#dot hack beyond the world

[kudotsurugi]

One random day, on a bridge in Mac Anu, a popular meme was re-enacted.

For Those of you unaware, the original .hack//(pronounced "dot hack") games by CyberConnect2, starred the character Kite, a new player to the in-universe MMORPG "The World". There have been many iterations of The World in the .hack// franchise, and also as many character expies of Kite. So much so they made their own visual guide to tell you who's who.

So, I decided to take 5 'Kites' from the franchise and recreate the Spider-Man pointing meme.

From top left to bottom middle, we have:

Kite, protagonist of the original .hack// games(Infection, Mutation, Outbreak and Quarantine, "IMOQ" for short)

Shugo, the protagonist of the anime and manga .hack//Legend of the Twilight

Sakuya, the lead character in the anime OVA .hack//Quantum

Sora/Kite, aka Sora Yuuki, the protagonist of the Feature film .hack//The Movie: Beyond the World, and guest character in the PSP game .hack//Link.

"Tri-Edge"/Azure Kite, the initial antagonist of .hack//G.U.

[lazerswordweilder]

What, those aren’t in the same universe- yes they are. <<<the thoughts running through my head when I made a crossover of Marvel, Star Wars, Danny Phantom (Dannys stays in Amity and never leaves though, he literally just happens to become a halfa) and DC.

(Its important to note this was written in 2024)

A fact known to Anakin and Anakin alone is that Obi-Wan was reincarnated to take part in Star Wars. He was born in the year 1849 on earth, it was the earth we exist on today, only the future differs. His name was John Kyle, an archeologist who is a retired medic from a long forgotten war but also had unofficial diplomatic and fighting training from various tight spots. Years ago John found a child lying in the desert.

Anakin however has simple been alive all those years. He was born in a desert to a human mother captured by scientists ahead of their times, the experimented on her, and he was born from it. He lay on the desert dying for years, his unwelcome powers keeping him alive and suffering, this sparked his hatred, of the desert, of the sand, of the scientists. The only thing he remembered were his mother’s dying words “Anakin, you’ll- you’ll be so great, you’ll walk the skies.” as she succumbed to her wounds after giving birth, at least he remembers his name Anakin.

Anakin grew up under John, John becoming the father he never had. By the time he was 20 the war had ended but it scarred him, he never forgot the screams. By the time he was 25 he had stopped aging, blaming the scientists and not explaining his past to John out of fear of rejection. By the time he was 34 and John was 52 John thought he had connected the dots, his apprentice had stolen an artifact they’d both been hunting for and it had carried an ancient plage or power that slowed him down from aging! One day while exploring a volcano it turned active, John saw his chance and pushed the boy in and ran.

Anakin burnt alive, his anger roaring up inside of him the same time a natural portal to the ghost zone opened up in the volcano. Anakins eyes turned fire red, the blood in his veins turned to lava, his rage burnt hotter than the lava ever could. Anakin becomes an oxymoron, even beyond the fact he’s half alive half dead, he died in lava yet his weakness is water (guy never learnt how to swim, after being held underwater and nearly drowned he never really got over it), all ghosts hate what killed them and have weaknesses to it, Anakins death is his power. He takes on an apparence which is basically what he looks like normally but with fangs, sometimes his eyes reflect light or glow though, and when he gets mad his skin heats up, turning charred and what should be exposed flesh turns into lava below the charred skin, also his hair starts to turn to flame. Anakins obsession is revenge and his core is permanently stained with rage.

By the time Anakin gets out a grip on his powers World War 1 starts drafting with the year being 1914, Anakin (despite technically being dead) immediately decides that’s a good idea for blowing off steam and also a way to get actually military experience to murder John with. He hacks a comuptor and signs himself up, putting in his photo, his medical stuff, experience, and everything else on the form, then as he stares at the name box he remembers he’s meant to be dead, he choses a fitting name, Achilles. Achilles wrath matched Anakins rage, Achilles heel matched Anakins weakness to water, and hopefully Anakin will be able to bring the name Achilles some more modern glory.

He gets his dog tag and as sits in a cart heading to war with the rest of his team, Anakin runs his finger over the ingraving in it, careful not to melt it, Achilles. As bordom sets in he remembered other stories of ancient greek, more specifically Aphrodite Areia, Areia was an epithet meaning war like and it seperated Aphrodite Areia from her more commenly known version Aphrodite. He supposes he needs one to if there are to be two great Achilles, in his head he starts referring to himself as Anakin Achilles.

After 4 years at war and another year spent wandering the contry Anakin comes back to where he knows John is just to find out he died of old age around the time the war ended at 68, despite this being quite impressive despite modern medican Anakin promptly decides to go jump into another volcano. It is like a warm bath. But it cheered Anakin up- seriously, who knew volcanos were so nice when you weren’t burning alive?

After this he grabs the blackest clothes he can find and knows will be easy to move in, some fabric which he wraps around his face from nose to chin, tucks his dog tag safely into his clothes, and walked into the nearest bar he knew had shady dealing going on. He promptly intoduced himself as an assasin looking for training and gets pointed to a table full of tough looking people.

Two years later he’s been an assasin apprentice for years, under someone he thinks is called Ra Ah Ghoul. Anakin serves the guy for another 4 years despite thinking he’s kind of an asshole, then runs away. He’s learnt enough to avoid most of Ghouls traps and makes it out with a minor stab wound, he doesn’t really have organs anymore so he’s not worried.

He does take a moment to sit on someones roof top and stare at the stars, he thinks back to his first memories and remembers with a small laugh, the one you give when you’re shocked and in awe and a little breathless but happy, he knows his full name now, his birth name, Anakin Skywalker. He thinks fondly about it and feels like a child for the first time in years, staring up the the stars with the last thing his mother gave him, his name, just for a moment Anakins rage is fully forgotten.

Suddenly he feels to small, he looks down a sees the chubby hands of a baby, he actually physically blinks at that. He can work with this, his life is over due for a bit of normal anyways, he stores his dog tag (the only thing he has attachment to) inside his rib cage using a helpful bit of intangibility and floats down to the door step. He can hear a young, kind, childless couple inside.

Anakin- now named William, danced with his wife, Julia Lotis. He was so truely smitten with her and for the first time in so long he loved the domestic life style, Julia had finally quited the rage always simmering in his core, she was his Angel. He brought Julia in for a kiss and admired her, her long chocolate hair, her warm brown eyes that seemed like cozy fires during the winter rather then his uncontrolled rage. He swung her around in a circle and reached out to catch her when her eyes went wide, he caught her lifeless- pulseless- breathless- body and stared.

He stared at her for a long time, trying to hold back the cracks in his core, but it was like reading a book when the ending was so obvious. He conculded he was going to kill everyone within the city once he got out of shock, Anakin dropped his Angel to the floor, moving to the cupboard on autopilot, he grabbed his darkest clothes and put them on, the knifes he had hidden away just in case were quickly hidden in the folds of his outfit, he pulled out his dog tag, letting it’s reasuring weight lay heavy on his chest.

He walked all the way to Gotham, he didn’t even move as it hailed and stormed, as the ground shook and trees collapses. He walked to Metropolis, it was 1975, anyone who knew anything knew the Justice League was looking for new hires, he wasn’t looking for a job but if he could get to one of the interviews then he’d be immediately be recognised as a threat and subdued.

He stormed into the daily planet building where he knew at least Superman was holding interviews, he scared everyone out of the elevator with a death glare and walked straight into the room he could hear Superman talking in, he pushed open the door “Uh, interviews are over.” Superman abruptly paused, probably taking in Anakins disheveled and disassociating self, Anakin ignored the knife that dropped to the ground “Are you- here for an interview?” Superman asked. Anakin glared at him and jumped Superman as red over took his vision.

Anakin woke up in a cell, a wary Superman stood in front of him dripping his lava “If- you could’ve just said you had fire powers.” Superman said, Anakin sagged down into the chains and Superman looked at him for a second before realisation hit him “You weren’t here to show us your powers, you’re here so we could stop you.” Superman was suddenly no longer hesitant “Sounds like a hero to me, I think we’ve got your powers down, but if you want a spot in the League I only need your name.” It doesn’t take him a second to answer “Achilles.”

By 2002 it was doomsday, for the third time this month. The hero thing certainly wasn’t boring, and various other heros had helped Anakin gain an appreciation for technology, he was a technopath. Any

This is getting way too long, also I accidentally queued it so I’ll just reblog with more.

[theresattrpgforthat]

Heyo, I run a lot of sandbox hexcrawl campaigns, and I was wondering if there was any setting-neutral fantasy generators I could use to help build them on the fly - especially ones that can add settlements and the like as people explore?

THEME: Hexcrawl Generators

Hello friend. When it comes to hex crawls, I understand that pre-written worlds are different from hex-crawl generators. Pre-written hex crawls can be modular, but the setting usually pretty pre-established. On the other hand, there’s plenty of world-generating games that can be pretty setting-agnostic and rather focus on providing oracles to make discovery exciting and somewhat unpredictable. So let’s tackle some of each piece of your list, and maybe we’ll find something that works!

The Undying Sands and Bottled Sea, by Games Omnivorous.

The Undying Sands is a weird desert setting in a weird format. Heavily inspired by Antiquity  and sprinkled with sci-fi elements from Mad Max and Jodorowsky’s Dune, the Undying Sands is a lost decaying civilization. Its glorious past long gone, the Sands are now a wasteland of sorts, dotted with crumbling ruins, antiquated temples, lost technology, and pristine natural wonders beyond the reach of most.

The Bottled Sea is an alternate dimension, where ships and sailors from across history are sucked inadvertently into, through strange wormholes and foul circumstance. Locked in a timeless state, the Sea is a flooded realm of buoyant wastes, coral-reefs of multiversal debris, floating wrecks, and makeshift technology, littered with sunken vestiges of a world that was or could yet be. Four factions with competing agendas vie for control over the Harborage, a suspended port city of rubble and ruin in the very centre of the endless waters.

Both of these games are modular hex tiles, so the lore is pre-written, but because the tiles are drawn randomly, nobody knows where they’ll be heading next until they get there! The games come with a GM screen full of helpful tips and information, and there will be special dungeons and encounters on certain tiles. The designers also have expansions for both of these games available in pamphlet form on their website. This can provide the random generation you’re looking for, as long as you are excited about the setting provided.

Hexcrawl Tool, by Horoscope Zine.

This is a simple tool to help you hexcrawl.

When it comes to finding something that is truly setting-agnostic, this tool is probably what you’re looking for. The tool provides two different ways to determine what lies in the next hex, and uses a simple oracle to tell you what kinds of terrain you’ll be walking into. You can use ideas from other world building games to flesh it out, or even hack it using oracles such as the Hey What’s That Planet oracle from junkgolem, or point-crawl adventures such as The Gardens of Ynn, by Dying Stylishly games. 

The creator has a number of their own system-neutral sandboxes and dungeons, so you can also browse their shop for ideas!

Gen:Hex by marchcrow.

Gen:Hex is a two-page sheet that has several tables to help you generate exotic locales, storied cities, fascinating NPCs and more - on the go! Fits nicely in the back of an A5 journal. Can be used for solo RPG play or collaborative. The parts aren't interlocking so you can use what helps you propel your story forward. 

This is perhaps the best-fitting oracle for some of the above hex map generators, allowing you to fill in the gaps that you’ll find with some of the other generators on this list. It’s two pages of tables with lists of encounters, landscapes, features, troubles and more. 

Hex Kit, by Cone of Negative Energy.

Hex Kit is a multi-platform desktop application for building hex maps to be used with table top role playing games. Rather than being bogged down by features and complications, Hex Kit is built to be intuitive and quick to use with an emphasis on art.

This is an application, rather than a game, so it’s probably more useful for making your hex look uniform in some way after you generate it. The application comes with a number of basic tools, but the creator’s storefront has a number of additional tiles that you can import, and you can get additional hexes from other creators, such as the HPS Cartography Kit, and The Tiles of Xark, by Highland Paranormal Society.

These tools don’t come with oracles for the hexes - it’s up to you to decide what each hex means. If you want to see something that makes use of this application (and you want some random tables), you can check out Hexception, a mega-hexcrawl by kumada1.

If you bought the Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality back in 2020, you already own Hex Kit and HPS Cartography Kit!

Games I’ve Recommended in the Past

Wonderfall, by Catscratcher Studio. (Technically solo but has great generators for locations, encounters, people and quests.)

[durofillseo]

Epoxy Hacks You Didn't Know Existed: Let's Get Crafty!

Glass bond epoxy. You know it for fixing broken treasures, but did you know it holds a treasure trove of hidden talents? Buckle up, crafters, because we're about to unleash a wave of epoxy hacks that will transform your projects from ordinary to extraordinary! glass epoxy

Beyond the Bond: Unleashing Epoxy's Creative Potential

Forget the limitations! Epoxy is your secret weapon for crafting magic:

Liquid Art Mastery: Turn a plain glass sheet into a captivating artwork. Use colored epoxy resin to create vibrant swirls and layers, resembling a mesmerizing fluid painting. Craft one-of-a-kind coasters, wall hangings, or even decorative tabletops that will be the envy of all your crafty friends.

Nature's Enchantments: Preserve the beauty of the outdoors! Press dried flowers, leaves, or feathers between layers of clear epoxy to create stunning coasters, jewelry pieces, or decorative wall hangings. Capture a piece of nature in a permanent and artistically captivating way.

Glowing Nightlights for Grown-Ups: Who says nightlights are just for kids? Craft custom nightlights with a touch of sophistication! Cast a simple shape from clear epoxy and embed small LED lights within. The result? A soft, glowing nightlight that adds a touch of modern elegance to any room.

Functional Fun: Epoxy Hacks for Everyday Use

Epoxy isn't just about aesthetics; it's a champion of practicality too:

Upcycled Furniture Revival: Give your old furniture a new lease on life! Reinforce loose joints, fill in cracks, or even create custom inlays with epoxy. Transform a tired dresser into a statement piece or breathe new life into a wobbly table, all with the power of this versatile adhesive.

Master of the Messy Kitchen: Create water-resistant havens for areas prone to moisture. Apply a thin layer of epoxy to wooden cutting boards, plant saucers, or even bathroom countertops for a durable and stylish finish that repels water and makes cleaning a breeze.

DIY Jewelry with Personality: Epoxy opens doors to a world of unique jewelry creations. Cast small molds with colored epoxy and embed tiny objects like dried flowers, beads, or even (ethically sourced, of course!) insects. The result? One-of-a-kind pieces that showcase your artistic personality and spark conversation.

Beyond the Craft Room: Epoxy Hacks for the Unexpected

The power of epoxy extends beyond the craft room and into the world around you:

Life Hacks for the Accident-Prone: We've all been there – a chipped phone case or a favorite pair of sunglasses with a broken hinge. Don't despair! A small amount of epoxy can fix these mishaps in a jiffy, saving you money and extending the life of your belongings.

Taming Tangled Cords: Tired of unruly phone chargers and headphone wires? Apply a small dot of clear epoxy to the base of the plug where it meets the cord. This creates a reinforced connection that prevents annoying fraying and keeps your cords tangle-free.

DIY Coasters with a Twist: Skip the store-bought coasters and create your own unique set! Use epoxy to adhere interesting objects like bottle caps, Scrabble tiles, or even seashells to a sturdy base. This adds a personalized touch to your coffee table and sparks conversation with guests.

A Few Words of Caution: Safety First!

While these hacks are exciting, remember safety is paramount. Always wear gloves and eye protection when working with epoxy and ensure proper ventilation in your workspace. Additionally, be mindful of the curing time and avoid handling the bonded object until it's completely cured.

Embrace the Experimentation: The Epoxy Revolution Awaits!

With its versatility, strength, and surprising applications, glass bond epoxy is more than just a glue; it's a gateway to boundless creativity and practical solutions. So, the next time you reach for this remarkable adhesive, remember, the possibilities are endless. From crafting stunning art pieces to tackling everyday repairs, unleash your inner inventor and embrace the epoxy revolution! After all, the only limit is your imagination! Glass Bond Epoxy

[hashtagmark-com]

Can you add hashtags after posting on Instagram?

Welcome to all Instagram enthusiasts out there, eager to master the art of hashtagging! Today, we unravel a hidden secret that might just change the way you approach Instagram marketing. The burning question: Can you add hashtags after posting on Instagram? Let's dive in and find out.

Hashtag Nation:

In the vast realm of Instagram, hashtags reign supreme. They have become the glue that binds millions of global users together, allowing content to be discovered and appreciated far beyond the reach of followers. But what happens when you forget to include essential hashtags initially? Don't worry; all is not lost!

The Hashtag Journey:

Instagram has blessed us with a feature that enables users to edit captions on their posts, even after publishing. This feature, combined with the magic of hashtags, opens a whole new world of possibilities for optimizing your posts for maximum reach. Gone are the days of despair and missed reach – you can now rescue your posts from the hashtag abyss!

Also try: Instagram hashtag generator Hashtagmark.com

The Hashtag Hack:

Here's how you can add hashtags to your already published Instagram posts:

1. Copy Your Original Caption: Open the post you want to amend and copy the original caption. It could be a witty line, heartfelt message, or captivating storytelling – don't let it go to waste!

2. Prepare Your Hashtags: Draft a list of relevant hashtags that align with your post's theme and audience. Remember, quality over quantity is the golden rule, so choose wisely.

3. Edit Your Caption: Tap on the three-dot menu on your post, select "Edit," and paste the original caption. This is where the hashtag magic begins!

4. Add the Hashtags: Scroll down to the end of your caption and add the hashtags you carefully curated. Remember to keep them relevant and specific to increase your chances of being discovered.

5. Connect with Trending Hashtags: While you're editing, take this opportunity to connect with trending hashtags related to your post. Capitalize on popular conversations happening on Instagram to broaden your audience reach.

6. Engage with the Instagram Community: Now that your hashtags are in place, make sure to engage with the Instagram community. Like, comment, and follow accounts that align with your content. Engaging with others' posts increases the likelihood of reaching a wider audience organically.

And just like that, you've cracked the code and discovered the Hashtag Hack! The ability to add hashtags after posting on Instagram is a game-changer for content creators, influencers, and businesses looking to amplify their reach. So don't let those forgotten hashtags get you down – it's never too late to optimize your content and dive into the buzzing world of Instagram hashtags.

[casinobogto]

The Cryptocurrency Revolution: Redefining the Way We Transact and Interact

Introduction

In the age of digital transformation, cryptocurrencies have emerged as a transformative force, challenging traditional financial paradigms and ushering in a new era of decentralized and borderless transactions. Since the introduction of Bitcoin in 2009, the world of cryptocurrencies has evolved into a dynamic and complex ecosystem, captivating the imagination of technologists, investors, and innovators alike. click reference

The Core Concepts of Cryptocurrencies

At its heart, a cryptocurrency is a digital or virtual form of money that uses cryptography for secure transactions and control of new units. Unlike traditional currencies issued by central banks, cryptocurrencies are typically decentralized and operate on a blockchain, a distributed ledger technology that ensures transparency and immutability.

Blockchain, the underlying technology of cryptocurrencies, is a network of interconnected nodes, each storing a copy of the entire transaction history. This decentralized structure eliminates the need for intermediaries and central authorities, enabling peer-to-peer transactions and reducing the risk of fraud.

Key Advantages of Cryptocurrencies

Financial Inclusion: Cryptocurrencies have the potential to provide financial services to the unbanked and underbanked populations, allowing them to access and participate in the global economy.

Borderless Transactions: Cryptocurrencies enable seamless cross-border transactions without the need for traditional intermediaries, reducing transfer fees and transaction times.

Ownership and Control: Users have greater control over their funds and personal information, as transactions can be conducted pseudonymously and without the need for revealing sensitive data.

Innovation in Finance: The introduction of smart contracts has paved the way for decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms, enabling self-executing agreements and automated financial services.

Diverse Cryptocurrency Landscape

Beyond Bitcoin, the cryptocurrency landscape has burgeoned with a multitude of projects, each with distinct functionalities and use cases:

Ethereum (ETH): Renowned for introducing smart contracts, Ethereum enables developers to build decentralized applications (dApps) and execute complex code on its blockchain.

Ripple (XRP): Focused on facilitating fast and low-cost cross-border payments, Ripple aims to revolutionize the way financial institutions transfer value internationally.

Cardano (ADA): Driven by a research-focused approach, Cardano seeks to provide a secure and scalable platform for the development of dApps and smart contracts.

Polkadot (DOT): With a unique focus on interoperability between blockchains, Polkadot aims to create a decentralized and interconnected web of blockchain networks.

Challenges and Considerations

Despite their potential, cryptocurrencies face several challenges:

Regulation and Legal Uncertainty: The evolving regulatory landscape poses uncertainties that impact the adoption and growth of cryptocurrencies.

Security Concerns: The security of cryptocurrency exchanges and wallets remains a concern, as cyberattacks and hacking incidents continue to threaten users' assets.

Volatility: Cryptocurrency prices can be extremely volatile, raising questions about their suitability for stable transactions and long-term investments.

Environmental Impact: Some cryptocurrencies require substantial energy consumption for mining and transactions, leading to concerns about their carbon footprint.

The Road Ahead

The trajectory of cryptocurrencies points toward a future characterized by innovation, disruption, and integration into mainstream society. As blockchain technology matures and scalability solutions are developed, cryptocurrencies could become integral components of various industries, including supply chain management, healthcare, and digital identity.

Moreover, central banks and governments are exploring the issuance of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), potentially bridging the gap between traditional finance and the world of cryptocurrencies.

Conclusion

Cryptocurrencies have redefined how we perceive and engage with money, paving the way for a more inclusive, efficient, and technologically advanced financial landscape. As the cryptocurrency revolution unfolds, it is essential to strike a balance between innovation and regulation, addressing challenges while harnessing the transformative potential of this groundbreaking technology. Whether cryptocurrencies eventually become a cornerstone of the global financial system or a catalyst for broader technological innovation, their impact on society is undeniable and will continue to shape the future of finance and beyond.

[braveryhearted]

More obscure muses ( Introduction ) series.

Fandom: Dot Hack GU.

Muse #3- Ovan / Masato Indou

Age: 25-26 ( anime, manga, light novels and games )

Ovan is a powerful Steam Gunner and the former leader of the Twilight Brigade. He is also the Epitaph User titled "The Rebirth", being able to summon Avatar Corbenik.

Ovan is a very mysterious person. Generally quiet, when he does speak, everybody listens. He is capable of commanding the attention of everybody around him with little effort. He seems to know quite a bit about events in The World R:2, though his quiet nature makes it unclear exactly how much knowledge he actually has.

He frequently disappears from the game for long stretches of time; while he says it's related to his job in the real world, whether that is true or not is up for debate. As a Steam Gunner of an extremely high level, he has progressed beyond having to worry about trivial matters such as leveling or PKers, leaving him plenty of time to work on his long term goals, whatever they may be. One thing to note, though he never seems to lie, he has the habit of not giving a straight answer, leaving others to make their own judgments.

Ovan's player is named Masato Indou, who once worked as a Network Administration Bureau investigator. He has met with Shino, and seems to keep in contact with her outside of the game. He also has a younger sister named Aina. During the events of .hack//Redemption, in findings by the Network Administration Bureau, Ovan was suspected of creating the AIDA virus in order to shut down the internet, this being only half-true.

Immediately afterword, an international warrant was issued from Interpol for his arrest. Near the end of the G.U. Games, the charges were dropped after an anonymous CC Corp employee revealed that his company was blaming Ovan for its own wrongdoings. Throngs of The World R:2 players were seen protesting CC Corp in support of the iconic treasure hunter.

Ovan is the only Epitaph User who doesn't join Haseo's party in the original .hack//G.U. games.

[cyphershield2022]

Which crypto wallet is more secure?

A cryptocurrency user should be able to:

Learn how to buy/sell Bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies through cryptocurrency exchanges.

Understand the capabilities of the different types of crypto Ethereum wallets and be able to choose the one that best suits them. Fund storage within a centralized exchange is not always secure.

Use encryption and additional security features.

Usage Statistics

There are more than 75 million Bitcoin wallets compared to 53 million a year ago according to Statista.

Coinbase announced 56 million verified users in early 2021.

According to NASDAQ, there are approximately 46 million Americans who own at least a fraction of Bitcoin's active cryptocurrency users, which translates to approximately 17% of the adult population.

Much data is missing from emerging markets.

Bitcoin's market capitalization is approximately $940 billion, with the total crypto market capitalization above $2 trillion.

Mismanagement of users often leads to the loss of private keys, passwords, and consequently, the loss of billions of dollars in crypto funds.

Even though cryptocurrency users in numbers are currently a fraction of the number of users engaged with conventional payment mechanisms like Visa, PayPal, and Mastercard (each having hundreds of millions of users), awareness and cryptocurrency adoption. Therefore, this article is a useful tool for new users to understand the capabilities of various types of crypto wallets and choose the ideal one for their needs.

Cryptocurrency Exchanges

New users should carefully select the cryptocurrency exchanges they sign up with. There are thousands of them, but there are certain features to look into before joining any of them: Fees: Deposit, transaction, and withdrawal fees vary between exchanges. Most of them favor larger transactions. Check the website of each exchange for detailed information. Cryptocurrency friendly: Choose an exchange that allows you to trade a variety of cryptocurrencies beyond Bitcoin (for example, ETHER, AVAX, DOT, ADA, ALGO, HOLO, SWAP, etc.) Reputation: User reviews from people within Bitcoin communities are a great tool to access important advice, as this group of people is active and willing to help. Your Verification Requirements: Most centralized exchanges require identification and address verification to deposit and withdraw. Consider staying away from centralized exchanges that allow full anonymity, as they are the most vulnerable to money laundering and scams. Payment Methods: Choose an exchange that allows you to deposit/withdraw with a variety of methods (eg crypto, credit card, debit card, bank transfer, PayPal, AstroPay, etc.)Exchange rate: The exchange rate varies between different exchanges. Advanced users usually sign up to at least 2-3 exchanges to benefit from arbitrage opportunities. Geographic Restrictions: Certain exchanges do not offer full functionality in some parts of the world. Users today tend to use decentralized exchanges (DEXs) rather than centralized ones, due to low barriers to entry in terms of participation requirements, no withdrawal/deposit limits, and elimination of intermediaries. We will take a deeper look at the DEX ecosystem in a future blog post.

Crypto Wallets

Exchanges may not be the optimal way to store crypto funds, as there have been various attacks by malicious parties in the past. When utilizing crypto exchanges, there are various hazards related to third parties. Storing funds on an insecure exchange refers to entrusting the custody of your funds to a third party. Third party risks include:

Fraud (the exchange may not be a legitimate counterparty)

Security (numerous attacks and sharing hacks in the past)

Financial health (if the exchange fails financially, your wealth may also be lost)

Users will be able to choose securely verified exchanges to trade and deposit/withdraw and enable 2-factor authentication from the security settings.

Web Wallets

The web client is the least secure option, after exchanges. Web wallets like BitGo, Green Address, Circle, and Blockchain keep your private keys (also known as your password) on their servers. It can come through a mobile app or by using your browser on a personal computer. + Easy access to your coins from multiple devices + A third party takes responsibility for funds for new users − you are trusting a company not to steal/mismanage you are putting your confidence in a business to protect your money from threats.

Desktop Wallets: Full Nodes

Full nodes (like Bitcoin Core) are software downloaded and installed on a PC or laptop and keep the history of the entire blockchain on your computer. + Help maintain Bitcoin or other cryptocurrency network + Full control and protection, especially if private keys are encrypted with passphrases and regularly backed up + Attacking every full node to perform a network attack is complex, plus slow and expensive for malicious parties − May be vulnerable to Internet attacks, such as spying or computer malfunctions − Most Ethereum blockchain networks take days to download and sync. For most users, this option is not advised due to the required disc space.

Mobile Wallets

We are going on a mobile device (examples: Mycelium, Coinomi) – they usually work as a thin client or a web client. A thin client downloads only part of the blockchain network (saving time and space) and queries full nodes to verify transactions. + Portable, easy and convenient: the smartphone camera scans the QR code of the receiver/dealer and transfers the coins + Best for everyday transactions + If the mobile device is lost or stolen, the funds do not disappear, most of wallets require backups to recover coins. You are required to create a 12 or 24 word mnemonic phrase upon installation − Mobile wallets generally require a PIN

Paper Wallets

Mainly applicable to Bitcoin; pieces of paper containing public and private keys. Users should keep paper wallets in a safe place and keep multiple copies + Protection against online attacks and hardware failure. Can be generated offline with some technical knowledge + Ideal for long-term fund holding and gift provision − Vulnerable to loss, theft and destruction − Users must import paper wallets into the software in order to transfer coins. This is not the case with hardware wallets: you must specify the "exchange" address when spending a portion of the funds, or else you risk losing the remaining balance, due to the way Bitcoin treats the change in transactions.

Hardware Wallets

The most secure option, satisfying maximum security procedures (examples: Trezor, Ledger). + Maximum security (not connected online and therefore cannot be easily compromised) + Private key generation and storage within the device + Users access the wallet with a PIN. Signed transactions within an external PIN-protected device + Backups are essential for hardware wallets, similar to mobile wallets. The only way to lose funds is to lose both the hardware device and the backup phrase − Less convenient than mobile wallets for daily transactions − Users must purchase hardware wallets from original stores to avoid scams Both first-time and advanced users Experienced should consider the maximum security of their wallets. Adequate protection measures require significant investments in additional research.

[bathskybird]

Where does horizon zero dawn take place

The best I could manage at 2160p on a mix of medium and high settings was a stuttering experience that ranged from 25fps to 40fps. Hoping to play Horizon in 4K with performance beyond what the PS4 version can offer? You may also be out of luck. Yet on my setup? Despite playing on a 2080 Ti with a beefy CPU, I experienced framerates that seesawed between the mid 40s and low 50s at the same resolution. The hardware team has also been busy benchmarking the game and experienced averages upwards of 75fps at 1440p on an RTX 2080. Happily for our features producer James Davenport, he ran Horizon at a mostly consistent 60fps at 1440p resolution on an RTX 2080 GPU. Several of the team have played the game across a variety of hardware, and the results are somewhat patchy. Snow-covered wastelands that outdo Rise of the Tomb Raider’s tundras eventually give way to baking prairies that could pass for one of Red Dead Redemption 2’s sweltering deserts.Įarly signs point to Horizon being a slightly inconsistent PC port, though. While the opening hours point to the sort of generic, frost-covered environment so many hypothermia-courting games have already covered, Horizon’s gorgeous world quickly proves itself to be one of the most visually varied around.Īs the story progresses and the restrictions Aloy has been bound by lift, the hunter quickly finds her feet scampering across a hugely diverse landscape. Alongside The Witcher 3, this is one of the most intriguing, believably lived-in open worlds on PC. Horizon Zero Dawn’s world is a lot more interesting than Hope County, though. Horizon’s gorgeous world quickly proves itself to be one of the most visually varied around. Aloy is great at swiping oversized machines down in wide open plains, but plonk her in a boxy camp with guards who can swarm from all sides, and she’s nowhere near as competent a fighter. These base-conquering quests appear all over, so it’s a shame they never showcase the sort of streamlined sneaky confidence Ubisoft finally hit with Far Cry 5.

Want to earn that fancy stealth drop that will let you plummet 50ft without being heard, or open up that skill that lets Aloy draw her bow in slow-motion whenever she jumps? You better murder every primitive bad guy in that nearby camp with the minimum of fuss. What makes these samey, if inoffensive assaults worthwhile? The dangling promise of more XP and unlocking fresh machine-taming abilities. Clearly Aloy copied Far Cry 3 when they were both taking that course in Enemy Strongholds 101, because her map is dotted with encampments you’re encouraged to capture through repetitive stealth takedowns and silent bow kills. In 2020, those overly familiar notes are even more out of tune. When Horizon first launched on console three years ago, there’s no denying it was a little derivative. The first time I encountered one, I may as well have been a flummoxed Alan Grant fumbling to shake off his shades after drinking in the sight of Jurassic Park’s grazing brachiosaurus.Įncounters with Aloy’s fellow humans don’t fare quite so well.

They’re among the most awe-inspiring creatures I’ve seen in any game. These magnificent leviathans more or less work like walking versions of Far Cry’s antenna towers, uncovering areas of the map once you clamber up and hack their satellite skulls. Most captivating of all? Those moments where you crane the camera skywards to admire a lumbering Tallneck leisurely stomping around a set perimeter. The next, you might witness a group of smaller machines scurrying out of the path of a deadly Ravager, as Horizon’s three-ton puma sniffs around for its next likely mechanised meal. One moment you might observe jittery packs of elk-like Broadheads munching on knee high grass, because apparently robots need to eat too. Well, if you can call a 45-foot android crocodile slithering into a lake natural.

Like the odd magic moment where you come across a wild stallion playfully rolling around in the morning dew of Red Dead Redemption’s wetlands, Horizon’s beasts can enthrall with the same style of naturalistic behaviour. It’s also fascinating to see these mechanical wonders simply interact with their environment when they think you’re not looking.

[roirence]

.hack dump

Kofi / Twitter

[dmwrites]

“Xisuma, can you sign this, uh, form for me, please? It needs an admin signature. No need to read it or anything, it’s nothing really. Stupid.” Zed stood as casually as he could, passing over a slip of paper to Xisuma, who put on his reading glasses. “No!” Zed said in a panic. “I mean, no, it’s just, please just sign it. Reading is for losers, am I right? Haha.”

Xisuma looked up at Zed, then back down at the paper, and then up at Zed again. He took off his reading glasses.

“Zedaph, why am I holding a field trip permission form?” Xisuma sounded just so tired.

“I- well, I mean- please sign the form.” Zed tapped his hooves nervously on the floor.

“What on earth kind of trip requires a permission form to go?” Xisuma put his glasses back on.

“It’s for a science experiment!” Zed said. “It’s in another land though, so that’s why I need an admin! Please??? Please X??” Zed begged.

Xisuma reread the paper and let out a long sigh. “Fine, as long as there is a chaperone there.”

“Yes, there is! The best one around! Oh, thank you X! You won’t regret this!” Zed pranced around Xisuma’s office joyfully as Xisuma signed the paper.

----

“Hello BadBoy of the Halo variety!” Zed was in his best lab coat, wool nicely arranged, even with a packed lunch from Beef, standing in a little spawn area.

“Zedaph! Welcome!” A super scary demon with a super big smile stood in front of him. “We are thrilled to finally have you! Here. Have you here.”

“Well, Mr. Halo, my curiosity knows no bounds, and the idea of a huge red egg is something I’ve never encountered before! I am delighted to help you experiment on it.”

“Ah yes, experiment…” Bad said, laughing. “Well, Zed, follow me please, and I’ll take you to The Egg.”

Bad lead Zed down a wooden plank path, which was highly worn. The buildings around, too, seemed worn. Old, falling down, unused, colors fading. It was quiet here, too. Zed wondered what civilization had once been here. Bad indicated for Zed to leap down a hole, and they ended up in a spider spawner farm room. There was a cat person hacking down some spiders- he turned and watched the two walk out of sight. Down a janky mismatched hall, and then Bad turned to the left, where there were a bunch of planks hastily nailed up.

Bad looked at the boards for a second, quiet. “They keep doing this for me.” He took out an axe and chopped them all away, revealing a grand staircase down further into the earth. “Let’s go, Zedaph! Much to do!”

Bad walked briskly down the staircase, but Zed took his time. He wasn’t much of a builder, all things considered, but the brickwork here was… weird. He knew it was nether brick. But it felt… wrong. The color of congealed blood and almost less solid then normal. The whole staircase was meant, clearly, to look grand. But it felt empty. But alive. Like there should be something in it.

“Zed? You coming?” Bad’s voice echoed up to him, almost a little muffled. Zed shook off the shivers he felt and trotted down to where Bad was standing. “Ah good. Thought you got cold feet at the last minute. Wouldn’t want that.” Bad said with a smile that did not reach his eyes. “Shall we?”

“Oh, yes, I am so excited!” Zed rubbed his hands together and took a clipboard out of his bag. He stepped forward into the room and audibly gasped. Zed lived in a world of incredible, but incredible is infinite, and this was beyond anything he’d ever seen. The room was bathed in red, like it was some kind of living cavity and they’d just drained the blood. Red vines hung from the ceiling, and pockets of lava dotted the floor. And there were tendrils, enormous and dominating the floor, walls, and creeping onto the ceiling.

And then there was the egg itself. Bad had described it vaguely over the phone as a red egg that was alive. And seeing it now, Bad hasn’t been to far off the mark. It sat in a corner, the epicenter of it all. And there was this deep ache of sentience all around. The air moved like something was breathing, but it was a weird sensation, like the air was taken out of Zed’s lungs when it took a breath. And it was dead silent, minus pops of lava and the footsteps of Bad and Zed.

“Oh wow.” Zed leaned down to study a vine. “This is insane! And it’s just been here, waiting for someone to find it?”

“Come closer to the egg, Zedaph. There’s a lot more to… study over here.” Zed looked up at Bad and he swore he looked paler then before.

“Bad, are you okay? You seem pale. I know this seems scary but we must investigate for science!” Zed asked as he picked his way to the egg.

“What? Oh, I’m fine.” Bad coughed, and some color returned to his body. Not all of it, but some. “Now, we are standing next to The Egg. It’s it amazing?”

“Fascinating!” Zed whispered, leaning in until his nose was almost against the egg.

“Do you hear it?” Bad’s voice seemed a little lower then before, and almost too gleeful.

“Hear what?” Zed said distractedly, jotting down a few notes.

“The egg.”

Zed looked up in surprise. “Is the egg talking to you?”

“Yes! And what about you, Zedaph? Do you hear it calling to you?” Bad leaned towards Zed, a look of urgency now on his face.

“No, but that’s so interesting! It is alive, or is speaking somehow! Fascinating! I can already think of so many tests we can do!” Zed was writing frantically.

Bad sighed. “Okay, let me ask you this. Zedaph, how do you feel about The Egg?”

“Excited!” Zed was indeed shaking with excitement. “I can not wait to study this thing! We could change the world with our discoveries!”

“So you like the egg?” Bad sounded excited too.

“I suppose so! I mean, it’s just some egg, so liking it is a relative term, but I like that it’s a weird thing to investigate!”

“So you’ll join the Eggpire, then?”

Zed looked up from his notes. “The what? Eggpire? Is that some kind of scientific group?” He gave Bad a concerned look. “You okay, my guy? You look…” Zed trailed off, not quite sure how to say “terribly happy and sad at the same time” without sounding rude. That, and the tears rolling down his face were surprisingly red. Maybe it was just the light.

“Yes, the Eggpire is just a big group of people who like studying The Egg.” Bad nodded.

“Excellent.” Zed looked at the egg again, full of thoughts, too many to even make an egg pun.

“And, just to be clear, you feel good about The Egg? You don’t hate it?”

Zed frowned and looked at Bad again. “Bad, it’s just an egg. There is no good or bad here. It’s just science. It doesn’t have like, eldritch powers or something.”

Bad gave Zed a long, searching look. “Yeah… of course, you’re right…”

“Frankly, I think we should make an omelette out of this when we’re done experimenting on it! It kind of gives me the heebie-jeebies, to be honest with you.”

[echo-of-sounds]

it’s okay to cry

Short drabbles of you comforting Aizawa, Toshi, and Gang Orca during a weak moment.

I feel like these aren’t as good as they could be. But I wanted to get something out today, so I hope you enjoy them. I also want to thank and credit @mrsvash​ for inspiring this piece and giving me the ideas for Toshi’s and Kugo’s!

Warnings: blood and vomiting/cough blood

Aizawa Shouta

“Hey,” you sighed at Shouta when he entered the apartment.

All you got was a grunt before he trudged into the bedroom. You didn’t expect a joyous homecoming, but you figured he’d be a little happy to see you. You’ve barely spoken to, let alone seen him, the past week. Every night you just got another text about his seventeen-hour day and hours of grading and what little sleep he’s gotten.

After a few stiff minutes, worry overcame you, sending you to find him. He was ripping a brush through his hair. It caught on a knot, provoking enough anger for him to launch it. Thankfully, it was towards the bed and not the wall.

You snatched it before he could. “Give it to me.”

“No.”

He growled your name.

“Shouta, I understand you’re angry, but don’t take it out on yourself like-”

“I’m not angry.”

“Okay, you’re not angry. Still, let me help you,” you muttered. He reluctantly accepted your hug. His entire body held tense under your hands. You pulled back and cupped his face, stroking his cheek with your thumb. Strands of hair massed together. Red strained his eyes beyond their limit. Able to feel his exhaustion, you whispered, “I’m sorry, Sho. I know work’s been really hard on you lately. I hate seeing you like this.”

Bristles roughed along your palm as he nudged it. He spoke lower than you did, “I wish I could have one day without anything happening..”

“I know. I’m sorry it’s gotten to this point. You don’t deserve this stress.” You kissed his forehead, still petting his cheek. Next, you pecked his nose, grazing down to dried, cracked lips. They reacted to yours for a proper yet lazy kiss. His shoulders gave just a little.

You sat him on the bed where you crawled behind him, meticulously parting his hair into four sections. The separation helped minimize tugging when you began the long endeavor of brushing out the knots.

And it lasted for a good ten minutes. You could finally run your fingers through his hair catching no tangles. “Stay,” you told him when he was about to stand. He didn’t argue.

The bottle waited on the bureau. You grabbed it and retook your position. With plenty of lotion in hand, you lathered it across his shoulders and back. Strained and scarred skin soaked it up, no doubt appreciating the moisture as you rubbed it in, tenderly massaging his trapezius. You kept your fingers light since you did not know how overworked they were. From his sighs, you guessed it was pleasant.

“I love you.” You kissed his neck and pumped out more lotion for his lower back. Your thumbs kneaded along the middle muscles, earning a hiss that dulled into a handsome groan. Fingers pushed down and out. Lotion nourished abused skin. His shoulders yielded more and more.

“I’m so proud of you,” you hummed against his shoulder.

Sho placed his elbows on his knees, burying his head in his hands. The stifled sniffle told you everything. You didn’t need to see them. Knowing he was letting himself experience his emotions was all you wanted.

You put your legs around his waist, resting on his back, feeling his heat and quick breaths. Your lips continued with their kissing, your hands with their rubbing, occasionally cooing your love and praise.

Yagi Toshinori

You slowly opened the bathroom door, finding Toshinori curled up on the floor, hugging himself for warmth, sleeping on a towel. Trickles of blood fell from his lips, spotting the tiles. His scar appeared angrier, wrothing, disabling in the artificial light.

You softly shook his shoulder and whispered his name. He jarred awake, scanning for a fight. “It’s alright, baby. It’s just me.” You kissed the back of his hand then held it to your cheek. His skin was ablaze, warming your lips when you muffled into it, “It’s alright, Toshi. It’s alright.”

He struggled to sit up and slipped his hand away. The distance in his eyes chilled all the heat, sinking your heart because you knew what he was about to say: “Go to the living room. You don’t need to see this-”

“Toshi, don’t. Not today.”

“-This isn’t your problem.”

“Please.”

“I don’t want you to see-” Red leaked as he hacked into his hand. He moved for the toilet, choking, gagging out blood and bile. You rubbed his back, trying your best to soothe him through the flare. All the muscles in his torso seized. Skin rinsed in red and sweat. It strained his neck, flaring tendons, forcing water from his sunken eyes.

After one more heave, his body collapsed. He hardly had the strength to catch himself before his forehead smashed to the toilet seat. You guided him to rest against the wall so you could flush and wet a washcloth.

Toshi flinched from the cloth, his eyes snapping open again. He exhaled seeing it was you and let you calmly and gently wipe his face. His lips lowered at the quiet care, quivering from whatever stirred his mind while he stared at the ceiling.

A tear trailed down his cheek with his whimper, “I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have to deal with this… with me. I’m so sorry. You don’t deserve-”

“Shhh, honey.” You kissed his clammy forehead. “I don’t ‘deal with you.’ I love you. I help you and take care of you. And it’s okay to cry,” you mouthed, feeling a sting in your throat.

His eyes squeezed, and he took in a shaky breath.

“It’s okay. I know you’re in pain. I know it hurts. It’s okay to cry.”

And he did, folding his legs to his chest, mashing his palms to his eyes. Tears fell. Hiccups sounded. Little whimpers came next, “I hate this…”

You cautiously coddled him to your chest.

“I’m so tired of this…”

“I know, honey. I’m so sorry you have to go through this.” You brushed his hair from his face, revealing exhausted, destroyed eyes. Your lips pressed to his forehead. “I’m so sorry.”

You traced his jaw, kissing and sighing against him. Long legs interlocked with yours. Specks of blood dotted your shirt. You paid it no mind, accepting the weight bearing down on you as he snuggled deeper into your chest, trying to shove the world away.

Despite the sweat and embrace, Toshi shivered. A towel was the best you could do. Though it only covered his shoulders and chest, barely able to fit his arms. You swaddled the rest of him with your body, sheltering red ears, rubbing exposed, goosebumped skin, and kissing tears and trembles, all while he whimpered of pain.

Gang Orca

The apartment door opened. Kugo’s footsteps plodded into the bedroom. You looked up from your book, smiling sympathetically at his disheveled appearance. “Hey, you’re home late. Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” The way he yanked off his shirt and tossed his belt to the side told you he wasn’t, in fact, fine.

The bathroom door slammed behind him. The shower started. You left him alone through it, hoping it’d give him time to relax. But you did pick up his clothes, placing his underwear, shirt, and pants into the hamper, hanging up his vest, and straightening out his belt and tie. The suit’s jacket had a few rips on the sleeve. You set that aside. It could be easily repaired.

When the water stopped, another thing slammed. You heard Kugo swear through the door.

You knocked, asking, “Kugo, are you okay?”

The door blew open. You shuffled back. The temper that boiled so bright immediately ceased once his eyes landed on you. His shoulders dropped. His head hung. He rubbed his eyes, sighing, “I’m sorry. Today was… It was not good.”

“I’m sorry.” Your fingers reached for his, only able to wrap around two of them. “Do you want to talk-”

“No.”

Not needing an explanation, you nodded and brought him to the bed, undoing the towel before he laid down. When you rested beside him, he turned around. It worried you how he hid his face. Whatever was haunting him, you wanted to be there to help free.

Delicately and ready to pull away if needed, you reached for the large dorsal fin. Just as your skin touched his, his head moved. You froze. You watched and waited until he settled to try again. He remained still this time, allowing you to softly stroke the sensitive fin, smoothing to his neck and shoulders, observing the strong muscles twitching so faintly under your fingers.

Kugo’s hum was indistinct. A glint shined from his eye. You thought you imagined it, but then another came. You flattened to his back and embraced his frame, kissing the line of where black met white, eventually ebbing to the corner of his mouth.

Your lips caressed the patch of white around his eye and lifted the tear that threatened to fall. You hushed, “I love you.”

Massive fingers weaved with yours, bring your hand to rest on his heart. You nuzzled into his neck, laid your leg on his waist, swathing him the best you could, and listened to the subtle sniffles, comforting him between tears.

[cdroloisms]

Hello, idk if you’ll see this, nor do you have to take this request. But I’ve been thinking, and thought up: Dream joined the egg, but not because it offered him world domination or a happy family or any of that; no it offered to treat him kindly, to be affectionate, to be a friend, basically offering him human decency. (With an add on of everyone believing it was for some big reason, but the actual reason gets revealed somehow) if that made any sense. (Idk if this counts as an au or not)

[ask: if dream showed up to the red banquet, that would be very sexy of the writers to make him join the eggpire instead of the pro-omlette]

hehe egg!dream has so much potential ,, this is a ficlet i’ve been working on for a while (writer’s block my detested) but i finally finished it up !! it’s a bit unpolished but oh well - they cant all be winners lmao 

tw: body horror, blood, injuries, implied torture/abuse, starvation, possession, dark/disturbing imagery, dark content, pandora’s vault/prison arc 

Dream gets corrupted by the Egg, because of course he does.

Sapnap trudges through the vine-filled hallway, his face bundled firmly with a holy-water soaked bandana to keep out the worst of the spores. It’s a shoddy defense, but he doesn’t plan to stay long; he’s only been sent on reconnaissance, to see what public enemy number one is planning and get out as quickly as he can. As much as the entire server wants Dream dead, trying to defeat the man the first time was enough of a feat, never mind with the power of a giant demon egg on his side - to try and fight him now would be practically impossible.

The floor squishes underneath his boots, and his lips curl in disgust; the vines are thick and moist and feel ugly and rotten to the core. He can’t imagine anyone being anything but repulsed by the things, but he guesses it makes sense for Dream to be drawn here - corruption attracts corruption, it seems. It only figures that Dream would be desperate enough for power to let himself get possessed by the living - if you could really call it living - embodiment of decay and deterioration itself. The feeling of the floor giving way underneath his footsteps has another wave of revulsion crawling up his throat, though he’s not sure if it’s directed towards the Egg or his former friend or both.

He reaches the end of the hallway, an itching, pulsing feeling of wrong filling the air in the room just beyond the haphazard archway carved into the stone. With careful hands, Sapnap draws the bandana further up his face, making sure that it is tied securely behind his head - just beyond this wall lies the belly of the beast, the heart of the rot slowly but surely spreading its influence over the entire server. Something hums in the air; whispering, otherworldly sounds pierce through his armor and settle beneath his skin; he pushes on. He knows better than to listen, to try and make sense of the words within the noise - from what he’s heard, by the time you understand what it is saying, it’s too late.

He steps inside; the room feels, for the lack of a better word, red. He’s better suited for the place than most, being a Netherborn and therefore more used to the oppressive heat and heaviness of the air, but there’s something undeniably wrong about how this place feels, something entirely Other having made its home in the room. Every inch of the place feels hostile, angry, hungry, recognizing him as someone foreign and wanting nothing more than his destruction. Unlike the Red Forests, which teemed with life - piglins and hoglins and giant fungus - this room is little more than a twisted mimicry, sucking the air dry, leaving little more than husks behind.

His hand immediately goes to his sword, drawing it with a dull, metallic scrape. The room is eerily silent save for the Egg’s hissing whispers, and he frowns; he’d expected an attack, but the room is still, quiet; a mockery of peace that only makes the uneasy feeling in his gut grow further. He trudges forward, watching against the puddles of lava and smoking magma scattered over the floor, but nothing stirs.

There’s a growing pressure against his skull with each step into the room, and his hand tightens on his communicator; they’d set up a stasis chamber, just in case things went south, his way out of this place only a few button presses away. Still, nothing moves; no Bad or Ant popping out of nowhere, weapons in hand, no Dream driving an axe between his shoulder blades as he’s done so many times before in their spars. There’s only the sound of his footsteps against the rotting growths on the floor and his own heartbeat thudding in his ears and the Egg’s warbling voice, beneath it all - beckoning, almost kind.

He swallows, throat dry, and moves forward.

His feet carry him to the back corner of the room, to the rotting, pulsing core of the wrongness plaguing the entire server. Even through his bandana, the air feels foreign, nearly choking him, and he strains his eyes against the glare of the lava to look up at the vines’ rancid heart, the Egg. Up close, it’s almost underwhelming, only about three times his height, hardly coming halfway up to the ceiling of the room. What it doesn’t have in size, however, it makes up in sheer presence; the hissing whispers in his head grow louder, crawling under his skin and between his bones, and he curses under his breath as he prepares to call for his way back. Dream isn’t here; the mission is a bust.

“Sapnap?”

He freezes.

It takes a moment to realize that the voice wasn’t in his head, as raspy and unsettling as it was, and his eyes traced the edges of the Egg to a dull colored shape at its side, completely overlooked in his initial sweep of the room. He watches, a dull horror rising in his chest, as the shape moves, twists around on itself in an entirely unnatural way like a marionette pulled by its strings. A pale dot rises from where it had been hidden against the bright red of the Egg; it’s a face, Dream’s face, covered in clawing vines, stark against the bone-white of his sun-starved skin, vomit racing up his throat at the sight of the vines having made their homes in jagged wounds all over his face and neck and disappearing into the torn scraps of his prison uniform, each one spilling crimson in the form of writhing vines and thorns instead of blood.

“Sapnap,” Dream says again, his mouth moving with the words but something entirely other having made its home in the air of his lungs, a shivering rasp to his voice that lifts and falls with the same desperate hunger that saturates every tainted inch of the room. His neck tips to the side, shifted over by a twisting vine tangled within his hair and wrapping a crown of blood-red thorns over his forehead, tendrils drooping over his face and framing the gaunt edges. “You came.”

“Dream-” the anger comes back, familiar, at the other’s words - the same red-hot rage that had boiled within him in that first and only prison visit (you took so long) but it dissipates as fast as it comes. Dream - if this remnant, this shade, this corrupted, mangled half that seems more corruption than human can even be called the name of one he had once considered his best friend, his brother - stumbles closer, held up by the vines that twist over his shaking legs, one having the pale, ragged edge of a bone clearly having ripped through skin - and Sapnap does throw up, this time, dragging the bandana from his face and heaving bile all over the floor.

“What happened-” he cries, flames licking up his arms in defense when his friend-turned-monster-turned-this steps closer on a wreck of a leg that should not be able to bear weight, stumbles back to a roaring in his ears-

He is mine he came broken came shattered and I gave him everything I gave him his heart’s desire I am his savior his grace he asked for warmth and he asked for comfort and he asked for nothing but for someone to take his pain and he is mine he is mine he is mine

He freezes, hand tightening over his communicator; Dream stares at him with the one dull-green eye not covered by the vines splayed over his too-pale face, mouth moving but no sound coming out. The roaring, angry sound in Sapnap’s ears grows louder, follows the shape of Dream’s lips come join your friend come with me I will give him to you you have failed him once but not again not again he is mine but you can be mine also and you will be together together together

“-pnap! Sapnap!” Puffy’s words crackle over the communicator, harsh and loud and snapping him out of his thoughts, “Pull the switch, Sam! No, he’s not responding- pull the switch-”

The world dips, and he heaves in a shattered breath, lungs finally full as he breathes in clear air for the first time in what feels like an eternity, hacking coughs pulled from his throat as he tears the bandana off in one sputtering gasp for breath.

“Sap- Sapnap,” Sam pitches his voice low, comforting, a hand rubbing up and down his back, but all Sapnap can see is the skeleton of a man held together by red thread, the life leached from his skin and leaving nothing left, he asked for nothing but for someone to take the pain and he is mine he is mine he is mine-

“Sapnap,” Puffy’s voice is tinny with concern, “What happened? You stopped responding and the time passed so we pulled the switch on the stasis chamber- are you alright? Did he attack you?”

“I-” -you have failed him once but not again not again you will be together- “I need a moment.”

He scrambles away, feet carrying him away from Church Prime, away from the Holy Land, away away away until he’s standing on the Community House roof, staring at his hands at this home, destroyed, this home, rebuilt, this home, empty and wrong and a shadow of house for a shadow of a man, a shadow of a friend found, a friend lost- and sobs.

What had he done?

[morihaus]

Dawn

The loss of Aldmeris came swiftly and without warning. The whole of the land shook beneath the Aldmer, interrupting the comfortable routine of their lives and forelives, snapping the spirit-mer out of their reverie and rememberance of the dawn.

Bolts of light punctured holes in the bright golden sky, leaving dark voids in their wake. The nobles, the most divine and wise of them all, made calls to all their kin to flock to the harbors, to crowd onto the great ships, to be safe with their pilots and protectorate sorcerers.

The decision was rapidly reached, though not made lightly: they must flee their homeland, Old Ehlnofey is lost to the earth-splitting storm and the swell of the ocean. And the people wept, for not all could board in time; and the people wept, for they had lost their home; and the people wept, for they were afraid, who could say what fate awaited them beyond their waters?

Trinimac, Knight-Champion of Auri-El, stands aboard one of the greatest ships of Aldmeris, beside its pilot, beside the High King, and beside at least a hundred scared Aldmer, huddled together and cowering behind the protective barriers of the spellcasters. His footing is unsure on the deck, for he has never been fond of the sea, and if ever a sea were to take him under and swallow him hole, it would be the roiling dark waves which the vessel now navigated.

A terrified family are within his grasp, a couple and their two children under one arm, his other wrapped around the thick pillar of the mast to keep them righted. Kneeling in the space between the god and the mast is King Aurthelel, divine son of Auri-El, who trembles and clings to his knight protector, his face pale and uncertain, his composure broken for the first time in several centuries.

He looks to the pilot and sees her arms trembling as she keeps hold of the wheel, knuckles white as the rains whip around her and the waves crash against her ship. Two more mer are helping her keep steady, heeding her as she barks orders and assisting in righting the wheel. The ship hits a large wave and for a moment seems to soar over the water- Trinimac tightens his grip on the mast and holds the frightened elves closer to his breastplate as he feels his feet leave the floor, hearing cries of panic all around him- before crashing back down with a massive splash, dousing everyone on deck with frigid ocean water and knocking many of them to the floor. Trinimac holds fast, gritting his teeth and bending down to keep the wailing children dry. Their father whispers assurances over and over between prayers to Auri-El, weeping and holding them close with their mother. The embodiment of the golden god is shivering and hacking up a lung full of saltwater. He offers nothing to the family. It's unclear they even know who they stand beside.

People are pounding at the doors to be allowed below deck, but the lower decks are full to burst with both passengers and crew, trying to mend cracks in the hull and huddling together in fear. It feels scarcely better to be below than above.

The pilot's haggard voice cries out: "UP AHEAD, LOOK!!! SWING PORT, SWING PORT!" Eyes gritting for lack of a helm, Trinimac casts his gaze in front of the ship. What appears to be a massive cyclone stands before them, a towering spiral of wind and water, lightning crackling at its head. His body tenses as he spots what looks like an eye, then another, then another, until the head of the cyclone is lit by a hundred tiny circles of light. He feels the ship rolling beneath him, fighting the waves to try and turn away, but they only seem to raise higher now as they're being pulled to the foot of this storm- this entity.

A massive limb of rippling magic shoots forward from the cyclone, crashing down towards the ship as a hand swats a fly.

The pilot screams again. "BRACE YOURSELVES!"

The ship, almost by chance, rolls to one side, but the near-miss takes affect as it crackles through the water, sending the ocean bright blue and surging a massive wave forth, hitting the ship with such ferocity as to turn it completely on its side.

The pilot and her assistants are able to right it just so in midair, a combination of the turning of rudders and powerful force spells. But they scarcely have time to be thankful, even after the ship lands once again- another wave of cold water soaking everyone aboard the deck- Trinimac looks and sees the eyes of the cyclone turn to face the ship, now doing its best to roll and rock along a path away from the storm. It retracts its limb of light and then raises it again.

"Hold on to the mast." Trinimac quickly says to the family, as well as his liege, and at once he turns and runs to the stern. His gleaming silver boots thud against the wooden floor, and as the ship rolls unpredictably, he almost trips in his haste. But he leaps, almost glides, to stand behind the pilot, who cannot spare the time to look over her shoulder at him. He levels his blade, Penitent, and his shield, and glares up at the limb of the many-eyed giant. "COME THEN!" He yells, his divine voice cutting higher than everything else. "MATCH BLADES WITH ME IF YOU DARE!!!"

The limb descends with greater haste, provoked by his demand. He reels back his sword arm and, with such strength as had never been needed in Aldmeris, cleaves straight through the massive hand, lopping it off at the wrist.

A horrible howl emits, more than just the wind of a storm, and a huge pulse of energy sends the ship skimming forward at a much greater pace. Trinimac is blown clear over the pilot by the force of impact, thudding against the deck below.

As the ship continues on its path, the storm subsides. The sky and sea settle, the clouds part to make way for the golden sky again- but it is not golden, as it always has been on Aldmeris, but deep red, and the great light hangs lower than any Aldmer could ever remember seeing it.

"What- what has happened to the sky..." A young boy asks.

None could answer him, they had no knowledge of this. None but Trinimac, stood again, offering aid to the wounded passengers.

He looks down to the child, who shrinks away at the bare face of the knight, sharp tusked and horned, yet radiant with a light that now seems a dim requiem for their home. "The sun sets here." He wears a frown as he scans the horizon. Nothing but a dull blue sea. Yet he knows where they must be. "We are in Mundus."

Gasps ring out from the few not still in shock. Many cannot bring themselves to believe it. "We... we are in the trap?" One woman asks. "The lie of the doom drum?" Many huddle closer to their loved ones, scandalized by the words she dared utter.

Trinimac only nods.

Silence overtakes the mer on board. The red sky slowly darkens, and again, the Aldmer are scared. None of them have ever lived in a changing world, a world where light fades, where summers set. Little dots of light give them some peace, they slowly fill the sky as the sun made way for them, a procession of sorts. Many distracted themselves by trying to count them all.

This is interrupted by the arrival of more objects in the sky. A girl looks up, eyes wide, and screams.

Everyone quickly looks to see, and now there is only stunned silence.

Many shake and tremble at the terrible sight in the heavens, others begin to sob, some scowl and curse the doom drum and all his wicked works, for it is he who delivers this revolting vision of horror and fear.

Trinimac feels bile in his throat. He turns, for he cannot bear to see the moons.

The Dawn is forever lost. The sky is full of corpses.

[my-writings-and-musings]

Hey I read your oxygen loss scenarios and I absolutely loved them, even if they made me really sad at first, but I still love them entirely! If you're still doing them, could you do one with Fort Max?

Thanks a bunch! Angst with a happy ending is kind of my favorite thing in the world, so I'm glad others feel the same! It absolutely works well with our big Maxy boy!

Here's the other posts for this prompt!

Part One: Here!

Part Two: Here!

Part Three: Here!

Part Four: Here!

Part Five: Here!

Part Six: Here!

Part Seven: Here!

Part Eight: You're Here!

Part Nine: Here!

Part Ten: Here!

Part Eleven: Here!

Part Twelve: Here!

Fort Max

·Somehow, he's fallen for a being so small they fit in his cupped palms, and yet the two of you fit together so well he can't complain. Though he's a tad bit overprotective, you don't mind at all, and understand what drives the behavior even if he doesn't say it. What matters is that he's improving, and adores you so much every little activity is better in his mind when done with you, even just chilling and managing his security reports. That's why you're on his desk at the moment, relaxing on the human sized furniture he occasionally uses as paperweights when you're not around. Every so often you'll look up and find him glancing your way with a loving expression just visible through his attempt to remain neutral, after which point he'll dart his optics back to his work and pretend he's been busy the whole time. You can't help but think you're the reason he can't get much done.

·In addition to his filing reports, he has his monitors open at all times, each of which feeds him the security information for the various sections and systems of the ship. Most of the time there's nothing to report, save for hijinks going wrong or an experiment accidentally knocking things offline, yet he's always quick to respond. The rapid reactions to potential threats has put him on surprisingly good terms with Red Alert. Thus you're none too alarmed when he sees something unusual on one data feed and immediately gets to investigating, his large digits tapping away for answers while he vocalizes his thought process. Curious as always as to what might be the source of the issue, you move in wordlessly and are placed on his shoulder without having to ask. Having you watch him work always makes him feel quite proud after all.

·Initially the issue appears to be a simple bug in the programming of the communication systems, an inconvenient but none too hard to fix dilemma. Seeking out the source however, he finds none of the expected signs of an internal miscalculation, and before you can ask what's wrong he's messaging the bridge with a full alert. You listen as an audibly erratic signal forces him to keep things brief; emergency defense units and protocols need to be scrambled now, the ship is suffering an encrypted hack and a physical assault is undoubtedly inbound. While you feel instinctive fear at every word, somehow being in his presence and seeing him take command lessens that to a remarkable extent, for not much can get through your partner when he's on alert. Unfortunately for him he's anything but unafraid.

·When the line inevitably goes dead, he actually struggles to recall the next phase of his crisis response plans, as having you right beside him makes doing anything but protecting his delicate partner seem insignificant. Only by reminding himself that protecting you requires him to protect the ship is he able to get moving. Double checking your position on his shoulder, he clarifies that you'll be going to the nearest secure zone before he heads off to check various rendezvous points, as the crew is trained for this and the silent alarm has already been triggered. As you settle in on the broad expanse beside his helm, he just manages to grab the last of his spare weapons before a cataclysmic tremor rocks the ship. An audible rumbling through the ship blocks out all sound as you briefly tumble through the air.

·Catching you in a mad dash, he bombards you with questions as to possible injuries before you can clarify that you're fine. Tragically the relief on his face isn't something you get to enjoy for long. A second metallic rumble through the Lost Light turns his expression to a scowl. The enemy must have snagged them with a kind of anchor, he surmises, which no doubt means they'll be boarding in very short order. He needs to get you out of here now. Knowing that high stress situations can exhaust him in ways he's still not used to, you hold one of his digits tightly from your place on his palm. You're ready, you assure him, and you know he's going to be just fine. It works in the smallest way. The two of you draw strength from shared reassuring smiles before he leaves the safety of his office to start moving.

·As usual, he's not really afraid for his own sake as he moves through the hallways, due in no small part to his massive size and strength. For you though, he has to at least admit to himself that he's terrified. Hearing and feeling the tremor as intensely as he did means it must have come from somewhere uncomfortably close by, and that means the likelihood of encountering a threat in the next few minutes was remarkably high. The intensity of Cybertronian combat made such an occurrence not unlikely to be fatal for squishy little you. Yet as he recalls the closest potential drop off spot he can secure you at, he can't help but think on his role as a protector of this ship and how his responsibilities seem divided at the moment. While he has to keep you from harm, the same is true of the crew, and he can hardly ensure your safety if the ship is compromised...

·The decision to take the route he settles on is one not made easily, but it still feels proper. By going a less direct way he can check on multiple key locations only a little out of the way, helping to ensure that protocol is being followed and that the enemy isn't overwhelming their defenses. He can get you somewhere safe, while protecting you and the rest of the crew at once. It doesn't feel ideal, but he has to do his job, right? You can't be safe without the ship, unlike a Cybertronian who can at least endure the vacuum of space and even has a fair chance of surviving a planets fiery atmosphere... Primus, he can't handle thinking about those things. Focusing on getting you to safety along with everyone else is what he has to think of instead, especially with the sensation of your tiny body so warm and delicate in his palm, which he tries to also draw comfort from.

·As you trust him above all else, you don't ask any questions as he moves through the ship, sneaking as much as a bot of his size can in the open hallways. You're hardly scared for your own sake with Fort Max holding you close to his spark. In fact, the world beyond doesn't seem scary at all from this perspective. Being such a massive bot equals out to a rather strong spark, and as close to it as you are, you can feel it humming even now. It's kind of like a miniature sun with how warm and alive it makes you feel. Silly as it sounds, you do believe it feels stronger than when you first met him, as if the healing he's done since has made his very spirit grow brighter. For the sake of that hard earned recovery you hope everything goes smoothly today. It's enough to make you hold on to him a little tighter, just to convey your support.

·Eons of training prevent him from being taken by surprise, but he feels far from prepared as he detects enemy movement down a hallway. The aliens are large, numerous, and well armed. Regardless of their intent to take prisoners, he knows he can't let them go, as the mere possibility of them hurting even a single being on this ship is too much for him to take. Knowing they have to be taken care of is unfortunate with you in his care, as he doesn't want you to see him in combat. But... he trusts himself enough not to take it too far, a realization that makes it easier for him to whisper a warning and secure you in a tiny maintenance hatch, from which you will be safe and hopefully won't observe much. As soon as you promise to stay put he takes off to end the threat as quickly as he can.

·From your spot the chaos of battle is mostly the noises that reach your ears, but through them you're still able to recognize Fort Max as the imminent victor, if only because the fight is so one sided he hardly has to make a sound. It still makes you curl up in the little shelter and hope for it to be over as soon as possible. Yet the darkness of the maintenance shaft makes worrying a tad bit difficult... in fact, it makes you oddly tired. Exhaustion you didn't even notice is suddenly weighing you down, making the battle seem so far away and insignificant, all despite how clearly you realize now isn't the time to sleep. Perhaps the rush of all this has simply worn you down?

·Max finishes off the batch of enemies quickly and without a trace of the usual thrill of battle. He doesn't want to enjoy combat the way he once did, or feel the way he used to when he was at his worst and tearing foes apart actually felt good... As soon as the last enemy is down he returns to you, actually thinking he made the right call for once in checking key locations like this, for now this batch won't be able to hurt anyone. Though his usual luck shows through when he returns and finds you extremely groggy, to the point that even as a bot without medical experience he knows something is wrong, and he scoops you up immediately to start looking for injuries. You react amicably to his concern and assure him you're fine, but your breathless tone gives away that something is obviously affecting your respiration. In a series of horrifying realizations he connects the dots.

·The ship being hacked must have affected everything, including the life support systems you need for the air to be breathable, which he should have considered as a possibility from the very beginning. Without a moment to spare, he tucks you close to his chest and charges towards the medical bay. It's painfully obvious to him now that he made the wrong decision. He should have prioritized you over everything, should have anticipated there being additional threats, should have done a million other things... Hearing your weak reassurance only makes it hurt more. Unable to comprehend what's going on and not getting anything from him but whispered apologies, you just try to stay awake to support him as he runs through the ship at full speed. The only thing that stops him is an ambush from a full legion of enemies, though thankfully he still has enough of a grip to shelter you when the energy weapons start firing. Your tiny form is shielded by the impenetrable armor of his curled body as he briefly retreats to secure you once again, but this time his charge into combat is anything but controlled.

·From a little cubby you watch him unleash total vengeance on a horde of unprepared combatants, his incredible strength reducing enemy weapons and bodies to shreds without a trace of hesitation. Yet as you slip from consciousness there's no fear in your heart. Only sadness, for his sake and your own, as his resurfaced trauma tears into him yet again. It's worse than that though, he blames himself almost more than the enemies he tears apart, because protecting you was supposed to be his job. He'd told himself you needed the ship secure to be safe, but had he even considered the air you needed to breathe? It should have been obvious. Fighting somehow dulls the pain, as if the little rush of every kill helps his processor subdue the ache, and as the enemy needs to die regardless for their crimes against you he doesn't hesitate to go all in. The heated blur of battle overtakes him so completely he almost doesn't realize when he's joined by backup Autobots on his security team until there's not an enemy left to kill.

·Your last conscious perception is his face as strong hands lift you gently, followed by muffled instructions to get you to the medical bay. Some part of you knows he won't rest until every threat on the ship is dealt with, and you're correct. As you're whisked away to the medical bay, he takes no prisoners as he initiates his defense, rallying the gathering bots to annihilate those who would have turned them into a quick profit. But with every blow, he can only think of you. As he's cheered on by his fellows, he can only think of you. At the final declaration of victory and the rebooting of the systems, he can only think of you... Not even knowing the medics saved you and that you'll fully recover assuages his guilt. If anything, as he washes the blood off his servos and forgoes the festivities to sit by your bedside, he's certain he's never felt more like a monster...

·When you wake up there's a lovely warmth all around you, coupled with a gentle hum through the air that you know has been there in the past. Open eyes let you see a familiar wall of a chest, and through the oxygen mask you happily whisper Fort Max's name, making the hulking bot twitch in surprise as he looks down to you. It's with a smile you realize he was dozing with you shielded beneath his tented form. Remembering the haze of chaos and danger, you reach out to him as he offers a gentle hand to adjust the blankets laid loosely over your small body, but despite the fact that you're both okay you only see sadness in his optics. At your first prompt he lightly deflects with a sad smile. At your second his face falls and the whole ordeal comes tumbling out of him, with particular emphasis on how he failed to protect you when it truly mattered, something that impacts him so greatly he sheds a few tears as he lays his head in his hand.

·Heart breaking at the sight, you quickly point out the multiple times he charged into battle for you, though he counters by recalling how savagely he killed his enemies in front of you. It was the kind of brutality he'd thought himself beyond, but if he isn't, how can he be safe for you? It takes all the strength you have to sit up and firmly request his attention. At what point, you ask, were any of his actions not in some way motivated by the greater good? Even if he didn't know everything that was going to happen, did he once abandon you? Of course not, because he's a good bot, and you know he is. Before he can bring up one more point about his perceived failure you remind him that he's come impossibly far, enough that no setback today could undo his progress, and that you're so proud of him. As the weakness forces you to lie back and he leans in with concern, you smile and point out that everything he's done has been to the benefit of others, whether it be you or the crew. For once he can't argue. Curling protectively around you once more, he decides to let himself be happy that you're safe, shaken but reassured by your faith in him. More than anything, it gives him faith in himself.

[intrepid-scribblings]

Depths (Part 1)

Notes: Special thank you to that one Tumblr post about “What if the ocean was replaced by the forest where the trees get taller the deeper you go in” (source). [Insert Link to Eventual Masterlist Here]. [Insert link to a brief appendix here]

Warnings: Descriptions of blood and gore and violence typical of medieval warfare so if that’s not your deal you may want to sit this out.

Genres: Fantasy/Dark Fantasy

Summary: It blanketed the known world in a carpet of trees that grew ever taller the deeper you went in and forced what was left of humanity to fight for survival in a few remaining cities. Havenhold stands proudly as the central city of the four bastions of humanity that stand against The Forest.  However their tenuous position will not last. Rienn - newly promoted Lieutenant of the Havenhold Guard - and Archmage of Havenhold - Halim - must work together to uncover the mysteries of The Forest and stop its spread before it destroys them all. 

------------

Part 1

The signs of battle were still clear even a week later. 

The preceding days had seen no meaningful rain to wash the blood from the ground and walls, no cool weather to stave off the heavy stench of decay that settled over the small farm like an invisible fog. Tiny bits of armor and broken weaponry lay strewn about, being picked over by the haggard-looking peasants who stared at Rienn with a mix of suspicion and envy. 

They dare not mess with the golden-haired warrior who wore plate armor emblazoned with the crest of the city they lived outside of, lest they face the wrath of the entire city guard. Word had gotten around that the guards rather respected their new lieutenant and would be quick to retaliate if anything were to happen to them.

A man in a leather jerkin leaned casually against one of the crumbling stone fences that surrounded the farm, a strange-looking spear leaned up against the fence next to him. As Rienn neared, they noticed the spear was actually a large quill, hewn roughly off at the base. He grinned as he noticed them staring, “You like it?” he asked gruffly, his words almost slurring together though he didn’t appear to be drunk, “Ripped ‘er off the hog’s corpse. Nice and sharp this is,” he placed a loving hand on the spear, “No creature’s going to bother me or my family.”

“It’s … not bad,” Rienn said and then nodded to the farm where most of the damage was, “Were you there? When the attack happened?”

He nodded solemnly, “It’s my brother’s farm,” he said, “May the Fates deem him worthy of Rebirth into a good life.”

He bowed his head and drew a circle from his forehead down to his chest with his left hand.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Rienn said.

He grunted, “Thanks m’lord… and yes I was here, that beast fought like it was possessed by a demon. It was as big as a bear...” 

Rienn raised an eyebrow, “What kind of bear?” they asked, crossing their arms. 

“A normal bear you’d find in the woods I suppose… but regular woods, not …” he looked over his shoulder at the forest beyond the farm, “Told him not to build so close to The Line…” 

He shook his head and scoffed, “As if there’s anywhere else to build.”

A light wind kicked up, doing little to dispel the heat of the summer day and only served to bring the sickly-sweet stench of decay over to where Rienn and the man were standing. They both barely batted an eye at the odor. Sweat trickled down Rienn’s forehead and they swiped at it before it could get into their eyes.

The man looked to Rienn, “So … what are you and your fancy guards going to do about this? Call it another ‘unfortunate risk’ of living out here?” 

“We’re increasing patrols,” Rienn said automatically as if reciting a written statement. Perhaps they were. 

The man certainly didn’t look convinced, “So you and your brutes can spy on us common folk? Keep us in line?”

“So we can keep you safe and creatures from that,” Rienn stared towards the trees beyond the farm, “Away.” 

The man glowered at Rienn and said, “You know what’d keep us safe? Letting us stay inside the city walls.” 

Rienn shrugged, “Not everyone can fit - we’d be overcrowded.”

They didn’t sound convinced or convincing. In the back of their mind, they had the image of the city towering over them on the small mountain it sat atop. Sure it wasn’t as large as the cities that used to dot the landscape but certainly, it could fit a few hundred more people inside its walls… 

“Right,” the man almost rolled his eyes, “You keep telling yourself that as you go back to your warm bed tonight behind the city walls, guard,” he pushed himself off the fence and grabbed the quill spear, “You really want to help us? Strengthen The Line… I may know little about magic but even I can tell that either it’s weakening or the Forest is strengthening. Neither is good for the future of us down here or your precious city up there.”

He walked away, leaving Rienn alone to stand among the carnage.

Rienn walked through the farm and took a look at the blood-soaked field and what was left of a giant carcass. Most of the meat had been cut away by the more hungry denizens of the villages that lay outside of the city walls. All that was left was a skeleton and its quill-laden skin hacked away from it. No one had any use for the leather and Rienn couldn’t tell if anyone else had the same idea the man had in taking a quill away as a spear.

They turned around and walked back towards the base of the mountain, through rather ramshackle-looking wooden shacks and some more substantial wattle and daub houses. As they neared the city, the buildings became more and more well built and maintained, stone houses began to appear. Then they reached the large, whitewashed stone walls of the city.

The gates were wide open, guards flanking each side of the massive gate, watching as people streamed in and out of the city with their wares. As Rienn stepped inside the gates and in the shade under the thick stone walls they felt a chill as the air temperature dropped several degrees. A wind seemed to be blowing past them and out into the hot summer air just beyond the wall. 

“Lieutenant!” a guard greeted Rienn as they passed by. Rienn nodded to the guard. 

“Ganther,” they said, “How goes your shift today? No trouble at the gate?”

He shook his head, “None so far. I didn’t know you were heading out of the city today.”

“Just taking a walk, wanted to see where the Captain and His Highness took down that forest hedgehog last week, barely anything left of that thing but bones and quills,” Rienn said. 

“We were lucky to make it through that fight with no losses,” Ganther harrumphed, “Still got several men out of commission for the next few weeks.” 

Rienn frowned, remembering the blood and the farmer’s brother, “No losses in our garrison,” they said, “But several of those villagers died before we could make it there.”

Ganther said with a shrug, “Shouldn’t have built so close to The Line.” 

“Perhaps…” Rienn said uncertainly, “Reminds me … I need to talk to Halim - Archmage Halim.” 

Ganther nodded, “Have a good day Lieutenant.”

-

Rienn found the archmage sitting atop one of the tallest towers that made up the wall surrounding the city. Looking rather bored with their posting, the guards up there didn’t seem to pay the stout and bespectacled young man much mind. Rather they scanned the fields and forests below the city with wary eyes. 

The city sat atop a small mountain, shielded in an alabaster wall, a white island above a sea of dark green forest. The forests surrounding the city were massive in both scope and scale, covering all the land as far as the eye could see. The trees in the forest grew progressively taller and taller as one walked further in, to the point that the tops of the tallest trees rivaled the height of the mountain the city sat on. 

Rienn knew in their childhood before the city had been built, they would come up to this mountain top and see the flat plains the towering trees now dominated. To go into the deepest depths of the forest now would be to walk into a dark world of giant horrors. They frowned at the sight and then turned their attention to the people on the tower.

The guards wore a uniform of sorts, a chainmail hauberk under a dark green and light blue tabard. Their nasal helms had cheek guards and a full aventail to protect their necks. Their stern and unyielding appearance was a stark contrast to the man who now leaned on one of the crenels, using it as a desk to hold his notebook as he sketched the scenes below. His loose and long dark hair framed his brown face and blew behind him in the light breeze. 

His leather-bound notebook was thick and well worn but his light blue robes were immaculate, well-tailored, and clean. 

The guards on the tower immediately stood to attention as they walked in, “Lieutenant.” 

They gave a curt nod to the guards before turning their attention to the man who had apparently not noticed the visitor, they cleared their throat loudly before saying, “Halim!”

The man started, turning around to see the lieutenant there with a stern expression on their face.

“Thought I’d find you up here,” they said, “Though you really shouldn’t be …” 

They gave a meaningful glance to the guards who suddenly became very busy with their interest in the landscape around them. Rienn had known Halim since he had stumbled into their city in the first years of construction. He had helped strengthen these walls, helped develop the sigils that warded off some of the more substantive threats that came from the Forests, and in the years that they had known each other they had become close.

“So who’d you bribe this time? Athred? Genneth?” 

“Neither,” the man said, “Though you wouldn’t need to worry about bribery if you paid your guards more,” he broke out into a grin, “But why’d I need to resort to bribery when my best friend is the lieutenant?” 

“Because said best friend told you that under no circumstances were you to be up here without my permission,” they crossed their arms, “Given what may happen to me if the archmage were to tumble off a parapet in an accident.”

The man rolled his eyes, “As if I’d be that foolish. King Oderan may think of me as an absent-minded academic but I do pay attention.” 

“Ri-ight,” the lieutenant didn’t seem very convinced as they leaned against the merlon, staring out over the forests that surrounded the city. Their forehead crinkled, their worry-lines standing out on their pale skin. 

“It’s been qu-,” Halim started to say.

“Shush,” the lieutenant said quickly, the guards within earshot shuffled nervously at their posts, “That word is forbidden.”

“Ohhhh, you can’t tell me that you believe in that old myth?” Halim argued, “As if saying q-,” he hesitated as the lieutenant fixed him with a withering stare, “Fine … ‘the q-word’ … summons trouble.” 

“Why tempt the fates?” 

“Fine, there’s been no sign of activity from the forests in several fortnights,” Halim said, looking back to the lands outside the city walls. The late afternoon sun cast an orange glow on the treetops, the sunset off to their left side in the west. 

The lieutenant nodded, “And we’d like to keep it that way. How has your research gone?” 

Halim looked annoyed, “Nothing of this makes sense - ever since the Eruption the forests and animals have been growing at a rate that challenges both contemporary scientific and magical theories!”

“While we’ve been pushed further and further into our last bastions,” Rienn scowled at the forest below, “Our patrols had to help a farm fight off a hedgehog the size of a bear last week.” 

“I thought you said things had been …” 

Rienn fixed him with a look.

“... non-noisy.”

“Compared to what we’ve dealt with in the past, that was only slightly out of the routine,” Rienn said, “But it’s becoming more and more routine as the seasons wear on… The villagers are worried about the state of The Line.” 

Halim scoffed, “As if they would know anything …” 

Rienn raised an eyebrow at their friend.

“... being untrained in the arcane arts like I am,” Halim continued, “I’m confident in the ability of The Line to hold - after all … I was the one who drew it, cast the proper anchoring spells, drew every single one of those runes that grace the perimeter. It will not fall and no one should have anything to fear from the Forest.”

A commotion at the front gate, which the tower overlooked, caught everyone’s attention. Rienn peered over the side, eyes locking onto the banner one of the knights held aloft. The image of a golden half sun emblazoned on the red fabric that fluttered in the wind. 

“They’re from Westhold,” Rienn said. 

Halim squinted, he was unable to make out many details in the dimming light but he recognized the garish red and gold robes from even way up on the tower and even more so, felt the immense power emanating from the individual. 

“They have a mage with them,” he said, “a powerful one at that.”

He wondered if it was the archmage, Inge, but that meant ... he hurried to the stairs, “Where has that scatterbrained assistant of mine gone off to?!” 

She was, in fact, waiting attentively at the bottom of the tower, fidgeting with a scroll in her hands. Her black hair was tied in a tight bun with not a stray lock out of place and she wore robes similar to Halim’s though less intricate in design. 

“Sir,” she handed him the scroll which he took and read over, eyes narrowing. 

“When was this sent?” 

“Early this morning, after you left,” she said. 

He stared at her, “And you didn’t come to tell me?” 

“You were at the top of the tower all day,” she said matter-of-factly, “... I wasn’t allowed up there.” 

Rienn couldn’t help but smirk at the indignant expression on Halim’s face, “By gods if you told them you were with me …” 

“You’re not supposed to be up there either?” 

“And you couldn’t have just handed the message to one of the guards?”

“The message clearly said that it was only for the eyes of the archmage and his associates, while I consider myself an associate - I do not consider the guards as such.”

The archmage sputtered, “We’ll talk about this later, just … take this as a lesson Zhen - you can bend the rules once in a while…” 

Zhen smiled ever so slightly as she said, “I know, I just would prefer not to.”

The archmage stalked away towards the castle where his study was, “Need to get ready to receive Inge … what type of tea did she prefer again? Did she even like tea? Or was it that bitter drink she liked?” 

Rienn followed closely behind, “Is there anything I should know?” 

“Know?” Halim looked at his friend with confusion.

Rienn looked at his scroll, “The missive you’ve received, is there anything I should know? If there’s any threat to our city the captain-”

“No, no,” Halim cut them off but immediately looked guilty at his rude answer, “Sorry, I … Inge is a powerful archmage, even more powerful than I. I’m just very concerned about making a good impression on her. There’s nothing in this letter that would concern the safety of the city, just theories on what caused the Eruption, King Oderan and the rest of the council are meeting with her tomorrow.”

“So why the secrecy?” Rienn raised an eyebrow. They neared the castle, the walls cast a long and dark shadow over them and the air chilled. 

Halim sighed, “People fear that which they do not understand, which can lead to some … messy situations. Magic is a complex field filled with theories that mortal minds were not meant to understand and only those blessed with the ability to study the arcane gift can even begin to scratch the surface of its inner complexities,” the archmage started to ramble.

Rienn crossed their arms, face betraying no emotion, “Above my station. Got it.” 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to imply you were somehow lesser for not being a mage, I just … I,” Halim trailed off, trying desperately to find the right words to say as his face grew red in embarrassment. 

“Relax friend,” Rienn said with a laugh and patted him on the shoulder with a strong hand, “I am comfortable with my station. I don’t need to be an archmage or even a mage to be powerful,” they placed their hand casually on the hilt of the sword at their side, “Trust me.”

Rienn left to the barracks to help organize the perimeter patrols for that night while Halim ascended the steps to his study and residence. Zhen was already there, brewing a drink that smelled full and slightly nutty, Halim felt his mouth begin to water at the aroma that filled the room. His eyes lit up in recognition.

“Coffee! That’s what Inge prefers to drink! Coffee! Zhen, you are a lifesaver.”

“I know sir.”

-

Rienn ascended the battlement later that night, one last sweep of their solo patrol before they turned in for the night. The guards nodded at the lieutenant as they passed by. Rienn noted a lone figure on one of the walls, looking towards the west over the Forest. They cautiously approached, though the guards seemed to pay the figure no mind, Rienn was suspicious of anyone that wasn’t a guard hanging out on the battlements after dark. 

The clouds parted, revealing the full moon that illuminated the world in a milky white light. The gold embroidery in the figure’s red robes seemed to shimmer in the moon’s bright light. Inge, Archmage of Westhold was a fair-haired woman with fine features. She stood slightly taller than Rienn though her build was thinner, more lithe. Her pale skin almost glowed in the moonlight and her light brown - almost golden - eyes exuded warmth.

Rienn stepped beside Inge, staring at the same patch of forest the archmage of Westhold was staring at, “You shouldn’t be up here m’lady,” they said. 

“Your archmage said that you would be fine with it,” Inge raised an eyebrow at the lieutenant.

Rienn sighed, “Of course he did…” 

“I can leave,” Inge said, “If I’m not allowed up here.” 

Rienn said, “You can stay up here for a few more minutes,” they leaned against the wall, “As long as I’m here.” 

“Thank you …,” Inge trailed off.

“Lieutenant Rienn,” Rienn introduced themself, “Of the Havenhold Guard.” 

Inge smiled, “Well Lieutenant Rienn, you have a well-fortified city here, I shudder to think of the fate of any creature that would dare attack you.”

Rienn replied, “Havenhold itself hasn’t been attacked since the early days after the Eruption. A few smaller creatures have made it across The Line to attack the outlying villages.”

“Ah,” Inge smiled softly, “I’ve heard of your fabled magical defense against the Forest. Halim’s solution is quite famous amongst the mages.”

“The Line’s been holding the more dangerous creatures at bay … and we fortified the city well but haven’t had a real test of our physical defenses yet,” they felt at ease around this woman who radiated such power and confidence.

Inge nodded, “Well Lieutenant, I suppose I should take my leave now - early council meeting tomorrow.”

“Of course, Archmage,” Rienn bowed respectfully and then turned to a nearby guard, “You there, Grendar is it? Escort Archmage Inge back to her quarters.”

Inge waved off the guard, “Oh no need, I can find my way back just fine.” 

“M’lady I must insist,” Rienn said, “The walls can be rather treacherous to navigate in the dark.”

For a moment, Rienn could have sworn they saw a look of annoyance crossed Inge’s features but it was quickly replaced by a pleasant smile, “Of course Lieutenant. Grendar…” 

“M’lady,” the guard bowed respectfully before escorting the archmage off the wall. Rienn stared skyward for a moment before looking back over the Forest - leaves looking almost silver in the moonlight.

‘Mages, always stubborn as donkeys.’

-

The next day dawned still and hot, the sun shone weakly through a thick layer of haze as it rose above the horizon and cast an orange glow on the land. Rienn wiped the sweat from their brow as they took a few hearty swigs from their water skin. They hoped for a breeze or any kind of relief in the courtyard where they watched the recruits train but the air remained stubbornly calm. Idly they looked up to the tower where the king was meeting with the council and wondered if they could steal Halim for a moment and make him conjure a wind.

They smirked to themself, imagining the uproar that would cause, and banished the thought from their mind as they yelled at a pack of recruits to start another drill.

High above in the tower, the air was just as stifling - the windows had been opened to catch any whiff of a breeze but none came. Three large tables sat in the council room, forming a large “U”. At the center of the “U” was a map of the world, built into the floor. Servants with forked sticks stood at the edges of the room, ready to hand them to whoever at the council table needed them at the moment to move around the figurines that dotted the map. 

At the center of the map was the city, Havenhold, surrounded by the dark green that was the forest. Three lines radiated outward from Havenhold like spokes on a wheel, the safest routes for travelers to take, one line meandered its way northward towards the table at the bottom of the “U”, where the king lounged in a large chair, resting his chin on his right hand as he stared down at the map.

He was an aging man, with more silver in his hair than gold. His face was horrifically marred, four large scars etched their way diagonally across his left eye, down his nose, and through the right side of his mouth. Because of this scar, the right side of his mouth was permanently downturned into a pained scowl. His left eye, somehow having survived whatever attack left the grievous scar, stared out at the council table through a drooping eyelid.

He whispered something and the woman at his right stood up, she was dressed as regally as he was, her crown was silver instead of the gold one the king wore. 

“Both King Oderan and I, Queen Adelia, would like to welcome Archmage Inge of Westhold to this council meeting,” the woman said, her voice ringing out clear and loud over the room. She wore her authority like a cloak, chin held high as she spoke, her raven black hair was half up in several intricate braids that held back the loose portions of her hair. 

Inge bowed deeply to the couple, “Thank you, I am honored and humbled to be in the presence of such a great king and queen.” 

She continued, “For who was it that led humanity out of the dark after the Eruption? Who traveled to the heart of the event itself and brought back our only hope of countering this magic? It was you, King Oderan. We owe you a great debt.” 

Oderan looked rather flattered at her speech, Adelia’s eyes slightly narrowed but she said nothing. He spoke again and Adelia spoke for him. 

“You have a way with kind words as you do with magic Archmage,” Adelia said, “Now let us discuss the business which has brought us all here - the matter of The Forest. General Liu...” 

A middle-aged man with a long beard stood up.

“I hear you have a report for us?” “I do Your Highness,” the man said bowing respectfully to the king, “The scouting parties we’ve sent into the Forests have come back with troubling reports. Animals, larger than the ones we’ve fought before, are gathering closer and closer to the Line and our settlements. Prince Jaloc and Captain Aelder were on patrols a week ago when they came across a porcupine the size of a bear attacking a farmer near the Line. I fear that the creatures grow emboldened - something has them on the move.”

“‘Fear’ General?” a woman spoke up from across the tables - apparently not afraid to speak out of turn. She was younger looking than Liu, her brown hair was tied into a tight bun. Katerin’s most striking feature was her stormy blue-gray eyes that peered out from her tan and round face. She spoke slowly - as if she were still unsure of the language she was speaking - and her accent was almost as thick as the woodlands that surrounded them and forced her to move to Havenhold from the northern lands all those years ago.

The man looked momentarily annoyed, “Yes, Katerin, ‘fear’. Or do you not remember the last time Havenhold was attacked by the creatures of the Forest?” 

“I remember it very clearly,” Katerin said, “and I remember the defenses we put up to protect ourselves - defenses I designed and have full faith in that it will repel another attack.” 

Liu scoffed, “Hubris.”

“It’s better than sitting around in fear, General,” Katerin said. She and Liu obviously rarely saw eye-to-eye. As science advisor to the king, she and the general held equal positions of power in the council, and her aggressive attitude towards the Forest compared to the general’s more cautious approach saw them butting heads more than once. Adelia looked annoyed at the derailment of the general’s report but her husband sat quietly, watching the bickering continue with an unreadable expression on his face.

Liu scowled, “I don’t sit around in fear, m'lady. We’ve increased our patrols in the eastern sector,” he said, “I’ve also put forth a list of my best soldiers for an expedition.” 

A murmur went up in the council chambers. 

“An expedition?” Katerin raised an eyebrow.

“Archmage Halim and I have been talking,” Liu said. 

“A dangerous pastime,” a fiery-haired man chuckled from his seat at the end of the table. A few people laughed before Liu began to walk around the table to the map in the middle of the room. As he did so, he grabbed a stick from a waiting servant and used it to point towards a spot in the north-eastern half of the map where a large tree was depicted. 

“Another expedition to the Heart,” Liu said. 

Another murmur, louder this time, and people kept talking. 

“The Heart? What could we possibly gain?” “Suicide, absolute suicide.”

“Has General Liu gone mad?”

The King stared out at Liu, his brown eyes staring fiercely at the General as he whispered to his wife. Adelia repeated what he had said, “General Liu, whatever you think to find in the Heart better be worth the sacrifices that will need to be made. You remember the last time we ventured that far into the Forest, just after the Eruption… and you remember what we nearly lost - what we did lose in that expedition.”

Adelia fell quiet and the king reached out and squeezed her hand. 

“I remember it all too well, King Oderan, and I wouldn’t be asking to put forth this expedition if we didn’t have good reason to believe it will provide clues to the source of the Eruption. Perhaps even a way to reverse the effects,” Liu said, “Halim?” 

Halim stood up, “Your Highness, I was not there for your first expedition into the Forest but the tales have traveled far and wide of your triumphant gains and tragic losses. I can’t imagine what you and Queen Adelia have been through. However, Archmage Inge and I have been in correspondence for the past few months and have devised a way to potentially stop this … this curse from spreading across our land. I believe it may work.” 

Inge nodded, “He’s right, we can stop this if we send out a strong enough force and penetrate the Heart of the Forest. With our combined magics, it may be possible for us to seal the source away or even stop it entirely.” 

“And what is this source that you speak of?” Katerin asked. 

Inge and Halim looked at each other, “Well we’re not quite sure yet,” Halim admitted. 

“We’ll know it when we find it,” Inge said confidently. 

“And how many men will have to die before you do find it?” Adelia asked, “And what response may the Forest have to this transgression?” 

“‘Response’?” Inge repeated, “With all due respect Your Highness, it sounds as if you believe these creatures to be organized in some sense? Capable of fielding an army and launching counterattacks?” she scoffed. 

“You may jest Archmage but I know what I saw when I ventured into those cursed woods years ago,” Adelia spoke, her husband’s eyes glaring out at the Archmage as he whispered to the queen, “They may not have a kingdom you and I may recognize but there was something there, something sinister, and controlling.” 

He stood up with great difficulty, waving off his wife’s attempts to help him as he continued to whisper.

“I will consider your proposal for an expedition and let you know my decision by morn tomorrow. This council meeting is adjourned.”

With that he turned around and left through the door behind his chair, the queen following dutifully behind. 

As Halim left with Inge, he heard someone call out his name. Katerin stood just outside of the doorway, “Do you believe Halim? Or do you know?” 

The science advisor approached the archmage, “You said you believed your plan may work but how do you know? What proof have you?”

“Inge and I have come up with some theories,” Halim said. 

Katerin looked almost offended, “You didn’t consult with me about these theories, Halim,” she said. She was a fellow council member and also responsible with Halim for uncovering the secrets of the Forest. The fact that the Archmage hadn’t even thought about talking to her… 

“With all due respect Science Advisor, this is a matter of the arcane,” Halim said curtly, “Not to be explained by science.”

Katerin’s eyes narrowed, “You believe science can’t provide explanations for the arcane, that I have nothing to add to your theories?” 

Halim nodded, “Precisely. Science and magic are not of the same cloth, they are two separate fields. I don’t presume to invade your field and I expect the same courtesy from you Katerin.”

The scientist glared at Halim, one fist clenching and relaxing as she took a moment to collect her thoughts, “Archmage Halim,” she said calmly, “I respect your authority on the arcane. I also would like to posit that we are on the same side, despite the differences in our respective fields of study. We all want to stop the spread of the Forest, to be able to defend ourselves from the creatures that lie within, and provide safety for our future generations. I would appreciate in the future some more communication between you and me about our theories, as I have extended the same courtesy to you unless you haven’t been reading any of my missives.”

Halim made a mental note to check with Zhen on the missives he’d gotten from Katerin.

“Now I have to go and practice my field of study away from any … arcane influences,” Katerin’s voice dripped in sarcasm, “Good day to you and Archmage Inge.”

She turned around and stalked away through the still crowded hallway. The fiery-haired man from the council chambers, having seen the whole thing, coughed awkwardly to hide a laugh as he turned to study a particularly interesting banner that hung on the wall. 

 -

“Rienn!” the voice cut through the din on the training yard. Immediately some of the recruits stopped to look at who was approaching, a few broke out into grins.

The lieutenant turned to see an imposing woman in plate armor walking towards them, “Just the lieutenant I wanted to see!” 

Rienn immediately stood at attention, “Captain!” 

Captain Aelder was older than Rienn and stood about a head taller, she wore her long brown hair in a braid that looped around her head like a crown. She had broad shoulders and a broad smile that never seemed to leave her face - even in the din of the fiercest of battles. Her attitude never failed to encourage even the most demoralized of troops. 

“Come, Lieutenant, let’s take a walk,” Aelder said as she motioned for Rienn to follow, “I want to know how you’re doing with your first week of service.” 

They walked out of the training yard and into the main square of the city, the city walls didn’t afford much of a view of the sky but Rienn had better visibility than in the training yard. Clouds were building around them, “I don’t need to be Halim to know it’s going to storm tonight,” they said as they looked at the billowing cumulus.

“Aye,” Aelder agreed, “Hopefully it’ll provide us relief from this heat. But I didn’t ask for a walk to discuss the weather, I want to know how you’re doing.” 

“Fine, Captain,” Rienn said, “I’m doing fine.” 

Aelder didn’t look convinced, “You looked unsure about my decision to promote you to Lieutenant, do you still have doubts?” 

“No … well,” Rienn paused, “I mean, yes? I just … I don’t know what you saw in me, Captain. I’m now second in command of the garrison here.” 

Aelder smiled patiently, “I know you are,” she said, “I know you to be a great warrior - but I also know you have great leadership skills, Lieutenant, and in time - with proper tutelage - you can become an amazing captain.” 

She slowed her pace, stopping so she could look Rienn in the eye, her expression was solemn. Rienn looked at their captain with concern, they had seen Aelder with that serious of an expression outside of battle only a few times in their career, “Ma’am?”

“I’ve talked to General Liu, given my reports of the patrols along the Line,” she said, “You and I both know how drastically the situation has changed over the past weeks. More and more attacks from large creatures, the magic is leaking into the settlements at a rate we haven’t experienced since…”

“Since the Eruption,” Rienn said. They shuddered, remembering those first months as Havenhold - barely a village surrounded by wooden palisades - fought for survival as the Forest encroached and threatened to swallow them whole. Only Halim’s arrival and the return of the First Expedition were able to stop the Forest at the Line and help Havenhold become the city it was today. However from what Aelder was saying, if The Line wasn’t holding back the magic … did Halim know? And why were they only just hearing of it now?

Aelder nodded, “I can’t say much,” she said as she leaned close and lowered her voice so that only Rienn could hear, “but you may be called upon for a special assignment. And when that day comes, I need you to be ready for it.” 

Rienn raised both eyebrows, confused and surprised, “What do you mean?” 

“Keep your voice low,” Aelder said, “None of this is set in stone and I don’t want to risk giving anyone more hope than they should have. Rienn, I was asked to put forward the names of the best warriors under my command and you’re near the top of the list. General Liu and I need more than good warriors though, we need leaders, and people we can trust. In those categories, there’s only you.”

Rienn was quiet, they weren’t sure what they could say or wanted to say for that matter. They knew they were good but surely there were better fighters in the garrison. For their captain to say they were near the top of any list both flattered and frightened them at the same time. What could they say to that? Well, the only thing they were concerned with aside from the protection of Havenhold… 

“Captain,” Rienn said - eyes narrowed in determination, “I won’t let you down.” 

Aelder smiled at her Lieutenant, “I expected no less from you Lieutenant,” she said, “We’ll have much to go over but you must return to your duties with the garrison and I must meet with the general. Tomorrow morning I’ll call on you for more personalized training.” 

Rienn returned to the training courtyard, their mind filled with thoughts as they drilled the recruits. The rookie soldiers noticed their Lieutenant’s distraction and one or two tried to get away with being slightly lazier in their shield wall formation …

“Padun?” 

“Yes, Lieutenant?!”

“You do like your friend next to you, Jasim, correct?” 

“Yes, Lieutenant!” 

“You should lift that shield higher then. Come on! Square your stance! That’s it. Now your friend won’t get stabbed in the face by an enemy spear, there you go!” 

As they trained into the evening, a storm billowed up over the mountain and the first raindrops began to fall. A cold wind blew in from the west and darkness fell with the setting sun.

-

Halim barely got any sleep that night, between the sheets of rain and hail pounding on the roof, the blinding flashes of lightning blazing through his window, and the howling wind that caused the tower to sway ever so slightly. He felt a sense of dread in the pit of his stomach and he wasn’t quite sure what was causing it. 

‘For the sake of the Fates above,’ he thought as he finally got up in frustration to brew a cup of sleep tea, ‘I am a storm mage!’ 

This was his kind of weather. He should feel right at home!

Instead, he felt anxious. There was an energy in the air that wasn’t caused by the storm and he felt it on the very edge of his senses. It was as if someone were lurking in his periphery, just out of sight, and every time he tried to turn to catch the interloper - they’d quickly disappear.

Sighing as he sat down with his cup of steaming hot tea, he took a few deep breaths. He needed to calm down and focus, meditate, and then perhaps he’d figure out what was awry. As he closed his eyes and took a deep breath in and let it out slowly, he attuned his senses to his surroundings. The rain was coming down as heavy as ever, the occasional hailstone hit his study window with a loud smack, thunder cracked loudly overhead and he could see the bright flash of the lightning through his eyelids. The tower swayed as a gust of wind hit and beneath his feet, he could feel rhythmic vibrations as if a giant were walking nearby.

Wait.

What?

His eyes flew open and as he stood up to go to the door and alert … well everyone … someone sounded the warning horn from a perimeter tower. Even over the din of the storm, he could hear the drone of the horns as the alarm went up from each tower and eventually someone rang the alarm bell on top of the main keep. 

There was a huge crash, louder than any thunder in the storm, and the sounds of yells and screams. Halim rushed to the window and cursed, he couldn’t see a damn thing in this torrent! 

He heard the guards running outside the study door, their chainmail clinking noisily and echoing down the stone halls. The archmage ran to the door, opening it as a guard ran past, “What’s going on?!” 

“I don’t know! But those horns were from the western towers!” the man yelled, “Stay in your room!” 

Down the hall, he heard more guards shouting orders, “Protect the King and Queen! Where’s Prince Jaloc?!” 

Halim went back into his room, turning towards his desk where his staff sat propped up against the wall. As he turned, he saw something glow out of the corner of his eye. Not just something… 

It. 

He walked over to the thing that was shrouded in cloth and removed the covering, revealing a giant, umber acorn that sat atop a pedestal. It was shimmering a greenish hue that glowed brighter with each passing moment.

As Halim hovered his hand over the large seed, he smelled the musty scent of dead leaves, felt a cool, humid breeze on his cheek, and faintly heard the rustle of the wind passing through the canopy overhead. He blinked and he was back in his study, the feeling of an interloper just out of view was back.

“It calls to its Mother and Father.”

He spun around to see Inge standing at the doorway, an unreadable expression on the Archmage of Westhold’s face as she slowly walked into the room, “It calls to home.”

-

Rienn was on the southern wall when the attack happened. They were knocked flat along with the majority of the guards on the wall when the west wall was slammed into by a massive force. They shook off their disorientation as they stared blearily into the rain, lightning fractured the sky in a brilliant flash that illuminated two dark antlers towering over the western wall. They could just make out the top of the head of the stag before it dipped its head for another charge. 

They stood up quickly, breath fogging in the cold air as they started to scream orders, “Everyone! To arms!!! Keep your eyes peeled! We might be attacked on this wall as well!”

They began to sprint towards the western wall and from what they could make out in the downpour - it was still intact. As they approached the corner tower, they saw Captain Aelder being supported by a fellow soldier as she continued to shout out orders. 

“Captain!” 

Aelder turned to face Rienn, a pained grimace on her face, “Go back to the south wall Lieutenant! I’ve got it handled here!” 

“But-”

“Go!” 

Aelder waved Rienn off, she wasn’t allowing for any argument on her order, “Where are the ballistae?!” 

“Still loading another salvo!” 

“Load faster! We haven’t much time before that thing charges again!!” 

Rienn could faintly hear the sounds of gears turning as the four massive ballistae that protected the western wall were reset for another salvo. The engineer in charge of the ballistae turned to Aelder, “We can’t aim well in this rain and dark Captain, I’m not sure how effective this is going to be…” 

“Well,” Aelder said in a pained huff as she looked at the damage the deer had caused to the wall and the looming form in the darkness, “That thing’s about as big as the damn mountain we’re sitting on - can’t be that hard to miss.” 

Rienn made their way towards the gate on the south wall, below they could see the torch lights from the guards that were on patrol and dozens of villagers who were trying to get in. One of the soldiers was pounding on the portcullis like a madman, his panicked voice barely audible, “For the love of everything let us through!”

Rienn yelled, “Open the gate! Let them through!” 

“Are you sure?” one of the guards at the gate, Rienn recognized him as Ganther, asked, “The western wall is close to here…” 

Rienn raised an eyebrow, “And you think a massive deer is going to be able to even fit through the gate? Our soldiers are out there - as are the people we’re supposed to be protecting. I’m ordering you to open the gate.”

Ganther nodded, running to the winch to pull up the massive portcullis. As he did so, two more guards grabbed the gate doors and began to pull them open, boots slipping on the wet cobblestone and mud. One of the guards opening the gate had grabbed onto a segment of wood, the material seemed to morph under his hand and he started to scream as the gate came alive in his hands. The wood warped and twisted, engulfing and crushing his hand and arm, the door rooted into the ground as the wood had come back to life as a tree. 

The last thing he saw before the wood swallowed him whole was the horrified expression on Rienn’s face. All around Rienn, anyone who had wooden weapons was suddenly affected by the strange phenomenon. Spears shafts exploded into poles of thorny branches that impaled their user’s hands and arms. Bows warped into vines, strangling the archers that tried to shoot with them while their arrows grew into saplings that rooted their blue corpses into place.

Rienn quickly cast their wooden kite shield aside as it exploded into a ball of thorns, they needed to gain control of the situation but they weren’t quite sure how. They stood frozen in place as they saw humanoid shapes emerge from behind the terrified villagers who were still at the gate. The figures were taller and lankier than the average human, they glowed with an unnatural green energy and Rienn didn’t need the benefit of a mage’s education to know that these were likely responsible for whatever was happening to their gate. 

Said gate now was two massive oak trees, rooted firmly in the entrance courtyard, blood leaked out of crevices in the bark. 

The lieutenant heard someone ask them for an order and they couldn’t answer, they stood staring at the figures and the gory scene around them - transfixed, hand resting limply on the hilt of their sword. A particularly loud clap of thunder crashed overhead and they flinched as shards of stone fell around them. They blinked, confused.

‘Since when does thunder explode into stones?’

They looked up to see the top of the tower where Halim resided had blown completely away. The rain began to slacken and the full moon peeked out between ragged clouds. The shadow of a bird passed overhead, landing on the remnants of the tower before flying off. On the western wall, Captain Aelder - barely clinging to consciousness - watched as the deer staggered forward. It was bleeding profusely from the wounds the ballistae had caused. She knew, however, that it wasn’t the ballistae that stopped the deer. 

Everyone could hear its bones creaking and cracking as it slowly collapsed under its own weight. Whatever magic from the Forest had kept it alive through its attack had left it now as it encroached on the human’s territory. Both the deer and the Captain fell to the ground at the same time.

“Captain!” 

Rienn, meanwhile, sprinted through the halls of the castle and up the half demolished tower.

“Halim!!! Halim!!! Gods damn it all!! Answer me Halim!!!!”

Zhen staggered out of the rubble, dragging a bruised and battered looking Halim with her, “Damn good thing I perfected that shield spell, sir,” she said. 

“Damn good thing,” Halim agreed tiredly, he looked at Rienn - distressed, “Rienn … it’s gone. She took it.” 

“Took what?” Rienn asked, “And who’s she?!”

Halim swallowed, his voice cracking as he said, “Inge, Inge took the Seed - the giant acorn the First Expedition brought back from the Forest. It’s gone,” he repeated, sounding angrier with every word, “She took it.”