#Customer perception insights

[marketxcel]

What Is Mystery Shopping: Types, Examples, Advantages & Workflow

Explore the world of mystery shopping with our comprehensive guide. Discover various types, real-world examples, and the advantages of this unique approach. Dive into the mystery shopping workflow to understand how it can enhance customer experience and benefit your business.

[isubhamdas]

Social Listening for Reputable Online Presence

Discover the power of social listening to enhance your online presence and drive business growth. Read on to learn expert tips and strategies. [Continue reading] What is Social Listening?Importance of Social ListeningStrategies for Effective Social ListeningDefine your goalsChoose the right toolsMonitor relevant conversationAnalyze the dataEngage with your audienceExpert Tip on Social Listening…

[litsenn]

Resist Durge being progressively influenced by the other companions, and learning from just watching them exist. Ao3

Shadowheart petting and hugging Scratch, taking such good care of him and the owlbear.

Wyll and Karlach becoming besties although one was supposed to kill the other.

Karlach always so enthusiastic.

Wyll’s good humour affecting the whole party.

Astarion teasing and jesting with Durge, making them laugh about the silliest thing (or the darkest one).

The owlbear simply happy and amazed to be alive and cared for.

Gale cooking nice stuff for everyone, inviting Durge to try some vegetables for a change (and OMG that shit is good!)

Lae’zel always so keen on telling them about her people and their customs, never withholding information and being painfully honest no matter what.

Scratch and his ball, following them everywhere in camp because he wants to play.

Jaheira talking about her former adventures, entertaining everyone with epic tales punctuated with a few sarcastic remarks about Bhaalspawns, but always implying that she has great hopes for Durge.

Halsin being genuinely caring, making sure everyone in camp is comfortable. Encouraging Durge to have a spoon of honey for the first time (SUGAR RUSH INCOMING).

Minsc’s loud laughter echoing around. His chill, unbothered self never losing faith in them.

Boo wriggling his cute little snoot.

Even Minthara. Her perceptive mind giving Durge some valuable insights into their own struggles. Her pragmatism grounding them.

Life is deeply valuable.

[bamtwozled]

You Guys Ever Think About Snokoplasm (2008)

I have been pondering snokoplasm, as one does, and besides the influence of 21 year old phil’s incomparable weirdguy charm, I think it stands out so much to me because it’s a really efficient little piece of slice-of-life science fiction.

one hates to make sweeping generalizations about science fiction as a whole when it encompasses so many subgenres and when the conventions shift based on culture of origin, but the perception at least is that (at minimum western) scifi can have a bit of an exposition problem. sometimes there’s kind of no way around it, and the story literally just can’t progress until the audience knows a certain amount, but sometimes you just want to drop the audience in, give them enough real world points of comparison to be able to anchor themselves a bit and identify with what the protagonist considers normal, and have them keep up from there. this is the approach phil takes in snokoplasm.

the main text of the video is about a minute and three seconds. the final 10 seconds are…ambiguous? I’m unclear if this is the intended use of snokoplasm and the vision is simply incomprehensible to me or if it’s just a certified weird phil moment (said with all the reverence it deserves). in that extremely short time, we get all of this information, either explicitly or implicitly:

- snokoplasm is a thing that exists, and it is a common item in this setting we’ve found ourselves in, because phil’s character does not see the need to provide context to an in-universe audience that should already know what it is. it’s an item used frequently enough that one would reasonably run out of it, and running out isn’t a crisis, but it’s still something you’d need often enough to want to replace it pretty quickly.

- there is a store called A47 that stocks snokoplasm. it’s specifically “the local” A47, implying that this is a well known chain at least regionally, and that it’s a pretty common type of shop rather than a niche specialty thing. this supports what we know from the first point. arguably this is also our first real clue that we’ve diverged from our normal universe and this isn’t just some weird shit regular phil found somewhere, in that he’s citing a store that doesn’t exist like it’s a thing everyone knows about, but for those of us who don’t live in the UK it could be dismissed as some british fuckery, so I think the next detail is more of the tipping point. we also find out a couple seconds later that the store exclusively stocks snokoplasm, so it’s clearly a pretty significant market in this society.

- the store is staffed by an exohelper, reenacted with a robotic voice. this is our main notice that we’ve crossed into scifi territory, but it’s just a science fiction-y prefix and overlay to the concept of a shop worker/cashier, so it’s not like we’ve been given too much to keep up with. the exohelper starts out with generic customer service lines, but then gets judgy about his choice of snokoplasm color, culminating in the “he’s just gonna buy the blue snokoplasm off the internet” comment, and it also argues with him on green vs yellow. you can begin to fill in some aspects about a world which has at least partially replaced retail workers with robots, but also gives these new workers a degree of personality beyond blank subservience. I also think it’s worth noting that the exohelper is built so it’s perceived as female, so we get a little bit of insight on gender perception in this society as well.

- the color of snokoplasm you buy may or may not necessarily make a tangible difference in terms of the product’s utility, but it DEFINITELY has societal baggage associated with it. based on phil saying “look at these muscles” as a counterargument to the idea that he’d want the blue snokoplasm, it may be linked to a concept of masculinity, or at least to a broader idea of “toughness”. buying the blue would be an embarrassing thing for him that he shouldn’t want to do in person, but that someone else might assume he does based on some aspect of how he presents himself (other people have delved more into the idea of snokoplasm color as a metaphor for gender roles and sexuality, and anything I could say here would be stolen from them and is also kind of out of scope here since it dips more into thematic interpretation vs literal reading, but I feel I should point it out. also I do think the fact that the exohelper is specifically presented as female adds a layer here)

- we even get a brief hint as to the economy of this society—the snokoplasm he buys costs 14 million…I don’t actually know what he says here sorry. but it’s 14 million of them. this seems to be a pretty normal cost for the product based on his reaction. obviously we cannot calculate any kind of actual value here, in that. well we don’t actually know what snokoplasm is. we will never know what snokoplasm is, because that’s the whole bit, and so we can’t compare to a real world equivalent, but we at least get some kind of baseline for the kind of money someone would be willing to drop on a quick purchase.

that is a lot of information about this world in a very short time but it doesn’t feel like an infodump; it’s convincingly just this guy talking about his slightly weird exchange with a worker on a standard shopping trip. almost a third of the video’s runtime is the “green”/“yellow” back and forth because that’s the only part of this that’s particularly remarkable to our viewpoint character, which means we get all of the rest of that information in like 40-45 seconds.

and obviously there is still a lot we don’t know about the universe this takes place in. we can get as far as “there’s probably not an ongoing immediate catastrophe, because this character would presumably not be making a video about his shopping trip,” but a lot of other things are wide open. but the fact that we can tell this much from one minute of one guy describing a pretty normal day in this society feels like a really strong start.

all of this to say I genuinely think it’s a neat little piece of storytelling contained in this one-off joke video from 16 years ago, and when I say “I want a phil scifi project” I’m not only saying that in an “I love and support phil lester” way (although that is also true). I just really want to see what he’s capable of.

[heavenboundhotel]

✨"HUSKER"✨

Name: Leon Banks

Species/Origin: Sinner, Cat Demon

Gender/Pronouns: Male, He/Him

Sexuality: Grey-Ace, Gay

Year of Birth: 1900

Year of Death: 1974

Appearance:

Personality:

Leon is a grumpy, sharp-witted old soul, with a dry humor and a rough, sarcastic exterior. Though he seems detached, he’s highly perceptive and often catches things others miss, though he usually keeps his insights to himself. He prefers to keep people at arm’s length, largely out of self-preservation and a desire to avoid his own painful past. Despite his cynicism, Leon has a hidden empathy for others who have been through hard times and occasionally offers advice or a helping hand—though he’d claim it’s just to keep the peace.

Since becoming a cat demon in Hell, Leon’s picked up some cat-like quirks that annoy him to no end: his ears twitch when he’s annoyed, he occasionally “kneads” surfaces without realizing it, and he’s acquired a habit of curling up to nap wherever he can find a quiet spot—only to be embarrassed if someone catches him doing it. Worst of all, he even purrs under his breath when content, which he tries desperately to hide.

Though he doesn’t believe in Heaven’s Gate Hotel’s mission, he finds himself admiring Lithop’s optimism, even if he worries it’ll get her hurt. His years as an ex-overlord and con artist give him a knack for reading people and maneuvering through Hell’s dangers. Deep down, he’d like to live quietly, but his complicated ties to powerful figures like Alistair keep him reluctantly drawn into the messes of others.

Backstory:

Leon Banks was born in 1900 in Chicago, Illinois. Leon's was a family of swindlers and back-room dealers. His parents ran a bar that also served as a front to run con games and schemes on patrons for taking their money. Leon grew up surrounded by deceit and quickly learned the ropes; he developed a good sense of sleight of hand and took an interest in stage magic. He dreamed of becoming a magician, taking influence from the traveling acts he caught glimpses of from time to time, and would practice tricks on the customers of the bar when he could get away with it. But his parents had other ideas; more often than not, they'd be pushing him into their schemes and training him to be as sharp and cunning as they were.

Leon's ambition was cut short as he was summoned for service in the First World War. He had very little time in the war, but that time was life-changing. He incurred a serious injury at the beginning of his time in the war, resulting in the loss of his leg. Back in Chicago, he was discharged and struggled to adapt to both the experiences of trauma from his occurrences and the loss of his mobility. His dreams of doing magic dissipated and in their place came a purposeless bitterness that handed him over to the darker paths. Leon turned to alcohol to take the sting off his pain and developed a dependence on it that would plague him for the rest of his life.

During the 1920s, Leon drifted to New Orleans, where he was drawn into the vibrant atmosphere of the city and its underground scene. Here, he found the new thrill of gambling and facility to exercise his skill of deception and sleight of hand. Card games, dice, and trickery were the main preoccupation of his life, and soon he became a gambler. While at first he may have enjoyed the chaotic nature of the world of gambling, it actually perpetuated his aimlessness and isolation. By the 1930s, he took this ambition west to Las Vegas in hopes of finally turning his talents into something more lucrative.

Leon opened his casino in Las Vegas, continuing the family tradition of scamming others. He built a reputation as a smooth-talking, sharp-eyed casino owner who could read anyone who walked through his doors. But he was still as lonely as always, his life a constant round of drinking, gambling, and cheating others. Leon died alone in 1974 after he had spent his life attempting to "blow off" repression through constant thrilling actions; running away from his pain in life, leaving him with few close connections and not much to show.

Leon soon settled into Hell and rose through the ranks within the ring of Greed as one who could manipulate with mastery and gamble as easily. He picked up the nickname "Hustler" in next to no time. That would be his name, as he built up his strength through gambling with the souls of others, or through schemes and gained deals until he was a somewhat low-ranking but decently powerful overlord. Yet, his own pride proved to be his undoing when he challenged the wrong opponent- The Radio Demon - and lost his own soul. Now mocked as "Husk" or "Husker" by Alistair, serving as a constant reminder of all that he gambled away in life and death.

[wendichester]

𓂃˖ ࣪ 𝔠𝔬𝔪𝔭𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔟𝔦𝔩𝔦𝔱𝔶 𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔡𝔦𝔫𝔤

˚₊‧꒰ა crowley ☆ @scalerarts ☆ castiel ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

𖤐⭒๋࣭ ⭑✧˖⋆𖤐⭒๋࣭ ⭑✧˖⋆𖤐⭒๋࣭ ⭑✧˖⋆𖤐⭒๋࣭ ⭑✧˖⋆𖤐⭒๋࣭ ⭑✧˖⋆𖤐⭒๋࣭ ⭑✧˖⋆𖤐⭒๋࣭ ⭑✧˖⋆𖤐

ꔛ. meeting each other,

✧ what’s the most likely way for you two to meet?

crowley

you’re trying to outsmart a crossroads demon. bold move. with your gemini mercury and aquarius moon, you’ve got the brains and the detachment to play dangerous games, and crowley? he lives for it. he shows up instead of the usual demon—curious about who the hell you think you are, rewriting sigils and bargaining with sharp-tongued flair.

castiel

a ritual goes wrong. you try to summon an angel for answers—not castiel specifically, but he’s the one who shows up. there’s static in the air, the candles snuff out, and suddenly, he’s there—tilting his head, staring at you like you’re both a mystery and a threat.

✧ are you a hunter or a civilian?

you’re more of an unwilling prophet-esque medium—you’re drawn into things because of your knowledge and your weirdly specific connection to celestial frequencies (thank your uranus + moon in aquarius). you know things you shouldn't, and that makes cas wary.

✧ what’s his first impression of you?

crowley

“cheeky little thing.” he’s amused. intrigued. suspicious. your cancer sun throws him off—it’s too emotional, too honest. but that aquarius moon + mercury in gemini? that’s what catches his attention. he thinks you're smart, sharp, and maybe just dangerous enough to be interesting.

castiel

“dangerously perceptive.” you ask the kind of questions that unsettle him. your venus in cancer radiates softness, but your aura is anything but. he sees your loneliness, your moral compass, and that tiny part of you that just wants to be seen. he recognizes it. it scares him.

ꔛ. friendship compatibility,

✧ how would the friendship be like?

crowley

flirtatious, intellectual chess, layered in irony and unspoken loyalty. he pretends not to care. you pretend not to trust him. but you both keep showing up, every time. your banter is razor sharp, but underneath is a kind of mutual admiration neither of you names.

castiel

soul-deep. your cancer rising + venus wants to nurture, and castiel—especially with his pisces moon + cancer venus—is starving for that kind of presence. your intellect challenges him, but your emotional honesty anchors him.

✧ how would it begin?

crowley

a reluctant alliance. he needs your brain. you need his resources. and somewhere between the third argument and fifth shared drink, you start laughing for real.

castiel

with confusion. he doesn’t know what to make of you at first. but then you start offering insights without expecting anything in return, and it hits him like grace—you're someone who sees without judging.

✧ quirks and fun things about it:

crowley

✶ you send each other passive-aggressive texts. ✶ he leaves you lavish gifts with mocking notes. ✶ you bicker about art, poetry, ancient weaponry—everything. ✶ you both secretly love it.

castiel

✶ you explain human customs to him while brushing his trenchcoat. ✶ he brings you ancient relics like they’re birthday gifts. ✶ he texts in all caps. you correct his grammar.

ꔛ. romantic compatibility,

✧ are you compatible? is there a chance for friendship to develop into more?

crowley

yes—but it’s risky. your cancer sun wants something real. crowley offers games and power plays. but if you can handle the fire, if you’re okay with love that’s tainted and sophisticated, this could become something wickedly beautiful.

castiel

absolutely. your venus in cancer + moon in aquarius blend gives you this powerful mix of heart and detachment that castiel finds magnetic. you could heal each other, slowly, awkwardly, but fully.

✧ what type of relationship would it be?

crowley

push-pull dynamic. he tests your boundaries, you hold your ground. he taunts you, you flirt back. it's intense. dangerous. intoxicating. neither of you ever quite admits how deep it's gotten until someone bleeds.

castiel

gentle and existential. you talk about the meaning of life at 3am. you watch the stars in silence. you teach him what it means to love with human hands. it’s soft but not boring—there’s mystery and reverence here.

✧ what are your love languages according to the charts?

crowley

✶ you: quality time + words of affirmation ✶ him: acts of service + gift giving (but expensive, over-the-top, deeply symbolic ones)

castiel

you: physical touch + emotional presence him: acts of service + quiet presence (he shows love by being there, always)

ꔛ. scenario, ₊˚⊹౨ friends, partners, begrudgingly together due to circumstances ৎ ₊˚⊹

friends

with castiel, you're the grounding force. he follows your voice like it's holy. you cover for him when he’s too blunt with people. he patches you up with trembling hands, and you pretend not to notice how long his fingers linger.

partners

with crowley, it’s a long con turned real. you’re in deep—too deep—but the world keeps spinning and you keep choosing him. in smoky rooms and half-lit limbo, you share secrets and scars. you call it strategy. it’s love.

begrudgingly together due to circumstances

you and both of them, on a case. you’re the tie that binds—cas is too righteous, crowley’s too smug, and you’re stuck in the middle, rolling your eyes while saving the day. crowley calls you “darling,” castiel calls you “essential.” you call them both insufferable.

ꔛ. overall, score : crowley 8 / 10 ✶ castiel 9.5 / 10

with crowley: this is magnetic but dangerous. he’ll test your heart and flirt with your darkness. not for the faint of heart—but unforgettable if it works. with castiel: this is soulmate material. different wavelengths, same core frequency. if you’re patient, if he’s brave, this could be everything.

ꔛ. navigation 𓂃˖ ࣪ all drabbles ; compatibility readings ; support my work .ᐟ

* since he's an angel and we have no real information of his birth, i did a rough chart according to his personality. so, castiel is: sun in virgo, moon in piesces, rising in capricorn, mercury in aquarius, venus in cancer, mars in aries, jupiter in saggitarius, saturn in scorpio.

* since he's a demon and we have no real information of his birth, i did a rough chart according to his personality. so, crowley is: sun in scorpio, moon in capricorn, rising in leo, mercury in gemini, venus in libra, mars in scorpio, jupiter in taurus, saturn in aquarius.

[grailfinders]

Grailfinders #357: scathach-skadi (ruler)

today on Grailfinders we’re building the savior of quick once more, Scathach-Skadi (Ruler)! this time around she’s a Swarmkeeper Ranger / Dreams Druid mix, because we need a school of ice-fish and the ability to turn everywhere we go into an impromptu water park.

check out her build breakdown below the cut, or her character sheet over here!

next up: who ya gonna call?

Ancestry & Background

this is normally the part where I point out putting on a bathing suit won’t change your species or past, and that is still true. we’re a Custom Lineage instead of an aasimar this time because you’re being used as the emergency power source for a theme park, not because of the outfit.

that means you get +2 Wisdom to start, as well as Darkvision because gods are rarely stymied by the shade and the Eldritch Adept feature for a free Armor of Shadows. you might not get the whole castle, but the free mage armor is still super useful for fighting in a swimsuit.

and again, swim suits don’t change your past, so you’re still an Acolyte for proficiency in Insight and Religion.

Ability Scores

despite the class change you’ll still mostly be casting, so your Wisdom should be as high as possible. after that is Dexterity to not die in a swimsuit, then Intelligence to remember the end of your timeline. sorry about that btw. your Strength is slightly above average since you do use your spear in this form, but don’t worry, we’ll get a better option later. that means your Constitution is average, and your Charisma is your dump stat. Sieg could tell you being a living battery doesn’t come with a lot of health benefits, and if you weren’t hanging out with people with much higher charisma scores we wouldn’t have gotten into that mess in the first place.

Class Levels

1. Ranger 1: starting as a ranger gets you proficiency in Strength and Dexterity saves, as well as Animal Handling to manage the fish and Perception and Investigation thanks to your time living in a planetary panopticon.

as a first level ranger you can single out a Favored Foe as part of your attack roll, adding 1d4 to your damage against that creature once a turn for up to a minute, proficiency timer per day. you’ll also deal even more damage as you level up.

on a less useful topic, you’re also a Natural Explorer, giving you and your party plenty of travel bonuses while running around in the Arctic. presumably this is that big land ark you handed off to Guda.

2. Ranger 2: at second level you can pick a Fighting Style. There’s not really one we need, but you can see through snow, so Blind Fighting is relevant. You can tell where creatures are within ten feet of you, regardless of how visible they are.

you can also cast Spells now! Absorb Elements is a pretty generic defensive spell to block out elemental damage, and Zephyr Strike is some flashy spearwork- until you end the spell, your movement won’t provoke attacks, but you can end the spell early to deal extra damage on a hit and gain extra speed.

3. Ranger 3: at level three you get Primeval Awareness, letting you spend a spell slot to sense the existence of extraplanar creatures within 6 miles of your park. Given that you are an extraplanar entity, this isn’t actually that useful. you can also use Longstrider so you or a party member can move quicker. eh? ehhh? see what I did there?

you also become a Swarmkeeper this level- that gives you Faerie Fire for more crits for the party, and Mage Hand to make a fish go grab something for you. a fish from your Gathered Swarm of icefish, I mean. once a turn, you can use your fish to mess with someone you hit with an attack, either dealing extra damage, forcibly moving them fifteen feet if they fail a strength save, or moving yourself five feet in any direction, which doesn’t cause an opportunity attack.

4. Ranger 4: one of your skills is ice cream, so that means we gotta get ice cream. specifically, from the Chef feat instead of an Ability Score Improvement, though this does still improve your Wisdom to round it up. you can use cook’s tools now, and on a short rest you can prepare food for some of your party for an extra d8 of HP added to their healing. by either spending an hour or during a long rest, you can whip up your proficiency modifier in long-term ice cream, which lasts 8 hours before melting. anyone who eats that ice cream as a bonus action gains a couple temporary HP. This doesn’t scale that well, but extra HP is extra HP.

5. Druid 1: as a first level druid, you learn Druidic! it’s a language! you can also cast and prepare Spells now! check your PHB to figure out how many of which spell slots you get, but you can use Frostbite and Shape Water for free.

you can swap out druid spells every day so your exact spell list here isn’t nearly as important, but I highly recommend grabbing Ice Knife. it’s one of the very few ice or water-themed spells we can get that has an attack roll attached to it, letting us use it with all your ranger goodies. throw a fish at people.

6. Druid 2: as a second level druid you can use Wild Shapes, but Scathach doesn’t turn into a deer last time I checked, so maybe just use Wild Companion instead for some free casts of Find Familiar for one special fish. maybe it’s the manta ray, maybe it’s maybelline.

you also become a druid of Dreams this level, giving you the Balm of the Summer Court- sunscreen! you get a pool of d6s you can use to heal an ally as a bonus action that recharge each day, and spending a hit die also gives your target one point of temporary HP per die used.

7. Druid 3: at third level, druids get second level spells! Lesser Restoration will help cure sunburns and swimmers ear, while Barkskin lets you grant other servants swimsuits! for up to an hour after casting, a willing creature you touch gets a minimum AC of 16, regardless of their armor.

8. Druid 4: that’s enough caster shenanigans, it’s time to get that spear. first, use this ASI to bump up your Dexterity for a higher AC so you don’t die the second you enter melee range, then grab the cantrip Shillelagh to turn a stick into a magical spear. (we technically can’t use regular spears bc druids have something against metal, but this is comparable in terms of damage.) while shille’d, your stick deals 1d8 damage and your attack and damage rolls are based on your Wisdom instead of your strength, massively improving your accuracy and damage.

9. Druid 5: fifth level druids get third level spells! I would avoid grabbing literal fish when you cast Conjure Animals, but it’s a great distraction for any enemy that can’t cast fireball. for the ones that can, you can still throw fish at them as a distraction with Sleet Storm. it doesn’t directly deal damage, but it makes the land slippery and can break concentration for anyone standing inside.

we also get our first taste of your Noble Phantasm thanks to Tidal Wave! any creature within the line of water you conjure that fails a dex save gets knocked prone, and knocked around for some damage.

10. Druid 6: at level six, dream druids can make a Hearth of Moonlight and Shadow that helps creatures rest and relax a bit better while on the road. it’s nowhere near a whole theme park, but you’re still recovering from the last one you ran.

11. Druid 7: with your new fourth level spells you can Conjure Minor Elementals or Summon Elemental, so now you can summon fish actually made of ice, rather than the literal kind that just flop around. you can also get that big sunfish that swallows people with Watery Sphere. smack it into people, then laugh as they struggle to get out. if you think quantity still beats quality, you can always use Ice Storm- it’s sleet storm, but with damage instead of concentration nonsense. well, damage causes concentration checks, so technically it’s both.

12. Druid 8: use this ASI to bump up your Wisdom to its maximum for the strongest spells!

13. Druid 9: ninth level druids get fifth level spells, and now you can slap a ton of people with fish in one go thanks to Cone of Cold, or you can use your NP to make a Maelstrom, creating an area of difficult terrain that’ll deal damage and pull people into the center of it.

14. Ranger 5: fifth level rangers get an Extra Attack each turn, letting you poke two people with a stick if you really wanna. they also get second level spells, so you can use your rune magic to Enhance Ability on one person to make them stronger, smarter, or some third thing, and change their class. their FGO class, not their D&D class- that would be a whole other thing.

you also get Web for free, which I guess is kind of like a discount maelstrom? it doesn’t do damage or pull people around, but it does slow them down.

15. Ranger 6: sixth level rangers get another type of environment added to their Natural Explorer feature, but we don’t really need anything for the build! feel free to use whatever’s handiest for your campaign.

16. Ranger 7: seventh level rangers can put down a Cordon of Arrows, plopping four fish into place around you to automatically attack any enemy that gets too close. you can also arrange your fish into a Writhing Tide, which is both a cool pun and lets you spend a bonus action to ride your fish for a 10’ flying speed for one minute. it’s not a lot, but they’re fish, it’s a miracle they flew in the first place.

17. Ranger 8: at eighth level you finally start recovering from your ordeal, resulting in a boost to your Constitution. you also learn Land’s Stride, so any kind of natural difficult terrain is no problem for you! you can also pretty much ignore damaging or slowing plants now too, which explains the state of the flower garden ngl.

18. Ranger 9: speaking of, at level 9 rangers learn third level spells, like Plant Growth. that spell usually doesn’t result in a man-eating garden, but you never know! you also get Gaseous Form for free but w/e you already have a bad way to fly.

19. Ranger 10: tenth level rangers get another Natural Explorer boost we don’t need, as well as Nature’s Veil. you can spend a bonus action to turn invisible for a round, something something refracting light something ice fish, you get it.

20. Ranger 11: our capstone level turns your fish into a Mighty School, causing them to deal extra damage, knock enemies prone while moving them, and give yourself half cover for a round if you move yourself. you’re still not wearing any armor, so that +2 bonus to AC is pretty sweet.

for even more damage, you can also turn your spear into a ice spear with Elemental Weapon! it’s like magic weapon, but for the elements!

Pros & Cons

Pros:

Druids are always a powerful class, even when you’re actively trying not to interact with their core mechanics. turn into a crocodile or something, it’s fine, there’s nothing saying Skadi can’t do that. also check out the rest of the druid spell list, it’s pretty solid.

this build’s great at improving the party, both directly through spells and by shaping the battlefield to best suit your party’s strengths, dragging all the enemies together for the wizard to fireball, or blocking people from getting past the paladin, etc.

and when that doesn’t work you can always rely on gaming the action economy by summoning a dozen fish to swarm your foes like a bunch of frosty piranha.

Cons:

the druid and ranger features don’t play nice together. favored foe and your swarm both require you to hit things with attack rolls, but your druid spells are mostly saves or making creatures to attack for you. shillelagh thankfully doesn’t use up your concentration, but it does eat into your bonus actions, which ranger is already trying to monopolize. also, both your buffs and your crowds use concentration, so you can’t help someone into a swimsuit and have fish at the same time.

like all water based casters, the game designers kind of screwed you over. your explicitly water-based spells deal physical damage rather than any kind of elemental damage, so we can’t pick up any feats that would really help you hurt stuff more. and god forbid you cast any of these within a country mile of people you don’t want to hurt.

natural explorer is almost completely useless unless you’re playing with a DM who is big on travel difficulties. just grab deft explorer instead when you play, I won’t be offended.

[nellywrisource]

Worldbuilding through cultural anthropology series – #1 Race, ethnicity and groups

Let's begin with the understanding that in anthropology, race, and ethnicity are distinct concepts, although variations of them exist in numerous cultures.

Race and racism

The concept of race is entirely cultural and lacks scientific evidence supporting the establishment of objective criteria for defining one or multiple races within the human species. In fact, the entire human species has a similar DNA (Cavalli-Sforza, 2001) and genetic divergence and consequent somatic differences, due to migrations, are a relatively recent phenomenon in human history.

When world-building, it's worth considering the timing and causes of migrations, often influenced by climatic factors (such as the early Germanic invasions along the limes — borders — of the Roman Empire in the III century BC). This understanding can provide insights into the extent of somatic differences and help grasp the development and diversification of languages — which we'll delve into further later on.

Regarding the topic at hand, the idea of race is predominantly shaped by cultural factors, including prejudices, political ideologies, xenophobia, and societal norms. Therefore, if you're contemplating incorporating dynamics of racism into your fictional culture, it's essential to recognize that its conception and underlying principles vary significantly across different cultures.

An illustrative example of this contrast can be drawn from anthropological studies comparing the perspectives on race between Brazil and the United States (Marvin Harris, 1980), emphasizing our discussion within the anthropological framework:

In the United States, emphasis is placed on descent, with the concept of bloodline passing down from one generation to the next.

In Brazil, however, physical appearance holds greater significance. The Brazilian population encompasses approximately a dozen racial categories, which can encompass various traits such as eye color, hair texture, and skin tone. Moreover, these categories are fluid, with no single category being entirely distinct from the others.

Ethnicity

The old concept of ethnicity, once prevalent, defined a human group based on shared language, customs, territory, and culture. However, this concept faced criticism for its essentialist and rigid nature, prompting revision in the 20th century. The equation “culture = language = territory” implied a natural connection between culture and lineage or “race” (Barth, 1969), which is not accurate.

Contemporary anthropology views ethnicity more as an “ethnic sentiment” — a primordial feeling of belonging to a culturally, linguistically, and territorially defined group. However, this sentiment does not imply uniform desires among group members.

In essence, while ethnicity, in the anthropological sense, may not exist, ethnic identity or sentiment does. 

To provide a clearer definition of ethnicity, it can be seen as a human way of perceiving both one's own and others' identities within a social context and historical period. Often, this perception emerges within social situations involving comparisons between different groups, such as in “ethnic conflicts” — which I can further elaborate on if desired, just ask.

In certain circumstances, the concept of ethnicity is propagated by external agents such as political ideologies, colonizers, or multinational corporations, rather than emerging solely from within the group itself.

And so?

So, if race and ethnicity are not considered, what criteria can I use to define the diverse groups of people in my fictional world?

Firstly, let's consider groups, which in sociology are understood as a gathering of individuals linked by a common objective or a shared self-identified identity, acknowledged by either the individuals or an external observer.

In line with the scale, ranging from largest to smallest, we can consider (I'm simplifying greatly):

Cultural groups: when crafting a fictional culture, defining the different groups of individuals involved becomes essential. These groups consist of people who share learned behaviors and beliefs. They can manifest within a nation, state, or continent. Later, we'll delve into the distinctions between hegemonic culture and subordinate culture.

Primary groups: these are small communities, often based on domestic and kinship ties. Examples range from «nomadic hunter bands in the Bolivian rainforest to medieval English or Swedish villages […] Sudanese cattle herding communities […] Persian shepherd tribes […] and present-day hamlets in Provence or Missouri» (Redfield, 1956).

Domestic and kinship groups: going deeper, we encounter domestic and kinship units, where the former may encompass the latter. These are collections of individuals, some related, who live together and cooperate in managing resources crucial for their physical survival and emotional fulfillment.

This hierarchy offers layers for different cultures, with intersecting boundaries and varying flexibility. Alternatively, one could focus on just one or two levels, depending on the story scope.

Exploring different types of boundaries

It's important to note that there are other types of groups, which intersect with those previously mentioned, particularly 'social' groups (e.g., castes in India, Marxist social classes, etc.) — here, we are referring to social stratification.

Building on the anthropological axiom that in environments marked by heightened competition and conflict, where human interactions are more frequent, boundaries tend to multiply. Groups essentially arise from the delineation of boundaries, with appearance and distinction serving as complementary factors.

The distinction between “us” and “them” can manifest in different ways within simple or complex societies (as per anthropological definitions):

Simple societies (with lower levels of social stratification) may simply exclude the “other” or include both “us” and “them” reciprocally.

Complex societies (with higher levels of social stratification) tend to internalize this distinction within the same social framework (e.g., Indian castes, Marxist social classes, Australian totemism).

We will discuss social stratification further later on.

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[bigfootbeat]

Painted Rock Bigfoot Petroglyph

The Bigfoot petroglyph located at Painted Rock is an intriguing fusion of cultural significance, mystery, and history. Painted Rock, a massive, horseshoe-shaped feature covered in prehistoric rock art, is located in California's arid Carrizo Plain region. One petroglyph in particular sticks out from the others because it resembles contemporary accounts of Bigfoot, a mythical creature. The Chumash and other local native peoples created these petroglyphs thousands of years ago. For these prehistoric people, the rock served as a hallowed location for spiritual rituals, storytelling, and ceremonies. The creatures, humans, and mythological creatures depicted in the carvings and paintings on the rock are said to symbolize different facets of their mythology. Characters that resemble Bigfoot suggest the existence of stories about large, enigmatic creatures in indigenous culture long before modern Bigfoot sightings, adding to their intrigue.

The Yokuts tribe's petroglyphs at Painted Rock on the Tule River Indian Reservation are the main Bigfoot attraction. These, according to author Kathy Moskowitz Strain of Giants, Cannibals, Monsters: Bigfoot in Native Culture, show a family of Bigfoots known as "the Family." Folklore suggests a lengthy history of enigmatic, enormous animals, with the oldest of these glyphs, known as "Hairy Man," estimated to be 1,000 years old. North American folklore frequently portrays the creature as a massive, bipedal ape-like creature that lives in isolated woodlands, lending credence to its legendary status. Numerous theories have been raised regarding the possibility that the Chumash people saw or heard tales of a beast similar to the one depicted in the petroglyph. The Bigfoot petroglyph is more significant than just a picture of the fabled beast. It acts as a bridge across cultures, tying together historical customs and contemporary folklore. This intersection draws attention to the innate human urge to conjure up tales of the enigmatic and unknown, either to explain observed events or to represent anxieties and cultural ideals. The petroglyph also stimulates discussion about the transmission of oral traditions and the evolution of narratives over time. It raises the question of whether real-life experiences, metaphorical depictions, or a combination of both influenced the figure. The petroglyphs at Painted Rock are fascinating because of their ambiguity—they offer insight into the thoughts of individuals who lived millennia ago, but they are still subject to interpretation. The Bigfoot petroglyph at Painted Rock is significant not just historically and culturally, but it also contributes to the preservation of indigenous traditions. Locations such as Painted Rock are essential for comprehending the daily routines and spiritual practices of the ancient occupants. To keep these ancient voices alive, efforts to preserve and research these petroglyphs help people understand the rich tapestry of human history. In summary, Painted Rock's Bigfoot petroglyph is evidence of the myth's continuing strength and the close ties that bind the past and present together. It captures the enigmas of antiquated artwork and stories that have influenced people's perceptions for ages. Whether viewed as evidence of early Bigfoot lore or as a symbolic figure within indigenous mythology, the petroglyph remains a source of amazement and interest, compelling anyone who encounters it to contemplate the stories etched into the stone.

[secretofpandora]

🛡️ FILE #JST-014: “FORGE”

📜 BASIC INFORMATION

Subject Name: [REDACTED] Known Alias: Forge Callsign: Forge Status: ACTIVE Affiliation: Pandora Division: Justice Faceclaim: Dwayne Johnson Date of Birth: [REDACTED] Age: 52 Place of Origin: [REDACTED] Sex / Gender: Male (He/Him) Mutation Type: N/A (Heavenly Virtue Candidate) Recruitment Date: 15 years ago Sexual Orientation: [REDACTED] Alignment Profile: [NEUTRAL GOOD]

💪 PHYSICAL INFORMATION

Height: 6'6" (196 cm) Build: Exceptionally muscular and broad-chested. Subject's body reflects decades of elite military training and continued physical maintenance. Weight is distributed evenly between upper and lower frame, with an imposing silhouette marked by power and precision. Complexion: Warm brown, with skin often showing light scarring consistent with prolonged field activity Hair: Clean-shaven scalp Facial Hair: Full goatee, meticulously shaped Body Hair: Moderate and well-kept; notably dense along chest and arms Distinguishing Features: Prominent jawline and nose; several faded tattoos from early service years; long scar across right shoulder blade from classified operation Tattoos: Subject bears multiple military-style tattoos including insignia, quotes, and an eagle emblem across upper right bicep.

🧠 PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE

Psych Eval Tags: Grounded, Resilient Reprimands: [REDACTED] — see file: Behavioral Note J-021 (Guarded & Stubborn tendencies)

Subject presumed deceased following failed enhancement protocol. While the serum did not bond, subject survived the rejection process through sheer force of will. Transferred into the Heavenly Virtue program shortly after, Forge has since become a cornerstone of Pandora's internal training and mentorship structure.

Known for his unwavering sense of duty, Forge commands loyalty through presence, not posturing. He expects discipline, but balances it with genuine care for those under his supervision. Often seen as the spine of Justice Division operations, he carries himself with unshakable steadiness and practical wisdom.

Forge operates with structured calm, rarely resorting to aggression unless absolutely necessary. He believes in strength as a means of protection, not domination. Recruits and operatives alike respect him not just for his ability to lead, but for his consistent willingness to listen.

While he has no mutation, subject routinely outperforms expectations in combat simulation and endurance trials. His influence within Pandora is rooted not in force, but in foundation.

🔬 ABILITY OVERVIEW

Primary Mutation: N/A Subject is non-augmented. All combat capability stems from natural training, discipline, and physical resilience.

Core Attributes: — Master-level hand-to-hand combat and tactical training — Exceptional survival instincts and battlefield awareness — Unshakable under mental strain; high emotional intelligence

Limitations: — Subject is vulnerable to mutation-based attacks and enhanced speed/strength threats — Requires more recovery time from physical injury than augmented counterparts — Occasionally overrides command hierarchy in favor of moral judgment

🧠 TACTICAL PROFILE

Division Expertise:

Close Combat Mastery

Tactical Foresight

Selected Expertise:

Pain Tolerance

Proficiencies:

Athletics

Insight

Intimidation

Environmental Adaptation

Perception

Deficiencies:

Deception

Hacking & Cyber Warfare

️ EQUIPMENT & SUIT DESIGN

Forge’s gear is a customized blend of durability, mobility, and utility. Designed to reflect his old-school combat roots, the suit maintains functionality without unnecessary technological enhancements.

Key Features: — Reinforced torso padding and impact-absorbing bracers — Temperature-regulating undersuit to withstand extreme field environments — Weighted gloves and boots to improve strike force without reducing mobility — Secure comms built directly into chest harness — Knife sheathes integrated into boots and wrist bracers — Wears a compact utility belt with medical supplies, rope fiber, and old-school dog tags

Design is deliberately straightforward—no frills, no flash. The armor serves the man, not the other way around.

📂 FIELD NOTES — BACKGROUND PROFILE

Subject’s strength was never in what he could lift. It was in what he could carry.

Born into a working-class family, subject enlisted in the military at seventeen and never looked back. His career spanned over two decades, marked by tactical excellence, unshakable loyalty, and a record of protecting others even when it meant defying direct orders. He served with distinction as a Navy SEAL and later as a senior instructor for close-quarters combat and field survival. Fellow operatives described him as the kind of man who walks through fire last—after everyone else is safe.

He was flagged by Pandora not for any extraordinary talent, but for a pattern: he survived everything. Injury, trauma, loss, extraction under fire—he endured without mutation, augmentation, or enhanced recovery. When subjected to the serum, his body rejected the enhancement. He survived that, too.

Most candidates who fail the mutation process are discarded. Subject was not. His refusal to break earned him a place among the Heavenly Virtues—those forged not by science, but by sheer resilience.

Now operating as a Justice Division agent, subject trains augmented operatives in close-quarters engagement and mental discipline. He is calm under fire, commanding without ego, and unrelentingly focused on molding recruits into something better than himself.

He doesn’t posture. He doesn’t bark. He stands—and people fall in line.

🔒 [CLASSIFIED: LEVEL 7 CLEARANCE REQUIRED]

Unofficial Agent Notes — The following is considered sensitive material and is restricted to authorized psychosexual analysis and biometric logs.

Subject exhibits what medical staff classify as peak physical performance paired with a notably high endurance threshold. Sexual activity is consistent with subject’s overall profile: measured, intentional, and deeply rooted in emotional connection, consistent with demisexual behavior.

Medical documentation places subject at 9.5 inches, cut, with considerable girth—physically exceptional, even compared to enhanced counterparts.

Subject’s intimate behavior reflects his commanding yet emotionally grounded nature. Forge assumes a dominant, versatile top role in physical intimacy, open to bottoming on occasion though he clearly prefers to top, his approach is never aggressive.

Subject responds strongly to emotional cues and is known to be tactile during and after encounters, maintaining consistent grounding touch. While he rarely initiates casual physical intimacy, when trust is established, he becomes openly affectionate—frequently offering steady, quiet reassurance through physical presence.

Psychological evaluations note that subject uses physical intimacy as a form of emotional stability. There is no recorded pattern of promiscuity; all known interactions stem from established emotional trust, further supporting a demisexual profile.

Subject is flagged as emotionally reliable and exhibits high levels of emotional intelligence in romantic dynamics.

FILE STATUS: OPEN LAST UPDATED: [REDACTED]

[a-d-nox]

menu of astrology readings

status: OPEN

the blog's masterlist

general astrology reading reviews: no. 1, no. 2, no. 3, no. 4, no. 5, & no. 6

★ FAQs to read before purchasing ★

"how do i get you my information?"

★ first submit your payment and then completed google form. you have 48 hours to provide me with the information i will use in the reading(s). if you don't submit by then i will consider the tip a blog post tip. if you provide me with the incorrect information (i don't double check with you) and don't resubmit your response i will not rewrite the reading(s).

"how do you accept payments?"

★ in full and before the reading is drafted. you can send your payment via paypal or ko-fi. all readings are non-refundable.

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★ yes! just make sure you select them all on the form and send the adequate amount for your purchase.

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★ anywhere from 7 to 14 days. it all depends on when your reading request comes through and what my schedule looks like because i do work full-time. if it will take longer than that, i will communicate with you and let you know before that 10-14 day range.

"what house system do you use?"

★ all readings will be done using placidus / tropical charts.

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★ DO NOT SUBMIT A FORM OR PAYMENT! please email me at a.d.nox.astrology@gmail.com with your question or the type of reading you are interested in so that i can provide you with a monetary quote!

★ prices and readings ★

ode to cupid

cost: 4.00 USD

unlock the secrets of your future romantic relationship with this astrological reading that utilizes my hypothesis. by combining the nuances of your natal and 7h persona chart, a detailed and brief prediction about the partner's profile, potential meeting scenarios, and places your romantic soulmate will be formulated. each reading is approximately 275 words.

mirror of aphrodite

cost: 6.00 USD

discover the secrets of your natural allure and magnetic presence with this customized astrological reading. this insightful analysis of your asteroid placements (will be asteroids on the masterlist) reveals how you shine in every aspect of your life (warmth, charisma, desirability, elegance, timeless beauty, etc). each reading is approximately 375 words.

hymn of protagonist

cost: 8.00 USD

become part of the myth, by exploring the how an asteroid's story (must be on the masterlist) can be adapted to your life with this astrological reading. discover how heroes and deities shape your destiny and influence your connection to time, suffering, and personal journeys. each reading is approximately 450 words.

review no. 1

ode to chaos

cost: 16.00 USD

get ready for exploration of your unique astrological aspects/placement. this analysis focuses on three chart influences you are likely to over look but i can't help but notice. anything from your emotional expression, perception of the world, and personal challenges can be given insights into with this reading. each reading is approximately 800 words.

review no. 1 & no. 2

tendons and bones

cost: 16.00 USD

explore the powerful influences of an asteroid (must be on the masterlist) in your chart to understand how you can maximize your potential in various areas/themes of your life. learn more about the house, degree, and sign of one asteroid and its aspect(s) of note. each reading is approximately 775 words.

the alter

cost: 30.00 USD

unveil the incredible potential of deity work, change your reality and help yourself rise from ordinary to extraordinary. by connecting with your deity of choice must be on the masterlist), you can harness their energy to transform various aspects of your life. learn how you can benefit and what offerings will resonate most with them in a respectful and meaningful manner. each reading is approximately 1,475 words.

crystal or rock

cost: 30.00 USD

explore the depths of your relationship with critical analysis of your synastry and/or composite chart. discover how astrological placements/aspects shape your connection and learn strategies to enhance understanding, intimacy, and personal growth. each reading is approximately 1,275 words.

review

curio kit

cost: 32.00 USD

ready to explore how your astrological placements can guide your career decisions using my hypothesis? enjoy a personalized career consultation to gain deeper insights into your professional potential and strategies for success. each reading is approximately 1,300 words.

review no. 1, no. 2, & no. 3

sunny d

cost: 32.00 USD

find out secrets of your upcoming year by choosing three key areas you’re most curious about. whether it's understanding your relationships, exploring career opportunities, or uncovering how to navigate challenges, i’ll use key placements in your solar return chart to provide detailed insights and actionable advice tailored just for you. each reading is approximately 1,625 words.

i am the mage

cost: 60.00 USD

ever wondered how the stars align with your ambitions, passions, and personal growth? dive into a comprehensive astrology reading tailored just for you, and discover the cosmic blueprint that shapes your life. learn about your personality, love and relationship dynamics, public persona, what challenges you, and where you can grow. embrace your true potential and transform your life with insights from the cosmos! each reading is approximately 3,025 words.

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[marketxcel]

Brand Tracking Guide: Methods, Benefits, and a Case Study

Discover the essential methods and numerous benefits of brand tracking in our comprehensive guide. Learn how to effectively monitor brand performance and make informed decisions to enhance your brand's success.

[satansapostle6]

Angel With A Broken Wing | Jonah Simms

And if I may just take your breath away / I don't mind if there's not much to say / Sometimes the silence guides a mind / To move to a place so far away / The goosebumps start to raise / The minute that my left hand meets your waist / And then I watch your face / Put my finger on your tongue 'cause you love to taste, yeah / These hearts adore, everyone the other beats hardest for / Inside this place is warm / Outside it starts to pour

Warnings: Mature language and themes. Sexual content.

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven: And You Can Break My Face But It Won’t Change The Way I Feel

Jonah Simms had never had trouble making a list before. Usually, he thrived on lists. Grocery lists. Lists of things he meant to watch, but usually never got around to. Itineraries. Jonah loved the structure, but this time, he found none in what he was thinking. It had all started that night, at 11:08, when Jonah realized he couldn’t sleep, because something was keeping him up. So, he’d remembered something he’d heard once, and decided to write down what was troubling him.

The problem was, that it was Sophie. Or rather, how much he liked about her. And just now, he was realizing that it was far too many things; far too many things to write down in one sitting. But nonetheless, he decided he’d try, if it would maybe get him some sleep before he had to work in the morning. So far, this was what he was working with; he had decided to start broad, it seemed, scribbling on a piece of paper he’d ripped out of an old notebook from business school he never fully used.

The Many Things I Love About Sophie Phuong

Her Personality

Her Face

Her Voice

Her General Likeness

Her Smile

That last one was just there because ‘body’ felt wrong to Jonah. But as his examples of things became less broad, things quickly got out of hand for Jonah, as he started a new, much more specific list, hoping it would bring him some peace.

Her Laugh

Her Sense of Humor

Her Intelligence

Her Strength

Her Creativity

Her Cleverness

Her Comedic Timing

The Natural Rhythm of Her Words

Her Hot Takes

Her Passions

Her Love For Her Daughter

Her Patience

Her Cool Demeanor

Her Interests

Her Movie/Show Recommendations

Her Sense of Style

Her Willingness to Listen To Me Not Shut Up For An Hour

How She Chews Gum

How She Carries Herself

Her Confidence

Her Sharpness/Common Sense

Her Nails

Her Loyalty To French Tips

How Much She Cares About Cheyenne

Her Kindness

How She Looks When She Wears Big Hoop Earrings With Her Hair Straightened

The Jingley Noise Her Bracelets Make

Her Insight

Her Perceptiveness

Her Honesty/Bluntness

Her Attentiveness In Conversation

When She Looks At Me

Her Mannerisms

How Unbothered She Always Seems

How Fun She Is

Her Sharp Canines

Her Resilience and Background

Her Loyalty To Oakland

Her Love of Music

How She Sometimes Pronounces Words With an ‘Ar’ Sound

Her Love of Cooking

Her Cooking

Her Height

Her Smooth Dances That Aren’t Really Dances

Her Love of the Specific Cool-Toned Purple

How She Sings

How Her Hair Naturally Falls

Her Cute Phone/Customer Service Voice

Her Willingness To Call Me Out

Her Perfume

Her Natural Scent

How She Moves Her Hair

Her Hair Up(Or Down)

Her Almost Alarming Love of Anna Nicole Smith

How She Photographs

When She Acts Like She’s Annoyed With Me

Our Banter

Her Beliefs

How She Sticks To Her Beliefs

How She Remembers Things I Forgot I Told Her

How She Almost Only Watches Her Comfort Shows Over And Over Again

Her Love of Alternative Music

Her Fascination With The Dark

Her Depth

How Straightforward She Is

How Open She Can Be

Her Taste

How She’s Blunt But Never Mean

How She Tries To Include Everyone At Work

Her Giggle When She’s About To Eat Something Sweet

Her Political Takes

Her Knowledge

How She Can Order Fries With Almost Any Meal

How Happy She Is After A Cigarette

How Picky She Can Be

Her Expressions

How She Moves Her Hands When She Talks

Her Love of Strawberries

How She Eats

How She Drives

How Her Car Smells Like Perfume

The Cute Charms She Keeps Dangling From The Mirror In Her Car

How She Still Keeps A Compact In Her Purse

Her Tattoos

How She Converses With Old People

Her Voice When She Talks To Gigi

Her Specific Tastes

Her Storytelling

How She Looks In Harley Davidson Merch

Her Specific Color Schemes

How Easily She Can Change Her Aesthetic

Her Smudgy Black Eyeliner

Her Lipstick/Lip Gloss?

Her Stories

How She Smacks Her Lips Before She Talks When She’s Thinking

The Foods She Introduces Me To

How She Calls Me White Boy

Her Love of Crème Brûlée

How Good She Is At Spelling

The Athletic Way She Stands

How Intimidating She Is

How Badass She Is

How Scarily Self Aware She Is

How Well She’s Done In NA

How Careful She Is

How She Sees Buying Coffee/Food As ‘I Get You This Time, You Get Me Next Time’

How Considerate She Is

Her Soft Hands

The Rings She Wears

Her Love of Anthony Jeselnik

Her Soft Spot For Kids And Nice Old People

Hearing Her Talk About Intellectual Subjects

Her Politics

How She Deals With Annoying People (i.e. Marcus)

How She Runs Her Hands Through Her Hair

How She Loves The Bands She Loves

How She Bites Her Index Finger Nail When She Thinks

Watching Her Talk To People About Her Tattoos

How She Sits

Her Love of Rob Zombie

Her Obsession With EA Ski(I Still Need To Look Into That, Producer?)

Her Obsession With Menace II Society

The Fact That She Has 510 In Her Instagram Bio

Her Unique Way Of Being Goth

Her Expressions

How She Side Eyes Me When She Knows We’re Thinking The Same Thing

How Different But Similar We Are

The Impact She’s Had On Me

How Good She Is At Being Insulting

Her Extensive And Specific Vocabulary

How Easily She Connects Dots

Jonah was almost out of breath, having written down almost every single thing he could think of that he knew he liked about Sophie. He was startled by the time he finally noticed the light of day outside his window. Horrified, he checked the time. 6:03 AM. He’d been daydreaming, and night-dreaming, this entire time.

“Shit,” Jonah breathed, still in shock, “Well… Time to get ready for work, I guess…”

This couldn’t be healthy.

-

Chapter Twelve

[saki---chan]

As previously mentioned in my other post I am now sharing my attempt at translating Ghost into 5e DnD as an NPC/technically playable character

Enjoy

What Can I say, lots to unpack here and why I did it like this and built Simon like that.

(Strap in for another 7/3 level build guys)

It does matter as what you start and you wanna pick rogue to pick up some extra skill proficiency and expertise you don't get if you multi class into rogue later. Keeping Multi class min in mind, standard point array or roll (<- once again, i like rolling die) for Ghost's stats and prioritize like this:

Con<=>Dex->Wis->Int<=>Str->Cha

Con and Dex are interchangeable (yay, customization!) but I highly suggest going with Dex for extra damage later on your makeshift sniper rifle and sneak attack with a knife + staying stealthy and hidden (We will dodge Shephard this time) and taking Con afterwards for being able to withstand damage and beatings (if we can't dodge at least we wont die) Wis next to boost Survival, Perception and Insight, this man survived a lot of shit and usually is pretty good at reading people (after the amount of betrayals) Int and Str are interchangeable as well, depending on if you rolled well or not take Str over Int to make the multi class to Fighter later. Otherwise go with Int for uncovering information. Cha is your dump stat because he doesn't exactly scream trustworthy (except to Soap and 141) and is shit at charisma saving throws (Mister "I work alone" waiting for the bluest fucking eyes on planet earth with a Scottish accent to evac outta Mexico and getting asked every day if he's ugly)

We pick Haunted One as a background (do I have to justify this?) and grab Investigation and Arcana from that (only good thing to come outta Mexico)

Rogue gives us Deception, Intimidation, Perception and Stealth and we are gonna yoink Expertise in Stealth and Intimidaton Subclass we are gonna take for the rogue is Scout to gain proficiency in Survival and Nature just by becoming scout. Stay stealthy and quiet, he's called Ghost for a reason. 4th level Rogue you can grab the Resilient feat for flavor and pick Wis. Fun fact: you are now proficient in EVERY saving throw EXCEPT Charisma if you combine this with fighter. Otherwise feel free to yoink ability score improve or Sharpshooter depending on how you play. Last thing we get is more Expertise so we're rounding this out with Insight and Athletics (you grab fighter somewhere before 6th level rogue for this, otherwise choose of your own accord) Fighter we pick for some extra spice in health and a fighting style. Archery for that pretend sniper feeling. Fighter also gives us some more skills so take Athletics and Insight Take Battle Master as the Subclass to grab some sweet maneuvers to help your buddies on the field. Again, depending on how you play (melee or ranged/stealthy or in the thick) you can pick whichever ones you like.

After that we can just continue to focus Rogue for more sneak attack damage (no one left to whisper about the Ghost if sneak attack shot ends peoples life before they can even comprehend we're there) and... you know, maybe pick up the Bait and Switch maneuver, just in case you need to help protect some poor friend

Little bonus after I was done making this sheet:

Shoutout to @lurrlonde who is the artists of the Ghost Art I used

[accuratepicuresofanthropologists]

Franz Boas

Franz Boas was not the father of American anthropology. But the fact that so many people think he was shows how thoroughly his relentless energy transformed the discipline as we know it today.

Boas around age four

Boas was born in Germany in 1858. He grew up in the shadow of events that happened a decade earlier: The famous ‘Revolutions of 1848’, when people across Europe demanded an end to imperialism, monarchy, and the poverty caused by the Industrial Revolution. Boas grew up in a household of “forty eighters”, and became deeply committed to the ideals of liberty and progress which drove the revolutions. As a young man, Boas received a rigorous education and spent most of his free time outdoors, exploring the natural world. Like his idol Alexander von Humboldt, Boas combined a romantic wonder at nature's rich diversity with a naturalist's love of science, rigor, and classification.

Boas was Jewish, but not because he wanted to be. His parents were wealthy merchants for whom 'progress' meant shedding the ancient superstitions of the past. He didn't have a choice: Germany had given Jews the right to vote and own property, but remained an antisemitic place. Boas was labeled a Jew by others. So he learned to be fearless: In college when he was insulted he demanded a duel. He and his opponent would don goggles to protect their eyes, and then use their sabers to try to slash open each others’ face. “With the damn Jew baiters this winter one could not survive without quarreling and fighting.” He wrote his worried parents, reassuring them. “I remain unmolested since every student here knows that I would not be shy to defend my affairs with the sword.” He was not exaggerating. "He bears the mark of his German university training literally," the Maori anthropologist Te Rangi Hiroa noted, "in a somewhat disfiguring scar across his face". Indeed, one of the first things people noted about Boas were his scars.

Although he was academically gifted, Boas ended up doing a Ph.D. in the unprepossessing university of Kiel. His sister Toni was ill and the Boas family was tight-knit: He went to go live with her. The result was a miserable experience writing a Ph.D. on the color of seawater. His main discovery was that it was incredibly hard to measure the color of sea water. Later on, when he studied how perception is shaped by culture, these insights would come to help him. At the time, he was miserable.

Then love struck: Boas fell head over heels for Marie Krackowizer, a German-American lady whose family of “Forty Eighters” had fled to the US. She loved him too, but they could not be married until he got a job. For that, Boas needed to “habilitate”, a level of education above a Ph.D. He decided on a trip to the arctic, where he would study the influence of geography on Inuit people. He paid for it by writing an account of his travels for a German newspaper, and with a gift of money from the man who would be his principle benefactor in years to come, his uncle Jacobi. His parents insisted that he take along the gardener, Willie, so that he wouldn't be alone.

Boas posing in a German photography studio for an image to share with people demonstrating what his life had been like in Baffinland.

Boas spent a year in Baffinland, an island in the far, far north of Canada. The trip was unbelievably dangerous: Ships had to dock at the edge of the ice and then people would walk across the ice to the island. In the winter it was -40 degrees. Luckily Boas was energetic, focused, and driven by huge energy. He was the sort of person who was disgusted at himself for only working 20 hour days. He did research during the day and read Kant at night. Above all, he came to see Inuit people as people. "The more I see of their customs, the more I realize that we have no right to look down on them," he wrote to Marie in a letter that was spattered with the blood of the raw seal liver he had been eating.

Boas's trip was a success. He habilitated and married his sweetheart Marie. Together they created a loving and warm family. Professional success eluded him, however. Antisemitism made it difficult for him to find a job in Germany, so he moved to the US, where Marie’s family was — there were more opportunities there and Franz was also attracted to America as a land where his political ideals of liberty and freedom were more realized than they were in Germany.

Franz and Marie's wedding portrait.

Unfortunately, Boas found that there were few good jobs for geographers in the US. What people were interested in was Native Americans. Back in 1879 (when Boas was still in school) anthropology as a modern discipline was born in the United States. The goal was to understand the 'natural history of mankind', which in the US meant the origins of Native Americans. Were had they come from and what were they like? Previous answers -- tenuously derived from the Bible -- were clearly inadequate in light of new theories of evolution.

So Boas retooled himself as an anthropologist. He made multiple trips to the Pacific Northwest, a region that he is most closely associated with today. Still, he struggled. He got a dream job as a professor at Clark, a brand new university — only to have the university close down after a few years. He organized anthropological exhibits at the World's Fair at Chicago, hoping it would lead to a permanent position, but it didn’t. It was a dark time for Boas. His third daughter, Hete, was born in Chicago, caught whooping cough, and died in his arms. She was ten months old. Finally, Boas took a job at the American Museum of Natural History in New York and started teaching part time at Columbia. Finally in 1899, at the age of forty, he got a permanent position: He was now a faculty member at Columbia.

"Boas with the George Hunt family. Left to right, standing: David, George, Lalaxs'a, Mary (Ebbetts), Jonathan and Franz Boas. Sitting: Marion and Lucy. From row: Mary and Stanley" from Franz Boas: An Illustrated Biography

At Columbia, Boas was cutting edge. At a time when Harvard and Yale were just beginning to update their medieval curriculums, he had a Ph.D., the new research-focused degree that had made German universities world famous. Boas made history by being the first person in the US to offer a Ph.D. His students included Ruth Benedict, Edward Sapir, Margaret Mead, Robert Lowie, Alfred Kroeber, and many others.

Boas was also a tireless organizer, sitting on boards of journals, foundations, and associations. These positions allowed him to control funding and direct it to students. He was also a close friend of the millionaire feminist and activist Elsie Clews Parsons, who herself funded an entire generation of anthropological fieldwork. Boas worked his students very, very hard but also showed them tremendous loyalty. Boas not only lent money to students in times of need, in one case he signed on as a guarantor of a student loan, agreeing to pay it if the student defaulted.

Boas around the time he began working at Columbia.

True to his principles, Boas believed in meritocracy: If you could do the work, that was all that mattered. As a result he trained a generation of female students at a time when many universities didn’t accept female students at all. He also had few illusions about how much a white person could learn spending their summers on a reservation. For him, the best anthropologist was an insider with scientific training. As a result, he mentored scholars like William Jones (a Fox Indian) and Zora Neale Hurston.

 “Elsie [Clews Parsons] and colleagues at. Lounsberry, mid-1920s. On the porch, Elsie (in shadow on left) talks with Pliny Goddard; on the steps are Margaret Mead, Esther Goldfrank, Franz Boas, and Mrs. Nelson”. Via Deacon’s Elsie Clews Parsons. This picture illustrates the close ties Boas had with his students.

In fact, Boas was an uncompromising opponent of racism. Famously, in May 1906, he traveled to Atlanta University at the invitation of W.E.B. Du Bois and gave a speech claiming black people were biologically equal to white people. This was not a small thing in the Jim Crow South. Four months later, 25 black people were killed in Atlanta in a riot against black people that turned into a massacre. Then in 1909 Boas and a team of twenty researchers made 13,000 measurements of the children of immigrants to see whether they inherited their parents’ ’racial’ features. To his own surprise, Boas found that they didn't -- height, weight, and other factors were the result of the environment, not heredity. His students did similar research. Margaret Mead wrote a paper demonstrating the black people in the Midwest (where there was a strong public school system) did better on standardized tests than poor southern whites: schooling, not race, seemed to determine intelligence. Southern politicians repressed the study.

Boas’s relationship with indigenous people was more complicated. He was not a champion for Indigenous rights. He considered Native Americans conquered by the US and on the verge of cultural and biological extinction. His goal was 'salvage': to make a record of a disappearing culture the same way we have a record of Ancient Greece and Rome. He worked with many indigenous informants like George Hunt, who he paid to write letters detailing their customs. This relationship remains an object of scrutiny today: Did Boas exploit Hunt? Was Hunt Boas’s teacher and mentor? How much should someone be paid to write descriptions of salmon fishing in 1900 anyway?

Whatever we think of Boas’s relationship with Indigenous people today, at Columbia no one thought Boas was a friend to white people. He was considered a dangerous radical who had to be canceled. Not only did Boas attack the racial foundations of America, but when the US entered World War I, Boas was became a public enemy for opposing the war. Remember, this was a time when people where lynched for being German in the US. Columbia stopped paying him. They kept him from teaching undergraduates. They took space away from the department, leaving him with just his office. Boas was, essentially, canceled by the right.

What’s more, Boas's life was beset by personal tragedy. In addition to the death of his ten month old daughter in 1894, in 1924 his daughter Trudel died of polio. In 1925 his son Heini was killed in a car accident. Then in 1929 his wide died in a hit and run accident - the driver who hit her was never found. Boas's misery was palpable even before Marie's death. In 1927 he wrote to his son Ernst:

"I have not the light spirit of others and when I do not work, or else am intensely occupied with something else I can think of nothing but Trudel and Heini. They are there when I get up in the morning and when I stop work at night they are there… If I do not work these thoughts would destroy me." [L-Z v2 275]

Franz Boas featured on the cover of the 11 May 1936 cover of Time Magazine. In his old age, Boas's fight against racism became popular in America again as the US prepared to fascism in Europe.

Late in life Boas received the recognition he deserved, becoming a world-renowned scientist. In America, his anti-racist thinking became more and more recognized as America geared up to fight fascism. In Germany, an event was scheduled to give him an honorary degree. The degree was canceled and his books were pulled from the library and burnt by the Nazis. His last great work of activism was to help Jewish and leftist scholars flee the Nazis and get visas to come teach in America.

When Boas retired, he handed Columbia a gift: despite its attempts to derail him, he had created perhaps the greatest department of anthropology in the United States. And yet here failure dogged him. He had hoped his students Alfred Kroeber and Edward Sapir would come to Columbia to continue his work. Instead they stayed at Berkeley and Yale. His successor became Ruth Benedict, but she was then pushed aside by the administration and replaced by first Ralph Linton and then Duncan Strong.

Boas suffered many setbacks in his life, but he also overcame many obstacles. He lived an extraordinary life: Born before the Civil War, he lived to see the Pearl Harbor bombings. He trained the anthropologists who went on to start departments at Yale, Berkeley, Oregon, and many other places. He produced his famous “six foot shelf” — enough books on Kwakwakwakw that is longer than I was tall. After his death, his grandchildren and George Hunt’s grandchildren had a family reunion, and Hunt’s great grandchildren study anthropology in University. Despite his incredible age, Boas did not live to see just how influential he would become. Although he did not know it at the time, he became one of the few people Boas did not quite Although he may not have recognized or admitted it, he had in fact become one of the most important anthropologists in the world, and left an indelible imprint on the discipline for generations to come.

Sources: This was drawn from Rosemary Lévy-Zumwalt's two volume biography of Boas. The quote from . The reference to 1879 as the 'founding' date of anthropology comes from https://www.jstor.org/stable/658142?seq=1 . The Te Rangi Hiroa quote is from Na to Hoa Aroha volume 3. The blood stained letter is from George Stocking's "From physics to ethnology", p. 148

[the-scattered-kingdoms]

It’s been a hot minute since I posted, but I’m very pleased to announce that Session 1 was a success! Today @lolyeahokaywhatever, @rosesreveries, and two other friends joined together for a good old-fashioned session of Bug D&D. Zoph, Bjorn, Tony, and Branch met in a tavern, as all respectable parties do. The place is called the Molehill, and it’s just that—a mound of dirt in the middle of nowhere with plastic Saloon doors and chunks of a busted brake light for windows. After some introductions, some drinking, and a dismally low Performance check from Tony, the gang spoke with the elderly barkeep named Sugar. She and a squad of drunk Ant soldiers filled the party in on some strange happenings around the tavern—strange voices at night, speaking in an unfamiliar language and giggling at night.

Tony and Bjorn both donated 10 Pollen (it’s our version of Gold) to a traveling priestess, who fed them both a little dollop of candle flame and granted them the Blessing of Aeya. This came in handy later, granting them +1 AC vs ranged attack rolls and +3 to Insight and Perception checks—after all, Aeya is the goddess of the sun, and her light reveals all falsehoods and hidden things. Also, it’s really hard to shoot arrows and spells into the sun. That +1 AC tracks flavor-wise, right?

Anyway, promised a free meal, free drinks, and a free night at the Molehill, the party descended to the cellar. They lit torches to light the darkness, avoiding disadvantage to the Perception roll I gave them. Bjorn nailed it with a 25, seeing through an attempted ambush by a gang of fleas that had moved into the cellar. They attacked first, landing a critical hit on Branch. But Bjorn answered with a Rage and a crit of his own, splattering a flea against the wall in front of him. Zoph’s ironclad hide proved a solid defense against the fleas’ probosces, and he crushed another one with a Sentinel attack. Tony’s bad luck turned around somewhat when he landed a Vicious Mockery, but his stomach turned even more when Branch picked up a dead flea and started eating it—the first use of my custom Feat, Macabre Feast!

All in all, it was a fun fight and session to DM. They left one flea alive but knocked it unconscious, then brought it upstairs for questioning. As a reward, the party was given little meat pies and honey pies that serve as potions of healing. And let me tell you, they’re gonna need them. They also got 40 Pollen off the fleas, and found a pair of Battlerager Boots, which will let Bjorn Rage for free once a day. On top of it all, they reached Level 2! Ki points! Smite slots! Jack of All Trades! Danger Sense I think!

We’ll start our next session with a…conversation of sorts. I need to come up with a name for a flea. Maybe a tragic backstory? A secret mission with the fate of the world in the balance?

In some more general campaign news, sadly, our Firefly @abbybutinspace will be focusing on school. As punishment, I will force her to make a podcast about Goosebumps with me. We will also be stealing @jabeaumont and turning him into a moth. I’m gonna put him in a jar!

Anyway, thanks for reading! This campaign has me really excited and I’m glad to jump into 2025 with a new creative outlet. Minisculia rocks!

—The Entomologist