#Smelting Technology

[market-insider]

High Purity Pig Iron Market's Integral Role in Elevating Steel Quality Standards

The global high purity pig iron market size is expected to reach USD 17.09 billion by 2030, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc, expanding at a CAGR of 8.5% over the forecast period. Investments in wind power generation are expected to benefit the industry growth from 2022 to 2030. HPPI is the principal raw material used in the production of nodular cast iron components, which are deployed in industries, such as wind energy, automotive & transportation, etc. Increasing emissions and limited potential for fossil fuels have led to the focus on energy production from renewable sources, such as wind and solar. HPPI finds applications in different wind turbine components, such as rotors, shafts, frames, and blades among others.

High Purity Pig Iron Market Report Highlights

The energy application segment is projected to register the fastest CAGR over the forecast period. A shift towards renewable energy is anticipated to promote the usage of nodular cast iron components and benefit HPPI demand

Automotive & transportation was the largest application segment in 2021. Investments for new plants and capacity additions are projected to boost the demand for HPPI products in casting parts

Asia Pacific was the leading region in 2021 due to offshore wind projects and industrial production in China, India, and Japan

India is anticipated to register a lucrative growth rate, in terms of revenue, over the forecast period due to the growing focus on domestic manufacturing to cater to the growing demand from various end-use industries

For More Details or Sample Copy please visit link @: High Purity Pig Iron Market Report

China, a leader in wind energy installations, aims to double its wind and solar capacity by 2025. The pollution levels are also high in China compared to other countries around the world, therefore it is necessary to increase renewable power generation. As per the central economic plan of the country, nearly 33% of power supply will come from renewable sources by 2025, an increase from 29% in 2020. Recently, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy received an order for 14 offshore wind turbines from a Green Power Investment firm in Japan. This Ishikari offshore project is likely to produce 112 MW of wind energy wherein installations are planned to start in July 2023. The turbines have ClassNK certification ensuring stringent technical standards. Similar investments in wind energy are expected to provide a boost to the HPPI products demand.

Automotive & transportation is a key application segment, wherein nodular cast iron components made using HPPI are used. This segment is likely to register a growth of 8.3%, in terms of revenue, from 2022 to 2030. A rise in the production capacities for vehicles is projected to attract the demand for HPPI products. For instance, Kia Motors in India is expected to increase its production capacity to 400,000 units by the end of 2022. Increasing utilization of steel scrap in foundries, especially in China, is projected to remain a favorable factor for the industry players. The increasing shift towards electric furnaces compared to blast furnaces requires high purity iron to reduce the impurities in the melt. This is anticipated to benefit in the reduction of carbon emissions and, thus, protect the environment.

HighPurityPigIron #PigIron #Metallurgy #SteelProduction #MetalManufacturing #IronSmelting #PureIron #MetallurgicalProcesses #PremiumSteel #IronQuality #FoundryMaterials #SteelQuality #AlloyProduction #MetalInnovation #IronandSteel #SmeltingTechnology #HighPerformanceMetals #MetalsIndustry #SteelStandards #SteelManufacturing #MetalExcellence

[nickysfacts]

The feminine urge to mine and smelt iron ore!🪨

🔥🛠🔥

[its-a-date]

Humans had been smelting copper for centuries, but the addition of tin to make bronze was a breakthrough that spread toward the end of the fourth millennium.

"Plagues Upon the Earth: Disease and the Course of Human History" - Kyle Harper

[zvaigzdelasas]

Instead of burning fossil fuels to reach the temperatures needed to smelt steel and cook cement, scientists in Switzerland want to use heat from the sun. The proof-of-concept study uses synthetic quartz to trap solar energy at temperatures over 1,000°C (1,832°F), demonstrating the method’s potential role in providing clean energy for carbon-intensive industries. A paper on the research was published on May 15 in the journal Device.[...]

Glass, steel, cement, and ceramics are at the very heart of modern civilization, essential for building everything from car engines to skyscrapers. However, manufacturing these materials demands temperatures over 1,000°C and relies heavily on burning fossil fuels for heat. These industries account for about 25% of global energy consumption. Researchers have explored a clean-energy alternative using solar receivers, which concentrate and build heat with thousands of sun-tracking mirrors. However, this technology has difficulties transferring solar energy efficiently above 1,000°C.

To boost the efficiency of solar receivers, Casati turned to semitransparent materials such as quartz, which can trap sunlight—a phenomenon called the thermal-trap effect. The team crafted a thermal-trapping device by attaching a synthetic quartz rod to an opaque silicon disk as an energy absorber. When they exposed the device to an energy flux equivalent to the light coming from 136 suns, the absorber plate reached 1,050°C (1,922°F), whereas the other end of the quartz rod remained at 600°C (1,112°F).

“Previous research has only managed to demonstrate the thermal-trap effect up to 170°C (338°F),” says Casati. “Our research showed that solar thermal trapping works not just at low temperatures, but well above 1,000°C. This is crucial to show its potential for real-world industrial applications.”

Using a heat transfer model, the team also simulated the quartz’s thermal-trapping efficiency under different conditions. The model showed that thermal trapping achieves the target temperature at lower concentrations with the same performance, or at higher thermal efficiency for equal concentration. For example, a state-of-the-art (unshielded) receiver has an efficiency of 40% at 1,200°C, with a concentration of 500 suns. The receiver shielded with 300 mm of quartz achieves 70% efficiency at the same temperature and concentration. The unshielded receiver requires at least 1,000 suns of concentration for comparable performance.

17 May 24

[lovelyyandereaddictionpoint]

A New World | Yandere Monster's World

Rules | Buy me a Kofi!!! | Commissions(Shorts, ASMRScripts, etc.)

Thinking about an alternate dimension with no humans. No rumors, no myths, and no ancient burial grounds that suggest they might exist. Only the creatures we write about and make stories of. Hairy 5-meter tall hairy giants, vampires that drink the blood of any they can get their hand on, gorgeous beauties that feed on the souls of all they drown at sea. It’s a monster lover’s dream. The races of course are in factions by race navigating peace as best as they can but it continues to be a contentious mission. 

Of course not helping their case, a new species is being introduced to the pool.

You. 

A dimensional traveler meant to test out a better place for humans to live. Of course, your soulless employers drop you in with limited supplies and promise they’ll return you in five years of course if you're not dead. 

But this monster world is far from ready to have a human come to their land. At first, they mistake you for a defanged good-natured vampire; flexing your technology as a silent show of dominance. Typical of those snotty fang-havers….but things get weird when the council of monster representatives finds the Vampires so in awe of your existence. 

“No fangs?”

“Imperviousness to the sun!?”

“You are like nothing we’ve ever seen–”

“Or smelt! Your blood—”

“We’ve never tasted anything more divine!”

After using a small reusable syringe technology is amazing from your pack and give them a couple of droplets. Only for one taste to have the vampires writhing in heat so feverish they can’t help but drool and pull at their suddenly too-restricting clothes.

The other representatives are baffled. Are you a witch?! You have a better temperament than any and you haven’t requested any hearts or weird herbs to sate some hunger of yours. The Witch representatives check you next, doing the usual checkups witches must go through.

“Alright now open your esophagus.”

“Uhm I can’t do that. I can open my mouth, though. Ahh”

“GASP! What on the Withering Lands is that pink thing hanging in the back!?”

“My uvula?”

“Oh my, should you be showing that to us?!”

“Yes, we may impregnate you that way.”

“That’s not how it works for me.”

Though for good measure and their imploding curiosity, they take a sample of your saliva. Learning from those narcissistic vampire they only pour a hint of it into their cauldrons. Taking a sip, their chemistry demands their brain think of an answer and yet….why are their pants wet? Oh dear they’ll need to satisfy themselves quickly or they’ll be unable to stop themselves from pouncing on the odd creature that brought this along.  It brings the council into an uproar some call for your immediate execution, others want to take you for further experimentation, and others hope to have what the vampires and witches were having. 

One of your immediate allies is the Elves the hosts for this council meeting. Escorting you from the courtroom as they mull about possible solutions, willing to hear out what you might have to say. Oblivious to the tension among the kingdoms and each specific problem, you can’t offer much. That leaves the Elf representative, an audacious fifth prince, at his wit's end. Near tears he expects you to watch awkwardly as the sparkling water falls from his eyes, not rub against his back. 

“Hey it’s okay we’ll figure it out. I really appreciate you looking after me.”

Your words fall on deaf ears as the elf is immediately thrown into disarray. Even through his clothes, the warmth of your hands has the most naughty parts of him stand at attention. The tips of his ears are the shade of the planet’s crimson moon and the nails he’d always kept beautifully shaped make indents in the wood. His guards happily fall to restrain the creature responsible only for them to suffer the same fate. 

It dawns on you just how terrible of a situation it is then you realize the door is locked and the monsters suffering from your effect have been thrust into a mindless rut where their all convinced you will solve their problems. 

And maybe you can, after all, you are the only human in this world. If you made these problems surely you can fix them. 

[iamthepulta]

So I learned as of five minutes ago, cobalt hydroxides are 70% of the world's cobalt supply. Went on mindat and this is mostly Co(O)(OH), Heterogenite. There are a ton of weird cobalt selenides and tellurides though, and a lot of cobalt sulfates which I didn't expect.

Looked at a geo paper and this is because the copper and cobalt deposits we usually mine are laterites, which means rain weathers the sediment and over the years they turn from sulfides to oxides (like rust, but for other metals).

The company says they will initially use cobalt hydroxide as a feed source, but will in the future look at "black mass" which is recycled battery material. This is a lengthy extractive process using hydrometallurgy to recover nickel, copper, cobalt, lithium, and manganese as well as cobalt.

how will they do that. good question

*googles*

(Richard et al, 2024: A techno-economic assessment...)

now I've completed all my distractions, I'm forced to teach everybody about cobalt refining

[softinkshadows]

Overworking

Disclaimer: explicit sex

Fem! reader x Nanami Kento

----

Ding! You press the doorbell to room 703, grumbling under your breath. It's already day 3 of the tech conference and your ankles feel almost bruised from all the walking in heels. You can already feel your body straining against a week of consecutive 3 hours of sleep, in between lunchtime meetings, speeches, networking sessions and too many cups of coffee (and occasionally champagne). You glance briefly at your watch. 11pm. To make matters worse, there's a mid-event assessment report due by noon tomorrow. And your colleague still has not answered the door, leaving you to muck pathetically about the expensive carpet and ostentatious perfume of the hotel corridor.

"Hey!!" you rap on the door, impatient. "We haven't got all day-"

The door swings open abruptly.

You're a little taken aback at the suddenness, but also at the newfound proximity. Your colleague was dressed in a laidback t shirt and sweatpants, a white towel draped casually across shoulder.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, I was in the shower. Let's get to the report," he said, turning back towards the room and motioning for you to enter.

You kick off your heels near the doorway, shutting the door with a click. Maybe it's the fact that it has been long day, or the fact that you've never seen your colleague outside of his perfectly pressed beige suit and slacks. But you feel disoriented, and nervous, as if you stumbled upon a scene you shouldn't have. When did Nanami Kento, of all people, actually look kind of attractive?

You spread out the printed documents on the coffee table and pull up the slides and excel sheets on your laptop. Your eyes can't help but slide, every now and then, over to the man seated next to you on the couch.

Nanami had always gotten on your nerves. If it was not an early promotion, then it was a compliment from Director Yamazaki, or a client lunch only he was invited to. You'd both graduated from ivy leagues with top grades, started at JJK Corp at the same time, and yet it always seemed he was just a step ahead of you. And while he was competent, there was just something about it that seemed quite unfair. It made you bitter and him stoic, filling your working relationships with barbed back-and-forths. Somehow it was Nanami that always knew how to rile you up the most.

You watch as a glistening drop of water falls from his damp hair, darkening a spot on his grey shirt. You could feel the slight warmth of his body, radiating from his proximity. Also, he smelt good.

"Uhm okay," you clear your throat to redirect your focus. "So about the report, it seems like we have pretty good sentiment around the CTO's remarks."

"Yes, and I think with this it will be good to introduce some, uh, some new messaging around our core product," Nanami said. It was only when he stuttered slightly that you realised his face was very lightly flushed. Was he drunk?

He caught you looking quizzically before quipping quietly. "Yeah sorry, I was dragged for some drinks with clients after the dinner."

"Oh, with Director Yamazaki?"

"Yeah."

You fight the feeling of frustration wanting to claw its way out of your chest.

"Well anyway, I don't think that's the right call. The downsides around the technology is too sensitive to broach now, it'll invite unnecessary criticism," you shot back a little too fast, irked from exhaustion as well as to compensate from how oddly riled up you are. "We should just stick to what the CTO discussed, and double down from there."

"You don't like me, do you?" Nanami said, his teeth lightly clenched.

There was a rather long silent pause.

You met his gaze and tried hard not to squirm under its intensity. There was something in his eyes which showed annoyance, provoking, yet somehow tinged with a little remorse, as if he regretted what he just said. It was only now that you realise he was in fact very drunk.

Angry, haughty, stoic, bratty Nanami you could deal with. But drunk Nanami? It was a whole new animal.

"Er I..." you trail off in growing discomfort, at a loss of what to say. Your eyes subconsciously dipping to his neck, still streaked with a little water from his shower, and the broad curve of his shoulders. Somehow the sight made your mouth dry, stomach knotting in a newfound intimacy. You look back up and see his brown eyes still on you, piercing. Immediately, you flush up to your cheeks.

"I-I mean, the report.." you begin to say, stammering. Flailing. Saying anything possible to distract him from this embarrassing moment.

"Screw the report," Nanami breathes. Then he pulls you into him, his hand cupping your chin. Your lips almost touching

Then he pauses, observing your reaction, waiting for permission. His cheeks are pinker now, and the tips of his ears are lightly flushed. You feel your heartbeat in your ears, the tension in your chest about to burst. He always knew how to rile you up.

"Ugh, screw you," you moaned as you gave in, leaning in to smash your lips against his.

With a new hunger, Nanami grabbed your waist and pulled your legs around his, pressing your body hard against him as he sloppy kissed his way into your mouth, his fingers stroking up and down the length of your thigh. You moaned at the feeling, the taste of alcohol on his tongue egging you on. You felt even more giddy at how unrestrained he was, how strong his arms were around you. Before you knew it, you could feel yourself growing wet between your legs, desperate for friction.

As if on cue, his nimble fingers found its way to your waistband, unbuckling your pants, and pulling them down around you. You're too caught up with his tongue stroking the inside of your heated mouth, of both your spit trickling down the side of your lips to feel self conscious. He moves his hand up your your blouse, stroking your spine lightly before removing your top as well.

Nanami pauses for a moment, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. His brown eyes burning with lust.

Your bra straps have fallen off your shoulders, your hair messy and tousled, lips wet and legs parted. Your lace underwear has a spot darkening with slick. He's never seen you like this.

"Oh fuck," Nanami breathes, pulling you to straddle him such that your back is to him. He nibbles on your neck, fingers dancing a trail from your collarbone, to your breasts, where he plays with your hardened nipple through your lace bra. His hands travel down to your underwear, where he massages your clit lightly from the outside.

"Stop teasing, Nanami, ah-" you cry out, your body quivering with want.

You're on edge, spreading your legs wide as possible and arching back into him to just feel anything. Wanting to push yourself into his touch.

Nanami relents. He pushes aside the fabric and strokes his digits lightly along your drenched folds. "You're wet," he chuckled, before inserting one thick finger into your cunt and biting lightly on your neck at the same time.

The sensation is enough to make you gasp out loud in pleasure, as you spread your legs wider to, thrusting up into his palm.

"Shhhh.. you really have to be a little more patient," he whispered into your ear, before adding a second finger to stretch you out.

Your eyes widen at the feeling, moaning as his large fingers already fill you.

"Did you know I've always wanted to have you like his, quivering over me with my fingers inside you?" Nanami lulled, adding his third finger into your quivering pussy. Already, from the sound of them thrusting in and out of you, you're obscenely wet, and he hasn't even taken off his clothes.

"But not, you had to be a little minx. Always all about work, and the competition," Nanami emphasised the last word while reaching his thumb up to press against your swollen nub.

"Ahhh fuck me, Nanami, please, I need to.." you gasp in between heavy breaths, on the verge of falling off the edge of pleasure. His fingers going in and out of you fast, squelching and hitting your g spot with every movement, your juices dripping down your thighs and onto the couch. At that moment, he speeds up, his fingers drilling into you relentlessly and his thumb massaging your clit in circles. His other hand clasps lightly around your neck as he whispers into your ear, "Come for me, sweetheart."

"Ahhh Nanami, fuck-" You moan as you come undone, hitting your climax. Your mind goes blank as you convulse around his hand, feeling your juices coating his palm. Thighs shaking, you arch into his kiss and frenziedly rub your ass against his crotch to ride out the high, gasping for air as fingers continue to pummel in and out of you.

When you come down, he pulls his fingers out, stringy with all your fluids. He licks them off with his tongue before pulling you in for another kiss.

"I would have liked to do this in the bedroom first, but I don't think I can wait," Nanami murmured darkly. He lifts you easily and turns you around, so that you're facing him, legs spread out on either side of him and ready.

He unclasps your bra and throws it unceremoniously to the side, out of sight. "Oh god, you're beautiful," he whispers, trailing his fingers around your nipples before his bites onto one of them hard. You moan, grasping his hair with your fingers and finding your legs unconsciously spreading wider. You can feel him hot and hard beneath the sweatpants, and suddenly this animalistic hunger overtakes you and you absolutely need to be completely filled up by him.

You almost tear off his shirt, licking and biting your way down his neck, while your hands fiddle with his sweats to set him free. His cock is already huge and hard against his abs, throbbing with a little precum at the tip.

"Nanami I need you in me, now, please" you beg, pawing at his chest, messily kissing around his mouth. Nanami chuckles into the kiss, before lifting you and slowly lowering you onto his cock.

You wince slightly at his girth and how big he is. He's barely past the tip and you can feel him stretching you so much it stings. But you're already so wet and needy that your juices are coating him, making it easier for his cock to bury itself into you.

"Such a good girl," Nanami murmurs, stroking your hair as he lowers you all the way up to the hilt, you body trembling to accommodate his size. You feel so indecently splayed out in front of him, nipples wet and sore from being bitten, sweat speckling across your body and his entire cock sheathed inside you, that you felt yourself getting wetter despite the stinging stretch. You begin to grind against him, feeling his whole length stroke your insides, hitting the spot deep inside you.

"Oh! Nanami! Fuck, you feel so good," you cry out at the pleasure, eyes rolling to the back of your head. Something about Nanami, about the way he gazes at you with such feral hunger, the way his fingers are pinching your nipples and holding the small of your waist, ignites a new thirst in you.

Without warning, you feel a new escalating pleasure build in your stomach as you hit another climax, moaning and rolling your hips around his cock, hearing your pussy squelch around his length, which continues to throb and brush against your g spot.

"Oh fuck," Nanami groans, "You're needy for my cock? What a little slut." He starts to bounce you up and down his length, coating the base to the tip of his cock with your cum before slamming you down again. You cry out at the rough and new sensation, pleasure starting to build again as the room fills with the sound of wet skin against wet skin.

He reaches around to slap your ass, hard and unforgiving. It's certain to leave a mark and you love it, crying out and moaning and egging him on, begging for him to go faster and harder.

"Nanami- oh fuck - feels so good!" you moan as he picks up his pace, thrusting into you, your nipples sliding against his now-sweaty chest, your clit rubbing against his torso and getting even wetter by the second.

"You're such a desperate minx, have you been waiting for me to ruin you all this time?" Nanami grunts between heavy breaths. You can feel the strain, the vein in his forehead that shows how desperate he also feels, rutting into you like his life depends on it.

"Fuck - yes!" You cried out, tears beginning to roll down your cheeks from the intensity, as you feel yourself completely emptied, then gaped wide and filled so entirely, as Nanami's cock goes in and out of you. You breath catching in your throat, you feel the knot of tension in your stomach growing larger, wider, your limbs beginning to quiver with pleasure and pain.

"Nanami, I'm going to-" you're unable to finish your sentence, as Nanami quickens his pace, pinching your nipples hard and using his hands to spread your ass cheeks even wider so he can bury his cock even deeper. His throbbing length hits the wall of your cervix rhythmically. HIs tongue laps around your nipples and your neck and earlobes, all the sensations tipping you over the edge as you come, loud and hard, moaning and whimpering against him. Your pussy clenching and convulsing around him unbearably tight, juices dripping across his thighs and onto the couch. His fingers around your ass also drenched, pushing and prodding against your hole, making you eyes blow out in pleasure as you ride out your longest ever orgasm.

The erotic sight and sensation sends Nanami over the edge as he thrusts wildly inside you and ruts into you one more time, shooting hot, thick ropes of cum inside you. "Fuck.." Nanami moans, emptying out and holding your waist so he coats all of your walls. You curse at the feeling, moaning so good against him as your orgasm doubles, driven by lust and the depravity of his want. Your slick now mixed with white cum seeps out from you, coating his balls, trickling sticky down to the sofa.

You've never felt this good in a long time.

Nanami pulls you in to him, breathing hard.

"I don't hate you," you finally said, your face flushes, legs trembling from the high.

"Seems like you don't," he laughed, reaching to give you a kiss on the cheek. He eyes settle on open door to the bedroom, before looking back at you.

"Ready for round two?"

[fcloudg]

↓This is Mermaid Slate btw in case it's too confusing when covering their face bhdjwqooq

okay so @reject-roach a bit late cuz I really have no idea how to design ships in this AU First: Slate's workshop Underwater environment probably won't support many of the tech we know of so we'll have to be creative about it, and make up stuff that doesn't exist but at least looks cool enough to logically ignore it  Their technology development would probably be completely different, smelting process is a big problem, I don't know how exactly submarine volcano works but I think they could use that, in someway, eventually and if smelting in water doesn't work, there's always creative ways to build a air environment, they'll have to work on the landsuit tech first in that order

Second: Ships and Travelers camps Definitely both! it's going to be really a big headache for Slate tho, considering in this situation not only the ship needs to be able to change pressure to be able to change altitude underwater, but to be able to 'flow' in air environment, which I presume they don't have the concept of 'flying' that is?      Travellers' camp would be more important in many ways, cus different part of ocean means different ways of how currents flow and different kind of dangerous animals like toxic jellyfish or electric eels etc. Maybe in some extreme environment you'll need new kind of protective clothing. Better go asking for information and equipment when a new explorer arrives.  

Third: Dark Bramble YES. Swamp could be a fun land idea to explore, but I personally want to see those angler terrors being big as fuck in the deep sea and could scare the shit of others, along with many more deep sea giant creatures >:D was going to do some ship design doodles but it's hard as fuck, and to do good visual design for this AU I might need to look for a lot of marine biology documentaries and studies which I'm not particularly interest..... and that's why they need Technical Advisor in these kind of things orz

anyway thanks again for liking my AU! <3

[writers-potion]

Writing a Siege Warfare

In a siege, the readers' empathies lie with the defenders. If the PoV fihts ont he side of the attackers, give the defenders state-of-the-art technology, have them commit some strocious deeds to justify an attack.

Active Siege

The besiegers use force to get in.

They attack the walls with cannons, catapults and battering rams. They use long ladders to climb the walks. They may build a ramp to reach the top of the walls, or dig a tunnerl to make part of the wall collapse.

The defenders will hurl missiles at the attackers. Arrows, stones, burning pitch, etc. They'll set the battering rams on fire. Women, children and the elderly will hurl rocks and pour boiling oil at the enemy.

The outcome of he siege will depend on state-of-the-art technology: is the siege machinery or defensive mechanisms better? And the preparedness of the defenders in maintaining their walls and stocking resources.

Passive Siege

The besiegers cut off the defenders' supply chain to starve them into submission. This is rather boring for the attackers.

It will end in one of three ways: (1) hunger (2) thirst (3) treachery (someone who can't stand it opens the gate) or the attackers get bored and launch an active attack.

Both sides, but especially so for the defenders, will suffer from a lack of resources. Use the weather (smelting sun, floods, extreme humidity) to make it more painful for both sides.

More suitable as the background of a scene rather than being a scene in itself, since passive sieges can lasts for months.

If you like my blog, buy me a coffee☕ and find me on instagram! 📸

[blackstarlineage]

The Nok Culture: An In-Depth Analysis of West Africa’s Earliest Civilization

Introduction: Nok – The Forgotten Pioneers of African Civilization

The Nok Culture (circa 1500 BCE – 500 CE) is one of the oldest known civilizations in West Africa, flourishing in what is now central Nigeria. It is best known for its advanced ironworking, sophisticated terracotta sculptures, and early urban settlements.

Despite its historical importance, Western historians have often ignored or downplayed the Nok Civilization, presenting African history as beginning only with the transatlantic slave trade. From a Garveyite perspective, studying the Nok Culture is essential because it represents:

Black technological innovation – Nok was one of the earliest African societies to master ironworking, fueling later African empires.

Black artistic brilliance – The Nok created highly advanced terracotta sculptures, some of the oldest known in the world.

Black civilization-building – Nok society had urban centers, complex governance, and long-distance trade networks.

By reclaiming the history of the Nok Culture, Black people today can reject the colonial myth that Africa lacked civilization before European contact.

1. The Origins and Geography of the Nok Culture

A. Location and Early Development

The Nok civilization was based in present-day Nigeria, covering areas such as Kogi, Kaduna, and Plateau states.

It thrived for over 2,000 years, making it one of the longest-lasting African cultures before colonial disruption.

The Nok people were part of the Neolithic (New Stone Age) and Iron Age transitions in West Africa, proving early African technological sophistication.

Example: Evidence suggests the Nok may have influenced later West African cultures like the Yoruba, Igbo, and Benin Kingdoms.

Key Takeaway: Africa’s history goes back thousands of years—long before European and Arab involvement in the continent.

2. The Technological Achievements of the Nok People

A. One of the First Ironworking Cultures in the World

Nok is one of the earliest African civilizations to develop iron-smelting technology (possibly as early as 1000 BCE).

Iron tools allowed for advanced farming, hunting, and military defense, helping Nok expand its influence.

This makes Nok one of the oldest ironworking societies in the world, even before many European cultures mastered the technique.

Example: Nok’s ironworking predates European iron production in many areas, proving Africa’s role in early technological advancements.

Key Takeaway: Black civilizations were scientifically and technologically advanced long before colonial contact.

B. The Terracotta Sculptures: Africa’s Oldest Artistic Legacy

The Nok civilization is famous for its intricately detailed terracotta sculptures, among the oldest known in Africa.

The sculptures depict human figures with elaborate hairstyles, jewellery, and expressive facial features, showing a high level of artistic skill.

These sculptures suggest a complex society with social classes, religious rituals, and possibly kings or chiefs.

Example: The Nok terracotta figures influenced later African art styles, including the Benin Bronzes and Ife sculptures.

Key Takeaway: Africa had its own artistic traditions that rivaled those of Ancient Greece, Rome, and China.

3. The Economy and Trade of the Nok Civilization

A. Agriculture and Natural Resource Management

The Nok were advanced farmers, cultivating crops such as millet, sorghum, and yams.

They practiced animal husbandry, domesticating cattle, goats, and sheep.

The Nok developed early irrigation techniques, proving that African civilizations were skilled in water management.

Example: Some Nok settlements show evidence of organized farming villages, meaning they were not just a nomadic society.

Key Takeaway: Africa developed stable agricultural economies long before European colonial rule.

B. Trade Networks Connecting Africa

The Nok were part of a larger African trade network, exchanging iron tools, pottery, and crafts with neighboring cultures.

Their iron weapons and tools may have influenced later West African civilizations such as Ghana, Mali, and Songhai.

They traded with the Sahara region and possibly even early North African and Middle Eastern cultures.

Example: The spread of Nok ironworking technology may have contributed to the rise of later powerful empires like Ghana and Mali.

Key Takeaway: Black economies were self-sufficient and connected through vast trade networks before foreign interference.

4. The Social and Political Structure of the Nok Civilization

A. Social Organization and Governance

Nok society was likely led by chiefs or kings, as suggested by their elaborate sculptures and burial sites.

There was a clear division of labour, with specialized groups for farming, metalworking, and trade.

The existence of large settlements suggests early forms of urbanization, proving that African civilizations built structured cities.

Example: Archaeologists found large Nok settlements with organized streets and buildings, contradicting myths that African societies were all nomadic.

Key Takeaway: African civilizations had complex social structures, organized leadership, and governance systems.

B. Religious and Spiritual Practices

Nok sculptures suggest a strong spiritual and religious culture, possibly honouring ancestors or deities.

The use of symbolic figures in Nok art indicates the presence of rituals, ceremonies, and religious leaders.

Their religion likely influenced later African spiritual systems, including Yoruba Ifa divination and Igbo Odinani.

Example: Many of the artistic symbols in Nok sculptures reappear in later West African religious traditions.

Key Takeaway: Africa had its own spiritual systems that existed independently of foreign religions.

5. The Decline of the Nok Culture: Lessons for Black People Today

A. Why Did the Nok Civilization Disappear?

Around 500 CE, the Nok culture mysteriously declined. Possible reasons include:

Climate change, leading to prolonged droughts and food shortages.

Resource depletion, including deforestation caused by iron smelting.

Migrations and invasions, leading to the rise of new civilizations.

Although the Nok civilization faded, its iron technology, artistic traditions, and social structures influenced later African kingdoms.

Example: The rise of the Yoruba, Igbo, and Benin civilizations may have been influenced by Nok traditions.

Key Takeaway: African civilizations did not just “disappear”—they evolved into new powerful states.

6. The Garveyite Vision: Restoring Africa’s Technological and Cultural Glory

Nok proves that Africa was an advanced technological and artistic power.

Black education must focus on Nok’s history to counter colonial narratives.

Modern African nations must reclaim Nok’s spirit of innovation and self-reliance.

African economies should prioritize local industries, just as Nok controlled its own iron production.

Final Thought: Will We Reclaim Nok’s Legacy?

Marcus Garvey taught:

“The Black skin is not a badge of shame, but rather a glorious symbol of national greatness.”

Will Black people continue to believe that Africa was primitive before colonization?

Will we celebrate our ancestors’ technological brilliance, or allow our history to be erased?

Will we build strong, self-sufficient economies like Nok, or continue to depend on outside forces?

The Choice is Ours. The Time is Now.

[callum-librrry]

Uncanny Valley

Tom and Hazai were exploring a planet recently added to the intergalactic database. Navis was tasked with bringing supply packages to the sentient species there. It was all, of course, an effort to have the planet be knowledgeable of the wider community of space while attempting to keep their technological influence to a minimum. They did something similar to Earth way back when the lightwaves finally made it to the council and Humans were confirmed to be sentient themselves. Unfortunately, any attempts made were quickly swept under the rug known as secret government agencies.

 This planet seemed to be doing much better environmentally than Earth was. Lifeforms here evolved somewhat eerily. Most flora was found underground where liquid water was in constant supply. Tom had also seen a large plant with what looked suspiciously like bones in various odd places. After some confirmation with various off-world researchers, it was noted that the plants here were carnivorous. This made sense in Tom’s mind, considering there were multiple examples of such behaviour in the plant life on his home planet. This information spooked Hazai quite a bit more. She was nervous around anything with roots for the entire rest of the mission.

 They had been wandering with a vague sense of purpose for quite some time and they were yet to come across any sort of sentient life. This fact did not help the ever-increasing complaining of Tom’s muscles under the weight of the supplies. Gravity here was slightly stronger here than it was in standard conditions, which did not help the ache in Tom’s back in the slightest.

 “Hey, Hazai,” he said at last, “I think we should take a break. I can’t carry this pack any longer.”

 Hazai reluctantly agreed. She was itching to get out of the underground tunnels and back into the starlight. Nevertheless, they sat down beside a large woody plant that smelt vaguely of honey and laid down some sleeping bags. Well, Tom did in any case. Hazai liked to rest sitting upright with her feathers ruffled in a way the Human found incredibly endearing.

 Tom was almost asleep when he heard the sound of footsteps echoing off the tunnel walls. He jerked upright. Hazai had heard the sounds too but seemed less troubled by it.

 The footsteps continued. They sounded odd to Tom. They were familiar. Concerningly so. He could hear that whatever it was was bipedal. Its footfalls were also heavy. Not much could echo in such a densely vegetated area. The sound seemed almost… human.

 Almost.

 Some primal instinct was crawling its way up Tom’s spine. Something was seriously wrong here. He just couldn’t pinpoint what.

 He edged up from his sleeping bag, not taking his eyes off the slight bend in the tunnel where the footsteps grew steadily closer.

 Hazai seemed to sense the tension now. Her feathers puffed up and she raised her arms in a way not dissimilar to a threatened owl. She did look bigger, but Tom found it difficult to see the Braal as any more intimidating.

 Then, from around the bend a figure emerged. The dull light of the cave system made it difficult to make them out in any detail but Tom was still certain that there was something wrong with this alien.

 "Oh look, Tom!" Chirped Hazai in relief, "It's a Human! Maybe they can help us find--"

 Before she could finish, Tom cut her off with a warning whistle. His nerves made it a little off-key but the message came through nonetheless. Tom eyed up the approaching figure.

 It did look Human, in every way it should. It had two plantigrade legs and stood upright in the same way a Human would. It had all the key features on its face. Every part of its anatomy was undeniably Human.

 Except, for the fact that it wasn't Human.

 There is an interesting thing amongst the species that isn't seen anywhere else in recorded databases. It's a unique sense known only to Humans. Something that has been dubbed the 'uncanny valley' effect. An ability derived from the insane capability of the Human mind to find a Human face. The mind is in fact, so good at finding faces of the same species that it can impeccably recognise when a face is not Human even though all key indicators show that it should be.

 Notable comments made by various subjects in studies of the phenomenon say that they themselves cannot pinpoint what exactly causes the effect for them. Some guess it can be the way the Not-Human's mouth moves, or that its hands are ever so slightly out of proportion. Another key feature mentioned is the eyes.

 The eyes are what tip Tom off.

 "That's not a Human."

 Hazai looks at him questioningly. She couldn't see any difference between the average Human and the one in front of her.

 "I know you can't see it," Tom said as he grabbed the Braal's feathered shoulder, "but you have to trust me on this."

 Hazai hesitated for a second but complied. She’d seen enough of Humans to know not to question their instincts. She eyed the alien in front of her. She looked desperately for what Tom saw in the being. She didn’t have much time though, because soon after Tom dragged her down the winding stone tunnels. A few plants followed them with their gaping traps. They weren’t running. At least, Tom wasn’t. Hazai managed to keep up with his speed walking by hopping forward occasionally.

 The Not-Human was following them in strides slightly too long. It moved casually. It even spoke.

 “Wait,” it said, “I only want to talk.”

 Hazai had the impression they were speaking through a translator. She could hear the metallic drone behind each word. But she could hear desperation behind it. Something she’d heard from Tom multiple times before.

 “Please,” she tugged at Tom’s sleeve, “Can’t we listen? They might stop once they know we know.”

 Tom grimaced. He was thinking through all the possible ways attempting to negotiate with the alien might go wrong, but with one look into Hazai’s eyes, he complied.

 “Fine,” he groaned, “we’ll talk.”

----

 The alien sat in front of them on a mossy stone. Their limbs were splayed around them in a way that really shouldn’t be comfortable. They looked comfortable now though. The short conversation they had (which was more of a declaration that Tom saw through their disguise) allowed them to relax.

 As it turns out the alien is from a species of ‘shapeshifters’. They explained that it is mainly used as a defence mechanism but as the species became more sentient they tended to use it more for fun.

 “I didn’t mean to freak you out,” They explained, “I just thought you looked cool, and it’s always easier to make friends when you look like them.”

 Tom didn’t make eye contact. He could barely still look at the alien. He understood them, to a certain extent, but the whole ordeal still had him on edge.

 “I’m surprised you knew I wasn’t… uh Human. Generally, my disguises are pretty good”

 Tom spluttered for a second as he tried to think of an answer.

 “It’s– Um, it’s just something we’re good at? We just know when something isn’t actually human.”

 The alien hummed.

 “Don’t think I’ve heard of anything like that before…”

 “You probably haven’t. We’re weird like that.”

 The group fell into a mildly comfortable silence. Tom glanced at Hazai who also seemed to be mulling the new information over. She had a concerned look in her eyes.

 Eventually, Tom remembered the reason they were there in the first place. He handed over the supply pack.

 “It’s mainly just some information about intergalactic culture. Dos and do nots and all that. I think there's some stuff about similar planets and how to survive basic space travel,” Tom picked up a few items as he spoke. “We’re not meant to interfere with ‘the natural technological progression of a planet’, so I can’t really help you out with the getting to space part.”

 “Ah.” The alien was thinking. Tom noticed a certain pattern in the way their limbs moved when they were considering things.

 “I guess I’ll have to get this back to the rest of us,” they said finally.

 The conversation turned to goodbyes here. Tom was eager to leave the weird uncanny valley planet and Hazai just wanted to be able to see the sky without the fear of being eaten by an off-brand pitcher plant. The alien, though, seemed at home here. He explained how he hated to see the two travellers go.

 “But I guess we’ll get more now that we’re registered with, whatever the space organisation is.”

 Tom agreed and they parted ways.

----

 Back on Navis Tom and Yongrae were eating together.

 “I had the weirdest experience on that new planet we went to,” Tom said, “The sentient species there can shapeshift, it’s weird as hell.”

 “Ah,” Yongrae smiled, “like a Not-Deer situation?”

 “Worse. They looked Human.”

 “Ohh…”

 “Y’know I tried to explain it, but it’s just really weird. What even is that?”

 Yongrae thought for a second.

 “Uncanny Valley?” he said, “Like with that one guy in Rogue One?”

 Tom nodded eagerly. It had been on his mind ever since they left the planet. Uncanny Valley. It had a nice sound to it. He’d have to do more research into exactly what it was.

 “Thanks for that, man. It’s been bothering me.”

 “No problem,” Yongrae hit his shoulder, “You know what we should do now? Binge some Star Wars.”

 Tom laughed. While being an Earth classic, the movies really showed their age now. It was more like watching a documentary on what the past Humans thought about space, but it was fun nevertheless.

 “Yeah, that sounds like a plan.”

[billyshakesp]

Conceptualising 10,000 Years

Yes, this is another post about how the ten-thousand-year-old primordial saints of the Resurrection are, indeed, very old. But the tricky thing about human minds is that they're really bad at comprehending massive numbers. So, in this post, I hope to give you, my dear reader, an understanding of what it means to be ten thousand years old.

Let us imagine, just for a moment, that today (28 August, 2024) marks the close of the myriadic year of our Lord–that far-off King of Necromancers, that blessed Resurrector of Saints!–and the Lyctors reach ten thousand years old today. From this premise, I believe we can better grasp just how old these people are, since we can timeline their lives based on real-world events. So, without further ado...

8000 BCE - The Great Resurrection. Earth is still experiencing the last great Ice Age. Woolly mammoths are still thriving, and, according to some estimates, the last of the smilodon and American lion species still lives. HS Sapiens are still in the Stone Age. Earliest records of ovens used for pottery.

7700 BCE - Lyctors reach 300 years old. Farmers first domesticate wheat in the area now known as Mesopotamia. Humans have yet to develop advanced agricultural technology, instead relying on very primitive methods.

7000 BCE - Lyctors are now 1000 years old. Domestication of goats in Mesopotamia.

6700 BCE- Lyctors are 1300 years old. Domestication of pigs in Mesopotamia.

6200 BCE - Lyctors are 1800 years old. The Bronze Age begins! Earliest evidence of the smelting of bronze dates back to roughly 6200 BCE in Asia Minor. With the advent of bronze, humans are able to make more effective and more durable tools.

6000 BCE - Lyctors are 2000 years old. First settlements along the Nile River

5500 BCE - Lyctors are 2500 years old. Earliest evidence of Ancient Sumer.

5000 BCE - Lyctors are 3000 years old. Major agricultural developments occurred around this time, including the first evidence for the usage of irrigation.

4000 BCE -Lyctors are 4000 years old. Extinction of the Woolly Mammoth. Humans develop the first cities around this time, and wool is first used as in textiles.

3100 BCE - Lyctors are 4900 years old. Construction on Stonehenge begins. Recorded history emerges around this time. The rise of Ancient Egypt begins. Earliest cuneiform texts date back to this time.

2334 BCE - Lyctors are 5666 years old. Sargon of Akkad is King of the Akkadian Empire.

2154 BCE - Lyctors are 5846 years old. Akkadian empire dissolves after less than 200 years wow!

2000 BCE - Lyctors are 6000 years old. Ancient Minoan civilization begins.

1341 BCE - Lyctors are 6659 years old. Birth of King Tut.

1250 BCE - Lycors are 6750 years old. Ancient Chinese and Ancient Olmec civilization begins.

800 BCE - Lyctors are 7200 years old. Start of the Classical Period.

500 CE - Lyctors are 8500 years old. End of the Classical Period. Sorry, too lazy to write all of it out. Plus, there's a billion resources on it.

900 CE - Lyctors are 8900 years old. Start of the Dark Ages.

1492 CE - Lyctors are 9492 years old. Planning of Dios Apate Major begins around here in the Locked Tomb timeline. Columbus "discovers" the Americas (and proceeds to slaughter indigenous peoples)

2000 - The myriadic year of our lord.

I hope you understand how old these people are. DISCLAIMER: Not a historian. Do not claim to be. These dates are from cursory research and could be inaccurate. Furthermore, this is nowhere near a complete account of human history, especially towards the end, when I got really bored.

Ty <3

[vxmp111re]

Here's to never growing up || Jegulus

James Potter x Regulus Black - In which the Marauders are a group of crime fighting vigilantes.

Basically Marauders in the DCU!

Blog masterlist | Fic masterlist

1.4k words!

A/N - James has a little brother because I said so :3

BRIEF MENTION OF SKIPPING MEALS (none of the characters are, just a joke made)

Two days later, the Justice League was back. 

Kind of. 

They were all reduced to just their civilian forms.

Wonder Woman was now half of what she was before. Less wonder and more woman. More the half part of half god.

Aquaman was just a guy now. At least he smelt a bit less like the ocean now. Just a bit.

You get the picture. The Justice League? Basically a group of middle aged parents at book club.

Although, that’s basically how James saw them anyway.

The worst bit? None of them could remember during the time they were taken. Fleamont Potter had said there was just a big gap in his memory, one minute he had his powers, next he was reduced to a normal man.

James was happy, of course. His father was back. Superman was back… well, more like Fleamont Potter was back. But his dad was back nonetheless.

The same couldn’t be said for Sirius and Regulus, however. Because while You-Know-Who no longer had the League, he still had Orion. Batman was gone. Reason being he’s the only one in the League without powers. That was easy enough to figure out.

Wonder Woman is half-god. Aquaman is Atlantean. The Flash is, well, fast. Green Lantern has his ring. Superman is quite literally an alien, super man.

But Batman?

Orion Black operated with pure intelligence, strength and technology. 

You can’t weaken a man with nothing to weaken.

Which is how both boys ended up staying on the Potter’s farm with James and his family.

“This French toast is…  amazing,” Sirius said, his voice muffled from his mouth being full of food as he proceeded to shovel more into his mouth. Regulus grimaced at the sight. He was used to Sirius’… special table manners but he could at least try to tone it down in the presence of James’ parents who were kind enough to let the brothers stay with them. But he was right, the toast was delicious. Probably even better than Kreacher’s.

“Seriously, Effie, what do you put in here?” Sirius groaned with pleasure. Effie just laughed, her face lighting up as she looked at the boys.

“Just some extra love,” she smiled.

“She means brown sugar and vanilla extract,” James’ father, Fleamont, or Monty, as he insisted, chimed in, earning him a whack on the back of his head from Effie.

It was strange. Regulus was never one to trust people easily but as soon as he stepped foot into the Potter’s home and was engulfed in hugs, his mind was at ease. There was something about Effie’s smile lines and Fleamont’s wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, like permanent etches of the happiness and love in the small family. Of course, Regulus had met Monty dozens of times before, him being his own father’s closest confidant in the Justice League, but he’d always assumed the happiness was a stunt, but now, being in his home, Regulus saw the Potter’s were made with love. 

There was something that bothered Regulus, however; James was the spitting image of his father. Now the same could be said for Regulus, Sirius and Orion, but James and Fleamont were so similar it bordered on uncanny. It was as like seeing a peek into James’ future when looking at Fleamont. In all honesty, it freaked Regulus out a bit.

Okay, a lot. It freaked him out a lot.

“James, where is your brother?” Effie frowned, plating a stack of toast, presumably for her other son.

“Dunno,” James mumbled, shovelling food into his mouth as well. Gods, no wonder he and Sirius got along so well; they’re both idiots.

“Well, will you go look for him?” Effie sighed in exasperation, but Regulus caught the smile tugging at the corner of her lips. Even when frustrated with her son, Euphemia Potter could not hide her adoration for him. It made Regulus somewhat jealous.

“But, I’m so hungry, mama,” James groaned around his fork. 

“Then go be hungry while looking for your brother,” Monty flicked James’ forehead, making the boy grunt in annoyance.

“Fine,” James relented, rubbing his forehead, dramatically. He shoved one more big bite of toast into his mouth, as if in defiance of his parents’ words before shuffling out the room.

Silence fell upon the table, the only sound was the utensil’s scraping on everyone’s plates.

“So, Sirius,” Monty began. “James said you’re making a plan for the Marauders to help us get our powers back. And get your father back.”

Sirius tightened his grip on his fork and Regulus said up slightly straighter, peering at the interaction over the rim of the glass he was sipping from. 

“Don’t stress him, Monty,” Effie said gently, softly rubbing the back of Sirius’ neck as she sat next to him.

“No, no, it’s okay,” Sirius cleared his throat, smiling at Effie. “Yeah, I am. I don’t really know what to do, but I’ll figure it out. I think. I just want my…,” Sirius trailed off and looked at Regulus, “…our dad back.”

Monty just gave a nod. “And you, Regulus?” the older man looked at him intensely, like he expected Regulus to be helping.

The gaze made Regulus’ face run warm. “I, yeah, I’m helping, I s’pose.”

“I let him join the team. Temporarily,” Sirius explained.

“Yes, temporarily,” Regulus said through gritted teeth. Why did it have to be temporary? It’s like Sirius wanted him out before he could even prove himself.

“Temporarily?” Monty repeated. “I think Regulus is ready to join the team, Sirius.”

Regulus couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride, his face going even warmer than before. He just hoped that his face wasn’t too red.

Why am I so embarrassed? Regulus thought to himself.

He had only ever met Monty a handful of times and he knew Sirius respected him, so Monty saying he was ready had to mean something, right? Regulus just hoped it would let Sirius see that he was ready for a real mission. And not like now, just because he had to.

“But what do I know, huh?” Monty smiled. The way he said it, Regulus could hear it as a jab at Sirius. Almost like he was waiting for the older boy to argue.

Regulus watched his brother with an intense gaze as he began to speak before he was cut off by Effie.

“Are you alright, Regulus, dear, your face is awfully red!” Effie said, walking over to feel his face.

Shit!

“Um, yes, I-,” Regulus began before he was also promptly cut off by James this time.

Thank gods for that. How do I explain that I find her husband attractive?!

“I found him!” he called from the hallway. “He was hiding in his cubby outside,” James snorted, coming into view with a small boy sitting on his shoulders.

Unlike James, this boy was the perfect blend of Effie and Monty. Monty’s curls, Effie’s smile lines, Monty’s mischievous glint in his eyes, Effie’s bump on his nose. James could be Monty’s twin whereas this boy was so clearly their child.

“Incoming!”  James exclaimed as he gently lowered his brother onto a chair next to Monty, making a landing noise as he settled him down. The small boy smiled, revealing a missing front tooth, adding to his already adorable charm.

“This is Jon,” Monty said, proudly as James ruffled his brother’s hair. “Jon, this is Regulus, he’s Uncle Monty’s other son, Sirius’ brother.”

Right, of course Sirius had met the boy before.

Jon waved shyly before his big eyes travelled to the large stack of food in front him, which he promptly began to scarf down.

Ah, a family trait, Regulus thought, biting back a smile. Though it’s significantly less annoying when Jon does it.

“Gosh, these boys eat like they’re skipping meals,” Effie laughed. It reminded Regulus of music, the way she laughed.

The same way James laughed.

“Kryptonian stomach’s are never full, love, you know this,” Monty smiled, his eyes crinkling behind his glasses.

“Oh, I know,” Effie grinned cheekily at her own innuendo.

James and Sirius groaned as Regulus looked down at his lap in embarrassment. Jon simply continued eating, unaware of his mother’s implication.

“And I’m done with that,” James grimaced, pushing his plate away.

“Ditto,” Sirius mirrored his friend, earning laughs from the Potters.

“Your parents are in love, Jamie, be grateful,” Effie chided, playfully, kissing Monty’s cheek.

The sight made Regulus feel jealous of James.

James Potter and his perfect family.

rawr

NEXT PART [COMING SOON]

[miqo-tales]

A tiny primer on FFXI, pt 2

THE BAD GUYS

THE SHADOW LORD

The big bad of FFXI's first main storyline. He's in the promotional artwork for the 7.1 patch, so he's definitely gonna show up somewhere. Possibly as the final boss of the first tier.

20 years before the start of FFXI, the Shadow Lord appeared without warning. Enlisting the various beastmen races in the Middle Lands, he attacked the three nations and pushed them to the brink of destruction.

The Archduke of Jeuno convinced the nations of San d'Oria, Bastok, and Windurst to ally together in order to fight back. After a long stalemate, the allied forces finally achieved some major victories, and at last a small team of heroes infiltrated Castle Zvahl and defeated the Shadow Lord.

As you play through the initial rank missions of FFXI, you find that forces are working to revive the Shadow Lord, and eventually you fight him.

A variant of him is the boss (and super boss) of the final Dynamis battlefield (the initial set of them, anyway), and he shows up in the storyline of FFXI's fourth expansion.

The Shadow Lord's backstory is actually pretty interesting, and I consider it one of the better parts of FFXI's lore/story. But I won't mention it here cause it spoils so much stuff.

THE BEASTMEN

There's a myriad number of animals, birds, vermin, undead, and even elementals that can kill you in FFXI, but arguably the biggest threats are the Beastmen races.

There's over a dozen of them, but I'm only going to cover a few that might show up in the upcoming raid. The first three are more or less the direct antagonists to the three main nations.

ORCS - "brutish" might be the best way to describe this humanoid race. They have a strong lust for battle and conquest, and their hierarchy is based on strength and combat ability. Orcs originally came from the far north, and are actively invading the lands of San d'Oria. They have outposts in the nearby regions, and even converted Davoi monastery into a stronghold after taking it from the kingdom.

Orcs also employ warmachines, which are basically crude, manually-propelled tanks. They are imitations of massive siege engines used in the Crystal War.

QUADAV - bipedal turtles, Quadav are skilled with metallurgy and mining. It's such a big part of their culture that many Quadav names and titles are taken from metals and gemstones. They're in conflict with Bastok because its expansion has forced the Quadav out of territories they long occupied.

YAGUDO - a crow-like bipedal race, the Yagudo have an extremely strict religious culture and heirarchy, and, well, probably border on fanaticism. They're not interested in conquest or expansion, only to keep the lands they consider to be traditionally theirs. The Yagudo have a treaty of non-aggression with Windurst, but it involves Windurst providing regular large offerings to maintain the truce.

GOBLINS - Goblins can be found almost everywhere, and engage in trade with other beastmen as well as the Enlightened races. There's even a shop in Jeuno run entirely by Goblins. They make use of explosives and trust me, "Bomb Toss" was a terrifying thing to see a goblin use in battle.

(XIV re-used the XI Goblin model, so they look the same in both games.)

A subspecies, Moblins, live in their underground city of Movalpolas, and are highly skilled in refining and smelting ore, as well as developing steam technology and underground lighting.

KINDRED - Commonly known as "Demons", these horned, winged humanoids are found in the cold, northern regions of Quon. Their origins are mostly unknown, but during the Crystal War they served the Shadow Lord and kept the other beastmen armies under control.

(FFXIV re-used their model for some enemies in early quests and dungeons, and they occasionally pop up in other stuff. A good example is in Tam-Tara Deepcroft: the enemy you fight before you can destroy the cultist orb is a demon model.)

OTHER PEOPLE

Some other notable NPCs or creatures/bosses that could maybe show up in this raid series (i.e., not just in 7.1)? Or at least get referenced.

Shantotto - Shantotto is arguably the mascot character of FFXI, and if she doesn't show up in person in this raid series, I'll be shocked. She's a Tarutaru and an extremely proficient and powerful black mage, and a former government minister of Windurst.

Lion - A Hume thief, and adopted daughter of Gilgamesh, the leader of Norg (a settlement of pirates and thieves). She's the "cute girl important to the plot" for the Rise of the Zilart expansion and accompanies and assists your character during it.

Prishe - A young Elvaan girl that is the "cute girl important to the plot" for the Chains of Promathia expansion. Because of an incident during a baptism ceremony, she became immortal, so she's actually quite older than she looks. She's brash, foul-mounted, impatient, and due to her immortality, tends to be self-sacrificing. Prishe is the other FFXI character that tends to be a guest in crossovers, and sure enough, she's in the 7.1 artwork, so she'll show up somewhere.

Nashmeira, Lilisette, and Iroha - "cute girl important to the plot" for Treasure of Aht Urghan, Wings of the Goddess, and Rhapsodies of Vana'diel respectively. I suspect if they do show up, it'll be in later patches, so I'll save talking about them for later.

Naja Salaheem - a Mithra with a big mace, she's the President of Salaheem's Sentinels, a mercenary company in Aht Urghan. Naja cares about profit, how much profit you made for her recently, and why you're just standing there when you could be making profit for her right now. And she does not care about small details like "but you told me to come see you". I honestly dunno if she'll show up in the XI raid at all, but she's really well-known and popular, so I think there's a chance.

Kam'lanaut and Eald'narche - The former is the Archduke of Jeuno, and the latter is his brother. They're also the main antagonists of the Rise of Zilart expansion.

Ark Angels - Summoned by the Archduke and his brother to assist them, they represent the Sins of the five races: Hume's Apathy, Elvaan's Arrogance, Mithra's Envy, Galka's Rage, and Tarutaru's Cowardice. You eventually fight them during Rise of the Zilart, and you can either fight them one at a time, or all five at once. I dunno if they'll show up, but I want them to, cause they're cool looking and I wanna see them in FFXIV graphics.

Maat - Maat is a bit like Godbert, in the sense that he's an old man that can kick anyone and everyone's ass. Once you hit level 50 in XI, you have to do a series of quests for Maat to increase your level cap up to 75 (thankfully you only have to do them once per character, not per job). The last of these "limit break" quests (for base game and Zilart jobs) requires fighting Maat solo, with Maat as the same job as you.

Odin - Yea, Odin is already in FFXIV, but his XI incarnation is actually pretty important to a few stories in XI.

Fafnir - A Notorious Monster, or NM, that could drop a special sword called Ridill. SQEX showed an image of a dragon during the recent Korean fanfest that I think has been confirmed to be Fafnir, and in the Dragon's Aery location where he could be spawned, no less.

Kirin - A very powerful NM, usually called a HNM or High Notorious Monster. You had to force pop it using items that dropped from four other NMs, and if I remember right, it was a long fight that involved kiting some monsters around while the party/alliance killed others. If Fafnir is in, I think Kirin or something similar could be possible too.

Atomos - Atomos in FFXI eats timelines in order to maintain reality. I have a suspicion it might be involved in the XI raid's story.

[iamthepulta]

There is scientific evidence through slag analysis that Mesoamerican metallurgists may have used a unique pre-Columbian technology to smelt copper!

[jay-m3]

Employee of the month

Male reader insert Dom reader x sub Vox Warning: NSFW, Language, Orgasm control, breath play, stomach play (idk what its called), dry humping

Imagine...

Being hired by Vox personally, no one knows why he did it nor questions it because, well because he's the boss man

But there will be times when other employees are edging closer to ask WHY

You are known to be very clumsy and chaotic minded where you just break expensive equipment

Its not your fault someone placed that cable that was connected to a projector

Nor was it your fault you dropped a box full of cameras

So Vox will have many, many emails about what you have done

At least 5 times a week you'll be in his office getting yelled at, why did Vox even hired you again?

This job isn't your expertise, you're not qualified nor do you have an idea of modern technology

So really, it's not your fault you get sent to Vox's office once again from spilling two gallons of lube that was getting shipped to Valentino’s floor.

You patiently wait in a seat, watching Vox yell at his poor assistant that was actually really nice to you. Now that you noticed, Vox did seem more irritated to those around him, you wonder why.

Once the assistant leaves, you were already in Vox's space, nose pressed to his neck, smelling his pheromones.

Smelt like medal with a hint of actual human spice that indicates his stress level.

Vox tries to push you away but you quickly hold his hands and start to make out with him.

At first it was a struggle but after a minute, Vox relaxes in your arms as you entrance him.

This, this is what your good at. Not holding a camera or making Vox's coffee.

You are a professional in the BDSM world. You're a great Dom and sub. It depends on what your partner needs and at this moment, Vox needed a reminder of your Dom side.

Bending Vox over his own desk after getting him bare chested with hickeys around his collarbone.

You're biting and sucking on his skin continues on his back. Wanting him to be covered in your marks.

Vox will get squirmy, skin getting more and more sensitive by your touch.

He will be more hyper aware of your touch, electic currents zapping up his antennas.

"You have been such a brat recently. Yelling and throwing things at everyone. Don't worry, I know that you're just a lost little prince who needs to be set straight, huh?"

You roam your hands down his sides before getting a firm grip of his hips. You guide them down against the desk which makes Vox glitch from the sudden friction.

You control his thrusts, slowing his hips before speeding the tempo, teasing him as he whines.

"Master, please-" "You don't deserve my hand on your pathetic cock. This is the only way you get to cum, got it? In fact for this session, you have 40 seconds to cum. If you don't I will leave you like this until tomorrow morning."

With that threat lingering in the air, Vox grips the edge of the table to ground himself from whining like a baby.

40...39...38...

Starting to count down, you start to speed up his hips tempo against the wooden frame, letting him rut against the object.

"Please, I can't- Master I need more!"

37...36...35...34...

You run a hand up to his throat, gripping it in a firm grasp as he closes his eyes, buffering slightly at the pressure.

33...32...31...30...

You huff as you press yourself against his ass, guiding his thrusts with your own.

Vox archs, gasping desperately as he quickly presses himself against you, slightly wiggling his hips to feel your cock, unintentionally making himself choke against your hand.

29...28...27...26...25...

Helping him out a bit, you reach your hand that was on his hips over to his stomach, rubbing it before pressing down. Moving your hand in circular motion

24...23...22...21..20...

Vox spasms, as the pressure of your hand makes his body curl itself in. The feeling of fullness, the tightness in his abdomen messing with his sensors as they confuse themselves that something is actually inside him.

19...18...17...16...15...

You tighten your hold on his neck, watching as the electric current keeps sizzling out.

Vox gasps, getting light headed as he let's you control his body, control his pleasure.

14...13...12...11...10...9...

"I can feel your drool, prince." You teased.

Vox blinks out of his haziness for second, swallowing his saliva as he feels it leak down his screen and on to your hand.

Embarrassment courses through him as he tries to hide his face against the desk only for you to keep his upper body lifted.

8...7...6...5...4...

"Let go prince."

3...2...

"Master!"

1...

Vox glitches, body slumping down as he release on the table, in his trousers.

You let him ride out his orgasm, taking your hand away from his throat and stomach as you hold him close.

Now this is why Vox hired you. Is why he's in a contract with you.

And it's already been three months in.