celticnuance

[celticnuance]

Ah, 2020. The first year in recent human history where you have to explain your coughs so that people don’t panic. 

[celticnuance]

January 30, 35 ADP | Longing

I’ve had an... interesting week. Needless to say.

It is in many parts an emotional roller coaster--I believe is the new phrase the kinds are saying these days.

N’zoth comes back, starts to influence the emotions of everyone on the planet. Drawing many of them to anger. Myself included... sadly. But at the very least I’ve spotted it, and can now strive to overcome it. I hear news that one of my closest friends is now potentially corrupt by the influence of the old gods... which of course doesn’t help my already rampant paranoia. But I keep telling myself, not to let those thoughts get to my head. Prepare for the worst. Expect the best. Prepare for the worst. Expect the best. “Fortune favors the prepared” as they say.

And then, icing on the cake... a group of miners came through and collapsed my cellar floor. Of course, this damaged my siphon beyond repair, and now the structural integrity of my tower has been completely compromised! It leans to one side more every fucking day, and it’s terrifying. And with no enchantments to sustain it, I am in more danger now that I’ve ever been before. And here’s where the story gets complected.

A few weeks back I received word from a mining company, sponsored by the crown, that they detected something near my property, and wanted permission to excavate. Of course, being both kind and foolish at times, I said yes. But under certain conditions. They couldn’t disrupt my daily habits. And they couldn’t do any damage to my place of residence. But the foreman payed more attention to his azerite detector then he did my instructions, and wound up mining underneath my tower. That’s what caused the collapse.

I was furious! Wanted to receive immediate compensation from the crown! But then, well... in my attempts to clear out some of the rubble and salvage the belongings that were damaged, I came across something interesting. A Titan construct surrounded by four elven mythals dating back to the Kaldorei Empire pre-sundering.

Myself and a few of my comrades at the University, Lakaera Riverthorn, Sidda Noctana, and my apprentice Elanor Saphyra, figured out how to turn it on. And a day later my adoptive mother Vela Ankilaris helped me figure out how to access some of it’s functions.

Apparently it’s a device that calls itself “Motherboard D-4190″ and oversaw operations in Uldaman. However, it does not know why it was moved and what the Kaldorei who moved it tried to accomplish with it. There are so many gaps in it’s database that I wonder if taking it away from Uldaman caused it’s memories to be wiped clean or corrupted. Perhaps that is why the elves abandoned it? I honestly don’t know.

Even stranger is it’s link to the four seasons. The four elements of primal Azeroth. Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. Along with Air, Fire, Earth and Water. What does it all mean?

Fuck... it’s these questions that have been stunting my ability to sleep of late. Looks like I’m in for another sleepless night...

On top of it I have to worry about King Anduin coming in and claiming it for Stormwind. The guards told me the crown has the authority to do that in times of strife. I would hate to have to move. And I’m... really, truly, not sure how I feel about humanity getting ahold of something this potentially powerful. If anything it should be returned to Uldaman. It is both on my property, and was my discovery. I really hope the court rules that I’m the one who gets to decide what happens to it.

I just hope I can get to the bottom of it soon. All of it.

[celticnuance]

Can confirm.

Let’s all be honest, every last one of us wants to stand in the mouth of a dark cave holding a flicking torch in one hand and a sword in the other.

[celticnuance]

I personally agree with Summy’s statement for the most part. Teleporting people to the other side of the world is impractical in a battlefield scenario. Unless, of course, you have workarounds. If Emmy needs to teleport herself or someone else to the other side of the world within the span of a few seconds, she uses an enchanted item she personally calls a Spellstone. It’s basicly a small, smooth rock that has had the runic configuration (spell circle) of a certain spell carved into it, and the mana it needed stored within already. Activating it is simply a matter of picking it up, placing your thumb on the spell circle, and then dropping it into the space you want it to affect.

Sort of like a grenade. Just... a spell grenade? If that makes sense?

Issue is, like a grenade, a spellstone isn’t reusable within a short period of time. You have to pick up the stone, and channel the appropriate amount of Mana into it once again, for to to work... again. Not only that, but once carved it can only contain that one spell forevermore. Realisticly, if a mage decided to employ this method, they would only carry around two or three spellstones. Why? Because rocks are fuckin heavy guys. XD

Emmy herself only has three. A spellstone for Teleportation(to her tower), a Spellstone for gravitational stasis, and a spellstone to conjure up a runesaber. All three of which she rarely employs due to the difficulty of making and recharging one.

Why though? Well, you never know when you’re going to need a quick escape, an AoE stasis, or a good distraction. Really. They are predominately last resorts to get her out of a bad place should things turn dire.

So if you wish to employ this tactic, you should really think about your mages style of fighting, and what spells they’ve found most useful in the past. Emmy herself is more evasive, as she knows that she isn’t all that tough, or skilled in any form of mele. She tries to remove as many enemy factors as possible whilst also avoiding mele combat for as long as possible.

I suppose four, if you count the Obsidian Raven Skull charm she wears around her neck. But that’s less a spellstone and more an anchor that binds her familiar to the material plane, and to her.

But... anyways. I believe I got off track. Back to the topic at hand: Teleportation!

While there are instances of near-instantaneous teleportation of both other NPCs, and the player, among NPCs--It is worth noting certain factors I’ve observed when they do that.

They either teleport themselves/you to someplace they visit quite often and are familiar with.

They casted as a group.

Or they’ve teleported themselves/you to someplace themselves/you can see clearly. Think of it like a more controlled Blink.

Given that one or all of those factors are in play, I can imagine that a skilled mage can teleport themselves/you a fairly long distance despite other limitations. But the instant formation of portals to places on the other side of the world, or even better, another dimension entirely: I reckon not. You’d be better off blinking yourself and others fairly short distances as more of a confusion or evasion tactic than anything. When on the battlefield at least.

I have also observed a bit of interesting lore regarding teleportation based on two Arcane Mage abilities.

Blink.

&

Displacement.

Displacement is unique, because it allows you to instantly teleport back to the location you last blinked from, while also restoring the cooldown of Blink. When you use blink, a buff is placed on you called a “Displacement Beacon” , Not only that, but it leaves behind a trace of essence you can see in the in-game world. It looks like this:

Based on the ability’s name, I’ve developed this headcannon.

When you teleport, you effectively reach through the fabric of time and space and merely... swap places with another point in time and space. Doing this leaves behind a bit of a rift. But one the universe can heal itself of. It just takes time. And that time, is the amount of time you effectively “Skipped” by just showing up, rather than traveling there on foot.

It’s... a complected thing to explain. As the explanation involves quite a bit of Theoretical Physics, with a bit of creative liberty. But the general gist of it is that time and space are effectively linked to each other. If you bypass one, it leaves behind a bit of a wound in the universe. Or as a mage will explain it to you: “The Fabric of Reality.”

But just like all wounds, it can be healed. In the meantime, these two points will be linked until it does.

Why am I telling you all of this? Really, it was just an overcomplecated way of saying that because these two points are now linked until the universe mends itself, people can track your teleport through it, and use it to do exactly what you did. An arcane mage knows this, and hence those skilled mages have developed this spell to take advantage of that fact.

So even if you used a teleportation spell to get out of a battlefield very quickly, if the enemy has an Arcane mage on their side, you are not off the hook. So that adds another level of impracticality for it’s use on the battlefield. Do that, and you’ve now added a temporal gateway someone can use to infiltrate the heart of your fallback point. So... yeah. Those are my thoughts.

Just know that this mostly is headcannon and theorycrafting. So I could be wrong about all of this. I just thought it would be interesting to share. Thank you guys for trudging through this long ass post, and my poor attempt at trying to apply some science to magic. But hey! At least it was a good read right? Anyways. I will let you go now.

Have a good day or night wherever you may be :P

Mage friends

I got a query for you all since I’ve seen it a bunch (and let it happen to me once for the sake of story).

Portals in Combat. The whole just teleporting people instantly to the middle of wherever you want, why is that universally considered alright?

Mechanically, there’s a pretty lengthy cast time on the teleport self spell, as well as the conjure portal spells, both of which even cost reagents once upon a time. Instant teleports really only seem viable for very short distances a la blink.

Add that with all the “heavy policing” crap we hear about the Kirin Tor and Arcane portal magic and it makes me think…maybe that’s a little meta?

Just my thoughts. Cuz I’m bored af at work.

[celticnuance]

Today I learned about a couple that decided to rebuild their deserted piece of land of 600 hectares in Aimorés, Brazil. They planted more than 2 million tree saplings. As a result, the site has 293 plant species, 172 bird species and 33 animal species, some of which were on the verge of extinction. It only took 18 years!

In the early 1990s, Brazilian photo-journalist Sebastião Ribeiro Salgado was stationed in Rwanda to cover the horrific accounts of Rwanda genocide. The on-ground experience left him traumatised. In 1994, he was returning to his home in Minas Gerais, Brazil, with a heavy heart, hoping to find solace in the lap of a lush green forest, where he had grown up.

But, instead, he found dusty, barren land for miles and miles, in place of the forest. In only a few years, his beautiful hometown underwent rampant deforestation, leaving it fallow and devoid of all the wildlife. For him, everything was destroyed. “The land was as sick as I was. Only about 0.5% of the land was covered in trees,’ he shared in an interview with The Guardian. Salgado was shattered.

Saldago’s Wife Wanted to Recreate The Forest

It was at this time that Salgado’s wife Lélia made a near-impossible proposal. She expressed her wish to replant the entire forest. Salgado supported her idea, and together the couple set out on a heroic mission. Brazil Photographer Forest

Salgado bought an abandoned cattle ranch from his parents and started building a network of enthusiastic volunteers and partners who would fund and sustain their mammoth project. In 1998, the couple founded Instituto Terra – the organisation which tirelessly worked to bring a forest back to life.

PNHR Bulcão Farm | by Weverson Rocio – 2012

Salgado sowed the first seed in December 1999. The couple hired around 24 workers in the beginning and was later joined by numerous volunteers over the years. They worked day and night – from uprooting the invasive weeds to planting new seedlings. Soon, their hard work bore fruit as tropical trees native to the region started flourishing in the area. They received a donation of over one lakh saplings which gave rise to a dense forest. The handcrafted forest comprises mostly of local arboreal and shrub varieties. Latest satellite imagery revealed how a soothing green forest cover has enveloped the area which once was a devastating arid eyesore.Since 1998, they have planted more than 2 million saplings of 293 species of trees and rejuvenated 1,502 acres of tropical forest. The biodiversity-rich zone has recently been declared as a Private Natural Heritage Reserve (PNHR).

The Impact of Salgado’s Forest

The afforestation project, which is undoubtedly one of the greatest environmental initiatives in the world, has also helped to control soil erosion and revived the natural springs in the area. Eight water springs which once dried up, flow at around 20 litres per minute at present, relieving the drought-prone region of its woes. Salgado’s forest also happens to solve the much-debated notion about climate change, proving that the trend can be reversed if tried. His forest has resulted in causing more rainfall to the area and cooler weather, bringing a drastic and desirable change in the climate.

Instituto Terra’s Fauna | by Leonardo Merçon – 2012

The most important positive aspect of the forest till now has to be the return of the lost fauna. More than 172 species of birds, 33 species of mammals, 15 species of amphibians and reptiles have been spotted in the forest interiors, something which was beyond imagination two decades ago. Many of the plant and animal species in his forest actually feature on the endangered list.

Efforts For Good

Climate change is a harsh reality. Mankind is bearing the brunt of the relentless destruction they inflicted on the planet. Yet, people like Salgado and Lélia fill us with hope, proving that patience and persistence can be our keys to heal the wounds of nature. If two people can create a 1502-acre forest in just 20 years, then imagine how much can be done if everyone comes together to protect the environment. It must be reminded that for every tree we plant, we are adding 118 kgs of oxygen to the air every year, and reducing the carbon footprint by 22 kgs.

Efforts For Good urges all the readers to actively engage in planting trees and gradually turn this into a fixed habit.

Sources: http://www.scienceinsanity.com/2019/03/brazilian-couple-created-1502-acre.html

https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/comments/bg0ebn/a_couple_decided_to_rebuild_their_deserted_piece/

[celticnuance]

I have no clue if this is true. But that's fucking great XD

I would be so fucking happy.

[celticnuance]

I can relate to this very heavily. I actually faced this challenge recently. No matter how hard it gets--assuming it doesn't get to toxic/abusive levels--if you love someone, stick with them through thick and thin. I promise you that once you get through It, you will both return wiser and more loving for it.

[celticnuance]

[celticnuance]

A witch ought never be frightened in the darkest forest….because she should be sure in her soul that the most terrifying thing in the forest was her.

Terry Pratchett

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Man though you know what makes me sorta sad is when nerdy, “quiet” kids latch on to me during camp and they just talk and talk and talk about a thing they’re into (Skyrim, Pokemon, Harry Potter, Doctor Who, dinosaurs, whatever). And I see the kids just light up when they say something and I can chime in with an ‘oh hey, are you talking about [x]? I love that thing! Tell me more about it.’

Like, their parents will warn me ‘so-and-so is pretty quiet and hard to engage’ but no, man, just listen, your kid is so smart and so into This Thing, they’ll engage like fuck and talk your damn ear off it you let them. Frame it in their damn terms. Or! Just! Listen to them about their Thing! And they will engage with the rest of the material! Because they know you care about them! Amazing!!!

[celticnuance]

Thank you

Marriage is good and weddings are great but I hate modern wedding culture. You don’t need to bankrupt yourself to have a nice wedding. Stop supporting the wedding industry, stop buying outrageously priced engagement rings, stop spending 10k on a dress you’ll only ever wear once.

[celticnuance]

Excellent recruits for my army of darkness.

[celticnuance]

THINGS TO BE WARY OF: THE MOMO CHALLENGE

I just heard of this from my brother, whose children are terrified of it. It’s so grotesque.

So essentially, this “Momo Challenge” made its way onto YouTube Kids videos (much like the self harm one you might’ve seen going around). In the same manner, it comes up about halfway through a video, when parents are more than likely not paying attention, and tells the kid they can’t tell anyone about the challenges or their friends/family/themselves will be killed or seriously hurt. Then it gets into the challenges.

They start out simple. Break a toy, make a mess of your room, etc. But then they gwt more and more disturbing. Things like self harm and suicide make their way into the challenges, once the kids have become invested.

And I need to stress this: they aren’t allowed to mention this to anyone under threat of harm or death to the people they love.

My niece burst into tears when my brother asked. My nephew, who’s 13, was scared out of his mind and begged my brother to drop it, because he can’t talk about it.

My brother is cutting his kids off from YouTube, and if you have children, I strongly suggest you do the same. YouTube Kids is no longer safe. Period.

Even if you don’t have kids, please, by god, reblog and share. People are ending their lives. They’re scared senseless. YouTube needs to own up and do something, and until then we need to protect the children.

[celticnuance]

[celticnuance]

@sidequestdylan

context: our sorcerer was fighting a chimera in a one-on-one arena style battle, while the rest of us watched from the sidelines. 

me, ooc: is the chimera’s name nina? dm: don’t talk about that here. 

[celticnuance]

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