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letterstolegion · 6 years ago

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Can I get a scenario for Adam Francis with a female s/o with ADHD and likes to pull pranks???

as someone who has ADHD, i hope you don’t mind me putting in some of my own mannerisms into this!

ADAM FRANCIS + S/O WITH ADHD

If he had to guess, Adam would say that the trial had been going on for at least five minutes, and he couldn’t help but worry. It wasn’t a matter of his own survival, however, that he found himself concerned about, but rather someone else entirely. Someone like you.

The man was a teacher back in the real world, so it was easy for him to notice how different you were from the other survivors. For starters, it was impossible for you to sit completely still, not without shaking your leg up and down for minutes on end or you messing with strands of your hair. Although, when you told him of your condition, he wasn’t all too sure on how to handle it. The Entity’s realm wasn’t exactly the place for stimming, considering how often you had to be sneaky in order to avoid getting caught.

Even now, as he worked with cables and gears to power up generators, he knew the dangers of you having a mental condition while in a match. Especially considering how the Entity wasn’t one to provide medication for something like that, even if it put you at a disadvantage compared to everyone else. He couldn’t help but be fearful for your well-being when something bad could happen at any possible—

“Boo!”

A yelp left the young man as you appeared behind him, only to laugh and latch onto him in a big hug. The generator within the Yamaoka Estate residence was abandoned for a moment as Adam processed what was going on, only to feel relief when he recognized your playful touch.

“How many times do I have to tell you you can’t keep doing that in trials,” he asked, only to watch the smile on your face grow.

“As many times as I have to tell you I can’t help it~! You look so focused and handsome, but I want to get your attention! Plus, it’s fun!”

Holding you in his arms, Adam knew he couldn’t stay mad at you for too long. The gentle smile that traveled across his features was proof enough, and if not, his heart had reached a pace that usually only fear could draw it to. This rhythm was accompanied by a gentle chuckle that rumbled low in his chest; a melody that you had grown to love both in and out of trials.

“I wanted to see you,” you admit, voice muffled by the sweater he wore under his long coat. “I didn’t know if you were hurt or not.”

Running a hand through your hair, Adam took a quick moment to look over his shoulder for any uninvited guests before placing a small kiss to the crown of your head. You gasped in fake shock before leaning up to give him kisses on his cheeks, only to have him move you away after number five.

The man shook his head before mumbling, “I couldn’t stop thinking about you, y’know. So, I’m happy you decided to come find me. Still not sure how I feel about being surprised like that, though.”

You stuck your tongue out at him and rubbed your cheek against the fabric of his clothing once more before he finally pried you off him. Despite your dislike for the distance, you both knew it was important to finish the progressing generator in front of you in case the killer found you. There was something about the way you bounced up and down in small movements as you worked that helped ease the cautious survivor’s nerves as the two of you worked together. And though the moment couldn’t last forever, he made sure to hold your hand and return every squeeze you gave to his palm until the Huntress came to separate you both.

#adam francis #adam francis x reader #adam francis scenario #dbd scenario #dbd headcanons #dead by daylight headcanons #reader insert #[that one vine voice: a d a m]#Anonymous

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silurisanguine · 2 years ago

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Adam Jensen's timeline (so far)

I've worked out dates and his respective age. Though some month dates are fuzzy I've assumed, unless specified, that an event happened at the beginning of the determined year and carried through the year. All the known dates are confirmed on the Wiki.

(conjecture is in blue, unknown specific dates suggested in green)

Might be useful for anyone writing! (just please credit me if you use this)

(Also note, if i find anything new i'll edit this list, so always check back occasionally to see if its been updated.)

1993 March 9th: Adam is born.

1998 5yrs old: Possible birth parents die in arson of lab

1998 - adopted by Jensen couple

2007? 14yrs old : high school captain of debate team.

2012 19yrs old : Possibly gains Associates degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Phoenix, Detroit at this time or within the next few years.

2014 21yrs old: joined the Detroit Police Department. Possible Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice from Phoenix University and Ferris College at this time or within next few years through remote study or part-time.

2017 23yrs Old: Meets Megan Reed for first time.

2018, 24yrs old : joined the Department's SWAT unit, ends up leading second unit, thanks to his skills.

2019 25yrs old : starts relationship with Megan Reed.

2023 30yrs old : breaks up with Megan but stays friend and co-owns their dog Kubrick.

2025 32yrd Old - Megan starts taking genetic samples from Adam. (How does she do this? Most likely scenario is she gets hair off a hairbrush of his. I doubt from the way they interact that they are 'friends with benefits'.)

2026 33yrs old : After 13 years, quits DPD and SWAT after Mexicotown massacre. It's painted as if he is fired.

2026 (6 months after quitting DPD) : Joins Sarif industries on behest of Megan, who, unknown to Adam, needs access to his DNA to continue her research.

2027 34yrs old (May) : Attack on Sarif headquarters the day Megan was to go to Washington to present her research on rejection free augmentation. Adam is nearly killed and saved with augmentations thanks to Sarif and a contract stating he could do this to Adam in such event.

2027 6 months later (October): Adam returns to work, 6 months early yet fully adapted to his augments already. (normally takes longer for that many.)

2027 (Just before flying to Hengsha he is diverted to another mission) : romantic fling with Lady Katrina Sutherland, who is almost as augmented as Adam is, after a horse riding accident. She dies saving his life.

2027: Events of Missing link, where he discovers the organisation The Juggernaut Collective and a figure known as Janus.

2027 (near end of year?): He finds Megan and her team after investigations lead him all over the world.

2027 (end of year, little ice in Arctic due to global warming, not summer time) : the Aug incident happens. He stops Darrow and destroys Panchaea, seemingly drowning in the aftermath.

2027 : A week after the Incident and collapse of Panchaea, the rescue effort is changed to recovery and two days later a secret military team combs over the wreckage, finding Jensen.

2028 - 35yrs old: Adam wakes from coma in facility 451 in Alaska. 'Told his Sentinel kept him alive'. Gaps in his memory plague him, and he escapes with the help of Francis and Stacks, another patient. Jenna Thorne is an illuminati agent posing as a gov agent.

2028/ 2029 35/36yrs old- (December into Jan possibly description) : Detroit - Adam works with Francis to help stop old Sarif tech being stolen by thieves working for the Illuminati. Involves TF29 and Juggernaut involvement. Stacks dies after having a flashback to the Incident.

2029 36yrs old - (January maybe) : Because of events, Adam agrees to join TF29 US branch. Also joins Juggernaut Collective secretly.

2029 -End of Febuary - Criminal Past mission reportedly happens in Arizona, where Jensen goes undercover in a top max prison to find Hector.

2029 March/April? - Jensen moves to Czechia - Prague (Praha), transfers to Prague branch of TF29 under Miller.

2029 April?- First mission for Prague TF29 in Dresden, prevents an augmented terrorist using children as soldiers.

2029 Late October? : - Jensen does the Dubai mission and then events happen in Prague.

2029 November? : (takes 2 days from Prague to the safe harbour convention in London) London apex centre, foils plot. Returns to Prague a week later.

#Adam Jensen timeline #Deus Ex Human revolution #Deus Ex Mankind Divided #Deus Ex Black light #Deus Ex Comics #Adam jensen

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erinaceina · 5 years ago

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Francis: ♒ ☾ Philippa: ൠ Kate & Adam: ♡

Headcanon meme

Just answering Francis + sleep (the little moon that I can’t copy for some reason) at the moment but I’ll hopefully get to the others soon.

Sooo... this sort of grows out of our discussion about that sleep positions meme that was going round about 5 million years ago and how the various Lymond characters (band AU or canonverse) would sleep:

In my head, Lymond spends most of Checkmate just not sleeping at all, or a faceplanted, comatose wreck that none of these images quite convey.

That first night, right at the end of the book, he and Philippa fall asleep in an emotionally exhausted tangle of limbs because everything is JUST SO MUCH, but after that, Francis tends to sleep a bit like the guys flat on their backs in the middle row - unnervingly quiet, unnervingly still, ever so slightly corpse-like. He always has one hand touching Philippa - she wakes up with a lock of her hair (which tends to get everywhere in the night, no matter how well she braids it) wrapped around his hand or his fingertips touching her hand or the cloth of her sleeve. Sometimes, she wraps herself round him in her sleep and wakes up to find watching her in the darkness of the room, gently stroking the fine-grained skin at the nape of her neck with callused fingers and just looking at her with extraordinary wonder.

But when he’s asleep, he’s just so utterly remote and still. He sleeps, she thinks, not so much like the complex Francis Crawford with whom she spends her days, but like the Voevoda Bolshoia or the Marshal of France, a tool set aside for a moment, an automaton awaiting the winder’s key.

And then one day in spring 1559, Philippa wakes late - far later than she’s slept in months because Francis is always up with the dawn, alert as soon as the household has begun to stir. There’s something strange, something wrong in the room. There’s a weight across her chest and an unaccustomed warmth at her back. There’s the clatter of the household in the distance and a cat tromping round on her feet and complaining noisily about the din. Philippa realises that the weight and the warmth are Francis. No longer the automaton, he has curled himself round her and is soundly asleep. She begins to panic as nothing - not even the prick of the cat’s claws - wakes him, to conjure up worried scenarios in her head, until, softly but unmistakably, he begins to snore. He sleeps a little longer and wakes to her fingers carding through his hair and a cat sitting grumpily on his chest. It is very far from the last time Francis sleeps curled contentedly around Philippa, and she never lets him forget the snoring.

#Lymond headcanon #tooth rottingly sweet #francis/philippa

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ziracona · 5 years ago

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Okay but can we talk about how through the survivors the world now has near-conclusive evidence that the supernatural exists? Between the lack of aging, organisms not from this world, the videos of Rin, and the very detailed accounts of the Winsonsin 20, that would be a lot to take in. Even beyond the entity it would imply the existence of other supernatural beings and events. How much does the world actually believe all of this? What would the overarching effects be? Sorry for the wall of text, this just all occurred to me at once lol

This is a huge thing, yeah! And don’t apologize it’s fun and fascinating to think about! But unfortunately the reception is a little more complicated. It’s like Jane says pretty much, in her last segment in ILM on her interview. For a lot of people, it’s too terrifying to believe what they said was true. Even being into the idea of the supernatural and cryptids and such is one thing, but to actually truly accept that as fact? A lot of people in modern society aren’t ready to do that. They really do have pretty much conclusive proof, but since they can’t take people there themselves, some people ignore it. Some people spend a long time trying to find ways to debunk or find holes or propose hypotheticals for what happened instead—the most popular of which is that they were all kidnapped for some government black site project, and it’s not supernatural, it’s science—it’s crystasis for Jane and Tapp, it’s advanced VR or drug hallucination or memory implant tests done on them all, the tissue from the realm is just some synthetically grown something.

And that’s nutty. I mean, science hasn’t advanced like that yet, no to mention it’d be totally insane to kidnap Jane Romero for that after making her drive off a highway? Or snagging Adam Francis from a derailing train? How could you possibly predict their survival much less orchestrate a kidnapping? Control is not that presise it’s just not, and this wouldn’t /really/ explain the living tissue (not to mention Rin). But people are afraid. People are afraid to face reality, so a lot of them just don’t. Some by finding explanations they can believe, more just by not thinking about it. I mean, we in this universe had a literally rash of Killer Clowns in 2016 and we all went “This is wild” but then just kind of shrugged and accepted it and let it die off into oblivion. A lot of people do that. Acknowledge it, talk about it, and then try to forget, becuase even if —haha—you know if, it was real, it wouldn’t happen to me right? The odds are so low...

There are some changes though. Not everyone is like that. A lot of people already believe or are open to the supernatural, a lot more go “Okay that’s fucking weird enough I want the truth.” So they dig. There’s a huge boom in like, both network and streaming site ghosthunter/legend shows and docs, and young adults running YouTube channels going to do the same thing. Hugely renewed interest in the unknown, and a pop culture boom for it. Places like the Mothman and Bigfoot museums get a lot of business, and people dig up a lot of legends. Try to know them, just in case. And, since the supernatural is real there, there is some stuff that happens. Some bad, and dangerous, some useful and caught on film, most sadly still of a kind a lot of people refuse to believe. But it does have a true impact—especially in government and scientific spheres, where people analyze their samples from the realm and goddamn know beyond a shadow of a doubt it was not synthetically made, and it is not of earth in origin, which means best case scenario possible: aliens. Worst: they’re telling the truth, and there’s an eldritch monster out there. Correction! There is at least one, eldritch monster, out there.

So, all in all, the effects are very mixed, but lasting. It’s hard not to know, and some people want to. Some people do. Almost everyone is at least warned, and that’s what the ILM crew needed. — personal note, can you imagine the internet as a civilian when this happens? Oprah who everyone thought commuted suicide shows up like 15 years later not a day older with 20+ other people and some corpses saying they got kidnapped by an eldritch demon in a hell dimension and used old magic to bust out??? UH. It would be a fucking SICK time of old lore exploration and mind-blowing news.

#also there is no Covid pandemic in that universe bc Talbot Grimes would have been indirectly responsible but that bitch ate it so no #pandemic in /that/ 2020–just fkn dark Buzfeed Unsolved /everywhere/#ask #anonymous #in living memory (fic)#in living memory #dead by daylight

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theyanderespecialist · 4 years ago

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Yandere Headcanons And Scenario Challenge 2021 Dead By Daylight

Hello My Sexy Readers, and welcome to the 2021 challenge in which we will be doing headcanons and scenarios from the killers and survivors of dead by daylight here is what you can do

Killers:

1 - Trapper2 - Wraith3 - Hillbilly4 - Nurse5 - Shape6 - Hag7 - Doctor8 - Huntress9 - Cannibal10 - Nightmare11 - Pig12 - Clown13 - Spirit14 - Legion15 - Plague16- Ghost Face17 - Demogorgon18 - Oni19 - Deathslinger20 - Executioner21 - Blight22- Twins

Headcanons vote for five or six killers that you want base headcanons for if you are on tumblr vote for one in each ask me anything box you can vote five or six times for the killers you want not the same killer just so I can do them easier.

23- Dwight Fairfield

24- Meg Thomas

25- Claudette Morelle

26- Jake Park,

27- Nea Karlsso

28 -Ace Visconti,

29 - William

30- Laurie Strode

31 - Feng Min

32 - David King

33 - Quentin Smith

34 - David Tapp

35 - Kate Denson

36 - Adam Francis

37 - Jeffrey 'Jeff' Johansen

38 - Jane Romero

39 - Ashely "Ash" Williams

40 - Steve Harrington

41 - Nancy Wheeler

42 - Yui Kimura

43 - Zarina Kassir

44 - Cherly Mason

45 - Felix Richter

46 - Élodie Rakoto.

Pick top five survivors you want to see base headcanons on and now onto the scenarios

Take from 1 to as many as you want from the two lists above that you want to see in the scenarios listed bellow remember to choose the readers gender and such

A: Pregnant darling may it be consent or manipulation (Male/Female/Transgender Born Male To Female/Transgender Born Female To Male/Non Binary/Does Not Care Identify as both use both she/her and he/him pronouns)

B: Kidnapped Darling (Male/Female/Transgender Born Male To Female/Transgender Born Female To Male/Non Binary/Does Not Care Identify as both use both she/her and he/him pronouns)

C: Escape/Runaway Darling (Male/Female/Transgender Born Male To Female/Transgender Born Female To Male/Non Binary/Does Not Care Identify as both use both she/her and he/him pronouns)

Stay sexy everyone!]

#yandere #yandere dead by daylight #yandere killers #yandere survivors #yandere headcanons #yandere scenarios #requests open #scenarios #headcanons #survivors #Killers #dead by daylight

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annecoulmanross · 5 years ago

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Tumblr ate my ask from @kaserl for 5 songs that remind me of Ann(e) Coulman Ross, so this is a link to a playlist (of my five songs, and several others) instead of an ask – but you’re absolutely right that we haven’t obsessed over dearest Ann(e) nearly enough in terms of music, and it’s what she deserves! So here are my humble offerings:

“Oracle of the Maritimes” by Neko Case

(I planned a dream inside a dream with your uncle… I asked him how to tell you / How much I could love you / ‘Cause I've never been so sure of anything)

“Laughter Lines” by Bastille

(Crossing my heart and hope to die / I’ll see you with your laughter lines / Ashen faces in cold breeze / Armed with stories, you will leave)

“It’s Only Me” by Dessa

(I know that love is never free / It bows your head and bends your knees / But there's no sword without an edge / And I sleep uneasily when you're not in my bed)

“Ships” by Anaïs Mitchell

(Down at the docks, you and me walking / Watching you watching the ships / Coming into the harbor / You told me again of your voyages grand)

“Almost Love” by The Ballroom Thieves

(I gather my yesterdays / They’re all I could hold but in the end I saved / I’ll find a new way to be alone, / Another heart away I've grown)

[Yes, this is an official addition to the Ballroom Thieves playlist!]

+2 bonus tracks – 1) Look at “All My Friends – 2017” by Dermot Kennedy as a song about Lady Ross from her husband’s perspective: “I couldn't stop smiling like the whole way home / And yeah, it should feel like something you were missing.” (Also? “The moon doesn't chase me no more,” makes me FEEL SOME THINGS.)

– 2) Try on “Hunter” by Aldous Harding as an undelivered message from Francis Crozier to Lady Ross (in an established Ross/Ann(e)/Francis relationship canon-compliant angst scenario): “He's a hunter and a good man / Be brave when he brings you nothing home / In the garden you are Adam and Eve / You don't need me.”

Also check out this in-progress afterlife playlist if you haven’t already – the core Ann(e) Ross songs are “In a Week” for Chapter 2: “After the Raven Has Had His Say,” “Like Real People Do” for Chapter 7: “Eyes Always Seeking” (forthcoming), and “The Bones – with Hozier” for Chapter 10: “Homestretch of the Hard Times” (forthcoming).

#ann(e) coulman ross #lady ann ross #terrorposting #ask meme

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lndenmeres-a · 5 years ago

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send me ℧ for me to generate a scenario for our muses.

@russianllterature

boris getting revenge on theo. kitsey gets a contract to assassinate boris. boris and francis playing a sports game together. boris and adam as children playing together. boris frustrated by losing a board game or card game to wendy.

#i and 2 i choked--#3 is just amusing #4 and 5..... unexpectedly cute aw #answered.#russianllterature

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cherita · 7 years ago

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10 Climate Fiction Books to Read for Earth Day

Today is Earth Day, that day of the year when we’re reminded to take care of our planet. It’s the only one we’ve got, after all… for now, at least.

But in the world of speculative fiction, reminders aren’t really needed. Sci-fi authors have long thought up future scenarios impacted by every sort of ecological disaster imaginable, whether caused by our own careless pollution or technology gone awry, some strange alien virus, or just a pissed off Mother Nature who’s had enough of our shit. It even has its own cute genre name: cli-fi, for climate fiction (see what they did there?).

Though the name is a recent invention, writers have pondered the perils of climate change as far back as Jules Vernes’ 1889 adventure novel, The Purchase of the North Pole, while J.G. Ballard’s dystopian novels The Drowned World (1962) and The Drought (1964) are considered early cli-fi classics. Today, with terms like “global warming" and "carbon footprint” now part of our everyday lexicon, climate change and environmental disaster are in everyone’s thoughts — and climate fiction has grown right along with our awareness.

Even if climate change has never once crossed your mind (you could be a monk, I guess?), these 10 books are sure to get you thinking about the environment and our impact on it…

Imaginative future sci-fi of a floating refugee city in a post-climate change world:

Blackfish City (2018)

by Sam J. Miller

After the climate wars, a floating city is constructed in the Arctic Circle, a remarkable feat of mechanical and social engineering, complete with geothermal heating and sustainable energy. The city’s denizens have become accustomed to a roughshod new way of living, however, the city is starting to fray along the edges—crime and corruption have set in, the contradictions of incredible wealth alongside direst poverty are spawning unrest, and a new disease called “the breaks” is ravaging the population.

When a strange new visitor arrives—a woman riding an orca, with a polar bear at her side—the city is entranced. The “orcamancer,” as she’s known, very subtly brings together four people—each living on the periphery—to stage unprecedented acts of resistance. By banding together to save their city before it crumbles under the weight of its own decay, they will learn shocking truths about themselves.

Blackfish City is a remarkably urgent—and ultimately very hopeful—novel about political corruption, organized crime, technology run amok, the consequences of climate change, gender identity, and the unifying power of human connection.

Moby Dick retelling of inter-planetary exploration to help a resource-depleted earth:

The Beast of Cretacea (2015)

by Todd Strasser

Master storyteller Todd Strasser reimagines the classic tale of Moby Dick as set in the future—and takes readers on an epic sci-fi adventure.

When seventeen-year-old Ishmael wakes up from stasis aboard the Pequod, he is amazed by how different this planet is from the dirty, dying, Shroud-covered Earth he left behind. But Ishmael isn’t on Cretacea to marvel at the fresh air, sunshine, and endless blue ocean. He’s here to work, risking his life to hunt down great ocean-dwelling beasts to harvest and send back to the resource-depleted Earth. Even though easy prey abounds, time and again the chase boat crews are ordered to ignore it in order to pursue the elusive Great Terrafin. It’s rumored that the ship’s captain, Ahab, lost his leg to the beast years ago, and that he’s now consumed by revenge. But there may be more to Captain Ahab’s obsession. Dark secrets and dangerous exploits swirl around the pursuit of the beast, and Ishmael must do his best to survive—if he can.

Lyrical present-day tale of the apocalyptic effects of climate change:

Clade (2015)

by James Bradley

On a beach in Antarctica, scientist Adam Leith marks the passage of the summer solstice. Back in Sydney his partner Ellie waits for the results of her latest round of IVF treatment.

That result, when it comes, will change both their lives and propel them into a future neither could have predicted. In a collapsing England Adam will battle to survive an apocalyptic storm. Against a backdrop of growing civil unrest at home, Ellie will discover a strange affinity with beekeeping. In the aftermath of a pandemic, a young man finds solace in building virtual recreations of the dead. And new connections will be formed from the most unlikely beginnings.

Clade is the story of one family in a radically changing world, a place of loss and wonder where the extraordinary mingles with the everyday. Haunting, lyrical and unexpectedly hopeful, it is the work of a writer in command of the major themes of our time.

Near-future tale of the apocalyptic effects of climate change:

Drowning Towers (1984)

by George Turner

Francis Conway is Swill - one of the millions in the year 2041 who must subsist on the inadequate charities of the state. Life, already difficult, is rapidly becoming impossible for Francis and others like him, as government corruption, official blindness and nature have conspired to turn Swill homes into watery tombs. And now the young boy must find a way to escape the approaching tide of disaster. The Sea and Summer, published in the US as The Drowning Towers is George Turner’s masterful exploration of the effects of climate change in the not-too-distant future. Comparable to J.G. Ballard’s The Drowned World, it was shortlisted for the Nebula and won the Arthur C. Clarke Award for best novel in 1988.

Fantasy tale in an apocalyptic world of catastrophic climate change:

The Fifth Season (2015)

Broken Earth trilogy

by N. K. Jemisin

WINNER OF THE HUGO AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL 2016

This is the way the world ends…for the last time.

A season of endings has begun. It starts with the great red rift across the heart of the world’s sole continent, spewing ash that blots out the sun. It starts with death, with a murdered son and a missing daughter. It starts with betrayal, and long dormant wounds rising up to fester. This is the Stillness, a land long familiar with catastrophe, where the power of the earth is wielded as a weapon. And where there is no mercy.

Hard sci-fi in a post-climate change world where skyscrapers are island homes:

New York 2140 (2017)

by Kim Stanley Robinson

NOMINATED FOR THE HUGO AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL 2018

New York Times bestselling author Kim Stanley Robinson returns with a bold and brilliant vision of New York City in the next century.

As the sea levels rose, every street became a canal. Every skyscraper an island. For the residents of one apartment building in Madison Square, however, New York in the year 2140 is far from a drowned city.

There is the market trader, who finds opportunities where others find trouble. There is the detective, whose work will never disappear - along with the lawyers, of course.

There is the internet star, beloved by millions for her airship adventures, and the building’s manager, quietly respected for his attention to detail. Then there are two boys who don’t live there, but have no other home - and who are more important to its future than anyone might imagine.

Lastly there are the coders, temporary residents on the roof, whose disappearance triggers a sequence of events that threatens the existence of all - and even the long-hidden foundations on which the city rests.

New York 2140 is an extraordinary and unforgettable novel, from a writer uniquely qualified to tell the story of its future.

Spec-fic tale of genetic engineering gone awry, causing ecological devastation:

Oryx and Crake (2003)

MaddAddam trilogy

by Margaret Atwood

Oryx and Crake is at once an unforgettable love story and a compelling vision of the future. Snowman, known as Jimmy before mankind was overwhelmed by a plague, is struggling to survive in a world where he may be the last human, and mourning the loss of his best friend, Crake, and the beautiful and elusive Oryx whom they both loved. In search of answers, Snowman embarks on a journey–with the help of the green-eyed Children of Crake–through the lush wilderness that was so recently a great city, until powerful corporations took mankind on an uncontrolled genetic engineering ride. Margaret Atwood projects us into a near future that is both all too familiar and beyond our imagining.

Poignant, literary tale of inter-planetary exploration to help a devastated earth:

The Stone Gods (2007)

by Jeanette Winterson

On the airwaves, all the talk is of the new blue planet – pristine and habitable, like our own was 65 million years ago, before we took it to the edge of destruction. Off the air, Billie Crusoe and the renegade robo-sapian Spike are falling in love. Along with Captain Handsome and Pink, they’re assigned to colonize the new blue planet. But when a technical maneuver intended to make it inhabitable backfires, Billie and Spike’s flight to the future becomes a surprising return to the distant past –- “Everything is imprinted forever with what it once was.” What will happen when their story combines with the world’s story? Will they –- and we –- ever find a safe landing place? Playful, passionate, polemical, and frequently very funny, The Stone Gods will change forever the stories we tell about the earth, about love, and about stories themselves.

The ocean fights back against mankind’s pollution in this sci-fi thriller:

The Swarm (2004)

by Frank Schatzing

Whales begin sinking ships. Toxic, eyeless crabs poison Long Island’s water supply. The North Sea shelf collapses, killing thousands in Europe. Around the world, countries are beginning to feel the effects of the ocean’s revenge as the seas and their inhabitants begin a violent revolution against mankind. At stake is the survival of the Earth’s fragile ecology—and ultimately, the survival of the human race itself.

The apocalyptic catastrophes of The Day After Tomorrow meet the watery menace of The Abyss in this gripping, scientifically realistic, and utterly imaginative thriller.

Biopunk tale of a genetically engineered future in a post-climate change world:

The Windup Girl (2009)

by Paolo Bacigalupi

Anderson Lake is a company man, AgriGen’s Calorie Man in Thailand. Under cover as a factory manager, Anderson combs Bangkok’s street markets in search of foodstuffs thought to be extinct, hoping to reap the bounty of history’s lost calories. There, he encounters Emiko… Emiko is the Windup Girl, a strange and beautiful creature. One of the New People, Emiko is not human; instead, she is an engineered being, creche-grown and programmed to satisfy the decadent whims of a Kyoto businessman, but now abandoned to the streets of Bangkok. Regarded as soulless beings by some, devils by others, New People are slaves, soldiers, and toys of the rich in a chilling near future in which calorie companies rule the world, the oil age has passed, and the side effects of bio-engineered plagues run rampant across the globe. What Happens when calories become currency? What happens when bio-terrorism becomes a tool for corporate profits, when said bio-terrorism’s genetic drift forces mankind to the cusp of post-human evolution? Award-winning author Paolo Bacigalupi delivers one of the most highly acclaimed science fiction novels of the twenty-first century.

#book list #climate fiction #cli-fi #sci-fi #science fiction

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halechief · 7 years ago

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do you know what though. something that i’ve never really considered much about claire going to zoe’s place . . . it’s her next scene after that one with francis. she asks frank to be honest with her about how he’s been using her like everyone else. and then she goes to zoe’s. and she roots through her things, yes. but she also states plainly that she knows everything. that she always has. she asks if there’s a spider she can trap. says she and francis tell each other everything. but she’s not laying some claim to francis. she means it when she calls her naive, but she also means it when she says she thought she should ‘open those big, bright eyes.’ claire is actually warning zoe. because she and francis don’t tell each other everything. that much was just proven in the last scene between the two of them. just like she doesn’t tell him she’s going to speak to zoe, and refuses to speak to him when she goes to adam. she’s survived on her own insistent belief in she and frank’s connection, up to this point. and she sees in zoe a sort of snapshot of a girl she used to be. ambitious. intelligent. believing she was an outlier, an exception to some unwritten rule. softer by far, less strong and cunning than claire has ever been, but similar enough that claire . . . wants to gives her this warning. open her eyes. shows her she has not ever been special to francis, that she’s been a joke between the two of them for some time now. she’s showing her that people will play whatever game or scenario they want with you, but you must never take it as absolute fact. you must always be willing and able to protect yourself. claire has to intrude, has to reassert herself over zoe, has to show her the same disrespect that she’s felt for months while this all played out --- but she does try and impress that one small piece of vital information.

#( notes. )#does this make sense ???#like its not valiant or selfless of claire #its like looking backward in time and trying to give this person you see yourself in #the chance to not make the same mistake. its very much .... misguided on claire's part. like trying to undo something #trying to deal with the .... embarrassment of wanting so much from herself and for herself at zoe's age #and instead being where she is now. in a cold fusion with a man that she .. for this moment .. can tell sees her much the same #as he sees everyone else. as a measurement of her output and potential.#she wanted significance. she wanted unity. instead she's gotten sidelined and persecuted for the #repercussions of sins that are not entirely her own.#she's impressing upon zoe the futility and danger of her current state of affairs. she's saying listen to me #you naive little girl. you're going to be this one day if you're not careful. or you're going to die on the way.

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orbemnews · 4 years ago

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It's been a 'mixed bag', but most Canadian schools have kept students in class Several of those buses passed Romana Siddiqui’s home as she hustled her children out the door for school and handed out food and snacks for the day. As stressful as the morning rush can be, many Canadian parents are grateful for it. Through a dangerous second wave of the pandemic, Canada has managed to keep most schools open, most of the time, even in its hardest-hit Covid-19 hot spots. “I’ll be honest, I still sometimes am nervous about it,” says Siddiqui in an interview with CNN outside her children’s school, “But the quality of their learning, it’s by far better in class, you can’t compare virtual versus in class. So that learning was not happening really at home.” As early as last spring, and bolstered by medical experts, Canadian provinces and territories, who are responsible for education, tried to hold to the too often ignored axiom; schools should be the last to close, the first to reopen. The result has been an uneven patchwork with some jurisdictions offering virtual options and in-person options, others imposing a hybrid model for older students. Siddiqui’s 16-year-old son, Adam, the eldest of her 3 children, has had in-person learning this school year but is now virtual. “For next year, I just hope that we’re back in-person,” says Adam describing a school experience that has been far from normal, whether in person or online. Less than an hour’s drive from Mississauga, Mark Witter is doing his rounds during recess reminding kids to “stay in your zones.” But except for the masks, even outside, the sights and sounds are remarkably comforting, kids reveling in the winter sunshine and clearly happy to be with friends at school. “I was very excited to have them come back. It was different though. We worked at building a lot of understanding with the students and the families and just explaining what our new routines were, but also trying to make sure that things were as typical as they could possibly be,” said Witter, the principal at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Elementary School in Ontario’s Halton region. The protocols adhere to guidelines set out by the provinces, school boards and local public health officials. Students in this Georgetown, Ontario, school are in cohorts for classes and recess, there is a detailed Covid-19 screening procedure for educators, students and visitors, and universal mask-wearing both inside and outside the school. When classrooms around the country were set for mass reopenings last September, even Justin Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister, admitted it was a difficult decision for his family. “We are looking at what the school’s plans are. We’re looking at class sizes. We’re looking at how the kids are feeling about wearing masks,” said Trudeau when asked during a news conference last summer adding, “Like so many parents, that’s something that we are in very active discussions on.” Trudeau and his wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau did ultimately decide on in-person learning for their 3 children who attend public schools in the Ottawa area. But the reality of keeping everyone in school and keeping the virus out proved challenging within weeks of the school reopening in September. Witter says 2 classrooms were sent home for two weeks of virtual learning and seven positive cases were identified. But the school remained open. From British Columbia to Ontario and Quebec, Canada’s top provincial doctors have said that schools have not been a significant source of spread for the virus and that outbreaks in educational settings reflect the level of transmission in the wider community. Witter also credits students with helping to keep schools open as they learn and adapt to the “science” that is now part of their daily curriculum. “They keep their masks on, they follow the instruction of their teachers, they wash their hands. And so, it’s been really an enjoyable thing to see and just a heartwarming thing to see, that the students themselves have committed to the public health measures as well,” says Witter. Almost universally, government and educational leaders have lauded teachers during this pandemic, many of whom have carried much of the burden for making sure students are safe, happy and still learning. Armed with a face shield and mask and a seemingly unshakable spirit, Andrea O’Donnell organizes and cleans her kindergarten class at St. Francis of Assisi. She admits she herself was skeptical the safety protocols would work well enough to keep schools open. “How am I going to do this? How am I going keep those masks on all those little 4 and 5-year-olds? How are they going to be able to physically distance?” she says adding, “And then I thought, you know, we teach these kids, you know, I’m competent, capable. Yes, we can do it. And yes, we have done it.” O’Donnell says her classroom, her school and her school board are “living proof” that keeping kids learning in person can be done and she adds, there are good reasons to try. “Am I worried about getting Covid? Yeah,” she says, “I’d much rather be in the classroom. You know, I was really happy when we were allowed to come back. Just to see their faces again, it just, it just brings so much more joy to be with them.” Canadian unions representing educators across the country have been vocal about demands for more PPE, smaller class sizes, more teachers and better ventilation for schools. While the issues have been contentious, worst case scenarios of dangerous Covid-19 outbreaks in schools have largely been avoided. “It’s a mixed bag. I mean, there have been certainly occasional closures and widespread closures. But you know, we absolutely agree with the perspective that schools, it should be a high priority to keep schools open,” said Harvey Bischof, president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation. This collaborative approach to keeping schools open has been far from perfect, but compromise has been its hallmark through two deadly waves of the virus and lockdowns and closures. “It’s been stressful, it’s been emotional at times. We’ve had to just realize that and let go of a lot of expectations,” says Siddiqui. Source link Orbem News #bag #Canadian #Class #mixed #Schools #Students

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thesportssoundoff · 7 years ago

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“Short Notice PPVs are always wacky” The UFC 222 Preview

Joey

February whateverdaythisis

UFC 221 and UFC 222 sort of drink from the same bath water if we're being honest. The difference is that UFC 221 was an example of the worst of the worst case scenario short of cancelling a show. UFC 222 is the rarest example of doing the absolute best case scenario with the worst case scenario as the loss of a big time title fight somehow gave us a deeper card overall. UFC 222 has a very poor main event---but it's got a "star" and having a star is winning half the battle. The co-main event is a fantastic fight between two of the top 5 featherweights in the world with a title fight in the balance with a FRESH title challenger emerging for Max Holloway. You have big dudes Andrei Arlovski and Stefan Struve who add some size for those of us folks who like to see big dudes do big thangs. The rest of this card has a very distinct prospect feel as you have a heaping of good fights BUT a very clear direction where the fights that matter outside of those three are prospect building fights. For instance Sean O'Malley is the THIRD fight on the card, challenging a capable veteran test in Andre Soukhamthath in what should be a damn good fight. The top FS1 fight on the card is a fight designed entirely to get Mackenzie Dern over, drawing Ashley Yoder in a prospect tester fight. The one elite prospect at 135 lbs, Ketlen Vieira gets a massive step up in former title challenger Cat Zingano as well. Even Fight Pass has that kind of fight on it as prospect Jordan Johnson draws a HW dropping down to 205 in Adam Milstead. This isn't a great card but it is a card worthy of being on PPV, even if the main event isn't.

Fights: 12

Debuts: 3 (Yanit Kunitskaya, Mackenzie Dern, Alexander Hernandez)

Fight Changes/Injury Cancellations: 2 (Bobby Green OUT, Alexander Hernandez IN vs Beneil Dariush/Max Holloway OUT, Brian Ortega IN vs Frankie Edgar)

Headliners (fighters who have either main evented or co-main evented shows in the UFC): 8 (Frankie Edgar, Brian Ortega, Stefan Struve, Andrei Arlovski, John Dodson, Cyborg Santos, Bryan Caraway, Beneil Dariush)

Fighters On Losing Streaks in the UFC: 4 (Cat Zingano, Hector Lombard, Mike Pyle, Ashley Yoder)

Fighters On Winning Streaks in the UFC: 7 (Cyborg, Frankie Edgar, Brian Ortega, Bryan Caraway, Ketlen Vieira, Jordan Johnson, Cody Stamman)

Main Card Record Since Jan 1st 2016 (in the UFC): 18-11 Cyborg- 4-0 Yana Kunitskaya- 0-0 Frankie Edgar- 2-1 Brian Ortega- 4-0 Andre Soukhamtath- 1-2 Sean O'Malley- 1-0 Andrei Arlovski- 1-5 Stefan Struve- 2-1 Cat Zingano- 0-2 Ketlen Vieira- 3-0

Too High Up- CB Dollaway vs Hector Lombard

A lot of people would point to Struve vs Arlovski and I can hear you out there. The problem with that argument though is that Struve/Arlovski on a card with two featherweight fights (one male, one female) and two bantamweight fights (one male, one female); you kind of need two big guys to entice people who only like big dudes. As stated before, there ARE fans who object to the lighter weight classes almost on principle and that in turn you probably could use a big boi fight for some much needed card variety. Instead I'll turn to Lombard vs Dollaway where both guys are in rough shape in their respective careers. Lombard is the ultimate example of the busted signing and since the start of 2015, he's 0-4-1 with 3 stoppage losses in the last 4 fights. On the other end of the coin, you have C.B Dollaway who is 2-3 in his last five fights and the last time he won at middleweight was in 2014 vs Francis Carmont. The last time Dollaway beat a dude coming off a win? The same year in March of 2014. Long story short, this fight being on the FS1 prelims just doesn't seem right.

Too Low- Bryan Caraway vs Cody Stamman

I know it's sort of done in by the fact that 7 of the 9 fights on the FS1 slate are at 155 lbs or lower BUT Stamman vs Caraway is a really intriguing fight. Since getting into the UFC, Stamman showcased his wrestling en route to a big decision win over Terrion Ware and then followed that up by upsetting Tom Duquesnoy in a fight where dude pretty much did everything he wanted to do vs the more athletic Duquesnoy. Cody Stamman's overall game is about physicality and toughness complemented by some orthodox striking and top heavy wrestling and at this point, he's due a step up relative to divisional relevance. As such, this Caraway fight is a PERFECT clash between a good prospect and a good veteran----but it's basically buried as NOT EVEN THE FIGHT PASS HEADLINER. I disapprove.

Stat Monitor for 2018: Debuting Fighters (Current number: 4-8): Yana Kunitskaya, Mackenzie Dern and Alex Hernandez

Short Notice Fighters (Current number: 4-2): Brian Ortega, Alex Hernandez

Second Fight (Current number: 7-9): Sean O'Malley

Cage Corrosion (Current number: 5-5): Adam Milstead, Bryan Caraway, Mike Pyle, Cat Zingano

Undefeated Fighters (Current number: 6-8): Kelten Vieira, Sean O'Malley, Jordan Johnson, Brian Ortega, Mackenzie Dern

Twelve Precarious Ponderings

1- So why should we care about this main event? What necessarily is the appeal or the allure of this fight? I know there's a sizable segment of the audience that's gonna want to see this title fight but I gotta admit that this is the first title fight in a long time where there's really nothing I care about. I'm not one of those folks who thinks dudes are right to walk out before a main event they don't give a shit about and I find it pretty unfortunate that I'm on the fence about even watching this main event. It's just hard to see anything about this fight that I feel any sort of general emotion about.

2- Is it fair to say that Yana Kunitskaya is the worst UFC title challenger since Chris Cariaso back in 2014?

3- I know a lot of people think that Cyborg stepped up to save this show but it seems obvious to me she's just trying to fight her way through her contract as quickly as possible. Works out best for both parties!

4- Frankie Edgar vs Brian Ortega is going to test how many MMA fans actually follow prospects vs the ones who pretend to follow prospects. I've seen a few knuckledraggers do the whole "The Answer is gonna derail the hype train!" bit and I've seen enough "Ortega will get exposed!" talk to the point I'm left wondering when MMA fans stop considering a dude to be a prospect. Brian Ortega is not a prospect. He is 27 years old with wins over Clay Guida, Renato Moicano, Thiago Tavares and Cub Swanson without spending more than five seconds thinking about his resume. He has showcased every skill necessary to ensure that there isn't one significant area in his game that is such a glaring unproven untested area as to put a cap on his ceiling as a pro fighter. We've seen him tested and we've seen him face adversity. Ortega isn't a prospect! What he is is a young PROVEN in his prime 145er facing another proven 145 lber. The idea that Ortega is some prospect who will eventually get exposed is flawed because if that's the case, it would've happened by now. You're no longer a prospect if you're seven years into your MMA career, have had six fights in the UFC and have main evented an event. As much as people want Brian Ortega to NOT be a thing, he is a thing and will continue to be a thing no matter what happens between Edgar and Ortega.

5- NOW if you wanna talk a hype train in some danger; Andre Soukhamtath vs Sean O'Malley. Let's briefly point out why this is the right idea; O'Malley is fighting in a division where everybody is pretty good. This isn't a 155 or a 170 where there's a sizable underbelly of fluff that exists to sort of allow certain fighters a chance to eat up on the mediocres. A lot of those dudes have either retired or been cut, leaving a really thick division with a lot of fighters who can all beat one another. Soukhamthath is probably at the very bottom of that totem pole; a guy who looks good in spurts but can be outworked and hurt. Stylistically he's a bit what O'Malley wants; a guy who will come forward at him in a straight line, not exactly give you a ton of craft and ultimately can be taken down or hit at will. NOW for why it might be a bad idea; Andre Soukhamtath has three UFC fights but in those three fights he's lost two split decisions (Albert Morales and Alejandro Perez) and iced Luke Saunders in a fight he was losing up until that point. He has dropped all three opponents he's faced so you know he hits hard. O'Malley CAN be hit, giving us an imminent sense of danger right off the jump. Soukhamtath also works at such a slow pace that he's probably not going to tire out compared to O'Malley who was sucking wind in a frenetic second round before finding a big energy jump in the third. This is, in many ways, a sneaky tough fight for a flawed prospect.

6- Andrei Arlovski staved off retirement by upsetting Junior Albini in a showcase fight for the diaper wearing Brazilian in November and his reward is a more appeasing stylistic matchup with Stefan Struve. The weird thing about Arlovski's fights these days is that he's not entirely faded to the point where you'd say he's done (he gave Overeem some tense moments against the fence, had spurts of success vs Josh Barnett and almost finished Marcin Tybura) but those glimpses are becoming less and less frequent. The same could be said for Stefan Struve who battled back from a broken jaw and some serious heart related issues to resume his MMA career to modest success. Struve had success vs Alexander Volkov but couldn't keep it up and in what has become a Struve habit; faded when the pressure got too hot and he couldn't get the fight to the ground. I guess my question is whether this is less a test about who has more to offer the heavyweight division but rather which guy has the most left?

7- So what's going to be our fight that gets cancelled the week of? Bonus points if you with "the day of" and get it right!

8-Fun debate to be had; is the UFC rooting for Ketlen Vieira to win so they have a new 135 super contender OR are they hoping for Cat Zingano to win knowing that Cat coming off a win probably makes for the most appealing 145 lb title fight Cyborg can have outside of a Nunes/Cybrog clash?

9- John Dodson has never lost two fights in a row BUT it feels like his career is heading in a pretty precarious place now. He's 3-3 in his last 6 with just one finish in those six fights. His calling card was "the smiling guy who moves really fast and hits really hard" but that loses its luster when you stop putting people out with frequent regularity. Now he's just the smiling guy who moves really fast and loses split decisions. Dodson vs Pedro Munhoz is the perfect fight for both guys as Munhoz needs a really legitimate win and Dodson could really use a dynamic performance to get his career sorted out. Both guys have something to offer the other which creates for, on paper at least, a really compelling clash with high stakes involved.

10- Does a finish get Jordan Johnson any sort of attention at 205 lbs?

11- Beneil Dariush has one of MMA's low key elite resumes at 155 lbs with Edson Barboza, Michael Johnson, Evan Dunham, James Vick, Tony Martin and Rashid Magomedov all on the resume. He just lacks the chin (and the requisite consistent pop in his hands) to really be considered among the tops in his division. I also think he probably earned the win over Dunham in hindsight.

12- Wonder if Mackenzie Dern gets the strawweight division out of this prolonged funk it's been in.

Must Wins

1- Frankie Edgar

At 36 years old, Edgar really really needs this one. A loss to Brian Ortega and you almost have to close the book on Frankie Edgar ever getting the 145 lb crown. Edgar is a hall of famer but at some point he's going to wake up and fight like a 36 year old who is heavily reliant on timing, explosion and quickness. Ortega is a really big dude for 145 lbs in build and bulk. He's more reminiscent of former Edgar rival Benson Henderson than any opponent that Edgar has faced recently at 145 lbs. He's massive, deceptively slick, a frequent powerful kicker and blessed with a wide array and assortment of submission tricks that Edgar will need to be mindful of. This is a toss up fight for me but for Edgar, if he doesn't win, you're left realizing that the bar has been set at 145 lbs and he's no longer in the necessary class to compete with the elite.

2- Sean O'Malley

The first name out of Dana White's mouth when he talks about star building is Sean O'Malley. I'm not as on board. O'Malley is a really fun fighter who has good fights and does have a bit of that star power vibe in the package. The problem is that conversely, I feel like O'Malley flaws are a lot tougher to get away with at 135 than it would be at 185 and up. Soukhamthath is basically bottom of the barrel and he's still pretty damn good. This is an unforgiving division to be learning on the fly but O'Malley's gotta do it.

3- Mackenzie Dern

The UFC Is trying to jolt some life into their WMMA rankings and so Dern who is in that "good enough to beat 99% of the regional chicks but still too raw to make serious noise soon" is being tasked with...well...making serious noise soon. Dern's striking looked better but is a ways away---but her ground game is absolutely the key to her success going forward. Dern's job is going to be to beat up the sort of women who make up the "nameless faceless opponent" rankings at 115 and 125 lbs. Let's just hope the UFC learns to take it slow.

Five Can't Miss Fights

1- Brian Ortega vs Frankie Edgar

2- Andre Soukhamtath vs Sean O'Malley

3- Pedro Munhoz vs John Dodson

4- Andrei Arlovski vs Stefan Struve (even if it's bad, it'll still be fun enough to laugh at)

5- Cat Zingano vs Ketlen Vieira

#MMA #UFC #UFC 222 #Cyborg #Frankie Edgar #Brian Ortega #Yanit Kuniskaya

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gibberingcultist · 5 years ago

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Return to the Dunwich Legacy

There is only one h in Dunwhich. There is only one h in Dunwhich. There is only one h in Dunwhich. . .

Designers: Matthew Newman, Adam Sadler, Brady Sadler Artists: Lots and lots! I’ll do my best to credit the imagery utilized. Cover image by Tomasz Jedruszek. Playtime: 60-120 minutes per scenario. BGG Weight: 4 / 5 (based on 1 vote. Pshh!) Mechanisms: Action Point Allowance System, Cooperative Play, Deck / Pool Building, Hand Management, Role Playing, Variable Player Powers

Our Investigators

What’s a smelly drifter doing teaming up with a famed astronomer? I have…no idea. I chose “Ashcan” Pete primarily because he was an investigator from the Dunwich expansion that I have yet to play. But also Ashcan seems pretty flexible with his trusty dog Duke which starts immediately in play. Duke can assist Ashcan Pete in either investigating and or attacking monsters while not taking up his crucial ally slot. Lets just hope nothing bad ever happens to Duke. Ashcan seems pretty flimsy without him. My GF chose or rather settled for Norman Withers (replacement) because he is the last Seeker Investigator that she has yet to play. She loves the Seeker Class. He will be able to cast some spells which will help us with combat and encounter deck mitigation perhaps. It also helps that both our investigators have high willpower in preparation for some barn-busting bastards that may or may not be coming to a country side near you.

Ashcan Pete allows for up to 5 level 0 cards from any other class. I went for all Guardian cards. Trusted to help boost Duke’s health and sanity, and in-turn Ashcan’s overall success. I also grabbed a few trusty weapons from the Guardian deck and most importantly Dynamite. The Forgotten Age has scarred me. Besides that, I love my Lucky‘s and my Resourceful‘s from the Survivor class.

It does make sense for Norman Withers to have connections with Dr. Henry Armitage. I’m going to imagine Ashcan to be like Mack from Cannery Row. And Norman would be Doc. Ashcan is going to work real hard to get Norman some frogs. But first Norman will need to lend Ashcan some gas money. . . and a car.

The House Always Wins

I thought one of the two primary purposes of the Return To boxes was to fix any errors or problems with the original scenarios and yet the creators didn’t think to fix that lack of instruction about criminal enemies losing their aloof keyword after Agenda 1a. We should have realized sooner but because the scenario didn’t specifically state that they lost the aloof keyword, we didn’t even think of it until we already moved onto Agenda 3a. There was no turning back three rounds. It wouldn’t have even been an issue had they become hostile sooner either. I was prepared to fight anything and everything by Agenda 2a. It’s just frustrating to do something wrong and so soon in the campaign. I would like to see the necessary reprinting of specific cards included in these Return To boxes. I suppose FFG has plans to sell us errata packs later or a RE-Return to…

Beyond that one miscommunication, The House Always Wins is a very thematic and enjoyable scenario. We are tasked by our old mentor Dr. Henry Armitage to seek out two of his colleagues, Francis Morgan and Warren Rice. Armitage is in distress about Warren Rice potentially being in danger and Armitage is unable to contact either individual. Francis Morgan will know where to find Warren so we decide to find Francis first in hopes that he will give us some sort of benefit later on. So off to Francis’ favorite casino and lounge.

One doesn’t only get clues through the conventional method of taking an investigation action but rather he/she needs to press their luck gambling, grease some wheels by purchasing drinks for patrons at the bar, tip the performers for some inside information, and or just plain cheat your way through. The aloof hunter pit-boss will follow you around the establishment making sure you aren’t putting your nose anywhere it doesn’t belong. I only wish I could have killed him myself for his victory point before allowing the Conglomeration of Spheres to devour him. The conglomeration moved through, consuming everything and anyone in it’s path a la The Blob. Using any melee weapons against the blob also devours the weapons in the process. Fun! In the end we did manage to knock Francis Morgan out of his trance and run out into the back alley before any serious harm was done. Overall a very fun scenario.

Extracurricular Activity

Turns out Dr. Henry Armitage has separation anxiety issues. It’s been only 5 hours since he has last seen Professor Rice and already he’s digging in the trash, having accidents, barking at the door. I wonder what kind of extracurricular activities were going on between these two. Anyway, now that we have Francis Morgan in tow. . . never mind, Francis didn’t help one bit. Extracurricular Activity was another incredibly enjoyable scenario, this time taking place late at night, at the Miskatonic University. Being that we chose to find Professor Rice second, he was no longer in his office. Where could he have gone? Meanwhile a strange biological experiment breaks out of the Chem labs, and starts making it’s way towards student housing. Both Ashcan and Norman rush to warn the kids and successfully manage to wake them before the foul experiment conducts a few experiments of it’s own on the sleeping students. But instead, I suppose it just slinks off into the woods. Who knows!

The need to locate and request the help of the night janitor to gain access to the offices was top notch. Immediately soon after finding and making friends with “Jazz” Mulligan, we are forced to make the decision between finding Professor Rice or saving the students while the clock quickly ticks down. Everything in this scenario worked at making you discard as many of your cards as possible. That in combination with the Beyond the Veil treachery card, a dire feeling of dread from running out of time is established. Beyond the Veil would almost certainly eliminate most investigators unless you have a ton of allies to help soak some of that damage. So between a quickly thinning deck and the ever creeping experiment, decisions need to be made. I hope we made the right one. In the end, Professor Rice is believed to be kidnapped. Armitage ends up joining our party as he can’t handle staying home alone any longer.

The Miskatonic Museum

Several months ago, Armitage and his colleagues stopped a rampaging horror from tearing through Dunwich, a backwater town several hours north and west of Arkham (read The Dunwich Horror for a better understanding of what all went down). Shortly after, a bestial citizen of Dunwich, named Wilbur Whateley recently made an attempt to steal the Latin translation of a book called The Necronomicon but died in the process. Armitage feels that this book, currently located at the Miskatonic Museum, will once again be the target for theft. So in order to protect it we are tasked with stealing it first. Makes total sense! Harold Walsted, curator of the museum, might also be able to help us. Upon breaking and entering into the museum, a monster called the Hunting Horror is also discovered to be perusing the exhibits long after visiting hours has ended. The Hunting Horror is a persistent winged snake creature that grows stronger the longer the scenario runs. We end up killing it three or four times over the course of the break-in, yet it manages to keep coming back from the void.

This scenario was just as fun as the other two played so far. We seem to be on a whirl-wind tour of some of Arkham’s notable locations. Gaining control of the night security guard was a god-send for my character as both Ashcan’s personal-weakness cards have double action resolutions. So having good old Adam Lynch with us helped save me many actions through-out the scenario. He even made it easier for us to know which exhibit halls we should or shouldn’t enter. Adam Lynch should get a raise. Harold Walsted was unfortunately ripped to shreds at some point during the night. We eventually gained access to the restricted hall, where we once again decimated the hunting horror and retrieved the cursed Necronomicon. The Hunting Horror is like a backwoods version of the Harbinger of Valusia.

We choose to keep the Necronomicon because destroying books, even evil ones, are against our nature. If evil did exist, I would want there to be some sort of record or compilation of the knowledge of evil rather than to live in ignorance of it. Not knowing doesn’t keep the evil from happening. So in direct opposition to that of HP Lovecraft’s written stories. Afterwards, we decide it’s best to lay low for a while after all that we have seen and done. So we catch the next train to Dunwich to continue our investigation into what else is possibly going down. I only wish Adam Lynch could have submitted vacation time to come with.

The Essex County Express

Zebulon Whateley and a Earl Sawyer meet us at the station. We are so exhausted from the events on the train that we fall asleep upon the drive to Dunwich and wake up naked in a stranger’s bed. Actually I don’t know if we were naked. Probably though. This is a horror game after all. Upon our waking, we find a mostly abandoned Dunwich to explore and to judge with great disdain. You know Blood on the Altar is going to be fun when you are instructed to assemble a stack of potential sacrifices. Investigators are tasked with exploring the streets and back alleys of Dunwich in search of missing citizens. Something strange is going down and we aren’t getting any warm welcomes from those still too present to not be missing (?). In our thorough search we find a hidden chamber (and the key for admittance) that was housing a massive grotesque abomination. We find this hidden chamber very quickly strangely enough. Armitage must have had some prior knowledge of its where-abouts from his previous gallivant through the scenic Dunwich countryside. We somehow make the determination that this abomination, a mass of flesh, meat, and bones is that of Silas Bishop, one of the missing townsfolk. Or perhaps many of the missing townsfolk. Not sure. We quickly resort to the Necronomicon and cast a restoration spell as if this wasn’t our first abomination rodeo. Someone seems to be turning people into mini Yog-Sothoths. Somehow in the process, Zebulon Whateley gets himself scarified to Yog-Sothoth. I do hate when that happens. Sorry friend.

Kidnapped was especially terrifying for me as Ashcan because if Duke had been kidnapped and sacrificed to Yog-Sothoth. . . I’m pretty sure Ashcan would have just given up on life and drank himself into an early grave. Or at least that’s the story I would make up in my head as I file his investigator card away and build a new deck for my new investigator.

Blood on the Altar

Undimensioned and Unseen

This is the most frustrating scenario in the history of scenarios. I refuse to believe anyone is able to kill all the Dunwich Horror’s that are running amok. Armitage and his buddies only had to deal with one within the story of The Dunwich Horror. Why do we have to deal with five of them! Seems a bit excessive don’t you think? I do appreciate the variety of them within the Return To campaign. Each horror has unique stats, conditions, and artwork. I did not realize the first time playing this campaign that these horrors are supposedly invisible and are only detectable through Armitage’s special dust concoction. Or the transferring of clues from specific map locations. I suppose that makes sense why we can’t damage them through normal means although I feel like dynamite would still do damage to anything, invisible or not. The title makes me think they are undimensioned as well. But diminsioned enough to destroy everything in their path

These massive horrors wander randomly from place to place, completely without purpose. Half the time you hope they don’t move into your location because it’s a terrible place to try to combat them. The other half of the time, you are finally ready to sink some damage into them, but now they moving away from you! It’s like herding cats. Giant hideous cats with lots of tentacles and mouths. So much of your time is spent either taking location-specific actions to draw them a particular way or you are taking the move action, one to three times in round, just to chase them down. Still a very thematic scenario. It’s just a scenario that you are meant to lose. We did what we could until eventually we just ran out of time.

Where Doom Awaits

Armitage & Friends™ speak of Sentinel Hill as a known site for dark rituals. Someone is making or calling these creatures into being, so we head there looking for anything out of the ordinary. The Dunwich townsfolk all seal their doors for the night, aware of something sinister is just on the horizon. The path up to the peak of sentinel Hill is long and winding. We get turned around quite a bit but eventually make our way to the peak where a Seth Bishop is conducting some sort of foul sorcery. Seth has managed to open up a rift in time and space, allowing for unknown horrors to escape through. We manage to appeal to Seth’s humanity by showing him what was left of Silas Bishop. Or perhaps it was the constellation pendant (elder sign?) that brought him back to reality. Anyway, his ritual was interrupted and we… enter the rift?! Yeah sure why not.

I enjoyed the struggle of getting up to the peak by exploring all the ascending and winding paths. Each path holding unknown dangers of losing time, resources or cards. My Ashcan was defeated by the infamous Beyond the Veil treachery card. But at least I died at the peak. Exactly how I imagine a real hike would be like, for me. Doom awaits at the peak it seems. I don’t quite follow all the different characters’ backgrounds and story lines but I do enjoy the thematic aspects of the Dunwich Legacy. I suppose the next step is to enter the gate and fight Yog-Sothoth itself.

Yog-Sothoth knows the gate. Yog-Sothoth is the gate. Yog-Sothoth is the key and guardian of the gate. Past, present, future, all are one in Yog-Sothoth. He knows where the Old Ones broke through of old, and where They shall break through again. He knows where They have trod earth’s fields, and where They still tread them, and why no one can behold Them as They tread.

Lost in Time and Space

We entered, we stumbled around different times and spaces, we got stumped on what to do with the small rift just beyond our reach at the Edge of the Universe. Fortunately the Necronomicon seemed to understand our desires and worked through us to recite the proper verbiage to close the rift. Or something like that happened. Not sure how we suddenly knew what to do to close it. Then we high-tailed it out of there all the while avoiding Yog-Sothoth’s unwanted gaze. Some Yithian creatures make their appearance. Less scholarly then those from the Forgotten Age campaign.

The Return To made the scenario slightly more challenging in that when forced to move via a treachery card’s effect, you are instead returned to the terrifying presence of Yog-Sothoth. Yog-Sothoth can not be dealt damage and every so often, it’ll strike out at you from Realms Beyond. So Yog-Sothoth seems to be very much like an Azathoth in that it seems to be a destroyer of worlds. So big and so beyond one’s comprehension that he’s not killable per say. Luckily it has been banished and locked outside the universe and now will remain so for the duration of this campaign.

In Summary

This has been a very enjoyable campaign. Having as many additional cards in your investigator deck would be key to surviving and doing well in this campaign. Most of the treacheries or scenario specific effects will force you to discard cards from your deck. This can be great if you have some weaknesses get discarded this way. Terrible if you have a Beyond the Veil hiding down there waiting for you to exhaust your deck. So you play knowing full well you only have a few rounds left before you are straight up killed. Building a good deck can feel somewhat less worthwhile considering half the time you will end up just discarding your nice upgraded cards from these treachery effects anyway. So there’s a higher chance you won’t even see the cards you put into your deck.

I felt like the story was a little lacking, or perhaps you have to understand what just took place in the Dunwich Horror (story) to best enjoy this narrative in this campaign. I would say the story doesn’t matter as much because the scenarios were fun to play. There’s the Miskatonic University, The Clover Club Casino, and the Miskatonic Museum. Then we take a treacherous journey on a midnight train to Dunwich where we explore the sodden streets and decrepit shanty town and uncover a series of sinister rituals to help Yog-Sothoth escape into our realm. Why anyone would ever want that is beyond me. Time for “Ashcan” Pete, Duke, and Norman Withers to retire.

Final Score (AVG): 4.375

#Arkham Horror LCG #h.p. lovecraft #Dunwich Legacy #the dunwich horror #return to

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