#emploi The Hunter Group

[yellydany]

LIONROSE 🌹💐 (Leophantasma Floralis) or Xóchimiztli

"An unusual parasitism between a flower and a lion that evolved into an undead-like species. The Lionrose displays a beautiful mane akin to dahlia petals varying in color but in usual red whereas the rest of the body has a more ghostly appearance and properties. The cubs resemble rose buds and once they ‘bloom’ the skull becomes visible. Unlike their lion counterparts they don't show any sexual dimorphism and if anything have a more hermaphroditic approach like flowers. They are known to be able to phase through objects and some rumors even suggest other realms, adding to their mythicism.

They are astute hunters and usually live in small groups. Instead of relying on photosynthesis this parasitic species steals nutrients from other plants and living beings employing their root-like tendrils. Their beauty and ferocity has made them known and valuable across the land, for many folk wish to acquire their petals even if it is a deadly task."

One of my favourite personal designs so far!

[chefwhatnot]

A Too-Close Analysis of the Double Exposure Treatments from Duskmourn (2/2)

We return to the Double Exposure cards from Duskmourn! This post will be going over all the cards I didn't talk about in the first part, which is all the legends that don't appear in the main story (not including Altanak, Norin, and Arabella since they're all at uncommon so none of them got Double Exposure printings). Now, because we don't know much about most of these characters, this part will include a lot more educated guesses. Quick shoutout to wotc for posting the "Legends of Duskmourn" article a little bit earlier than they usually do so I have a little bit more to go off of. Away we go!

(Oh, and if you missed Part 1, you can find it here)

Toby, Beastie Befriender-

A creepy Jack-in-the-Box looms behind Toby's profile. Could simply be that kids are afraid of clowns, or perhaps something more? A Jack-in-the-Box is startling, and even though Toby says he has his Beastie friends to protect him, that would not make him immune to a brief startle, would it?

The Mindskinner-

A hand. Who is its owner? Unclear, but the clawed motif on the gloves make it almost look like it belongs to a Razorkin. From the Legends article, the Mindskinner is the fear of Razorkin, and employs a much more gradual and insidious methodology compared to the rest of the nightmares in the House. Based on this double exposure, it seems that not even Razorkin are immune to being targeted by its cruel whims. Plus, the only way to drive off the Mindskinner is to have your glimmer nearby, meaning Razorkin, who've already given themselves in to maddening pain make for easy prey. It might have enough intelligence to find this delightfully ironic, to torture that which first gave it form.

Kona, Rescue Beastie-

Overlaid on Kona’s profile is a set of canine jaws, facing the same direction as her. Two interpretations: one, that the prey instincts that were within whatever animal later mutated into Kona are still active and alive, that she still fears being snatched up by the jaws of some greater creature and devoured. Or, alternatively: those are Kona’s teeth. Beasties are, at the end of the day, as monstrous as anything else in the House, their masks being their attempt to conceal that fact. A beastie knows that if a survivor sees its true face, they will immediately flee in terror. The biggest fear of a Beastie is that its monstrous nature will be revealed, that for all its efforts it will terrify and lose those it seeks to protect. Or worse, that it will be the one to take them away, slipping back into bestial instincts.

The Jolly Balloon Man-

I've spent so fucking long staring at this one trying to figure out what the fuck that even is and I honestly have nothing. A kinda fucked up looking balloon animal? Some kinda I got nothin’. I will say, though, that I think the JBM's rictus grin is a very good demonstration of the way Razorkin have fully fucked up senses of pain/pleasure and such. But yeah I don’t like this one. Pass.

Rip, Spawn Hunter-

A skeletal hand, reaching upwards towards Rip, who has her back turned towards the viewer. Rip used to be a member of the Doorblades, the group of survivors who dedicate themselves to fighting back and eliminating as many of the House’s monsters as possible. Which, we know from the planeswalkers guide, is a group with a very high fatality rate. Turn your attention now to the flavor text on Came Back Wrong and the Duskmourn printing of Pyroclasm. Rip has a practice of burning bodies of those who fell in the line of duty. The skeletal hand is that of one of her former comrades, whose body she had to burn and leave behind. It represents doubt, doubt that she’s doing the right thing by cutting off any chance of grim revival for those who’ve passed, doubt that the human toll of spawn hunting is worth it. No wonder she prefers to work alone.

The Swarmweaver-

Ahh! The Bees! Not the Bees!! A living scarecrow beehive, with a giant bee layered on top. Insects, crawling within its being, beneath its wooden skin and throughout its spindly form. The Swarmweaver is a wickerfolk: maybe in life they feared what they now wholly consist of? Not a huge amount to go off of here- is what I would say if the Legends article didn’t confirm that the Swarmweaver can indeed still feel the corpse bees crawling around beneath its wooden skin, that they are constantly in pain and the only way they have to relieve that is to send the bees to attack others. Do you think they’re still aware enough to feel regret, for sending the source if their pain towards others?

Victor, Valgavoth’s Seneschal-

In front of his face is a moth, symbolizing his total devotion to Valgavoth. In the flavor text for the Special Guests printing of Sacrifice, they describe a ritual where cultists allow their fears to be fully consumed by the house, allowing themselves to be reborn. Victor has apparently undergone this process dozens of times, no trace of his original self remaining. The chain of eye-marks on the moth’s wings connect to Victor’s glasses. His fears are now inseparable from Valgavoth’s being: in a way he has made himself part of the house.

Marvin, Murderous Mimic- Another hand! Now, originally I assumed that this was the hand of the Razorkin who used Marvin as an intimidation tactic and possessed him, but according to the Legends article, Marvin isn’t possessed at all, and merely “quickened” when the Razorkin grabbed him by coincidence. Which is… not what I expected from the Chucky analogue and makes it a lot harder for me to explain what the skeleton hand means. Cool. I do still think the hand might represent a lack of agency, a vague memory of being used as a puppet by whatever ventriloquist originally owned him. Beneath all of Marvin’s psychotic behaviors is the fear that he might still be no better than a puppet after all.

And that’s all folks! I hope you enjoyed this writing exercise and all my philosophical wankery about this silly card game. I’m literally in the middle of my prerelease event so I gotta go now. Also plz read my magic the gathering fanfiction i have a lot of it and crave comments

[shepherds-of-haven]

hi i hope you're having a good day! this may be quite silly but i'm curious, what are some typical dances for the peoples of blest?

Hi there! This was actually sent in for the Patreon Q&A in April, but something horrible has happened to Patreon's site in the last several months, where after a certain amount of text, the text editor becomes horrifically laggy and crashes constantly, meaning I did all the work (i.e. watching so many medieval and ancient dancing videos and reading all about various cultures and their dances) to answer this question, but the website stubbornly would not let me type up my answer in the existing Q&A post... 🥹 So I kept losing all my progress on this one and ultimately ended up giving up, but I still wanted to answer it, so I hope it's okay that I answer here!

The short answer: the typical dances for the people of Blest obviously are going to vary widely between cultures as well as classes within those cultures. People from the southern isles dance quite differently from people in the Eastern Continent, who in turn dance differently from people in Jalis. I'm not going to cover too much of the kinds of dancing that we don't see much of in the game, though I will note that Ket and Hunter cultures tend to favor dancing more as a form of story-telling or individual expression (often seen in plays or festival rituals where specialized dancers are playing specific roles or parts), with elaborate costumes and dance techniques being employed in each culture (some traditional Ket dancers use fans and masks, Hunter dancers often dress in swirling costumes with rattling beads and employ hand-drums), rather than the communal dancing we might envision in, like, ballrooms or barnyard line-dancing. The Elves have a mix of both, with dance as "performance" as well as dance as "socializing" utilized in equal measure, and performative dancing is seen as a high art form that deeply utilizes perfectly synchronized music, color coordination, and movement to create mesmerizing group displays, almost like synchronized swimming or Cirque de Soleil type experiences. Mage culture, in general, doesn't put a lot of emphasis on dancing, as many Mages tend to trend introverted, solitary, or unathletic, so as a society it's not viewed as a really vital skill or even a part of their larger culture outside of the usual school/festival dancing, which isn't so much taught as it is just stumbled into.

Anyway, the two primary forms of dancing we seen in the game are what the nobles do and what the commonfolk do. I imagine dancing among aristocrats (formal balls, the Trade Minister's gala, parties at the Sun Court) to be pretty similar to what you'd see in Regency-Era dancing, with waltzes, quadrilles, and cotillons being the most common style.

However, it should be noted that the "English country dance" that was typical of the Regency era (where men and women form two lines, facing across from their partner, and are not permitted to dance alone as a couple, but side-by-side alongside others) is not something that is present in Blest. If you've seen any Austenian movies like P&P 2005, you know what I mean.

^ So not this!

It may factor into a dance a noble has to do once or twice in their lifetime, but it's pretty unusual, and a guest without a noble background (like Riel or the Shepherds at the Trade Minister's gala) wouldn't be expected to know it.

Among the commonfolk, dancing typically takes place during festivals and holidays, in the streets or on the village green or town square, not within a formal venue such as a ball. As such, there are really no formal moves or styles ascribed to this kind of dancing--it's primarily dictated by what kind of music is playing, and you basically just jam out to it however you want, in a group, couple, or as an individual--but the closest real-world equivalents I could liken it to would be the medieval carole or free-style polka. But there are no formalized rules other than basic proprietary/decency, and even then that can be pretty lax once the drink is flowing.

However, while I don't have any formal name for it, mostly I just imagine the dance scene from A Knight's Tale. :)

[chibishortdeath]

Alright I’ve thought about, I’m gonna actually start posting some of my criticisms of Netflixvania starting with the first season. I actually have a notepad document on my computer somewhere that’s just various rants about it that I’m gonna take from lol

Rant under a cut cause it’s long, spoilers, and also cause uh tldr I do not like the show 💀

Ok let’s start from the beginning of the show, episode one.

The first episode isn’t terrible, it’s a bit rocky, some red flags here and there for what was to come, but that’s kinda expected of animations like this. It usually takes them a couple episodes to pick up and grow into their own, so I was skeptical, but not gonna knock it entirely when I first saw it.

My biggest criticism of this episode was the complete missed opportunity to introduce certain characters from this section of the series’s story. Imagine if they had shown Isaac and Hector in the background of the castle or something at this point for foreshadowing later, as they would’ve already been studying under Dracula at that time. Imagine if that old woman Lisa helped ended up being one of Lyudmil’s family members, cementing them as friends of her for later. Alas, Netflix just decided not to use most of the already written backstories for most characters. But eh, that’s getting into nitpick territory.

And then the second episode happens… I honestly genuinely hate the concept of the Speakers and it’s because they completely replace a much more interesting (especially for the tone and themes they were going for) group for Sypha to be a part of: The Church. In the game, Sypha is a witch, something that’s currently not very good to be at this time, however the church employs a bunch of male wizard soldiers. This is already a perfect opportunity set up and ready to go for them to make their points of the church being hypocritical, add some intense dramatic irony with maybe the audience getting to know Sypha is a witch before anyone else does and seeing her interact with a bunch of people who would have her dead if they knew, and create a super conflicted situation where these church soldiers all die during their encounter with the cyclops, but yet they scrapped it for uh random group of magic users that kinda exist entirely for a plot that didn’t need a new device to work. And Sypha just being all hood down and no hiding just takes away something interesting about her character, making her kinda bland in the process. Like it’s one thing to have the Girl™️ who owns the braincell trope and another to have a character with some actual immediate conflicts. They totally could’ve played up the “oh no if Trevor knew would he kill me” dynamic, especially with witches being commonly lumped in with ‘monsters’ in a lot of other media and Trevor being ya know a monster hunter. And already just from this one design choice she completely loses her symbolic putting the hood down scene for much later in the story to show that she actually trusts people and feels safe enough to not need to hide anymore because she’s got people on her side now.

Also the lack of Grant is just a crime in itself. Grant could’ve worked perfectly as like the everyman of the group. Hell, with his background of being a former noble turned thief presumably after hard times to straight up losing his entire hometown to flames and leading a revolution about it, Grant literally has like almost every common not magical vampire hunter person experience. He could’ve given the group any of those perspectives and been told the perspectives of the vampire hunting life he hasn’t had, ya know? And he’d help differentiate the personalities and humors of the group in general. I literally can’t think of a negative to having Grant in the group.

So we were robbed of character development for Sypha and the existence of Grant, what’s next—

The Bishop character is someone that could’ve been interesting if he was written with any kind of nuance, but instead he’s extremely on the nose and blatantly laughably evil. Otherwise this guy is pretty forgettable besides how lame it was that they used Blue Fangs to kill him instead of ya know an actually recognizable enemy. Like the Blue Fangs design wouldn’t be bad if it was in literally anything else, but compared to the designs of most Castlevania monsters it’s just really lame. I’d’ve even accepted a Warg or something, idk. Personally I think having Death walk in taking the form of Zead and going through that speech while eventually turning into the skeleton form we know him as woulda gone hard but for some reason Death isn’t a thing until seasons later which sucks.

I also absolutely hate Alucard and the Cyclops being in the catacombs! Hate it! The Cyclops kinda had like a courtyard area for it and made sense being there since it was standing guard on the way to the castle. Literally what it is even doing in the catacombs 💀💀💀. Standing guard for… eepy Alucard? Why??? And the whole sleeping soldier thing or whatever they called him is just so obviously an excuse to have him appear faster and make it seem like it tied into the plot. Alucard absolutely should not have been introduced to the main group this early on because again that robs him of a bunch of opportunities for background and character development. He got maybe the one oh no dad don’t commit mass death that’s bad scene and nothing else when they had plenty of time to show him initially following his fathers orders and eventually growing to stand against him. And again??? Missed opportunity for anything radio drama related??? Like if there’s any opportunity to get any of that story more known it’s in an animation? And besides, it’s less work to just use whatever materials and supplemental materials already existed for the game!

Dracula’s Curse and CoD have:

Two games

Two manuals

Three manga (TokyoPop and Preorder)

A couple game guides

Flashback sequences in a radio drama

Flashback sequences in SotN AKA: the game everyone knows

A ton of references in later games cause IGA is a big Dracula’s Curse fanboy

Pachinkos

That is plenty of material to make an animation based on, especially because most games don’t get half of that, especially not NES games. They were literally handed like the NES game to adapt lottery and decided not to scratch like half the ticket 💀💀💀.

Alucard also being able to levitate kinda negates a lot of things. Like what the hell is the point of having a bat/mist form and a double jump then? If he can just be flying vampire Jesus immediately or whatever people call him idk. And you can’t tell me Alucard wouldn’t be painfully embarrassed if someone ever saw him shirtless come on this is the guy that wears like 5 layers of clothing in every game he’s in to the point that even in the modern era he’s choosing a suit over casual clothes. Every action he makes in this introduction to him is obviously fanservice for the sake of fanservice with very little thought behind it, except I’m not feeling very served right now. And having Trevor kinda lose that fight is a reoccurring problem this show ends up having: putting down other characters just to make certain ones get the cool fanservice moment. Contrary to what the writers of this show may believe, it actually doesn’t make me go “oh wow, Alucard is so cool and much badas”, it just feels weird and uncomfortable that Trevor is getting cheated out of one of his canon achievements because the writers preferred one character’s tits more than him.

So, basically, the show starts out with missed opportunities, concepts and characters getting cut out, watered down versions of characters that did make it in, cheap fanservice, poor explanations for things, etc etc. this all culminates into a resounding m e h + dread for later seasons being worse (boy was I correct on that fear lol).

Here’s some other things for the first season I didn’t know where else to fit:

None of the humor hit for me at all, like not a single joke. The humor was either a no response at best, but definitely a physically wincing from secondhand embarrassment at worst. Related to this, I feel like most of the dialogue reads like either someone who just learned what swear words are and thinks they’re really cool and funny or genuinely forced. At times most of the characters talk with the same delivery, cadence, personality, etc, it’s really obvious they were all written by the same person or group. And that even goes for background and side characters, too. This is a criticism I’ve never seen said: I really don’t like the voice acting in this show. I’m sure it’s no fault of the voice actors at all, but there were times in this where I either could not hear characters properly or could not understand characters properly and I had to watch it with closed captions on. The clearness and volume of the characters voices varies A LOT even just between scenes sometimes. And that combined with all the characters having really similar speech patterns, there were a lot of times where if I looked away from the screen, I genuinely could not tell if it was Alucard or Trevor speaking cause it sounded like it could reasonably have been either of them (and in some cases it literally didn’t even matter that much which character was saying what). It’s an absolute tragedy that the color schemes in this show are not remotely similar to Dracula’s Curse too. I understand why some color combos wouldn’t make it for eyestrain reasons, but the pixel artwork in all the NES titles is beautiful. Same goes for music, like I am never going to forgive this series for using Bloody Tears for a Dracula’s Curse ‘adaptation’ and not Beginning or Aquarius or Dead Beat or Ghost Ship or Clockwork or— ya know? These are two things that the series are really known for so you’d think with some of the fanservice they did they’d be all kinds of ready to use stuff like that for more of it.

Anyway, past season one is when I started watching the series primarily through clips/episodes reposted on YouTube or elsewhere cause I had completely lost any interest in it. I’ll probably go through synopsises online again for season 2 just to try to better remember what happened in that one because I do remember having very little good to say about season 2 as well and I gotta do that research so I can hate things properly :3.

There’s a certain part of this where I just kinda blanked on things to even say, partially because Season one is kinda bland in general, but partially because I started getting sleepy while typing. So if I feel like I missed anything season one specific I’ll just put it in the beginning of the season two post. d(_ _ )

[unovaslankiite]

Me when I say that I would never make another RWDE post but then people says the most stupid shit about the show.

Erin Winn, Erin my bestie: RWBY is copoganda the diet-coke anime show. Look, I'm not gonna bash Erin super hard because ultimately, she's a former art director and not a writer of the show but come on. Did you work on the show with your eyes closed Erin??? If this was any other show written by any other writer, you would be rightfully calling this out. RWBY does not get the pass because the bigoted and racist writers gave you your unseasoned white chicken yuri after stalling for 10 years. Erin also does not get the pass to act as if Yang and Blake aren't cops and that Hunters aren't a form of cops.

This take is so stupid because it actively ignores the worldbuilding of the show and the entire fucking point of Hunters. Hunters function as a form of law enforcement where they are often commissioned by the government to help them out. As seen with Atlas and said in World of Remnant, Atlas employs Hunters to join the military and to work in law-enforcement. Like, did we all forget about the Ace-Ops being an elite group of Hunters working for the Atlas military??? Did we all forget that Team RWBY worked with the Ace-Ops???

Hunters act as mercenaries, they take jobs outside of dealing with Grimm and act alongside law enforcement or they are a form of law enforcement themselves. I'd argue they're a self employed form of super-cop where instead of being held accountable to an institution and having to follow a set of regulations, they are held accountable to themselves as an individual and can take on any job with as minimal regulations as they please. Like, imagine cops being able to be employed as individuals to serve alongside law enforcement and being able to take up jobs with as many or little regulations as they please. Thats just Hunters in a nutshell; they're basically cops who are trained by their respective Kingdom's government and who are allowed to carry specialized weapons. 'BuT wAiT, tHeRE's aCtUal cOps iN rWby, HUnTeRs aNd cOPs aRE dIfFerEnt sO tHerEFore RwBy cAn'T bE cOps tHemSelves' Ah yes, because RWBY has actual cops so theres NO possible way that our heros can't be co— Yo remember when Weiss arrested her dad in Volume 7???

Do you guys remember ArrowFell where Team RWBY helps locate and incarcerate a former Union leader??? This game is considered canon to Volume 7 and was written by Kerry, Miles and Eddy btw.

Are we all FORGETTING that in V5: Blake stormed into Mistral's Academy with a group of Menagerie's faunus and assistance with Mistral's COPS to stop Adam and the White Fang??? Like, Blake works with the fucking cops to stop a group of in-universe minorities.

Don't even hit me back with 'aDAm WaS gOInG tO bOmB tHE aCAdEmY!1!1! hE's a tERoRisT!1!1!'. It was the writers choice to have the in-universe minority freedom fighter to bomb a school, it was the writers choice to make Adam a terrorist and the writers choice for Blake to work with the fucking COPS. It was also the writers choice to have a former Union leader be a major villain for ArrowFell and to have Team RWBY be the central squad who was able to get him arrested. Oh yeah, speaking of V7, remember the time Weiss assaulted an unarmed civilian (who btw was visibly intoxicated) and smiled about it. As her friends quite literally stand by her and watch. Blake a character who shills about non-violence as the only way to solve racism, is complacent with Weiss using violence to solve a problem. Blake who clutches her pearls from her mansion in space-is-a-commodity Menagerie about the White Fang using violent forms of protest, does NOT reprimand or call out Weiss for her gross abuse of power.

Yang and Blake being the pinnacles of morality do... NOTHING about it. They allow Weiss to assault a man, DON'T reprimand her and run away with Weiss to escape the consequences. Ah yes, as someone who is a racialized person of colour who has to be wary of facing violence from cops, nothing SCREAMS progressive to me when a show's main character, who are fantasy cops, assault an intoxicated unarmed civilian and face no consequences for it. And before any of you guys defend this by saying he was being racist and this is self defense: yes, although he called Blake a stupid faunus, he was NOT verbally harassing her on the basis of her being a faunus prior to calling her stupid (dude was talking about Atlas being the best kingdom and complaining about the other kingdoms). He also did not get physically aggressive towards Blake (the man was standing a solid distance away from Blake and didn't throw anything at her) nor did he made any verbal threats to her physical safety. This is not self defence. Hot Take: Glorifying a person being a victim of unproportional and unjust violence at the hands of police in a progressive shade of paint (the unarmed and intoxicated victim was actually a RACIST so its OK that Weiss assaulted him), is not fucking the progressive take you think it is. The guy being a racist is being used as a justification against the fact that yes, Weiss DID assault an intoxicated unarmed civillian and the story is portraying it as a good thing. Please read between the lines, this is still a major issue. Blake and Yang not saying SHIT to Weiss, or actually none of Team RWBY and JNOR saying anything to Weiss is a huge issue. Blake also bringing an army of RACIALIZED MINORITIES to work with the ACTUAL cops of Remnant, is also a huge fucking issue.

Yang and Blake are both complacent when their peers abuse their power as Hunters, and the latter has actively worked alongside cops... Yang and Blake are both content with maintaining the status quo and do not bother to call out corruption when it inconveniences them. But they're not cops because they wear ugly outfits with a bajillion belts instead of a police uniform!!! Yang and Blake are cops, period. Where's the post of how the propoganda in shows does numbers on your brain, I really fucking need it!!! — Sincerely, a person of colour who needs a fucking drink 🥃

[myxineye]

a little too excited about this so im sharing a wip for Medic's design, but tf2 au with I throw them into my personal project (vivid in vitro) and the mercs are a team of angel hunters....

medic is an underground doctor and angel hunter, nowadays doing his own research on angel-human fusion. he used to be employed under the Path Vein research group but misused a bunch of experimental materials during his time there :p

[absolutely-normal-about-x]

CARBON LORE: Society and Diggers

Carbon society is distinguished by the large number of islands on which they reside. As a result, a variety of cultures emerge, with the ruins of the previous society serving as a foundation for further development. The majority of these cultures differ from one another, but they all share a common concept: community. Most islands have tight-knit communities that frequently assist one another in difficult situations. They rely on others' assistance to ensure the process and, potentially, a more relaxed attitude. Because of cultural differences between the islands, there is no unified government, and the primary goal of these civilizations is to foster inter-island relations. This has resulted in a one-of-a-kind era of peace within carbon societies, akin to their halcyon days, but there are still problems that must be addressed.

Carbons use a mix of basic and ancient technology. Most of their civilization employs these ancient technologies. It also means that their power sources cannot be replicated easily, as they are not capable of creating a power source. Instead, they must locate and uncover its primary power source. Refractors are mostly found in ruins scattered throughout the planet. This type of responsibility is assigned to the Digouter, which translates as "digger."

Diggers include explorers, treasure hunters, and others. Their primary duty is to search the ancient ruins of Terra for valuable relics, technology, and refractors. They are responsible for ensuring that their civilization has enough power and resources, so they rely on their own efforts. Unfortunately, being a digger is not as easy as it appears, as there are more risks and dangers. The terra's ruins can be dangerous for a variety of reasons, including traps, hostile reaver bots, and the possibility of trickster spirits (Cyber Elves) leading diggers to their demise. As a result, many diggers require training to prepare them to deal with the dangers of the ruins. Most diggers begin their training at the age of ten, but due to their durability, they can withstand it. Diggers typically work in groups of two or more to ensure the success and survival of an expedition; those who go out alone are considered suicidal. Whoever survives as a lone digger with resources in tow is considered exceptionally skilled. Unfortunately, they are diggers who are motivated by greed and fortune and do not respect the law. They are commonly known as "air pirates."

Despite the many dangers of the job itself, many diggers choose either a sense of responsibility, adventure, or something more. In order to support diggers, an organization was formed to not only support them but also their civilization, called “The Digger’s Guild”. An interconnected organization whose main responsibility is to help islands and diggers alike. The guild is where Diggers can find different jobs to help people or support them. This leads to a unique distinction between Guild Diggers and Independent Diggers. While guild diggers are the ones that mostly stay on their main island to help the people there, dealing with difficulties, etc. The majority of the refractors they give to the guild are distributed among other diggers and islands. Meanwhile, an independent digger works alone or with their loved ones, typically traveling across Terra by airship, collecting relics and refractors to keep or trade to a nearby settlement. They frequently sign contracts to get jobs or, on occasion, accept a job from the guild to assist in a large expedition or something else.

[lakemojave]

This afternoon at 2pm pacific: Tales From the Rambler Episode 8!!!

DM'd by Bill @gabajoofs, starring Dot @radiofreederry as Janica Halcyon, Sebastian @lakemojave as Bhuri'Hssyngig, Jordan @brucebocchi as Ced Saverem, Heather @chansaw as Val Griv'ir, and Julia @thottacelli as Caitvuna Conu!

Art by @bijillion, recap under the cut! See y'all then!

THE STORY SO FAR: It has been years since the end of the Galactic Civil War. The New Republic struggles to rebuild the galaxy after decades of Imperial rule, locked in a cold war with the remnant Pentastar Alignment. All the while, in the dark corners of the galaxy, organized crime groups compete with each other to gain power in the galactic underworld after the collapse of the Hutt Cartel. Now, the crew of the transport ship the Rambler have been thrust into this gritty, cutthroat world...

LAST TIME: After returning the Tusken chieftain's family to him following their flight from Mos Shuuta, the crew of the Rambler began implementing Janica's plan to topple Zorba the Hutt and free the people of the town. Janica was able to convince the former Clone Commando Pash to lead and organize the townspeople and liberated slaves, and upon his assurance that the Tusken's land rights would be respected, the chieftain agreed to join forces, as did the townspeople the Tuskens had been holding captive. Thweek, the Kubaz formerly in the employ of Zorba's predecessor, also told the crew about a back way into Zorba's palace, and Janica was able to convince the crew's Republic handler to provide a Y-wing bomber as air support.

Over the next few days, the crew also recruited the local Jawas to the cause, inspired the townspeople to trust the Tuskens in working together to build a better future for Tatooine, and traveled to Mos Espa to secure weapons for the revolt. Bhuri also acquired some new armor with the help of some fellow Transoshans, although she failed to convince them to join the revolt.

At last, the day of the revolt arrived, with Janica flying the Y-wing and the Rambler following closely behind, piloted by R6. Together, the palace's external defenses and Zorba's air support were dispatched, and the crew rendezvoused with Pash and the rebels in town to coordinate the final push. Pash led the townspeople in a frontal assault on the palace, using the Jawa sandcrawler as a siege engine, while the Rambler crew, some Tuskens, some townspeople, and the local bartender (a Trandoshan former hunter) entered through the back, with all parties involved planning to meet in the middle at Zorba's throne room. After a bloody firefight in the palace, in which several Tuskens lost their lives, the crew now continues their advance through the palace, intent on confronting Zorba and ending his reign forever...

[stay-with-wonder]

The Mantis Shrimp: Nature’s Marvelous Boxer(The name is misleading. They are neither mantis nor shrimp)

In the mesmerizing world of marine life, the mantis shrimp stands as an extraordinary creature that captivates researchers, scientists, and nature enthusiasts alike. With its kaleidoscope of colors, fascinating behavior, and unique set of abilities, this small but mighty marine marvel has earned a reputation as one of the ocean’s most intriguing inhabitants. Join me as I take you into the captivating world of the mantis shrimp, exploring its incredible features and astonishing capabilities.

The Master of Color:

A Formidable Hunter:

The mantis shrimp’s exceptional hunting prowess makes it a force to be reckoned with in the ocean’s depths. Equipped with appendages resembling a praying mantis, these crustaceans(Crustaceans are a diverse group of arthropods that includes familiar animals such as crabs, lobsters, shrimp, and barnacles. They are characterized by having a hard exoskeleton, a segmented body, and jointed appendages.) are skilled predators that employ two distinct hunting strategies:” spearers” and “smashers” *

-Spearers: Some mantis shrimp species have spear-like appendages that they use to impale and capture prey with lightning-fast precision. They strike so swiftly that the prey has little time to react, making them highly effective hunters. (Do you get the pun now?)

-Smashers: Other mantis shrimp species boast club-like appendages capable of generating an incredible amount of force. They use this power to deliver devastating blows to their prey or even shatter the hard shells of crabs and mollusks, enabling them to feast on well-protected creatures.

Unmatched vision:

The mantis shrimp’s eyes are nothing short of extraordinary, possessing one of the most complex visual systems in the animal kingdom. Unlike humans, who possess three types of color receptors (cones), mantis shrimp have up to 16 different types of cones, enabling them to see colors that are beyond human comprehension. This remarkable visual system allows them to perceive polarized light,(Polarized light refers to a type of light in which the vibrations of the electromagnetic waves are confined to a single plane. This means that the electric field vectors of polarized light oscillate in a specific direction, perpendicular to the direction of propagation.) a phenomenon that helps them navigate, communicate, and hunt effectively.

A Creature of Beauty and Brawn:

Despite their striking appearance, mantis shrimp are relatively small, ranging from a few centimeters to about 15 inches in length. (38.1 cm) They typically inhabit shallow tropical and subtropical waters, often hiding in burrows or crevices within the coral and ambushing unsuspecting prey.

Remarkable Communication:

In addition to their incredible vision, mantis shrimp have developed a unique form of communication. They use body movements, color changes, and even gentle taps to convey messages to other individuals, signaling territorial boundaries or courtship interests. Their complex communication methods contribute to the fascinating social dynamics within their communities.

In the enigmatic world of marine life, the mantis shrimp stands as a true wonder, embodying nature’s ingenious adaptations and remarkable capabilities. From their awe-inspiring colors and exceptional hunting techniques to their unmatched visual system and intricate communication methods, these marine marvels continue to amaze and inspire those who dare to explore the secrets of the ocean. As we uncover the mysteries of the underwater world, the mantis shrimp will undoubtedly remain an enduring symbol of nature’s marvels and evolutionary wonders. Stay With Wonder!

[stumbling-towards-the-light]

Free Folk & Their Adaptive Strategy

Adaptive strategy was a term first coined in 1974 by anthropologist Yehudi Cohen to describe a society's means of economic production. Cohen also further postulated that certain means of economic production adopted by a society also led said society to adopt certain social features, by which I mean shared political organization, and similar ways of choosing leadership, if they had any.

Now, in most anthropological circles, it's generally agreed there are five adaptive strategies to be linked to five types of political organization. This is a general pattern across a majority of human societies, but not a written-in-stone rule; some societies do not land in these neat, categorized boxes. However, this is a fictional culture, so for the sake of mine and the dear reader's sanity, we are going to assume the Free Folk fall into these categories.

It is largely implied that the Free Folk's main adaptive strategy is foraging, employing “traditional” hunter-gatherer means of survival. Now we see some Free Folk use pastoralist means of survival, with mentions of sheepfolds and pigstys found in various Free Folk villages, as well as a mention of a reindeer herding, however, baseline the Free Folk are foragers. Usually, in forager societies, the main type of political organization are bands, relatively small groups of people all tied together by some form of kinship. This seems to be supported in the text itself, where Jon refers to Rattleshirts’ group as a “band” several times.

This type of society does not lend itself well to permanent homes, usually moving seasonally in accordance with where herds of wild animals have moved. The idea of private property is virtually nonexistent. However, there are reports of forager societies all coming together in one place, usually when there is a surplus of food. This occasion is usually treated like a holiday, with lots of celebrating, dancing, singing, and trading being done.

Leadership: Fascinatingly enough, forager leadership structure is usually based around who can give the most, rather than who is the strongest or the toughest. This is due to the tendency of forager societies to develop social mores involving hospitality and shared social responsibility. 

Social Values: We already know the Free Folk hold proper hospitality to be absolutely sacred, with even Crastor, the worst of the worst, following it like gospel. (He is not the one to break hospitality during the Night’s Watch coup, after all.) The shared social responsibility part is simply an expansion of this core idea. If you can’t even take care of your own, why should your hospitality, your word be trusted? Societies like this one, also will ostracize any hoarders who take more than they need. We see this pattern with Crastor, with every other Free Folk we meet despising him. Granted, this is probably due to his practice of marrying his daughters, but he is also the only Free Folk to have a designated “keep”, where his family lives, with it’s own pigsty and sheepfold. Every other pigsty and/or sheepfold we see north of the Wall, appears to be shared. Some of that disgust could also be due to his hoarding tendencies.  

Gender Roles: White there is the traditional idea of men doing the hunting and fishing and women doing the majority of the foraging, these roles are not set in stone by any means. Again, this is supported by the text, where both men and women are raiders and accepted leaders of their groups. This is even supported in the Free Folks’ concept of marriage, which doesn’t seem to be set in stone. They do have a concept of one man and one woman being tied together, but it doesn;t seem that the two are bound by marriage; there is no expectation of fidelity for either party, or at least there are no social consequences for sleeping with someone who isn’t your spouse. This kind of openness is usually found in societies that give their women a lot more freedom.

Religion: Due to their heavy reliance on the land, almost all foraging societies are animistic, worshiping the spirits found in and around nature, rather than a specific, titled entity. Again seen in the Free Folk, who worship the Old Gods, nameless spirits inhabiting the world around them. 

Inheritance Customs: As there is no concept of private property, there is no concept of someone inheriting that private property. Further support the Free Folks’ lax gender roles. When there is nothing to inherit, why should there be a huge fuss over whose child is whose child? Why should a husband need to control who his wife sleeps with, when he has nothing to pass down? 

Descent Customs: Forager societies are often bilineal, children are considered to be descended from both parents and thus kin to both parents’ extended families. This is a way to ensure that there will always be someone to rely on in hard times. I see no reason why the Free Folk would not adopt a similar strategy. 

This is just some of the things, affected by the Free Folks’ larger adaptive strategy, there are probably a hundred more different ways this idea could be expressed. But anyway, let me know what you think!

[idungoofed]

Frustrations

Oh jeez okay, this was meant to be straight smut but what can I say? I just can’t help myself when it comes to Din and getting all the feels! I might be predictable but I’m not sorry. Enjoy!

Summary: Mando’s been leaving you alone on the Crest, and your feelings for him are turning into frustration of the spicy kind.

Warnings: Smut, PinV, fingering, swearing can’t be bothered to sit here and list it all but if you’re under 18 just leave now. No use of Y/N, the Crest lives! And the helmet does come off but you don’t really see anything.

Word count: 3,149

____

Letting out a huff of air, you stare up at the metal ceiling of the Razor Crest in your bunk. You’d been laying like that for the better part of an hour, listening to the quiet buzz and clicks of the ship settling around you.

You’d been left behind again while Mando had gone on another long hunt that would take days.

Your time on your own was becoming more and more frequent after the mandalorian had handed the kid over to the Jedi. You couldn’t blame him for it - knew he was hurting from the loss, and hunting bounties was a way to distract him from it, but in the process you became more lonely.

You’d been a mechanic on the crest for a while now, being employed by the man a few months before his kid was taken out your lives.

In that time you couldn’t help your fondness of the beskar clad bounty hunter growing into something that tugged at your heart whenever he called your name. Even if it was just to help with a mechanical issue.

Your relationship with the man never evolved into more than friendship, although that didn’t stop you from the hope it one day would, and when the child was around you found yourself feeling like a part of a family. They were a clan of two but you were never made to feel like a spare wheel, something you were thankful for.

Now, with the other half of the clan gone, things hadn’t stayed the same. Mando had grown distant while you yearned for things to return to how they were. What was something you thought could bloom into more than a friendship had been halted in its tracks.

You’d accepted this… at least that’s what you told yourself. Repeatedly.

It had been a long time since you’d been intimate with someone, and however much you told yourself it wasn’t going to happen with the mandalorian, you couldn’t help the fantasies that came when you were in bed alone at night.

You been able to satisfy yourself before Mando started distancing himself, using memories of his fingers brushing yours while fixing the ship together, or how he’d shove you behind him at the first sign of danger, wanting to protect you.

But now with only clipped sentences between you and dancing around each other on the ship you had just become… frustrated.

Letting out another long breath you made up your mind - you were going out.

Mando hadn’t specifically said you couldn’t leave the ship, and being docked into a port on Tatooine meant it was only a short walk to the nearest cantina.

You left a note explaining where you were, gathered your credits and headed out into the night.

When you arrive at the cantina it’s still busy with patrons, and you weave through the crowd to order yourself a spotchka and claim a newly vacated corner booth.

You take a sip and settle in, your booths location gives you an open view of the establishment, and you scan tonights crowd. A group of Jawa’s to your left seemingly fighting over scrap metal, on the right Trandoshan’s gathered round a game of sabacc, in the middle Twi’leks dance together to the jazz band and many other species in between; all there for a good time.

You’d just finished the last dregs of your drink, when a man in a green flight suit approaches your booth. You’d caught his eye a few times while you looked over the crowd, not disliking what you saw.

“Hey, I couldn’t help but notice you could use some company.”

You smile up at the man, maybe not your usual type but you couldn’t deny he was handsome, with sandy blonde hair, blue eyes, clean shaved chiselled jaw.

He jerks his chin at your empty glass. “Can I get you another one?”

You nod and accept, and eye him from behind. Not bad but…

Not as broad as your mandalorian.

Not yours. Stop it. You scold yourself.

He’s back a few minutes later, drinks in hand and slides into the booth. “I’m Seth by the way.” He says clinking his glass against yours after he sets it down.

You tell him your name, “Thanks for the drink Seth, and for your company I was starting to feel a bit lonely over here.” You say smiling shyly at him and taking a sip, watching him over the rim of the glass.

“I don’t think I’ve seen you around before, I’d remember a pretty face.”

Your eyes itch to roll in their sockets at the line, but you fix them on his instead. This is what you came here for, it doesn’t need to mean anything.

You continue to chat to Seth, and he seems nice enough, offering up information about himself and asking about yourself in turn.

Wanting to avoid telling him who your travel companion is, you simply describe yourself as an onboard mechanic.

You feel yourself relaxing as the conversation continues, the alcohol working it’s way into your system and boosting your confidence.

“So if you’re not from here where are you staying tonight?” Asks Seth as he cups his glass in his nimble hands, leaning forward on the table.

You raise your eyebrow at him, catching the flash of desire in his eyes.

Here we go.

“Well that depends, Seth.”

“On?” he asks, starting to look unsure of himself.

“On where you live.” You say, a small smile playing on your lips.

“Uh, just round the corner from here.” He says, still unsure of where you’re heading.

“We’ll I guess I’m staying just round the corner.” You say, resting your elbows on the table, chin perched on your hands.

He eyes widen for a moment, as he realises your train of thought, a smirk spreading across his face.

Neither of you waste time after that, scooting out the booth you make your way over to the exit, Seth following close behind.

As you stride towards the door you’re met with a wall of beskar, stopping yourself just I time before you get a face full.

“Mando!” You say surprised at his sudden appearance. “What are you doing back?”

He doesn’t reply, instead looking over your shoulder at Seth who seems to shrink in size under the visors intimidating gaze.

You cross your arms over your chest, unable to stop yourself from filling the silence. “This is Seth, we were just-“

You’re cut off by the man behind you.

“Uhh, actually… I just forgot, I have an early start tomorrow, should probably take a rain check on… this.” Seth says, before darting around you, squeezing between Mando and the door frame and disappearing out of sight.

You stare after him, your cheeks heating up from being slighted, then throwing a glare at Mando as you shoulder past him.

Guess that’s over then.

The T-shape of his visor follows you as you walk out the door. Your night now ruined, you start a swift walk back to the Crest, not bothering to see if the mandalorian was following you. You could hear his steady footfall and occasional clink of beskar trailing behind you.

Back at the Crest, Mando lowers the ramp, waiting for you to enter first.

You’re pissed at how your evenings turned out, and can’t help your mood show, muttering as you walk past him.

“Cockblock.”

His helmet snaps in your direction.

Oops.

“What did you just say?” His modulated voice coming out dangerously low.

You turn to face him, pressing your lips together making it clear you weren’t going to repeat yourself. Fighting to stop the smirk hitching at the corner of your mouth from being so bold.

“So that’s what you think?” Mando asks sharply, slowly stepping towards you.

You let out an exasperated sigh, throwing your hands up in the air. “You never here… and if you’re not… I mean I had to find someone… I just wanted… needed…” You trail off as your back hits the ship wall you’d been subconsciously backed into.

Mando’s arms come up on either side of you, caging you in. He brings his helmed head down to your eye level, and you stare back into the visor, words stolen at his closeness.

“What is it you need?” His voice sounded strained, but not mad like before.

What is he…?

You such a breath in as his one of his hands trails down the wall, and settles on your hip, a leather clad thumb moving up and under the hem of your shirt.

He moves closer again, settling his thigh between your legs.

“Tell me what you need.” He asks again, commanding you to answer.

“I need you, Mando.” You whisper.

At your confession he moves closer, his thigh moving higher till it meets your aching core. A whimper falls from you lips and you can’t help but grind down on his beskar clad thigh, sending shivers of pleasure down your spine.

Both his hands are on your hips now, gripping them and aiding your movements by rocking you against him.

You wrap your arms around his neck, eyes locked on his visor as your hips roll, small whimpers and breathy moans escaping between your lips.

Heat already starts to pool in your belly, and the dampness of your underwear against yourself only aids in the release you seek.

After so much time with only yourself as a means to satisfy you, it doesn’t take long before your orgasm slams into you. Panting out his name as you writhe against him never wanting the high to end. Your arms cling tighter around his neck as your legs give out, but Mando holds you up right, never taking his hidden eyes away from your face.

“Fuck, Mando I-“

“I’m not done with you yet.” His husky voice comes threw the modulator. Still keeping you facing him he removes his thigh and backs you towards his small sleeping space

You feel the back of your calfs meet the end of the bed and he gently pushes you down onto it, gesturing for you to move back.

You scoot deeper into the space as he starts to remove the armour covering his body. You can’t help your eyes as they roam over him, shuddering involuntary when they find the outline of his cock straining against his flight suit.

Once the armour has been placed in a careful pile next to the bed he crawls in and settles at your feet. His hands are still in the leather gloves as he glides them up the sides of your legs towards the waistline of your pants, hesitating for just enough time for him to receive a nod from you to continue.

Mando swiftly pulled down your pants and underwear in one movement, and he settled on his forearms between you legs, taking in the sight of your dripping cunt.

“Fuck, your perfect.” He growls, taking his hand and sweeping a finger through your folds, holding it up you can see your slick clinging to the tips of gloved fingers. “All this for me?”

You nod, desperate to feel him on you.

He says your name drawing your attention to his visor once again, “I need words.”

You never imagined you would be in this position with the man infront of you, always so serious and stoic with you, and now he was causing you to become completely undone.

You make eye contact with where his would be behind his helmet, “Yes Mando, it’s all for you, it’s always all for you, I’ve wanted this for so long.” You say, barely recognising your own voice.

“Good girl.”

With that he plunges his finger into you, as you gasp his name, hips rolling up to meet him. “Fuck.. more, please!” You beg and he doesn’t make you wait, adding a second finger, curling his digits to hit the spot that sends stars across your vision.

You lean your head back into the mattress below you as he continues to fuck you with his hand.

You hear a hiss as he withdraws his fingers and you look down at him, fascinated as you watch him tip his helmet back just enough for him to suck on the fingers that were just inside you.

He groans around them, licking them clean, “Taste perfect too… fuck, I-“

His hand smacks against the control panel on the wall next to him plunging the ship into darkness.

“What are you-?” You start before you hear a clink beside he bed and a warm breath against your mound.

Oh.

His hands are back on your thighs, he must of removed his gloves after his helmet, as warm hands caress your skin instead of cold leather as he coaxes your legs over his shoulders.

He teases you at first, kissing and sucking a trail down your inner thigh, before delving his tongue into your wetness. He laps and groans into you, the vibrations causing your legs to tremor. He drags his tongue over your pussy and then focuses soft swirls on your clit.

You were becoming unhinged, the gasps and moans a continuous stream from your mouth.

You could feel yourself racing towards your next release as you grip the sheets below you, unable to stop your hips from bucking against his mouth.

When Mando pushes his thick fingers back deep inside you, you cry out his name as the wave of your second orgasm crashes over you, your muscles spasm as Mando holds your legs open and works you through your high.

As you start to relax again you feel Mando’s weight shift as he moves up your body and his mouth claims your own. You taste yourself in his kiss and feel his hard length twitch against you.

You break the kiss first, needing to catch your breath.

“I need you Mando… need to feel you.” Your voice coming out as a whine.

“Din.” His voice coming from the darkness above you. “My names Din Djarin.”

There’s a beat of silence as you process his words. Slowly, you bring your arms up, stroking the back of his neck and tangling your fingers in his hair.

“Din Djarin…” you say testing his name on your tongue, “I want to feel you.”

A deep growl comes from his throat.

“Need to see you.” Din says, his weight again disappearing.

You can hear the sound of fabric rustling as he removes the rest of his clothes, and you do the same, pulling your top over your head.

“I’m going to turn the light back on.” He says, voice once again modulated. You couldn’t help the slight stab of disappointment the helmet was back on, but you understood. He’d already given you more of himself than you ever could of hoped for.

The small room filled with soft light and your eyes widen as they roam over the man before you. The tan skin you had only seen hints of previously was scattered with silver scars, and stretched across a broad chest and defined muscle, your eyes shift lower and you take in the sight of his thick hard cock weeping with precum. Your walls clench around nothing as you imagine him inside you.

His large hands are on you again he positions himself between your legs, and you reach for him, pulling him down towards you, burying your face in the crook of his neck, seeking his skin with your mouth and you feel him sigh against you.

Din reaches between your bodies, sliding himself through your wetness, and lining up at your entrance before slowly sinking down into you.

The fullness you feel is better than any partners before him. Your sensitive walls flutter around him as he starts at a slow pace, causing you each to sigh in unison.

He calls your name and you open your eyes you hadn’t realised were closed.

“So beautiful.” He says as his knuckles gently graze over your cheek.

You take his hand in yours bringing his palm to your lips to press a soft kiss against it, hearing a modulated intake of breath.

Din starts to pick up his pace and you match his rhythm, clenching around him, drawing him in deeper. His hips jerk at the sensation.

“Wanna feel you cum around my cock.” Din rasps.

You already know you’ll meet his request, the coarse hair at his base catching on your bud as he continues to thrust into you.

He wraps his arms around you, keeping himself deep inside you and in a sudden movement, pulls you up so he’s on his knees and your sat astride him.

The new position only adds to your pleasure as he drives his cock up into you. The gasp and moans combined with the wet slap on your bodies moving only eggs you on and drives you over the edge quicker.

“Din I- I’m gon-!”

“Yes cum for me perfect girl”

As if on command you unravel in his arms, and he chases his own release seconds later, his thrusts becoming erratic as he spills inside of you.

He lowers you back down on the bed and you whimper again as his softening length slips out of you. He lays down next to you, gathering you in his arms and tucking you against him.

“Din… about the cantina… I don’t… didn’t” you start, wanting to explain.

“It’s okay, I-“

“No, it’s not. I don’t want you to think I want anyone else, I… I want you.” You say, voice barely above a whisper. “I just didn’t know you would want me.”

You hold your breath as you wait for him to reply.

“I’ve… wanted you for a long time. Then everything with the kid… losing him has been… hard.” You know there’s more and you wait for him to continue. “I didn’t want to ruin things by trying to be with you, I couldn’t lose you too.”

Tears are gathering in your eyes at his admission and you grip him tighter as he continues.

“But seeing you in the cantina ready to leave with that other man… I knew I couldn’t let that happen.”

You sit up on your elbow, looking down at him.

“I’m glad showed up when you did. If I had left with him I would of regretted it, he’s not the one I want, I would of only been wishing it was you.” You say, sure of your feelings.

Din coaxes you back down towards him. You rest your head against his chest, his hand tangled in your hair massaging your scalp.

Listening to each other’s calming breaths, sleep starts to take you both quickly. Just before you slipped into unconsciousness you hear Din whisper unfamiliar words to you. You almost miss them as sleep drags you under, but you remember one.

“Cyar’ika.”

____

Thanks for reading!

[mobblespsycho100]

current lore for the au is that its some kind of urban fantasy thing. don't have all the deets figured out yet but for our silly trio we have

- kabru: vampire hunter recently turned vampire (yes this is inspired by the webtoon Paperteeth! by wulvert). not having a fun time, but at least fangs are sexy right? haha. having the worst dilemma ever. also the canaries in this au are a renowned vampire hunting group who use magic and stuff and he still has the whole tragic backstory of village/mom died and gets adopted by milsiril

- laios: vampire hunter employed by / working for the lunatic mage called thistle. doesn't actually want to be a vampire hunter, he just wants to become a werewolf. thistle said he can help him achieve that so he's just doing this dangerous job for the goal of lycanthrope swag. laios thinks vampires are cool even.

- toshiro: comes from a noble family of sorcerers / exorcists (think jjk jujutsu sorcerers. lmao. this is not a jjk au though . its just a similar vein) anyway hes cursed with a ??? blood curse that makes him a vampire / monster / every bad spirit ever magnet. he's just trying his best to be an exorcist it's really not going super well. on the plus side, he has stronger mental defence than others...? not rlly tho. hes still in the trenches

[stupidsexymecha]

SSC Atlas

Originally commissioned as a dueling mech by the Baronic Houses of Smoke and Order, the Atlas blurs the line between mechanized chassis and powered personal armor. Thanks to a long-running research project from SSC's Exotic Materials Group, the designers were able to employ the bleeding edge of reactor miniaturization tech: the result was a chassis that resembled a large, sleek hardsuit, almost skintight in places. While the Atlas sacrifices the durability of a larger frame, its essential systems are so closely melded with its user's movements that it offers unparalleled maneuverability.

Although the Atlas was initially licensed only to Baronic clients, its design was leaked when a group of ExoMat personnel lost a suit to a Sparri espada in an intense game of Kapkat. Despite their initial attempt to recover the suit, SSC relented, citing the eager demand from Sparri groups for access to the full license.

Considered the perfect warrior frame for hunting the native megafauna of Sparr, the Atlas now enjoys a dual reputation among both the Sparri peoples and Karrakin nobility. To the Sparri, the Atlas – its combat efficacy notwithstanding – is highly valued for the direct access its systems allow to their ancestral memory; Atlas frames on Sparr are the heirlooms of great warriors, tied to family (blood and chosen) and maintained by hand. Each suit on Sparr bears the history of its previous pilots in both decorations and FCA-compliant machine learning, which enables Sparri hunters to almost literally call upon their ancestors in battle. The Atlas has become so popular among the Sparri that they even developed a new martial art based on the Atlas: Jäger Kunst.

The Karrakin nobility, on the other hand, find the Atlas to be a perfect machine for noble heroism – that the Sparri have an affinity for it only makes the chassis that much more desirable among Karrakin Sparrist scholars. Commonly decorated with purchased Sparri saga discs, Vast pelts, and saga lines, Karrakin suits blend imagined profiles of Annorum Passacaglia and Annorum Tyrannus-era heroes with profiles of Sparri warriors, daredevils, vast-hunters, and espadas.

[todaysdocument]

Senate Report 1619 to Accompany a Bill Granting a Pension to Harriet Tubman Davis

Record Group 233: Records of the U.S. House of RepresentativesSeries: Accompanying PapersFile Unit: Accompanying Papers of the 55th Congress

55th Congress, 3d Session. Senate Report No. 1619. HARRIET TUBMAN DAVIS. FEBRUARY 7, 1899. - Ordered to be printed. Mr. SHOUP, from the Committee on Pensions, submitted the following REPORT. [To accompany H. R. 4982.] The Committee on Pensions, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 4892) granting a pension to Harriet Tubman Davis, have examined the same and report: The report of the Committee on Invalid Pensions of the House of Representatives is as follows: The effect of this bill is to increase from $8 to $25 per month the pension of the beneficiary, Harriet T. Davis, of Auburn, N. Y. Mrs. Davis is the widow of Nelson Davis, who served under the name of Nelson Charles as a private in Company G, Eighth United States Colored Infantry, from September 25, 1863, to November 10, 1865, and was honorably discharged. She also served long and faithfully as an army nurse. Soldier died October 14, 1888, and the widow filed a claim as such July 24, 1890, under the act of June 27, 1890, and is now pensioned under said act at $8 per month. It is not shown that the soldier's death was due to his military service. It is shown, however, by evidence filed with this committee, that the claimant was sent to the front by Governor Andrew, and acted as a nurse, cook in hospital, and spy during nearly the whole period of the war. The following is a copy of the letter from Secretary Seward: WASHINGTON, D. C., July 25, 1865. MY DEAR SIR: Harriet Tubman, a colored woman, has been nursing our soldiers during nearly all the war. She believes she has claims for faithful service to the command in South Carolina with which you are connected, and she believes you would be disposed to see her claim justly settled. I have known her long as a noble high spirit, as true as seldom dwells in the human form. I commend her, therefore, to your kind attention. Faithfully, your friend, WILLIAM H. SEWARD. Major-General HUNTER. Gen. Rufus Saxton, in a letter referring to Mrs. Tubman, says: "She was employed by General Hunter, and I think both by General Stephens and Sherman, and is as deserving of a pension from the Government for her service as any other of its faithful servants." In a letter to Brigadier-General Gilmore, from Headquarters Colored Brigade, St. Helena Island, South Carolina, July 6, 1863, Col. James Montgomery, commanding brigade, said: "I would respectfully recommend to your attention Mrs. Harriet Tubman, a most remarkable women, invaluable as a scout."2 HARRIET TUBMAN DAVIS. These testimonials sufficiently show the character and value of the service rendered by Mrs, Davis during the war. She now is about 75 years of age, physically broken down, and poor. This woman has a double claim on the Government. She went into the field and hospitals and cared for the sick and wounded. She saved lives. In her old age and poverty a pension of $25 per month is none too much. The bill is reported back with the recommendation that it pass. The papers in this case show that a claim for this woman was once presented to the House of Representatives and referred to the Committee on War Claims. Manifestly that would be the better way to reimburse her for her alleged services to the Government, but her advanced years and necessitous condition lead your committee to give the matter consideration. There is, however, a strong objection to the bill in its present form. The number of nurses on the pension roll at a rate higher than $12 per month is very few indeed, and there are no valid reasons why this claimant should receive a pension of $25 per month as a nurse, thus opening a new avenue for pension increases. She is now drawing pension at the rate of $8 per month as the widow of a soldier, and in view of her personal services to the Government Congress is amply justified in increasing that pension. [full transcription at link]

[redstuffs-ig]

Assorted Krayt's Claw headcanons because I guess that's gonna be my niche now

How they formed:

Krayt's Claw was formed shortly after Boba Fett and Bossk broke out of the Republic Judiciary Detention Center. Feeling bitter about being left behind by Aurra Sing on Florrum and believing in strength in numbers, Boba pitched the idea to Bossk, who agreed to see what he could do with his contacts in the underworld. They first tried to sell the idea to fellow escapee Cad Bane, but he wasn't interested.

The first official member was Latts Razzi, who had fallen under hard times and needed some credits to afford her lavish lifestyle. At first she only considered signing on for a few jobs, but eventually decided to become a full-timer after warming up to the team.

Dengar joined shortly after. Already a successful bounty hunter during the Clone Wars, he saw something in the young Fett that convinced him this enterprise may be worth his while. He and Bossk knew each other from before, and kept a friendly rivalry of sorts going on. Dengar was only a part-timer however, as he was also an aspiring swoop racing champion.

C-21 Highsinger was the last to join the original ensemble. A prototype, one-of-a-kind Hunter-Killer, he went rogue and struck out on his own for motives unknown. One day Boba walked into their base with the towering droid in tow and introduced it as "Highsinger". No one knew how he had convinced that monster that sticking around would be worth its while, but they knew better than to ask questions.

Embo had been in talks to join the team for a while after being approached by Latts, but he only became an official member after Boba Fett vanquished Cad Bane during the last months of the war. He got along surprisingly well, and added a nice bit of street cred to the group.

Oked was only a hired goon brought in for the Quarxite job. He was not mourned nor missed.

Random shit I came up with:

Marrok, Embo's pet anooba, is the unofficial team mascot. Everyone finds themselves doting on the fluffy space dog, and even the impassible Highsinger allows it to rub against his leg. That being said, it has a habit of growling at Dengar whenever he says something stupid, which happens quite frequently.

Bossk's ship, the Hound's Tooth, was their only vehicle for some time. The first few rides were full of nothing but complaining about the smell and unfriendly atmosphere while the lizard silently seethed. It took a lot of convincing for Boba to finally agree to let them use the recently-reclaimed Slave I as their vehicle. Embo never flies with the group, instead using his personal transport, the Guillotine, for every mission. Just about everyone resents him for that fact.

Latts and Dengar are the fashionistas of the group, and tend to suggest outfit changes to the other hunters, a proposition that is rarely accepted. They occasionally rate their co-workers' choice in clothing; Embo has the best look by far, Boba's placing went up by a significant margin after he began sporting his father's Mandalorian armor, and Bossk has been the worst-dressed Trandoshan in Tatooine for a few consecutive years now.

Only Latts can wield her grappling boa scarf effectively, and at many points everyone has tried to employ it in some capacity at least once. None succeeded. How she does it is a mystery.

Dengar once introduced Manaroo, while the two were early into their relationship, to the rest of the team. The fact the poor Aruzan survived three hours of being intimidated by some of the galaxy's meanest-looking bounty hunters confirmed to Dengar that she was the one. They've been married happily since. I don't care what the sequels say.

During a mission to Coruscant, Highsinger inexplicably disappeared with no one knowing where he went. While the rest of the team wanted to leave him behind and get going, Boba demanded they at least try to look for him. He was eventually found at the Droid Spa, enjoying a relaxing oil bath as two beautiful androids scrubbed his joints clean of any grime. To say they were all pissed would be the understatement of the millennium.

After Boba regained his armor and bested Cad Bane in a duel, the following group dinner was filled with everyone taking turns to talk about how much they didn't like the blue cowboy. Whether they were trying to warm up to the new boss or maybe let loose some steam, no one knows.

Krayt's Claw eventually disbanded after Boba came of age and began taking solo jobs, though he remained in contact with most of the team and kept tabs on what they were up to. Nothing was known of Latts' whereabouts after she started her syndicate, however.

[outofangband]

Sorry if you’ve done this before, but for Himring worldbuilding do you have any thoughts on the layout of the fortress and its architectural style etc? In fic I’ve variously seen it described as ranging from a single solitary castle all the way to a whole little walled city on the hill so I was wondering what you thought about that! Thank you so much ❤️❤️

World building masterlist (also more in the himring tag)

I think it's somewhere between a single castle and a walled city! It's a walled fortress comprising of a number of primary buildings within the walls and then a number of remote outposts throughout the March.

The Fortress of Himring stands on the hill of the same name. It is a stone fortress constructed primarily from slate, granite and travertine. Its construction took several decades and was worked on primarily by members of the Noldorin host Maedhros had brought there with aid from a group of dwarves from the Ered Luin Maedhros had formed an alliance with. In exchange for their help, they were given access to the geological resources of the March and protection while traveling North towards the Ered Engrin.

A number of stonemasonry techniques were utilized in the construction of Himring including arch masonry, dry stone (used primarily in the construction of remote buildings and lower walls), and post and lintel which makes use of pillars and beams. Most of the arches and arch systems of Himring are vault arches, that is, self supporting arched systems used to construct ceilings and roofs. This means spacious almost cavernous rooms with high ceilings. Almost all rooms have either fireplaces or fire pits with some buildings having a complex system of chimneys.

The fortress is built upon the Hill of Himring and rises up from the top with sections extending around towards the base of the hill and even some under the earth. The foundations rise to a sheer, wide tower with surrounding buildings connected through bridges and ground level passages.

The design is beautiful as is most creations by Noldorin architects but Himring is generally thought of as a grim, utilitarian place. It is a pallet of grays of varying shades, standing starkly against the cold skies. It is made to withstand both harsh weather and enemy attack. Its full plans are known only to Maedhros himself and there are many secret exits, hiding places, storage areas and other features understood on a need to know basis

Indeed, it is probably the most utilitarian of the Fëanorian realms with the lowest number of civilians. People went to Himring because they desired to be on the forefront of the battle with Morgoth. There is a population of non fighters, comprising of both soldiers who are unable to fight (temporarily or otherwise) due to injury and those with other distinct roles. They are employed as cooks, hunters, construction and repair, crafting, producing and mending essentials like clothes, weapons and blankets, overseeing trade and supplies, translation, cartography and strategy and others of the many jobs that are needed to maintain Himring.

There is a small market that operates within the walls of Himring but, due to rations and inventory protocol, is fairly regulated. (Any essentials, and there is a long list for this, are regulated and cannot be sold without formal permission. Luxury goods, puzzles and toys for the few children who live at the March, other crafts, and certain food items are usually sold here depending on what they are made from)

Most artisans come to Himring with the understanding that there wares will be primarily used for the war and supporting those fighting it.

The fortress is lined with parapets near its top. Half of them are partly covered to protect against the worst of winter winds and snow.

Steel is made in a bloomery and forge a few minutes away from the fortress of Himring itself where weapons are also made. The forge combines Noldorin techniques with some Sindar ones and weapons development is more prioritized than in most of the other Fëanorian realms. Animals are kept in lower, wooden outer houses towards the bottom of the hill of Himring, to protect against theft and the cold.

I have a post about gardens here!

I hope this helps! Please feel free to send more!