know I have a lot of flaws too. I'm aware I have a lot of privilege that keeps me away from a lot of suffering, and I am incredibly grateful for the position I'm in. I believe the circumstances of one's birth are an immutable characteristic that one should never take pride in, but be grateful for. It is what one strives for and earns through merit that one should base their self-esteem and identity.
That being said, I was not raised to take pride in wealth. The worst, most cringe conversations I've ever had with so-called "golden people" was talking about international travel, GPA, career and/or money. I have a deep hatred of the subtle and ostentatious attitudes of elitism in some of my peers, despite having a lot of privilege myself that I sometimes take for granted, though I try to be grateful in my daily life.
On my liberal arts college campus, I tend to encounter people who just ooze nobility whether they're aware of it or not. I choose not to interact with these people - even if they seem super kind or friendly - because in the back of my mind, I feel like I'd just be a stepping stone on their personal warpath of prestige. I've seen this in the way these men and women interact with some of my other friends, too. These golden people would only consider equals in ego to be true friends. Everyone else is an acquaintance they'd throw under the bus, abandon, or slow-fade from their life if they threatened to drag them down or cramp their style.
This perception has made it very hard for me to reach out and get to know people who are just caught in the crossfire of my cynical attitude against the hyper-privileged, these so-called "golden people," who have an enormous tailwind pushing them to earn double or triple majors in STEM. I want to change this negative outlook on life, but I need feedback.
Thank you for reading.
submitted by DharmaSalad to Advice [link] [comments]
I'm a fifth-year transfer undergraduate student who grew up with a middle-upper class background. As a microbiology major, I have a lot of pride in my smarts, but I know I have a lot of flaws too. I'm aware I have a lot of privilege that keeps me away from a lot of suffering, and I am incredibly grateful for the position I'm in. I believe the circumstances of one's birth are an immutable characteristic that one should never take pride in, but be grateful for. It is what one strives for and earns through merit that one should base their self-esteem and identity.
That being said, I was not raised to take pride in wealth. The worst, most cringe conversations I've ever had with so-called "golden people" was talking about international travel, GPA, career and/or money. I have a deep hatred of the subtle and ostentatious attitudes of elitism in some of my peers, despite having a lot of privilege myself that I sometimes take for granted, though I try to be grateful in my daily life.
On my liberal arts college campus, I tend to encounter people who just ooze nobility whether they're aware of it or not. I choose not to interact with these people - even if they seem super kind or friendly - because in the back of my mind, I feel like I'd just be a stepping stone on their personal warpath of prestige. I've seen this in the way these men and women interact with some of my other friends, too. These golden people would only consider equals in ego to be true friends. Everyone else is an acquaintance they'd throw under the bus, abandon, or slow-fade from their life if they threatened to drag them down or cramp their style.
This perception has made it very hard for me to reach out and get to know people who are just caught in the crossfire of my cynical attitude against the hyper-privileged, these so-called "golden people," who have an enormous tailwind pushing them to earn double or triple majors in STEM. I want to change this negative outlook on life, but I need feedback.
Thank you for reading.
2023.03.29 19:03 An_Epic_Potatoe Complimentary Daily Trade Complaint
I'm convinced that the primary issue with trade and fishing is that they compare weirdly to villagers, but the game is primarily balanced around villagers and TCs. Villagers pay their own cost back rather quickly, can gather any resource, can build buildings, and are often quite safe in the base. However, the only way to get more of them than your opponent is to make more TC's, which has a high cost and takes significant time to pay off, while also providing a small defensive bonus to help out.
In contrast, fishing and trade both individually cost more than villagers, can only gather one resource (although certain civs can get extra resources via trade), and are almost always harder to protect than villagers, but have one extremely important benefit over villagers: they are produced from buildings that are much cheaper than a TC, and can therefore be pumped out rapidly.
The food cost for villagers is a factor when going 2 or 3 TC, but only barely.
The main "resource" worried about when producing villagers is their train time, which is why Chinese Song dynasty or French faster villager train time are so important, and why training imperial officials or prelates apart from the TC is so valuable for China and HRE.
In other words, the most important cost associated with villagers is not food, but how quickly villagers can be produced.
Traders and Fishing boats don't really have that cost, which is why them costing more resources than villagers doesn't dissuade people from producing plenty of them—they pay themselves off so quickly. For trade or fishing to be balanced, they either need to be significantly less effective and less costly (think like Malian cows or pit mines—a passive boost to your economy, but reasonably limited and slow to get going), or markets and docks need to be way more costly to place.
B.) Docks and Markets need to research an upgrade (maybe 200 stone, 200 wood?) in order to produce traders or fishing boats. The upgrade allows docks and markets to garrison a higher number of units, and increases their HP, as well as allowing them to produce economic units. This way default markets can still be used to buy and sell resources, and default docks can still function as military production buildings without the upgrade, but both now require a higher resource commitment in order to scale the economy. In this scenario, the cost of traders and fishing boats themselves would probably need to be reduced a decent amount for the sake of balance.
In the same way that naval battles used to especially suffer from lacking a counter-triangle similar to that of land battles, fishing and trade currently work way too differently from villagers and how villagers are produced to be easy to balance—you nerf fishing or trade a touch too much, and they will become obsolete. If you buff them just a touch, they can quickly take over a match with no real counter.
I think that speaks to a flawed design that needs to be overhauled a good bit to bring things back into balance.
submitted by An_Epic_Potatoe to aoe4 [link] [comments]
In contrast, fishing and trade both individually cost more than villagers, can only gather one resource (although certain civs can get extra resources via trade), and are almost always harder to protect than villagers, but have one extremely important benefit over villagers: they are produced from buildings that are much cheaper than a TC, and can therefore be pumped out rapidly.
The food cost for villagers is a factor when going 2 or 3 TC, but only barely.
The main "resource" worried about when producing villagers is their train time, which is why Chinese Song dynasty or French faster villager train time are so important, and why training imperial officials or prelates apart from the TC is so valuable for China and HRE.
In other words, the most important cost associated with villagers is not food, but how quickly villagers can be produced.
Traders and Fishing boats don't really have that cost, which is why them costing more resources than villagers doesn't dissuade people from producing plenty of them—they pay themselves off so quickly. For trade or fishing to be balanced, they either need to be significantly less effective and less costly (think like Malian cows or pit mines—a passive boost to your economy, but reasonably limited and slow to get going), or markets and docks need to be way more costly to place.
I think 2 approaches could be:
A.) Traders and Fishing boats are now 50% cheaper and produce 50% fewer resources, but they also no longer cost population—instead they each have a limit—like Malian cows (for example, a player is limited to 15 fishing boats and 30 traders, or something like that). This would make trade and fishing both helpful boosts to your eco that don't have to compete with the efficiency of villagers, because they don't cost valuable population space. A player going 2 TC could now certainly compete with a player going for trade or fishing, and trade or fishing could also be slowly sprinkled in over the course of a game.B.) Docks and Markets need to research an upgrade (maybe 200 stone, 200 wood?) in order to produce traders or fishing boats. The upgrade allows docks and markets to garrison a higher number of units, and increases their HP, as well as allowing them to produce economic units. This way default markets can still be used to buy and sell resources, and default docks can still function as military production buildings without the upgrade, but both now require a higher resource commitment in order to scale the economy. In this scenario, the cost of traders and fishing boats themselves would probably need to be reduced a decent amount for the sake of balance.
In the same way that naval battles used to especially suffer from lacking a counter-triangle similar to that of land battles, fishing and trade currently work way too differently from villagers and how villagers are produced to be easy to balance—you nerf fishing or trade a touch too much, and they will become obsolete. If you buff them just a touch, they can quickly take over a match with no real counter.
I think that speaks to a flawed design that needs to be overhauled a good bit to bring things back into balance.
2023.03.29 18:15 Kartnes Little debate with a Muslim friend of mine
Me (Atheist, M) and a very good friend (Muslim, F) had a little debate. Basically my claim was that if a Muslim person had an atheist as a friend, (which is basically our case) that the Muslim should in fact try to convince their friend to join Islam if they truly care about their friend. You as a true Muslim should and have to genuinely believe that your atheist friend will end up in hell according to your holy book which is the final word of god. So if you really like your atheist friend, why don't you try to convince him and just let him live his pathetic atheist life and then let him end up in hell for eternity!!! So I asked her why she isn't trying to convince me of her religion and she replied that she doesn't want to lose me as a friend. That makes her selfish imo, she is basically fine with me ending up in hell, next to burning stone, just so we could be friends for a few years. Even if she knew that I wouldn't accept Islam with a 99% certainty, she didn't even try. Ofc I didn't tell her that, but that would be my though process in that debate. Do I have some logical flaw in the little debate we had.
submitted by Kartnes to exmuslim [link] [comments]
2023.03.29 17:45 RadioZEK [WTS] Hogue Deka Gen 1 Knives
Hey KS,
Up for grabs are my four Hogue Deka gen 1 knives.
I have lightly sharpened all of these since I used to sharpen all my knives upon arrival. I may have oiled the pivots but the knives have never been disassembled. The only one that has been carried and used is the first one, and it's the only one that was sharpened twice. The other three have never been carried or cut anything other than paper to test my sharpening job. I am the first owner on these and they have been stored in my display case when not in use. I do not have the original boxes and I can't find the tacos. The color difference between the FDE and OD is subtle as can be seen in the pics. All knives are well centered with G10 scales and 20CV blades. I will offer a $5 discount on each knife after the first and knives will ship no later than the following day via USPS. I accept PPFF with Venmo as a second option. I'm looking to raise some funds so I'm not interested in trade offers. Ask if you have any questions. Thanks for looking!
FDE Cerakote Clip Point. SV $85.
This is the used one that I carried as a secondary knife for 26 days. That means it was on package opening duty. I used this one because it had some lock stick and I wanted to see if it would break in. It still has lock stick but it’s a bit better. You may want to work the action to help break it in some more, or you might just want to run the hell out of it at this price. This is the only one that was sharpened twice, once before use and once after use.
Black / Satin Clip Point. SV $95.
I see a little scuff about mid way on the blade, both sides. Maybe this is from their stonewashing process or something? I can’t really figure out where else it would have came from since I never used it and it doesn’t appear to be from contact with my sharpening stones. Aside from that, no known flaws. Sharpened once, never carried, never cut anything other than paper.
FDE Cerakote Wharncliffe. SV $100.
No known flaws. Sharpened once, never carried, never cut anything other than paper.
OD Cerakote Wharncliffe. SV $100.
No known flaws. Sharpened once, never carried, never cut anything other than paper.
submitted by RadioZEK to Knife_Swap [link] [comments]
Up for grabs are my four Hogue Deka gen 1 knives.
I have lightly sharpened all of these since I used to sharpen all my knives upon arrival. I may have oiled the pivots but the knives have never been disassembled. The only one that has been carried and used is the first one, and it's the only one that was sharpened twice. The other three have never been carried or cut anything other than paper to test my sharpening job. I am the first owner on these and they have been stored in my display case when not in use. I do not have the original boxes and I can't find the tacos. The color difference between the FDE and OD is subtle as can be seen in the pics. All knives are well centered with G10 scales and 20CV blades. I will offer a $5 discount on each knife after the first and knives will ship no later than the following day via USPS. I accept PPFF with Venmo as a second option. I'm looking to raise some funds so I'm not interested in trade offers. Ask if you have any questions. Thanks for looking!
FDE Cerakote Clip Point. SV $85.
This is the used one that I carried as a secondary knife for 26 days. That means it was on package opening duty. I used this one because it had some lock stick and I wanted to see if it would break in. It still has lock stick but it’s a bit better. You may want to work the action to help break it in some more, or you might just want to run the hell out of it at this price. This is the only one that was sharpened twice, once before use and once after use.
Black / Satin Clip Point. SV $95.
I see a little scuff about mid way on the blade, both sides. Maybe this is from their stonewashing process or something? I can’t really figure out where else it would have came from since I never used it and it doesn’t appear to be from contact with my sharpening stones. Aside from that, no known flaws. Sharpened once, never carried, never cut anything other than paper.
FDE Cerakote Wharncliffe. SV $100.
No known flaws. Sharpened once, never carried, never cut anything other than paper.
OD Cerakote Wharncliffe. SV $100.
No known flaws. Sharpened once, never carried, never cut anything other than paper.