#however it's like. animals existing and fighting to exist in the environments they were built for

[thethiefandtheairbender]

me getting sad while watching "life on our planet" and learning about earth's various mass extinctions (due to climate) because all the prehistoric animals must've been So Scared

[thunderpounce-inc]

IDEA: von neumann war machine Transformers

REALLY FUN IDEA

ok so let's run with the idea that Transformers are the former robot slaves of the Quintessons. Ok, well I started reading Orion's Arm again and I've stumbled upon a really fun idea from there that could work for a REALLY FUN new take on Transformers.

The idea? Unicron and Primus are the feral animin transapient (further reading on what that is) autowars (though of course of a much smaller scale/different set of technologies than in Orion's Arm; maybe autowar-adjacent is a better descriptor) of either maybe the Quintessons themselves, or possibly someone else- and the Quintessons just tried to tame them (and failed). Unicron and Primus would be archetypically opposed to each other because they were BUILT to fight each other- with the both of them having been built and employed to fight somebody else's long forgotten war.

The Transformers themselves are the smaller non-transapient modoshophont machines employed by Unicron and Primus like humans employ soldiers and tanks and unmanned drones. They fight each other because that's what they were built and programmed to do- and have been doing since the start of their existence. The war perpetuates even long after the original conflict in just the same way the Transformers war usually does- a vicious cycle of vengeance and grudges that far outlives the original grievance.

I would suppose in this context, Decepticons were built by Unicron and Autobots by Primus (meta: to keep them on opposing sides). Neither is inherently good or bad, they're the same brand of autowar- they're just employed by different sides and have been for so long that they almost exclusively know of the other only as an enemy.

Unicron is generally quite a bit more mean and ruthless, so their Decepticon autowars usually behave like that too since that's how they've been raised- which results in the common tendency of other sophonts (such as humans) to prefer siding with the usually nicer Autobots, and assuming the Decepticons are the bad guys.

However neither of them actually chose who they fight for (usually; sometimes you get turncoats who switch sides- which can lead to a lot of really interesting things and explorations of this idea, since it'd allow character to dissect themselves and recontextualize the war itself and their accompanying worldviews), and also very important thematically- neither did Unicron or Primus, who again would be ANIMIN (non-self-aware) transapients who are merely carrying out the task they were programmed to- kill the other.

By having Unicron and Primus be ANIMIN rather than self-aware beings, you can get a flavor of 'god' that is a lot more alien and a lot less reason-with (or self-reflect)-able. They are transapient, and so capable of intelligence and actions far outside the range of mere modosophonts, but their decision making is not self-aware and so opperates on more of a blue and orange morality that is in this case determined by their original, now vestigial original function as now feral autowars.

I think this could be a really fun way to approach Transformers, and give a fresh spin to their origins and their war. When they show up on other planets and bring their conflict with them, it's like when a human war crosses through the territory of wild animals; our tanks and fighter planes and things have nothing to do with the animals or their environment, and the reasons for the fighting could care less about their existence or destruction, but the battlefeild is here so that's where it's happening. Friendly transformers are the ones that try to keep the puny humans out of the crossfire in spite of you know still trying kick the nearest Decepticon or Autobots's ass, 'hostile' ones are the ones that don't care. (cue Optimus 'freedom is the right of all sentient beings; please don't get involved tiny human I need to fight Megatron and Megatron is a greater evil than throwing your car at him, sorry')

idk sometimes I think about the sheer scale of what transformer lifespans and history timescales are often portrayed to be, and it gives me this feeling of these are not metal humans fighting each other; these are very alien beings with very alien reasonings and perceptions of the world (and TIME! a million years is a very long time!), and their showing up on their planet and bringing their war with them could be probably be milked for much more eldritch vibes than it usually is.

Honestly I really prefer the idea of Transformers that are more alien than metal human, and I think making their behaviour, perceptions, and origins that much more alien is really fun! Especially since giving them that background yet still having them engage in the classic behaviours like befriending humans, espousing the rights of all sentient beings, having social groups and loved ones, ect. does something that I really love to see in media- and that's the affirmation that it really is all sentient beings we're talking about. Something can be immensely different and sometimes even downright incomprehensible from a puny human perspective (hello autism! I feel this from the transformer side every day haha hee hoo), and still be a friend.

And I think that's far more meaningful than stories about unknowable eldritch things that are incomprehensibly evil- even if maybe a transformer intuitively understands the meaning of a million years and you will always struggle to wrap your head around a stretch of time that large, the transformer is still a feeling thinking being and it can still be your friend.

Fuck, go the whole bizzare alien psychology route and let them experience ranges and types of emotion that humans just Don't! As someone who is emotionally dysregulated as hell and flip flops between sometimes almost nothing and intensities I'm pretty sure are WELL outside the neurotypical/non-traumatized range, that's honestly really comforting rep to see.

A being that lives for millions of years and was built for an entirely abiotic purpose probably has a really different perspective of the world and itself, and I think that's fascinating and really fun to explore.

Basically I want more speculative biology vibe transformers because it's way more fun to me and it is not my special interest what are you talking about.

Also aliens are NOT likely to resemble us and I actually think it's really comforting to imagine meeting a very alien alien and still making friends with them.

[obeiii-mee]

Hi! Im new to your page and i love your writing 💕 i have a request for demon brothers headcanons on how they treat MC after realizing they get anxiety from things like yelling/loud abrupt noises/ things like that? For example, they flinch, get quiet, or start fidgeting? Thank you!!!

Aww, thank you so much. That means a lot to me and I’m really glad you like my writing considering I have such a chaotic style lmao. Also, welcome to this mess of a blog. We give off ‘cult’ vibes but at least we have hot, fictional demons to make up for that.This was super sweet because I know for a fact every single one of them would be very understanding of MC’s anxiety of anything.

Enjoy!

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The Brothers with an MC that gets anxiety from loud/abrupt noises:

Lucifer:

-He may not get anxiety from it, but Lucifer definitely prefers a quiet atmosphere/environment where he can focus on his work

-Which makes living with his brothers a living nightmare because they don’t have the capability to shut the fuck up

-That being said, he catches on rather quickly that you do not feel comfortable around loud noises in general

-There’s a limit to what he can do but every time you feel like you need a bit of peace and quiet, know that you are more than welcomed into his office at any time of the day. Even if he isn’t there

-He definitely prioritises your mental as well as your physical well being seeing as living with demons can have a massive effect on your sanity

-He’s not judgemental about it either because, while he doesn’t understand why loud noises may cause you to be so anxious, he understands that humans are built differently to demons

-Lucifer has no chill at times and will tell all of his brothers off every time they make a big scene, whether in public or private

-He can be a tad overprotective at times but he means really well, especially if he sees you’ve gotten oddly silent for the past few minutes or has caught wind of you fidgeting during dinner

-I don’t know how much I stressed so far about the observation skills this man has but I will keep doing, he can spot you flinching at loud noises from a mile away

Mammon:

-I believe that he can read people really well and can recognise when a person is feeling a certain way

-But he’s still a complete dumbass so he might still miss a few clues hidden in your mannerisms

-Like, he realises you’re uncomfortable but he doesn’t understand the degree of it or why it exists

-You’ll have to be blunt about it and tell him about your deal with loud noises because otherwise he will be stressing about it for weeks on end

-Dating him as a result of your anxiety over loud noises can prove to be...difficult

-He’s a very boisterous and obnoxious being, everytime a particular emotion of his flares up, he gets significantly noisier

-Whenever he enters the room you happen to be in, you’re forced to cover your ears and flinch because he has a way of announcing his presence

-But he tries so incredibly hard to act calmer around you and he so hates it when he fails to do so because he knows how uncomfortable you get as a result of him screaming like an idiot

-His brothers usually blame him when you start fidgeting because they assume he’s the cause of your rising anxiety and he started to believe it as well

-He sees that look on your face and he is just gutted

-He is ready to get on his knees and start apologising profusely until you forgive him for being such a noisy bastard

-The times other things/people are the cause of you going weirdly quiet, he will use his threatening tactics

-“Listen ‘ere, you’re makin’ my human uncomfortable so if you don’t shut the fuck up, I won’t let you see the light of day again. Do ya hear me?!?!”

-He says to the godfather clock when the sound of it striking midnight startled you

Levi:

-He 100% understands

-He hates loud noises as well and they usually make him scamper back to his room lol a rat in hiding

-Levi is slightly more immune to them however seeing as his brothers do have a habit of raising their voices all the time

-But do not worry, human, for he will protect his Henry from the annoying sounds people in general make at the cost of his life

-Take shelter in his room, please

-He loves having you in there and usually you only have the noise of video games in the background

-If you’re there and an anime he’s watching is getting too loud, he will turn it down for you ahead of time

-Sometimes, he can be as noisy as his brothers, especially when he rages at one of his games

-Bu he’s so quick to shut up once he realises you’re there

-And then, like Mammon, would start apologising for being not only an ugly otaku but an obnoxious one at that

-So y’all end up comforting and cuddling each other because.....uh....mutual hatred for loud things?

-Also, he would decapitate his brothers for you if they crossed a line (like he’s not really a Yandere but he’s a demon with demonic instincts to protect I guess)

Satan:

-Much like his father eldest brother, Satan also prefers silence in general

-After all, it’s a lot easier to read when his brothers aren’t there to muck about the place and make too much noise

-Humans are very different to demons, especially psychologically speaking and he understand that

-That’s why he doesn’t question it when you follow him into the library to seek refugee from his siblings

-If anything, he’s rather happy he gets to spend some time with you so the two of you sit in silence, each of you doing your own separate thing

-He knows if something is bothering you again, he can probably notice you suddenly start fidgeting in public

-He’s very cautious with you when you are in this state as he deems you are at your most vulnerable

-One time, a teacher at RAD raised his voice too high while scolding you for not paying attention and that earned an involuntary flinch from you

-That guy was officially on Satan’s shit list from then on, just so ya know

-Overall, he’s very sweet and patient with you and absolutely does not mind spending an entire day with you indoors away from loud noises

Asmo:

-He has no problem with loud noises whatsoever

-If anything, he loves being in crowded public places like The Fall, since partying and socialising is one of his many talents

-Not to mention, he’s so used to own family being so loud it just doesn’t affect him that much

-However, when you first arrived and he noticed just how badly you reacted to loud noises, he started avoiding things like clubbing as if it were the plague every time he hanged out with you

-Asmo needs social contact but he is more than willing to spend time indoors with you if it makes you feel better

-Or going out shopping in a relatively quiet shopping centre

-I mean, getting his nails done with you by his side sounds absolutely amazing to him

-So as much as he loves making noises and spending time in rowdy places, he’s always going to make an exception with you

-Always

Beel:

-Beel is unbothered by noise

-Sure, he does like it better when his brothers aren’t fighting and things are peaceful around the house

-But, he’s not fazed by yelling, loud music, heavy things falling and thudding against the ground etc.

-He picks up on your anxiety riddled gestures the first time Lucifer has a go at his brothers in front of you

-Because you started fidgeting like crazy and in that moment he was the only one that saw it

-So Beel grabbed your hand and led you outside of the room and Lucifer was so caught up in the moment he didn’t even realise it

-Probably, maybe he just let it go

-Basically, Beel decides that he shall protect you, the tiny human in comparison with him, from any loud noises that might startle you

-He will do it, do not test him

-One time, Mammon was screaming because he was chased by the witches and it made you flinch enough for Beel to see

-A couple hours later, Mammon disappears completely and shows up at your door, looking absolutely traumatised but genuinely apologetic and says sorry

-Sometimes people forget Beel is a demon

Belphie:

-I’m gonna make a wild assumption and presume that if you are vulnerable to loud noises, you are very likely a light sleeper

-If that is the case, (apologies if you’re not) then Belphie would be very quick to notice because a lot of shit goes down at night time and most of the time, it’s loud

-Belphie doesn’t have a problem with it, he can sleep through anything, even his brothers and especially Lucifer

-But he definitely notices if you aren’t cuddled up to him any more, even if he was asleep, because you sat up in bed suddenly at a random noise at 3am

-Note: That was Asmo sneaking back into the house trying to be as quite as possible but tripping and breaking a window

-“You’ll have to get used to that. My brothers are idiots, they don’t know when to be silent.”

-He prefers quiet places like the attic so he can actually sleep, but again, could do so either way so it doesn’t matter to him

-But he is going to be...let’s say ...upset.... if you were to wake up from a nap session because of someone something

-“Make one more sound and I’ll rip your tongue out.”

-Even when you aren’t napping, he gets very angry when people get unnecessarily loud, especially with you reaction

-But that just gives him an opportunity to bring you to the attic or something so the two of you can actually chill by yourselves for a chance

-Beel is invited obviously, but Belphie is just as happy to be left by himself with you

-Ironic how much his feelings for you have changed, huh?

————————————

So I really finished this by the end of the week. Hope this is actually some good because I spent all of my brain cells on an another giant request I’m working and the rest were used to write this. Thank you for sending me requests though guys! Now every time I get bored I can just answer your asks. Have a nice Monday!

Al~

[conchshell]

What do you think the Hargreeves personalities would be like if they had a normal childhood and their powers wouldn't exist?

Oh gosh this is SUCH a good question! I mean there are so many variables, because the circumstances and environments they are born into would definitely affect their future paths. Just to warn you, this ended up being so much longer than I originally anticipated, so I’ve put it under a cut!

Luther: I feel like Luther would definitely be one of the ones to have the biggest change in personality. Of all the siblings, he’s the one that’s spent nearly all of his life with his abuser, and his entire self worth is built around validation from a man that deemed him as nothing but a pawn for his own doing. But behind the self-esteem issues is someone who cares deeply for those he loves, and I feel that without the influence of Reginald in his life he would be more confident and less confrontational. I could definitely see him as someone who would get involved in local events or volunteering for charities. Somewhere where he feels like he’s making a difference, and most importantly, helping others. I can picture him going to gardening clubs and being surrounded by cooing grandmothers haha

Diego: Diego is loyal, caring, and protective. And actually, I think he's one of the more emotional of the siblings. He doesn't do well when controlled by someone like Reginald who restricts these qualities, but I feel that you can see his true side shine when he's around Grace. If he were able to grow and develop in a healthy environment without their father and the Academy lifestyle, I feel like he would be more emotionally open and less impulsive. Funnily enough, I could still see him working in the emergency services. That drive to help others is strong, and that comes from his core nature rather than Reginald. Something like a paramedic would be good; a fast-paced job that requires a great deal of empathy and care for others.

Allison: Of all the siblings, I feel like her power most impacts her life, it defines how she relates to people and relates to the world, whether she likes it or not. So taking that away, I really feel like she would really flourish. She's intelligent, headstrong, and passionate; and I feel like those qualities are down to her, rather than her upbringing. Her actions in S2 were wholly genuine, and I think that if she hadn't been raised by Reginald, she would still have that desire to fight for those who are experiencing injustice. I could see her in a position where she feels like she’s making a difference; such as a lawyer, a social worker, or a psychotherapist.

Klaus: One of my favourite things about Klaus is that he’s unapologetically himself, and perhaps that’s partly a “fuck you” response to their strict upbringing, but I feel that if he didn’t grow up in the Academy, he would always live life to the fullest. Free-spirited and individualist, someone like him doesn't cope well when restrained by Reginald's traditional expectations, and his powers are a great source of fear and trauma for him. Without those, I feel like he would be the Klaus we know and love, but without that edge of melancholy that stops him from reaching his full potential. I could see someone like him making a fantastic preschool teacher, he would be a great role model for children to look up to!

Five: Five is a difficult one, because he's spent his nearly whole life in survival mode. But despite that, I think there are moments where we get glimpses of his true character; I mean despite being literally the last person left alive in the apocalypse, he still fights to get back to his family. He's stubborn and head-strong, but he also has a strong connection to family and a desire to protect those he loves. If he were born without powers and wasn't raised by Reginald, I'm not sure if his passion for maths would remain, because a lot of that was fuelled by his interest in his powers. But it's evident from his bedroom that he has a passion for space and robots, so his curious mind and detail-orientated eye is probably more due to him than of Reginald's influence. Strangely, I could see him making a great architect - a job that balances the line between creativity and precision.

Ben: Ironically Ben seems one of the more well adjusted of the siblings, and it comes to something when it’s the same person who died during their youth. It's evident that he’s a fun and upbeat person who flourishes without the hold of someone as stifling as their father. Born into another situation, I don’t think that person would differ much from the Ben of the show, however they would be without the anxiety and the quietness that comes from a place of living life on the edge and in the shadows. I could potentially see him owning his own business, where he would be able to work on his own accord and to his own hours. I could see him running a small bookshop, something laid back and relaxed!

Vanya: Vanya is a difficult one as well, because she’s spent most of her life drugged to suppress her powers and emotions. She’s sensitive and withdrawn, and at times also envious of her siblings, due to constantly being considered nothing but ordinary. But despite that, you can really see her true qualities shine in S2 when she’s around Sissy and Harlan; and without the influence of the suppressing drugs and the presence of Reginald, she really shines! If she grew up without both her powers and Reginald, there’s no denying she would be more confident and content, and also less explosive. I’m not sure if she would have gone down the route of becoming a violinist, but I feel like she would still have a creative hobby of some sort. I could also see her working with animals, perhaps as a vet or at a shelter; a job that requires a calming and soothing presence.

Of course, this is just me and my little headcanons haha! 😁 But honestly, a lot of their problems would be fixed with Reginald out of the picture, the man has a lot to answer for.

[carriagelamp]

Weirdly enough, I often find myself reading less in the summer, since I have more time than I do during the rest of the year to do other things. Also artfight has been eating up more than a bit of my free time! But here’s a collection a graphic novels I sat around on the hammock reading, and some novels I finished up...

(Everyone go read All Systems Red, holy crow guys)

A Whale of the Wild

The “sequel” to A Wolf Called Wander, though it doesn’t actually connect to the previous novel except in the stylistic/thematic sense. A Whale of the Wild is very much a standalone novel. And a pretty decent one! Personally, I think I liked Wolf more, but this one was a pleasant, informative read, with just the right amount of crushing dread sprinkled in. It’s about a young orca called Vega who is learning to become a new wayfinder for her pod but who still has a lot to learn, especially in an ocean that is becoming increasingly hostile to orcas and the other sealife that live alongside humans. When a devastating earthquake hits, Vega and her little brother find themselves separated from their family, lost in a now horrifyingly unfamiliar environment, and fighting starvation as the salmon that sustain them become more and more unreliable. It’s a desperate fight for survival as they search for food and their missing family. This book is written for a middle grade level, and does a really good job of putting the current environmental crisis into an animal’s perspective while giving the readers something to hope for.

The Adventure Zone: The Crystal Kingdom

Every July I eagerly anticipate the next Adventure Zone graphic novel. This one is for their fourth arc, The Crystal Kingdom, in which Magnus, Taako, and Merle respond to a SOS from a floating laboratory that is gradually being consumed by crystals and which threatens the entire world should it fall into the ocean. Carey Pietsch’s art continues to be absolutely fantastic, so beautifully and hilariously expressive, and this one delivers some great Merle moments, lots of Carey Fangbattle, and, of course, Kravtiz. Kravitz, my beloved…

Anyway, I obviously always recommend these. If you’ve never gotten into The Adventure Zone, I totally recommend either trying these graphic novels — or even better, just go listen to the podcast because it really is both hilarious and creates a shockingly good and heart-wrenching story by the end.

All Systems Red

I’ve seen The Murderbot Diaries on my dash occasionally, and it always looked interesting, but a friend’s recommendation finally compelled me to read the first novella of the series. And holy shit y’all. Absolutely the best book I’ve read this month, it’s amazing. Mind-blowingly good. Also, if you’re like me and want a good audiobook, it’s a nice three-hour listen, very chill!

Anyway, All Systems Red is about a Security Unit, an artificially created being that’s part-organic part-mechanical and all-company-owned-and-controlled. However, self-named “Murderbot” has managed to hack into the system that suppresses its own will, and is now coasting along, doing the least amount of work its job requires not to be noticed, while preferring to spend all its time watching the hours and hours of soap operas it has downloaded into its brain. And it’s a tolerable if somewhat dull life, until the science team that it's currently rented to is attacked and the whole mission goes pear-shaped. Suddenly Murderbot has to scramble to keep its humans alive… while its humans scramble with the realization that their “SecUnit” isn’t actually a mindless robot like they had all believed...

This story is both gripping and hilariously funny. Murderbot has such a unique voice and perspective and it’s an absolute pleasure to follow its story. I reallly need to read the next book...

Asterix and the Banquet

A classic. I was startled when I realized I hadn’t actually read this Asterix story… but hell I’m not gonna complain, it lets me read one of the originals for the first time again! In this Asterix volume, the Indomitable Gauls and the Romans end up arranging a bet — the Romans intend to keep them under siege, trapped in their village, while Asterix is confident that he can easily evade them… and will prove it by going on a tour around all of Gaul, collecting iconic foods from each region in order to return and put on a fine banquet. So we get a fantastic adventure in which Asterix and Obelix run all over the country, pursued the whole way, while making cheerful stops at the various eateries along the way. Also the first book Dogmatix shows up in! All around, a wonderful read, fun like all the best Asterix comics are.

Beauty Pop v4

A less impressive graphic novel. The first Beauty Pop is one of my guilty pleasure manga because… it really is pretty stupid but in the best possible ways. I mean, the whole thing is framed around hairstyling battles, like a shojo sports manga without the sports. It’s bonkers. Unfortunately, the series does not really manage to hold up, and it really begins to feel repetitive and dragging as it continues… as a lot of series like this do. *shrug* Unsurprising but still kinda disappointing I suppose. The building three-way romantic tension is mildly interesting if for no other reason than the main character Does Not Notice and Does Not Care about any of it, which is amusing and refreshing.

FRNCK v5

Now this series only gets better and better as it goes. This is the first book of the second arc, and somehow the danger just seems to be ramping up and up and up. The cavefamily have lost their home… as well as Léonard and Gargouille. Heartbroken, shocked, and angry, Franck is the one who ends up shouldering the blame for their presumed deaths as the others mourn. Things only get worse when Franck finds himself separated from the family, and in the territory of another tribe, this one hostile and cannibalistic...

Haikyuu v5

I continue to read this series because it continues to be charming… though it is beginning to feel, maybe, just a little repetitive. Kind of an inevitability with sports manga. But so far it continues to be good enough to overcome that. I’m not sure what I can say about this series that I haven’t already, so I’ll simply say it continues to be one of the most impressive sports manga I’ve read, and the author does a fantastic job of creating engaging characters, fleshed out teams, and really compelling relationships. I do genuinely adore all the main members of Crows, along with a number of characters from the rival teams as well. And of course it has some kickass volleyball scenes that are just drawn so dramatically they can’t help but take your breath away a little.

M*A*S*H Goes To Maine

Meh. The original book of the series was actually quite good in my opinion. This one… considerably less so. The first part I enjoyed more, since it was about Hawkeye, Trapper, Duke, and Oliver Jones trying to set up the FinestKind Clinic and Fishmarket in Crabapple Cove (which… is just the best premise I could have ever asked for). However, the book spends most of its time describing the quirky lives and times of other people living in the area and I… just… don’t care. It was funny at times but… I just don’t care. I wanted to hear more about the main cast. Also I found this book felt more racist and misogynistic than the first which also put me off :/ Wouldn’t bother if I were you. Go read the first book instead, or better yet just watch the TV show which is an obvious banger.

My Heart’s in the Highlands

I have had this on my “currently reading” list for so long but I’m officially giving up. It’s a really good book in theory but my god I can’t get over the pacing.

It’s about Lady Jane, a woman studying medicine in Edinburgh in 1888, and who suddenly finds herself back in the Highlands in the 13th century. Lost and confused, Jane is now at the mercy Clan Donald’s hospitality while she tries to adjust to this new world and hunts for her broken time machine. Fortunately, this hospitality include a burgeoning friendship with a red-haired warrior woman, Ainslie nic Dòmhnaill, who opens Jane’s eyes to the way the world could be.

Listen. It drives me nuts. This book should be completely up my alley, it has everything I like — IT HAS ALL OF ITS HISTORICAL FOOTNOTES CITED AT THE BACK, LITTLE EXTRA DETAILS ABOUT EVERY CHAPTER. THAT’S MY SHIT RIGHT THERE. DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I LIKE BEING ABLE TO GO OVER HISTORICAL DETAILS?? AND WELL RESEARCHED FOOTNOTES?? And yet it doesn’t. Fucking. Work for me. It has a kickass Scottish warrior lady as a love interest! It has a badass lady doctor! It has fish-out-of-water culture shock! But it also has a completely meandering plot, no sense of building tension, and a romance that just happens out of nowhere and feels completely unearned and uninteresting.

I would genuinely just rather read Outlander again, which I know has its own host of problems, but at least Outlander felt exciting and interesting and tense and funny. The romance built in fits and starts, it was complicated, and kept me interested. That book had me hooked (and has me hooked every time I reread it) whereas this book I’ve been sadly picking at for months like its a plate of overcooked spinach. This felt like an attempt at a queer, historically accurate knockoff which I would normally be super into but which just could not stick the landing.

Moomin on the Riviera

My first time actually reading anything from the Moomin canon. I have zero idea how to feel about it! It certainly is as feral as I’ve heard described! Overall, I think I enjoyed it but it sure made me feel strange emotions I didn’t know existed. I’m not even going to try to describe it. Read it if you want a batshit insane anti-capitalist comic.

Surviving the City

This was good in some areas, less good in others. It had a very interesting indigenous perspective on life in the modern city, the foster system, and The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women issue, which I’ve never seen handled in a book before. Something about the pacing did not completely click with me and I found myself getting easily distracted, but it’s definitely worth the read just to experience it and look at the issues it deals with through the characters’ (and author’s) eyes. It did give me a lot to think about and wrestle with, which is sometimes the best thing a book can give you.

Torchwood: Pack Animals

A really fun read, more so than I had ever expected! If you like Torchwood and want more stories about the team before everything goes to shit, this is perfect for that. It includes the entire cast, an interest mystery to be unravelled, lots of slavering monsters, Rhys being really wonderful and sweet (which I didn’t know I wanted until I read this book), and all the humour I expect from Torchwood. I had to send a lot of quotes to my long-suffering girlfriend who a) does not watch this show but b) needs to tolerate it because I find it too funny to keep to myself. It was good enough to make me go out another book of the series since this was the only one my library carried.

[rpmemesbyarat]

As someone in the Marvel RPC, I see a lot of “my character was kidnapped/created in a lab and turned into the perfect weapon” or “my character was captured by scientists because she was an alien/supernatural creature/etc and they wanted to study her” and inevitably, both involve a lot of gratutitous torture. The key word being “gratuitous”. Either due to wanting drama or being misinformed by popular media depictions of such things (Bucky Barnes, Laura Kinney, etc) the general assumption of fandom seems to be that scientists are basically sadists and that “experiments” are little more than exercises in how to cause their character the most pain possible. The thing is though, a lot of the reasoning for all this is. . . bad. And while canon ---be it Marvel or something else-- may do that, I would also like to discuss more realistic options and point out a few general mistaken assumptions or things people don’t tend to think of. - If a bunch of scientists are trying to create an augmented supersoldier, “perfect life form”, or whatever, that’s not an experiment, that’s a PROJECT. There is a big difference between the two. - Who/what is your character being created or augmented to fight? No one is gonna spend the time/money/effort to make a supersoldier just to have one around for fun. The enemy they are supposed to face or job they are supposed to do is going to influence EVERYTHING about the abilities they’re given and how they are “designed” not to mention how much independent thinking it’s practical to give them. For instance, for some jobs, being able to think and make decisions on their own will be a must, and that’s a risk. For others, there’s really no need to leave their free will intact if you can avoid it. Someone being “built” for espionage will be much different than someone being designed as a living tank. Likewise if someone is going to be sent into a desert environment versus expected to go for long periods underwater, and so on. Knowing what they’re designed to be going up against is CRUCIAL. - Why are living weapons the best option to fight this thing? Because generally speaking, there can be a lot more disadvantages to those than to guns and guided missiles and androids and shit. What about this enemy required a lving sentient supersoldier instead? - If a specimen is rare or valuable, it’s unlikely that it’s going to be dissected or otherwise treated in a way that will deliberately damage it. Your characters might FEAR that if they’re found the men in white coats might “cut them up” but this is actually unlikely. If scientists are trying to learn about something and it’s not a thing they can easily replace, they’re going to try to do so WITHOUT destroying or damaging it. The reason that real-life lab animals are treated so callously is because there’s lots of them, and we already know a lot about how they all work. When a scientist dissects a lab mouse, they’re not losing anything when it dies. If the first alien on Earth dies, or some super-soldier they worked really hard to create dies, they’re losing either a lot of potential information that can’t be gained anywhere else, or something they worked really hard to create and won’t be able to do again without a lot of time or effort. They are going to want to avoid that, and in this age of ultrasounds, X-Rays, and other non-invasive technology, that’s very easily done, especially in a setting where they probably have higher level tech than the real world if they’re creating super-soldiers and such in the first place. And they definitely have NO REASON to want to cut a specimen up ALIVE. - If their goal is to study a person or creature, such as the aforementioned alien, or a mermaid, or whatever else, they actually will probably want to avoid causing it stress. Stress causes behavioral changes as well as physiological ones, and if this is a never-before-seen or rarely-examined species/person, scientists will want to examine them in their default state first. Once they’ve learned everything they can about them in their “normal” state, then, yes, they may begin to deliberately induce stress to study what changes. However, they’re still likely to try to avoid damaging the specimen or inducing ill-health in it (which prolonged and/or serious stress can do) Again, the reason that regular lab animals get treated like their lives don’t matter is because THEY DON’T. Lab mice, dogs, etc., are just models for which to study humans most of the time and have well-documented behavior and physiology, they’re not rare or unknown creatures. So the approach is completely different. A literal or figurative unicorn would not be treated like that. - Likewise, if this specimen is something that was created (or augmented from an existing animal/person) it’s unlikely that the scientists are going to torture them, either for fun or through painful “tests”. Again, they don’t want to damage their hard work, either through physically wrecking them or through reducing them to a useless traumatized heap. It doesn’t matter if the scientists are mean cruel people without a bit of kindness or empathy, it’s impractical. If this being was created for a purpose, fucking it up (or turning it against you) defeats that purpose. And whoever is funding them isn’t going to be happy about that. And if whoever is funding them is the one who wanted to torture this creature/person. . . why do they need it to be specially modified or whatever? That really doesn’t make much sense, especially considering it’s virtually guaranteeing that this thing you have GIVEN SUPER POWERS TO is going to want to murder you. - Sure, it’s possible that one person on the staff might just personally be a sadistic bully or have a grudge against the character/creation even when none of the others do, like Kimura with Laura Kinney, but in all likelihood they’d be found out and fired. “But they take pains to hide it and erase security footage and--” Okay, if you really really want that, you can find a way to do it. Just know it’s not at all going to be acceptable procedure even in the most illegal of operations, not because it’s morally wrong but because it fucks with the product. And I would also ask yourself---if your character is already a lab rat, do they need to be tortured as well? Why? What does that add? Does it not feel “traumatic” or “dark” enough that they, a presumably sentient being, is already owned and imprisoned and kept from anything approaching a normal life? Why is that not “bad enough” to you that their story needs over-the-top torture as well? I’m not saying you can’t do it. I’m saying to think about why you’re doing it. Because a lot of times, in my experience, it basically comes down to cheap angst and sympathy points, often at the expense of, as discussed, logic. - “But they want to make them loyal out of fear!” Okay. That works only up until they get an opportunity to escape. Because if they’re afraid, they’ll take that chance. It’s true they might be too afraid to even try---that’s the case for many abuse victims---but I’m not sure that an organization wants to gamble that will be the case and risk losing their valuable asset the moment send asset is put in the field. And, again, risk the damage to them. This one is doable, you just have to be logical about it and think from the perspective of the people running things, not from the perspective of “what’s the most dramatic?” - “But it’s to brainwash them!” Brainwashing does not mean constant egregious torture that just somehow magically produces sudden loyalty one day. I know that tons of movies and comics have showed you this, but torture does NOT brainwash people. It actually makes people MORE resistant and hateful towards the people and group doing it. People under torture may confess to anything to make it stop, but that’s a short-term compliance and far from actually altering their minds in any way. It most certainly does not render them into obedient loyal sheep; typically the reverse, in fact. If you want to read more about this misconception and what the reality is, I’d check out these posts HERE and HERE and HERE which go much more in-depth and cite real-life sources. If you would like to read more about actual brainwashing, HERE and HERE . - “The torture is necessary for their training!” Again, this works to a point, but most people take it absurdly far in their depictions. Training is to build a person up; if it grievously injures or mentally traumatizes them, that’s counter-productive, as it decreases their usefulness. Being pointlessly cruel to your “living weapon” is just counter-productive. Training can certainly still be intense, and even un-ethically or dangerously so, but if it crosses into just coming up with ridiculously over-the-top ways to make the character suffer, it’s too OTT and clearly for angst-fuel, and most readers will probably roll their eyes because it’s just ridiculous after a certain point. Here are some good articles from SPRINGHOLE.NET relevant to this topic: Things To Know If Your Character Will Be Augmented Or Experimented Upon Things About Training & Teaching Writers Need To Know Tips For Writing Dark Stories, Settings, & Characters Pointlessly Edgy Tropes To Reconsider Using Basic Tips To Create Better Characters With Tragic & Traumatic Backstories Note that this is not to say that your lab rat character cannot have been mistreated, abused, or otherwise traumatized by their situation. Indeed, it would be unrealistic if they were NOT, since treating a sentient being as a tool under the control of others and having them commit violence, even if they do so “willingly” because they don’t know any better, is an inherently traumatic thing. But because it’s inherently traumatic, the unrealistic torture porn is just that much more unnecessary and frankly kind of silly. It’s also lazy, and the ways that many writers go about make no actual sense, as has been discussed. Going back to examples from Marvel, a favorite little-known X-Men character of mine is Darkstar, aka Laynia Petrovna. Laynia and her twin brother Nicolai were mutants born in the USSR. They were taken away by the state at birth, and raised by government scientist Professor Phobos in a “school” (read: facility) for super-soldiers. They were trained in combat and taught to be loyal to the USSR above all else. They were also told that their parents had abandoned them (when in fact their mother died in childbirth, and their father was told they had died too) and were NOT told that they were siblings, instead being given different surnames so that their familial loyalty would not supersede their loyalty to the Soviet Union. It wasn’t until they were adults and discovered their bio-father during a mission that they ever found out they were related. Yet, despite this, and despite occasionally joining superhero teams in the USA (Champions) or aiding the X-Men (X-Corps), Laynia has remained loyal to her country first, though she has often turned her back on its government (though she has returned to serving it now that the USSR is no more) What I really like about Laynia’s backstory is how different it is from most “I was raised as a weapon” stories in that it lacks overt abuse or trauma. She seems to have been treated just fine, she was never tortured, there was never shown to be any needlessly brutal training or treatment of her and the others, etc. She was raised to be a loyal servant to the state, and she was treated in a way that would actually facilitate that, and IT WORKED. So many scientists/trainers/etc in fiction seem to think it’s a great idea to treat your living weapon in ridiculously over-the-top violent, abusive ways for no real reason (except, of course, THE DRAMAZ) and will often be portrayed as insanely sadistic towards their pet projects…even though that’s obviously the LAST thing you would want to do with a valuable asset that you wanted to be loyal to you and have no desire to escape or turn sides. And as I said, it WORKS with Laynia. One of her biggest and most constant struggles FROM THE START is her loyalty to her country, versus her own conscience when she’s asked to do things she finds questionable. She also finds out again and again that she’s been lied to or manipulated by the people in charge of her, and sometimes she’ll defect, but she always ends up back again. And while she’s angry at the things that government asks her to do to others, or has done to others, she never really questions what was done to her. We never see her actually being like “holy shit, I was kidnapped and brainwashed and exploited and I’m really fucking angry about this!” like so many characters in similar situations realize (and often very quickly despite supposed brainwashing; even when still “loyal” they’re usually portrayed as hating their captors) And you know why? Because, again, what was done to her WORKED. Like she has a MOMENT in the issue where she finds out her real history and vows she won’t blindly follow a government ever again, but…she still sticks with the USSR, then Russian, government. She may not be “blindly” following, but she doesn’t seem ever able to leave them for long either. And her brother Nicolai/Vanguard strays even less than she does. And the writers never focus much on this. There’s never been a story that focuses on Laynia’s mindset or giving her a journey that helps her grow in any way or even just examines all this. Partly I think that’s because she’s so minor and has never had a story IN GENERAL that focuses on her. Partly I think it’s because writers just aren’t INTERESTED in a story like hers UNLESS it involves all the dramatic grimdark “tortured test subject” cliches, and they assume readers aren’t either. But I think this does a disservice to readers. One of my pet peeves, perhaps my MAJOR and BIGGEST one, about abuse in fiction is that it is ALWAYS portrayed as BLATANT and EXTREME, committed by people who are OBVIOUSLY monsters and who act like said monsters 24/7. They might get a shallow charming veneer to fool people, but the victim and audience both know that under that they’re un-nuanced, two-dimensional demons. And some abusers are like that. Some abuse is super extreme. But lots of abusers are much more nuanced, and lots of abuse is far for subtle. If only the most extreme types of abuse and abuser are portrayed, that’s all people learn to recognize “real abuse” as being. And real-life victims of abuse already have enough problems feeling that they weren’t “really abused” or “abused enough” to qualify. So I think stories like Laynia’s are important, and they’re worth exploring. They don’t treat abuse as torture porn, something to lingeringly emphasize to the audience in every gory detail for sheer shock value even when it makes NO SENSE for what the abuser is trying to accomplish. Instead, her story makes sense for what the government and its scientists employees were trying to do, and it has an accordingly realistic effect on her that manifests in a far less subtle but no less meaningful way than dramatic “media portrayals of PTSD” cliches. And it’s a story I’d be interested in seeing more of and finally unpacking fully, if any writer ever steps up to the plate ready to treat it with the sensitivity it deserves. Not every story of this sort needs to be like Laynia’s. But not every story of this type needs to be like Logan’s either. Figure out what works best for your character, question why you want it and what purpose it serves, and just make it make sense.

[ronnytherandom]

I forgot to watch content all week so i wrote about games ive been playing

9/2/2021: The Truman Show

You should fear your fears but embrace them and use them to guide you into the unknown, to explore and experience what life has to offer. Fear stands between you and the fullest experience of life so you must pass through it to better yourself. Heed not the walls built about you and the chains made to hold you. Though the architects insist it will preserve your life, containment is anathema to life. Do not take in faith the benevolence of powers that be; instead trust those who would support and liberate you, guide you through fear and into life.

As best I can lay it out, I think this is the philosophy of the Truman show but there is so much more to read into it also. There is critique of systems of commodification and celebrity (i.e. capitalism) reducing human beings to a consumable good as well as encouragement to find and pursue your goals despite adversity and even sensibility which is also tied to the illusion of economic responsibility. You can’t put a camera inside a human head, you can never “know” them without being an active and intrinsic part of their life, but also there is need for reciprocation. If one half exists with ulterior motive then the entire relationship is rotten; sincere humanity is what creates real connections. Without such your world is fake. A world built around one person is a world where no one can truly live. All these actors have given up basically their entire lives for the sake of watching Truman have his life built around him by outside forces, have allowed themselves to be commodified and dehumanised for the good of one man, Christoph. The man at the top has delusions of grandeur and thinks only of his own bottom line, he cares not for his subjects but simply wants them to do as he tells them because it benefits him to commodify their lives and interactions. Even then he cannot stand to lose control and in seeking to demonstrate Truman’s “realness” he structures his life so thoroughly that eventually there’s no reality left, only a script and adverts. But the people watching still empathise with Truman because everyone in the working class understands what it is to be trapped because real life is our own Truman show and one day we must all pass through fear, step out of the dome and create a real life for ourselves outside of the system of commodification which consumes everyone’s life and removes all realness and sincerity and emotional catharsis from it.

I unreservedly love this film.

14/2/2021: Assorted Game Reviews

Horizon Zero Dawn (Unfinished due to technical issues, 45 hours inc. parts of Frozen Wilds): This game is really cool and really fun. I think it is defined by its incredible setting which somehow creates a fresh feeling post-apocalyptic environment. Said environment creates intriguing alt-future lore and some very interesting environments to explore. I love the machine designs (especially tallnecks!) and was very sad to hear one of their contributing artists passed away recently but I’m glad their work lives on in this visually stunning game. I’m a sucker for Ubisoft-style open world games simply because it tickles a certain kind of itch and somehow this non-Ubisoft game has outdone Ubisoft on their own formula, which is hilarious, but also good for me as running around this world exploring and clearing map markers is engaging fun. Not least because of the combat. I have a minor criticism here that the combat feels slightly awkward on mouse and keyboard, the arrows never seem to go where I’m aiming, but aside from that the experience of fighting is a grand one. Enemies never lose their threat and I love the weak spot system the game employs which makes every tool useful in niche circumstance and rewards curiosity. It specifically manages this in a way that I feel the Witcher series could learn from if it ever returns; by making head on assault less viable and encouraging tactical hunting. I do feel this system makes hunting robots so fun that by contrast hunting humans becomes a chore however, though I noted this improves in the dlc with the addition of humans with elemental weaknesses limited in number as they are. I cannot speak for the story in entirety but what I encountered was pretty good, though I feel as if it was only just really getting going at the point where I could not continue. I find Aloy to be a compelling and well portrayed protagonist and though I can guess about her origin and the ultimate end of the alt-future apocalypse I still want to see how it plays out on screen, so will return to this as soon as I’ve fixed it.

Rimworld (122 hours. Familiar with but do not own Royalty Expansion):

Rimworld is one of those super special games that I don’t think I have a single problem with. Fair warning it can be brutal and is heavily dependent on RNG but this allows it to create truly unique and interesting scenarios on a constant basis. In the wider perspective it could be described as formulaic, with regular cycles of managing the settlement between raids and random events, but the devils in the details. Colonist traits, health and skills dictate how you play and sometimes you’ll be forced to adapt as some colonists simply refuse to perform some tasks. The depth of health particularly amuses me, in that each little part of someone’s body is modelled in a way. If you’re in a firefight you may take a single bullet which grazes your finger and you’re fine. Alternately it could pierce your human leather cowboy hat, your skull and kill you instantly and the game will tell you exactly what happened. The risk/reward element is addictive enough, and that’s without accounting for just how cool it is to see your colony slowly expand. Establishing more and more options for crafting is fun and shows off the full range of different items in the game which is fucking extensive. Between clothing, weapons, armour, sculpture and drugs to name only a few you have the opportunity to create many varied production lines either for your colonists or to trade for money and there is a lot of fun to be had here as well as it is quite satisfying to see psychoid you have grown personally become the cocaine your colonists snort to help them stay awake on limited sleep. From an archaeologist’s perspective it is especially cool to look back over your base and see the hints of how and why structures were built and remember the history of your limitations and development through structure. I think the lore of the universe is really cool too, a very 40k-esque kind of place except with far less order, somehow. But the universe does an excellent job of feeling alive and moving constantly on both a planetary and interstellar level. You can fully believe that while you build wooden shacks to shield yourself from terrifyingly low temperatures there are simultaneously rich pieces of shit living it up on the glitterworld that’s one system over. The music does an excellent job of creating the wild west frontier atmosphere the game cultivates to great effect. Ultimately, for just being a grid with a series of different numbers attached, this game does a fantastic job of creating a compelling, brutal and very real colony management experience. I dont think I can properly put into words the grandness and scope of this one. I didnt even mention the modding scene, which is expansive and tailors to basically any need you could have. The Rim is a terrifying place but theres so much fun to be had.

Factorio (86 hours, mostly 1.1): Having completed a game of Factorio I can tell you reliably that this is one of the best games ever made, thoroughly addictive and fun. If you like numbers, logistics, TRAINS, its gonna be your thing. Not to mention its probably the only documented case of a game with no bugs (so far as official forums are concerned). Strictly speaking this games combat is not the most engrossing thing but good lord do you feel it when you acquire a flamethrower. The way each aspect of the game (production, research, logistics, combat, upgrades for everything therein) feeds into the next is a really well constructed balancing act such that you must experience the full game in order to complete it and I always appreciate this kind of design. I think its one of the best tenets of factory game design especially as its something present in Satisfactory too. Beyond all of this generalised good the game is also excellent in its intricacies, the architecture necessary to build a maximum efficiency base, the level of planning and organisation that can be employed is mind-blowing. Not to mention the mod community, factorion is already an extensive experience and some mad bastards have seen fit to complicate it further, hats off to them. This really is a great moment in gaming.

 Destiny 2 (198 hours, all expansions, played some post Forsaken release, mostly Season of Arrivals onwards, spent roughly £20 on microtransactions):

This is a very interesting and enjoyable experience, but I must say it can be a bit controversial at times. What its does particularly well is moment to moment gameplay and design in all aspects. The game is stunning; between environments, cosmetics, shaders ships and ghosts there’s a vast range of incredible things to see, all rooted in the “pseudo-magi-science” aesthetic it’s got going on. The class design is excellent and you really do feel like you embody this rampaging madman / agile gunman / space wizard archetype, whichever you choose to play. The abilities, especially supers, are very satisfying. Everything has heft and power behind it which can be felt in all aspects of design; sound and animation is top notch. Movement is cool, you can feel how fast you move both on foot and in vehicles and the navigation has a little fun subtlety depending on your class jump, even if you can bounce unpredictably occasionally. But for the love of god why is the wall kick in there? It has only ever served to push me from a ledge into a bottomless pit. You're looking to remove antiquated content? Start there. Some guns are not so good to shoot but there’s such a great range of guns that are fun its like complaining about one drop in an ocean; and enemies are fun to shoot at, each faction distinct in meaningful ways and presenting an effective challenge. Speaking of oceans, that’s one way to describe the lore. I haven’t dived too deep but it keeps going down forever and everything I’ve read is intriguing. As a former Elder Scrolls lore nut this is something I could definitely sink my teeth into, though its much more of a pulpy sci-fi vibe than a pure nonsense vibe. I do think the game has a bit of a loot problem, primarily in regards to the conflict between high stats and looking good. This should never be a conflict, and yes you can apply ornaments to any purple gear but that’s not enough when I spend the entire time grinding power levels and thus must change armour and weapons on a constant basis to progress. This game needs a true transmog system and if not that, rethink how gear power level works. Perhaps rather than earning new instances of gear you always possess a version of it and the loot you acquire in missions just upgrades your instance to your current overall power level? This would serve to do away with the current upgrade system which I think is a needless additional grind. Perhaps it could be retained in using enhancement cores to empower gear as present but necessitating a whole upgrade module to keep your favourite weapon on hand is kind of painful honestly. There is also at present the issue of sunsetting gear, mildly controversial to say the least. If it’s necessary to streamline the game and make it function moving forward so be it but surely loot pools should be adjusted so you can actually get useful loot from older locations? And why sunset personal instances of gear which can be acquired at the regular power level anyway? I had to throw away my favourite bow and hunt down a new version of the exact same weapon for… what reason? I do think destination navigation leaves a little to be desired also. I get that having a physical hub world is meaningful but Destiny does not have a very extroverted community; I can count the times someone noticed me in the tower on one hand. And its not even like there’s fun activities to be found in the same sense as say Deep Rock Galactic, which really does take advantage of its hub. Perhaps for players who simply want to go about their business all of the vendors could be set into a menu system where just clicking an icon takes you to their menu from anywhere in the system rather than, per se, having to go through an entire loading screen (Which takes you to orbit and back) to reach a location which serves simply as the front for four menus. These are established player problems. As a dedicated PvE player I can say that this game is immensely fun in combat and growing in power does feel really good. It’s something I recommend getting into, there’s just some very large creases that need ironing which the Bungie should really take the time to address rather than pushing out new in game content every three months.

[apathetic-revenant]

tidbits from the Fellowship of the Ring director + writers’ commentary track (feat. Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Phillipa Boyens)

the prologue, and issue of how to work all the exposition about the Ring into the film, was a source of great difficulty for the writers and went through a lot of iterations. in some versions of the script Gandalf would have told Frodo the story of the Ring in Bag End as he does in the books. at one point they decided to scrap the prologue altogether, only to get a note back from New Line that they had to have it, so Peter, Fran and Philippa had to assemble it from the existing footage they had while they were in England putting the soundtrack together.

the framing of the prologue and exactly what information would be in it also went through a lot of changes before it was ultimately decided that it needed to be from the 'perspective' of the Ring itself since the Ring is in a way a central character in the story. at one point the narration would have been done by Frodo, from the perspective of him writing the book after the quest was over, but it was felt that he didn't have the necessary perspective to make it work and that an immortal character like Galadriel worked better.

although prologue!Bilbo is only seen for a few seconds, costume designer Ngila Dickson meticulously made sure his outfit matched the descriptions given in The Hobbit, including the brass buttons on his waistcoat that he later loses while escaping the caves.

the population of Hobbitton in the opening was mostly recruited from farmers and people living around Matamata, where the Hobbitton exterior set was built. two of the hobbit extras later got married after first meeting on set.

the shot of Sam with the flowers in the extended cut is the only time in the films Sam was actually shown gardening.

the shots of Frodo greeting Gandalf were done with four actors--Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, a small scale double for Frodo and a large scale double for Gandalf. when the closeup is on Gandalf, Ian McKellen is interacting with four-foot-tall Kiran Shah. when the closeup is on Frodo, Elijah Wood is interacting with almost-eight-foot-tall Paul Randall.

while many of the scale shots of the hobbits are actually done using very simple techniques, Peter Jackson chose to invest time in a few impressive ones early on so as to help really sell the idea for the audience from the beginning. one of these is the shot of Bilbo taking Gandalf's hat and staff as Gandalf enters Bag End--it was actually a very complicated shot that involved making big and small versions of the props and then carefully merging them together with CGI.

most of the Bag End scenes were shot by filming the actors on two different sets, a large-scale one for Ian Holm's scenes and a small-scale one for Ian McKellen's scenes, and then merging them together. however the scene of Bilbo serving Gandalf tea was done with both actors on the same set and used forced perspective--there are actually two tables of different sizes lined up to look like one table, with Gandalf interacting with the larger table and Bilbo with the smaller one.

Gandalf hitting his head on the ceiling was an unscripted accident left in because it worked so well.

before including Thorin's map from The Hobbit in Bag End, the writers made sure to double-check where the map canonically wound up in the books. they gave the task of researching this to Henry Mortensen, Viggo Mortensen's son and a diehard Lord of the Rings fan.

Peter Jackson expected to get pushback from the studio about the amount of smoking in the film, and in particular was ready to have to fight to keep in the scene of Gandalf and Bilbo smoking before the party. however no one ever brought it up at all.

most of the hobbit actors in the party were friends and relatives of the cast and crew. although the books state that Bilbo invited 144 hobbits to his special table, "due to budget constraints" the actual amount of hobbits at the party is probably closer to about 100. viewers are advised not to count them too closely.

some of the hobbit children listening to Bilbo's story were played by Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh's own children. one of them, Billy Jackson, was the only actor in the movie not wearing a wig, because he already had "naturally perfect hobbit hair."

the "Proudfeet!" shot was framed as a homage to Ralph Bahksi's animated Lord of the Rings, which was what originally got Peter Jackson into LOTR.

during Bilbo's speech, the polystyrene birthday cake had so many candles on it it actually caught on fire and started to burn. the take was going so well, though, no one wanted to interrupt Ian Holm, so the cake is just sort of quietly burning away in the background while Bilbo talks.

the seventeen-year time skip in the books had to be compressed in the movie because they needed to get the story going quicker and keep up momentum. Gandalf's appearance when he comes back to Bag End is meant to imply that he's even more disheveled than usual because he's ridden pretty much nonstop all the way to Minas Tirith and back.

the scenes of Gandalf in Minas Tirith were the first time Ian McKellen had been in his Gandalf the Grey costume and makeup for months, as when those were shot he had been filming as Gandalf the White for some time.

there was discussion about using subtitles onscreen to identify locations, since there was worry that audiences would have a hard time following all the different places seen throughout the movie, but ultimately it was decided that this might feel too cheesy so it was dropped.

the voice of the Ringwraith that shows up in the Shire looking for Bagginssss was done by Andy Serkis.

the Green Dragon scene was cut for time in the theatrical release, which Peter Jackson was disappointed by both because it was a chance to see the main hobbit cast in their 'natural environment' before the adventure really starts, but also because it demonstrated the hobbit tendency to be gossipy, insular and distrustful of the outside, a trait they had some difficulty getting across in the films.

the full Ring poem is never heard in the movies; the filmmakers wanted to get it in there and at one point it was recited in full during the Council of Elrond, but it wound up being cut.

the Ring 'speaks' with Sauron's voice at certain moments to try to emulate the sense of psychological horror and dread associated with descriptions of the Ring in the books, which was very hard to replicate on film.

in one very early draft of the script, Merry and Pippin would have been introduced when they were caught eavesdropping on Frodo and Gandalf along with Sam.

Jackson chose to shoot the duel between Saruman and Gandalf as physically as possible because he didn't like "wizard fights" in movies "where old guys shoot lightning out of their fingers at each other" (gotta disagree with you there Pete).

Billy Boyd offered to use a Gloucester accent for Pippin instead of his natural Scottish one, but tended to lose some of his comic timing while doing so. it was decided that the Tooks had enough of a Scottish vibe that the natural accent worked better for the character anyway.

the shot of the hobbits falling off the cliff was one of the first things ever shot for the series. it was also the cause of one of the few serious accidents during filming--one of the stuntmen dislocated his shoulder during the fall, apparently just as a freak accident as the stunt itself was not especially dangerous.

the scene where the hobbits first meet the Black Rider looks like it's in remote wilderness somewhere but was actually shot in a park in the middle of Wellington.

the insects coming out of the ground while the hobbits are hiding is meant to convey the idea that everything living tries to instinctively flee from the Ringwraiths, but Jackson admits he isn't sure if that came across well on film.

the Buckleberry Ferry almost sank between takes and had to be saved with bilge pumps.

like Bag End, the Prancing Pony set was built twice, once at normal scale and once at large scale to film the hobbit actors on. some of the people seen walking past the hobbits in the backgrounds are actually on stilts.

the basis of the Ringwraith scream sound was provided by Fran Walsh screaming while suffering from a throat infection.

no real trees were harmed during the scene of the Isengard orcs chopping down Fangorn Forest: it was two fake trees shot from different angles as they were pulled down.

the question of whether it was appropriate to reference tomatoes in the Weathertop scene (since they are new world vegetables) was apparently a source of some contention among the writers. Peter Jackson was of the opinion that in a movie with a Balrog, a tomato should not strain suspension of disbelief that much.

the fight scene with the Ringwraiths on Weathertop was the first thing Viggo Mortensen ever shot for the films, and also the first time he'd ever used a sword.

the scenes of weapons being forged in Isengard were shot in a foundry and the molten metal seen being poured is real molten steel, because they couldn't come up with a convincing way to fake the appearance of molten metal. the workers at the foundry were recruited to play the orc extras in the scene.

Lurtz was created to provide a kind of 'face' for the Uruk-Hai as well as to be a villain that could physically confront the Fellowship at the climax, since both Saruman and Sauron stay within their respective domains and, aside from Saruman's scenes with Gandalf, don't actually directly interact with the protagonists.

replacing Glorfindel with Arwen is acknowledged as taking a big chance, but the writers were already struggling with the sheer amount of introductions to new characters in the film and didn't want to introduce yet another new character only for him to almost immediately disappear from the story again.

filming the chase scene between Arwen and the Ringwraiths was interrupted by massive flooding at the location. the cast and crew took a break from filming to help shore up Queenstown with sandbags.

when Gandalf escapes from Isengard, Saruman is holding his staff with one hand because Christopher Lee had injured his other hand smashing it in a hotel room door and couldn't hold anything with it.

the scene of Sam and Frodo in Rivendell talking about going home was a pickup shot after the main filming was completed, which is why Sean Astin is noticeably thinner there than for the rest of the movie--as soon as principal photography was completed he dropped all the weight he had gained for the role.

Elrond sounds especially deep and harsh while talking to Gandalf about the weakness of men because Hugo Weaving had a bad case of flu at the time.

the Council of Elrond took 6-7 days to shoot and was "a nightmare" because of the difficulty of keeping track of the eyelines of so many people sitting in a big circle.

Sean Bean occasionally glances down during the "one does not simply walk into Mordor..." speech because he has his lines written on a piece of paper in his lap; the speech was given to him so soon before filming that he didn't have time to fully memorize it.

when Gandalf reacts to Frodo volunteering to take the Ring to Mordor, Peter Jackson told Ian McKellen to imagine that he had just heard his son volunteer to join the Army in World War One.

[huskeddevotee]

Should you fight ___?

Amara: Look at her arms and tell me it’s a good idea to fight her. Her arms are more dangerous than a seasoned war vet and she has 8 of them. Amara will punch you and you won’t bruise, you’ll cease to exist. Do not fight Amara.

Ava: Ava bites. Can you win in a fight with her? Sure. But Ava bites. Hard. Don’t fight Ava. She’s a 13 year old that has at least 5 murder-machines that will kill for her. Pick a wiser battle.

Axton: This is just a psychological fight. You’ll lose in combat but you can absolutely bully this man. He’s a puppy dog who just wants friends, be mean to him and he’ll go sulk. Do NOT insult the turret, though. He’ll be out for blood. 

Brick: Will turn your bones into toothpicks if you fight him. But why would you want to? He’s such a nice guy. He’s more of a puppy than Axton. 

Clay: Clay has a plan to kill and/or escape from everyone he meets. You throw a punch, he’ll chuck a fistful of dirt in your eyes, clock you, than run. There is no winning against Clay, not because he’s a powerhouse, he’s just slippery and underhanded. Don’t fight clay. 

Fl4k: They have 3 bloodthirsty monsters at their behest, and keep Rakks in their sleeves. And that’s ignoring the fact that they’re built like a brick slaughterhouse. Please utilize the skill of critical thinking and do not fight.

Gaige: If you can get her to agree to not use DT, you can easily get some bruises in. Just avoid the claws. Her whole thing is that she can’t aim, but the one hit that connects is all she needs. Keeping dodging and you can probably take her out. 

Hammerlock: Really? You’re gonna beat up an old friendly gay man that likes animals? Dude. 

Even if you were enough of a monster to want to fight Hammerlock, this man wrestled skags when he was 7. He messed up a Thresher even after losing two limbs and an eye. You’re f*cked. 

Krieg: Not only would Krieg decimate you, but he’d end himself if you weren’t a jerk. Don’t fight Krieg, he doesn’t deserve it. Well, if you are a jerk, go right ahead. The important thing is that Krieg is okay.

Lilith: On one hand, Lilith is a powerhouse that has faced 2 gods and 1 corporate tyrant and said F You to both of them. On the other, Lilith is notorious for bad choices. 50/50 chance of success, but I wouldn’t risk it. 

Lorelai: DO NOT.

Maya: You are not winning a psychological or phsyical fight with Maya. You just aren’t. However, you can win the long game by being a nuisance if you’re sneaky. Steal her hairdye. Swap the sugar and salt in her house so she puts sugar on eggs. Leave her hard-cover books open and upside down so the spines crease. You’ll be hunted eventually, fyi. 

Mordecai: Do you want your eyes pecked out? No? Do you want to be shot on approach, no questions asked? No? Don’t screw with Mordy. 

Moxxi: She’ll sic her patrons on you. Don’t. Even if the bar is empty, Moxxi has a gun and she is a fantastic shot. Don’t fight Moxxi. Not even psychologically or inconveniently. She’s seen and dealt with it all, nothing fazes her anymore. You’ll be wasting her and your time. 

Moze: Moze is like Axton, if Axton didn’t care about what other people thought of him. You will not win. You can’t even inconvenience her because she has a 6th sense that knows when she’s being screwed with and who’s doing it. Hard pass.

Salvador: Read his wanted poster and decide for yourself if you should fight him. I’ll cheer you on for your gumption, but you will be eaten after your demise. 

Tannis: Skittish alien researcher with autism? Dude. 

But seriously, Tannis has syringes with unknown chemical concoctions on her person at all times. You will be stabbed and possibly genetically mutated into a Jabber. Don’t. 

Tina: 13 or not, Tina is NOT A GOOD IDEA. She has two dads that will kill you for even suggesting it. Her Aunt Lilith you could maybe take, but still, don’t. She has a rigged vest that blows everything in a 20 mile radius into a crater, and she’ll set it off just for fun. Think of the environment and don’t fight Tina.

Troy: PLEASE fight Troy. He weighs maybe 100 lbs. His balance is all f*cked from the arm and his outfit. You clock him in the nose and he’ll start crying. Please beat this loser up live in front of his billions of followers. I will endorse and fund you 100%.

Tyreen: …maybe sit this one out. She deserves it like Troy, but...punching Tyreen kills you. Being near Tyreen kills you. Even if you win, she’ll have you cancelled and ruin your life, so it’s just not worth it.

Wainwright: Troy was 6 7″, in his prime of age, and had an ability that let him forcibly restrain people without being able to see them. Wainwright still got away with shooting Troy in the junk. He’s another old gay man that you shouldn’t want to fight, but if you will, will f*ck your sh*t up. Pass. 

Zane: Zane will kick your a** in a way that you’ll have fun with it. He’s just so bubbly and humorous. Doesn’t change the fact that you’re getting beat up by a guy who’s dancing while he’s punching you. Don’t fight.

Zer0: Zer0 will ignore all set rules and kill you. Fist fight? They bring a sword. Sword fight? Gun. Gunfight? Poison you the night before. Don’t fight Zer0. 

[sweetescapeartist]

WHY SAIYANS AREN'T THE GREATEST RACE 🙊

(But Saiyans have more potential than other races.)

So here's why I disagree with Saiyans being the greatest & strongest race. Many factors have to take place in order for Saiyans to get stronger.

POWER

The strongest that full-blood Saiyans could get with the best training is SS3 levels.

Maybe Saiyans could reach higher levels without god ki if we take GT into account, otherwise, SS3 appears to be the max. A Saiyan's max attainable power with the best training could be Vegito levels of power before they get too old & are unable to fight or they die of old age.

But keep in mind that Goku said not even fusion could defeat Beerus.

Goku had to do a ritual & train with an Angel just to attain god ki. (Other races may have something similar to the ritual. Other races could also train with Angels. Like Toppo.)

Most Saiyans weren't pure of heart or righteous. SSG could possibly be achieved by very few, but keep in mind that Saiyans don't have deep training & aren't spiritual as a culture. They would not know how to get as strong as Goku had learned.

TRAINING & SPIRITUALITY

Vegeta started training hard during the android saga. His reason for training was because he saw how beneficial training was for a low-class Saiyan like Goku, who became the legendary Super Saiyan before a royal Saiyan elite could.

Its important to note that Goku was raised as an Earthling, learned Earthling martial arts & he developed spiritual insight that Saiyan culture doesn't seem to have. Also Goku trained with 2 gods (Kami & King Kai) and acquired further power to rival Saiyan saga Vegeta. He then surpassed Vegeta in power & far surpassed him in skill because of his Earthling training.

And realistically it would be difficult for most Saiyans to even achieve the Super Saiyan transformation. They would solely rely on the Oozaru transformation. A select few elite warriors/royal Saiyans might get strong enough to achieve Super Saiyan. But from what we know about Saiyan training, it would be a very very long time before they could achieve Super Saiyan. Only the Super Saiyan transformation could even be as far as they could get.

Like I stated earlier, Vegeta was motivated to train after he saw how beneficial training was for Goku (who has Earth training & trained under 2 gods). If Vegeta never met Goku, Vegeta probably would never achieve Super Saiyan. On their own, Saiyans would most likely never see benefits of such training. They are a warrior race that see death-battles as the best training.

Goku who has martial arts training focused on self improvement, godly training, & spirit control training from the Yardrats understood how to train and conquer the Super Saiyan transformation. That's knowledge Saiyans dont have nor would their culture care about.

So lets say we give a few Saiyans the Super Saiyan transformation. I don't think Saiyans would share the knowledge of Super Saiyan with each other. Stronger ones would suppress the weaker ones until Saiyan society collapses or a civil war breaks out that would result in many casualties.

Goku saw the flaws in just buffing up the muscles of Super Saiyan. Vegeta who has a lack of deep training and Saiyan thinking, he did not see the flaws. He isn't trained the way Goku is. Being a martial artist & spiritual gave Goku a huge advantage over every other Saiyan. He was able to use his knowledge to push Gohan (a hybrid with Earthling principles) to reach Super Saiyan 2 even before a full blood Saiyan could.

Yes, Goku more than likely attained Super Saiyan 2 soon after he died. & more than likely, Vegeta attained it a few years after Cell was defeated. Goku was able to discover Super Saiyan 3 only because he was dead for 7 years & was able to train. His understanding of training and not having a physical body helped him achieve the new form.

No other full-blood Saiyan can achieve Super Saiyan 3 because of the training it takes & the toll it puts on the body. Goku barely even uses it in DBS for that reason (also because they are marketing SSG & SSB instead).

SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT

Now if we go back to the point of attaining the Super Saiyan transformation, new information has told us that most Saiyans have a low amount of S-Cells; the cells needed in order to become a Super Saiyan.

Their way of life as being warriors who lived to fight all the time is why they could not build up S-Cells. S-Cells that are built up from a gently spirit (most Saiyans lack). Peaceful environments are necessary for this build up of cells. Saiyans naturally thrive for constant battle. The chances of Super Saiyan are even slimmer with S-Cells in mind.

UNIVERSE 6 SAIYANS

Universe 6 Saiyans are mostly good hearted & live much more peaceful lives than Universe 7 Saiyans. It would appear that the good Saiyans defeated the wicked Saiyans in Universe 6. So how come Cabba is somehow the first Super Saiyan? I guess Universe 6 Saiyans don't know how to train properly either.

And lets be honest, it was terrible writing how Cabba & Caulifla attained Super Saiyan. So you're telling me that not one Universe 6 Saiyan had never gotten angry over losing a close friend or family member while on the battlefield? Sure, whatever. Logically, since Cabba never saw Super Saiyan before, it can be said that Super Saiyan is either non-existent or only royal Universe 6 Saiyans have achieved it & keep it secret.

"But the tingly back thingy!"

If a tingly back was only necessary to attain Super Saiyan, then Goku, a master martial artist, should've taught that to Gohan so that Gohan wouldn't struggle so much during training to defeat Cell.

EDIT: Goku more than likely did teach Gohan the tingly back thing after Gohan became a SS. Mastered SS is not triggered by rage. The tingly back wkrks well if dont like this.

But rage is what Super Saiyan has always been activated from. We are still told that the transformations are emotional. Great anger/rage is how Super Saiyan is triggered

(DBS manga chapter 52 & information guides tell us that Super Saiyan is still triggered by rage.).

Caulifla not only achieved Super Saiyan within a days or few hours, but she achieved Super Saiyan 2 the next day! Gohan has the most potential out of all Saiyan because he is a hybrid with a good heart & had some of the best training to have. It DOES NOT make any narrative sense from all that we've learned & continue to learn about Super Saiyan transformations. And the way Caulifla got 2 transformation within 2 days belittles the efforts of Goku & Gohan for the sake of "Look! A female Super Saiyan!"

If Caulilfa can achieve Super Saiyan 2 after only having Super Saiyan for a day, why didn't Future Gohan easily tap into Super Saiyan 2 as well & defeat the androids? Such convoluted writing for Universe 6 Saiyans... 😑

Out of Universe 6's three Super Saiyans, only Kale's transformation seems reasonable because it is set up similar to DBZ Broly. Kale controlling her power within a few minutes in the anime was stupid tho... The manga handled Kake better because she never gained control of herself. But... she had enough sense not to kill opponents and drop them out of the arena... So did she have control or not? A berserker is out to kill, not drop you out of bounds so she isn't eliminated. 😓

Nevermind. Both handled Kale's Super Saiyan form wrong in different ways...

(I have a theory that Universe 6 Saiyans may actually be Saiyan/Earthling hybrids. Which is why its easier to get Super Saiyan and they don't have tails anymore. But that's a different discussion.)

BACK TO UNIVERSE 7 SAIYANS...

So about how strong a Saiyan could become on their own. I was being generous saying full-blood Saiyans could possibly get as strong as Vegito at most. That's more so something only Goku could attain. Saiyan culture & life, heart condition, lack of spiritual connection, & lack of good martial arts knowledge keeps them from growing. If they did train to get stronger then the most they can achieve would be Super Saiyan 2. The Super Saiyan God ritual would be attainable by some, but they could not absorb the power like Goku (thats because of his disciplined training) nor would Beerus allow Saiyans to keep causing havok. He planned to destroy them anyways.

And I'm sure that if one lone Saiyan achieved Super Saiyan on Planet Vegeta, Freeza would destroy the entire race out of fear. If Freeza somehow lost, Beerus would eventually destroy them.

LUCK & GENETICS

Goku, Vegeta, Broly, & Tarble were lucky and able to live different lives from the average Saiyan, be kinder beings or have their hearts changed (wouldn't happen for most Saiyans). Goku is the 1 in a trillion rare Saiyan that got the best training & he influenced surviving Saiyans to be more like Earthlings.

(But even after all the training Goku did in OG Dragon Ball, Raditz was much stronger than Goku. That means most low class Saiyans were around the same strength as Roshi & ChiChi.)

If we are generous and say some Saiyans could've achieved Super Saiyan 2 and would not try to kill each other, then they still lose to aliens like Piccolo, Krillin, Hit, Jiren, Ribrianne, Cell, or 16, 17, & 18.

Give Hit god ki and give him Angelic training to learn Ultra Instinct. He doesn't even have god ki & yet he can keep up with Goku who needed god ki to reach such power.

Broly would be the exception because he is a Legendary Super Saiyan & in a way a mutation too. But his power is uncontrollable. Imagine Broly snaped & tapped into that uncontrollable, monterous power on Planet Vegeta. All Saiyans there die within seconds.

Saiyans are very strong aliens. But other aliens are stronger or understand how to get stronger.

If anything, Saiyans have some of the best genetics & potential that give them a very high possible advantage. However, that is not a guarantee. But Earthlings & Namekians also have very high potential they can utilize along with knowledge far beyond Saiyans.

Being raised as an Earthling is the secret to Goku's power. Being half Earthling is the secret to Gohan's great power & potential. Its as if an Earthling's potential and training & a Saiyans potential and genetics are the perfect mix for a reason. Like they're branched from the same ancestor & are counterparts in a way. 🤔 (But that part's just another theory of mine.)

CONCLUSION

Without god ki, Goku loses to almost every opponent & enemy in DBS. Goku even says SSG is a power he couldn't achieve on his own. He was nearly at the peak of his power until he learned god ki.

And like I have stated, either ritual or Angelic training could be something any race could possibly utilize.

That's what I gathered from the info we've been given.

AFTERWORD

If you disagree that's fine. Disagreements aren't a bad thing. But if you say I'm wrong on something, show or cite evidence within the series (DBZ & DBS in particular) that says or shows otherwise.

All info shows us that most Saiyans would never be strong like Goku. It was luck & circumstance that Goku was not raised as a Saiyan but as an Earthling. Otherwise he would not have been unable to compete with Vegeta or Goku would've been destroyed on Planet Vegeta, killed on the battlefield, or quickly killed by someone stronger than him.

Please don't rebutt by saying things like "Well they're stonger than Earthlings." or "Their god forms are stronger than everyone else."

Those don't work.

If Earthlings trained like Goku (not like Saiyans because Saiyans don't train like that. Its an Earth thing💡) then some humans could surpass Super Saiyan 2. Evidence shows that Krillin & Tien & Yamcha have surpassed Namek saga Super Saiyan Goku. And they aren't addicted to training like Goku does. But when they do train, they make great leaps in power even without transformations.

God ki isn't something every Saiyan can learn (like Goku & Vegeta have) nor is god ki something exclusive to Saiyans. Look at Dende & Uub (DBS chapter 66). Goku being raised as an Earthling, trained as a martial artist, & training with lower gods is what aided his learning of god ki. Vegeta began to train diffetently after seeing a weaker Saiyan's results after training. Plus god ki had to be learned. I doubt Whis or Beerus would teach them if they were evil.

[gloryundimmed]

N O I R

Approx. 25 / Vessel / True Neutral / ISTJ / OC

BIOGRAPHY

         Noir is a true enigma, even to himself. One day, he woke up in the middle of the Sahara Desert with no memories whatsoever. All he knows about himself comes from the clues that were on his body at the time of his awakening. His clothes are that of a traveler— a wanderer— and are built for the desert. Despite his lack of memory, he still remembers some geography and how to survive in hostile climates, which is why he chooses to work as a guide in those environments for money.

                                              !SPOILERS!           Noir's true name is Nehetet, and he is the current inheritor of an Egyptian curse. Back when the gods ruled supreme, his family was cursed by the priests of Ancient Egypt to carry the god of chaos, Set, within their body. For all of their lives, the children of this family have had to condition themselves both mentally and physically, or else Set will tear through their bodies the second he enters them. If Set is let free in this day and age, no other gods would be there to oppose him and he would rule the world, which would essentially be the end of everything as we know it.

           While training the new vessel of Set, the god of chaos is inside of an older relative until they can no longer handle him, and he, quite literally, tears them apart. Because of this, the new vessel has to be ready at any moment to take on the responsibility of the curse. Set is generally transferred to the new vessel at around 40 years of age, and it both changes their appearance and makes them age rapidly.

           In Noir's case, however, his father was one of the weakest vessels the family had ever seen, and could only hold him within his body until Noir was 24 years old. Noir was the strongest vessel the bloodline had ever seen, so as soon as they saw Set emerging from his father, they brought him to the pair of alters where the transfer ceremony is performed. Although most vessels are kept in the dark about the ceremony and their dark fate, Noir knew what was about to happen after spying on his father's ceremony years earlier. Scared to death, Noir tried to run away, but the ceremony was still a success. Now, he had the Ancient Egyptian god of chaos Set inside of his body, boosting his abilities way past normal human limits.

           In a fit of rage, he slaughtered all the cultists performing the ceremony and ran into the desert. It was there that Set decided to wipe Noir's memories, hoping that he would find a way to escape his human bindings.

PERSONALITY

          In general, Noir is standoffish individual who likes to keep to himself— or at least since waking up in the desert. He doesn't know what his personality used to be like or who he used to be, which is a huge weight on his psyche. He's irritated easily, but won't fight unless provoked. One of his favorite phrases is "what a pain". All he really wants to do is find who he used to be and where he belongs.

ABILITIES

          As the vessel of Set, he is no longer a mere human. As such, his strength, speed, and stamina have increased exponentially. Noir can walk for days upon days without rest, but after he does, he requires a power source— life. In order to keep himself alive, he has to drain life out of other things, be they plant, animal, or human. He is unconscious of his ability until he pushes himself to his limit and Set takes over his body, absorbing any life in the vicinity to keep him alive. For some particular reason, Set has taken a liking to Noir, but Noir doesn't even know he exists. Noir does, however, have bad dreams often and headaches when he tries to think of his past, along with a purple tattoo of an eye in the middle of his chest where Set was sealed inside. Because of Set, his eyes have turned lavender and his hair is a silver/white color. Like his predecessors, he ages quicker than most, but also absorbs life from small sources unconsciously, which keeps him on a normal human timeline. Why is Set keeping him alive? The world may never know.

[illuminatvm]

INTRODUCE YOURSELF

Hello! I’m V, she/her, 25, EST, aquarius sun with an aries moon and rising. dumb as hell, illiterate as fuck. hobbies include buying books and never reading them, crying over the fact that i can't travel right now, and being consistently inconsistent with a hyperfixation.

DESCRIBE YOURSELF AS A WRITING PARTNER

oooh! okay, so i like to think i’m pretty laid back but that’s when i’ve gotten through all the nitty gritty of plotting. I love figuring out details and timelines, trading headcanons back and forth and really digging deep into a character and pushing their morals and beliefs and connections to others. I’m also a hoe for the aesthetique and love sending off musing inspo or instagram posts and quizzes between heart-wrenching angst. My writing style tends to veer towards the introspective prose at its best and at its most direct will focus on actions instead— which makes sense when my favourite threads to write are either emotionally harrowing or big fight scenes.

WHO ARE YOUR CHARACTERS?

𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐚 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡

Faded mauve and golden gray // a soft voice in a nearly-gone memory // perfectly made earl gray tea // long-gone chateaus and gilded walls // heavy silk and creamy marble // eyes so blue you’ll drown // the safest you’ve felt in years // curated clutter // chiffon cake and pearls // peony-fragile wings // breathless laughter // subtle power // smiles are merely animals baring their teeth

Species: guardian angel

Age: Appears to be in her early/mid-thirties, dates back to the 1400’s

Occupation: real estate developer. 1% for the planet board member. LVMH shareholder

Spoken languages: The better question is, what language does she not know?

Current place of residence: a penthouse suite in downtown seattle

Time in Seattle: 10 years

𝐅𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐲 𝐀𝐲ş𝐞𝐠ü𝐥 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐥

welcome to the club // deep crimson and glittering gold // the overwhelming ache of melancholia // neon lights and leather jackets // a life in the shadows // golden rings twisting with worry // sharp eyeliner or none at all // longing to belong // lithe hands of creation // more blankets than you need // starlight is the best light // half-truths and sharp knives // laughter that shakes your being // not dead yet barely alive

Species: shadow-graced

Age: 28. became shadow-graced at 24.

Occupation: jeweler. small-business owner

Spoken languages: English, Turkish, Italian  

Current place of residence: apartment in capitol hill

Time in Seattle: four years

𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐳𝐨 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐢

half-finished lattes // black t-shirts // empty mirrors // cracked book bindings // piles of coffee beans // hair pomade // lingering hugs // tired eyes // chocolate fondue // cloud couches // a labyrinth in human-form // a smoke filled chest // mulberry and cedar // old leather // messy hair // a watch glinting in the light // wolfish grins // early mornings and late nights // commanding attention

Species: vampire

Age: appears to be in mid-thirties. At the age of 35. Born in 1820.

Occupation: owner of Regime du Matin, independent bookstore + cafe

Spoken languages: English, Italian, French, German, Russian  

Current place of residence: top floor of Regime du Matin

Time in Seattle: two years

PLOT IDEAS / WANTED CONNECTIONS

Annora’s plot/wanted dynamics page

Feray’s plot/wanted dynamics page (coming tonight, i’m just being finicky)

Carmine’s plot/wanted dynamics page

PRESENT HEADCANONS

𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐚

To have lived for so long is both a blessing and curse. She remembers when palaces were built and bitterly recalls wars, can never hide the regret upon her features when she thinks of the fall of kingdoms and losses of beauty and majesty and brilliant minds. Devotion, steadfastness has matured, has evolved in the modern world and so too has Annora. Nowadays, you might see her working not merely to protect the people, but the place they inhabit. Technology and the divine have never been meant to mingle, but within her limits she involves herself with innovation— for the good of humanity. Of course, she is careful to remain in certain obscurity. Annora Leigh to mortals is a name forgettable and a face hardly seen. The world can not be saved by a single guardian angel, but she has not lived for so long that she can not try.

She likes to be busy, and she is. It isn’t uncommon for Annora to be in one city one day, then another the next. How she’s in Seattle continues to confuse the many as most of her real estate projects are on the eastern coast of the United States and Europe. But, she is here, and so far there are no signs of her leaving. An angel such as she isn’t so afraid of roaming the streets alone, not when her angelic lineage is so potent. If she isn’t working, she’s often volunteering, or spending time with those she considers her family— mortal or otherwise. If she could split herself into a legion, she could. Unfortunately, however, she is only one. Though that’s never quite stopped her from getting her way.

𝐅𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐲

She’d nearly died at the age of twenty-four while in London. In the years since, she and the entity she is bound to have settled here in Seattle, reverting to her birth-given name as she rediscovers herself in this new life, refining a new hobby of jewelry-making as she continues with a more quiet and subdued existence. Her workshop exists above the place where humans and supernatural-alike mingle, a club known for pleasure and indulgence. Lovers do no exist, friendships are distant if not fleeting. A love like her parents’ seems like an impossibility to her now. Her sins are her own, and watching love be wiped away by rage and betrayal was more than enough to cast herself away from the intimacy of knowing and being known. People couldn’t lose you, nor could you lose people if you weren’t present long enough for it to matter.

Though she lives in Capitol Hill, there are many days (and nights) that she’ll not stumble home until late. Her ties to the being that saved her from the brink of death are strangely pulled taut— so while her jewelry workshop (think brands like Sofia Zakia or Tippy Taste or Borcik Jewelry) and small storefront exists on the street level, an exclusive club of debauchery and sin exists below, its hours running until nearly dawn. Sometimes, you’ll find her posing as a bar girl, rarely will you see her indulging with or without the one who chose her for a life of the shadow-graced. But, she is loyal and indebted to them, and luckily in Seattle, everything is within arms reach.

𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞

Within him lies the great desire of perpetual warmth, and the ability to give that same warmth to others. That is what the cozy walls of his cafes evoke, what seeps from the man that seems wrapped in tarragon and cinnamon. No, he doesn’t have a girlfriend. Not when the last had left him so cold that he’d felt frozen from the inside out. The past few decades have been spent perfecting his craft, doing everything to feel warm and alive — from coffee, to spontaneous relocations, Carmine’s pursuit of never ending fire is never over. Perhaps there will be something, someone that will finally cause him to burn, to smolder brightly even in the light forever, something that’ll bring the restlessness within him to settle into sincere warmth. Or maybe he won’t, and he’ll lose his spark and suffer from an endless cold for the rest of his days.

Business as usual. The cafe caters to both humans and supernatural beings alike. However, humans only know of the main floor and upper two floors of the building. Supernatural creatures are able to access the two lower levels and the second-highest level of the cafe. Carmine lives on the uppermost floor, although all visitors have access to the roof. He’s far more content with his life here in Seattle than he assumed he would be. Although it’s largely in part to the environment he’s created for himself: not a bar, but a place to enjoy drinks and be with friends, curl up by a fire and get lost in a book that either you’d brought yourself or have pulled off of a shelf. He’s been known to be found lazing in the plush couches instead of returning to his own floor, but all staff members suggest you run when he picks up the guitar. The man has absolutely no musical talent. Please don’t ask him to sing.

DO YOU HAVE ANY INSPIRATIONS FOR YOUR MUSES 

𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐚'𝐬 𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝

𝐅𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐲'𝐬 𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝

𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞'𝐬 𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝

[shadowsbestiary]

Kelusine Species Sheet

BASICS

Name: Kelusine 

Height: 2’6”-6’0” at the shoulder 

Weight: 900~ lbs-2000< lbs 

Diet: Carnivore 

Classification: Planetary, Natural, Non-Magic Sensitive, Sapient, Feral, Feline 

Trainable: Yes 

Temperament: Territorial, Protective, Energetic, Playful

Danger Level: Medium

Lifespan: 170-180 Kelusian Years 

Litter size: 2-4 cubs

BIOLOGY

Morphology: Immense felines, they are quite similar to the big cats of Earth aside from their strong saber teeth (which range from 4-8 inches) and thumb-like appendages in place of their dew claws. Males have lion-like manes whereas the females sport a short mane along the nape of their neck. In certain subspecies that reside in colder regions (Mountaineers and Wastelanders), the females’ manes may extend to their shoulders and belly. 

Subtypes: 

Islander: The swimmers and climbers. Found in low level coast forests in tropical regions and, as their name suggests, on island chains connected by shallow expanses of ocean. The smallest species, this cat resembles a Cloud Leopard in structure and their ankles can rotate backwards, just like the real life cat’s. This enables them to climb down trees headfirst, climb upside down, or even hang by their back feet. These cats reach only two and a half feet at the shoulder.

Plainer: The runners. The second smallest in shoulder height (4 ft), yet the second longest (14ish feet) thanks to their lengthy tail, Plainers are built purely for speed. Living on the wide open grasslands, they rely on quick bursts of speed to take down their prey. Their long tail acts like a rudder, just like a cheetah’s would, which enables them to make sharp turns with minimal warning. 

Forester: The jack of all trades. An intermediate of the five subspecies (4 ½ feet at the shoulder), Foresters resemble the tigers of Earth in build. Strongly built without sacrificing speed, Foresters live in, you guessed it, forests. They prefer hardwoods with mixed pines, but can adapt to Alpine forests or mid-latitude jungles and woodlands. 

Mountaineer: The jumpers. Closely resembling snow leopards or mountain lions, Mountaineers are found in similar environments; high altitude snowy mountains. Thick fur keeps them warm in the frigid air, and a thick tail helps them balance while chasing prey across steep slopes. Unlike snow leopards, however, Mountaineers are immense and rank #2 height (5ish feet) and #1 in length from nose to tail tip (16ish feet). 

Wastelander: The bone crushers. Unlike the other subspecies, which have body types based primarily on existing big cats, Wastelanders get their inspiration from smilodons and grizzly bears. Built for pure power with strong shoulders and immense front paws, Wastelanders are the largest of all Kelusines with shoulder height measuring six feet and even seven in rare cases. They are also the only subspecies with a short tail. 

Colors:

Standard:

Black

Grey

Silver

Brown

Light Brown

Tundra

Chocolate

Lilac

Fawn

Brown Ash

Golden

Tawny 

Cream

Orange

Peach

Green Ash

Yellow Ash

 Russet

Russet Brown

Cinnamon 

Red

Strawberry

Red Ash

Blue

Blue-Grey

Chinchilla

Moonstone

Blizzard

Modifiers:

Colorpoint: Dilutes the     base while leaving the extremities (face/tail/paws) normal

Reversal: Switches the     color of the base coat and markings (ex: black with white stripes)

Light: Turns the     inner marking of rosette/smeared/clouded/snow spot lighter than the base     coat

Pied: White covers     25%-90% of the beast in solid patches

Splatter: White “paint     splatters” cover 10%-50% of the beast

Tortoiseshell (Female only):     The “red” gene is active and causes discoloration in patches. 

Patterns: 

Standard:

Common

Blotched Tabby

Brindle

Mackerel Tabby

Plain (no pattern)

Spotted Tabby

Ticked Tabby

Uncommon

Cheetah

Clouded

Dapple

Ocelot

Speckles

   Rare

Double Dose (Spots on body and stripes on extremities)

Rosette

Snow Spot

Wild

Mutations: 

Chimera (Two different base colors and markings)

Split (Two marking types)

Albino

Melanistic 

Fallen Snow (Sabino along dorsal side)

Drift (Sabino along ventral side)

Glitch (Markings are broken and missing in some places)

Mist (Markings fade towards dorsal side)

Fog (Markings fade towards ventral side) 

Storm (Markings in thin vertical bands)

Physical Mutations:

Mane:

Razorback (mane continues to tail)

Rimmed (mane along forelimb and back limb undersides; not found in Islanders or Plainers)

Curtain (long fur resemble horse mane; not found in Islanders or Plainers)

Static (Long and stiff along spinal area)

Scruff (Longer chin fur; standard Wastelanders)

Tail:

Bobtail (Stump)

Angel (longer silky fur)

Short (Akin to a wolf; standard for Wastelanders)

Ears:

Pointed (triangular rather than semi-circle; standard for Islanders)

Tufted (Lynx-like; standard for Wastelanders and Mountaineers)

Horned (Curl backwards)

Folded (Folded downwards)

HABITS

Habitat: Thanks to the abundance of specialized subspecies, Kelusines are one of the most diverse species in terms of location. They can be found almost everywhere apart from the far poles, deserts, and swamps. Large carnivores, they require an area rich in prey and thus control large swaths of territory either as a clan or as individuals.  

Diet: Hypercarnivores, Kelusines require meat. They are not picky when it comes to meat, although shy away from carrion or cannibalism and a vast majority will not eat humans. One exception is the Wastelander subspecies, who will eat whatever prey they can catch. And humans are easy prey; dumb and slow. 

Intelligence: Kelusines are one of the most intelligent animals of Kelusia. Like most creatures, they can speak Basic, or English. However, they are one of the few species that can learn languages other than their own and Basic. Kelusines are also one of the few that can operate high level technology. Some actually possess a Communication Watch on their wrists. Able to comprehend advanced math and science, Kelusines still prefer subjects that deal with history, natural science, and technology. 

Social Life: Social creatures, wild Kelusines often live in small prides that consist of 5-7 individuals. However, sometimes to expand their territory, prides will join and make larger groups, or clans, of around 10-20 individuals, depending on the amount of prey available. When in clans, Kelusines have a ranking system to help things flow smoothly within the clan. The “head” positions are the Leader, Medic, and Deputy. Below that is the bulk of the clan, divided further into equal subgroups: Scouts, Operators (tech), Hunters, Guards, Milk Givers, and Elders. Below that rank the Trainees, who are the Kelusines ages 4-12 years, and finally come the Cubs, or Kelusines under the age of 4. 

Life Cycle: Kelusine females carry for 9-10 months. There are 2-4 cubs in a litter, on rare occasions 5. The cubs are born helpless and cannot see or hear a week after birth. It is not uncommon for an expectant mother who resides alone to seek out a clan who will let her stay with them the first week or so after her cubs’ birth. She does this to ensure that her cubs are not killed by a rival or possibly a jealous male. 

At two weeks, Kelusine cubs are stumbling around on stubby, unsteady legs. By now they can hear and see. They resemble fluffballs on sticks, their fur soft as down feathers. At three weeks, they can walk on their own without trouble and are play fighting with littermates or cubs near the same age if there are any. Around two months they are introduced to solid food. However, they continue to nurse until they are 9 months. At two years they begin to learn how to hunt for their own prey. They are usually taken out by both their mother and father if in a clan. If not, the mother or an older sibling will take them. 

Kelusines are considered cubs until year four. By that time they are the size of a teenage tiger or lion. From year four to twelve they are considered adolescents.  By now they are about the size of an adult lion or tiger. During the teenage years, Kelusines’ manes begin to grow. Their saber teeth also grow longer and stronger. Unless they grow up as rouges or loners, Kelusines begin to learn the basics of fighting at age twelve. If they were born outside of a clan, Kelusines often learn to fight sooner. 

At sixteen years, Kelusines can make it on their own with no extra help. However, they are not considered full adults until age twenty. Females mature, both sexually and mentally, faster than males. They are considered mature at eighteen, while it takes males until year twenty. After a Kelusine reaches age twenty, they may leave to explore or may look for a job as a mount. 

Kelusines are a unique species in that they are biologically immortal. The oldest Kelusine on record, a Forester by the name of Powerful Huntress of the Mountain Pass Pride, reached 220 Kelusian Years. However, most Kelusines only make it to 160-180 KY due to an oddity within their genes that becomes active around that age and produces similar symptoms to the viral infection rabies. Instead of intense fear, the Kelusine will become extremely aggressive, attacking anyone and anything in sight. This is not contagious, as it is not an infection, but there is also no cure for the affliction referred to as “Old Age Rage”. The only way to stop an OAR Kelusine is, unfortunately, to kill the beast.

Vocalization and Body Language: Like many of Kelusia’s unique fauna, Kelusines can speak Basic but also, as said earlier, have a unique ability to learn other languages such as Ragera. However, when they talk it is noticeably more guttural and rough compared to human speech. Aside from being able to speak “civilized” languages, Kelusines can make a wide variety of feral sounds. They have the ability to roar, snarl, growl, chuff, cough, groan, and hiss. Younger Kelusines can purr, but they do not have the ability to roar until age 5. Islanders and Plainers cannot roar no matter their age, but instead, like cheetahs, can purr through adulthood. 

Kelusines are also heavily reliant on body language. Their body language heavily mimics the tigers of Earth. A calm Kelusine has a relaxed body posture, and the tail hangs languidly. When curious, their tail will be raised high in the air and their ears will be forward in interest. An aggressive Kelusine will bare its teeth, widen its mouth, enlarge its pupils, and flatten its ears. 

OTHER 

Ridability:  Very human-like in their intelligence and readily available, Kelusines are not hard to come by. Kelusines are perhaps the most common mount as living with riders ensures a constant, easy food source while also making sure they get their exercise. That being said it is crucial for riders to understand Kelusines are not pets. Rather, they are companions who have agreed to carry the rider on their back. It is also important to keep in mind that, while Kelusines do have the intellectual capabilities of a human or higher creature, they are still highly dangerous predators who can turn on you if they so please. So treat them well. 

Common Uses: Mounts, Guards, Guides, Rangers.

[darksunvibes]

The Case for Dark Sun

Dark Sun is a campaign setting for the Dungeons and Dragons Roleplaying game beginning with 2E in 1991. Dark Sun sits amongst other settings such as The forgotten Realms, Eberron, Planescape, Spelljammer, and Greyhawk as a world or universe in which D&D campaigns might be set. 

The world of Dark Sun, called Athas, is a world where magic has ravaged the landscape, turning it into a barren desert dotted here and there by oppressive city-states. It deviated in many ways from both its contemporary settings and from epic fantasy as a whole and remains a beloved world for many. This break from the typical canon of D&D included things such as magic being rare and despised, many of the familiar races being changed or absent in the setting, and an emphasis on day to day survival over lofty goals of heroics or righteousness. We see evil Sorcerer-Kings ruling over an oppressed and enslaved populace in lavish, cruel cities. We see nomadic tribes wandering through a harsh wasteland filled with bizarre and vicious monsters, searching for water and shelter. We see ruins in the desert, symbols of a bygone age of peace and prosperity, destroyed long ago by wars and reckless sorcery. This setting represents a synthesis of design, visuals, mechanics, and themes that is unmatched by few if any other campaign settings for D&D. For these and reasons I will go into further, Dark Sun is the best campaign setting either TSR or Wizards of the Coast have ever produced.

Dark Sun came out of a period of D&D’s history where TSR were furiously producing campaign settings left, right, and centre. This period, 2E, lasted from 1989 to 1996, at which point TSR went bankrupt and sold D&D to Wizards of the Coast, of Magic the Gathering fame. During this period they produced such settings as Spelljammer, Dark Sun, Planescape, and Birthright, all of which pushed the boundaries of D&D in some way beyond the older heroic fantasy of Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, and Greyhawk. Many of these new settings were only modest successes, and TSR’s dilution of their brand with all of these conflicting products likely had a part in their downfall. However, before they fell they gave us intriguing, genre-bending, and in many ways inimitable campaign settings. Dark Sun is the best of these and as such has a large fan community to this day and has received some degree of support in both 3.5 and 4E.

Dark Sun was developed by Timothy B. Brown and Troy Denning and draws on the typical pulp-fantasy sources of D&D, like Conan the Barbarian, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, and to an extent, Moorcock’s Eternal Champions books. However it also draws on things such as Frank Herbert’s Dune, Edgar Rice Burrough’s Barsoom series, incorporating Sci-Fi elements just as Spelljammer did. In terms of genre, Dark Sun might be described as belonging to Post-Apocalyptic, Dying Earth, Swords and Sorcery, Dark Fantasy, and even Science-Fiction. Gone are the mystical forests, noble knights, and sagacious wizards of almost every other campaign setting. In their place are hulking barbarians, callous rogues, desperate gladiators, and despised sorcerers practicing their arts in secret. With these concepts in place, the world of Athas is populated by cities and cultures inspired by a variety of peoples and empires from earth’s past. The Aztecs, Ptolemaic Egypt, and Hammurabi’s Babylon to name just a few. This helps to cement Athas as being more akin to the Asia and Northern Africa of antiquity rather than the nauseatingly familiar medieval Europe we’ve come to expect from D&D.

Dark Sun is notable for its pulp adventure art direction, spearheaded by Brom whose artwork can be found everywhere. A young artist at the time, his work inspired many of the monsters and creatures that appear in Dark Sun sourcebooks. While it is by no means unusual to see Dungeons and Dragons products accompanied by amazing artwork, Dark Sun stands out for the clarity of its vision. The pieces share similar designs and its products are easily identified at a glance. Brom’s work sets the product line well apart from anything else before or after. This ‘art-inspired’ design would never again be matched by any Dungeons and Dragons product, with only the Planescape line coming close.

The history and truth behind Athas’ present ruined state is kept deliberately unclear by both the designers  and powerful figures within the world itself. This leaves multiple interpretations of canon (at least in the original boxed set). Essentially, Athas has gone through at least three ages, typically referred to as the Blue Age, the Green Age, and the present Desert Age. The Blue Age was a world ruled by Halflings who lived on small islands amidst a vast ocean. These halflings had a great degree of control over nature and could grow almost everything they needed, making them masters of bioengineering. The Green Age was the period of Athasian history most resembling the standards of settings such as Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk, and Eberron, but leaned more heavily on Psionics than magic in its varied and verdant cultures. The Desert Age is the standard time of play and is a world controlled by a vengeful environment and the whims of tyrannical sorcerers. This final age is the one expected in typical play in the Dark Sun setting and is the world presented in most if not all the art and stories of the various Dark Sun product lines.

Like all good stories and worlds, Dark Sun has important messages built into it. These messages are evident everywhere in the world and its characters. Like Dune before it, Dark Sun has strong and deeply ingrained environmentalist messages. The world was once vibrant and lush, filled with a variety of lifeforms. Now the world is drained of all material resources, the vast grasslands and forests are almost completely gone, and the sea vanished, leaving only silt behind. The animals that remain are twisted, violent mutants, and the scattered plant-life is little better. This environmental collapse was not an accident and has been, at each stage, the result of irresponsible and reckless magic-use on the part of a sorcerous or naturemaster elite. The unfortunates of the Desert Age are, for the most part, innocent in this environmental degradation and simply have to endure the ruined world they were born into. Most only have a vague understanding that ‘sorcerers did it’, not fully understanding that their rulers, the Sorcerer-Kings are responsible for almost all of it.

Their origins are left vague in the original boxed set, Troy Denning and future product releases make it clear that the Sorcerer-Kings are the cause of most of the world’s destruction. These immortal psionicist/wizards ruined the world and then divided up the last oases amongst themselves, ruling the people that flocked there. The Sorcerer-Kings and their Templar priests are cold tyrants who brook no threat to their authority and violently suppress rebellions or even attempts to learn the truth about them. Many of these tyrants claim to be gods or ‘responsible sorcerers’ and blame others for the destruction that they themselves wrought. With the modern spectre of climate change looming and our leaders refusing to act or take responsibility for it, Dark Sun is more relevant than ever.

Dark Sun is infamous for tweaking, breaking, or outright removing typical elements of whichever D&D edition it exists in. Arcane magic draws life from the plants and even creatures around the caster, draining their vitality to fuel spells. Instead of magic being common and widespread it is rare and feared, in its place stands psionics; the Will and the Way. Due to the scarcity of metals such as iron and bronze, armour and weapons are typically made of salvaged components such as obsidian, stone, bone, or chitin. Dark Sun has a very minimalist cosmology compared to most other campaign settings with only really the Elemental planes having any real impact on the daily lives of most Athasians. Athas can’t be accessed from other worlds and there is no Heaven for Athasians’souls to go to after death.

Many of the recognisable races such as gnomes, orcs, and goblins are gone, replaced by strange new races like the half-dwarf Muls, the unnatural Half-Giants and the insectoid Thri-Kreen. Existing races are tweaked in large and small ways; Halflings are cannibals, elves care nothing for nature, and dwarves are completely hairless. All of this means that the typical adventuring party looks very different to what you might expect in other worlds. Instead of magic they employ psychic powers, instead of gleaming armour they wear ramshackle insect-shells, and instead of magic weapons they have obsidian axes. survival is more important than glory and clean water is worth more than all the gold in the world.

Psionicists use their mind to conjure strange effects, to control others, and to fight, and are everywhere. The plants and animals of Athas are almost all psychically sensitive in one way or another and this is in part due to the timing of the Complete Psionics Handbook’s publication aligning so closely with the Dark Sun product line’s beginning. As such, this focus on psychic rather than magic ability suffuses the setting and informs what kinds of characters exist there. Spell components are illicit and hard to come by, but any living person can focus their mind to create a psychic effect of some kind. Psionics has had a troubled time throughout DnD’s long history, having difficulty differentiating itself from magic and facing balancing and theming issues aplenty. Nonetheless, psionics is an engaging and essential part of the setting and any interpretation of Athas without it would be hollow.

Dark Sun doesn’t cater to the lowest common denominator by adhering to the heroic and epic fantasy of its contemporaries. It also sets itself apart by striving for uniqueness and pushing the boundaries of what people expect from a Dungeons and Dragons setting. It can be a difficult world to play in and exist in, what with its strange aesthetics and stranger rules.

However, its combination of groundbreaking world design, powerful artistic direction, and compelling lore make it a classic, and in my opinion, the greatest campaign setting ever produced by Wizards of the Coast or TSR.

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

Gymnorhina tibicen

By Pratyeka, CC BY-SA 4.0 

Etymology: Bare Nostrils

First Described By: Gray, GR, 1840

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Neoaves, Inopinaves, Telluraves, Australaves, Eufalconimorphae, Psittacopasserae, Passeriformes, Eupasseres, Passeri, Euoscines, Corvides, Malaconotoidea, Artamidae, Cracticinae

Status: Extant, Least Concern

Time and Place: Since 126,000 years ago, from the Tarantian of the Pleistocene through the Holocene 

Australian Magpies are known from throughout Australia and the closest point of New Guinea to Australia 

Physical Description: Australian Magpies are extremely distinctive and beautiful birds, despite their rather monstrous behavioral patterns! They range between 37 and 43 centimeters in length, though different subpopulations weigh more than others. They are black over most of their bodies, with distinctive white patterns that vary from population to population. Usually there’s a distinctive white spot on the back of the neck, that may or may not blend into the black of the back. There are white patches on the backs of their wings, and small ones on the undersides. Their rumps and under-tail feathers are also white, though often with a black tip on the very end. They have long dark legs, with noticeable claws. These birds have very large, triangular, sharp bills, and completely bright red eyes. In short - they are hard to miss! The juveniles seem to look rather scalloped compared to the ideas, and have more grey patches in general. 

By J. J. Harrison, CC BY-SA 3.0 

Diet: Australian Magpies are omnivores, eating an extremely wide variety of foods - invertebrates, including and especially insects and other arthropods; lizards, frogs, mice, other small animals, grains, tubers, figs, and walnuts are even features of the Australian Magpie diet. Interestingly enough, they can eat poisonous cane toads by flipping them and eating their underparts. 

By Toby Hudson, CC BY-SA 3.0 

Behavior: These notorious birds spend most of their time awake during the day, foraging on the ground for a wide variety of foods. They search very methodically, even listening to the slightest sounds and feeling the smallest vibrations in order to dig up beetles and other insects. They’ll overturn debris in their tireless search for food, and pull off dangerous parts of prey - such as insect singers - before eating. They also store their food for later times, coming back to the same cache sites with some regularity. They tend to walk around their environment, rather than hopping like their close relatives, and their legs are built to support this. They also can run, in very quick bursts, in order to catch prey. 

By fir0002, GDFL 1.2

While Australian Magpies are social, living in groups together, they are extremely territorial as well - and these groups will defend their territories fiercely. They have sentinel birds, which watch for danger - they’ll make rallying calls, which lead to the other members of the group rallying together to attack the intruder, usually in a mob-like fashion. In particular, when attacking intruding birds of prey, the magpies will put themselves on either side of the bird, and then the attacker will come from behind while it tries to escape the defending birds. They will then harass the raptor until ti leaves the territory. When it comes to other Australian Magpies, they’ll make carolling calls to signal that they own this territory, and the intruders need to leave! When negotiating the boundaries of the territory, the dominant members of the group will parade around the border, while the other members watch; they then puff up their feathers to look bigger to intruders, or even make carols repeatedly. The group will also signal their strength to other groups that have about even numbers, all flying and forming rows at the territory border - and then the defending group will swoop and dive, while calling, to display and warn the intruding group. 

By Alexis Hilton Hope, CC BY-SA 3.0 

In general, Australian Magpies have more aggressive behaviors than friendly ones, even within the group. Birds displaying submission will crouch low and make quiet begging calls, sometimes fluffing up their primary feathers to indicate their submission further. Juveniles will also fall, roll, and expose their bellies to indicate their submission. When attacking, the Australian Magpie will fluff up their tail feathers as a sign of their aggression. The young birds will play with each other, while the older birds may egg on or start the playing - includingn picking up objects, manipulating and tugging at them, and handing things to each other. Sometimes, the birds will pick up objects and fly away with them, in order to give chase, with other birds trying to bring down the thief by grabbing onto tail feathers. They will also jump on each other, in mock-fights - even with other birds such as Blue-Faced Honeyeaters and Australasian Pipits! These are extremely vocal birds, with varied and complex songs - their carols are often melodious, flute-like yodels; they will make warble songs as well, and can incorporate mimicry of other calls heard. They have a wide range of harsh, “ka”-ing alarm calls, and their rallying calls tend to be loud, descending whistles. 

By Sterry2607, CC BY-SA 3.0 

Australian Magpies begin breeding in winter, though they can extend the breeding into the spring - and females will attempt to raise two broods often, if they start early enough in the season. They make nests out of sticks, grass, and bark, shaped into a bowl that are placed high up in tree forks. They will put nests in any sort of tree, though eucalypts are common choices. Other birds will often nest in the same tree, underneath the magpies, to use the protection of the aggressive magpies to their own advantage - since the magpies tolerate the other birds. Two to five eggs are laid in a clutch, which hatch around three weeks after they start incubating. They have fully open eyes ten days after hatching, and then start to develop feathers - the females are exclusively feeding the young throughout this process, though the male magpies give food to their partners. Helper birds do aid in feeding and raising the young - depending on the size of the group. In small groups, helper behavior is rare to nonexistent. After leaving the nest at around three weeks, the young will forage on their own after another three weeks, and can mostly feed themselves by six months. At this point, any begging for food is ignored. They reach adult size by one year of age, and tend to disperse from the group depending on their sex and the social customs of their home group - males are usually kicked out of the group before females. The latest time they leave their families is at four years of age. They then either make their own groups with other young birds, or join existing ones. 

By Toby Hudson, CC BY-SA 3.0 

These aggressive birds are most notable in Australia for their swooping. Ubiquitous all over Australia, including urban areas, they become extremely aggressive during the breeding season. As the eggs begin to hatch, these birds will swoop at passing humans, with some populations being more aggressive than others. That being said, by and large Australian Magpies are used to people, and fewer than 9% engage in swooping behavior. Most of the attacking birds are male, and will dive from up to 100 meters high in their nests and in the air. They tend to favor pedestrians and cyclists, and do not appreciate humans attempting to help fallen chicks. They start this behavior with alarm calls and mock-swoops, then closer swoops and snapping their beaks near the human’s body, and finally escalating to dive-bombing the intruder’s head. They may even land on the ground and lurch up to peck at the face and eyes of the intruder. In general, they cause very severe wounds to the head - and if they’re attacking a cyclist, their favorite sort of prey, they can even cause fatal accidents as the individual loses control of the bike. It is possible that the aggression can be curtailed by hand-feeding the birds, though that causes its own problems. 

By J. J. Harrison, CC BY-SA 3.0 

Ecosystem: Australian Magpies live in open habitats with grasses and other cover, in order to forage safely. They usually stick to eucalypt woodlands, but now are found frequently within urban areas. They enjoy heavily vegetated areas with open woodland (aka, the vegetation isn’t dense forest). They are also often found in open farmland. These birds are often victims of nest parasitism by cuckoos. They also associate greatly with blue-faced honeyeaters and Australaisan pipits, and allow the presence of other birds nesting below them in trees. They tend to be preyed upon by Australian Ravens. When they eat house sparrows, mice, rats, and rabbits that were targeted with baiting, they can end up poisoned. 

By fir0002, GFDL 1.2 

Other: Australian Magpies are not threatened with extinction at this time, which is a blessing, as they are important figures in their ecosystems. That being said, they are hurt often by power lines and angry humans. Their ability to thrive in towns and cities, however, means that this hasn’t had a huge effect on their general population. They are a protected species, so it is illegal to hurt or kill them, but if they attack a human too aggressively they may be controlled by authorities. Usually, these aggressive birds are caught and relocated rather than killed. They are featured in indigenous folklore, especially those of the Yindjibarndi. Sports teams often use the colors of the Australian Magpie to indicate strength and ferocity. Interestingly enough, though called magpies and greatly resembling them, these birds are most closely related to other Australian and Southern Asian birds such as Currawongs, Butcherbirds, and Woodswallows - rather than those magpies in the family Corvidae, aka the Eurasian Magpies. 

An individual getting swooped; face covered for privacy. By Sarahlyeah, CC BY-SA 4.0 

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources Under the Cut 

Carrick, Robert (1972). "Population ecology of the Australian Black-backed Magpie, Royal Penguin, and Silver Gull". U S Dept Interior Res Report. 2: 41–99.

Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017  

Higgins, Peter Jeffrey; Peter, John M.; Cowling, S. J., eds. (2006). "Gymnorhina tibicen Australian Magpie" (PDF). Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Vol. 7: Boatbill to Starlings. Melbourne, Victoria: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-553996-7. Linked pdf is 118 MB and contains Vol. 5 pages 51–55; Vol. 7A pages 396-399, 579-629; plate 18

Hope, J. H., R. J. Lampert, E. Edmondson, M. J. Smith, and G. F. Van Tets. 1977. Late Pleistocene Faunal Remains from Seton Rock Shelter, Kangaroo Island, South Australia. Journal of Biogeography 4(4):363-385

Jones, Darryl (2002). Magpie Alert: Learning to Live with a Wild Neighbour. Randwick, New South Wales: University of New South Wales Press.

Jones, Darryl N.; Thomas Nealson (2003). "Management of aggressive Australian magpies by translocation". Wildlife Research. 30 (2): 167–77.

Kaplan, Gisela (2004). Australian Magpie: Biology and Behaviour of an Unusual Songbird. Melbourne, Victoria: CSIRO Publishing.

Marchant, Gillian (26 November 2007). "Birds learn to eat cane toads safely". Southern Cross University website. Southern Cross University.

Prideaux, G. J. 2004. Systematics and evolution of the sthenurine kangaroos. In S. W. Awramik, A. Barnosky, J. A. Doyle, M. L. Droser, P. M. Sadler (eds.), UC Publications in Geological Sciences, University of California Press 146:1-623

Russell, E., Rowley, I. & Christie, D.A. (2019). Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.  

Veltman CJ, Hickson RE (1989). "Predation by Australian magpies (Gymnorhina tibicen) on pasture invertebrates: are non-territorial birds less successful?". Australian Journal of Ecology. 14 (3): 319–26.

Warne, R. M.; Jones, D. N. (2003). "Evidence of target specificity in attacks by Australian magpies on humans". Wildlife Research. 30 (3): 265–267.

[tptruepolitics]

LGBT Thoughts

Netflix has recently decided to push transgender ideologies in their Babysitters Club series – a show directed at adolescent girls. While Netflix – an independent company that should only have to answer to itself and its shareholders – is perfectly within their rights to air such shows, the fact remains that this is a deeply damaging topic to be showcasing to the most vulnerable and malleable among us. I think it’s time we finally address the enormous elephant in the room: the LGBT community. Here I will break down my thoughts on their rights, their roles, and their realities in our society.

For much of history, there have been documented incidences of same-sex encounters. Even the Bible makes reference to same-sex relations numerous times. The word sodomy is actually originated from one such text from Genesis in reference to the city of Sodom. Shakespeare is even rumored to have been gay by some scholars. However, for most of human existence, these individuals were forced to live in secret – outcasts of society, ostracized by their own people. To be perfectly fair, religious extremism has only contributed to the past 2-4 thousand years of ridicule. Before that, it was still frowned upon (at best) by most cultures simply because it went against the laws of nature. Male and female animals and even plant parts reproduce in union with one another. There are no same-sex reproductive organisms to my knowledge (correct me if I’m wrong). There are asexual organisms that reproduce by themselves, but certainly no major animal species that reproduce in any extraordinary way. There is a certain species of bird, I believe, that lives in Hawaii (once again, correct me if I’m wrong) that sometimes chooses a same-sex partner for life in the absence of a proper mate, but this is certainly an exception, not a rule. To add, they do not reproduce together.

But what does all this mean for humans? How should the “laws of nature” or even God’s laws apply to humans in this age of constant progressivism and an increasing detachment from religiosity that we call secularism? Well, thankfully, in our country and many around the world we are allowed the freedoms to live our lives as we see fit as long as they don’t infringe on the rights and liberties of others. So, if someone chooses to live outside the bounds of religious or natural laws, they certainly should be allowed to, as long as they are minding their own business. This concept of allowing homosexuality was highly contested up until the late 20th century, and is still somewhat contested today in 2020. The original founders felt that upholding moral and ethical truths in our school systems were an integral part of maintaining our precious union. As a matter of fact, the often-misrepresented “separation of church and state” clause did not mean that religion could not be learned about in schools, but that the federal government had no right to establish a State religion (capital S). Most of the founders actually encouraged religious teachings and values in schools. The more modern interpretations of the separation of church and state are due to an influx of not only secular ideologies, but also religious beliefs that were not prevalent during the time of our founding. While I am a firm believer that no harm can come from learning about religious values in schools, in this age of progressivism it is reasonable to note that certain contentious religious principles need not be forced upon others. This would be a clear infringement of the separation of church and state.

So, to get specific, let’s talk homosexuality. A common misconception in the eyes of secularists is that the Church (I’ll speak specifically about Catholicism here) preaches that homosexuality is a sin – that simply being gay is a sin against God. Well, this isn’t true. The Church expressly teaches that acting out homosexual fantasies is a sin. Let’s say, you are a man who is attracted to other men, but in your devotion to your religion, you find a woman whom you love, marry her, and live your life without having sex with another man. Is this man sinful, because he finds men attractive? Of course he is not! When you feel like strangling someone, but then you calm down and don’t, are you guilty of murder? No. So, simply being gay is not a sentence to Hell. As a matter of fact, even in the eyes of the Church, acting on your homosexual impulses isn’t a death sentence. There is reconciliation and forgiveness in the eyes of the Lord. If you confess your sin and repent for it, you are seen as forgiven. Not to mention, there are people who sin in every aspect of life: liars, swindlers, thieves, murderers – and I’m not even just talking about big sins. Small sins add up, and if you are not repentant of them, you are not any more likely to get to Heaven. However, I will paraphrase this, but I believe there is a Scripture saying that says you will be judged by your worst qualities. So, if you work hard your whole life to be a good Christian, and your only flaw is that you are a wonton whore, a light will be shown on this most vulnerable area.

You might be thinking to yourself, “but it’s a genetic mutation that causes some people to like members of the same sex. God would not have built natural urges in us if he didn’t want us to act on them.” Well, that’s just ridiculous. We have natural urges and desires that are built into us that we are meant to fight off all the time: anger, greed, and jealousy to name a few. Lust is just one more urge that is built into our nature, and it happens to come in all shapes and sizes. Our animalistic desire is not only to have as much sex as possible, but to have it with as many things as possible. Evidence of this is your dog, if you have one. Dogs will regularly hump humans due to a natural urge they have. Should the dog be doing this? Should humans all of a sudden be accepting of bestiality? Maybe don’t answer that one. Now that I’ve gotten a bit off topic, I’ll try to bring this all back. Yes, acting on your homosexual desires is a sin in many Christian churches. However, your homosexuality does nothing to harm me or my church, and as such, I believe firmly that if you wish you act on those temptations, you should be legally allowed to.

Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual peoples should not be deprived of their right to happiness, which can include uniting themselves in lawful union. That being said, I would like to advocate for an alteration in the name of the union. With the full rights, advantages and privileges of a married male and female couple, I would like to revoke the name “gay marriage” and return to the previously used “civil union” terminology. Marriage is a religious term that has been secularized over decades to include all unions whether inside or outside of a church between a man and a woman. I propose that all unions made outside of the boundaries of a religious ceremony be labeled civil unions, reserving the term marriage to those unions made within the boundaries of a religious ceremony. Civil unions will differ from Marriages in name only as to lay to rest the disagreements of many over this divisive issue. Thus, men and women, women and women, and men and men united solely by a judge will no longer be “married” but “united”. Those churches that allow gay marriages in their communities are by no means precluded from including them or precluded from calling them whatever they wish. However, legally, in the eyes of the state, a same-sex couple “married” in their churches will be viewed as “united” under the law. This is a semantic issue, as opposed to a legal issue. The semantics are clearly important on this issue and have been increasingly becoming more important as time goes on. I may not feel it is right to legally prevent people from enjoying their lives in whatever manners they please, but I do feel it is within my purview to define terms in order to ease tensions.

With regards to the transgender community, I have immense sympathy and respect for your feelings. Feeling like you don’t fit into the gender roles that your biology dictates can be frustrating, confusing and upsetting. I know. During my high school years, I often noted to myself that I had feminine characteristics that I didn’t understand. In some ways, I felt that I didn’t share many of the masculine interests of my friends. However, because I was surrounded by many fine men who were very accepting of my differences, I never felt that I didn’t belong with them. Here is the reality of the situation. Many people are not surrounded by these positive influences, and thereby feel that they need to re-identify themselves in order to fit into their social environments. This is not the case. Acceptance, toleration and understanding are the keys to solving this problem. Our attention with regard to the gender debate should be redirected towards Gender Stereotypes. At one point, I was under the impression that we were heading in the right direction. In a very enlightening high school class, I was challenged to think about what it means to be a man and what it means to be a woman. When I did this, I came up with many gender stereotypes that not only did not describe many of my peers, but also did not describe myself. Instead of concluding that I did not belong to my gender, however, I concluded that the stereotypes were the crux of the inconsistencies. At one point in history, gender roles were necessary for survival – the strong (men) went on the hunt, and the tender (women) cared for the children. They were important distinctions. This is not the case anymore! Over time, as technology and society developed to the point where strict gender roles were no longer necessary, women’s rights and roles in society began to change. This was a good thing and is a testament to how incredible our society has been for the less advantaged. These roles still play a part in our daily lives and still affect who we are, but they do not define us exclusively. Take Apples for example. The stereotype of an Apple is a red, juicy, sweet fruit. However, there are apples that are yellow, juicy and sweet. There are also apples that are green, juicy and tart. Is the yellow apple a mango now? Is the green apple a lime? No, their genetics limit them to the fruitful existence that they are. Nevertheless, biology dictates what type of fruit they are and not their characteristics; their characteristics don’t change the underlying biology.

To solve the issue of gender, some people on the progressive aisle have attempted to remove gender. I instead propose to remove the stereotypes/roles! This of course leads to inconsistencies in the Pride movement as a whole. For example, an exclusively lesbian woman might marry another woman who decides later that she is a man. Is this first woman heterosexual now, or should she be upset and betrayed and break off the marriage? Are you confused yet? This removal of gender is not only confusing to adults, but it’s confusing to children, and for them, it is dangerous. When you pose a child with the option to choose his/her gender identity, they will ask you what the differences are. Your response will undoubtedly be gender stereotypes. You are doing no one any favors by perpetuating these gender roles. The child will treat this as something fun, like a game. However, once you begin to treat it as something serious, the child will begin to treat it seriously. This is what major networks and schools and parents are beginning to do. Once you begin to treat your child as if they are not their biological sex, they will begin to accept that reality, more so to please you than anything else. This could have unimaginable consequences on their sense of self later in life, which could lead to self-esteem issues, learning disabilities, depression or worse. And making life-altering changes to your children i.e. long-term gender therapy, hormone treatments, or surgeries could permanently hurt them mentally and physically.

Conversely, if your little boy tells you one day that he is a girl, tell him, “No, you’re not a girl, you’re a boy. As a boy, you can be whoever you want to be, like whatever you want to like, and all of those characteristics will make you who you are.” If you tell your little boy that, there is an increased likelihood that he will have a more accepting view of others who are different from him, and will have a more positive outlook of himself. You can be a man who loves to sew, wear frilly clothing, and fixes his own car. You can be a woman who lifts weights, works on a construction site, and watches soap operas. They are not mutually exclusive. This also includes those members of our communities that wish to fully engage in their historical gendered roles. Women, who want nothing but to read, write, sew, be homemakers, and do the multitude of other activities that are considered feminine, should not be shamed into thinking that their choices are not valuable, are backwards, or are in anyway damaging to womanhood. Women who have no interest in science should not be shamed into believing that their lives are a waste and that they are giving in to the patriarchal oppression of women. This is not productive. Similarly, this standard applies to men, who should not be shamed into thinking that jobs that only use their hands are not worthy of respect because they do not require a college education. They should not be shamed into the common misconception that men are brutes, only caring about power and control. Men who are not interested in fashion design or cleaning are not uncreative or lazy. All humans have different interests and strengths.

The characteristics we have as human beings are largely taught to us. Generosity is taught, openness is taught. Negative things, as well: greed, sloth – they are learned. Selfishness is a learned characteristic. As a society, we have failed our younger generations. Parents, teachers, the government, and the media have all failed. To teach a child that they are so important that they have the ability to defy nature and choose their gender breeds self-centeredness and pride beyond compare. How selfish of us, how pompous! We are not that important. We are not able to create our own meaning. Our meaning is a gift bestowed upon us by a higher power. Who or what that higher power is, is for each and every man and woman to decide on their own, but a society based on the premise that they determine their own worth is doomed to fail because it is founded on the ideal that the self is the most important entity. This is not to contradict our founding principles concerning the individual. Those principles concern how government should act in relation to its people. The concept of self-importance, to which I’m referring, concerns how individuals view themselves and act in spite of the government.

 So, no, I don’t think that Netflix or schools should be teaching students, especially against the wills of their parents, that being a boy when you’re a girl or vice versa is acceptable. We should not be teaching children that biology can just be ignored. If we allowed this aspect of biology to be ignored, other aspects of biology may be ignored in the future (like age!). Nor do I think that sexual preference should be celebrated in public schools. This goes against the separation of church and state in a different manner, because teaching children that their religious observances of sin are incorrect is a direct interference with the practice of a religion. This would be a world where secularism becomes the state religion and that would be no more acceptable than some form of theism. Have no shame for who you are, but don’t put down other peoples’ views to make yourself feel better. Respect should be taught of all our children before they leave the home for school.

Here is my final message. Acceptance of self, love of one another, and understanding of our differences, should reign supreme.