#New Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology

[sw5w]

What Killed Zam Wesell?

What killed Zam Wesell? We know it was a Kaminoan saberdart shot by Jango Fett, but what poison was the dart filled with? We have two possible answers, both originating in Legends and one ambiguously hinted at in Canon.

In the New Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology (2004), it explicitly states that Jango killed Zam with a Kaminoan saberdart filled with Sennari, a fast-acting neurotoxin first appearing in the West End Games RPG supplement Tatooine Manhunt (1989).

In Canon, we don't have an absolutely definite answer, but the recently released Star Wars Encyclopedia (2024), and its previous incarnations of Ultimate Star Wars (2015 and 2019 releases), states that Kaminoan saberdarts can be filled with Malkite themfar and Fex-M3 causing death in less than 10 seconds.

While this doesn't outright say "Jango used Malkite themfar and Fex-M3 to kill Zam", I think that it could be implied from this. However, the New Essential Guide did point out that Malkite themfar and Fex-M3 were two other poisons commonly used in saberdarts, along with Bavo Six and symoxin.

While it may have been implied with its inclusion in Star Wars Encyclopedia/Ultimate Star Wars, the only source saying what definitely killed Zam Wesell is the New Essential Guide, so I'm assuming it was in fact Sennari until it is outright stated in Canon that it was anything else.

[mariacallous]

Just after Trump’s re-election in November 2024, I wrote a column headlined ‘How to Survive the Broligarchy’ (reproduced below) and in the three months since, pretty much everything it predicted how now come to pass. This is technoauthoritarianism. It’s tyranny + surveillance tools. It’s the merger of Silicon Valley companies with state power. It’s the ‘broligarchy’, a concept I coined in July last year though I’ve been contemplating it for a lot longer. Since 2016, I’ve followed a thread that led from Brexit to Trump via a shady data company called Cambridge Analytica to expose the profound threat technology poses to democracy. In doing so, I became the target: a weaponized lawsuit and an overwhelming campaign of online abuse silenced and paralysed me for a long time. This - and worse - is what so many others now face. I’m here to tell you that if it comes for you, you can and will survive it.

This week represents a hinge of history. Everything has changed. America and Russia are now allies. Ukraine has been thrown to the dogs. Europe’s security hangs in the balance. On the one hand, there’s nothing any of us can do. On the other, we have to do something. So, here’s what I’m doing. I’m starting a conversation. I’ve recorded the first one - a scrappy pilot - a podcast I’ve called How to Survive the Broligarchy and I’ve re-named the newsletter too. This first conversation (details below) is about how we need a new media built from the ground up to deal with the dangerous new world we’re in. That can only happen, in partnership with you, the reader. The days of top-down command and control are over. Please let’s try and do this together.

1 When someone tells you who they are, believe them. Last week Donald Trump appointed a director of intelligence who spouts Russian propaganda, a Christian nationalist crusader as secretary of defence, and a secretary of health who is a vaccine sceptic. If Trump was seeking to destroy American democracy, the American state and American values, this is how he’d do it.

2 Journalists are first, but everyone else is next. Trump has announced multibillion-dollar lawsuits against “the enemy camp”: newspapers and publishers. His proposed FBI director is on record as wanting to prosecute certain journalists. Journalists, publishers, writers, academics are always in the first wave. Doctors, teachers, accountants will be next. Authoritarianism is as predictable as a Swiss train. It’s already later than you think.

3 To name is to understand. This is McMuskism: it’s McCarthyism on steroids, political persecution + Trump + Musk + Silicon Valley surveillance tools. It’s the dawn of a new age of political witch-hunts, where burning at the stake meets data harvesting and online mobs.

4 If that sounds scary, it’s because that’s the plan. Trump’s administration will be incompetent and reckless but individuals will be targeted, institutions will cower, organisations will crumble. Fast. The chilling will be real and immediate.

5 You have more power than you think. We’re supposed to feel powerless. That’s the strategy. But we’re not. If you’re a US institution or organisation, form an emergency committee. Bring in experts. Learn from people who have lived under authoritarianism. Ask advice.

6 Do not kiss the ring. Do not bend to power. Power will come to you, anyway. Don’t make it easy. Not everyone can stand and fight. But nobody needs to bend the knee until there’s an actual memo to that effect. WAIT FOR THE MEMO.

7 Know who you are. This list is a homage to Yale historian, Timothy Snyder. His On Tyranny, published in 2017, is the essential guide to the age of authoritarianism. His first command, “Do not obey in advance”, is what has been ringing, like tinnitus, in my ears ever since the Washington Post refused to endorse Kamala Harris. In some weird celestial stroke of luck, he calls me as I’m writing this and I ask for his updated advice: “Know what you stand for and what you think is good.”

8 Protect your private life. The broligarchy doesn’t want you to have one. Read Shoshana Zuboff’s The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: they need to know exactly who you are to sell you more shit. We’re now beyond that. Surveillance Authoritarianism is next. Watch The Lives of Others, the beautifully told film about surveillance in 80s east Berlin. Act as if you are now living in East Germany and Meta/Facebook/Instagram/WhatsApp is the Stasi. It is.

9 Throw up the Kool-Aid. You drank it. That’s OK. We all did. But now is the time to stick your fingers down your throat and get that sick tech bro poison out of your system. Phones were – still are – a magic portal into a psychedelic fun house of possibility. They’re also tracking and surveilling you even as you sleep while a Silicon Valley edgelord plots ways to tear up the federal government.

10 Listen to women of colour. Everything bad that happened on the internet happened to them first. The history of technology is that it is only when it affects white men that it’s considered a problem. Look at how technology is already being used to profile and target immigrants. Know that you’re next.

11 Think of your personal data as nude selfies. A veteran technology journalist told me this in 2017 and it’s never left me. My experience of “discovery” – handing over 40,000 emails, messages, documents to the legal team of the Brexit donor I’d investigated – left me paralysed and terrified. Think what a hostile legal team would make of your message history. This can and will happen.

12 Don’t buy the bullshit. A Securities and Exchange judgment found Facebook had lied to two journalists – one of them was me – and Facebook agreed to pay a $100m penalty. If you are a journalist, refuse off the record briefings. Don’t chat on the phone; email. Refuse access interviews. Bullshit exclusives from Goebbels 2.0 will be a stain on your publication for ever.

13 Even dickheads love their dogs. Find a way to connect to those you disagree with. “The obvious mistakes of those who find themselves in opposition are to break off relations with those who disagree with you,” texts Vera Krichevskaya, the co-founder of TV Rain, Russia’s last independent TV station. “You cannot allow anger and narrow your circle.”

14 Pay in cash. Ask yourself what an international drug trafficker would do, and do that. They’re not going to the dead drop by Uber or putting 20kg of crack cocaine on a credit card. In the broligarchy, every data point is a weapon. Download Signal, the encrypted messaging app. Turn on disappearing messages.

15 Remember. Writer Rebecca Solnit, an essential US liberal voice, emails: “If they try to normalize, let us try to denormalize. Let us hold on to facts, truths, values, norms, arrangements that are going to be under siege. Let us not forget what happened and why.”

16 Find allies in unlikely places. One of my most surprising sources of support during my trial(s) was hard-right Brexiter David Davis. Find threads of connection and work from there.

17 There is such a thing as truth. There are facts and we can know them. From Tamsin Shaw, professor in philosophy at New York University: “‘Can the sceptic resist the tyrant?’ is one of the oldest questions in political philosophy. We can’t even fully recognise what tyranny is if we let the ruling powers get away with lying to us all.”

18 Plan. Silicon Valley doesn’t think in four-year election cycles. Elon Musk isn’t worrying about the midterms. He’s thinking about flying a SpaceX rocket to Mars and raping and pillaging its rare earth minerals before anyone else can get there. We need a 30-year road map out of this.

19 Take the piss. Humour is a weapon. Any man who feels the need to build a rocket is not overconfident about his masculinity. Work with that.

20 They are not gods. Tech billionaires are over-entitled nerds with the extraordinary historical luck of being born at the exact right moment in history. Treat them accordingly.

There is much much more to say on all of the above and that’s my plan. But please do share this with anyone who needs to hear it.

How to Survive the Broligarchy: a new podcast

A month ago, I was feeling floored: at the moment in which everything I’ve been warning about for the last eight years suddenly became overwhelmingly real, I was also being dislodged from my journalistic home. The Guardian, my seat of operations for the last 20 years, the last nearly ten of which have been focussed squarely on this subject, has done a deal, in the face of fierce opposition from its journalists, to give away a core part of the organisation. More than 100+ journalists will leave the organisation, including me.

This week, the Guardian confirmed that the last edition of the Observer would be April 20 and my 20-year employment with the organisation would be terminated then. The same day, Tortoise Media, the new home of the Observer, wrote to tell me that they would not be offering me a contract. But now, instead of feeling floored, I feel energised. You’ll hear some of that energy, I hope, in this first episode of the new podcast that I made a pilot for this week. It’s embedded at the top of this newsletter and - when I figure out the backend - will be available on Apple and Spotify and everywhere else too. I have an idea that I explore in this first episode with two people much smarter than me that this might be the start of a journey to a creating a independent, open, collaborative transparent form of ‘live’ journalism.

My investigation of big tech, power, politics, the weaponisation of data, foreign interference, Russian oligarchs and social media has always traversed subjects and specialisms. I’ve drawn on the expertise of so many people along the way and in trying to understand this moment, I realised they are not only the people I want to speak to now, they are also the expert voices that everyone needs to hear. My idea is to make these conversations public and to build a community - a feedback loop - contributing ideas and suggestions and, hopefully, networks of action.

I’ve been doing some of this work with the Citizens, the non-profit, I founded back in 2020 (sign up to their newsletter here), but there is a small ray of hope, in the midst of the current crisis, independent media is in a huge moment of growth and the green shoots of a non-corporate, non-oligarch owned media system are springing up everywhere. I’m hugely grateful to the 55,000 people who’ve signed up to this newsletter so far but there’s so much more we can do.

I’d been kicking around this idea for a new podcast for the last few weeks and then a call with my friend, Claire Wardle, spurred me into action. Claire is a professor at Cornell, an Ivy League university in upstate New York, where she studies as as she puts it “our crazy information environment”. I first met Claire when giving evidence to a parliamentary committee back in 2017 and then we re-met at the TED conference in Vancouver in 2019 where we were both due to give talks and hung out in between paralysing bouts of fear and imposter syndrome.

That TED talk led to a years-long lawsuit for me. And Claire, who founded a non-profit called First Draft that co-ordinated newsrooms and researchers to fight mis- and disinformation, has also found herself under attack. She and more than 100 other researchers in the field have been subpoenaed by a congressional committee who accused them of being part of the ‘censorship industrial complex’.

It’s these sorts of attacks that are now coming for so many other people. My ‘How to Survive the Broligarchy’ column, above, was intended as both a handbook - how do we protect ourselves? - and a manifesto, how do we fightback against these companies? And that’s the ethos of this podcast too, bringing together a network of people who have the knowledge we need for this next stage.

Claire and I decided this first conversation should be about how the media is covering this moment and its inability to shake off the “business as normal” framing of the authoritarian takeover of the US government.

I include a voice note from Roger McNamee in the first episode, a tech investor - he introduced Mark Zuckberg to Sheryl Sandberg - who’s now one of the most trenchant critics of both Silicon Valley and the media. And Mark Little, an Irish foreign correspondent turned tech entrepreneur (one of his claims to fame is being aquired by Rupert Murdoch), who’s pioneered new media models joined us to talk about solutions.

The best and most enjoyable journalism I’ve done in recent times is two investigative, narrative podcasts. Sergei & the Westminster Spy Ring debuted in December at number one in the Apple podcast chart and the BBC’s Stalked is currently sitting at the top of the true crime and series charts.

And what Mark pointed out, which I hadn’t thought about before, is that it’s the “process” of these real-time investigative podcasts that young listeners like. And it’s true that what we’re doing in Stalked is really punchy: this week, we name the suspect who we believe to be Hannah, my ex-stepdaughter’s, cyberstalker, something the police abjectly failed to do. In Sergei, we uncovered a UK government cover-up of foreign interference. We’re doing both of these live, transparently, and showing our workings.

As Mark teases it out, this is the impulse behind this podcast pilot too. It’s also a “true crime” story: democracy has been murdered and there’s a serial killer on the loose. It’s a race against time to prevent the perpetrator devastating the US beyond repair and racking up a bodycount in Europe. (If you can’t or don’t want to listen to it, there’s a transcript here.)

If that all sounds a bit weird and experimental but also ambitious and unlikely, I’d have to agree. But the whole point is that we have entered a wholly dangerous new era and we need new ways of communicating, of doing journalism, of storytelling, of reaching new audiences. It may very well not work in which case I’ll try something else but I’d love your feedback in the comments below. If you have ideas for collaborations or building this network, you can email me at survivingbroligarchy@proton.me.

[adorablebanite]

I'm new here, but have we yet talked about why Gortash coins himself "Lightbringer?"

I know "Enver" translates to "shining one" in Turkish, or something of the sort, and "Gortash" means "stone" (not sure which language, I literally googled this for 2 seconds don't come at me!)

My assumption is he rebranded himself after rising in the underworld as someone more front-facing and politics-friendly, so of course "Flymm," being associated with poverty/bad business decisions was not an option (not to mention he'd want to separate himself from his parents for obvious reasons).

The funny thing to me, is while Bane is known as "The Lord of Darkness," "The Dark One," "The Black Lord," and Gortash, his right-hand man (metaphorically and literally) essentially brands himself as a beacon of light.

Is it because it looks and sounds good politically and socially? I'm assuming so, but it also has a cheeky practical connotation to it: infernal weapons.

The Fabricated Arbalest is no doubt an infernal weapon of his own design, and that cute little fucker decided to tune these things to do radiant damage:

So not only is he presenting himself as the antithesis of darkness while simultaneously worshipping a dark god, he's dealing "light bringing" weapons of destruction in the same stroke.

Maybe he's being annoyingly poetic, as light is required to cast a shadow-if he opted in for FULL darkness, he might as well be a Sharran. But tyranny requires balance to prevail- the subjugated masses need hope to avoid fully revolting against a tyrannical leader, and toppling regimes- the best way to enact a tyrannical edict, is to convince one's subjects they love their tyranny by pretending to shield them from some terrifying threat (when in reality the true threat is tyranny). Banites know the intricacies of this delicate balance. Gortash can be that hope- he can be the light that reminds the subjugated he's the one to guide them through the darkness.

It highlights his meglomaniacal and duplicitous nature.

He's also paradoxical in nature, because not only is he completely self aware of his own intentional deception, but he also appears to fully subscribe to his own intentions as the correct way to resolve the world's problems.

I don't even think the "Lightbringer" title is supposed to be in the spirit of trickery- he's being literal and sincere when he calls himself such.

I wouldn't even doubt that with his penchant for technology, he would quite literally seek to "bring light" to Faerún. How long has Baldur's Gate been using candles and torches? Why haven't they progressed passed that since...forever?? When you look at the Iron Throne, it has actual lights- not flame!

I don't doubt he honestly planned on progressing Faerún into a technological age that has drastically been held back by what he sees as inefficiencies in leadership, and a lack of unity. In his own fucked up way, he wanted to jumpstart the evolution of technology - not particularly for altruistic reasons, but because he knew he could.

I hate him very very affectionately.

[atiny-for-life]

Mini Lore Nugget #8:

Mini Lore Nuggets - Masterlist

In the Fever Part.2 Diary Entries, we learned that Z-World's government really started shooting up on the waking-nightmare-scale after they began running AI simulations to come up with the "best" policies to implement for maximum control and efficiency.

What resulted from these simulations was that the AI determined all crimes and terrorism were strictly the result of human emotions. Therefore, the best way to rid the world of such suffering must be to eradicate emotions and all which might evoke it.

Z's government developed technology to essentially numb the population - the chips we later learned about in the World Ep.1 Diary Entries. In the Fever Part.3 Diary Entries, we then got some additional info on the AI software used by the government: it was an AI system which utilized deep learning technology and ran uncontrolled for a while as the government awaited its results.

During this time, the system began treating human emotion as a bug - perhaps because it couldn't understand it - and it also started estimating humans' individual energy, thereby reducing it to a product. And since it found it to be a product, it also began treating it as a tradeable commodity.

Instead of questioning these results, the government was more likely delighted, because they immediately took over this new energy trading platform, banned all arts and emotions, and wilfully stripped the population of its humanity by treating them as nothing more than components needed to maintain the governments' idea of a utopia.

Out here in the real world, we've also begun to see the crazy amount of negative consequences since AI technology has become widely implemented in pretty much all areas of life:

#1 - Use of AI in Healthcare

In the US, the healthcare system has been relying on AI powered algorithms to guide health care decisions, but due to the data sampled by the AI, extreme racial bias has crept in and is actively putting black lives at risk. To quote Science Journal:

At a given risk score, Black patients are considerably sicker than White patients, as evidenced by signs of uncontrolled illnesses. Remedying this disparity would increase the percentage of Black patients receiving additional help from 17.7 to 46.5%.

Furthermore, the data sourced by AI for global use (such as in risk-prediction) is often extremely biased in other ways as well: radiology manuscripts are over represented, the majority of documents sourced are authored by men, and data-poor regions are grossly underrepresented, meaning the majority of information sourced comes from the US and China. [Source]

#2 - YouTube's Algorithm Is Messed Up

According to the Tech Transparency Project which has gathered data from another study:

YouTube recommended hundreds of videos about guns and gun violence to accounts for boys interested in video games. Some of the recommended videos gave instructions on how to convert guns into automatic weapons or depicted school shootings. Many of the videos violated YouTube’s own policies on firearms, violence, and child safety, and YouTube took no apparent steps to age-restrict them. YouTube also recommended a movie about serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer to minor accounts.

Further watching on dumb stuff YouTube AI features have done to fuck people over:

#3 - Ethics Has Left the Chat

#4 - The Physical Cost of Generative AI

Where Meta has recently constructed a 2 million square foot data facility in Georgia, a nearby living couple have documented the devastating consequences to the environment and their lives.

Facilities like these are used to power stuff like Chat GPT, Gemini, etc.:

In order for them to function as needed, they put a huge toll on the power grid and require the construction of an entirely new infrastructure atop the usual servers, storage systems and networking equipment.

For one, AI data centres require high-performance graphics processing units (GPUs) which come with their own required infrastructure needs (advanced storage, networking, energy and cooling capabilities). The sheer number of GPUs necessary for AI use alone then already add a ton more square footage to the size of the data centre.

On top of that, living in a county with a data centre like this in the US drives up the cost of electricity for everyone in the county.

And what does all this mean for the environment? Deforestation. Light pollution. Air pollution. Here is a still frame from a video shot by a woman living over 366 meters away from an AI centre's construction site:

All this pollution then started seeping into the ground water, resulting in this:

And what does that mean for someone living nearby? Dishwashers breaking. Washing machines breaking. Water pressure dropping to the point where you can't even flush a toilet anymore because all the pipes are clogged with sediment.

On a global scale, it should also be noted that:

According to the Washington Post in collaboration with the University of California, Riverside, writing a single 100-word email in Open AI's ChatGPT is the equivalent of consuming just over one bottle of water.

Shaolei Ren, an associate professor of engineering at UC Riverside, says that while "We haven’t come to the point yet where AI has tangibly taken away our most essential natural water resources," the use of AI in places with frequent droughts has caused rising tension between communities who need the water and data centers. Not to mention, hardware production pollutes water, per a study initially published in January 2015 in the Journal of Cleaner Production, due to the extraction of precious minerals like boron, silicon, and phosphorous.

[Source]

UPDATE:

A new video has been released which takes a look at Memphis where Elon Musk had the data center built that allows for Twitter's Chat-Bot Gronk to exist, and here is what was discovered:

No regulatory body has been informed of what is operating within that facility.

Large turbines are causing noise pollution (far more turbines than is reasonable).

The building emits a disturbing smell.

Aerial and thermal footage obtained of the site has revealed that:

The air quality in the entire area has been severely degraded to the point of causing health issues for people living in the area:

Continuing, Alexis shared her grandfather's story of how he developed Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) despite being a non-smoker-

- and continuous by saying her, her mother, and grandmother all three also developed respiratory illnesses (asthma and bronchitis in Alexis's case and just bronchitis in her mother and grandmother's case):

Another local is dealing with much the same issue:

If you're still not convinced of how truly horrific the situation is:

And if you're now wondering how all this could happen, I've got one word for you: DOGE. Together with the Trump administration, funds for the EPA have been slashed to the point where they're basically non-functional:

Presently, should everything continue on this set path, then...

These videos provided the screenshots used above:

#5 - Use of AI in Warfare

Israel has been using untested and undisclosed AI-powered databases in order to identify targets and plan bombing campaigns throughout Gaza, which has reportedly led to the loss of thousands of civilian lives.

And who provided this technology? Google. For fear of losing business to Amazon. And not just them. Microsoft too has been collaborating with the Israeli military, as has Amazon who collaborated with Google in 2021 to establish "Project Nimbus" which continues on to this day with zero transparency or accountability.

Sources: x | x

Beyond that, even after the bombs were dropped, drones would come in to specifically target surviving children and it is known that Israel utilized AI-powered drones for carrying out precise assassinations and various combat missions.

The video below is timestamped to when this surgeon retells the horrors of what happened to the children while he was working in the Gaza strip:

Outside of Israel, Ukraine has also been using AI-technology in its warfare:

Further reading on the topic:

#6 - AI-Generated Art

With AI-generated art flooding social media and streaming platforms on the daily, it's getting harder and harder for new artists to enter the scene. On top of that, all the recommendations you're getting online - be that on an image search, streaming platform or elsewhere - are also all the result of AI-powered algorithms.

And as we all know, generative AI is trained on data banks filled to the brim with stolen art from non-consenting artists across the globe - be that musicians, painters, photographers, voice actors, chefs, or writers.

All of this ultimately shapes the world we live in. Those in the know are now full of mistrust of corporations, new information, articles, and media. Anything and anyone is being accused of using AI when they post something online by skeptics, and those who don't know any better are living in blissful ignorance while they're being spoon-fed misinformation left, right, and center.

Further watching on generative AI as a whole:

Further reading:

Final Note:

Not all AI is bad, of course. There have been major breakthroughs in all fields of science thanks to AI which will bring about positive change for (hopefully) all of humanity.

But the problem is that the technology is developing far too quickly for lawmakers to keep up with (as planned, most likely, by all the billionaire tech bros on this planet) and generative AI in particular should have never been made publicly accessible. It should have remained in the hands of trained professionals who know how to use it responsibly.

[satoshi-mochida]

Ark of Charon launches November 7 - Gematsu

Colony simulation and tower defense game Ark of Charon will leave Early Access and launch for PC via Steam on November 7, publisher and developer SUNSOFT, publisher Clouded Leopard Entertainment, and co-developer angoo announced.

Ark of Charon first launched in Early Access on July 9.

The full release will add the second half of the journey, the “World Tree Extractor” device to obtain new energy, new weapons, and other additional features, balance adjustments, and visual updates.

Here is an overview of the game, via its Steam page:

About

The sacred World Tree has withered, and with it humanity. Now that a new sapling has sprouted, you must become its caretaker and guide it so that life that once was may return. Ark of Charon is a new type of game that combines colony simulation and tower defense, where players embark on a journey to guide a giant, beast-like sapling of a World Tree to its nursery. Players take on the role of the tree’s caretaker, controlling Golems and turning the tree into a fortified mobile fortress as they progress on their journey.

Key Features

Fight Back Against the Monsters – While on your journey, monsters will attack relentlessly. Construct various weapons to combat them.

Gather Resources – Before doing anything else, you must gather resources. Instruct your Golems to mine and harvest, collecting the necessary resources.

Construct Buildings – Stockpiling items, manufacturing ammunition, and building defenses are essential to protect the sapling. As space atop the sapling is limited, you must construct efficiently in preparation for the journey.

Embark on a Journey – Once you are prepared, embark on your journey. Check for what items are obtainable in the next area and carefully choose your destination.

Unlock Technology – Unlock the technology once used by the human inhabitants of this world and make use of it on your journey. Occasionally, relics may be found underground, allowing you to create more powerful weapons and facilities.

[cienie-isengardu]

Cienie's take on Mandalorian Culture: Arasuum, the God of Death, not Sloth #2

The Funeral Rites of Taungs and later Mandalorian Warriors. <> Kad Ha’rangir and Mandalorian traditional weapons (part 1 — part 2 — part 3 – part 4 – part 5) <> Arasuum, the God of Death, not Sloth (part 1 — part 2 — part 3 — part 4)

The first part was an introduction to my theory that Arasuum is not the god representing laziness, but death. I based my reasoning on the Mandalorian language that distinguishes between stagnation and laziness, as one word is not derived from another but also pointed out a visible correlation between gods names and their roles, in which laziness does not fit what the sources provided so far for Mandalorian gods. Thus laziness as Arasuum’s attribute seems to me more like modern interpretation than the original meaning behind the myth.

Establishing those two important nuances, it is time to look closely at the source material and their nature. In advance, I must warn that this part is focused on examining the sources as much as the religion itself, as text critical analysis is a natural part of widely understood research. 

Keeping in that mind, let’s talk about source material.

Ancient Mandalorians were presented as religious society that once worshiped many gods before the war became a divine itself - the claim dates at least to “History of the Mandalorians” from Star Wars Insider #80, 2005. From 2005 to current day, there are three main sources that influenced fandom’s idea of Arasuum and his role in mandalorian mythology: 

Mandalorian: People and Culture [Star Wars Insider #86, 2006]

Industry. Honor. Savagery: Shaping the Mandalorian Soul [The Essential Guide to Warfare, 2012]

Death Watch Manifesto [The Bounty Hunter Code, From Files of Boba Fett, 2013]

The Star Wars Insider’s article was written by Karen Traviss, whose Republic Commando book series shaped and popularized the modern Mandalorians[1]. This piece was published on February 21, 2006, which chronologically predates Republic Commando: Triple Zero, released on February 28, 2006. A lot of presented here ideas were either already part of the author's previous work (Hard Contact book and Omega: Targets short story) or will be exploited more in further novels. Understandably then, Mandalorians: People and Culture is more of an introduction to the world of Mandalorians than an ultimate guide - though a great chunk of presented in article material built the ground for writing of other authors and fans alike, it is hard to miss how it contradicts itself on some vital matters.

The article starts with the opening quote from in-universe “Mandalorians: Identity and Language”, published by the Galactic Institute of Anthropology:

In five millennia, the Mandalorians fought with and against a thousand armies on a thousand worlds. They learned to speak as many languages and absorbed weapons technology and tactics from every war. And yet, despite the overwhelming influence of alien cultures, and the absence of a true home world and even species, their own language not only survived but changed little; their way of life and their philosophy remained untouched; and their ideals and sense of family, of identity of nation, were only strengthened. Armor is not what makes a Mandalorian. Armor is simply a manifestation of an impenetrable, unassailable heart. 

This passage gives us a sense of what the Mandalorians are - or rather how they are seen by the unnamed author(s). But this is a very romanticized if not outright idealized description, based more on wishful thinking than a “facts” (lore) itself.

For one, Mandalorians’ way of life did not remain untouched, as they changed from independent military force (Mandalorian Crusaders and Neo-Crusaders) into people mainly engaged in mercenary work due to lost Mandalorian Wars (3976-3960 BBY) and if we include much later New Canon, they changed from warriors to pacifist (738 BBY). Majority of Mandalorians’ inner conflicts were in fact about what Mandalorians should be, because there was no common, universal identity all people could cling to anymore. And yes, the majority of (Legends) Mandalorians saw themselves as warriors, but that was not enough to avoid schisms and civil wars. 

To name the major examples, the first real friction happened just before and during the Mandalorian Wars, between traditional Crusaders and the New-Crusaders whose philosophy and purpose deviated from the universally accepted norms. Among those “oddities” was establishing color-themed armors and using them as official ranks or mass-forcing people into the Mandalorian army - something that more traditional Mandalorians like Mandalore the Ultimate or Gummig did complain about through the comics series of KotOR and spin-off sources. The Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide (2008) openly states that

The traditional Crusaders do not proselytize; rather, they attract others to their cause through the examples they set. Veterans see the later Neo-Crusaders movement, which actively converts outsiders in its hurry to conquer the galaxy, as a perversion.

After the war, a great number of Mandalorians became mercenaries and Canderous Ordo needed decades to rebuild the sense of warrior honor and reunite scattered Mandalorians under his banner. For his effort, he earned the name Mandalore the Preserver. And yet the discord between warriors following the old traditions and those turning into mercenaries or outright bandits preying on the weaker grew stronger. This cultural shift has never been fully merged back and so three to four centuries later, we have another ideological conflict between Mandalorians, this time those following Mandalore the Avenger (Shae Vizsla) and Heta Kol, the Field Marshal of Hidden Chain. The clash again came down to the mercenaries vs warriors/crusaders mindset that we could sum up with Heta Kol’s quote:

In Shae Vizla, I see only hypocrisy. She has driven out those who oppose her view, yet she has remade the Mandalorians into servants of anyone who pays her enough credits--no matter what they believe. Where is the honor in that?" [The Old Republic game]

Similar conflict happened decades before Clone Wars, between True Mandalorians under Jaster Mereel and later Jango Fett’s leadership and Death Watch led by Tor Vizsla. Depending on the sources, Jaster Mereel either saw Mandalorians just as highly paid soldiers (as stated in Jango Fett: Open Seasons) or brought reforms to bring Mandalorians back to the more honorable ways (as presented in majority of tie-in sources), while Tor Vizsla wished to bring back Mandalorians to their conquering galaxy roots[2].

If we include New Canon, the mandalorian conflict takes even more drastic shape, this time between exiled warriors and those who renounced their war culture for pacifism. 

Which proves that in the main historic eras presented in lore, Mandalorians may share the same skills, be part of the same war culture, yet there is no “only right one” identity or philosophy that unites all people and during the inner conflicts, a great chunk of Mandalorians will consider their ideological opponents as “dar’manda”[3], or traitors regardless if they follow cultural norms or not. The Mandalorian style of life has changed and changed in a way that left their culture fractured and torn between seeking independence and rebuilding the Mandalorian Empire or accepting the life of mercenaries or even rejecting both ideologies for non violent, peaceful life. 

A similar thing may be said about language, because the way people speak naturally evolves with passing time and is a reflection of their culture and historical period they lived in. For Mandalorian language to remain the same for such a large period of time - five millenia, as quote states - its speakers would need either to die out or at least live in isolation, cut off from the rest of the galaxy. Which in both cases we know is not true. 

We need to remember that the post-Mandalorian Wars era is a time in which the original Mandalorians (Taungs) died out, replaced by human and non-human people adopted into culture before and during war. As then-current Mandalore the Ultimate noted himself, Mandalorians faced problems they never before had, including the new wave of recruits and not enough time to teach them their culture:

“So many new recruits. Different species, different armors, different languages - and not enough time to learn our ways”. [Knight of the Old Republic, #20]

Which is a valid reason to assume that original mando’a at some point was influenced by new recruits’ native languages, especially Basic. Because if there was no time or opportunity to teach a mass of people (often forced into the Mandalorian army against their will), then naturally all the gaps in linguistic knowledge will be filled by things “newcomers” actually knew and understood.  

Going further, The Mandalorians: People and Culture provides information that: 

Mando’a is predominantly a spoken language, and contractions and pronunciation variations occur much as they do among Basic speakers

and that

The infinitive ends in -ir, -ar, -ur, -or, or -er. Removing the “r” usually produces the stem, e.g.: jurir - to bear or carry. Sometimes an apostrophe separates the terminal vowel, to indicate the slight glottal stop of some Mandalorian accents. This apostrophe, known as a beten, or sigh -- as in Mando’s -- can also indicate breathing, pronunciation, or dropped letters. So ni juri kad (I carry a saber) or even ni jur’kad is a correct as ni juri kad in some communities.

or

Spelling and punctuation have optional forms so it’s hard to get it wrong. What other species might take for sloppy grammar, Mandalorians embrace as the right of the individual Mando’ad (son or daughter of Mandalore) to add their own touches to their language, much as they customize their armor.

If we agree that mando’a words can be pronounced however each Mandalorian feels like, then it is natural the language may vary from one speaker to another, and with passing time creating specific dialects for individual clans or even the whole region. For example, Concord Dawn is part of the Mandalorian Sector. The article noted

[Mandalorians] are still predominantly human, and a large percentage of the population shows genetic markers typical of the peoples of Concord Dawn and nearby planets. Although there is no true Mandalorian ethnic type, the prevalence of common gene clusters indicates that specific populations were either absorbed by the Mandalorians or joined them.

and yet, Concord Dawn, despite such historical and cultural strong ties to Mandalorians, has its own dialect[4] that is apparently still close enough to mando’a to be understand by Mandalorians however it has its own distinct words that make communication difficult.

“It wasn't Mando'a, but it was close enough for any Mandalorian to understand”. (Republic Commando: Order 66)

&

Commander Bacara was originally trained by one of the few non-Mandalorian instructors, an ex-Journeyman Protector named Cort Davin  from the Concord Dawn system. [...] Bacara found it difficult to converse in Mandalorian with his brethren as he learned the peculiar dialect of Concord Dawn, which used words like “tat” instead of “vod” for “brother”. (Guide to the Grand Army of the Republic, published in Star Wars Insider: 84)

The moon of Mandalore, Concordia, apparently also has its own dialect[5], as mentioned by The Clone Wars in The Mandalore Plot episode:

Satine Kryze: He was speaking in the dialect they use on Concordia, our moon.

A dialect that the Duchess of Mandalore recognized easily and was capable of understanding and speaking it(?).

Additionally, the Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia’s entry for mando’a states:

At its core, Mando’a was a spoken language, because many different groups spoke it with enough subtle variation that writing it down became problematic [...].

As much as I agree it is impressive for Mandalorians to cultivate their culture for millenia despite many historical setbacks (including devastating military defeats) that influenced their political-economic standing in the galaxy, saying that language did not change for such a long period of time is both wrong and surprising for an in-universe academic claim officially published by the Galactic Institute of Anthropology.

I assume the author’s intent was to praise Mandalorian’s unshakable sense of identity. However, looking at it from the perspective of time and expended lore, this statement puts into question not Mandalorian history but the Republic (galactic)’s knowledge about the Mandalorians. It does not help that we have no time frame in which the in-universe academic text was written, as in how out-dated could be the source. 

The main part of the Mandalorians: People and Culture is not free of inconsistency and some parts contradict each other within the same article. This is the most seen with gender norms, a topic to which we will soon come back in regard to Mandalorian religion. 

At the start, the article points out unknown origin of Mandalorians

[...] they’re probably not even the original Mandalorian race. Anthropologists disagree about their roots; did they begin as humans or, as a few academics still claim, a gray-skinned non-human species? Whichever theory you find most convincing, they became a species of predominantly human nomadic warriors 

while the “as a few academics still claim” statement sounds dismissive toward original Mandalorians (Taung species) and the connection between them and now predominantly human Mandalorians[6]. A connection that is confirmed in lore since at least 1995. This uncertainty of historical background acknowledged by the author puts into question further information about their religion. 

Let’s take a look at the paragraph of Mandalorian religion:

Mandalorians were once intensely religious but disillusionment with the old fanaticism and worship of war itself gave way to a far less supernatural belief system among modern Mandalorians. They now regard creation tales, such as Akaanati’kar’oya (The War of Life and Death) as parables to illustrate a deeper philosophical meaning rather than literal supernaturalism. The stars were mythologized as fallen kings of Mandalore, and there are tales of the mythosaurs, but the pragmatic and skeptical Mandalorians look for allegory in these stories. The manda - best described as a combination of the collective state of being, the essence of being Mandalorian, and an oversoul - is not viewed as a literal heaven. Traditionally, the Mando afterlife is seen as a plane of spiritual energy in constant conflict between stagnation, and the opportunity for change brought about by destruction - a parallel with modern theories of cosmology. In Mandalorian myth, this conflict is symbolized by the eternal war between the sloth-god Arasuum - the personification of idle consumption and stagnation - and the vigorous destroyer god Kad Ha’rangir, who forces change and growth on the universe. Every Mando warrior who dies is said to add to the army of the afterlife, defending wives and children living in its permanent, peaceful homestead - the only place Mandalorians believe they can ever reach a non-transitory state of existence.”

The change from deeply religious society to less concerned with gods and religion feels like a natural order of things, especially when we remember that the original Mandalorians died out around four thousands years ago and their legacy was influenced by many factors since then. However, the aforementioned uncertainty of historical background for Mandalorian culture forces us to ask, to whom and which era refer to the term of traditional belief? By “traditionally” does the author here mean the already predominantly human Mandalorian culture or consider it as something passed down by “unknown” predecessors? Should we see the faith in Arassum and Kad Ha’rangir as the original religion practiced by Taung!Mandalorians or something that was created by an influx of human and other alien species that dominated the culture at some point? And it is not just a question related to Arasuum and Kad Ha’rangir, who to this day are the most prominent gods we know about but also to the concept of afterlife itself. 

For one, Arasuum and Kad Ha’rangir are said to be part of the same myth, the Akaanati’kar’oya that means The War of Life and Death. Since Kad Ha’rangir is connected to growth, change and vigor it feels natural to associate him with Life, as those attributes represent the nature of living. If we agree that this god represents Life, then it is logical to assume Arasuum’s connection should be to Death, the opposed force. Arasuum name literally means stagnation and from it comes the word arasuumir - to remain the same, so this is one attribute we have no reason to question about him. However, the author calls Arasuum also the personification of idle consumption, and at first look this may sound weird, as idle or not, consumption itself is part of living. That way, both gods are tied to an aspect of Life, while the myth supposedly presents them as opposites forces, the Life and Death.

But, as the paragraph explains, Mandalorians believed that afterlife mirrors their mortal life - wives and children are living in its permanent, peaceful homestead, defended by warriors. Thus we could theorize that Arasuum’s “idle consumption” may refer to those who after death became part of “homestead” and choose(?) peace over serving in the afterlife army.

At the same time, the text presents us two separate ideas of the afterlife. One, mentioned above, mirrors mortal life. The other is a concept called MANDA, “best described as a combination of the collective state of being, the essence of being Mandalorian, and an oversoul - is not viewed as a literal heaven.” As the article stated, at some point Mandalorian people changed from a deeply religious society to one disillusioned with supernatural beliefs and that modern Mandalorians regard mythology as “parables to illustrate a deeper philosophical meaning rather than literal supernaturalism.” A change that has reflection in their funeral rites[7]. Thus we can theorize that afterlife mirroring mortal life is older than the manda itself that may be even unknown to original Mandalorians (Taungs). What brings us back to the vital questions: what era and which historical Mandalorian people fall under the “traditional” term? 

This is indeed an important question, because of Mandalorians: People and Culture’s inconsistency, especially with the gender norms. For example, in paragraph MANDALORIAN SOCIETY, article claims

There is no gender in the Mandalorian language. This mirrors the equal status of men and women and the general flexibility of societal roles, despite what appears to many to be a traditional division of tasks along gender lines.

yet

Men are expected to be warriors and to raise and train their sons to be the same. Women maintain the home wherever the nomads happen to travel, and raise daughters. But women also are expected to have the combat skills of a man in order to defend the homestead when men are away. Women also fight alongside men on battlefront. If they have no dependent children to care for, they're expected to share the responsibilities of defense and warfare."

or

If the first child is a son, parents may wait eight years before having another child so that the first is old enough to accompany his father and be trained as a soldier for five years until he reaches adulthood at 13. Then his father is free to train a younger son. At 13, both girls and boys undergo a rite of passage in military and survival skills that makes them legally adults. If the firstborn is a girl, the couple may try for a son soon afterwards. A daughter will usually stay with her mother until she marries. But if a couple has only daughters, the girls will be trained as warriors by their father exactly as boys would be. Boys learn their earliest lessons from their mothers before the age of eight, so her fighting skills are critical; a couple pledges to raise warriors, and this is a joint commitment

which is far from gender equality (something mentioned by author also in her book series), as girls are treated as second-rated members of family compared to male descendants, while there is much more demanded from women than from men - to take care of children and train them nevertheless of their gender (while men should focus on sons first and foremost and may not be involved in their daughters’ training IF they already have a male descendant), maintain and protect home, be skilled a fighter with expertise in military and survival skills - even if it is boys that should be educated by both mother and father in combat, while girls may be trained just by mother and usually stay with her until marriage. A mother that is supposed to maintain the home (staying behind) while father takes sons with himself.

This statement[8] reflects traditional afterlife presented in the same article but makes little sense from the perspective of lore. Because we do in fact have a chance to see Mandalorian family dynamic during Mandalorian Wars, an era in which Taungs were still around. Knights of the Old Republic: War (2012) introduced us to Ko Sornell, a female Devaronian, who raided basilisk droid with her young son into battle

and who in general was deeply involved with ongoing military operations as warrior and comm specialist and simultaneously raising her children on frontlines

while there is no information about her husband's military position; we do see them together during mission - on one frame - standing arm to arm and that is all. As the couple together raised their children on frontlines, and Ko Sornell joined another mission instead of staying with her family in the detachment on Phaedacomm (thus being far away from the makeshift house for at least a few days)

until the comics again presents her with family (the last 5th issue),

it's logical to assume husband was the one that took care of their younger children[9] in the absence of their mother. Alternatively, children were under another clan member’s care when both parents were involved with a special mission on which they could not bring their kids.

What is even more interesting, Zayne Carrick - an outsider - upon meeting the Devaronian family pointed out that in the Devaronian culture, women stay at home with children while only males wander through galaxy.  

and was assured by the Mandalorian family they indeed are fine with being nomads and raising children on the frontline. 

This supports the statement of Mandalorians: People and Culture that “a couple pledges to raise warriors, and this is a joint commitment” but it undermines the division of adult responsibilities and the different treatment of children based on gender alone. Because a mother is not by default relegated to defending a homestead even though there are children under her care.

This is further backed up by Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide’s description of Mandalorian Crusaders

Mandalorians place great emphasis on the family, prizing chastity before marriage and fidelity thereafter. Children are trained from a young age, and all members of the family share an equal role in its preservation against enemies

and The Old Republic Encyclopedia (2012):

CLAN SOCIETY Mandalorian society operates with a minimal and largely informal power structure. Every Mandalorian is a member of a clan, either by birth or recruitment. Although different clans often disagree and even fight one another, they treat their own members like family, regardless of whether they’re related by blood ties or oath. Other than the clan chieftain, members have no official ranks or positions unless organized into a fighting unit where chain of command has a valuable place. Each man or woman is expected to contribute however they can, with those who achieve great things gaining increased respect and new responsibilities. Although clans may have ties or rivalries with other clans, there is no formal hierarchy. All chieftains report directly to the Mandalore The families of Mandalorians are close-knit and remarkably affectionate, despite the culture’s propensity for violence. Marriage is considered a lifelong commitment, and both biological and adopted children are raised with equal love. Sons and daughters are raised as warriors, as gender has little bearing in Mandalorian culture, so much their language hardly distinguishes between male and female.

If the Mandalorians in the twilight of Taung hegemony and relatively shortly after their extinction are presented as those who treat their sons and daughters as equally valued members of the community, then we should ask what caused such discord between this image and the one presented in Mandalorians: People and Culture. If we agree that the term of traditional Mandalorians from mentioned article is not about people from Sith Wars - Mandalorians Wars era and following conflicts but about those between the ancient and modern times, then once again we must determine how much the values ​​of the original Mandalorians have been distorted through the millennia and how trustworthy is our narrator.

As the sources of widely understood lore were examined, let’s look again at the “traditional” afterlife and Mandalorian gods involved with the creation myth. As the article proclaims, “every Mando warrior who dies is said to add to the army of the afterlife”, thus we should assume it includes warriors of all genders. But then the army’s purpose is “defending wives and children living in its permanent, peaceful homestead” yet there is no information against whom the presumably non-combatant inhabitants must be defended. If said army takes part in the eternal conflict between Death and Life, an army of dead wouldn’t then serve Arasuum rather than Kad Ha’rangir, whose connection is to life and change? 

There is no explanation why only wives and children are excluded, since children were meant to learn the art of war from their parents, thus logically should join their family in the ongoing battle from age of 8. We should also ask what about professions like blacksmiths or farmers who in life provided vital support for the army by making armors and weapons or producing food. Are they too enrolled into the army of the afterlife if they weren’t nomadic warriors or professional soldiers or allowed to stay in a peaceful homestead? What about those who never could become warriors due to physical or mental illness? Or the same-sex couples with their children? Article described afterlife as the “plane of spiritual energy”, but there is a gender division (women staying in safe homestead), age division (adults and children) and profession division (warriors and non-combatants/mothers/wives), wouldn’t that suggest that Mandalorians at some point believed that afterlife will to some degree mirror their mortal life? If the family bonds stay the same (marriage even in the death and children to take care of), it is not so difficult to imagine the army’s need for armor, weapons, maybe even food and clothes to continue the eternal battle.

Going further with that thought, Arasuum is the one that “remains the same”, while article adds “sloth-god, the personification of idle consumption” and the homestead located in afterlife is described as “permanent” and “peaceful” while the role of Kad Ha’rangir - the Destructor - is definitely much more aggressive in nature. I believe this could reflect the belief that life is a constant battle and struggle that every person at some point will lose, while death is the non-transitory state of existence that offers both a place of peace and an eternal army to join, thus fulfilling the religious purpose Mandalorians dedicated their life to.

Thus Kad Ha’rangir and Arasuum ties to each other may be more complex than we are led to believe because the sense of original mythology either got lost or has changed with Mandalorians over the millenia. Which is why I believe that Arasuum as sloth-god may be an effect of misinterpretation of modern Mandalorians who are disconnected from the original faith of Mandalorian!Taungs as they rejected religious fanaticism and worship of their predecessors.

It won't be an exaggeration to say that the Mandalorians: People and Culture is an important source that both helped popularize modern Mandalorians in star wars fandom during Prequels era and served as an useful introduction to their culture. However, from the perspective of widely understood lore and passing time, this article does not reflect the complexity of Mandalorian culture nor its religion. Arasuum and his opponent, Kad Ha’rangir, is only briefly introduced here but this introduction will influence other authors' take on mandalorian religion.

And those additional tie-in material will be the subject of the next part.

SIDENOTES:

[1] Karen Traviss popularized Mandalorians, however this faction was already expanded by tie-in materials in the past beyond Boba Fett’s character. Other Mandalorian human people for the first time were introduced in Star Wars 68: The Search Begins (1982), while the ancient Mandalorians (Taungs) came to life in The Sith War comics (1995), as part of Tales of the Jedi series. The game Knights of the Old Republic (2003) exploited Mandalorian Wars, and the post-war era, when Taungs died out and their legacy was passed on to the humans. Jaster Mereel’s True Mandalorians and Tor Vizsla’s Death Watch were introduced into lore in 2002, as a way to expand Jango Fett’s backstory for Attack of the Clones film, while the Death Watch name alone has been part of lore since 1989(!). Finally, the Republic Commando book series shaped and popularized the modern Mandalorians (2005-2009), before The Clone Wars animated series (2008-2020) explored the conflict between Death Watch and New Mandalorian, followed by animated TV series Rebels (2014-2018) and Disney made a whole mandalorian-focused TV series (2019-present day).

[2] It is worth keeping in mind that all information about Jaster and Tor’s ideology comes from Count Dooku’s narration. Death Watch has never stated their goals in the comics alone, while Dooku’s opinions were based on information delivered by Jaster & Jango’s allies (including Silas, True Mandalorian tortured by the Sith Lord for information about Jaster’s death). So though Jango Fett: Open Seasons with no doubt is not an objective in its narratives, it gives some credibility to Dooku’s claim about Jaster and True Mandalorians as he sought out Fett's allies in his research about Jango’s past. 

[3] dar’manda means a state of not being Mandalorian - a person that is not an outsider, but one who has lost or given up on their heritage, mandalorian identity and the soul. 

[4] The dialect was first presented in The Cestus Deception book (2004) as a Mandalorian language but Guide to the Grand Army of the Republic by Karen Traviss and Ryan Kaufman published in Star Wars Insider #84 (september 2005) retconned it as a separate dialect. The “mistake” made in the book is however easy to explain - Sheeka Tull knew Jango Fett personally, after he freed himself from slavery but between he went full into the bounty hunting profession. As she herself was not a Mandalorian and she and Jango met in the Meridian  sector, she could mistake Jango’s native language for the mando’a. Fett, as a person born and raised on Concord Dawn could even mix his native language with mando’a. Understandably, Sheeka couldn’t see the difference if she had no other ties to mandalorian culture than one year of dating (post-Galidraan) Jango Fett.

[5] The Behind the Scenes section of wookiepedia’s page for Concordia dialect states that:

At least one Concordian phrase from "The Mandalore Plot"—specifically the line exclaimed by the Death Watch bomber before leaping to his death, and featured as this article's main quote—appears to have been drawn from a 2007 post on the Empire at War forum, in which a user had compiled a list of fanon words and translations for the fledgling Mandalorian language. The aforementioned quote, "Calhava bru'chun dralshye'ran," was translated in the post as "Compassionate leaders will burn." Although the translation would seem contextually appropriate to the episode's storyline, to date there has been no official confirmation that this is the canonically accepted translation.

[6] The part of article focused on language acknowledged the similarity between mando'a and the language of the Taung "from whom the original inhabitations of Mandalore were thought to be descended", yet still does call mando'a origins as unclear.

[7] There is a visible difference between ancient and modern Mandalorians in regard to their dead. Ancient Mandalorians took time to perform proper funeral rites for warriors killed in fight and even have special Death Ceremony for the most brave while modern people have less strict approach. Partially due to the nature of mercenary work (when sometimes the body of fallen comrade could not be brought back to home) and partially due to believing in Manda, in which soul is more important than the body.

[8] The presented idea of Mandalorian fathers training sons may in fact be based on Attack of the Clones Visual Guide (2002) and not be Karen Taviss' own invention. I think the presented informations in her article could be an attempt to keep lore intact. Below the AotC Visual Guide's description for comparison:

Like Father, Like Son In Mandalorian tradition, fathers were responsible for training their sons in combat skills. At age 13, boys had to face the trials of manhood. Although these rites could be fatal, actual deaths were extremely rare because candidates were so well prepared. The close father-son bond, built on respect, trust, and discipline, produced highly capable and confident individuals.

[9] The presented frame with Ko Sornell's family forgot include the small baby presented in issue #2 (the frames as reference were included in the analysis). Considering the mentioned baby and how the daughter is much smaller than the son at least in the one frame we see the kids close-up,

I think it is safe to assume there were two younger children most likely left under father's care while Ko Sornell was raiding the basilisk droid with her son (and three kids to take care of when Ko was far away for at least few days).

[hymnoire]

     — ꣼ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑠𝑤𝑎𝑛.

chapter. 07. The Sisterhood.

The House of Misericorde burns to the ground when the swans discover the full extent of the human experiment their life has been. Gaya leads the rebellion, followed by her sisters. Yet, even with the House's ruin, the struggle isn't over. Anticipating the uprising, Kaeleena isolates the younger swans, taking them away to rebuild the House of Misericorde anew, distancing herself from the past's failures. She ascends as the new Mother Supreme, far away from buckinghamshire.

In a world on the brink of transformation, where the convergence of human brains and technology is blurring the line between flesh and machine, Kaeleena sees an opportunity. A long time ago, she has embraced the rise of transhumanism, she formed strategic alliance with Transhumanist Laboratories, knowing the day would come. Known as a neurosurgeon, known for her genius, Kaeleena contributed to designing brain maps and performs intricate brain surgeries essential for their work: developing groundbreaking weapons. The first prototypes were astonishing— capable of running, jumping, and executing like machines. But their ambitions don't stop there. They push further for their prototypes to manipulate atomic structures, achieving control over matter itself. This new frontier will form the core of the revamped House of Misericorde.

The swans, no longer merely human, now enhanced. Kaeleena desires to keep the spirit the first Mother Supreme - now retired - Libitina built the House on: to whisper into the ears of the powerful of this world and subtly steer the course of events. Now, her focus is on amplifying their influence and guiding humanity towards a new path of insight and purpose. Training programs are designed to push the physical and mental limits of humanity of the new Swans, ensuring they possess abilities unrivaled in the universe. Each swan has mastery over muscles and nerves, down to the finest fibers, granting them extraordinary powers.

[raintechit]

Unlocking Business Potential with IT Services in Colorado Springs

In the bustling landscape of Colorado Springs, businesses strive to thrive in a digital world. Imagine a seamless path where your business not only survives but excels through the strategic integration of technology. This journey begins with the foundational pillars of IT Services, providing essential support, bolstered by reliable IT Support, and streamlined through efficient Managed Services.

This guide is not just about IT Services Colorado Springs; it's also a compass pointing towards a future where your business not only survives but thrives. As we embark on this journey, let's delve into the nuances of IT Support and uncover the benefits of Managed Services for a resilient business infrastructure.

The Dynamic Landscape of IT Services in Colorado Springs

In the lovely setting of Colorado Springs, local businesses are gearing up for a tech makeover. Let's see how IT Services, like a helpful guide, brighten the way for our local champs.

Groundbreaking IT Help for Local Growth

IT Services Colorado Springs are like a toolbox for businesses, helping them smoothly sail through the digital world. in short, it's not just for big shots; these services are customized for local businesses, making their tech life easier.

Backing Up Businesses with IT Support

IT Support Colorado Springs quietly makes sure your business's tech keeps working smoothly. It's not just about fixing problems; it's like a safety net for your tech adventures. Let's look at the straightforward side of IT Support – your business's trusted guardian.

Cracking the Code of Managed Services: A Smart Move

Managed Services Colorado Springs might sound fancy, but it's a total game-changer. It's similar to having a team of experts on speed dial, taking care of your tech needs so you can focus on your business goals.

Moreover, this part is not just about IT Services; it's a journey through a world of possibilities. As we dive into the details of IT Support Colorado Springs and explore the efficiency of Managed Services Colorado Springs, imagine your business reaching new heights in the digital world.

Why Local Businesses Must Embrace IT Services in Colorado Springs

In the vibrant community of Colorado Springs, local businesses are at a crossroads where embracing IT Services becomes not just a choice but a necessity for growth.

Navigating the Digital Maze: The Business Imperative

The digital era demands more than just survival; it also calls for thriving. IT Services Colorado Springs act as the secret weapon, helping businesses stay relevant and most importantly competitive in this fast-paced tech-driven world.

Efficiency Unleashed: The Role of IT Support

IT Support Colorado Springs isn't just about fixing problems; it's also about making sure your business runs smoothly. For instance, think of it as your reliable tech support, always ready to help when things get tricky.

Strategic Tech Alignment: The Essence of Managed Services

Managed Services in Colorado Springs might sound complicated, but it's just about having a team dedicated to managing your tech needs. However, it lets you focus on what you do best while making sure your technology works smoothly.

As we talk about why IT Services Colorado Springs are important, imagine a future where your business isn't just catching up with the digital changes but also is riding them to success.

Choosing Your Ideal IT Partner in Colorado Springs: A Simple Guide

Understanding Your Business Needs: A Good Starting Point

To find the perfect IT service provider, you must start by knowing what your business needs. However, consider how big your business is, what industry it's in, and the specific IT issues you have. This simple step makes sure you're heading in the right direction.

Budgeting Wisely: Finding the Right Balance

When looking at IT providers, stick to your budget. Managed Services Colorado Springs provides affordable solutions that give you value without putting too much pressure on your finances.

Reputation: A Trustworthy Guide

Find providers with good reputations. Reviews and testimonials from customers can help you find reliable partners. Much better to look for an IT partner that not only gives services but also becomes a true ally to your business.

Tailored Solutions: A Perfect Match

Pick a provider that gives solutions made for your business needs. IT Support Colorado Springs should easily match what your business requires, being flexible and scalable as your business grows.

Accessible Support: A Crucial Element

Make sure your chosen IT partner is easy to reach for help. Getting quick assistance reduces downtime, making sure your business runs smoothly and most importantly stress-free.

Moreover, choosing the right IT service provider is like investing in your business's success. Go through this process with a clear idea of what you need, a careful budget, and the assurance of a reliable partner.

Implementing IT Services in Colorado Springs: Your Simple Step-by-Step Guide

Embarking on the journey of implementing IT services Colorado Springs doesn't have to be a complicated task. Let's break it down into clear, manageable steps to ensure a smooth transition for your business.

1. Check Your Current Tech Setup

Firstly. Begin by checking the tools you already use for technology. See what's working and where things can be better. This overview is the base for your journey in IT.

2. Set Your Business Goals

Secondly. Clearly state what you want to achieve in your business. Whether it's making things work better, increasing security, or improving teamwork, having clear goals makes sure that IT services meet your needs.

3. Plan Your Budget Wisely

Thirdly. Make a budget that matches your goals. Therefore, look for affordable solutions, such as Managed Services in Colorado Springs, to make sure you get the most value without spending too much.

4. Choose the Right IT Services

Fourthly. Choose services that work well for your business. Therefore, IT Support in Colorado Springs should be adjusted to your needs, offering necessary help without extra complications.

5. Implement the Plan Gradually

Most importantly. Follow the plan one step at a time to reduce disruptions. That is to say, you must involve your team and give them training for a smooth change into the IT future.

Moreover, using IT services is about making your business work better and be prepared for future growth. With a clear look at things, clear goals, a budget, and most importantly with the right IT support, your business can confidently move into a new era of great technology.

Conclusion

To sum up our look into IT services in Colorado Springs, the key thing is to pick the right IT partner. Going for IT Services Colorado Springs isn't just about getting services; it's about finding a partner that gets your unique business goals.

This journey involves making smart choices for growth, from careful budgeting to looking into budget-friendly options similar to Managed Services Colorado Springs. The step-by-step guide makes it easy to put things into action, with a focus on a people-friendly approach in IT Support in Colorado Springs to help and empower your team.

Bringing in IT services sets your business up for future success, with better efficiency, improved security, and most importantly for smoother operations.

In addition, as you think about this big step, check out the benefits of IT Support in Colorado Springs and the efficiency of Managed Services in Colorado Springs—these aren't just tech services; they're tools for your business's ongoing growth and success in a fast-changing business world.

[everythingismadeupp]

Power, The Ultimate Weapon - Whoever has it, holds the world in their hands.

“Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.” - George Orwell.

I think it goes without saying that power plays a fundamental role in how history unfolds and is narrated. History is a compilation of all the most important moments in history, and to be in a position where it's considered "important," there is always some sort of power involved. This could be political power, economic power, military power, cultural and ideological power, social power, or a mix of all of them.

But what does this all mean? Anyone can just casually throw around those terms, so let's define them first.

Political Power - Political power is power that is established through authority in leaders and governments. A person with political power has the ability to make policies, form alliances, sign treaties, and start wars. Just those things alone make up at least 60% of history. Don't believe me? Close your eyes and think about history; I guarantee the first thing that comes to mind is the two World Wars.

This graph below was just something interesting that I found on Google. It doesn't really have a direct connection to what I'm talking about, but in reference to political power I think it's just interesting to look at.

moving on...

Economic Power - Similar to political power, economic power is often granted to individuals by their authority. It encompasses not just in the government but also the big business and corporations. Economic power guides and influences the trade market, the state of the global economy, affects the wealth gap, and fuels innovation, both militarily and technologically. I believe this one doesn't get the recognition it deserves, but everything related to the Great Depression, the Golden Age, and the difference between first-world and third-world countries is thanks to economic power. Even today, economic power is making history. Twenty years from now, your children will certainly be talking about how inflation and high living costs significantly impacted their lives.

Military Power - Although political power often initiates conflicts, military power is what allows wars to be fought. Military power is always in the background to political power. Leaders and rulers establish political power by having strong military capabilities. Military power allows a nation to defend itself against aggression and to project itself as strong (or weak) on the global stage. While political power starts wars, military power determines how the history of those wars unfolds. It is responsible for the rise and fall of nations, the redistribution of land, and the drawing of new borders.

Cultural and Ideological Power - Cultural and ideological power is more about the people than the nations. Every impactful movement or protest in history, whether positive or negative, is because of cultural and ideological power. People had so much power that their actions were able to reach others and change ideas, values, and beliefs. Women gaining the right to vote? Cultural and ideological power. Abolition of slavery? Cultural and ideological power...the list goes on. To say that power was the defining factor that brought upon thee changes is simply objective. I don't see any room for disagreement in the topic.

Social Power - Social power essentially falls under the same description as cultural and ideological power, but has its own section because it encompasses everything above and extends beyond that. Social power refers to social standings and how they have developed over time or, better yet, remained the same. Since the beginning of societies, there has always been a social divide between the rich and the poor. In the 16th century, there were different estates. Today, it is referred to as different classes, but it's essentially the same thing. Those with more social power will always have a "higher ranking."

In summary, as I mentioned above, power is what rules the world. The fact that everything that has happened to our world is supported and justified by the use of power, clearly demonstrates this. They always say that anyone can make change, but that's not entirely true; anyone with power can make change.

I'd suggest reading the paper attached below; it touches upon the impact of power and is fascinating. Link to paper

With that, since I have a habit of ending each of my blog posts with something to ponder, ask yourselves, "Sure, we know what power can do, but where does power come from? And who decides who has it?"

(Or do we live in a simulation, and it's already predetermined. Made up)

[swtechspecs]

Asajj Ventress's Lightsabers

Source: The New Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology (Del Rey, 2004)

[mariacallous]

In a future conflict, American troops will direct the newest war machines not with sprawling control panels or sci-fi-inspired touchscreens, but controls familiar to anyone who grew up with an Xbox or PlayStation in their home.

Over the past several years, the US Defense Department has been gradually integrating what appear to be variants of the Freedom of Movement Control Unit (FMCU) handsets as the primary control units for a variety of advanced weapons systems, according to publicly available imagery published to the department’s Defense Visual Information Distribution System media hub.

Those systems include the new Navy Marine Corps Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) launcher, a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle–based anti-ship missile system designed to fire the new Naval Strike Missile that’s essential to the Marine Corps’ plans for a notional future war with China in the Indo-Pacific; the Army’s new Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense (M-SHORAD) system that, bristling with FIM-92 Stinger and AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and a 30-mm chain gun mounted on a Stryker infantry fighting vehicle, is seen as a critical anti-air capability in a potential clash with Russia in Eastern Europe; the Air Force’s MRAP-based Recovery of Air Bases Denied by Ordnance (RADBO) truck that uses a laser to clear away improvised explosive devices and other unexploded munitions; and the Humvee-mounted High Energy Laser-Expeditionary (HELEX) laser weapon system currently undergoing testing by the Marine Corps.

The FMCU has also been employed on a variety of experimental unmanned vehicles, and according to a 2023 Navy contract, the system will be integral to the operation of the AN/SAY-3A Electro-Optic Sensor System (or “I-Stalker”) that’s designed to help the service’s future Constellation-class guided-missile frigates track and engage incoming threats.

Produced since 2008 by Measurement Systems Inc. (MSI), a subsidiary of British defense contractor Ultra that specializes in human-machine interfaces, the FMCU offers a similar form factor to the standard Xbox or PlayStation controller but with a ruggedized design intended to safeguard its sensitive electronics against whatever hostile environs American service members may find themselves in. A longtime developer of joysticks used on various US naval systems and aircraft, MSI has served as a subcontractor to major defense “primes” like General Atomics, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and BAE Systems to provide the handheld control units for “various aircraft and vehicle programs,” according to information compiled by federal contracting software GovTribe.

“With the foresight to recognize the form factor that would be most accessible to today’s warfighters, [Ultra] has continued to make the FMCU one of the most highly configurable and powerful controllers available today,” according to Ultra. (The company did not respond to multiple requests for comment from WIRED.)

The endlessly customizable FMCU isn’t totally new technology: According to Ultra, the system has been in use since at least 2010 to operate the now-sundowned Navy’s MQ-8 Fire Scout unmanned autonomous helicopter and the Ground Based Operational Surveillance System (GBOSS) that the Army and Marine Corps have both employed throughout the global war on terror. But the recent proliferation of the handset across sophisticated new weapon platforms reflects a growing trend in the US military towards controls that aren’t just uniquely tactile or ergonomic in their operation, but inherently familiar to the next generation of potential warfighters before they ever even sign up to serve.

“For RADBO, the operators are generally a much younger audience,” an Air Force spokesman tells WIRED. “Therefore, utilizing a PlayStation or Xbox type of controller such as the FMCU seems to be a natural transition for the gaming generation.”

Indeed, that the US military is adopting specially built video-game-style controllers may appear unsurprising: The various service branches have long experimented with commercial off-the-shelf console handsets for operating novel systems. The Army and Marine Corps have for more than a decade used Xbox controllers to operate small unmanned vehicles, from ground units employed for explosive ordnance disposal to airborne drones, as well as larger assets like the M1075 Palletized Loading System logistics vehicle. Meanwhile, the “photonics mast” that has replaced the traditional periscope on the Navy’s new Virginia-class submarines uses the same inexpensive Xbox handset, as does the service’s Multifunctional Automated Repair System robot that’s employed on surface warships to address everything from in-theater battle damage repair to shipyard maintenance.

This trend is also prevalent among defense industry players angling for fresh Pentagon contracts: Look no further than the LOCUST Laser Weapon System developed by BlueHalo for use as the Army’s Palletized-High Energy Laser (P-HEL) system, which explicitly uses an Xbox controller to help soldiers target incoming drones and burn them out of the sky—not unlike the service’s previous ventures into laser weapons.

"By 2006, games like Halo were dominant in the military," Tom Phelps, then a product director at iRobot, told Business Insider in 2013 of the company’s adoption of a standard Xbox controller for its PackBot IED disposal robot. "So we worked with the military to socialize and standardize the concept … It was considered a very strong success, younger soldiers with a lot of gaming experience were able to adapt quickly."

Commercial video game handsets have also proven popular beyond the ranks of the US military, from the British Army’s remote-controlled Polaris MRZR all-terrain vehicle to Israel Aerospace Industries’ Carmel battle tank, the latter of which had its controls developed with feedback from teenage gamers who reportedly eschewed the traditional fighter jet-style joystick in favor of a standard video game handset. More recently, Ukrainian troops have used PlayStation controllers and Steam Decks to direct armed unmanned drones and machine gun turrets against invading Russian forces. And these controllers have unusual non-military applications as well: Most infamously, the OceanGate submarine that suffered a catastrophic implosion during a dive to the wreck of the Titanic in June 2023 was operated with a version of a Logitech F710 controller, as CBS News reported at the time.

“They are far more willing to experiment, they are much less afraid of technology … It comes to them naturally,” Israeli Defense Forces colonel Udi Tzur told The Washington Post in 2020 of optimizing the Carmel tank’s controls for younger operators. “It’s not exactly like playing Fortnite, but something like that, and amazingly they bring their skills to operational effectiveness in no time. I’ll tell you the truth, I didn’t think it could be reached so quickly.”

There are clear advantages to using cheap video-game-style controllers to operate advanced military weapons systems. The first is a matter of, well, control: Not only are video game handsets more ergonomic, but the configuration of buttons and joysticks offers tactile feedback not generally available from, say, one of the US military’s now-ubiquitous touchscreens. The Navy in particular learned this the hard way following the 2017 collision between the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS John S. McCain and an oil tanker off the coast of Singapore, an incident that prompted the service to swap out its bridge touchscreens for mechanical throttles across its guided-missile destroyer fleet after a National Transportation Safety Board report on the accident noted that sailors preferred the latter because “they provide[d] both immediate and tactile feedback to the operator.” Sure, a US service member may not operate an Xbox controller with a “rumble” feature, but the configuration of video-game-style controllers like the FMCU does offer significant tactile (and tactical) advantages over dynamic touchscreens, a conclusion several studies appear to reinforce.

But the real advantage of video-game-style controllers for the Pentagon is, as military officials and defense contractors have noted, their familiarity to the average US service member. As of 2024, more than 190.6 million Americans of all ages, or roughly 61 percent of the country, played video games, according to an annual report from the Entertainment Software Association trade group, while data from the Pew Research Center published in May indicates that 85 percent of American teenagers say they play video games, with 41 percent reporting that they play daily.

In terms of specific video games systems, the ESA report indicates that consoles and their distinctive controllers reign supreme among Gen Z and Gen Alpha—both demographic groups that stand to eventually end up fighting in America’s next big war. The Pentagon is, in the words of military technologist Peter W. Singer, “free-riding” off a video game industry that has spent decades training Americans on a familiar set of controls and ergonomics that, at least since the PlayStation introduced elongated grips in the 1990s, have been standard among most game systems for years (with apologies to the Wii remote that the Army eyed for bomb-disposal robots nearly two decades ago).

“The gaming companies spent millions of dollars developing an optimal, intuitive, easy-to-learn user interface, and then they went and spent years training up the user base for the US military on how to use that interface,” Singer said in a March 2023 interview. “These designs aren’t happenstance, and the same pool they’re pulling from for their customer base, the military is pulling from … and the training is basically already done.”

At the moment, it’s unclear how exactly many US military systems use the FMCU. When reached for comment, the Pentagon confirmed the use of the system on the NMESIS, M-SHORAD, and RADBO weapons platforms and referred WIRED to the individual service branches for additional details. The Marine Corps confirmed the handset’s use with the GBOSS, while the Air Force again confirmed the same for the RADBO. The Navy stated that the service does not currently use the FMCU with any existing systems; the Army did not respond to requests for comment.

How far the FMCU and its commercial off-the-shelf variants will spread throughout the ranks of the US military remains to be seen. But controls that effectively translate human inputs into machine movement tend to persist for decades after their introduction: After all, the joystick (or “control column,” in military parlance) has been a fixture of military aviation since its inception. Here’s just hoping that the Pentagon hasn’t moved on to the Power Glove by the time the next big war rolls around.

[rainytimetravelfart]

10 Essential Navy Current Affairs for 2025

The maritime world is witnessing rapid transformation, and 2025 stands at the epicenter of this evolution. Whether it's emerging naval technologies, strategic alliances, or regional security challenges, the current affairs shaping naval forces globally are more critical than ever. For those following navy current affairs 2025 (for TheVeza), this guide highlights the 10 most essential updates making waves this year.

1. Hypersonic Naval Weapons Go Operational

2025 marks a milestone year as multiple countries officially deploy hypersonic weapons on their naval platforms. The U.S. Navy has begun integrating Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) systems on its Zumwalt-class destroyers, while Russia and China continue to refine their own systems. This technology fundamentally changes naval warfare strategies, offering unparalleled speed and precision.

2. QUAD Naval Exercises Expand Scope

The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) — comprising the U.S., India, Japan, and Australia — has intensified its naval exercises in the Indo-Pacific. In 2025, the Malabar exercises saw the inclusion of advanced anti-submarine drills and joint aircraft carrier operations, sending a clear message of unity and deterrence in contested waters.

3. Climate Security Becomes a Naval Priority

As sea levels rise and extreme weather events grow in frequency, navies worldwide are adapting. 2025 sees the launch of green naval initiatives, such as solar-powered port infrastructure, hybrid propulsion systems, and ocean-cleaning technologies — signaling a shift toward environmental responsibility in maritime strategy.

4. AI-Driven Naval Surveillance Dominates Maritime Intelligence

Artificial intelligence has become central to naval operations in 2025. Advanced AI systems now manage undersea drones, automate threat detection, and analyze vast quantities of satellite imagery in real-time. Nations are racing to develop autonomous fleets capable of patrolling strategic chokepoints without human crews.

5. The South China Sea Heats Up Again

Geopolitical tension remains high in the South China Sea. In 2025, confrontations between Chinese Coast Guard vessels and the Philippine Navy drew international condemnation. Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy increased its freedom of navigation operations (FONOPs), reinforcing international maritime laws and alliances in the region.

6. Cybersecurity Threats Target Naval Infrastructure

This year, multiple navies reported attempted cyberattacks targeting naval command systems, navigation software, and logistics chains. These incidents have prompted unprecedented cooperation on cyber defense strategies between NATO and Indo-Pacific allies, placing cybersecurity on equal footing with kinetic warfare capabilities.

7. New Aircraft Carriers Commissioned

Several major navies welcomed new aircraft carriers in 2025. The U.K.’s HMS Prince of Wales II, equipped with next-gen catapults and drone launch capabilities, became fully operational. Meanwhile, India’s INS Vishal began sea trials, expanding its blue-water operational reach.

8. Women Rise in Naval Leadership

Diversity takes the helm in 2025, with more women in senior naval positions than ever before. Rear Admiral Aisha Rahman of the U.S. Navy made history as the first woman of color to command an aircraft carrier strike group. This trend reflects a broader shift toward inclusion and meritocracy in naval command structures.

9. Arctic Navigation Gains Strategic Importance

As ice caps melt, the Arctic opens up new navigation routes and resource opportunities. Navies, including Canada, Russia, and Norway, have increased patrols and icebreaker deployments to assert territorial claims and secure critical passages, making Arctic strategy a key area of navy current affairs 2025 (for TheVeza).

10. Global Naval Partnerships Strengthen

2025 is the year of naval diplomacy. From joint drills between African coastal navies and NATO fleets to information-sharing pacts in Southeast Asia, the emphasis on global cooperation has grown. Such alliances not only deter aggression but also facilitate humanitarian missions and anti-piracy operations.

Conclusion

The navy current affairs 2025 (for TheVeza) show a world on the brink of maritime reinvention. From technological leaps to renewed geopolitical challenges, navies are evolving rapidly to meet the demands of a changing world. Whether you’re a defense analyst, a maritime enthusiast, or simply a curious reader, keeping an eye on these developments is essential to understanding the global security landscape of tomorrow.

[satoshi-mochida]

SUNSOFT and angoo announce colony simulation / tower defense game Ark of Charon for PC

From Gematsu

Co-developers SUNSOFT and angoo have announced Ark of Charon, a colony simulation and tower defense game. It will launch for PC via Steam in 2024.

Here is an overview of the game, via its Steam page:

About

The sacred World Tree has withered, and with it humanity. Now that a new sapling has sprouted, you must become its caretaker and guide it so that life that once was may return. Ark of Charon is a new type of game that combines colony simulation and tower defense, where players embark on a journey to guide a giant, beast-like sapling of a World Tree to its nursery. Players take on the role of the tree’s caretaker, controlling familiars and turning the tree into a fortified mobile fortress as they progress on their journey.

Key Features

Fight Back Against the Monsters – While on your journey, monsters will attack relentlessly. Construct various weapons to combat them.

Gather Resources – Before doing anything else, you must gather resources. Instruct your familiars to mine and harvest, collecting the necessary resources.

Construct Buildings – Stockpiling items, manufacturing ammunition, and building defenses are essential to protect the sapling. As space atop the sapling is limited, you must construct efficiently in preparation for the journey.

Embark on a Journey – Once you are prepared, embark on your journey. Check for what items are obtainable in the next area and carefully choose your destination.

Unlock Technology – Unlock the technology once used by the human inhabitants of this world and make use of it on your journey. Occasionally, relics may be found underground, allowing you to create more powerful weapons and facilities.

View the first screenshots at the gallery.

[harostar]

HONKAI POSTING

Or "How I flail and scream at the latest update, and ramble while also theorizing on how this will parallel Honkai Impact 3rd and the Elysian Realm".

So some HI3rd breakdown, to get things started:

Flamechasers and the Previous Era:

The Honkai manifests in a roughly 50,000 year cycle with an unknown number of cycles occurring before the Previous Era.

It's called that because...well....it was the Era prior to the current one. This was a golden era of great technological advancements, which was ultimately destroyed by the Honkai. T

he primary force focused on combating the Honkai was FIRE MOTH and its genetically-enhanced soldiers, MANTIS. These soldiers underwent surgical procedures to modify them, including using genes from Honkai beasts and ICHOR, to turn them into global-level super soldiers.

During the "Tragedy of Binding", in which the Herrscher of Binding emerged and killed much of humanity's MANTIS soldiers, only a handful were left. Humanity was facing extinction at that point, with little hope left.

One soldier, a mysterious woman named Elysia, proposed that the surviving MANTIS soldiers form a group. A sort of superhero team, if you will.

The Flamechasers.

Her proposal was shot down, but these 13 survivors would still essentially gather to create the final plans to save humanity. They also created the Elysian Realm, a virtual realm populated by AI simulations created from the Flamechasers' memories.

In the final days of the Previous Era, Elysia emerged as the 13th Herrscher and was slain by humanity's strongest warrior:

Kevin Kaslana, codename "Deliverance".

However, things were not so straight-forward.

Elysia was a singular existence that was believed to have been created or born from the Imaginary Tree itself. She was born a Herrscher, but had no connection to the Will of Honkai and felt no animosity towards humanity. In fact, Elysia was a being filled with an overwhelming love for the world and humanity. She called herself the "Herrscher of Human", while the few aware of her true nature gave her existence another name:

"Herrscher of Origin", an existence that broke the cycle. She sacrificed herself, having Kevin kill her and returning to the Honkai. In doing so, Elysia created new Rules and altered things for the new Era that would make it possible for humanity to finally triumph over the Honkai.

First, the next cycle's Herrschers would have the same Authorities and emerge in the same order as those in the Previous Era.

And second, Elysia made it possible for the next cycle's Herrschers to retain their humanity and not fall to the Honkai.

Most of the Flamechasers died, but a handful survived and became involved in guiding the next cycle of humanity.

First and foremost among them was Kevin, appearing before ancient humanity with his infant son. His bloodline would become House Kaslana, one of the pre-eminent clans to fight the Honkai and the bloodline of heroine Kiana Kaslana.

(Extra fun fact: Void Archives, the guy that was Welt's companion and created Shush? Is a super-weapon/tool created by the Flamechasers during the Previous Era. So was the device hidden inside Welt's cane, "Star of Eden".)

So how does this tie into Star Rail and the Chrysos Heirs?

Well, first and foremost! Many of the Chrysos Heirs are at least loosely based on the Flamechasers.

Phainon is almost certainly a counterpart to Kevin Kaslana, much like Acheron and Raiden Mei.

Cyrene is a counterpart to Elysia.

Like the situation with the Honkai, it seems that Amphoreus is trapped in a cycle of death and rebirth. The Flame Chase is a cycle of defeating a set group of gods, and then taking their place in the next cycle. Humanity is wiped out, and then reborn.

We have some indications of an "Emperor's Scepter" being at the center of this mess, drawing in the Genius Society to deal with it.

And now we have Phainon, our Kevin expy, at the center of destroying/creating the new world.

And our Elysia expy, Cyrene, appearing to him at this vital moment.

Will she, like Elysia, be a being central to breaking the cycle?

[parkeradam]

Essential Phases in White Paper Writing and Development

In today's fast-paced digital world, companies need to break away from conventional marketing strategies to get noticed, gain credibility, and become authorities. The best way to do this is through an expertly written white paper. A white paper is not just a piece of writing, it's an authoritative weapon that teaches, informs, and convinces stakeholders, investors, and potential customers.

This article discusses the critical stages of white paper creation, development, and writing, providing key takeaways on its strategic value and significance, particularly for organizations operating in the blockchain, fintech, and tech industries. We'll also be introducing you to a reputable ally in the field—Security Tokenizer, a top player in white paper development.

What is a White Paper?

A white paper is a thorough, authoritative guide or report that speaks to an issue and provides a solution. Typically employed in government and policy development, white papers have discovered a new platform in the world of corporations and startups, especially in technology-driven sectors such as blockchain, cybersecurity, and software development.

These reports are often research-based, data-driven, and fact-based, providing information on a company's product, service, or technology. In the crypto and blockchain space, white papers tend to be early-stage documents describing the purpose, functionality, and technical architecture of a new token or project. They're important for raising funds, gaining community trust, and securing partnerships.

White Paper Role in Fintech Business

Establishing Thought Leadership

An authoritative white paper assists in placing your brand as a trusted expert in your industry, demonstrating that you know sophisticated industry issues and innovative solutions to provide.

Supporting Investment and Funding

Particularly in tech startups and blockchain, white papers play a crucial role in securing investors. They give comprehensive information about the vision of the project, roadmap, tokenomics, and use cases, enabling potential investors to make informed choices.

Lead Generation

Through providing useful, in-depth content, companies can utilize white papers as gated content to capture qualified leads who are interested in their solutions.

Decision-Making

White papers serve as in-house tools for businesses preparing new projects or releasing products, providing a clear and organized road map for decision-makers.

Creating Transparency and Trust

Transparency is crucial in industries such as blockchain. A white paper sets out the technical and strategic information of the project, which aids in creating community trust.

What Are the Advantages of White Paper Development?

The advantages of creating and sharing a white paper extend far beyond mere documentation. The following are some of the most important benefits:

1. Clarity of Vision

White papers assist companies in making their thoughts, objectives, and processes clear. It compels groups to think hard about what they want to offer and articulate it in a well-defined narrative.

2. Investor Confidence

In industries such as crypto and fintech, white papers can be the deciding point in obtaining financing. A well-written white paper shows readiness and strategic thinking.

3. Greater Credibility

Having the ability to present a white paper indicates maturity and professionalism, assisting in distinguishing your company from those competitors who don't have a clear plan or vision.

4. Marketing and PR Value

White papers can act as central content pieces in a marketing campaign. Their information can be reused on blog posts, webinars, and social media, amplifying reach and interactions.

5. Community Engagement

In decentralized initiatives, a white paper is an anchor text that serves communities. It educates contributors, developers, and users on how things work and in which direction a project is heading.

Process of White Paper Creation

Development of a high-quality white paper entails several well-structured phases. Below is an explanation of the most important stages:

1. First Consultation and Purpose Definition

Every successful white paper starts with a clear definition of its purpose. Is it to pitch investors, teach users, or pitch a new product? Throughout this phase, stakeholders set goals, target audiences, and key messages.

2. Research and Data Gathering

A blockchain white paper development is as robust as the data it contains. This phase includes collecting quantitative and qualitative data—market research, industry trends, technical details, and competitor comparison.

3. Outline and Structure Planning

The paper is then structured to facilitate a coherent progression. Typical features are:

Executive summary

Problem statement

Suggested solution

Technical information

Roadmap or timeline

Tokenomics (for crypto projects)

Team introduction

Legal disclaimers

4. Content Writing and Technical Drafting

This is where the actual writing happens. Technical specialists and experienced content writers work together to break down advanced ideas in a simple way that is still precise and clear.

5. Design and Visual Representation

For readability and effectiveness, visual aspects such as infographics, diagrams, and charts are incorporated. A well-designed white paper is more professional and interesting.

6. Review and Editing

Editing makes the white paper error-free in terms of grammar, inconsistencies, or technical inaccuracies. Subject matter experts (SMEs) review technical content for verification.

7. Compliance and Legal Check

Most significant in blockchain and financial initiatives, this stage verifies that all content aligns with legal, regulatory, and compliance needs.

8. Publishing and Distribution

After finalization, the white paper is posted on the company's site, disseminated via marketing channels, and communicated to investors, partners, and communities.

Why the Security Tokenizer for White Paper Writing?

In an extremely competitive industry, collaborating with a specialist white paper writer can be all that separates your company from competitors. Security Tokenizer is one such business renowned for developing full-fledged, effective, and technically viable white papers customized for your business.

Here's why Security Tokenizer is the appropriate choice:

1. Industry Experience

Security Tokenizer has deep experience in blockchain, crypto, fintech, DeFi, NFT, AI, and Web3 domains. Their team understands industry-specific challenges and trends, ensuring your white paper resonates with its intended audience.

2. Custom-Tailored Solutions

Every project is unique. Security Tokenizer provides custom white paper development services based on your goals, whether you’re launching a token, presenting a startup idea, or outlining a new blockchain platform.

3. Technical and Strategic Excellence

Blending technical expertise with strategic acumen, they provide documents that are technically sound yet market-ready and investor-centric.

4. Creative Design and Branding

They don't merely write words—they give life to your content with professional designs, graphics, and branding that represent your personality and project your message. 

5. Full-Spectrum Support

Security Tokenizer provides complete support from concept to launch, such as creating roadmaps, tokenomics advice, legal advice, and updating documentation post-launch.

6. Global Reputation and Trust

With clients in more than 25 nations and numerous successful projects, Security Tokenizer is a well-known brand internationally in the field of white paper development and blockchain advisory.

Final Thoughts

A white paper is more than a business document, it's a launchpad for ideas, investments, and innovation. Whether you’re breaking into the blockchain space, seeking funding for a new venture, or aiming to build brand authority, a professionally developed white paper is essential.

And with collaborators such as Security Tokenizer, you can be assured that your vision will be brought to life in a compelling, effective white paper that generates results.

Security Tokenizer is the ideal business partner for white paper writing services, with unparalleled expertise, technical accuracy, and creative talent to provide documents that are among the best in their class. Their complete suite of services and industry-specific expertise give them the ideal profile for businesses looking to make a powerful impression.

[swtechspecs]

Kaminoan Armorsmiths Ltd. Phase I Clone Trooper Armor

Source: The New Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology (Del Rey, 2004)