#TTS (text 2 speech)

[like-tears-in-rain-storms]

If the Emperor had a Text-to-Speech Device Special 2: Warp Hijinks

[type-2-blog]

Рекомендую "Smart Noter — Голос в Текст"

[indigo6f00ff]

ok i finally got around to listening to the Catch 22 version of Keasbey Nights and it's . it is better.

[novella-november]

Novella November 2024 Announcement Post

Hate AI, but love writing challenges?

Want to take part in a global, fun project to write a Novella in one month?

Grab some friends, and take part in Novella November, by writing 1,000 words a day for the month of November, ending with a 30,000 word Novella to test and stretch your novel-writing skills!

Your goal is not perfection, but merely getting into the habit of writing a litte bit every single day :D

No website, no sign-ups -- Just a community initiative to write using only your own word!

What are the rules? Just Three so far!

#1 - No AI

#2 - No Plagiarizing

#3 - Wordcount for the month should only come from what you write during the month.

What does that mean?

Only words written during November should go towards your Wordcount for the month... but! Feel free to use your 30k words as a continuation of previous writing, or just make it the first 30k words in a longer novel!

Don't think you can write a whole entire 30k word story? Write a series of short stories that total up to 30k!

Not ready to write original works yet? Write a 30k word fanfiction that you can post after the month is over!

Share your writing experience, tips, encouragement, and questions in the #Novella November tag!

---

EDIT, from the tags: Want a progress tracker? Track your progress with TrackBear!

https://trackbear.app/

Don't have a word processor? Use LibreOffice , the free and open-source alternative to Microsoft Word!

Want to organize/storyboard your Novel and don't want to pay a subscription? Try 7writer by Simon Haynes!

Want to be able to listen to your story aloud for proofreading using TTS (text to speech)? Try Balabolka!

Or, create some custom progress / Goal Cards in advance you can fill out as you reach word goals! For ideas and templates, search this blog for "goal cards" :D

Want to do a writing challenge in more than just November? Check out my ideas here for year round challenges to keep you writing consistently! Got feedback? Send it in, I'd love to see everyone's ideas!

---

EDIT 2: I almost forgot to mention, if you are unable to write/type your story, you can also narrate/dictate your story to your preferred recording device!

If you're doing a Recording only and it doesn't automatically generate a transcript, it would obviously be hard to judge the word count -- but you're also working with a lot of obstacles, so I'd say if you're able to complete your story via voice recording from start to finish, you've definitely achieved the goal!

Edit #3: added the title "Novella November 2024 announcement post" to the top to make it more standard with my Ominous October and Drabble December posts (will be updating Outline October shortly) , added "Official Announcement Post 2024" to the tags so people can easily find the monthly events for 2024, and added a bit of bold to the third bullet point in the original post from September 2nd 2024 for emphasis.

[hellsitegenetics]

is there a match for the entire Connection Terminated speech from fnaf? link to the text (here)

String identified: Cct tat. ' t tt , at, t tat a, t ' aa ' . a t t c a gt, a ca t a a, atg, a ca. a a ca , t a at a , ct a t. A at t t, a a t . 't a tat a ta. t a cc, cag t c c ca, aa g a, t t ac, t t. . T t . A t , a t, t tg t t , atg t a a a t a , a a g tat' t at at. a a g tat a gt at t . a ag a . a a. T ac t , a t tg tat tat t ca a g t a aa. A t ag tag . A t t ta t c, t a g t. T 't g t . t , t ac a a atg at t ca. Atg, , t at t a t a , 't t atg, . agt, ca a , t a . t' at t tct t ct. ' tat tat a, t a t t a t t , a t t t t t a t a t t t , a t, at ca . a 't ctt t aa, t agt. c't a t, t a . t' t t t - , a t a ca a. T a . ccat.

Closest match: Homo sapiens BAC clone RP11-504G5 from 2, complete sequence Common name: Common human

(image source)

[an-spideog]

Don't Use Duolingo if You Really Want to Learn Irish

That title is a bit dramatic, but I really don't think that duolingo is a useful tool for Irish, especially in its current state, so I want to talk a bit about why, and I'll also talk about some alternatives.

Pronunciation

The first and most egregious issue is that at some point recently-ish, duo decided to start using Text-To-Speech for their Irish course, rather than recordings of a native speaker. The problem here is that their TTS is not trained on native speakers of Irish and pronounces words incorrectly. It doesn't make consistent distinctions between broad and slender consonants for example.

Irish has no standard pronunciation, so I understand how it can feel weird to choose just one dialect for the purposes of pronunciation (the old recordings were from a speaker of Galway Irish), but having just one dialect is much better than TTS which sounds like a learner, imagine if they had TTS for the French course which sounded like an anglophone schoolkid trying to pronounce french, and claimed they were teaching you how to speak french!

Grammar

Duo tends to be correct on grammar at least, which is a start. But often people using it get very confused about the grammar because duo doesn't explain any of it. I think there's a place for immersion in language learning, and I don't think everything has to be explained like that, but within duo's system of sentence testing and exercises like that, not having any explanation for why it's "mo chóta" and not "mo cóta" can be really confusing. Duo used to have more grammar information, it's a shame that they removed it, I wonder why they did it.

Money and Motivation

Duolingo is a business, and their motivation is not to help you learn a language 'fully', but to keep you using their app and hopefully have a higher chance of sharing it with others, competing with others, buying or causing others to buy memberships or lingots or any other in-app purchases.

I don't want to make it out like duo is some big conspiracy and they're tricking people, I don't think that's the case, but it's good to remember that their primary motivation is to keep people using the app, rather than help people move to a level in a language where they don't need the app anymore.

Keep this in mind whenever you see people trying to sell you stuff for language learning.

Why do people use Duolingo

I do get it, and I don't want to make anyone feel bad for using duo, there's a ton of reasons people tend towards it at first 1. It's really well known, so especially if you're learning a language and haven't heard of other resources for it, you'll check duolingo 2. It's very motivating for a lot of people, checking in every day and forming that habit is a really good way of sticking with a language 3. It's fun, people enjoy it

If you use it for reason 3. and you still like it, then don't worry about this post, I'm not trying to yuck anyone's yums, keep having fun!

If you use it for reasons 1. or 2. you can still keep using it if you like, but I want to suggest some other things which you might find helpful in trying to get to a higher level in Irish.

Other Resources

To address the pronunciation issue, I'd heavily recommend you disregard the pronunciation in duolingo, if you're looking for more reliable sources of pronunciation, I'd look towards recordings of native speakers, you can find that on:

Teanglann and Foclóir (they use the same recordings)

Fuaimeanna

and a really useful and underused one: https://davissandefur.github.io/minimal-pairs/ where you can hear the difference between similar sounds that English speakers often mix up in Irish.

A lot of people like duolingo because it's nice to have a clear path forward, a progression that you can get into without too much decision-making. For this I recommend getting a good textbook or course and working through it, the ones I'll recommend also have native speaker audio on them.

Learning Irish by Mícheál Ó Siadhail, this book teaches Galway Irish, not just in pronunciation but in grammar too. It's quite dense but it's well thought out and well explained.

Teach Yourself Irish (1961) this book is available for free online, and is a really good option if you're interested in Cork Irish (Munster), and have some experience with grammatical terminology. I used this book myself and really liked it, but it's very intense and not for everyone. (If you do end up using it, feel free to skip the appendices at the start, they're more of a reference and sometimes put people off from actually getting to the first chapter. Also if you have any questions about it or need any help just let me know.)

If you want a video course, there's a great course called "Now You're Talking" which is available for free online, along with audio files and worksheets here. It features Donegal Irish and leads into the more intermediate level course called Céim ar Aghaidh also available online.

There's other textbooks that I have less experience with (Buntús na Gaeilge, Gaeilge/Gramadach Gan Stró, etc.) but if they work for you, stick with them, there's nothing worse than not making progress because you keep switching resources trying to find the "perfect one"

Whether or not you continue to use Duolingo, I would really really encourage you to try engaging with media in Irish. People often shy away from this when they're learning because they don't feel like they're "ready" yet. But you basically never feel like you're ready, you just have to try and find something near your level and try to get comfortable with not understanding everything. This is where you learn a huge portion of the language, you hear how things are pronounced you see what words mean in what contexts, getting input in your target language is so important!

I know content can be kind of hard to find, so I'll make a few recommendations here: There's a wealth of content available for free online (more if you're in ireland but some internationally) on TG4 If you're still starting out, I'd recommend trying to watch some kids shows since they'll have simpler language and will be easier to follow. I wouldn't recommend using English subtitles when you watch them. Some good options include:

Dónall Dána: an Irish dub of Horrid Henry, silly and childish but the actors have good Irish and importantly the show has Irish language subtitles, they don't always match but if you're still beginning and can't necessarily get everything by ear, they're really useful. (Mostly Galway Irish)

Curious George: another dub, again with Irish language subtitles (I can't remember what dialects were in it off the top of my head but I'd assume mostly galway again)

Seó Luna: No subtitles, but a good option if you're aiming for Munster Irish, the lead character has Kerry Irish

Miraculous: No subtitles but a better show than most of the other kids' ones and more bearable to watch as an adult (Mostly Galway Irish)

Ros na Rún: Moving away from kids shows, a long running soap opera, this has Irish subtitles and a really good mix of dialects within the show. If you're finding the kids shows boring or too easy I'd really recommend it, but it can be complex because of the amount of characters, dialects, and plotlines. I'd recommend starting at the beginning of a newer season and just trying to catch on to what's happening as you go.

There are a lot of books, if you live in Ireland you can get nearly any Irish book for free from a library, so please check out your local library or request some of these from other libraries in the system:

There's a series of fairytales (Rápúnzell, Luaithríona etc.) by Máiréad Ní Ghráda which are illustrated and for children, which are a really good option for when you're just starting out reading

There's kids books about Fionn and the Fianna by Tadhg Mac Dhonnagáin

There's a cute little kids' book in Kerry Irish about a cat named Mábúis

Leabhar Breac has a lot of graphic novels, some of them based on Irish mythology, some on other stuff. The fact that they're illustrated can make it a lot easier to follow even if you don't understand all the words at first.

Gliadar has just released their Scott Pilgrim translation

If you're looking for something a bit more advanced you can look at some of the books for adult learners by Comhar, they contain simplified language and glossaries but have full original adult stories.

And if you're wanting full, natural, native-level Irish there's a load of books by those same groups, and others like An Gúm, Cló Iar-Chonnacht, Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne, Éabhlóid, Coiscéim, and more.

And don't shy away from older books written in Seanchló either, they can be more challenging but it's a whole extra world of books

If you're trying to improve your listening comprehension, I definitely recommend listening to shows on Raidió na Gaeltachta, hearing native Irish speakers talk at full speed is really good practice. But I get that it can be overwhelming at first. Here are some things you can do as you build up to that:

Watching those same TV shows I mentioned without subtitles is a good way to build up listening skills.

Vifax is a website where you can practice listening to short news segments and answer questions on them, then getting to look at the transcript with notes afterwards.

Snas is kind of the evolution of vifax, now using clips from both the news and Ros na Rún.

I really hope that this post can help people move away from duolingo if they're looking to take their Irish learning to the next level, if you've got any questions, just let me know!

[brideoftheemperor]

So you've played Space Marine 2 and want to get in on the Warhammer 40k lore but Holy Shit Where Do You Begin?

My introduction to warhammer was through the now forever hiatus'd YouTube parody, "If The Emperor Had A Text To Speech Device". While not entirely comprehensive or unbiased, it presented enough of the lore to me in managable bite sized pieces that I could then move on to the next step: reading the books.

I've seen posts about people being afraid to be considered a "tourist" bc they don't even read the books and I got two things to say to this. 1) who gives a shit what others in this fandom thinks? And 2) while it's not required, I think some of you would get joy out of actually reading the books. Also I find it kinda strange when people won't engage with the media but then complain they don't know what's going on. Engage with the media!

"But Holy Bride! Where do I even begin?! There are over 50 books in the Horus Heresy alone!" Do not fear my little trembling trebbles. My first advice is 1) don't get caught up in reading order. There are too many legions and too many characters. My first warhammer reading experience was Know No Fear. Then after reading the unremembered empire/ deathfire novels I moved on to A Thousand Sons. Now? I'm reading The First Heretic. It is okay to jump around in a story that you already know how it ends.

Secondly, there are audio dramas and audio books that make reading and consuming the media a tad easier and they're very well produced! Buying them direct can get expensive so try to find other sources but I mean, if you have the money I say go for it!

I really enjoy this franchise, even if it can be doofy or annoying to me sometimes and I'm glad that more people are getting into it. But like, you do sorta need to take the steps to get into it! Warhammer is not an accessible beast by nature, which is why even 4 or so years after GamesWorkshop releases a zero tolerance policy on fan animations, I am Still pushing and recc'ing if the emperor had a tts.

Get acquainted with the lore, then pick a favorite boy or legion, and just pick up a book! They're usually pretty short and are a leisurely reading level.

Or don't! The choice is yours but remember that you only get so much information from wiki's and lore dumps and it really is better to engage with media through your own perspective rather than the perspectives of others 🌹

[feeeeeeeeeesh]

Corvus Corax and the Raven Guards: addressing some common misconceptions and lore [Part I]

Translator's note: This is a translation of a meta essay written by 沈某 in Chinese, originally posted on Jan 2024. The original can be found here, and I have OP's permission to translate and repost this here. The author can also be found on RedNote here. Any further translator’s notes and additions from me will be in purple. There is a second part coming up. The link will be added here once it's done.

Author's note: The characterisation of Corax and his Raven Guards in the canon novels and storyline is quite unique, which leads to the fandom having misconceptions about them. This is not an accusation of any kind, I too was mislead by some of Corax’s actions, but as I learnt more about them I realised there is a lot of contrast in the way they’re characterised, so here I am trying to voice some of my thoughts.

A brief summary

Corax is a depressed goth literature bro

Corax is withdrawn and has a gothic aesthetic, but he is neither depressed nor a literature bro.

2. Corax is a socialist, he is approachable, against class stratification, and promotes freedom

There can’t be any socialists in the Warhammer setting, Corax is against the oppression of the lower class, not the existence of class itself.

3. Corax is a naive baby that got manipulated by the evil tyrannical Emperor

Corax is not naive and stupid, he clearly understands the morality of the Emperor’s actions. He is willing to sacrifice everything for the Emperor’s vision of humanity, and believes that is the reason he was created. The Emperor also trusts Corax completely.

He is also not a hypocrite who serves a tyrant despite his hatred for tyrants. Once again the setting must be considered; Corax’s definition of tyranny is based on abuse of power rather than simply authoritarianism.

4. Corax hates Curze, and looks down on him

Curze thinks everyone hate him, so Corax must hate him too. Before the Heresy Corax did not much of an opinion on anything besides of the Emperor and the Imperium.

5. The original Terran Raven Guards does not obey Corax; he treats them poorly, and discard them when they are no longer useful

Even the Terran Raven Guards that were sent away on independent missions respects Corax greatly. He has already given all his sons enough support and opportunity, and only most obstinate ones died at Gate Forty-Two, and this also pained him greatly.

1. Corax is a depressed goth literature bro

This is a misconception brought about by TTS (If the Emperor had Text-to-Speech Device). TTS itself is a great parody fanwork but many characters that appear in there differs greatly from canon. As many people were introduced to WH through TTS, so it’s expected that there would be misconceptions.

But to be honest, other than the gothic aesthetic, none of the other points there! Are canon!

Corax never said he enjoyed poetry, reading or writing books, he only mentioned in Deliverance Lost that, once the war is over and he retires, he will write a book, and the book will explain the political philosophies he learnt as a child.

“He was a commander, not a governor, and if he had no more battles to fight, he could have happily spent his remaining years, however many hundreds or perhaps thousands that might be, in comfortable retirement; perhaps compiling a treatise on the political lessons he had learned from his mentors on Lycaeus.”

Deliverance Lost, Chapter 6

This is not the same as an author writing a novel, he just wanted to share what he learnt in the form of writing, and it is not stemmed from a love of literature and creation. Another thing is Corax’s final line “nevermore”, which is a reference to The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe, but it’s just a reference, and does not mean that Corax loves poetry.

“His mentors on Lycaeus had taught him of poetry, of rhyme and metre and cadence, but he had never quite been able to see the appeal. Poems reminded him too much of the work-songs the prisoners had invented to keep up their spirits while they had hewn with pick and laser drill at the unforgiving stone of the penal colony. The last three lines left Corax feeling disquieted, though, as if the Emperor had suspected that his Imperium could not endure any more than the great empires of mankind’s long history.”

Deliverance Lost, Chapter 7

This is Corax’s reaction upon seeing poetry written by the Emperor. He didn’t have much thought or emotion in response. He saw the poetry and was reminded of songs he heard before, that’s it.

I interpreted this passage slightly differently, but regardless, there is no canon evidence that Corax liked poetry.

If he had the time, he would’ve better spent it making new equipment for his sons

Shortly after his rise to Captain's rank, Kayvaan Shrike won the Contest of Shadows, a bicentennial trial of stealth and ingenuity. In victory, he was permitted to select any item from the Ravenspire's vaults, his to wield in the Emperor's service until his last breath. Such has ever been a generous prize, for Corax often laboured at the forge in the days after Isstvan V, seeking through the sweat of his brow to replenish an armoury so sorely denuded by the treachery of Horus and the unkindness of fate. Indeed, there even now remain many weapons crafted at the Primarch's hands which have yet to gleam in the flames of war, and it may yet be that many never will, save for in that last striving that one day comes to all warriors, where the enemy presses close and one final stand must be made before all slips into shadow.

Raven Guard Codex 8th edition, p.39

Corax busy making equipment for his sons as seen in the Codex

Also, he is not depressed not depressed not depressed, he really does not have depression. His natural tendency is to stay hidden in the dark, he is more comfortable like that, but he knows that others around him need him to appear sometimes, so when he’s not hiding he’s doing work, and when he does hide it’s more like he can’t be bothered pretending anymore.

Trigger warning: suicidal ideation, as appeared in canon

He did exhibit something similar to suicidal tendencies in Weregeld

“It was a mistake,’ he whispered, still kneeling with the Wolf King cradled close to his chest. ‘We were a mistake, brother, I know that now. I see it for myself, in my own blundering. I see it in the eyes of the mistakes I created, just as surely as the Emperor sees it in ours. There is no sense of guilt, only good intentions gone bad.”

Weregeld, Chapter 4

But this isn’t like the usual tendency of someone in great pain who is seeking an end to their suffering, he simply thought that primarchs are a mistake, so his existence as a primarch is wrong, and he should fix it by dying in battle.

His sudden change of mind was because he felt his duty has not ended so he can’t die yet.

TW over

Corax is a withdrawn man with a gothic aesthetic, and if he is truly mad he would not be bothered speak to anyone, but he’s not depressed and definitely not a literature bro.

2. Corax is a socialist, he is approachable, against class stratification, and promotes freedom

This is a bit more complicated to explain, but in Warhammer, human society hasn’t even reached the capitalism stage. All human worlds, no matter how good the living conditions, are still feudal societies with slavery. With that mind, there really can’t be any socialists.

And if we take a closer look, Corax is actually against slavers mistreating their slaves, the upper class wielding power without respecting each individual’s personal worth, and those who take pleasure in causing suffering. He is not against the idea and existence of class itself.

That much Corvus had understood, even if Manrus had spelled it out in no uncertain terms that such political imprisonment was immoral. To remove one’s enemies made sense to Corvus, especially if they could be turned to a more profitable endeavour. It was the condemnation of the families that Corvus had not fully understood. Again, he could perhaps justify the imprisonment of those related to the first agitators and demagogues, because there would be grounds to suspect a criminal’s beliefs might be shared by those around him. What stretched Corvus’s comprehension was the continued internment of those born and raised in the mines.

Deliverance Lost, Chapter 4

Corax can understand punishing dissenters and making them work in mines, but he thinks the prisoners’ descendants should not be responsible for the crimes of their ancestors.

If only it were that simple,’ said Corax. He had not worked out anything, simply remembered it. The Emperor had never attempted to create what Corax sought, and so there was no base of knowledge for him to recall. ‘That still leaves you with seventy-two different gene-strands to analyse.’ ‘A moment, please,’ said Orlandriaz, laying his hand on Corax’s arm as the primarch turned away. Corax glanced down in annoyance at the magos’s clutching fingers, noticing that the tech-priest’s fingernails looked to be made of a dull bronze. Realising his error, Nexin took his hand away and nodded his head in apology.

Deliverance Lost, Chapter 11

Corax has class consciousness; he values the individual worths of his subordinates, so he encourages free thinking and for people to voice their opinions, however not everyone can speak to him as casually as his sons.

The leaders of the Legion remnants assembled by Corax were a mix of line officers and sergeants for the most part, the odd lieutenant amongst them – warriors of higher rank tended to have been closer to their primarchs at the outset of the civil war. Seated around a long table brought into the grand hall for the assembly, they looked at the primarch with a mixture of hope, wariness and awe. He did not stand up, preferring not to overwhelm the delegates with his physical presence. For the same reason, he had not donned his armour but was dressed in a simple bodysuit of light grey beneath a long charcoal-coloured coat. Like the throne upon which he sat, the clothes had been made for him as a token of favour of Naima by Scaratoan craftsmen and women. It had been a long time, over two years Terran-standard, since he had worn much else other than his armour. He had wondered what it would be like, fearing that perhaps he would feel underdressed, but in fact it allowed him to think more like a civil leader than a general.

Ravenlord, Chapter 5

He opted for a plain appearance as to not imitate others so they could speak properly.

‘A thousand disparate pieces, each of purpose and value, brought together under the control of a single mind,’ said Corax. ‘We shall be the same. A machine, an organism. Of many parts working separately, but invisibly, silently bound by common purpose and thought. I do not ask you to swear loyalty to me, for there is no greater oath you have sworn than by your deeds in the name of the Emperor. I do not ask you to become Raven Guard, for the blood of other fathers and the customs of other worlds have shaped you. You are each what you are, individual – but together, indivisible, we will be even greater.’

Ravenlord, Chapter 5

3. Corax is a naive baby that got manipulated by the evil tyrannical Emperor

The variant of this I see more on Tumblr is that Corax is a hypocrite who, despite his hatred for tyrants, is still loyal to the Emperor, the biggest tyrant of them all, but I have seen both. While it’s not completely the same, some of the points here also address the issue on how Corax views the Emperor and why he remains loyal.

This is a very important point; Corax is not a naive baby, he is a primarch that grew up on a prison world. While most of his foster parents are political prisoners, it’s still a grim prison world, with prison guards that abuse the prisoners and gangs. While Corax was protected by his foster parents and friends, he still grew up surrounded by death.

Moritat-Prime Kaedes Nex A dark figure of gruesome repute amongst the tightly-knit survivors of Deliverance, Kaedes is seen as an ill-omen by his brothers. On Kiavahr in his youth he was known as the Blood Crow, an infamous murderer condemned to rot on the moon-prison. There he remained, until Corvus Corax offered him freedom and a pardon if he fought alongside the other rebels and limited his targets to those chosen by his new master. After enduring a painful late transformation to a Space Marine, it was only by the continued favour shown to him by Corax that he remained within the ranks of the Raven Guard, with few of his brothers willing to tolerate his macabre obsession with the hunt. Yet, in the grim shadow-wars fought by the Raven Guard in furtherance of the Emperor's grand plan, his murder-honed skills were employed with grim regularity. When the Raven Guard came to Isstvan V, Kaedes came with them, vanishing into the wastes to stalk the Traitors on his own terms. Nothing is recorded of his role in either the retreat from the massacre or the days that followed, and some maintain that not all of the Traitor craft to later leave Isstvan V carried only the followers of Horus, that Kaedes continued his private war in the shadows of the Horus Heresy.

The Horus Heresy Book III Extermination, p.280

Kaedes went to prison for murder as a youth, and later, with Corax’s favour, became part of the Moritat, a unit that does the dirty work behind the scenes.

Corvus was half as tall again as the youths around him, and broader by far, but of all those who had met the guerrilla leader Nathian showed almost no fear. The prisoner’s stare matched Corax’s in its intensity. ‘That’s the boon I bring, ain’t it?’ said Nathian. ‘They think I can be trusted. I run the largest smuggling ring on the wing. A few bribes and words here and there will make it a lot easier for you to be moving stuff around, I’d warrant. And I’m no shirker in a fight. I’m dishonest, but I give you my word, for what it’s worth. I want out of this stinking hole as much as any of this lot.’ ‘He knows too much already – a curse on him and his prying,’ said Agapito. ‘Let’s be rid of him. We’ll put the body in the incinerators next shift.’ Nathian sneered, but did not look afraid. ‘No,’ said Corvus. He looked at Nathian closely, and saw the feral danger behind his eyes. A multiple-killer, aged only thirteen. It was not pleasant, but what Corvus had planned would sometimes need men of cold disposition, not just courage. ‘I can use him. Yes, Nathian – I accept your oath. And make no mistake, I will hold you to it.'

Ravenlord, Chapter 14

Nathian became a gang leader at age 13, and followed Corax during the uprising in Deliverance. Corax knew his moral character was not good, but he admires his ability and wants give him guidance, so he accepted him despite complaints from others.

And some voices, disturbing, demented voices that hovered on the edge of memory. He could not recall what they had said, but was left with an uneasy feeling of defiance and distrust.

Deliverance Lost, Chapter 2

Corax actually had high psychic potential, but he doesn’t delve into it or use it on purpose. In Deliverance Lost, the forces of Chaos actually noticed him before he left the incubation pod, and whispered to him, but he ignore it completely.

‘I speak not of you, but the Emperor. What makes his vision of the galaxy any purer than that of Horus, or yours, or the Mechanicum’s? You may have been the weapon the Emperor used against a galaxy of foes, but it was his power that wielded you, unleashed your Legion against those that opposed him.’ Again Corax was forced to think for a moment, to formulate his reply so that a knot of instinct and simple knowing could be unravelled into something more reasoned. ‘The Emperor is all the things he wishes to be. He has been both tyrannical and compassionate, merciless and merciful. But I have seen into him, and I have touched minds with him in a way no other can. And at the core of what others see is a man of humility and wisdom and learning. He is a man driven by the rational. A tyrant craves domination, but the Emperor carries his power like a burden, the responsibility for all of humanity on his shoulders. He is everything he must be, not out of desire, but from duty and necessity.’

Soulforge, Chapter 4

Corax’s retort against the opinion that the Emperor is a tyrant. He is not denying that the Emperor uses some questionable methods and insisting that he is a faultless saint, but rather stating that the Emperor is both cruel and merciful, but he does not desire to rule over everything, but rather view it as a duty.

Corax does not view the Emperor as a tyrant, as he believes the Emperor‘s methods are a means to an end. In his axioms, he defined tyranny as “force without justice”. In a similar vein to his view on class, he is not against the existence of authoritarian rulers itself but rather the abuse of this power to oppress their people. The setting must be considered when interpreting Corax’s political views. There is no hypocrisy in his loyalty to the Emperor because by his definition the Emperor is not a tyrant.

In yet another convergence of great events, it was in the immediate aftermath of the liberation of the prison moon Lycaeus and the opening salvoes of the atomic bombardment of Kiavahr that the Emperor arrived to reclaim his lost son. Unlike events surrounding so many other such meetings however, the Emperor came alone, and the next day left alone. While it is known that the Master of Mankind and the XIX Primarch spoke for long hours, what passed between them remains a matter of conjecture.

The Horus Heresy Book III Extermination, p.133

The Emperor taught Corax to nuke Kiavahr after his arrival on Deliverance, and taught him that sacrifice is necessary in order to achieve his ideals.

In Deliverance Lost, the Emperor arrived after the atomic charges have been dropped in Kiavahr. Corax himself was reluctant to drop the bombs, out of consideration for the innocents, but after input from his friends and mentors, he gave the order in the end. Regardless of the order of events, and who prompted him to drop the atomic charges, this shows that Corax is far from innocent and naive.

He had been too focused on rebuilding the Legion and then striking back at Horus to quell the chattering, but now it was time to make certain truths known. Truths that had been revealed to him directly by the Emperor; truths that even now were hinted at in the recesses of his mind where the last memories the Emperor had passed to Corax still dwelt, like shadows at the bottom of a gorge. He trusted Agapito, and had done so since they had first stood together so many decades ago. Though hot-headed of late, he needed to know the nature of the foes they were now facing; all of the Raven Guard deserved that after suffering so much at their hands. ‘There are creatures that live within the warp,’ said Corax. Agapito nodded in understanding and was about to reply but the primarch cut him off. ‘Things not just in the warp but of the warp. The creatures that can consume a ship if its Geller fields fail. The creatures that the Navigators call the empyrean predators, and the Emperor calls daemons.’ Agapito muttered with distaste while a cruel laugh erupted from Vangellin. The other tech-priests listened with interest, seemingly detached from concern. ‘Yes, daemons,’ said Corax. ‘Beings not of flesh but of the stuff of the warp itself.’

Soulforge, Chapter 4

In Soulforge, The Emperor told Corax about the matter of the warp himself.

Also I just needed to say, most of Corax’s appearances are written by Gav Thorpe, but his primarch novel is written by Guy Haley, who made Corax an idealist with weak grip on reality to serve as a foil for Curze’s primarch novel also written by him. This is very different to how Gav writes him, so this book is a bad reference, due to the discrepancies. Of course there are also discrepancies in the parts of the story written by Gav, and I will mention those when they come.

For anyone who would like to know more about Corax, I strongly recommend you start on Deliverance Lost and not his primarch novel, due to the reasons outlined above. In fact, I would recommend looking at all the HH period novels and short stories first and the primarch novel last, if you are going to read it at all.

As mentioned above, Corax understands the dark side of human nature and of the Imperium. Corax knows that in order for the Emperor to protect more people he must do some things that aren’t very freedom and equality. There is always casualties in war, and Corax is against pointlessly throwing away the lives of soldiers, his goal been to achieve victory while minimising losses.

Sacrificing a small fraction of people to achieve victory is the baseline logic of Warhammer, you can’t say that others can do it but Corax isn’t allowed to because he likes peace and freedom.

Basically, everyone is a war criminal. Corax just has more regard for human life than some other war criminals in this franchise.

There’s also a bit of retconning in terms of Corax and the Emperor written by Gav. In the 40k Carcharadon novels, they mentioned that the Emperor gave Corax an artefact called the Void Glass, which can reveal everyone’s true forms. The Void Glass was first given to Corax by the Emperor, and then Corax gave it to the founder of the Carcharodon chapter for keeping.

Tangata Manu shook his head. 'I know the truth now. The Void Father gave the Glass into the keeping of the Forgotten One to take into the Void and keep it there. It was given to us to be lost, not used!’ The Librarian stared at the Void Glass but he said no words.

Carcharodons - Silent Hunters

This conflicts with the original story written by Gav, where Corax is shaken upon learning about his true nature born of the warp, but in essence still hints that Corax knew some secrets of the Emperor and primarch pretty early on, and shows that the Emperor trust him absolutely and believes he is reliable.

With the benefit of hindsight, some have claimed that the Emperor spoke to Corax of things men, even some other Primarchs, were not yet ready to hear; of the truth of those powers that seethe within the Warp and the darkness soon to come.

The Horus Heresy Book III Extermination, p.133

Corax understands the Emperor’s thoughts, he agrees with the Emperor’s vision and is willing to give up everything for it.

4. Corax hates Curze, and looks down on him

This point came from Curze’s primarch novel, where he said he thinks all brothers hate him, so Corax must hate him too. But from the description, Corax was shocked at seeing him killing his sons but didn’t really make a comment, however due to Curze’s habitual defensiveness, he interpreted this as Corax humiliating him publicly.

'Brother,' said Corax. 'I come to you without violent intent, but please, explain to me what is going on in this city. His voice was soft like the Night Haunter's, though not as sibilant, and with a more measured tone. Sevatar refused to let it beguile him. The threat Corax made was clear enough.

Corax broke the silence first. 'What is the meaning of this, my brother?' he said, gesturing metre-long claws at the mess of the slain. 'What happened to your warriors?' Unable to help himself, the Night Haunter snarled. He caught it and turned it into a mocking smile, but not before all present had seen his anger. He was a predator challenged by something just as dangerous. For a moment, Konrad Curze exhibited weakness. 'I happened to them, said Curze evenly. Corax looked over the ruined flesh in the room in disbelief. 'What have you done?' Curze smiled blackly. 'An internal dispute, Lord Corax, he said airily. 'A Legion matter, that I have resolved. You must understand, there are many criminals in your Legion also. You have your ways of dealing with those who stray too far from the bounds of good conduct.’ He poked a blade of Mercy through the shattered eye lens of a helm and held it up for Corax to see. ‘This is mine.’ Corax's eyes lingered on the blood staining Curze's chin. ’Then perhaps you could tell me why you are bombarding this already compliant sector?'

Konrad Curze: The Night Haunter, Chapter 6

So here Curze realised some of his sons are bad and deviated from his idealogies. In order to cover up this crime, he decided to bombard a planet that is already compliant. Corax of course cannot accept this as it is a waste of the Imperium’s resources.

'I do not think anything about you,' said Corax. 'Other than the disgust I feel for your methods. Curze shrugged. 'You may join the line of all the others who feel the same. I don't care. I am exactly as the Emperor intended me to be. Are you really any better than I, Corax shadow-skulker? The Eighth are open in our murders. The Nineteenth are assassins. We are all killers. We are brothers in method as well as in blood.’ 'Our way of war is clean, said Corax. Sevatar found his voice annoyingly lugubrious. Such misery. They said he was raised in a prison, and that accounted for his saturnine demeanour. Sevatar wanted to hurl him into the deeps of Nostramo's hives, so he might better learn what lawlessness was. The primarchs were preening fools, self-obsessed, unable to see the truth for their own, aggrandised woes. Curze was lonely in being true to himself. He was a fiend, but at least he was honest. 'No war is clean. All of them come with a price,‘ Curze continued. 'Some are more obvious than others, that is all, and the price must always be paid.’ Curze sighed, shrinking into himself, bored. 'War's reckoning awaits you. Do you wish to know the cost?' Corax's black, unreadable eyes rested on Curze for several seconds. 'I will return to my ship. Stop this bombardment. The conquest is falling behind schedule. We risk turning the population further from the Emperor's light.’

Konrad Curze: The Night Haunter, Chapter 6

Still from Curze’s primarch novel, and from Sevatar’s biased “only Curze is perfect and always correct” perspective. Corax did not refute that he is a tool of the Emperor, and has the same awareness of the fact as Curze, however Curze’s feelings on this matter are more pointed. Curze minds that his father sees him as a tool, but Corax does not.

And also there’s a major problem here, in that there’s a discrepancy in Corax’s characterisation written by Guy Haley. He wrote that Corax said his wars are clean, but this contradicts every other novel about Corax. As mentioned previously, he does have his own specialised units and methods for doing the dirty work, and of course he understands that no war is clean, and that Curze’s fear tactics are a necessity, but should not be overused. Unless of course by “clean” they meant the battlefield is cleaned well afterwards.

So if we look at this passage carefully, what happened is Corax discovered Curze is doing something in secret, so he came to investigate, and realised Curze was killing a bunch of his sons. He didn’t say you can’t do that, but just asked him why, and also I wouldn’t do that if that was me. And to Curze it’s, you’re humiliating me.

Corax’s opinion of Curze was overall pretty positive pre-Heresy. He doesn’t like it when his legion is compared to the Nigh Lords, but it’s the behaviour not the person. No one likes it when people keep comparing you to someone else. Corax doesn’t like the image of “Night Haunter”, but he has nothing against Curze.

The general interpretation of what “Night Haunter” means to Curze in the CN fandom space is quite different to here, due to language structure, naming conventions and probably translation as well.

One characteristic of Corax is that he doesn’t have subjective opinions of individual people, he forms opinions on people based on their behaviour and then react accordingly. Corax dislikes Perturabo, because he saw how Perturabo has little regard for lives lost during his wars; Corax dislikes Horus, because he saw how there is hidden arrogance in Horus’ friendly demeanour, and how he was making things difficult on purpose for Corax’s subordinates. But Corax didn’t have such a reason to dislike Curze. Curze may be difficult to get along with, but he does everything for the Imperium, so to Corax he is a brother, just one with a different style who can be temperamental at times.

EX TENEBRIS Ex Tenebris is a masterwork bolter fitted with an incredibly sophisticated telescopic scope system. Chapter legend has it that the weapon was forged by Corax himself, as a gift for his wayward brother, the Night Haunter. But the Horus Heresy turned the two Primarchs’ Legions against one another, and Ex Tenebris was instead borne into battle by heroes of the Raven Guard.

Raven Guard Codex 8th edition, p. 58

Corax is not the type of person who would actively try and form close relationships with people. He prefers to act alone, and there is usually a clear purpose for his actions. Even for Guilliman whom he does like, it’s only on the level that he has a good impression of him and wants to learn about administration from him. So Corax actually wanting to give a gift to Curze can be interpreted as having a decent opinion of him.

People like saying that Corax likes comparing himself to Curze, but Curze actually does that more, and Corax doesn’t just compare himself to Curze, he also thought about his similarities to Angron. In his eyes they are all primarchs, and whatever flaws the traitor primarchs had he must have too, and that’s what concerned him.

Each of those parts that they put into me, I gave to each of you,’ the Emperor had said. Corax had asked who had put what into the Emperor but he had shaken his head and refused to answer, telling Corax that it was not important anymore. Reunited with his primarchs, he would be whole once again. The Raven Guard’s leader wondered what part of the Emperor had been put into a beast like Angron. He shuddered to think what Horus had promised the World Eater in return for his betrayal of the Emperor. Conquest, no doubt, and glory in battle. Angron had craved these things more than any other primarch, though Corax and his brothers had all been created with a fierce military pride. What else, Corax thought. What do you gain from this rebellion against the Emperor?

Raven’s Flight

‘We have been touched by forces beyond the Emperor’s own design – you know this, brother, as well as I do. No good comes from that which in evil is born, no matter the purpose or cause. I look at Curze and see myself. Do you find Angron in your reflection? How thin is the veneer that keeps us loyal, keeps us civilised? But for chance, it seems, any of us might now have crossed that line. Does the line even exist, or do we simply draw it in front of us as suits our own vanity?’

Weregeld

‘He made us what we are, but I cannot divine his purpose any more,’ said Corax. ‘Do you think we have failed?’ ‘We conquered the galaxy in his name, brother. We brought humanity into the light from the darkness of Old Night. He created us for that purpose and no other.’ ‘The Emperor also created Horus and made him Warmaster,’ countered Corax, unsettled by Dorn’s words. ‘He brought the likes of the Night Haunter into his plans.’ ‘What else could he have done?’ said Dorn. ‘Curze is one of us, though perhaps a victim of circumstances none of us can even imagine. I know better than anyone exactly what he is capable of.’ Corax nodded grimly. ‘The likes of Curze and Angron were broken from the start. You know the ultimate sanction open to the Emperor. He could have–’ Dorn raised a hand before he could finish. ‘I find your doubts disturbing, brother.’ The wrinkles on his forehead deepened further in annoyance as he gazed across the shuttle port, his fists clenched by his sides. ‘It is still the Emperor’s will that mankind become the masters of the galaxy.’

Deliverance Lost, Chapter 7

This part is when Corax and Dorn discuss their brothers in Deliverance Lost. On the surface Dorn seem quite calm, and Corax is very aggressive calling Curze and Angron broken, but that’s because this is after the drop site massacre, and while Dorn knows what they did at Isstvan V, he wasn’t there to witness it.

From Corax’s perspective, the primarchs are tools created by the Emperor, and if a tool rebelled against its master then it’s a failed work, he didn’t meet the Emperor’s expectations so he’s also pretty much failed. So his main point isn’t actually hating Curze or Angron personally, but rather than he should’ve recognised the problem earlier and dealt with it.

5. The original Terran Raven Guards does not obey Corax; he treats them poorly, and discard of them when they are no longer useful

This is a more complicated problem, and we first need to address the story before.

Before Corax’s return, the XIXth legion was managed by Horus. Horus managed the legion for 140 years, but there’s only around 80 years between Corax’s return and the Heresy, so for those legionaries who have served longer than their primarch, it’s expected that they would have different opinions about Corax’s orders. Not just on the issue on experience, they may be older than their gene-father in age.

With that in mind, while there seems to be come conflict between Corax and many Terran Raven Guards, with him sending them away to distant sectors, but there is no novel actually saying Corax hated them and left them to their own devices, instead he gave them enough supplies and trust to let them complete their missions.

Corax knelt beside the body of a Raven Guard, his chestplate rent open, his ribcage splayed. His armour bore the markings of a veteran, one of those that had come from Terra and made Deliverance his new home.

Raven’s Flight

There isn’t a large population on Deliverance for recruitment, so even by the point of the Heresy, most Raven Guards are still Terran recruits. And by this point there isn’t such a large rift between the Terran-born and Deliverance-born; the Terrans see Deliverance as a second home.

The main issue with Corax’s treatment of Terran Raven Guards is at the Battle of Gate Forty-Two. Here Horus was clearly trying to suppress Corax’s influence, because Corax was the only primarch who disliked him before the heresy. Perturabo also took this opportunity to fan the flames, and in the end Russ told Corax he should listen to the Warmaster, as the Warmaster represents the Emperor.

In answer, Perturabo accused Corax of seeking to avoid battle, a crime verging on dereliction for a Primarch of the Legiones Astartes. The two very nearly came to blows, with only the intervention of Leman Russ staying bloodshed. The Wolf King counselled Corax to heed the words of the Primarch who the Emperor had set above his brothers. Russ urged Corax to smother his bitterness, but not to extinguish it, and from that guttering flame kindle the fire to carry the battle through. Taking his leave of the council, Corax mustered the Raven Guard before Gate Forty-Two. Knowing their particular demeanour would carry them forward, Corax assigned many of his Terran-dominated companies to the van, in particular those whose captains appeared the most willing to play their part in the Warmaster’s plan.

The Horus Heresy Book III Extermimation, p. 135

Corax didn’t want to waste the lives of his warriors in a frontal charge, but he still accepted the views of those Terrans who are used to being under Horus’s command, and he charged at the front with them.

The assault that followed was hailed as the Legion’s darkest hour, a grim honour that, tragically, would be displaced just a few years later at Isstvan V. At the height of the battle, the assault companies decimated and the attack faltering in the face of overwhelming fire, Corax himself led the forlorn hope, his battle cry firing the Legion to such efforts that the breach was carried and Gate Forty-Two taken. The honour of slaying the Unsighted Kings was claimed by Horus as Warmaster and at the moment of their execution, the xenos’ hold over the population was dispelled. The Akum-Sothos Cluster was delivered and the Warmaster’s prize was reclaimed. The cost was terrible however, for not only had countless millions of hosts been crippled in mind and body, but thousands of Raven Guard, the bulk of them Terran-born, had given their lives before the shattered walls. Though the Battle of Gate Forty-Two was counted a victory by (and indeed for) the Warmaster, its effects were far reaching. The Legion’s numbers were sorely depleted, leaving only 80,000 Legionaries under the Primarch’s command and making it the smallest of the Legiones Astartes. Corax removed himself and his Legion from his brother’s command, swearing bitterly never to serve alongside the Warmaster again.

The Horus Heresy Book III Extermimation, p. 135

Horus commanded Corax to sacrifice his sons at the front and then stole the kill, and even if some Terran Raven Guards did gave their lives willingly, Corax was greatly pained by this, and he certainly did not sending them to their deaths on purpose. Corax doesn’t like certain slaver behaviours seen on some Terran Raven Guards, usually commanders, but normal Raven Guards to him are all good warriors, and should not die in vain.

One last consequence of the Battle of Gate Forty-Two lingers still. In its aftermath, those line officers who, before the coming of the Primarch, had served for so long under Horus’ command were gone, and so the Warmaster was able to exert little in the way of influence over the Raven Lord’s Legion. Many of these Terrans had been inducted into the warrior lodges, and with their deaths these unseen bodies all but vanished from the Raven Guard. It has been claimed by his detractors that in assigning the Terranborn Legionaries to the assault wave that would suffer the greatest losses, Corax did his Legion a service, consolidating his power and paving the way for a future more in line with his own vision. As a result, the Legion was largely spared the wave of insurrection that was transmitted through so many of the Legions by the hidden auspices of the lodges.

The Horus Heresy Book III Extermimation, p. 135

From another perspective, even though there seems to be so much conflict between Corax and Terran Raven Guards, there weren’t any Raven Guards that chose to defect to Horus during the Heresy. Most Terran Raven Guards, upon hearing the news, chose wither to return and defend Terra, or sought revenge from traitors because they thought their primarch is dead. If Corax was really so cold-blooded, then most of the Terran Raven Guards would’ve chosen to follow Horus during the Heresy. The Raven Guards are assertive and knew who was good to them, so even the Ashen Claws, who were on very bad terms with him, chose to go renegade instead of following Horus.

After addressing the issue of Corax‘s treatment of Terran Raven Guards, I will address the idea that, because Corax was too nice to his sons, he lacks authority and cannot manage them.

Firstly, Corax returned very late, and by the time he has returned, the XIXth legion already has a terrible reputation, with problems in many areas. Corax needed to manage his legion in the Great Crusade and trying to fix all of the problems of his Raven Guards. Under this condition, the fact that there wasn’t a rebellion within the legion during the heresy is a pretty remarkable achievement. Some people will use Sanguinius as a rebuttal against this, but Sanguinius is supposed to have outstanding charisma. And if you are using Sanguinius as the standard for legion management, then any legion where there is anyone not listening to the primarch also fails, not just Corax.

Secondly, Corax is a primarch that values the individuality of his subordinates and respects their personalities. He wants every warrior to have self awareness and independent thought, that way in the absence of a leader they can quickly regroup and continue the battle. A feature of the Raven Guards is that they can quickly split up, fight in groups, and then regroup at a key moment, still in sync. So Corax would listen to the thoughts and ideas of all his subordinates, then give them an overall direction.

‘And what is strength?’ ‘True strength comes from knowing one’s own value is dependent upon the value of others,’ said Arendi. It had been only a short time since he and the other survivors of the primarch’s guard had arrived, but already he showed signs of returning health. His face was filling out, eyes brighter, skin smoother. ‘It is recognising the bond between us all and acting together for the cause of all.’

‘A thousand disparate pieces, each of purpose and value, brought together under the control of a single mind,’ said Corax. ‘We shall be the same. A machine, an organism. Of many parts working separately, but invisibly, silently bound by common purpose and thought. I do not ask you to swear loyalty to me, for there is no greater oath you have sworn than by your deeds in the name of the Emperor. I do not ask you to become Raven Guard, for the blood of other fathers and the customs of other worlds have shaped you. You are each what you are, individual – but together, indivisible, we will be even greater.’

‘Perhaps for the Raven Guard,’ said Damastor Kyil, an artificial lung wheezing as he drew in a breath. ‘Not all of us grew up in a prison, nor spent years fighting far from the command of our primarchs. You take that culture for granted, Lord Corax.’ ‘I do not,’ the primarch replied. ‘You will soon each have first-hand experience of the fighting I describe. And you will have close acquaintance with those that have been terrorised into submission. I demand no promise or oath beyond that you accompany us on our next attack and learn from the Raven Guard how to wage the war we must now fight. After that, you are free to go your own ways, to attempt to return to Terra or other home worlds as you choose, or to remain under my command.’

Ravenlord, Chapter 5

Corax teaching the followers at hand, from Ravenlord. Corax’s style has always been to lead the people into battle, giving them strength and knowledge in the process. When he is sure they can progress on their own, he will release his grip on them, and let them move forward on their own.

It’s the principles of “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.’, which is how he’s always educated his sons. So the more he trusts them, the more likely he will send them away. By 40k, the Raven Guards also use this method to manage the worlds they’ve liberated, leaving after ensuring that the people can defend themselves.

The precise means of liberation vary from world to world. If the corruption is centralised, the Darkened Blades employ the lightning assaults common to the Adeptus Astartes, mustering overwhelming power against the unready foe. More often the oppression is endemic, however, and must be confronted on a continental or even planetary scale. In such cases, the 6th Company divide into subformations and mount fast-moving guerrilla actions to make optimal use of their limited numbers. Meanwhile, local resistance forces are trained in those aspects of the shadow arts that any Imperial citizen can grasp, so that they might support the Raven Guard operation and contribute to their own deliverance. The Raven Guard cannot remain on a world forever, and their desire is to leave a liberated populace who can look to their own defence.

Raven Guard Codex 8th edition, 6th Company “The Darkened Blades”, p. 17

[cripplecharacters]

Hello! I’m writing a story that takes place in a hot, poor, dystopian world. Most civilians and extras don’t really have access to proper medical care, as it’s rare and expensive. My protagonist is a doctor and has been for a while. He runs a makeshift hospital with a biologist and a hit man(neither one of the latter 2 is a doctor but they both know quite a bit about human anatomy, hence why I included them), as well as anyone else who will take orders from him. However, he doesn’t always have the resources to correctly treat people, even when he knows how. How would this affect disabled people who can’t get access to proper meds? For example, ik that amputations from diabetes would likely skyrocket, and people with mental disabilities/mental health issues would have a much harder time functioning in society, to give u an idea of what I’m asking. (I’m sorry if this question is too vague, I’m not really sure how to phrase it).

Hello!

The actual answer depends greatly on the specifics of your world/setting as well as the circumstances of the makeshift hospital.

To put it bluntly: there would be a lot less disabled/mentally ill people.

A lot of medical conditions (especially more severe cases) are managed with medication and, without that medication, can very quickly become fatal. I'm thinking of conditions like epilepsy, asthma, diabetes, even common food allergies.

There's also the fact that a lot of people wouldn't survive long enough to become disabled.

In our world, somebody who survives a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) may end up with brain damage. Somebody that survives a spinal cord injury may become paralyzed. Somebody who survives a major infected wound may become an amputee.

This is because they survive.

If they don't get the proper medical care in time (or at all), the chances that they survive (and, subsequently, become disabled) are much lower.

Not to mention how many conditions are present at birth that require immediate medical intervention. Or injuries that occur at birth. A broken collarbone, oxygen deprivation, heart complications. These are generally treatable in our world but if they don't have access to proper medical supplies, devices, and training, many of these babies likely wouldn't survive.

Aside from those who'd die, the quality of life for disabled characters would likely be strongly decreased.

This is because of the lack of major aids (such as mobility aids, diapers and other incontinence supplies, feeding tubes, bed lifts, etc.) as well as aids/tools that may seem pretty minor. Things like jar openers, adaptive cutlery, grabber tools, etc. can greatly improve somebody's quality of life and increase their independence.

Without assistive technology and devices, many disabled characters would also require much more assistance. Those who can get by with very little assistance in our world may need a full time caregiver in your setting.

Regarding specific disabilities (or particular types):

People who are immunocompromised would likely be much more isolated and need to be much more careful about interacting with others.

Similarly, those who are more susceptible to injuries (such as those with connective tissue disorders who are at risk of dislocations; those with osteoporosis, osteopetrosis, osteogenesis imperfecta, and similar conditions who are at risk of broken bones, etc.) would be much more limited in what they could safely do.

Those with limited mobility would have a much harder time getting around -- both in general and when it comes to obstacles such as stairs, rough terrain, etc.

Although sign languages would likely remain unaffected, those with communication disorders who rely on other methods of communication (particularly ones that use technology such as text-to-speech [TTS], some augmentative and alternative communication [AAC] boards, etc.) would have more trouble.

People with some types of mental illness would have a lot of trouble. Medication like anti-depressants, anti-psychotics, anti-anxiety meds, etc. have a HUGE impact on somebody's day-to-day life. Without medication, some characters may turn to other, less healthy coping mechanisms such as drinking, drugs, self-harm, etc. I'm very certain that without my own anti-depressants, I wouldn't have survived very long.

There's countless other specific examples I can give but let's speak more generally for a moment and talk about the population as a whole.

There's a lot that many of us take for granted in our world that, without it, could cause issues for people. I'm thinking of medical supplies like disinfectants and bandages but also even just... clean water and food.

Malnutrition or an otherwise improper diet can cause all sorts of diseases, many of which will have lasting effects on somebody. Scurvy, for example, is caused by a vitamin deficiency that generally stems from a lack of fruits/vegetables in the diet and malnutrition can stunt growth (among other things).

In terms of the lack of medical supplies, infection is a HUGE issue for wounds. People get serious infections in our world a lot as it is. Without proper medical care and supplies, that number will skyrocket, as will the severity of the infections. There will be more fatal infections and, at the very least, more amputations as a result of infection.

If they don't have access to safe, clean water, they'd likely see a reemergence of diseases and illnesses that aren't as common in our world. And this isn't even considering things like dehydration -- which is pretty mundane for us but can have lasting consequences in your setting.

This is all pretty bleak and, although I think this is a super interesting topic to explore, it's kinda bumming me out a bit so let's talk about solutions.

The fun thing about working with fictional settings is that you, as the author, get to make the rules.

The not-so-fun thing about reading stories in fictional settings is that most authors decide to eliminate or otherwise ignore disability in their worlds. Which is a shame, because I think there's a lot of potential for some creative solutions and world-building here.

For mobility aids, people may be restricted to lower-tech aids such as manual wheelchairs, canes, crutches, etc. instead of power chairs or similar aids. Characters may also have fewer options available to choose from and may end up using an aid that doesn't fit them properly, which can cause damage or exacerbate pre-existing problems.

This [link] is an older post by @scriptmedic that talks a bit about medicine in a post-apocalyptic setting. I'm not sure how specific it will be to your setting but it's worth a read anyways!

I think the two biggest questions you need to ask about your world are "how do disabled people fit into this society?" and "how does this society treat disabled people?"

Before we answer these questions, we need to know a bit more about your society. Is it a permanent city/town or more of a temporary, camp-like settlement? What do most people do during their days? Do they work regular jobs? Do they hunt/gather, build/improve their settlement, etc.? How big is this settlement?

The answers to these questions will help you answer the next ones.

The first question about disabled people in your society actually encompasses a lot of secondary questions/prompts such as:

Where do they live? Are there supports in place for them to live alone if they choose to? Are the resources there for them to live with a support person if needed?

Speaking of supports and resources: what kind of supports, aids, and resources exist in this world? What does the settlement have access to? Do people ever have to share things like mobility aids? How does this impact the lives of your disabled characters?

What role do they play in the society? Are there jobs that some of them can do? What about the people who can work with limitations? What about people who can't work at all?

What kind of currency does your world (and the settlement in particular) use? Is there money or an equivalent? Is it an exchange of items of value (such as trading food for pillows or blankets)? Is it more of a community, where everyone gets some of everything? If so, how is it divided up? Is it based on equality (everyone getting the same thing) or equity (everyone getting what they need)? Whatever this system is, how does it include disabled people? Particularly those who can't work or can't work as much as others.

These last two questions are already starting to veer into the territory of the second major question so let's look at that in a bit more depth.

The easy, obvious, and (dare I say) lazy solution is for your society to treat disabled people negatively.

Most of the time, these types of stories cast disabled characters out in some sort of warped interpretation of "survival of the fittest". Societies will kick these characters out of the settlement, leave them behind, or otherwise abandon them to fend for themselves. Sometimes the disabled characters even encourage this in some sort of "go on without me" move which is... deeply upsetting and problematic on several counts.

Going in this direction comes with a lot of issues, both ethically and mechanically. The first problem is that it -- quite explicitly -- shows disabled people as being worth less than abled people. It shows us as disposable and says that in order to survive, we have to be able-bodied. More over, it shows us as something to be discarded when we're no longer useful rather than, you know, actual human beings.

There's also the fact that it doesn't really make sense from a plot standpoint, especially since disability (especially acquired disability) would be so much more common in these worlds. Why would a group abandon disabled people when there's a significant chance of them becoming disabled themselves at some point?

Of course, this isn't to say that this can never be a realistic course of action in these stories. People can be incredibly selfish and we see this problem to a degree even in our world. We know that people become less mobile as we get older and we know that a notable percentage of the population is disabled or will become disabled but the accessibility infrastructure in place is severely lacking.

What I'm saying here is that this kind of thing could make for an interesting and realistic story but it needs to be addressed within the story in some way, especially since it comes with a host of plot considerations. Do characters end up hiding wounds/disabilities out of fear of being abandoned? What happens if the leader/the person who decided on this course of action becomes disabled themself?

This could be an excellent opportunity to explore how the rules tend to change when they begin to affect the people in power. It could also be a great commentary on how we define a person's "worth" or "usefulness" in society.

What I'd really like to see more of in settings like this, however, is disabled characters being treated like human beings and actual members of the society in question.

Sure, I'd like to see this on an individual level (disabled characters making friends and forming relationships) but also on a wider, more systemic level.

One of the good things about the world ending is that you can build it back up, better than what it was. Your world could be a more accessible one.

In many places, our current work system is very rigid with strict limits on how many sick days you have, how many hours you work, and what deadlines you have to meet. Maybe your world takes a more flexible approach to accommodate people with disabilities, other responsibilities other than work, and other limitations.

This is a more concrete example but what's more important than the infrastructure and the policies is the attitude.

What I want to see most in these kinds of stories is societies where disabled people are loved and cared for. I want to see a society that acknowledges the worth of its members beyond what they can provide. We, as humans, are at our best when we're forming communities and taking care of each other.

One last thought: I'd encourage you to consider the impact that all this has on your protagonist.

How does he cope with that feeling of helplessness? How does he deal with having the necessary knowledge to save somebody's life but not the necessary resources? How does he deal with losing so many people?

Working in healthcare or any similar fields is already stressful. Add in an incredible lack of resources and a very low ratio of doctors to patients and it would be an incredibly taxing job.

I wouldn't be surprised if your protagonist ends up becoming disabled or mentally ill himself in some way -- whether that be developing depression and/or PTSD from his job or developing some sort of chronic illness from overworking.

I know this is a lot of information and it can look a bit intimidating but just keep in mind that this is your world. It's entirely up to you what happens in it. I've given you a lot of advice and you can take all of it, some of it, or even none of it if you want! It's entirely up to you. :)

Cheers,

~ Mod Icarus

[pokemon-ash-aus]

Do you think Streamer Ash would become a bit bitter whenever his loss at the Sinnoh League is brought up? I'd imagine most would be if the only reason they lost a tournament like that was because someone cheated by using nothing but legendaries to steamroll their way to victory.

Genuinely? I think it's less bitter and more of a sting.

"BeiBeiFlora Donated 25 Poke: Today i just learned that Ash was a High Bet for winning the Sinnoh League- Top 3 next to some dude i can't remember and this man named Tobias. You won people a lot of money that day!"

Ash winced as the text to Speech blared over the game audio, fingers twitching before pausing.

"I won a lot myself." He admitted, mouth openong, then clicking closed as another TTS blared over.

"I remember watching that! The Sinnoh League was really cool and you were totally badass! How'd it feel to loose so cheaply though?"

His face twisted, a momentary look of disconfort that had others clipping *immediately*.

"At the time? It stung so bad. I hated it. I was so close to winning the pot and going up against the elite four and-" His eyes darted to the left, then down, an almost petulant look crossing his features that stayed. "And then i had to battle legendaries- seriously threw everyone off guard, it felt so cheap."

"Why would you bring up how he felt during a loss?!! That's so rude!"

"Eh, I've had people tell me worse." Shrugging a single shoulder, Ash turned to grin. "Besides, how many people can say they went up against legendaries and beat them before becoming champions? TRAINED Legendaries at that! Call it a loss or whatever, but that was such a win in my book. Pikachu is very proud of having beat up a Regice and Latios."

"Pikachu is awesome!" "It's a miracle he won." "That's such a cop out- you sacrificed two pokemon just for Pikachu to tie!"

"And? Pikachu is considered a generally weak Pokemon, and yet, my Pikachu has done the impossible. Beating enemies that RAICHU'S haven't been recorded winning. He has the right to brag about tieing with a Latios!" And then he faltered, sheepishly slapping a hand behind his head. "Mah- it defo sucked at the time though, but now i look back and think- wow, i did so good despite not having legendaries. I know Tobias went under scrutinization after and I know he still lost completely at layer 2 of the Elite Four fight. So i guess i was fine with ny non legendary- non psuedo team. Battle with the pokemon you like and your sure to go far."

Ash's smile was soft, a fondness that seemed to be aimed at his pokemon before he turned back to the game.

"Alright, let's get back to it!"

"You didn't answer the question."

"The question is, are you hungry and the answer is yes."

[puzzleheaded-pool-96]

text to speech AI voice for those who don't want to read all this (music by Mackeerre).

The Horse's prophecy.

The Abbot.

Throughout the prophecy we keep being told “the Abbot, will know”. So let’s start with who the Abbot is. Its the “Fiddler”. You know, the character at the end of all the credits, who stands there in a temple with a mosaic of the prophecy of “the rising three” behind her (I'm a little embarrassed that it took me so long to figure that one out.)

First part of Horse's prophecy.

“Thine faeder, laid bare... desiccated on the rocks, by thy hand... the Abbot, will know”.

This refers to Door. Laid bare. Is him being exposed, maybe his anti-explosion suit is destroyed. Desiccated on the rocks, most likely him being drained of his blood by a vampire, the rock being an altar, Door could be part of a sacrifice. or maybe in a fight he suffers an explosion, bleeding under the rubble, perhaps losing a hand, like in the mosaic. By thy hand... the Abbot, will know. For the longest time I thought these things would be Boy's fault, that he would be responsible for this incident. But the ellipsis are just a pause in the sentence, By thy hand the Abbot, will know. Boy is the one who will inform the Abbot, perhaps so she can save Door.

Second part of Horse's prophecy.

“Of two, one falls... one rises. Damnation. The third eye opens. His suet will feed and warm her gullet. The Abbot, will know”.

The two being, Marckus and Kitten. one falls... one rises. The best bet is, Marckus falling off the path of the Mage, and instead making a deal with the “Thing” from 18 years ago, perhaps to have the power to save one of the Hunters. About Kitten. I have the impression that he was the "runt of the litter" among his siblings. But with Big D's training, Kitten will rise to lead the hunters'. The third eye opens. probably referring to the powers Marckus will obtain. His suet will feed and warm her gullet. I'm betting on that being Kitten. His first experience with the supernatural, was with a Nagaraja devouring someone. So it would be thematic for him to relive this event.

Third part of Horse's prophecy.

“The patriarch, in mastering luna, ends hamstrung... he will wish death upon his flesh... but no mercy shall be given, for none he hath gave”.

Who else would be the Patriarch besides the Big Daddy? (Door doesn't count, because he's already going to be desiccated, give the guy a break.) Mastering luna, is referring to Big D greatest achievements, gathering of knowledge and victory over the world of darkness. Ends hamstrung. Is about him getting incapacitated (we are getting golden throne part 2).

Ok. I know people have “strong opinions” about TTS theories, but hear me out for a moment. To begin with, the story is always trying to incapacitate him from the action. Two. The prophetic dream with the Blue Man warns him of change, of growth, of the world of the fathers becoming the world of the sons. And you heard the tantrum Big D had with Marckus at the end of the Vampiric Powers Audiology. So only with him paralyzed, is that the sons will be able to follow their own paths. And last. Before Horse begins to tell the prophecy. Boy has a vision of the future, where he sees Big D with his other sons in kitten's house. I envision the other sons coming to check on his health, or to help with the rest of the mission on his instead.

He will wish death upon his flesh. Even with the idea of ​​him not being able to fight the supernatural anymore, him wishing for death, doesn't seem like the Big D we're used to. So much so that I wondered if flash doesn't have another meaning here. Like when parents refer to their children as their own flesh and blood. However, this idea does not fit with the next part. But no mercy shall be given, for none he hath gave. I know most people dismiss this part of the prophecy to be referring to Big D, since he showed Kevin mercy, but I believe it refers to a specific person in the past that he did not show mercy to.

One part that I don't see being discussed, is the missing of the phrase: the Abbot, will know. This is repeated throughout the prophecy, with only its absence being here. Perhaps implying that the Abbot will be the one responsible for this event.

Final part of Horse's prophecy.

“The rising three shall signal wars end. Woe and triumph. The Abbot, will know”.

“From them... bloodshed. Armageddon for all. Kine, Kindred, Garou, Milklings, Elohim. In the light, they all will (the prophecy is cut off)”.

To begin with, I think this part of the prophecy is backwards. It doesn't make sense to have Armageddon after the end of the war. One of the rising three will be Marckus or Kitten, depending on what vision you have for the second part of the prophecy. From them... bloodshed. Armageddon for all. I see this part implying that the Rising three will be responsible for starting Armageddon. Either by drawing first blood or by being injured themselves. After that, Horse reveals the members of this war, they being: humans, vampires, werewolves, changelings and/or demons and angels. Interesting that he refers to humans and changelings with derogatory terms. In the light, they all will. Fall? Be exposed? Anyway. I believe that light is a metaphor, for knowledge and revelation. Implying the end of their secrecy.

The end (finally).

So. What do you think? Do you have any theories, opinions, corrections or feelings about Horse's prophecy? in any case thank for hearing my rambling.

I made this post a few days ago on reddit and since then I've wanted to add a few things. I'd swap out "Fiddler" for "Black Hood Monk" (the figure that Embraces Fiddler). I'd point out that this prophecy starts with Boy seeing his family in a pool of blood and continues with Horse telling about his family and the blood that will be spilled. And last. I believe that “mastering Luna” refers to his knowledge and achievements in the “world of darkness” especially with the factor that we always see (regardless of the passing of days) the red full moon as a symbolic reminder of what world we are in.

[like-tears-in-rain-storms]

If the Emperor had a Text-to-Speech Device Special 2: Warp Hijinks

[marqd]

how to make subliminals \(^_^)/

for da transids tryin to transition !! (or any1 else interested in subliminalz)

guyz.. its literally so easy

trust me..........host has been making subs for 5 or 6 years teehee

STEP ONE!!!

actually hold on

STEP ZERO!!!

wtf are subliminals?

subliminals are audio (or visual) media that contain affirmations buried beneath sound, meant to bypass your conscious filters and go straight to your subconscious. the idea is that you don’t consciously "hear" the affirmations—they’re low volume, layered under music or sound—but your brain still absorbs them.

basicallyyyyy it's meant to reprogram your own inner world and brain which will then reflect into your outer world since that is how manifestation works ! (reality is just how you perceive it~ ☆)

ok now

ACTUAL STEP ONE!!!

actually wait

WHAT U NEED!!!

audacity – free audio editor (https://www.audacityteam.org/download/)

balabolka – text-to-speech (https://balabolka.en.softonic.com/)

google docs – for planning/writing affirmations (https://docs.google.com/) (maybe don't use this if you're writing insanely dark affs, you can try protectedtext.com if you're concerned)

background audio from youtube or wherever (yt-dlp) (or pixabay has free stuff)

your own unhinged creativity

or like. if u don't have balabolka just use a free TTS site like https://readloud.net or https://ttsmaker.com and if u don’t have Audacity just download literally any audio editor lol ur fine

STEP 1: decide what u wanna do 2 ur brain

trans your gender? unmask your cluster B divinity? become an ancient robot goddess? be hotter than everyone who ever rejected you?

be SPECIFIC. this is your vision. not dumb surfie bullshit. a full psychospiritual mission.

examples:

“i want to become visibly trans in a way that unsettles cis people”

“i want to look like i belong in an experimental webcomic”

“i want to be a nightmare-coded bimbo who causes emotional damage on sight”

“i want to embody the idea of 'beautiful in a way that makes ppl cry'”

write it out. free-associate. this is ur Theme.

STEP 2: benefits summary / affirmation brainstorm

open ur text editor and make a new document. dump everything you want into it. words, phrases, energies, goals. doesn’t have to be neat. then revise it. bullet points. flowing lists. think about everything related to the topic. read it aloud. edit it until it flows like a poem. or maybe like a manifesto. whatever you want. SAVE. THIS. DOCUMENT. ur future self will thank u.

STEP 3: craft ur affirmations like a wizard

start a new doc just for affirmations. copy in your benefits summary. then... transform it. translate it into actual affirmations.

DO:

experiment with perspective (i / you / they / “the listener” / weird third-person omniscient voice)

mess with time (i already am / i will be / i have always been)

write “forced” affirmations (likelike. this subliminal forces me to transform)

layer emotions (i am so euphoric / horrified / enchanted)

use sensation triggers (i feel heat in my chest / i hear whispers / i get chills every time i listen)

TEMPLATE IDEAS:

“I am so happy that...”

“it is inevitable that...”

“the listener is permanently changed by...”

“this subliminal makes me...”

“i notice that i now...”

ADD FLAVOR:

evocative adjectives like: beautiful, gorgeous, exquisite, glorious, exciting, exhilarating, glamorous, interesting, shocking, jaw-dropping, noticeable, startling, immediate, instant, in the blink of an eye, simultaneous, easy, effortless, simple, automatic

adverbs like: brutally, severely, intensely, painfully, immediately, instantly, quickly, rapidly, inexorably, unstoppably, inevitably, inescapably, permanently, eternally, infinitely, constantly, exponentially, dramatically, noticeably, increasingly

let it be beautiful. let it be unhinged. let it be Too Much.

STEP 4: voice it out

paste your affirmations into Balabolka or a TTS website. choose your voice, change the speed. export as audio. mp3 or wav is fine.

STEP 5: audio wizardry time

open audacity/audio editor.

import your affirmations audio.

import background audio (music, ambient sounds, rain, static, etc.).

adjust tempo slightly so they match in length.

layer them all together.

lower volume of affirmations until you can't/can barely hear them; make the affirmations just low enough to be hidden—but not too low. we want subconscious, not silence.

ok awesomesauce ur done ☆☆☆

heres this as a rentry just in case.

[hyperref-lex-ia]

Dear Human Perry Writers

I am a real life mute person, so take some tips from me about writing Perry as a mute man.

1) Having Perry use sign is great, having Perry sign at people who don’t know sign and just confuse them and then not do anything to help remedy that/laugh at it is not the way to go. It is extremely frustrating wanting to say something and not being able to, obviously there’s lot’s of times things i wanna day have to go unsaid, but some things are too important, especially when you are literally a spy.

2) Not enough of y’all are utilizing the beauty of modern technology. I see so many people have Perry write stuff that’s such a waste of paper. Text To Speech apps are a beautiful thing.

3) When you are mute you get mistaken for deaf A LOT. This is more personal but I would love to see some scenes of Perry getting mistaken for deaf and his reaction to that.

4) If you wanna make a comment on capitalism for any reason a lot of TTS apps have unskippable ads that are quite long. Another personal thing but having Perry deal with ads while trying to communicate would be realistic and relatable.

5) Last thing, and not a requirement but I think it would be cool, Perry is very autistic coded so I think having him be nonverbal autistic instead of having trauma induced mutism would be neat. Or even a mix of the two (me for real)

As always thank you fic writers for everything you do! This is purely to help not to judge or be rude i prommy.

[renmayonaka]

How did you get the MLG voice in your videos and what was the old voice called?

I use Balabolka text to speech program to switch I added the British Daniel tts voice into to make the audio for my videos.

I used to use a site called Text 2 Speech and the Male US voice they had on there for the videos but I stopped using it cause the site sometimes stopped working for long periods of time.

[alwerakoo]

A post to all (fan)fiction writers, surrounding text to speech accessibility.

For the past few years, I've been using a text to speech app on my phone to read - mostly fanfiction. I do it simply for convince sake, not because of any accessibility issues. The point of this post is NOT to police how anyone chooses to format their work, but to point out a few things that may not occur to someone who never used TTS. These apply to the specific app I use, I don't know how widespread they are.

1. Using long strings of "//////" or "-----" makes TTS goes absolutely nuts. It reads out every. Single. One. I often have to go to the app to manually skip those parts. Also note that if you only use bigger gaps to indicate a section break, your TTS readers don't hear that indication

2. Formatting a character saying something very fast like this: "sayingsomethingveryfast-" makes TTS read it out very quicky, to the point where it's practically incoherent

3. Made up acronyms spelled with dots makes TTS read one letter at a time. While that is usually how they're meant to be read, but there are exceptions (ex. S.H.E.L.D.O.N. from ROTTMNT)

4. Written out accents make some dialogue basically incoherent, since TTS doesn't recognize them as real words anymore (this can also include things like baby talk ect)

5. Emojis and symbols can cause it to freak out (just something to keep in mind when you have unusual formating)

-

Using TTS comes with many "quirks" and most of them are not the fault of the formating itself, which is why I only listed things I would genuinely love to see be taken in greater consideration. This is coming from a ff lover and writer. Thank you for reading <3