#furys forge kickstarter

[writer59january13]

Glory to thermodynamics in general...

and generation of heat in particular cuz yours truly spoiled with trappings

of Western Civilization.

How ideal I imagine

to dwell in a self sufficient domicile, where thrum of the central heater...

automatically activated

upon advent of twilight, or self adjusted/regulated

based on outside temperature

since writer of these words thankfully linkedin to PECO grid, (counts CAP and LIHEAP programs

for low income earners a dogsend),

subsequently scribe of Schwenksville not resident within "smart home",

nevertheless manually pressing button

invites emulation of Donald Trump zippered smile, when mechanisms set in motion

to spark convection currents warming cockles and muscles versus skin feeling cold and clammy.

One anonymous homo sapien appreciates basking, and luxuriating,

within climate controlled environment,

whether bone chilling deep freeze when/where old man winter furiously blows frigid air

into lovely bones of mine

sets indentured jaws chattering,

as on this dreary

and rainy April 30th, 2023,

or contrarily when sweltering

hazy, humid and hot

dawg days of summer

necessitates setting air conditioner

at refreshing sixty six degrees fahrenheit.

I could never survive

alone in the wilderness,

which dependence on creature comforts

inured me since birth,

but all the more power to people

(such as Dick Proenneke

pronounced pren-icky)

who lived off the grid,

and minimize their carbon footprint.

Truth be told, a non impactful lifestyle

tantalizes, teases, titillates...

yours truly, a garden variety generic human

dependent I vow woolly admit

on consonant contrivances

and conveniences conditioned

courtesy capitalistic consumeristic credo

decrying his dependence

upon flow of electrons,

whereby flip of switch (rather than fight) when systems of a down fully functional

instantaneously allows, enables,

and provides electricity

with absolute zero ability

to stave off blackout

attributed to sudden disruption

regarding power outage

linkedin with severe

kickstarted meteorological phenomena

or terroristic machinations

(possibly even homegrown unrest)

worst case scenario signaling the end

of the webbed wide world

reducing to rubble

(think being bombed

back into stone age)

annihilating comp fur table trappings

of twenty first century civilization

forcing survivors to learn basic skills

cooperation, integration, proletarian

and utilitarian virtues

altruistic, democratic, humanistic,

mechanistic, and socratic zest

begotten, distilled, and forged

nsync with opposable thumb.

Angst crimps existence

generating dystopian thoughts

despite countless factorial permutations,

differentiations and combinations,

this cyber surfer avails two alms

boot Grinchian genes snatched such balms

when tethered in utero umbilical connection,

etched bromide, which hankering calms

embryonic sensation this corporeal being lacks

constantly subjected to exams

from the school of hard knocks,

which I bewail sets back and gloms

mine aim to revel in blissful contentment

but circumstances decreed otherwise

cursing this chap tubby haunted exhibited by sweaty soles of feet and palms

by veritable elfin grotto dwelling phantoms

hovering over sweet clover dials a mirage where dreams comprise psychedelic qualms

yes...Iris sieve blurbs from gals and guys

that spans the world wide web, and exude

premature ejaculatory ecstasy, puzzled if fie

totally tubular trod a tedious trek

along the boulevard of broken dreams.

What happenstance oft finds thyself to flail

amidst difficulty to maximize

optimal opportunities

searching for Holy Grail

or whatever constitutes such lofty

personal objective, perchance being hale

and hearty of body, mind and spirit

spurs the furies of fate tut test this primate

while he aims to gallop with mighty industrial

vim and vigor leaving a virtual cloud

of dust, though mindfulness helps

to pass go, and chance avoid jail

time, then maybe monopolized feedback offered and accepted

to this married caucasian nasty and shortish brute with one percent Neanderthal

toothless though I possess gumption pseudo quasi-vegetarian

enjoying poetry stone soup,

yet also subsisting

on supplementary vitamin and mineral packed glue tin free

NON GMO fruity tall tales for a male

thirty six years shy sans bing a centenarian,

which span of life best cut short acquiring tetanus courtesy rusty nine inch nail

hammered into faux coffin, cuz this impossible mission

(aery faced nincompoop) doth turn pale

at the prospect to fill up a space of land

best utilized by twittering

and tweeting birds - such as quail

mongoose, or ibis (though aye ne'er saw

one), where cremated ashes sail

across some verdant plain under

cerulean skies putting to rest every travail,

which thoughts of dem eyes spells

the main impetus explaining

this rambling spiel

warp and woof ova gauzy veil

imperceptibly looms closer upon

turrets of my digital sea faring gunwale

unwittingly capsized courtesy

Moby Dick sized whale,

and thus desperation

finds me pleading for salvation while swinging from vestigial yellowtail.

[furysforge]

The rewards from the last Kickstarter are shipped! If you backed our Kickstarter to raise money to print Chapters 6-9 of Fury's Forge, you should receive your rewards shortly! We hope you enjoy them.

[rpgsandbox]

Small patches of light in a dark age.

Ruin & Conquest is a unique and evocative campaign setting that can be played with any fantasy role-playing game  

This book aims first and foremost to be a toolbox for players and game masters (by whatever name they call themselves) to expand and enrich their tabletop role-playing. It introduces you to the world of Ealand, an island ablaze with conflict, tearing itself apart in the decaying shadow of its once great cultures. Foes set foot upon its shores almost daily, while the land, its people and its gods lash out with the fury of a cornered animal. Within this cauldron of strife, Ealand is a fertile soil for adventure. Where there is death, there is opportunity. Where there is pain, there is profit. Where the fathers cower and the mothers wail, there is room for legends to be born.  

What it contains:

All you need to set adventures, campaigns and encounters on the war torn isle of Ealand

History, customs and cultures for 6 distinct humanoid races living on the isle

5 unique ‘Other Folk’ races including the beautiful shapeshifting Vugael and the trickster Dwellers

A thorough guide to the major peoples and places of Ealand, leaving just enough room for creativity and exploration

Maps showing the islands varied landscapes and main conflicts

15+ tables to randomly generate everything from petty tyrants to grave curses

20+ original creatures for adventurers to encounter,  

Detailed story seeds and plot points to inspire great and harrowing adventures

A comprehensive primer on warfare of all types in this dark and terrible age allowing intricate and nuanced adventures in the thick of armed conflict

Sample encounter locations

Information on the technology, weapons, architecture and even the burial rights of the people of Ealand

35+ Original drawings immersing readers in this isle of strife

Background

The island of Ealand is a shadow of what it was. The builders once raised colossal structures to the skies and created homes of luxury and order. Now all that they erected lays crumbling and broken. Hollowed out and used by brutish men to dominate each other in conflicts over Ealand’s corpse. This is a world already used to bloodshed that has been set ablaze in a war for its very identity. The Saevolk stream in from the sea, extending Volkland deeper and deeper into the island in the slow inexorable march of invasion. With steel and fire, sword and shield, they kill all who stand in their path. The Huus, who should unite to protect their own way of life, squabble and scheme taking every opportunity to settle old scores. The land itself writhes in anger, with all the beasts and spirits of the wild in open hostility with the world of man.

To adventure in Ealand is to traffic in conflict. To forge your legend in the fires of strife. With war comes opportunity for the brave, the clever, the remorseless and the perceptive. Whichever side of the great conflicts you choose. Battles big and small. Clashes of armies on the field and the tangling of desperate bodies brawling in the smoky mead halls. Whether you’re a Saevolk raider, a brave Huus warrior or even a greedy Guldyn mercenary loyal only to gold, your story can unfold in a myriad of directions. Healers or scholars. Warrior poets or treasure hunters. It matters crucially who you count as friend and foe, and who stands beside you when cold steel is drawn. This island contains all that is needed to gather the fame and honor that will echo through the ages.

For the players and game masters who choose to set their stories in Ealand, you must understand this is a harsh world, a dark world, but one that can contain beauty and triumph as well. The major themes are conflict between the human races, and conflict with nature. The goal was to create a world that supported complex motivations, difficult situations and enormous fields of moral grey area for players to navigate. I wanted a world that was different. That embraced tales centered on violence between humans but also allowed for plenty of stories about the party against the land itself. A group of adventures can immerse themselves in very real anger between men, or ignore that entirely and adventure against the great beasts and monsters of the wild.

System-Neutral

This setting is system-neutral, which means it can be used with your favorite fantasy roleplaying ruleset, whatever that happens to be. Simply put, I wanted this world to be accessible to anyone who wants to explore it, regardless of their preferred game. Works with everything from 5e to Lamentations and DCCRPG.

How do I use it?

Using this book is easy. You can set an adventure or campaign on the Isle of Ealand taking the setting, characters, and monsters utilizing them to tell engaging tales of danger and menace. Characters would be insiders to this world. Well steeped in the islands history, traditions and people. Ealand is their home either by birth or adoption, and it encompasses much of their world, as islands often do to their people. Another option is to take Ealand and place it in an existing game world. This can be a published setting or an original creation, Ealand can slot into either quite easily. As an island, with its own unique beliefs, geography and cultures, it can just exist in a larger world, somewhere Northwest from a continent, in a cold and unforgiving sea. Adventurers can happen upon its mist-covered shores by accident or assignment. Many great stories can be spun with a foreign party coming to grips with what they don’t understand trapped in an ancient land perpetually in turmoil. Finally, and probably most simply, you can just read the book and pluck whatever ideas you want from it to sprinkle into your own game. There is no law saying the bog-dwelling FennHulm or the Storm Dancers of Ealand cannot live somewhere else. The mysterious and cursed magical artifacts of the Saevolk don’t need to be found only in the geographical confines of the isle. Imagine the book as a thickly wooded path to be wandered down, stopping and admiring what you find interesting.

However you intend to use the book, I welcome you to this world and its people. May you participate in epic tales with great friends wherever you gather.

Kickstarter campaign ends: Fri, October 26 2018 7:59 AM BST

Website: Ten of Swords Games

[thestuckylibrary]

Mod’s Reads: November 2017

Here’s the list of everything the Mods have read this past month!

Mod Blue

(I’ve been cleaning out my marked for later list, so not as much Stucky this month)

The Cyborg Arm Job by copperbadge

The Leverage crew run into a new friend, find some buried treasure, and fight some Nazis. It's a pretty good day.

From Tralfamadore, With Love by newsbypostcard

In 2018, Steve, Sam, and Bucky embark on a mission to explore a Hydra-owned warehouse when a kid with mutant powers sends Steve 18 years into the future. After figuring out where (and when) he is, Steve tracks Bucky down in 2036 to find he's become a successful business owner and an impassioned advocate for mutant rights. Steve's just as in love with Bucky as he was when he left, but for Bucky it's been a long 18 years. It's hard to accept when Bucky keeps him at arm's length... but Steve's never met a challenge that he didn't take.

As he gets used to life in 2036 and the flaws in Bucky's idyllic life expose themselves, Steve also has to manage a suspiciously ubiquitous security force, a Brotherhood of Mutants, and old competing loyalties among his aged friends. There's a Bucky in 2018 waiting for him to come home, but if he does that, it means leaving this Bucky behind for a third, unforgivable time. How can he choose?

What's Bucky not saying?

How can he face losing everything -- again?

Taking the Fifth by Speranza

Part 11 of 4 Minute Window

This Side by brideofquiet

Bucky Barnes restores antiques for a living. Steve Rogers saves the world. Bucky has no reason to believe their paths will ever cross, right up until they do.

Or: the Notting Hill AU.

Project Phoenix by TheAvalonian

“They told me you were enemies,” the girl said blankly. “They told me I had been forged in hatred.”

Neither Bucky nor Steve said anything for a long time. The girl stayed with her hand pressed to the glass, waiting. This time, the question was there, even if she hadn't asked it outright.

Bucky cleared his throat, tearing his eyes away from Steve's and pushing down on the handle. “Well, they lied,” he said gruffly, and strode out the door without looking back. Post-TWS, Steve and Bucky's lives are just starting to resemble some kind of normal when a young Hydra agent shows up in the lobby of the Avengers' Tower, claiming to be their daughter.

Mighty like Love, Mighty like Sorrow by Regann

After freeing himself from the Russians' mind control, Bucky is left at loose ends, drifting through the decades. Still, he's in no hurry to take up Nick Fury's offer to once again fight the good fight -- especially not when Fury has the nerve to put some imposter in his best friend's old suit and send him out to fight against Chitauri.

The Long Road Begins at Home by owlet (I can’t believe this is over now T___T)

Oh sure, reunion results in happiness, kittens, and rainbows, because that's definitely how life goes when you've just spent 70 years as a tool of villainy. I mean, what could possibly go wrong?

sixth avenue by gossamernotes

Living on the corner of 6th avenue in Brooklyn is not what Adam Jackson expected once he returned home from the war.

And he certainly didn't expect to become friends with a twitchy veteran named James who carries two pistols and can't seem to remember shit.

[The story wherein Bucky finds a friend in a homeless veteran and eventually finds himself again.]

Never go to bed alone when you have a library card by relenafanel

Tall, blond hottie (in a sweater) was back, staring at the wall of new and popular titles with a thoughtful expression on his face. He came in every Tuesday night like clockwork, read through the summaries on the back of a handful of books with his profile turned just enough towards the front entrance that Bucky could see the slope of his nose and take joy in watching those arm muscles minutely flex as he shifted the book in his grasp.

- OR -

Steve is an attractive library patron who is far too competent to ever ask librarian!Bucky questions. Bucky likes that in a man.

We're Not Broken, Just Bent (And We Can Learn to Love Again) by allofthefandoms

“I know you’re trying to help,” Steve says gently. “But I don’t think the Veterans’ Association is really equipped to deal with PTSD from being frozen for 70 years and having to fight your brainwashed best friend.”

“Well, when you put it like that,” Sam replies dryly, feeling foolish.

“Look, you’re just trying your best and I really appreciate it, but…but talking about it isn’t what I need. It’s itching under my skin, making me restless. I need to get out, but I have no idea where to start.”

“Road trip,” Sam says, suddenly inspired. “The great American tradition. Drive across the US in a car that breaks down too much, see the sights, bemoan flat expanses and bad diner food. See what you’ve spent your whole life fighting for.”

“A road trip? Really? That’s your grand solution?”

“Says the man who has always wanted to see the Grand Canyon.”

“Got me there,” Steve says, and this time the smile reaches his eyes.

Mod Julia

Snug as Bugs by Brumeier

In which Steve comes home and finds that Bucky has retreated into a massive pillow fort.

i'd like to tell you something (but i have to think of something first) by obsessivereader

Attention focused solely on the book, he moves forward, one slow, pretend-casual step at a time—he’s seen enough movies to know that moving fast will draw people’s attention.

Five feet. Four feet. Almost there.

He’s a bare three feet away when Rogers fucking materializes out of thin air, cuts right in front of him, and heads straight for the book.

“Hey,” Bucky whispers furiously, “I want that book!”

The one where Bucky and Steve get married by bitsandbobsandstuff

No one tells Bucky Barnes how to plan his wedding. And that includes Steve.

Show Me Your Teeth by leveragehunters (Monkeygreen)

Other things that aren't supposed to happen: Steve Rogers remembering who you are even after you've fogged his mind so he forgets. But Bucky should have known from the moment he met Steve that he wouldn’t be able to make Steve do anything he didn't want to—including making Steve forget him.

Now Bucky just had to figure out how Steve had remembered him...and why he was so happy about it.

Jimmy Choo Choo by rohkeutta

When they pull up in Newark, Buff Jeff wakes up with a jolt and Bucky is knee-deep in C++ and desperately in need of breakfast. Buff Jeff turns to look at him, a little bewildered, and Bucky looks back. It’s starting to get light outside, and Bucky is suddenly very aware of his crazy insomnia eyes and haphazard ponytail.

“Um,” Buff Jeff says. He’s almost adorable with his sleepy eyes and awkward expression. “Oh. You’re-- um. Real.”

Looking After by A_Diamond

Five times Steve Rogers doesn’t need a guard dog (and one time...)

Small Victories by portraitofemmy

“Come to bed.”

Bucky blinks up at Steve, the grey eyes behind his glasses still squinted from staring at the laptop screen in front of him.

in a cabin in the woods by belovedmuerto

Steve finds Bucky in a cabin in the woods, two years later.

Newton's Law Of Naps by rohkeutta

Within the first hour Steve backs an art book, a short animated film, an eco-friendly electric toothbrush, and an archeological excavation in Oklahoma.

Not that he actually wants an eco-friendly electric toothbrush or a bicycle rack that’s shaped like a moose head, but supporting small businesses is fun, and he loves the creativity Kickstarter is bursting with.

He’s got too much money just lying around, anyway.

[lettersofsky]

A Bond Forged in Battle

... I love Soulmate AUs. So much. This one’s based off that one where you have to have skin-to-skin contact before you know who they are. I enjoyed writing this, it was fun.

Warnings of violence, gore and casual murder; because Rosso

Tip Jar |

Rosso’s eyes tracked the world’s Saviour, anticipation sharpening her senses as he closed in of her position, perched above the carnage of the battlefield below. The troops avoided him in a manner obvious to her as he continued his approached, well aware of what would happen to them if they dated to get between her and her opponent; their lives would be forfeit and she would eviscerate them once the victory had been secured.

She watched the battlefield below, barely able to contain herself from joining the fray and bathing the ground the blood of the filthy vermin that dared to stand against the might of Deepground, but she restrained herself all the same; a worthy opponent was fast approaching and destroying the one the WRO had chosen to rally behind would be more than worth the wait.

A smile curled her lips as he moved towards her perch, unaware of the ambush that awaited him if he continued. He finally reached the desired position and she lifted herself to her feet with all the grace of a predator, leaping towards him as a laugh fell from her mouth, her excitement and anticipation reaching their highest points since Valentine had proven himself a disappointment.

She dived towards him, speed ever increasing as she readied to spread her to its longest point, finger caressing the latch without pressure. Another exhilarated laugh left her lips as her opponent finally took notice of her approach and she pressed the latch under her finger, swinging the weapon fully in front of her in preparation of her first devastating attack.

She forced herself into a spiral as she continued her fall, a harsh sound leaving her lips as energy began to build around her blade. Her attack was ready less than a second later and she shot forward faster than the enhanced eye could see, slamming forward into her opponent with the accumulated energy and causing a shock wave of power to radiate form their position.

Her opponent was better than she had given him credit for though as he dodged her attack effortlessly, using his oversized bike to leap into the air and avoid her completely. She followed him the moment she landed, copying his movement and launching herself into the sky after him.

She kept her attention trained on her opponent, tracking his movements as they rose together. His movements were as fluid as her own and, when she finally grew tired of waiting for him to make the first move, met her attack with ease. Their weapons met in a clash of power and sent them flying back away from each other, springing back towards each other within moments of their individual landings.

They continued to meet each other in an impressive display of skill and strength with each attack, each of them managing to get hits on the other as the battle progressed; Rosso’s swollen ankle matching the jagged wounds in her opponent’s side. It cultivated in one final attack, her opponent somehow managing to pin her to the ground beneath him with his sword to her throat while her own weapon laid useless some feet away from her hand.

She stared up at him, chest heaving from the exhilaration of their battle. Her blood was racing as she met her opponent’s gaze, pressing up as much as she could without cutting her throat open on the blade of the giant sword in front of her, before she forced her hand forward and dug her fingers around his throat, aiming to claw the soft flesh open.

Everything seemed to stop when her flesh met his.

Time slowed to a crawl as they stared at each other, his stunned expression matching hers, and her hand relaxed from the tight grip she had on his throat until it simply rested there over the indents her nails had left. He was hers.

Her gaze swept over his form, taking in his features for the first time; her opponent, while far-from perfect was stunning. A bit taller than her and his limbs were muscular, his hair was longer than hers and the blond strands looked soft to the touch. His features were sharp and pleasing and his pretty blue eyes, the ones that had been her every move with ease, were focused on her intently.

Oh, he was perfect for her. Strong and solid and hers; hers to fight, to keep and enjoy in whatever way she wished. She flexed up into him as much as she could with his blade still pressed to the flesh of her neck, the blade hadn’t relaxed a fraction from its position, feeling the length of him against her form. A pleased purr rumbled her chest as her opponent pushed her down with a firm hand of her hip, keeping her pinned to the ground below as he stared her down.

She grinned up at him, opening her mouth to address her opponent but she froze when the sound of radio static filled the silence between them. Her opponent froze as well, stiffening above her as time resumed its previous pace and the sounds of battle reached them once again.

“Cloud?” She felt her gaze narrow at the feminie voice that broke the radio static, anger flaring in her chest towards the vermin that was daring to call for her opponent. “Cloud are you there?”

She watched as his features blanked and his hand moved from her flesh to the communication device at his own hip, enraged at the very notion that her opponent would ignore her for some insignificant flea that wasn’t worth the effort it would take to crush her. She surged up against him, nicking the skin of her throat on the blade resting against the flesh as her hands reached out for his throat once again.

His features barely shifted as he easily took a hold of one of her arms to force her back to the ground beneath him, snapping the bone of her arm as she would a pencil in her own hands. She grit her teeth to silence the sound that threatened to escape her as the pain from her broken limb shot through her form, her lips curling up at his unflinching response.

Oh, he was perfect.

He removed himself from his position over her quickly, no hesitation between standing to his feet and running from where she lay. She followed him as quickly as she could, unwilling to let him flee her so easily, but she collapsed within the first few steps, the swell of her ankle failing to continue bearing her weight.

She was forced to watch him leave her sight without being able to do anything to stop him, staring after him as she waited for her healing to kickstart. She would ensure that she found him again, he was hers and she was determined to keep him.

But, she thought with a grimace, Weiss was unlikely to allow her to keep him, not with his plans being what they were. Unfortunately, for the Emperor of Deep Ground, she wanted to keep her opponent more than she wanted to see those plans through to their completion.

She had a plan of her own in mind, one that would both solve her issues with Weiss’ plans and garner her favour with the world’s Saviour. Decision made, she relaxed where she had collapsed and waited for her limbs to heal enough to allow her to move unhindered.

She had to pay Weiss a visit before she sought out her opponent once again.

An hour had passed and the tides of the battle were beginning to turn in the WRO’s favour, partly due to their familiarity with the terrain and larger number of troops but mostly due to her search for her opponent. She cut through ally and foe alike as she moved through the battlefield; searching for any sign of her opponent amongst the bloodstained grounds, fury increasing as she failed to find him.

The Deep Ground troops were starting to panic as they realized that their Commanders were no longer giving them orders; the loss of the presence of their leaders’ left them disordered and flailing, easy pickings for even the incompetence of the WRO soldiers. They tried to rally behind her but she cut them down within moments, uncaring of their pathetic lives when her opponent was somewhere out here and so much better than they’d ever be.

She was reaching the edge of the battlefield when she finally saw her opponent, standing miles away from her current position with people of no importance to her. She recognized that one of them was the leader of the WRO but she didn’t know the woman that stood with her opponent.

She turned to them immediately, quickly closing the miles between them and turning her blade against any that tried to halt her progress. She wouldn’t let these vermin stop her from getting to her opponent.

Seeing the insignificant flea place her hand on the Saviour’s arm had Rosso shooting forward, quickly eating the remaining distance between them and dodging around enemies as she continued her approach. She poised her blade, preparing to launch her attack when she reached the flea standing next to her opponent.

She launched herself at the flea, blade swinging to remove the arm from her body, but her attack was blocked by her opponent as she shoved the flea away from her. She bared her teeth at him, glaring as the man as she swung herself into a second attack, ignoring the shouts of the vermin around them.

Her opponent forced her away from them but didn’t move to follow her and showed no signs of preparing to retaliate to her attack, standing still next to the vermin and allowing the flea to return to his side and adopt a defensive stance next to the Saviour. The flea opened her mouth to say something and Rosso immediately turned her attention to her, shooting at the woman and forcing her to dodge away from where she had just been standing.

That forced her opponent into action, he launched himself at her and stopped in front of her, meeting her weapon with his own and holding her there. “What do you want?” He asked her, keeping her in place and staring down at her with steady, blue eyes.

“You darling,” she purred in response, grinning when she heard the shocked sounds from the vermin before them. “You are mine, after all.” She watched him closely, observing the changes in his face as he rolled his eyes at her, eagerly soaking in his focused attention.

“I’m not going to fraternize with an enemy,” he informed her, the steadiness of his voice telling her the truth of his statement. He was an honest soul, she certainly appreciated that.

“Ah, but I have a gift,” she told him, lips curling at the way he froze at her words. She relished in his full attention, preening under his gaze as she continued to speak. “Something to prove my intentions.”

He shifted towards her slightly, obviously curious as to what she meant by her words. “What could you have brought to change all this?” He gestured to the battlefield around them, the blood-drenched soil and the rapidly cooling bodies from both sides littering the ground.

“I do not care to ‘change’ things, darling,” she said, retrieving the wet bag from her side to present it to the Saviour’s gaze. “I only wish for what is rightfully mine.” She threw the soaked bag to him, watching him catch it effortlessly. He held it in his hand for a moment, fixing her with an intent look as she relaxed from her battle-ready position, and slowly opened the bag to peer at what lay within.

He stiffened after a moment of staring into the bag, turning back to her with widened eyes. “What…?” She immediately picked up the slight waver in his voice and spend a moment pondering how she would earn it at a later time, until the Saviour spoke up again. “Who is this?!”

“Weiss,” she answered, collapsing her weapon back into its smaller form and as she adopted a neutral pose. She swept her gaze over the two vermin standing behind her opponent, just to check their positions before she expanded on her answer. “The former Emperor of Deep Ground and enemy to the WRO.”

“You turned against your ally?!” The flea spoke up, her words drawing Rosso’s attention away from the man with a narrowed glare. How dare this insignificant worm speak when her very presence was unwanted, she would crush her beneath her heel for such presumption!

She forced herself to turn her attention away from the flea, silently regarding her opponent and the thoughtful expression he had fixed on her. She hoped that he would accept her gift, it had been quite difficult to tear Weiss’ heart from his chest; Nero had been more than a little resistant to her plan and his attempts to stop her had been amusing at best. He had been a worthy adversary for the minutes their fight had lasted, his shadows had given her a tough time but he had little else to fend her off with.

She had almost brought his heart alongside Weiss’ but decided that her opponent would have little care for Nero; the man had preferred to stay in his brother’s shadow and as such was a mystery to anyone outside of Deep Ground. She was sure that her opponent would not care for proof of his death.

“You killed your leader.” He stated blandly, voice too firm to be a question. She nodded in response despite that, a quiet affirmation of his statement. “How can we be sure you won’t turn on us?”

She scoffed at his foolish question, perhaps the Saviour was stupider than she had originally believed if he though he needed to ask her that. She could deal with him being foolish though; he had already proved himself an opponent worthy of her attention, she could tolerate his foolishness.

“I could no more kill you than you could me,” she informed him, knowing the words to be true. She would not have killed him even if she could; no, she wanted to keep him, to fight him over and over again until the end of days. She couldn’t have that if she killed him.

“Ok,” he said, turning away from her and back towards the vermin watching them. She allowed him to do so, watching as he spoke to them with words that didn’t reach her ears. The flea seemed to take whatever he was saying worse than the leader of the WRO, visibly recoiling from the Saviour with obvious disgust in her features; Rosso’s lips curled into a cold smile at the flea’s reaction, her amusement the only thing saving the flea from being cut open when she started arguing with the Saviour.

Rosso tried to block out the flea’s nattering, but she still heard the words the flea was spitting at the Saviour. “She can’t be your soulmate! She’d a monster! She tried to kill Vincent!” She had; she would have disposed of him too, if not for his cowardly tactics of relying on another being’s power to defeat her. It had been quite the disappointment.

The Saviour said something below her hearing, causing the flea to flinch away from him as her features twisted in shock. The flea looked to be gearing herself to start speaking once again but Rosso was reaching the end of her patience with the vermin and cut in before the flea could say anything.

“We can get on with things, yes?” She asked the man, shifting slightly where she stood. The blond turned towards her, gaze dropping to where she still held her weapon at the ready.

He noticeable flicked his gaze to the skirmishes still occurring behind her before he answered her. “Now’s not the best time,” he said, trying to reason himself out of a fight for some reason.

“The Battlefield is the perfect place to crush you beneath my heel.”

He blinked at her, thrown by her response for a moment. “You, meant a fight,” the words were slow and confused, soft-spoken and more like he was muttering to himself than speaking to her. He nodded a few moments after, his voice regaining its usual tone as he repeated his words. “Oh course, you meant a fight.”

“Yes,” she answered easily, allowing him that moment of foolishness. “I need to put you in place before things can progress.”

“You think it’ll be that easy?”

“Easy?” She repeated, chuckling at the man’s cheek. “It would not be fun if it was easy.” She extended her weapon to its full length, leaping away from where he stood to draw him away from the vermin. She pitched her voice louder so that he could hear her words clearly. “I simply won’t allow any to stand above me.”

Tip Jar 

[thornescratch]

819?

I think one of the things I like about shipping Ovi andNicky is that they rock the opposites thing but they also have a ton ofsimilarities. Like, let’s not mince words, they have both gone through someutterly tragic hair phases. And they both have the ability to turn their facialexpressions on a dime from looking like a stone cold sociopath to the softestand goofiest of expressions. And I love how both of them are completely willingto knock over another player, but they’re MOST eager to do it when someone elsehas gone after the other. Like, you try to hit Nick Backstrom? You can set yourwatch to the fact that 240 pounds of Russian fury is running you over on thenext shift, if not the same one. Taking a whack at Alex Ovechkin? Oh God,you’re not even going to see the utterly coldblooded Swedish retaliation untilit’s too late.

 Okay, my favorite memory to tag this response with is thefact that Nicky and Ovi were road roomies for a while in Nicky’s rookie season,when Alex Semin was out with an injury, and that kickstarted their friendship.And these two quotes from an article about that always make me chuckle:

Ovechkin and Backstrom’s friendship flourished in October and November whenBackstrom temporarily replaced Alexander Semin as Ovechkin’s roommate on theroad. Semin missed 17 games because of an ankle injury.

Although Ovechkin and Semin are once again sharing a hotel room, the bondforged during the season’s early months has strengthened.

When the two checked into their hotel Friday afternoon, they constantlyteased one another, exchanging putdowns and shoves as they stepped onto theelevator.

Ten minutes later – they had been apart for a matter of moments –Ovechkin’s cellphone rang.

“What’s up, Backie,” Ovechkin said. He listened to Backstrom’sinquiry before responding, “Yes, you must wear a suit.”

And,

The two always seem to be in one another’s company, whether it’s dinner at atrendy restaurant, catching a movie at the theater, shopping or playing videogames at Ovechkin’s home.

When they’re together, the topic ranges from cars and clothes to music andwomen. But the conversation almost always comes back to hockey.

“We love going out together,” Ovechkin said. Asked to name a fewof their favorite haunts, he grinned and said, “It’s a seeeecret.”

[entergamingxp]

Everything Announced from Today’s Inside Xbox (May 7, 2020)

May 7, 2020 2:46 PM EST

With more Xbox Series X info coming, here are the big announcements from today’s Inside Xbox featuring Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Madden NFL 21, and more.

As the launch of next-generation consoles creeps closer, Xbox has just presented its latest Inside Xbox event. From heavy hitters like Assassin’s Creed Vahalla to Yakuza: Like a Dragon and Madden 21, there’s something for everyone when the Xbox Series X releases this holiday. Here’s what was shown off during today’s Inside Xbox stream.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla “gameplay” revealed

After its reveal last week, Ubisoft has shown off the first look at gameplay and the Viking age in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla during this month’s Inside Xbox. Players take control of Eivor, a Viking raider as he sets out to England. Players will get the chance to lead raids, forge alliances, and immerse themselves in the Viking age. Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla will launch this holiday on the Series X and Xbox One. You can read more about what was shown off here.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is an Xbox Series X launch title

Another year, another Yakuza game. This time around, Yakuza: Like a Dragon follows Ichiban Kasuga, a low-level Yakuza as he’s shot and left for dead. Best of all, it’ll be a launch title when the Series X releases this holiday. You can read more about what was shown off here.

Madden NFL 21 teased

Surprising no one, Madden 21 is coming to the Series X. Patrick Mahomes came on for a few minutes to talk about the game and give players a tease before we get more details during EA Play next month. You can read more about Madden 21 here.

Dirt 5 officially revealed

Get ready to race in the latest entry in the Dirt franchise. Dirt 5 will include voice actors such as Troy Baker and Nolan North. You can read more about what was shown off here.

Scorn looks wild

Next up is Scorn, a first-person horror game from Ebb Software. The game was announced back in 2016 and was originally supposed to release in 2017. It later got a Kickstarter campaign and a 2018 release date. The game has players explore a wide variety of environments which each have different paths to explore, items to find, and creatures to fight. You can read more about what was shown off here.

Bright Memory: Infinite kicks off the show

Developed by FQYD-Studio, Bright Memory: Infinite is a first-person shooter that gives players a wide variety of skills to weave into combo attacks. The game is set in 2036 as the Supernatural Science Research Organization sets out to investigate a strange phenomenon. You can read more details about it here.

Chorus is a space combat game, coming 2021

Developed by Fishlabs Production and published by Deep Silver, Chorus is a space-flight combat shooter where players take control of Nara, a pilot who faces her past. You’ll get the chance to earn new weapons and upgrade your ship as you travel through the universe. Chorus is set to launch in 2021. You can read more details about it here.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodline 2 coming to Xbox Series X confirmed

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodline 2 has players go through Seattle as you fight through a vampire society. The game is brought to you by Paradox Interactive, Hardsuit Labs, and World of Darkness. No release date was given but it’ll release on the Series X and Xbox One. You can read more about it here.

Call of the Sea by Out of the Blue and Raw Fury revealed

Developed by Out of the Blue and Raw Fury, Call of the Sea focuses on Norah, an explorer as she searches for her lost husband in the 1930s South Pacific. It’s a first-person adventure game filled with puzzles and exotic locations.

The Ascent is a top-down RPG by Curve Digital and Neon Giant

Published by Curve Digital and developed by Neon Giant, The Ascent is a top-down action RPG set in a cyberpunk world where the Ascent Group has fallen and everyone has to fend for themselves. It’s up to you to stop gangs and other corporations from taking over the world.

The Medium is bringing horror to the Xbox Series X

Published by Bloober Team SA and developed by Bloober Team, The Medium is a psychological horror game where you go between the real world and the spiritual world. The game features a soundtrack from Bloober Team’s Arkadiusz Reikowski and Silent Hill composer Akira Yamaoka. You can read more about it here.

Scarlet Nexus by Bandai Namco announced

Next up we have Scarlet Nexus from Bandai Namco. Players take the role of Yuito Sumeragi as you use his psychokinetic powers and explore New Himuka. You can read more about it here.

Second Extinction brings dinosaur combat to next-gen hardware

Get ready to team up with friends to fight mutated dinosaurs in Second Extinction. Developed by Systemic Reaction, three players can get together to take down the dinosaurs with a variety of weapons and skills.

That’s it for today’s Inside Xbox. What were your favorite announcements? Let us know in the comments below. If you haven’t watched it yet, you can check it out below.

May 7, 2020 2:46 PM EST

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/05/everything-announced-from-todays-inside-xbox-may-7-2020/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=everything-announced-from-todays-inside-xbox-may-7-2020

[raytoons]

via Twitter https://twitter.com/raytoons

[crashboxtime]

We did it!

Thanks to all of our amazing backers, our Kickstarter to fund the printing of Falling: Chapter 5 of Fury's Forge was successful! We made just in time! I can't thank you enough for all of your support! Whether you were a backer, you shared our story, or you met us at a con or fair, we couldn't have done it without you. Chapter 5 of Fury's Forge will soon be on its way to our website store - as well as the other merch you may have missed from this Kickstarter. Thank you for joining us on this adventure! We can't wait for the next one, whatever it may be.

[queerstarter]

Ending Sat, Nov 18, 2017

Five teenagers wake up in a dark room. They’ve never met one another before.

Now they must fight their way through life-threatening obstacles in order to escape the vast, labyrinthine facility in which they have found themselves trapped. As their personalities clash and relationships ebb and flow, Eve, Conner, Anna, Jackson, and Cara must overcome their individual weaknesses, face painful memories, and work together in order to save what ultimately becomes most important to them: each other.

In chapter five, Eve and Anna climb towards their friends as the others face more menacing machines. It’s becoming harder to survive in the facility.

We are Zack Rocklin-Waltch (writer) and Tessa Beatrice (artist): Two recent high school graduates looking to make an impact on the comic book world.We are a part of Underdog Comics - a business run by teenagers who create comics for the underrepresented and the misrepresented. Our stories feature authentic women, ethnic minorities, the LGBT+ community, people with mental and physical disabilities, people with different religious beliefs, and everyone else because no one should be excluded. But our characters are not defined by their sexuality, race, or gender - they’re just part of who they are. Learn more about our purpose at www.underdogcomics.com/about-us

Thanks to all of you amazing backers, our Kickstarters for Placement: Chapter One of Fury’s Forge and Advancements: Chapter Two of Fury’s Forge were successful! We printed Chapters 3 and 4 without a Kickstarter and sold all four copies on our website and at conventions such as Boston ComicCon and LadiesCon.

[. . .]

[writer59january13]

Glory to thermodynamics

Thrum of the central heater...

manually activated upon advent of twilight

(since yours truly not resident within "smart home"),

nevertheless warm cockles and muscles

appreciate basking, and luxuriating,

within climate controlled environment,

whether bone chilling deep freeze of winter

sets indentured jaws chattering

or contrarily when sweltering

hazy, humid and hot

dawg days of summer

necessitates setting air conditioner

at refreshing sixty degrees fahrenheit.

I could never survive alone in the wilderness

which dependence on creature comforts

inured me since birth,

but all the more power to people

(such as Dick Proenneke

pronounced pren-icky)

who live off the grid,

and minimize their carbon footprint.

Truth be told, a non impactful lifestyle

tantalizes, teases, titillates...

yours truly, a garden variety generic human

dependent on consonant contrivances

and conveniences conditioned

courtesy capitalistic consumeristic credo

decrying his dependence

upon flow of electrons,

whereby flip of switch

instantaneously allows, enables,

and provides electricity

with absolute zero ability

to stave off blackout

attributed to sudden disruption

regarding power outage

linkedin with severe

kickstarted meteorological phenomena

or terroristic machinations

(possibly even homegrown unrest)

signaling the end

of the webbed wide world

reducing to rubble

(think being bombed back into stone age)

annihilating trappings

of twenty first century civilization

forcing survivors to learn basic skills

cooperation, integration, and utilitarian virtues

altruistic, democratic, humanistic,

mechanistic, and socratic zest

begotten, distilled, and forged

nsync with opposable thumb.

Angst crimps existence

generating dystopian thoughts

despite countless factorial permutations

and combinations, this cyber surfer avails two alms

boot Grinchian genes snatched such balms

when tethered in utero umbilical connection,

etched bromide, which hankering calms

embryonic sensation this corporeal being lacks

constantly subjected to exams

from the school of hard knocks

which I bewail sets back and gloms

mine aim to revel in blissful contentment

but circumstances decrees otherwise

cursing this chap tubby haunted

by veritable elfin grotto dwelling phantoms

hovering over sweet clover dials a mirage

yes...Iris sieve blurbs from gals and guys

that spans the world wide web, and exude

premature ejaculatory ecstasy, puzzled if fie

totally tubular trod a tedious trek

along the boulevard of broken dreams

what happenstance oft finds thyself to flail

amidst difficulty to maximize

optimal opportunities searching for Holy Grail

or whatever constitutes such lofty

personal objective, perchance being hale

and hearty of body, mind and spirit

spurs the furies of fate tut test this primate

while he aims to gallop with mighty industrial

vim and vigor leaving a virtual cloud

of dust, though mindfulness helps

to pass go, and chance avoid jail

time, then maybe monopolized feedback offered

to this toothless mwm (with gumption) quasi-vegetarian

enjoying poetry stone soup, yet also subsisting

on supplementary vitamin packed glue tin free

NON GMO fruity tall tales for a male

thirty nine years shy sans bing a centenarian,

which span of life best cut short with a nail

(possibly nine inches) hammered into

faux coffin, cuz this imp doth turn pale

at the prospect to fill up a space of land

best utilized by birds - such as quail

mongoose, or ibis (though aye ne'er saw

one), where cremated ashes sail

across some verdant plain under

cerulean skies putting to rest every travail

which thoughts of dem eyes spells

the main impetus explaining this rambling spiel

warp and woof ova gauzy veil

imperceptibly looms closer upon

turrets of my digital sea faring gunwale

and thus desperation finds pleading for salvation.

[furysforge]

Our Kickstarter to print the last four chapters of Fury's Forge was successful! We can't thank all of our backers enough for supporting us. Now we will work hard to get these chapters printed and out into the world!

www.tinyurl.com/FinalFurysForge 

[furysforge]

Thanks to all of our amazing backers, we have reached the halfway point to our goal! But we still need the other half, and we need your help to get there.

Go to the Kickstarter to support us.

[furysforge]

undefined

The Kickstarter to print Chapter 5 of Fury’s Forge is LIVE!

We have lots of new merch, new videos, limited rewards, and so much more! Check out our Kickstarter and our reward tiers ranging from $1 to $100 here: http://www.tinyurl.com/chapter5-falling

[furysforge]

We have a new piece of merch on our Kickstarter: T-shirts!

We’ve been asked about making t-shirts during our past Kickstarters and at conventions, so we decided it was finally time to do so!

If you want a Fury’s Forge t-shirt or know someone who does, check out our Kickstarter at http://www.tinyurl.com/chapter5-falling

[furysforge]

Chapter 5 came in the mail! The comics will go out to Kickstarter backers and then will go up on the website store for everyone... Find the other chapters here: www.underdogcomics.com/shop