#power relay assembly

[mich2cpon]

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SR4 D/M Series 24 V 8 A PC Pin PCB Mount Force Guided Contact Relay

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RT1 Series SPST (1 Form A) 16 A 12 V PCB Mount General Purpose Power Relay

[hnry2ghee]

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[niqhtlord01]

Humans are weird: THE Space Viking Part 1

( Please come see me on my new patreon and support me for early access to stories and personal story requests :D https://www.patreon.com/NiqhtLord Every bit helps)

(A continuation of "They Sing Going to War" and its sequel "The one who returns"

The halls of the transport ship were alive with the chorus of boot soles clashing against metal decking. Naval officers making their way between decks for inspections, maintenance teams making inspection rounds between power relays, soldiers marching to and fro between mess halls and their converted barrack units; and through it all a lone officer made their way to their destiny.

To say Jinoc was excited for his position as first Lieutenant would be an understatement. He descended from a long line of military officers and as such had trained in the finest officer schools their homeworld had. His rank pins shun in the dim lighting of the ship and his uniform was pressed to such a crispness a droplet of water would slide off it. Crew and soldiers alike parted before him as he made for the barracks deck.

After seven months of hitching rides on troop transports Jinoc finally strode caught up with his new company as they lay at anchor above the world of “Primus VI”. He had hoped the transit time would have been shorter but with how frequently the company had been engaged in active theaters and ferried off to the next one he had been reduced to playing a game of catch-up until now.

“Soldiers!” Jinoc shouted loudly, “Inspection!”

The soldiers around him did not respond at first and continued milling about. They were a mixture of not knowing who this new officer was, or being consumed in their current activities to have heard his order at all.

Jinoc straightened himself more and stepped further into the barrack deck.

“SOLDIERS!” Jinoc called out in his most authoritative voice. “I SAID, INSPECTION, AT THE DOUBLE!”

This time the soldiers took notice. A subtle wave spread outward amongst them as they tapped each other on the shoulder before quickly shuffling into formation.

Suppressing a grin, Jinoc stood before the company as the grumblings died down and the soldiers waited.

“I am your new First Lieutenant, Jinoc Falgra.”

He started walking up the line of assembled soldiers, stopping every now and then to adjust a soldier’s uniform or call them out for the lack of uniform.

“I have heard of your great deeds and victories, and I look forward to achieving even greater-“

Jinoc stopped his procession as he caught sight of something most strange.

Mixed in amongst the bunks and storage lockers was a large wooden pillar surrounded by candles. Faces of creatures and beings unknown to Jinoc were carved into the wood with a deft hand while the surrounding area was cleared away from all other obstructions, taking up enough room for at least one squad.

At the base of the strange effigy was a lone soldier. Sitting crossed legged with their head hunched over, their midriff was absent of any uniform revealing a mixture of symbols either primitively tattooed ink or carved directly into the flesh in such a manner that the scars would hold the symbols shape.

The soldier had ignored Jinoc’s command to assemble and remained sitting at the base of the totem.

“What is your name?” Jinoc demanded as he called to the sitting soldier.

They gave no answer.

“I asked you a question, soldier!” Jinoc asked again in a louder tone.

None of the soldiers spoke up during this theatre but instead looked amongst themselves awkwardly. This only further aggravated Jinoc.

“This is a military barracks, not a trash heap.” He pointed to the icon. “Remove it immediately.”

Not a single soldier moved to comply with the order.

“Did you not hear me? I said remove it at once and stand at attention!”

“Sir, permission to speak?” one of the soldiers spoke up.

“Granted.”

A different soldier stepped forward to address the First lieutenant. “With respect sir, that’s the squad leader for 3rd Platoon 1st Squad, and that totem is theirs.”

“Totem?” Jinoc cocked his head to the side. “Is that meant to mean something to me?”

The way the soldier was acting was as if the squad had earned some notoriety, but Jinoc had not heard anything of their deeds during his travel.

The soldier swallowed nervously and continued. “Respectfully sir, we refrain from disrupting their area during their prayer.”

Jinoc’s hand spun around and backhanded the soldier staggering them several paces.

“What mindless dribble are you talking about? We have no gods!”

“They’re praying to the human ones.” the soldier replied as they stood back at attention. “I believe they called one of them “Odin” and another is “Bragi”.” He pointed at the totem. “Odin is the face at the top while Bragi is just beneath him; I forget who the others were.”

“I don’t care who those primitive apes call their gods; I want that wooden trash out of my company at once!”

“You will not..”

Jinoc, along with every other head, turned towards the new voice the kneeling soldier now on his feet. They slowly turned to face the First Lieutenant and Jinoc fought down the urge to vomit.

Their back had been covered in symbols but their chest was decorated with dozens of scars. Plasma ordinance burns, gashes from razor rounds, even what looked like the bite mark of something terrible.

“Where is the rest of your squad?” Jinoc demanded.

The soldier shrugged. “I’m what’s left.”

Jinoc strode over to the new soldier, resolute in maintaining his authority.

“Do you know that not counting your little wood project, you are violating at least seventeen different regulations right now with punishments ranging from a day in the brig to a lashing?”

Instead of the acceptance of his position the soldier chuckled to himself.

“I always find it amusing when an Argr thinks a few months in a cushy box reading a rule book makes them tough.”

Jinoc was unfamiliar with the word but was deft enough to know when he was being insulted. His hand rose to strike the disobedient soldier when a new voice cut in.

“Dismissed!”

Every set of eyes turned to the new figure walking over to Jinoc and upon recognizing them accepted the order and returned to what they had been doing before. The First Lieutenant likewise put down his fist immediately and tossed up a crisp salute.

“Major Lutnik, sir!”

The Major returned the salute from Jinoc but said nothing as they directed their attention to the disobedient soldier.

“At ease,” they said with surprising familiarity that shocked Jinoc, “no one will disturb you or your totem.”

The soldier gave no response save a slight nod before turning around and returning to the base of the totem. Jinoc was beside himself with the turn of events.

“Wait one mom-“ he began before he felt a firm hand clamp his shoulder.

“Let’s talk in my office.” The major said quietly.

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

Unlike the barracks deck for the rest of the soldiers, the Major’s office was located a deck above in the officers contingent. Not lavish by any measure Jinoc was accustomed to but certainly on a better degree of comfort compared to the bunks on the deck below.

Lutnik sat behind his desk and beckoned Jinoc to take the chair opposite him.

“Tell me,” he began as he pulled out a drawer and removed a decanter and a set of glasses, “what do you know of our triumphs in the last year?”

Jinoc straightened himself as the Major began pouring the drinks and offered him one.

“I was most impressed by the rescue of prince Natandi after their shuttle was shot down over Pluno III.”

He took a cautious sniff of the beverage before taking a sip and finding it most refreshing. “To have fought through the entire enemy force and return them alive is a feat still honored back on the homeworld.”

Lutnik snorted midway through his own sip at Jinoc’s answer.

“It’s funny you should mention that incident specifically,” he began as he wiped away the streams of liquor that had escaped his mouth.

“Why is that?”

“Because it is a lie; or at least, not the entire truth.” Lutnik replied with a grin.

Jinoc tried to hide his composure as the Major continued.

“We had actually been ordered to withdraw from the theatre of war, but Ne’ya Ruel saw fit to disobey that order and conduct their rescue mission regardless.”

“Forgive me sir, but who is Ne’ya Ruel?” Jinoc asked.

“You met him earlier when you tried to remove his totem.” Lutnik replied dryly. “You are lucky that I intervened or you may have ended up as an offering at its base for all your bluster.”

It took a few moment s for this new information to register for Jinoc. “Why do you tolerate such flagrant disobedience and clear violations of military doctrine?”

The Major looked at the First Lieutenant as if debating something in his head before coming to a conclusion.

“Because that soldier single handedly rescued the prince on Pluno III while the rest of us were ordered to stand by.”

“Are you telling me that lone soldier fought his way through an entire enemy detachment and rescued the prince?”

The Major nodded. “Earning himself the patronage of not only the prince but the royal family back on the homeworld.” He leaned in closer as if to hammer in this point specifically. “Every victory they win is one done so in the prince’s name.”

“But the official report-“ Jinoc insisted before the Major held up a hand.

“The official report was a compromise I reached with Ne’ya Ruel; the company gets the glory as a whole while I allow him to operate with more freedom than normally allowed.”

Jinoc frowned. “It is unbecoming of an officer to make deals with their subordinates.”

“And it is the mind of a novice who thinks themselves better than a master.”

Jinoc went quiet as the good natured mood of the Major evaporated.

“I’ve served in enough wars to know the difference between soldiers and monsters and with the things Ne’ya Ruel has done let alone survived through certainly puts him in the latter category.”

He leaned over his desk and held out his hand still clenching the glass. “The things our human friends have taught him have made him a killing machine equal to an entire company.”

“What do you mean?”

Litnuk shrugged. “I don’t know the details, nor do I wish too; but only after Ne’ya Ruel started interacting with them and learning the ways of this “Asatru” religion did he become an unstoppable warrior of death.”

The Major took another deep sip of his drink; the ice cubes softly clattering off the glass Jinoc let this new information set in.

“If I am to be your second in command how can I be expected to control such a soldier?”

Litnuk laughed.

“Point him at something you don’t like and tell him to get rid of it.”

“It can’t be that simple.” Jinoc replied, but the Major shook his head.

“Trust me, it is frighteningly as simple as that; you’ll see.”

[novaursa]

The North Remembers Her (the winter has come)

- Summary: He captured you, but you will not allow him to break you.

- Pairing: stark!reader/Ramsay Bolton

- Note: This is the last part of this story.

- Rating: Explicit 18+ (blood, gore, violence, death)

- Previous part: whispers of snow

- Tag(s): @sachaa-ff @oxymakestheworldgoround

Winterfell’s walls buzzed with ill omen as the icy wind carried the distant rumble of an approaching army. Ramsay stood at the top of the battlements, his pale blue eyes scanning the horizon, his grin sharper than ever. His men moved with precision beneath him, assembling for the battle that loomed closer with each passing moment. Crimson banners bearing the flayed man of House Bolton flapped wildly in the stormy winds, a dread sight upon the gray and white of the Northern landscape.

One of his captains approached, bowing quickly before speaking. “My lord, the scouts report Jon Snow’s army is nearly upon us. They’ll be at the gates by nightfall.”

Ramsay’s grin widened, his eyes brilliant with anticipation. “Good. Let them come,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “We’ll crush them under the walls of Winterfell. And when their bodies are piled high, I’ll send their bastard leader’s head back to the Wall.”

The captain nodded and retreated to relay the orders. Ramsay turned to Reek, who lingered nearby, trembling under the weight of his presence. “Reek,” he said, his tone deceptively light, “make yourself useful. See to the hounds. They’ll have a feast tonight.”

“Yes, my lord,” Reek stammered, scurrying away like a frightened animal.

Ramsay inhaled deeply, as though savoring the scent of blood and battle on the air. His grin faltered only slightly when another soldier approached, hesitating before speaking.

“My lord,” the soldier said, his tone cautious, “the Lady Bolton… she’s gone into labor.”

For a brief moment, Ramsay’s expression froze, the grin slipping into something unreadable. Then, just as quickly, it returned, triumphant than ever. “Well, isn’t that fortuitous?” he said, his voice laced with mock cheer. “Two battles in one day.”

Inside the castle, the sense of foreboding was no less palpable. You were confined to your chambers, clutching the edge of the bed as another wave of pain tore through you. The midwives moved frantically around you, their voices low and urgent as they prepared for the child’s arrival. The room felt stifling despite the chill in the air, the fire in the hearth doing little to warm the cold reality that had settled in your chest.

Your breaths came in short, ragged gasps as you clutched the sheets, the pain almost blinding. “It’s too soon,” you whispered, your voice trembling. “This shouldn’t be happening now.”

The head midwife glanced at you briefly, her face tight with worry. “Babes come when they will, my lady. Focus on breathing. Save your strength.”

The door creaked open, and Ramsay strode in, his presence filling the room like a storm. His eyes swept over the scene, his smile returning as he took in the chaos.

“Ah, wife,” he said, his voice lilting with mock affection. “You couldn’t have picked a better time. While your bastard brother marches to his death, you’re giving me an heir. How wonderful.”

You glared at him through the haze of pain, your voice a low growl. “Get out.”

Ramsay chuckled, stepping closer to the bed. “Oh, but why would I miss this? My child’s birth is a momentous occasion. The future of House Bolton, born amidst the cries of battle.”

“You don’t care about this child,” you snapped, your voice trembling with a mix of pain and fury. “You care about your power.”

Ramsay’s smile faltered briefly, a flicker of irritation crossing his face. “And power is all that matters, isn’t it? This child ensures our legacy, wife. It ensures my legacy.”

Another contraction tore through you, and you cried out, clutching the sheets tightly. The midwives murmured words of encouragement, urging you to focus, but Ramsay’s presence made it impossible to find any semblance of calm.

The soldier from before appeared in the doorway, his face pale. “My lord, Snow’s forces are nearing the gates. They’ll be here within the hour.”

Ramsay turned, his smile returning as though the news were a gift. “Excellent. Ready the men. I’ll be down shortly.”

The soldier hesitated, glancing toward you before retreating quickly. Ramsay turned back to you, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

“Do try to hurry this along, wife,” he said, his tone dripping with mockery. “I’d hate to miss the moment. But duty calls.”

Before you could respond, he turned on his heel and strode out, his boots echoing against the stone floor.

You clenched your jaw, forcing yourself to breathe through the pain. The midwife leaned closer, her voice steady despite the tension in the room. “My lady, you must focus. The babe is coming.”

Tears pricked at your eyes as another wave of pain surged through you. The sounds of preparation outside the walls echoed faintly in the distance—Ramsay’s army readying for war, Jon’s forces drawing closer.

But here, in this room, another battle was being fought.

And you prayed silently to the Old Gods for strength, for survival, for the child you were about to bring into a world of blood and fire.

The winds howled across the snow-covered plains before Winterfell, whipping the banners of House Bolton against the sky. Ramsay rode at the head of his force, his eyes alight with amusement as he surveyed the opposing army. The Stark banners—proud direwolves on fields of white—stood in stark contrast to the flayed man of the Boltons. The sight of them seemed to amuse Ramsay even more.

Jon Snow sat astride a black horse at the front of his army, his expression grim and determined. To his right rode Davos Seaworth, his gaze scanning the Bolton forces, while Tormund Giantsbane sat to Jon’s left, his wild red hair and beard bristling against the wind. Behind them, the men of the North and the Free Folk stood united, their presence a defiant challenge to Ramsay’s rule.

Ramsay grinned widely as he reined his horse to a stop just a few paces from Jon. His men halted behind him, a wall of crimson and steel. The air between the two armies crackled with animosity, the silence broken only by the whinnying of horses and the rustling of banners.

Jon’s voice cut through the cold air like a blade. “Ramsay Bolton,” he called, his tone steady but filled with restrained fury. “I’m here to give you a chance to save your men. Surrender Winterfell. Release my sister. And retreat to the Dreadfort.”

Ramsay’s grin widened, his pale eyes gleaming with amusement. “Your sister?” he said, his tone mockingly light. “You mean my wife. My lady. She belongs to me now, Snow.”

Tormund growled, his hand gripping the hilt of his axe. Davos placed a steadying hand on Jon’s arm, though his own expression was hard as stone.

Jon’s voice rose, cutting through Ramsay’s taunts. “Surrender now, and I’ll let you leave with your life. Refuse, and I’ll take Winterfell from you. I’ll rip your banners from its walls and burn them in the Godswood.”

Ramsay threw his head back and laughed, the sound sharp and grating against the tense silence. “Oh, you are amusing, Snow. Truly. Do you think you’re in a position to make demands? Look at you.” He gestured to the army behind Jon, his grin twisting into something cruel. “A ragged band of Wildlings, deserters, and broken men. Do you really think they can stand against me?”

Tormund’s horse stepped forward, the wildling’s voice a deep growl. “You’ll find out soon enough, bastard.”

Ramsay’s grin faltered briefly, his eyes narrowing. “Careful, savage,” he said, his tone cold. “I don’t take kindly to threats.”

Davos spoke then, his voice calm but firm. “This doesn’t have to end in bloodshed, Lord Bolton. You could save your men, save yourself, by walking away.”

Ramsay tilted his head, his grin returning. “Save myself? I don’t need saving, Onion Knight. I am the Warden of the North. Winterfell is mine. And no bastard, no savage, and no smuggler will take it from me.”

Jon’s voice was steady, but the fury in his eyes was unmistakable. “This is your last chance. Surrender, or face the consequences.”

Ramsay leaned forward in his saddle, his grin widening further. “Consequences? Oh, Snow, I think you’ll find I enjoy consequences. Tell me, have you ever seen what a pack of hounds can do to a man? Or perhaps I’ll show you what they can do to a sister.”

Jon’s hands clenched around the reins, his knuckles white. The hatred between the two men was a tangible thing, thickening the air until it seemed ready to snap.

But then Ramsay leaned back, his grin softening into something almost playful. “You’ll die here, Snow,” he said lightly. “You and your little army. And when it’s over, I’ll hang your body from the walls of Winterfell for the crows to feast on.”

Jon didn’t flinch, his voice cutting through Ramsay’s mockery like ice. “Then we fight.”

Ramsay’s grin widened, his eyes gleaming with malice. “Yes, we do.”

With that, he turned his horse sharply, his men following suit as they rode back toward the gates of Winterfell. The sound of their retreating hoofbeats echoed across the field, leaving Jon and his army in tense silence.

Tormund spat into the snow. “Cocky little bastard.”

Davos shook his head, his voice grim. “He’s dangerous. Too dangerous for games. We need to be ready.”

Jon turned his horse back to his men, his face set in grim determination. “He’ll pay for what he’s done. For everything.”

And as the Stark banners fluttered in the icy wind, the two armies prepared for the storm of battle that was about to descend upon Winterfell.

The clash of steel and the screams of men echoed across the snow-covered plains before Winterfell, mingling with the howling wind. Ramsay’s banners of flayed men flew high above the battlefield. Below, chaos reigned.

Jon Snow led his forces into the fray, Longclaw shone as he cut through the lines of Bolton soldiers. Beside him, Tormund roared like a wild beast, his axe carving paths of destruction. Davos Seaworth commanded the left flank, his calm and strategic orders keeping the line intact against the relentless onslaught.

Ramsay sat atop his horse at the rear of the battlefield, his pale blue eyes gleaming with excitement as he watched the carnage. “Beautiful,” he murmured to himself, his smirk cutting as a blade. “Simply beautiful.”

Inside the walls of Winterfell, the battle was far from your mind. Your screams filled the chambers as another wave of pain tore through you, the midwives bustling around in controlled chaos. Sweat beaded on your forehead despite the chill in the air, and your hands gripped the sheets with white-knuckled intensity.

“Breathe, my lady,” one of the midwives urged, her voice steady despite the chaos. “The babe is coming.”

“I am breathing!” you snapped, though your voice wavered with the strain.

Another contraction gripped you, and you cried out, the pain overwhelming. Outside, the distant sounds of battle seeped through the stone walls, a grim reminder of the war raging just beyond the castle gates.

Reek hovered near the door, his hunched figure trembling as he watched. His eyes darted nervously between you and the midwives, his fear visible.

“You shouldn’t be here,” you hissed through clenched teeth, glaring at him.

“I-I’m supposed to stay,” he stammered, his voice barely audible. “My lord’s orders…”

“To hell with his orders!” you snapped, another scream tearing from your throat.

On the battlefield, Ramsay’s forces began to falter under the relentless assault. Jon Snow’s men pushed forward with somber resolve, their cries of vengeance ringing out as they fought to reclaim Winterfell.

Jon himself was a blur of movement, his sword cutting through Bolton soldiers with precision. His focus was unyielding, his mind filled with the faces of his siblings, the memories of what had been stolen from them.

Across the field, Ramsay watched with growing irritation as his lines began to break. He dismounted his horse, his smirk replaced with a cold fury. “Hold the line!” he bellowed, his voice cutting through the chaos. “Hold it, or I’ll flay every last one of you!”

But even his threats couldn’t stop the tide.

Inside Winterfell, the midwives worked frantically, their hands steady despite the urgency of the moment.

“The head is crowning, my lady,” one of them said, her voice firm but encouraging. “You must push.”

Your breath came in ragged gasps, the pain blinding as you gripped the sheets tighter. “I… I can’t,” you gasped, your voice trembling with exhaustion.

“You can,” the midwife insisted, her eyes meeting yours with determination. “One more push, my lady. For the child.”

With a scream that felt like it would tear you apart, you bore down with all the strength you had left. The sound of a baby’s cry filled the room, strong and piercing, cutting through the air like a storm.

The midwives moved quickly, wrapping the newborn in a soft blanket and placing the child in your trembling arms. Tears streamed down your face as you looked down at the tiny figure, its cries subsiding into soft whimpers.

“It’s a boy,” the midwife said softly, her voice filled with quiet awe.

For a brief moment, the world outside faded away, and all that mattered was the child in your arms.

On the battlefield, the tide turned completely. The sound of hooves thundered across the plains as the knights of the Vale appeared on the horizon, their banners snapping in the wind.

Riding at their head was Petyr Baelish, his gaze fixed on the chaos below. Beside him, Sansa Stark sat tall and proud, her expression cold and determined as she watched the Bolton forces falter.

The knights charged into the fray, their lances gleaming as they crashed into Ramsay’s men with devastating force. The Bolton lines broke completely, their soldiers scattering in every direction as the battle turned to rout.

Ramsay stood amidst the chaos, his pale eyes wide with fury and disbelief. “No,” he growled, his voice low and dangerous. “This isn’t how it ends.”

But as Jon Snow approached, his sword raised and his face calm, Ramsay knew the end was near.

Inside Winterfell, the midwives cleaned the room quietly as you held your son close, his tiny hand grasping at your finger. The sounds of battle had faded, replaced by the muffled cheers of victory from outside.

Reek remained by the door, his trembling figure a reminder of the world you were still trapped in. But as you looked down at your child, a spark of hope flickered in your chest.

The wolf was still alive. And so was the fight.

The courtyard of Winterfell was eerily silent, the snow thick beneath their boots. The air was heavy, carrying the metallic tang of blood from the battle that had raged just hours before.

Jon Snow stood tall, his chest heaving, Longclaw gleaming in his gloved hand. Across from him, Ramsay Bolton lingered, his eyes alight with something dark and dangerous. The smirk on Ramsay’s face belied the truth of his situation; his men, those who hadn’t fled or been slaughtered, cowered at the edges of the courtyard, leaving him exposed.

The snow crunched beneath Ramsay’s boots as he stepped forward, his hands hanging loosely at his sides. “You’re persistent,” he said, his voice carrying a mockery that only served to ignite the tension further. “I’ll give you that.”

Jon’s grip on Longclaw tightened, his knuckles white. “Surrender, Ramsay,” he growled, his voice low but steady. “This is over.”

Ramsay tilted his head, his smirk widening. “Over? Oh, no, Snow. This is just beginning. You see, Winterfell is mine now. It doesn’t matter how many Wildlings, traitors, or Starks you bring.” His voice turned icy, venomous. “The North is mine.”

Jon’s eyes burned with fury, but he held his ground. “You’re wrong. The North belongs to the Starks. It always has, and it always will.”

Ramsay laughed, a low, grating sound that echoed off the walls. “The Starks?” he sneered. “A dead house. A memory. The North follows power, and I’ve shown them power. Fear is stronger than loyalty, Jon Snow.”

Jon took a step forward, his voice rising. “You think fear will protect you? You think it will save you from this?” He gestured around them, to the fallen men and shattered banners. “The North remembers, Ramsay. And today, they’ll see justice.”

Ramsay’s grin faltered, his eyes narrowing. “Justice?” he repeated, his voice laced with mockery. “Is that what you think this is?”

He raised his arms, gesturing to the empty courtyard. “Go on, Jon. Fight me. Kill me. Prove to the North that you’re just like me. That you solve problems with blood and steel. Show them that you’re no better than the bastard you despise.”

Jon’s grip on Longclaw tightened further, his rage barely contained. “This isn’t about me,” he said firmly. “It’s about everyone you’ve hurt. Everyone you’ve killed.”

Ramsay’s grin returned, sharper than before. “Oh, you’re so noble, aren’t you? So self-righteous. But tell me, Jon… how many men have you killed to get here? How many lives did you throw away to claim your precious Winterfell?”

Jon took another step forward, the fury in his eyes matched only by the resolve in his stance. “You talk about fear and power, Ramsay. But look around you. Your men abandoned you. Your banners are torn. You’re alone.”

Ramsay’s smirk flickered, a shadow of doubt crossing his face before it was replaced by defiance. “I don’t need anyone else,” he hissed, his voice dropping to a venomous whisper. “Because I’ll always have Winterfell. And I’ll always have her.”

Jon’s expression darkened, the mention of his sister igniting a fire within him. He raised Longclaw, pointing the blade directly at Ramsay. “You won’t touch her again. You won’t hurt anyone again.”

For a moment, the two men stood frozen, the snow falling softly around them. Then Ramsay lunged, his dagger flashing in the light as he closed the distance.

But Jon was ready.

With a swift, practiced motion, Longclaw met Ramsay’s dagger, the clash of steel ringing out across the courtyard. The force of the blow drove Ramsay back a step, but his grin remained, his movements quick and erratic as he slashed again.

Jon blocked the strike easily, his sword swinging in a wide arc that forced Ramsay to retreat. The smirk on Ramsay’s face began to falter as Jon pressed forward, his strikes deliberate and unrelenting.

“You’re nothing without your men,” Jon growled, his voice carrying over the clash of steel. “Without your tricks. Without your hounds.”

Ramsay’s breath came faster, his movements growing desperate as he tried to fend off Jon’s relentless assault. “And you’re nothing but a bastard,” he spat, his voice trembling with fury.

Jon’s blade caught Ramsay’s dagger, wrenching it from his grasp and sending it clattering to the ground. Before Ramsay could react, Jon’s fist collided with his jaw, sending him sprawling into the snow.

Ramsay scrambled to his knees, his eyes wide with shock as Jon loomed over him, Longclaw poised for the killing blow.

The courtyard was silent, every eye fixed on the two men. Ramsay’s smirk was gone, replaced by the realization of his own defeat.

“Do it,” Ramsay hissed, his voice low and venomous. “Kill me. Show them who you really are.”

Jon hesitated, his grip on Longclaw tightening as he stared down at the man who had taken so much from him. His breath came in sharp, ragged gasps, his fury warring with his sense of justice.

Then he lowered the blade, his voice steady. “You don’t deserve a quick death.”

Turning away, he signaled to the men waiting nearby. “Take him,” he commanded, his voice firm. “Put him in the kennels.”

As the soldiers dragged Ramsay away, his laughter echoed across the courtyard, chilling and hollow. “You’ll regret this, Snow,” he called out. “You’ll regret not killing me when you had the chance!”

But Jon didn’t look back.

The halls of Winterfell were quiet now, save for the faint echoes of boots on stone. The stench of battle still lingered in the air, a reminder of the lives lost to reclaim the ancestral seat of House Stark. Jon Snow led the way, his steps deliberate as he moved through the familiar corridors with Sansa close behind him. Their men followed silently, their faces marked with the weariness of war but also the faintest glimmer of triumph.

Jon’s sword hung at his side, his grip tight on the hilt as they approached the solar where the midwives had said she was. His heart pounded with anxiety and unease, the weight of what he might find pressing heavily on his chest. He glanced at Sansa, whose expression was a mixture of worry and determination, her fiery hair stark against the low light of the castle.

As they entered the room, the sight before them made Jon’s breath catch in his throat. There she was—his sister, seated in a large wooden chair near the hearth, a bundle wrapped tightly in her arms. The midwives bustled quietly around her, their hands careful as they cleaned and tidied the room. Despite her exhaustion, there was a fierce protectiveness in the way she held the babe, her head tilted down to shield it.

And then there was Reek.

He lingered near the corner, his hunched figure trembling, his wide eyes darting to Jon and then back to the floor. His clothes hung off his thin frame, and the remnants of the man Jon once knew were buried deep beneath layers of shame and fear. Recognition flickered in Jon’s eyes as he took a sharp breath.

“Theon,” Jon said, his voice low and filled with disbelief.

Reek—no, Theon—flinched at the name, shuffling further into the corner like a beaten dog. His hands twisted nervously in front of him, and he refused to meet Jon’s gaze. “I… I didn’t… I tried to…” His words were disjointed, barely audible.

Jon took a step toward him, his expression hardening, but Sansa placed a hand on his arm. “Jon,” she said softly, her voice steady. “Not now.”

He hesitated, his fists clenching at his sides, before his gaze shifted back to the figure seated by the hearth. The weight of the moment crashed over him, and his anger toward Theon faded into the background as he took a step closer to his sister.

“Y/N,” Jon said, his voice softer now, filled with a mixture of relief and concern.

You looked up slowly, exhaustion etched into every line of your face. But when your eyes met Jon’s, something shifted. The weight you had carried for so long seemed to lift, if only slightly, at the sight of him standing there, alive, whole, and so very much like your father.

“Jon,” you whispered, your voice trembling with emotion.

He crossed the room quickly, dropping to one knee beside you. His eyes flickered to the bundle in your arms, and his breath hitched when he realized what it was—a child. “You’re alive,” he said softly, his hand hovering near yours but not quite touching. “You’re… safe.”

Sansa moved closer, her expression a mixture of shock and heartbreak as she took in the sight of you. “Oh, Y/N,” she said, her voice breaking. “What have they done to you?”

Tears pricked at your eyes, but you forced them back, shaking your head slightly. “I survived,” you said quietly. “That’s all that matters.”

Jon’s gaze shifted to the babe in your arms, his brow furrowing. “Is it… his?” he asked hesitantly, his voice laced with anger he couldn’t quite contain.

Your grip on the child tightened, your voice firm despite the quaver in it. “He’s mine,” you said, meeting Jon’s gaze with a fierce protectiveness. “Whatever blood runs through his veins, he’s mine.”

Sansa knelt beside Jon, her hand gently resting on your arm. “We’ll protect you,” she said softly, her voice filled with quiet determination. “We’ll protect both of you.”

Jon nodded, his jaw tightening as he looked back at you. “He won’t hurt you again,” he said firmly. “Ramsay is finished.”

You let out a shaky breath, the weight of their words settling over you like a balm. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, you allowed yourself to believe it might be true.

Reek—Theon—shifted nervously in the corner, drawing Jon’s attention again. His face hardened as he stood, but Sansa’s hand on his arm stopped him once more.

“He helped her,” Sansa said quietly. “In his own way. Let it be.”

Jon hesitated, his eyes burning into Theon’s crumpled figure. Finally, he nodded curtly, turning back to you. “We’ll figure this out,” he said softly. “Together. As a family.”

You nodded, tears slipping down your cheeks as you looked at them—your family, your blood. For the first time in so long, hope flickered in your heart.

Winterfell was home again. And the wolf, though battered and scarred, was still standing.

The cold air bit at your skin as you descended into the dim stone corridors beneath Winterfell, the faint smell of damp earth and animal musk thickening as you approached the kennels. The torches flickered weakly in their sconces. Your footsteps echoed, the sound bouncing off the confined space, but you walked steadily, cradling the strength you had left after a week of painful recovery.

The midwives had protested your decision to leave your chambers, but you silenced them with a single look. This was something you needed to do yourself. Jon had offered to handle it, his rage barely contained whenever Ramsay’s name was mentioned, but this was not his task. Ramsay was your demon to confront.

Reek—or Theon, as Jon and Sansa had begun calling him—followed a few steps behind, his figure hunched as always. He hadn’t spoken much since the battle, but his presence was strangely reassuring. He understood what Ramsay had done, perhaps better than anyone else.

When you reached the iron door of the kennels, two of Jon’s men stood guard. They stiffened at your approach, their eyes flickering with concern. One of them stepped forward, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

“My lady,” he began cautiously, “are you sure—”

“I’m sure,” you interrupted, your voice firm. “Open the door.”

The guard hesitated but obeyed, the heavy iron door creaking open to reveal the dark, narrow corridor beyond. The sound of snarling and pacing echoed faintly, and the air grew colder as you stepped inside.

At the end of the row of cages sat Ramsay Bolton, shackled and filthy, his once-pristine leather jerkin torn and stained. He was slumped against the stone wall, his pale blue eyes lifting to meet yours as you approached. The grin that curled across his lips was both familiar and chilling.

“Ah, my wife,” he drawled, his voice hoarse but mocking. “Come to visit your lord husband in his moment of need? How touching.”

You stopped just out of reach, your eyes narrowing as you studied him. His face was gaunt, his lips cracked, but the fire in his gaze had not dimmed.

“I’m not your wife,” you said coldly. “Not anymore.”

Ramsay’s grin widened, though it was brittle now, his pale eyes gleaming with something dark. “Oh, but you are. You’ll always be mine, little wolf. No matter what your brother or his Wildling friends think.”

You clenched your fists, your nails biting into your palms. “You’re wrong. You’ve lost everything, Ramsay. Winterfell, the North, your men—everything. And now you’ll answer for what you’ve done.”

His laugh was low and grating, echoing in the confined space. “Answer? To you? What are you going to do, wife? Lecture me? Scold me? You don’t have the stomach for what needs to be done.”

You stepped closer, your voice steady despite the fury burning within you. “I have more stomach for it than you think. And unlike you, I don’t need to hide behind fear or cruelty to make my point.”

Ramsay’s grin faltered, his pale eyes narrowing as he studied you. “You think you’ve won,” he said softly, his voice dripping with venom. “But you’ll never be rid of me. You’ll see me in that child of yours. Every time you look at him, you’ll remember me. And you’ll never forget.”

Your breath caught for a moment, his words hitting their mark. But then you straightened, your voice firm. “You’re wrong again, Ramsay. He’s not yours. He never was. He’s mine.”

His laughter was sharper this time, almost manic. “Oh, little wolf, you’re deluding yourself. But go on. Decide my fate. Show me how merciful the Starks really are.”

You turned to the guard, who had followed you inside and stood silently behind you. “Bring the hounds,” you said quietly.

The guard hesitated, his eyes widening slightly. “My lady—”

“Do it,” you snapped, your voice sharper than you intended. “Now.”

The man nodded and disappeared, the heavy door creaking shut behind him. Ramsay’s grin returned, though there was a flicker of uncertainty in his gaze now.

“My hounds won’t hurt me,” he said confidently. “They’re loyal. More loyal than any man.”

You didn’t respond, your eyes fixed on him as the minutes stretched on. When the door opened again, the guards led the hounds into the kennel, their low growls filling the air. The beasts were lean and hungry, their eyes gleaming as they caught Ramsay’s scent.

His confidence wavered, his grin faltering as he shifted against the wall. “They won’t hurt me,” he repeated, his voice less certain now. “They know me.”

You stepped back, your voice cold. “They’re starving, Ramsay. You made sure of that.”

For the first time, you saw fear flicker in his eyes. He turned to the hounds, his voice rising. “Down! Sit! Obey me!”

But the animals didn’t listen. They crept closer, their growls deepening as they bared their teeth.

“Stop!” Ramsay shouted, his voice breaking. “No! Stop!”

You stood still, your chest heaving as the hounds lunged. The sounds of snarling and screaming filled the air, and you turned away, your hands trembling as you walked back toward the door.

The guards closed it behind you, muffling the chaos inside. You leaned against the cold stone wall, your breath shaky but steadying. It was over.

Ramsay Bolton was no more. Winterfell was yours again.

And the wolf had finally found justice.

[hello-eeveev]

Now that Bells Hells know that Caleb is Essek’s partner, this seems like the perfect time to share the lists of things bh knew about Essek, Caleb, and Essek’s partner that I compiled in order to write Above All (and continued to compile afterwards). I focused pretty strictly on what was confirmed explicitly by the text, but there are a few notes outlining what I thought might be reasonable extrapolations for the Bells Hells to make that would lead to them linking Essek and Caleb in their minds. Enjoy!

What Bells Hells Know About Caleb Widogast:

- Chetney, Orym, Imogen, Laudna, and Ashton met him and Beau at the Tishtan Excavation Site

^ c3 names Caleb knows: Laudna, Chetney (wolf form only)

- He wears a deep purple scarf (that info is just for me tho)

- allied with planerider ryn

- friend to the grim verity

- has been following Ludinus for many years with the intent of taking him and his inner circle down

- was part of the team that damaged the shadowfell key

- has been up against other Cerberus Assembly membys

- he used the word dunamis, but they have no clue what that is. they ask, and he gives them a very basic rundown (note to self: compare to Essek’s?)

- Obscure reference to the beacon that aligns with what Essek says in 95, but there’s like, nooooo chance they could put that together. also not a defining characteristic.

- has “someone on the inside [of the assembly]” who had to back away

- seemed to know a lot about the Cerberus Assembly

- admitted thorn in Ludinus’s side for quite some time, to the point that Ludinus uses his first name and wanted to gloat about his victory to him (and Beau) specifically

- metagame knowledge that Beau is with the cobalt soul, thus aligning Caleb with them

- using context clues, they correctly assumed origin is Wildemount, Dwendalian Empire

- Allura is familiar with him. some of his and Beau’s allies have been in contact (Essek???) (probably cobalt soul let’s be real) (but Essek did say he was an ally to the exandrian accord, so it’s not impossible that he has made some contact with allura, whether she knows of Essek or not)

- Zemnian (presumed by accent, usage of “nein” and “ja”)

- Had Jester relay messages via Sending (either doesn’t have sending, doesn’t have it prepared, or no spell slots)

- sent an archivist of the cobalt soul to escort them to Aeor

^ extrapolating backwards: Keyleth said that she would contact someone who had researched in Aeor, and when this person was unavailable, she said they would send an archivist in their stead.

^^ this archivist was Seth Domade, who was announced as “sent by a Widogast.”

^ extrapolating forwards: Seth is revealed to be Essek. Therefore, Essek and Caleb know each other and have both researched Aeor.

- is Essek’s partner :)

What Bells Hells Know About Essek Thelyss’s Partner:

- Zemnian (presumed by “gesundheit. I learned that from my partner as well.”)

- has followed/is following the Cerberus Assembly’s machinations

- told Essek a bit about Predathos, implying that this partner is privy to information that is largely kept hidden away

- kind and smart and so strong (of heart)

- Essek talks to him before bed

^ could we make an extrapolation that Essek wanting to preserve spell slots to talk to his partner implies that this partner does not have access to Sending? It’s a bit of a stretch, and not one I think any of the bells hells would be able to make with their limited knowledge of the mechanics of magic beyond their own capabilities

- was with Essek in Aeor when Essek got wild magicked into a fish

- carried Essek while he was a fish

- is “one hell of a person” (paraphrase of Ashton, confirmed by Essek)

- has a tangled history with the Assembly

- is a man

- a powerful practitioner of the magical arts

- teaches on occasion

- his name is Bren (Essek what do you mean, I’m going to kill you)

- is very intelligent

- would have brought the Bells Hells to Aeor but he was busyyy

- is Caleb Widogast :)

What Bells Hells Know About Essek Thelyss

- sent by Caleb

^ whether or not they were paying attention to that fact is up for debate, but it’s possible, and the information was available to them

- disguised as a Cobalt Soul archivist

- fugitive

- formerly of the Kryn Dynasty

- is the reason Ludinus has access to as much dunamantic knowledge as he does

- reformed in his dubiousness

- first name basis with an assembly member, but doesn’t like the assembly

^ tbf Astrid doesn’t seem to like many members of the assembly either

^ Astrid only cooperated with the interrogation because of Essek’s connection to an old friend

- has been to Aeor, and the genesis ward specifically (we know why)

- defaced a bit of Aeor :)

- used to manage a dynasty outpost in Eiselcross

- turned into a fish in Aeor

- has a tangled history with the Assembly

Side note: Caleb, Allura, and Essek’s explanations of dunamis [50, 76, and 95, respectively] share a lot of similarities in structure and verbiage. And Allura mentioned that she has compatriots more knowledgeable about dunamis and the Dynasty [76], which just makes me fully believe that Allura knows Essek too, not just Caleb.

[mareastrorum]

This is speculation.

I think Ludinus is going to come back during the Predathos fight to try to use the funnel on the Vessel (Imogen).

The Hells are dumb, but Matt is not. There’s too many convenient puzzle pieces that fit here for that to really be the end of Ludinus.

Staff of Soulbind Relay: protected by an enchantment to prevent easy identification, this homebrew item sends souls somewhere. We don’t know where, but presumably, somewhere nearby. This sounds similar to the effect of a Clone spell… but a Clone spell would render this redundant. The clone of Ludinus’s body would already attract the soul upon death. So Ludinus sent his soul somewhere other than a clone.

Ludinus organized the research of multiple Luxon beacons and still had a third after two were returned to the Dynasty. Among many things, beacons pull in consecuted mortal souls and allow them to be reborn without going to the Matron of Death. That sure sounds like a soul relay, doesn’t it? Well now we know he focused his Beacon research on the relay part and not the soul storage part. Definitely a wizard thing to steal a precious religious artifact and use it just to not have to do a known necromantic spell in the event of potential death and then leave the staff behind.

Oddly, the Hells didn’t find the funnel on Ludinus’s body. He had just been using it on Liliana, so he should have had it. It must have melted too. I mean, even if he boobytrapped his body to melt upon death and used a disguised staff to relay his soul off somewhere, there’s no way he would have set up a contingency spell or other backup to teleport the funnel elsewhere. It’s definitely gone.

Predathos didn’t need a specific Ruidusborn to be the vessel. Any would do. It just wanted someone to come wake it up. The supposed necessity of an Exaltant was Ludinus’s invention. Ludinus wanted an Exaltant to be the Vessel, and he did not care if it was an Exaltant who hated his guts. He didn’t care if it was an Exaltant who helped kill him. He just needed an Exaltant Vessel: someone with the chance to actually contain Predathos and not be ripped open. At least, just a chance, since that’s theoretical. Considering how bodies were scarred just by containing Exaltant powers, I can’t imagine a mortal form would hold for all that long. It’s a bit weird to spend that much effort to find a vessel that would survive just a little bit longer though, especially if the point was just to get Predathos out. He could have just started throwing bodies in until one survived to get Predathos out of the glass. Yeah, brutal, but it would have been more efficient.

Speaking of inefficiencies, Ludinus could have easily allied with the rebels on Ruidus and had greater numbers and convinced them that releasing Predathos was key to the blue promise. They were so readily willing to ally with the Hells, even with Ruidusborn, as long as they could stop the Imperium and the Weave Mind. It absolutely would have worked, and Ludinus chose the Weave Mind instead. The Weave Mind conveniently specialized in the research of body modification to create entities optimized for psychic abilities. That’s oddly specific. Why was it biological research by the Weave Mind instead of a passive mutative effect by Predathos? Well, that’s worldbuilding. Maybe it was about modifying the bodies of Exaltants, but then Ludinus would have probably done that with Liliana, and that means he wouldn’t have been so willing to accept Imogen or Fearne as the vessel. So whatever interest there was in body modification was something else.

Weirdly enough, that’s not the only time Ludinus worked with people who did biological research. Doolan Tversky was a member of the Cerberus Assembly only shown briefly, but she focused on biological/arcane research, specifically, into legendary beasts and aberrations. In addition, Ludinus tolerated Trent Ikithon’s research to improve spell casting by implanting residuum glass into Volstrucker trainees. Residuum glass is made from whitestone ore, which was created by the clash between Prime Deities and Tharizdun—between the divine and something else. Man, figuring out how mythological beasts functioned on a biological level and strengthening people with glass empowered by the divine and other powers sure would be useful in a lot of circumstances. Maybe the Weave Mind wanted that for their own purposes and that’s how Ludinus got in good with them after making contact. There, all nicely tied together.

Still some loose ends: we never learned how Aeormatons were created to have their own souls. We don’t know if they’re “fresh” souls new to the world or if they were taken from somewhere. But they are artificial bodies that can contain souls and be programmed to act according to another’s will. Their power core is also where the soul is stored, eerily similar to the soul anchors containing the demons that powered Aeor. Hell, it was even in their jewelry, like Emhira had with her one imp. That type of abjuration really was everywhere in Aeor; very useful technology. Ludinus must have discovered it before the Downfall footage, since he captured Vax in an orb and used him to power the Bloody Bridge. That’s a feat! Capturing a champion of the divine and successfully using the soul anchor to power an interplanetary teleport is pretty impressive.

Aeor did better though: they created a soul anchor powerful enough to contain a god. Well, a god’s avatar. Ioun’s mortal form was captured in an anchor during Downfall. If the Arch Heart had not redirected the attack, Ioun would have been destroyed, and we all focused on the fact that there was a weapon to destroy gods. But they made a soul anchor that could hold the mortal form of a god. What is a vessel again? Sure seems like a mortal incarnation of a god to me. Oh, that’d be useful for containing an Exaltant containing Predathos. Too bad we don’t know of any physical substance that could contain a god, and Ludinus didn’t get Dominox’s soul anchor from the Hells anyway.

Oh wait, yeah, the Imperium on Ruidus forced laborers to mine the glass prison holding Predathos so they could make weapons. The Imperium allied with the Weave Mind, which does biological modification research, which is strangely consistent with the Cerberus Assembly’s biological modification research, and their research into the Luxon beacons also overlapped with Aeor’s research on how to contain mortal, demon, and divine souls to use them to power giant floating cities and weapons to kill gods.

Man, that sure would be a lot of loose threads left in the breeze if the final boss fight is just about slapping Imogen around until she dies or gets Predathos under control enough to not end the world.

[forgottenarthur]

OOC | What was at Kil-kennar?

ok so kate said

phabblebabbles 3d @quillington We haven’t discussed much abt Kil Kennar I guess beyond it being where the High Seeress lived BUT it could also have/had her acolytes who maybe were able to save some of the ancient texts before Kil Kennar fell???

and i realized like!!!!!! that we never like...talked about it???? lasjkdfkljsdf so i wanted to launch a full discussion!!!

so i ~do have some hc's that i thought id pop up here (in no particular order) which we may or may not want to use but can at least get us chatting!!

but ~first, some things we ~have established

its the religious center of the astairan faith

its effectively its own ~county but w a chosen ~high seer~ as its lord/lady rather than a great house

its high up in the mountains

its a fortress that was (pre!arthur) considered nigh impregnable (i have some madness in mind a la a certain alexander the great re how he did ~that which...i don't think ive ever actually talked abt!!)

its at a v strategic spot and ik we had ideas as to why but idr them atm alksjdfjsdf i think it had to do w being able to command both sea lanes ~and passages through the natural land barrier that is the mountains -- also there's def both the symbolic and the morale component w it being the faith center etc but i feel like it had the big north-to-south pass besides the fens in those mountains and kil-kennar protected/commanded that kinda thing or smth?? maybe it was the east to west...idk...

it has a huge ~chapterhouse where representatives from every county in the country can meet -- and i ~think we said its where the vote is cast for the ruler?? and/or the ~high seer?? but idr that distinctly

i think?? that's everything we've already decided abt it?

ok so like when i ~first envisaged kil-kennar i was heavily inspired by carcassone but like extreme edition -- this sprawling fortress built ~into the mountains and like...you trip off the tower you will be falling foreverrrrr its up there in the clouds pr much

ok so let me just get my vision of the siege of kil-kennar out of the way!

THE SIEGE OF KIL-KENNAR & THE EAGLE'S FEATHERS

ok so basically my thought was that our boy arthur went through his army and found the best rock climbers and pulled them out of the army, having them go a different way, trekking through the almost impassable mountain rocks and clefts itself rather than the narrow passages the main army took, so that the ppl of kil-kennar would never see them at all

then w the soldiers he had left, he sent the usual expected thing of a useless assault on the walls, including improvised siege ladders and towers etc but this was mostly to distract them (tho arthur himself was the first to mount the walls before the invaders from behind got there, even tho he was quickly repelled) from the fact that his real forces weren't assaulting the manmade part of the fortress but, rather, scaling the sheer rockface of the mountain and speed climbing and rapelling inside from the most impregnable part of the walls, from which point they attacked, opened the gates to arthur's troops outside them, etc, and thus the fall of kil-kennar. i do think there was a traditional siege component for awhile before hand tho-- supposedly tryna starve them out etc esp bc i think it took awhile for everyone to assemble and messages to relay between arthur's split forces etc

like alexander the great, arthur def offered big rewards to the first several to get there too given the huge risks of the whole thing and probs ~did say smth a la alexander the great that: "Nature has placed nothing so high, that valor cannot overcome it. It is by trying what others have despaired that we have [an Empire] in our power." (i think alexander the great was an ass but he really went off w that speech huh) arthur probs ended his vers of that w a crusader-esque cry of smth along the lines of 'the god wills it' and there we go

ik this sounds insane but its really happened so i feel perfectly justified! im referencing Alexander the Great's legendary Siege of the Sogdian Rock (or of the Rock of Ariamazes there're disagreements etc yknow ancient history be like that kladsjflkjsdf -- the whole thing tbf ~is shrouded in hella legend but i say its fair game here!) and his famous Flying Soldiers (besides there was a siege of a city in Sicily by the tyrant Dionysius I of Syracuse where smth similar -- if less impressive bc siege ladders -- also happened). [ "In a siege of a mountaintop fortress, Alexander offered prizes to soldiers who climbed towering cliff faces in the fastest time. Dozens of men died attempting to scale the sheer walls, but others made it to the top using a[n improvised] combination of iron spikes [tent pegs] and linen ropes—techniques still used by climbers today." ]

"'[W]hen they came to very steep places, some grasped projecting stones with their hands and pulled themselves up, others made their way by using nooses of rope, still others drove wedges between the stones and made steps on which to stand.' But without modern safety equipment like belays, harnesses and carabiners, Alexander’s men were one misstep away from disaster, and at least 30 men died attempting the ascent. 'They spent a day amid fear and toil. After having struggled over rough places, still harder ones awaited them, and the height of the rock seemed to grow. That indeed was a pitiful sight, when those whom their unsteady step had betrayed were hurled down a sheer drop; and the example of others’ disaster showed that they must soon suffer the same fate.'"

arthur was def expecting to be known as like ~the eagle of kil-kennar~ or smth after this fabulous exploit esp w his eagle and winged sun imagery and his troops' apparent ability to fly etc but instead he got butcher of kil-kennar bc ppl focused in on the beheading and not the marvelous and innovative military tactics he pioneered alkdjsfjdf and now his not!gf (he thinks) hates him for it LKSDAJFLSJKDF its rough being arthur ;DDDDD

i feel like arthur's 'flying troops' did fare better than their leader that way and got nicknamed the eagle's feathers from there on out -- thanks, guys!! a special new branch (or should i say...wing ;DDDDD) of arthur's pre-existing order of the dawn (bc yes he did battlefield knight everyone who was brave enough to dare that climb, no matter their rank -- even if you fell to your death you did so as a knight, and a knight of the dawn, at that! and if you were lucky and survived ur to this day sir so-and-so even if you started a peasant and arthur thinks that's incredibly egalitarian of him to have done laksjdfkjds)

but i feel like their thrilling, death-defying exploit probs ~was pr widely circulated throughout the empire esp as damage control for the whole beheading a witch and subsequent rioting thing laksjfjdskf but idk that it got v attached to ~arthur himself and was probs more just a cool thing that ~house varmont~ (lowkey implied twas the emperor himself no doubt...) did which ngl def does irk arthur HE WANTED THAT CREDIT!!!!!! lkajdsfjksdfj instead he's just a butcher laksdjfkljdsf ;DDD

also genuine question -- why hasn't anyone made a movie abt the siege of the sogdian rock????????? like this just feels like prime for that but anyway alsdkjflkjsdf

PONTENTIAL PRE-CONQUEST USES OF KIL-KENNAR?? (aka the actual point of this whole post...)

ok so like i was sort of thinking of the fortress of kil-kennar ig as like...ig kinda like a medieval monastery? this haven of learning and prayer that's like this really remote but incredible place sorta living outside the regular run of time kinda thing??? ~lay ppl may or may not live there as well but like sort of a religious retreat kinda vibe???? but also obv a center of pilgrimage and a restful place in these treacherous mountains where you can stop and given offerings to the guardians and get a hot meal and a good sleep etc before continuing your way across, kinda thing?

and/or maybe it was a university of some sort??? like iirc our girl @forgottenarias took a retreat there w her mom while dom was still king to help her learn abt being a seer? and, while aria's situation was secret, maybe smth it offered lotsa benefits for seers seeking to learn? so according to [ lizzy's og post abt witchery <3 ], there is 1 general thing that all witches get which is the ability to ~see the guardians~ (unless ur @forgottensaoirse ;D), but from there guardians can also gift you further low level magics, healing and/or premonitions so!! im thinking that maybe there were sort of...for lack of a better term...courses where you could learn to manage the sight and more advanced classes on magical healing and interpretting dreams and visions and such?? or even if not formal training sm then like...a bunchfof seers for emotional support/advice etc?? idk i just feel like astaira is v much a helpful place so having a place for banding together to work through this stuff just feels like smth they'd have?? esp bc it can be so confusing/scary but is also simultaneously so important/revered!!!

i also feel like, since we established that the head seer and the ruler occasionally have clashes and such, the chapterhouse might also lowkey serve as a court for them and that sort of thing as well as like a teaching place for doctrine and such but also oracle of delphi-esque readings and proclomations and such!

also yesssss deffffffff think there were acolytes and non-lay folk aplenty!!!!! and also a MASSIVE library, not just religious tho probs tHE biggest religious library in all astaira would have been located there i would guess, etc!! but full of all kinds of subjects! history, magic, you name it! still think the biggest number of astronomic books was at stafford for reasons and the biggest natural history section probs at malconaire etc buT i feel like astaira is all abt learning and so i feel like all these places have massive libraries!!!!

also roderick defffff burned all magic/religious books that weren't smuggled out!!!! an id i love love love the idea that some ~were!!!!!! ppl risking their lives to save this precious information SOB <3 hopefully some of it can be gotten into the right hands eventually...i can see aria, @forgottenbrigit , saoirse, and any other seers benefitting from it big time too, should they ever get their hands on it!

anyway idk!! just some thoughts...as always i defffff feel like ive left smth out but i can't think what it was so we're gonna just! go w it! laksdjflksdf id looooooove to hear everyone's thoughts on this/hcs of your own etc!!!! i feel like there's sm worldbuilding we can do here lajsldfkdsf <3333333

[pianokantzart]

The Super Mario Bros. Redux (Pt. 7)

What would happen if, in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, after Mario and Luigi are separated, Mario was the one who ended up in the clutches of Luigi’s eventual arch nemesis, while Luigi teamed up with some of his own close allies to go rescue him?

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 8 ________

Back in Evershade Valley, we return to a now far more quiet royal ballroom, where Mario's frozen portrait hangs on the wall over King Boos throne.

King Boo seems anxious, and when a lone boo approaches him his mood sours and he demands news on where is Boolossus.

The boo hesitantly explains that Luigi had captured Boolossus, and that word from the Birabuto Ghosthouse warns of an assembled Sarasaland army heading in their direction.

As the little boo talks, King Boo grows visibly angry, the magic of his crown flickering and distorting the room around them, but when the army is mentioned King Boo's mood shifts, and the room returns to normal.

"An army? You mean they're coming to us?" he cackles. "How stupid, but fine by me! Let's take a big boo breath, and blow them all away!"

We then go to the assembled army: a fleet of monoplanes of varying shapes and sizes, soaring through bright blue sky. Center of them all is a great winged airship where E. Gadd, Princess Daisy, and Luigi are congregated.

While Princess Daisy stands at the helm, steering the ship and giving orders to the surrounding fleet through the intercom, E. Gadd reviews the plan with Luigi:

The soldiers of Sarasaland will hunt down the missing pieces of the dark moon so that it can be re-assembled, thus returning the ghosts to their peaceful state. Then, while that mission serves as a distraction, Luigi will sneak into King Boo’s mansion, find the portrait gallery, and free all the hostages using a new attachment on The Poltergust.

After the professor finishes the debriefing he hands Luigi a piece of tech– one that looks like an exact copy of the hand-held device E. Gadd had used up to this point... the “Dual Scream”

Before E. Gadd can explain the purpose of the gift, the sky suddenly darkens with strange, unsettlingly familiar thunderclouds. From them emerge boos numbering in the hundreds.

The Professor is confused. He knew that the powers of King Boo were growing due to the gemstone in his crown, but he didn't think he was already strong enough to bring such a large army so far from their home.

Luckily, Sarasaland's monoplanes are well equipped to fight the phantoms. They flash bright lights to disorient, shoot bolts of ice magic, and move fast enough to outmaneuver the spirits.

However, the winged airship carrying Princess Daisy, E. Gadd, and Luigi isn't as speedy as the monoplanes. Though Daisy is a skilled pilot, and though the monoplanes form a barrier to keep the princess guarded, Luigi is still fighting desperately with The Poltergust to suck up the all the ghosts that get past their defenses.

Despite these setbacks, all seems to be going well until Princess Daisy spots a familiar figure in the distance. She alerts E. Gadd, who grows nervous upon seeing that King Boo himself has shown up to this fight.

"Princess, I'm afraid things are about to get really strange," he warns. "Tell your army to not trust their senses! They need to focus only on the boos and their fellow soldiers, anything else is an illusion!"

Princess Daisy hurriedly relays the announcement through the intercom, though it's clear that some pilots are already falling victim to King Boos tricks. A few planes fall out of formation, with one or two even crashing into allies in apparent panic.

Meanwhile, Luigi is also suffering the effects of the illusion magic. He loses track of the attacking spirits, distracted by images of mad dogs, clattering skeletons, and towering walls of purple fire that cause him to freeze up.

Professor E. Gadd can't make his way to Luigi's due to the boos swarming the deck between him and his apprentice, so he calls out at the top of his voice: "Luigi, my boy! Focus! Just keep sucking up the boos! Nothing else is real, I assure you!"

Luigi seems to heed the professors words. For a time he is snapped out of his paralyzed state and fighting back, until he sees something that causes him to stop listening completely: A portrait. A portrait of Mario, rigid and frightened, floating just out of reach.

Luigi tries to free his brother with The Pultergust to no effect. After a few failed tries, he puts away the nozzle and draws closer to the painting, reaching out to take hold of it...

Suddenly, the image of Mario attains a malicious smile, and the entire illusion disappears as Luigi feels the ground fall out from under him. A boo slams into his back, fully sending him hurtling over the edge of the airship and falling helplessly toward the mountains below.

Luigi can faintly hear Princess Daisy yelling his name as he plummets until the air whizzing past his ears and his own panicked screams drown out everything else. Flailing in utter helplessness, Luigi is unable to do anything other than brace himself as the ground rushes toward him.

Then, before he makes impact, something snatches him by the overalls and slows his descent.

He looks up, and there is Polterpup. The dog playfully drops him the final foot to the ground unharmed, where Luigi leaps up and wraps the dog in a grateful hug.

When he eventually releases Polterpup from the embrace, Luigi looks around to try and understand his surroundings. The land, while mountainous and rocky, is covered in flat landings of lush green grass. All around are blue warp pipes and square boulders carved with glowering faces that give Luigi a start when he first notices them. To his relief, they prove to be nothing but lifeless stone upon closer inspection.

Suddenly, the DS (Dual Scream) in his pocket rings and vibrates, once again startling poor Luigi. He clumsily pulls out the device and flicks it open to see E. Gadd's face on the upper screen, while data tracking surrounding spectral activity scrolls along the lower screen.

"Luigi! You're alive!?" E. Gadd's voice asks, crackly but audible despite the sounds of mayhem in the background. "I saw that your device survived the impact, but I didn't think you survived the impact too!" "Heh, yeah," Luigi answers with a smile, glancing down at a very proud looking Polterpup. "It's okey dokey. I-" "That was quite the leap you took! No parachute or tanooki leaf or anything! Sonny, how on earth are you alive!?"

Before Luigi can answer, the voice of Princess Daisy suddenly interjects. "No way!! Is that really him!? Is he okay!? Let me talk to him!" A flowery glove and a puffy orange sleeve slip into the view of the screen briefly before E. Gadd wriggles out of her grip. "Princess! Please! Focus on steering! We're still in the middle of a war zone!"

The princess could be heard saying something else, but she stays obediently at the ship's steering wheel while the professor continues. "Believe it or not Luigi, you couldn't have landed in a more perfect spot! Er... all your bones are still intact, correct?" "I think so?" "Perfect! Then I'm sending you coordinates to one of my labs. It just so happens that I've got a device in this very location that will make getting into King Boo's mansion easy! Even easier than if you hadn't gotten knocked off the ship, in fact!... if the device works, of course."

Luigi looks up at the sky. It is dotted with long smoke trails from damaged planes, and in the distance he can still see and hear the sounds of battle. "What about you?" he asks nervously. "And Princess Daisy? and-"

"Don't worry about it," E. Gadd assures. "Just focus on your side of the mission. This unexpected attack just means the army will have to split up earlier than expected to collect the pieces of the dark moon. Boos are stronger as a group after all, breaking them up will make them easier to deal with, and now that King Boo thinks you're dead and that The Poltergust is no longer a threat, we've got the element of surprise on our side!"

With that reassurance, the professor's face disappears from the screen, replaced with a map and little flashing arrows indicating which direction Luigi should go. Luigi, with little other choice, gives Polterpup a gentle smile as he starts heading in the assigned direction.

[carionto]

Steady as she goes, nature has finally caught up

War.

A seemingly inescapable aspect of any civilization. Perhaps even a prerequisite for it.

It was as sudden as it was inevitable. The United Federation utilized certain ideas introduced and executed by Humanity to their logical continuation. Their horrendous Battle Moon - an actual, small moon converted into a semi-moveable, heavily shielded, and maximally armed military installation, with a military-civilian population in the hundreds of thousands.

They used it as a torpedo.

Knowing that the Death Kebab was directly inspired by their own creation, itself a product of fear and need for control, the Federation strapped a few massive hyperdrives instead of the much easier to produce several hundred standard-sized ones to ease the computational synchronization, and using the Hyperbreak technique, they jumped into the middle of Death Kebab's main rail gun. An impressive feat of precision.

Almost as impressive as the ensuing destruction.

How do you even relay when the mass of an entire planetoid suddenly appears in the middle of three slightly larger moons strapped together? The grotesque expansion from within, quickly followed by massive cracks in the crust, an expulsion of the mantle and finally, the explosions.

One faulty first generation Human True Fusion Reactor from 700 years ago created a 200km massive hole in the Earth. Only one of the moons reached that in diameter.

These were hundreds of military grade reactors powering a gun that can obliterate small planets in one shot.

Seven failed to engage their failsafes in time.

There was nothing left.

Nothing, but a cloud of searing ash where four moons and hundreds of ships and thousands of crew used to be.

Humanity was thrust into war.

And they looked excited.

Of course, they mourned the dead, and were rightfully enraged, but there was a glint in the Grand Admiral's eye.

"The Federation really surprised us here. Fooled our intelligence operatives outright. We were not expecting them to act for at least another year, certainly not sacrifice their precious Battle Moon.

Now, we knew they'd target the Death Kebab sooner or later. Truth be told, that's partly why it was built. Sure, it was a fine strategic asset, far from our most important ones though, but as a symbolic one it was priceless. Biggest weapon in the known Galaxy! Who wouldn't be tempted by the glory of taking it down.

I say let them. They want to rule through fear and power, and Humanity, or "upstarts" as they call us behind closed doors, provided a perfect boogeyman to scare the masses into obedience. We have our own history with regimes like that. Personally, not a fan.

The Federation is large, powerful, foreign, and far from Earth, but, well, my ancestors were never stopped by such things. In fact, expansion at great risk is what we're great at.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a Retribution Fleet to assemble."

[stevebattle]

S.A.M by "Bill" (1978). "S.A.M (Short for "Sentient, Autonomous Mechanism" or "Smart Ass Machine", depending on his (and my) mood on a given day, was one of my first real robot projects, started in 1978 when I was around 15. His "brain" was a single-board Z-80 computer (the big square object in the middle of his "back" in this picture), with many bits of TTL I/O, a couple of serial ports, a bunch of counter-timers, and several D/A & A/D channels. The base was taken from the book "How to Build a Computer Controlled Robot" by Todd Loofbourrow - I had built the robot in the book, and had used my KIM-1 to control it. Later, I decided that just a little platform was kind of boring, so I added the upper torso shown here. The torso (mounted on a "lazy-susan" turntable bearing) is rotated by a heavy-duty gear motor driving a chain and sprocket assembly from a bicycle. The base is powered by two of the (apparently no longer available, which is sad) all-metal rubber-tired "motorized wheel" assemblies that Herbach & Rademan used to sell, with a large rubber-tired caster in front. The head platform (mounted on a small "lazy-susan" bearing) was originally rotated by a surplus gearbox from a Mattel "Big Trak" with some rubber-tired wheels mounted on the output shafts. This arrangement was later replaced by a small gear-head motor driving a large gear mounted to the center of the turntable. The device in the head with the tubes sticking out the front is a directional light tracking device. Each tube has a CDS photocell at the bottom, and is painted flat black inside. A comparator circuit tells the computer which direction the brightest light is coming from. This device could also tilt up and down with a small gear-head motor, to track light sources vertically. Most of the circuitry was installed on small plug-boards from Radio Shack, mounted in a card rack below the CPU card. This rack could be tipped back 90 degrees to facilitate easier access for testing. In addition to motor driver circuits, there was a "Sweet Talker" speech synthesizer board so he could talk. Power came from a large "gel-cell" marine battery (for powering trolling motors on boats), which was slung near the ground in the center of the base. Two 6V lantern batteries (later replaced by a 12V motorcycle battery) provided separate power for the electronics. All motors were isolated from the electronics via relays and/or opto-isolators. After these pictures were taken, a set of metal panels was installed on the "facets" of the base, with lever switches behind them for collision sensing. A Polaroid sonar range-finder was also added later. If you check out the other photos of S.A.M., you will notice an "arm" sticking out the front. This was a prototype made from an old swing-arm desk lamp and some "fingers" from a robot hand design using brass tubing, bicycle chain, and 1/16" steel cable to allow natural bending of each finger. It was later replaced with a much heavier duty aluminum framework arm operated by two 12VDC linear actuators." – My Home Robot Projects, by Bill.

[altaqwaelectric]

Understanding the Role of Busbars, Circuit Breakers, and Relays in Switchgear

In the world of electrical distribution and control systems, switchgear plays a pivotal role in managing, protecting, and isolating electrical circuits and equipment. Within a switchgear assembly, components like busbars, circuit breakers, and relays are essential for ensuring efficient operation and maximum safety. Understanding the role of each of these components can help professionals and businesses make better decisions when designing or upgrading their electrical systems.

What Is Switchgear?

Switchgear is a general term that encompasses a wide range of electrical disconnect switches, fuses, circuit breakers, and associated equipment used to control, protect, and isolate electrical equipment. These systems are critical for both high-voltage and low-voltage applications and are commonly found in industrial plants, commercial buildings, power plants, and substations.

1. Busbars: The Power Distribution Backbone

Busbars are metallic strips or bars — typically made of copper or aluminum — that conduct electricity within a switchgear or distribution board. Their main function is to distribute electrical power to multiple circuits from a single input source.

Key Functions:

· Efficient Power Distribution: Busbars act as a central hub for distributing power to various outgoing circuits.

· Compact Design: Helps in reducing the overall footprint of the switchgear.

· Heat Dissipation: Designed to handle high currents while minimizing heat build-up.

Applications:

· Power distribution panels

· Switchboards and MCCs (Motor Control Centers)

· Panelboards and switchgear cubicles

2. Circuit Breakers: Protection from Overcurrent

Circuit breakers are automatic electrical switches designed to protect electrical circuits from damage due to overcurrent or short circuits. Unlike fuses, circuit breakers can be reset manually or automatically after tripping.

Key Functions:

· Fault Interruption: Instantly disconnects the circuit during faults to prevent damage or fire.

· Manual Switching: Can be used to manually turn circuits on or off during maintenance.

· Safety Compliance: Ensures that systems meet international safety standards (IEC, ANSI, etc.)

Types of Circuit Breakers:

· MCB (Miniature Circuit Breaker): Used for low-power applications

· MCCB (Molded Case Circuit Breaker): Handles higher loads than MCBs

· ACB (Air Circuit Breaker): Used for high-current circuits in industrial settings

3. Relays: The Sensing and Control Brains

Relays are electromechanical or solid-state devices that detect faults and send signals to circuit breakers or other control devices to disconnect the circuit. They are the “brains” behind the automatic protection mechanism of the switchgear.

Key Functions:

· Fault Detection: Monitors voltage, current, and other parameters to detect anomalies.

· Triggering Action: Sends signals to trip the circuit breaker when necessary.

· Automation and Coordination: Works in coordination with other protection devices to ensure selective tripping.

Types of Relays:

Overcurrent Relays

Differential Relays

Distance Relays

Earth Fault Relays

Why These Components Matter

Together, busbars, circuit breakers, and relays form the core of any switchgear system. When properly selected and configured:

· Downtime is minimized

· Equipment lifespan is extended

· Operational safety is enhanced

· Energy efficiency is improved

In an era where electrical reliability is non-negotiable, understanding these components isn’t just for engineers — it’s essential knowledge for decision-makers in any industry reliant on power.

Conclusion

Whether you’re designing a new electrical panel or upgrading an old one, choosing high-quality busbars, circuit breakers, and relays is critical to the safety and efficiency of your entire system. At AL Taqwa Oman, we specialize in premium-grade switchgear accessories that meet global standards and deliver unmatched performance.

Need help finding the right accessories for your panel? Contact our experts today and power your systems with confidence.

[daleeltrading]

Low Voltage Switchgear for Commercial Buildings: Key Requirements, Standards, and Best Practices

In the construction and modernization of commercial buildings, low voltage switchgear plays a critical role in ensuring safe, reliable, and efficient power distribution. From office complexes and retail malls to hospitals and data centers, these buildings rely on robust electrical infrastructure — and low voltage switchgear is the backbone of that system.

Whether you’re an electrical panel manufacturer, a building contractor, or a facility manager, understanding the key requirements for selecting and integrating LV switchgear in commercial buildings is essential.

What Is Low Voltage Switchgear?

Low voltage switchgear is an assembly of electrical devices designed to control, protect, and isolate electrical circuits under 1,000V AC. It typically includes:

· Air Circuit Breakers (ACBs)

· Molded Case Circuit Breakers (MCCBs)

· Miniature Circuit Breakers (MCBs)

· Contactors and Relays

· Busbars

· Metering and Protection Devices

Why LV Switchgear Is Critical in Commercial Buildings

Commercial buildings demand:

· Continuous power availability

· High energy efficiency

· Electrical safety for occupants

· Scalability for future expansion

Low voltage switchgear delivers:

· Protection against overloads and short circuits

· Isolation for maintenance and fault conditions

· Load management for energy optimization

· Monitoring via smart metering and IoT integration

Key Requirements for LV Switchgear in Commercial Applications

Safety & Protection Standards

Must comply with IEC 61439 or UL 891 depending on the region

Must include overcurrent, short-circuit, and earth fault protection

Arc flash safety features (like arc fault containment) are crucial in populated buildings

2. Compact Footprint and Modular Design

Space is often limited in commercial utility rooms. LV switchgear should be:

Compact to fit tight electrical rooms

Modular for easy expansion as building loads increase

3. Smart Metering and Monitoring

Today’s commercial buildings demand energy-efficient and intelligent systems. Choose LV switchgear with:

Integrated smart meters

IoT-based energy monitoring

Remote control via BMS (Building Management Systems)

4. High Service Continuity (Form Segregation)

To ensure maintenance without full shutdowns, opt for:

Form 3b or Form 4b segregation

Withdrawable ACBs or MCCBs

Dual incomer and bus coupler arrangements for redundancy

5. Scalability and Flexibility

Commercial facilities evolve. Your switchgear must too:

Allow for load expansion

Be compatible with renewable sources (like solar panels)

Support future retrofits and upgrades

Standards to Follow

Ensure LV switchgear in commercial buildings is compliant with:

IEC 61439–1/2 — General and Power Switchgear Assemblies

UL 891 — US Standard for Dead-Front Switchboards

NEC (National Electrical Code) or local building codes

Also factor in:

Ingress Protection (IP Ratings) — IP54/IP65 for dusty or humid environments

Short Circuit Withstand Ratings — Ensure it matches building fault levels

Best Practices for Installation in Commercial Building

Centralize the switchgear for easy maintenance and reduced cable runs

Provide ample ventilation or forced cooling

Use color-coded wiring for clear identification

Ensure emergency shutdown mechanisms are accessible

Document the system with single-line diagrams and load calculations

Applications in Commercial Buildings

Office Buildings: Smart load shedding and energy metering

Hospitals: Redundant systems for life safety

Data Centers: N+1 configurations and continuous monitoring

Malls & Retail: Segmented load distribution for different zones

Hotels: Backup and emergency panel integration

Choosing the Right LV Switchgear Partner

Look for a supplier who provides

Customized switchgear assemblies

Fast lead times and local support

Engineering assistance for layout and specs

Pre-tested or type-tested assemblies

Future Trends in Commercial LV Switchgear

Digitization & predictive maintenance

Energy-efficient, low-loss designs

AI-assisted load forecasting

SF6-free eco-friendly designs

Need Help Choosing LV Switchgear for Your Next Commercial Project?

At Daleel Trading, we supply certified, compact, and smart low voltage switchgear solutions tailored for commercial buildings. Whether it’s a small retail site or a multi-floor office tower, we deliver performance, compliance, and reliability — on time.

👉 Contact us today for a quote, a technical consultation, or a custom panel solution.

[thisisnotthenerd]

i’ve seen a lot of theories about what the soul relay did with ludinus and whether he’s coming back.

and i can help but think my ideal scenario for that would be a laudna situation using liliana

a couple of reasons for this:

worked with delilah briarwood on the assembly for years and would presumably recognize her work and be able to replicate it. he was able to trigger her in aeor—presumably he knows the conditions of the state she’s in because he’s looked into it himself

he would want a way to get back through the barrier in a reasonable amount of time—even assuming a convenient clone factory on ruidus, that’s still time for bell’s hells to pull some bullshit

the extended soul relay could have functioned to keep his soul until it got within range of her. she was in the outer chamber, still weakened from the quintessence array.

elaborating on this for a second: for this to work, he’d probably have to use a combination of soul cage and magic jar to make it work. have the staff capture his soul upon death, and then project it using magic jar, wherein he’d be able to possess anyone in a 100 foot range. based on my memory, she would be within range from where the staff was being held by the ravening void—moving it during the fight wasn’t a concern because he wasn’t using it as a focus. also the soul relay could extend the range a fair amount.

obviously her condition is a concern, but if we take the spell at its word:

Once you possess a creature's body, you control it. Your Hit Points, Hit Point Dice, Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Speed, and senses are replaced by the creature's. You otherwise keep your game statistics.

if we consider the exaltant state/powers related to a tether to predathos, there’s no reason to assume it couldn’t transfer bodies. after all, it could be siphoned by the quintessence array.

he’s an archmage. this is exactly the type of shit they get up to. he’s artificially extended his life before—who says he couldn’t do it like this?

provides a scenario in which liliana has to literally fight ludinus’s influence on her brain, not just metaphorically.

alternatively, he’s been working with the weave mind and the cerberus assembly on body and genetic modification for a long time. who’s to say that liliana never underwent any of that in her time? i think he could figure out the arcana of a clone spell being applied to a different person rather than a clone copy. that would transfer his abilities, memories, and personality, thus making it so he could go through the barrier without issue.

when chetney went back to check for anything left by the forcecage, he didn’t find anything. imogen asked about her mom, but matt skirted around it to focus them on getting through to predathos.

makes the ‘ludinus is imogen’s mom’ jokes true

[enzaelectric]

How to Choose the Best Low Voltage Switchgear for Your Project

Low voltage switch gears are significant to an industry, commercial or residential installation in ensuring the safe and effective power distribution. Selecting the right switchgear is key in making sure the system will be reliable, preventing electrical faults, and optimizing energy efficiency. Buying switchgear may appear challenging, given the number of options available in the market. The guide below will assist in grasping the vital aspects to consider in choosing low-voltage switchgear in 2025.

What is Low Voltage Switchgear?

Low voltage (LV) switchgear is an assembly of circuit breakers, disconnects, fuses, relays, and other protective equipment for controlling and protecting electric systems in voltages of up to 1,000V AC. It is commonly used in:

Industrial power distribution systems;

Commercial buildings;

Data centers;

Hospitals;

Renewable energy systems.

Choosing Low Voltage Switchgear: Important Considerations

1. Understand Your Project Requirements

Understanding your project requirements for assessing power distribution should include:

Voltage and current rating. This is for ensuring compatibility of load.

Type of application: For example, both industrial and commercial as well as residential and renewable sources.

The fault current rating: Ensure that it can withstand the maximum possible fault current.

Number of feeders and expansion requirements: Be sure to plan for possible future growth.

2. Safety and Compliance with Standards

As far as safety is concerned, the other critical consideration when selecting switchgear is to ensure that it has met the following:

IEC 61439 or ANSI/NEMA standards-Properly complying with international safety and performance standards.

Arc flash protection-Reduces the risk of being exposed to electrical hazards.

Short-circuit withstand capability-Makes sure switchgear withstands those high fault conditions.

3. Type of Switchgear Configuration

The correct configuration should be selected based on the size and complexity of the project:

Fixed Type Switchgear — Cost-wise, the cheapest and most suitable for small installations.

Withdrawable Type Switchgear — Provides ease of maintenance expected for an industrial facility.

Compartmentalized Switchgear — Offers improved safety and isolation of components.

4. Energy Efficiency and Sustainability

Modern switchgear are also designed to optimize energy usage and reduce losses. Look for: Low power loss components — More efficient. Eco-friendly insulation materials — Leverage the environment. Smart grid compatibility — Include renewables.

5. Smart Features and Digitalization-

Soon after Industry 4.0 and IoT, digital switchgear became a standard. Consider: Remote monitoring and diagnostics-The predictive maintenance help. Automated fault detection-Reduced downtime, and increased safety. Data logging and analytics-Optimizes power usage.

6. Brand Reputation and After-Sales Support

Choosing a reliable brand ensures long-term performance and support. Some of the top low voltage switchgear Suppliers are:

Al Mayar Electric Switchgear Ind LLC is the new milestone in the mastering of Mayar Holding in electrical technology. The company is committed to cater quality electrical and switchgear products in Middle East, Asia, Europe & Africa ensuring high standards and reliability

Enza Electric stands out as the best manufacturer of electrical switchgear in the GCC countries, providing top-notch products that lead the market and offer reliable electrical solutions.

Al Daleel Electrical Switch Gear Trading LLC is one of the leading Supplier and Distributor of Electrical Switchgear Products in GCC.

Civaux Electric proudly stands at the forefront of electrical manufacturing, delivering a diverse range of premium products, including Panel Fans & Filters, Panel Heaters, Cabinet LED Lamps, Regulators, and Indication Lamps & Switches.

Stefan Electric based in Germany, specializes in manufacturing and distributing a wide range of switchgear products such as Current Transformers, Analog and Digital Meters, Relay and Timer Meters, and Door Limit Switches across the UAE, including Dubai, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Sharjah, and Saudi Arabia.

Additionally, check for:

Spare parts availability, thereby facilitating easy maintenance and repair.

Local service centers for a quick troubleshooting and support.

Warranty and possible extended service offerings would enhance long-term value.

7. Budget and Cost Considerations

The performance-to-cost trade-off is thus an important consideration. One could consider comparing:

- Initial costs versus future savings: Although more energy-efficient switchgear might entail higher initial costs, the operational expenses are going to be much lesser.

- Customization options: Some brands are more conducive to modular designs to accommodate specific budgets.

- Installation and maintenance costs: Include considerations for servicing and availability of spare parts.

[niqhtlord01]

Humans are weird: The Hammer and the Anvil ( Don’t forget to come see my on my new patreon and support me for early access to stories and personal story requests :D https://www.patreon.com/NiqhtLord )    

“Retreat!?”

Several of the bridge crew turned at the admiral’s raised voice before a look for their captain had them return to their duties. With the enemy fleet now fully assembled before the Coalition Armada there was more than enough work for each of them to attend to.

Troy Brakus was a seasoned captain serving the Terran navy for thirteen years with the last five aboard his own vessel the “Unruly Yeoman”. She had fought everything from opportunistic space pirates to despotic warlords carving out their own tiny petty kingdoms amongst the stars. There wasn’t a vibration or groan that her ship made that he did not recognize nor crew member he did not know. This ship was his home and at the moment it looked very much like it was about to be blown to pieces.

Having been a member of the Galactic Coalition of Star Systems, the Terran navy had been dragged into the recent conflict with the Genven Imperium. This outcome had hardly been a surprise to anyone as the Genven had been launching an increasing number of raids along the border for the last year until finally the Coalition had had enough and made an official proclamation of war to halt the incursions.

What they had not counted on was that Coalition intelligence had been drastically underestimating the Genven’s naval strength. So when the Coalition united fleet entered Genven territory they were met by an enemy war fleet three times their size. A notion the supreme admiral of the fleet had certainly noticed as they were now issuing a fleet wide retreat order.

“We are outnumbered 3:1 Admiral Kelly,” the supreme admiral said over a communication link, “if we stay here we will lose the entire fleet.”

“And if we retreat we deal a crippling blow to the Coalition’s morale and hand the Genven’s the initiative!” Admiral Kelly countered.

Admiral Kelly Winfeld was the overall leader of the Terran contingent of the Coalition navy which had allocated fifteen warships and twenty seven cruiser and smaller class vessels to the coalition fleet. No other commander outside of the supreme commander could issue orders to the Terran navy, and even then it had been an unofficial understanding that said orders would only be listened to if they had Admiral Kelly’s blessing. Which was making the current disagreement all the more dire.

“Numbers does not always guarantee victory,” Kelly continued, “we can still win this battle if we use our heads and out maneuv-“

“You have your orders Admiral Kelly!” the supreme admiral cut in forcefully. “If you are unable to comply you shall be stripped of your rank and-“

The transmission suddenly was cut off and the hologram of the supreme admiral faded away instantly. Captain Brakus took his hand off his command console and looked up at the Admiral.

“Your orders, ma’am?”

Standing up straight and adjusting her uniform, Admiral Kelly turned around to Brakus and grinned.

“All ships line up behind the Unruly Yeoman and divert all power to forward shields and engines.” She pointed at the heart of the Genven fleet which was now spreading out in a large crane formation in the hopes of surrounding the Coalition fleet before it could withdraw.

Captain Brakus relayed the orders to his crew as the power diversion to shields began. The lights flickered as each station called out that the power had been successfully diverted and shields now were at 300%. Taking a look at the tactical display he could see that while the rest of the coalition fleet began pulling away the Terran contingents were following the Admiral’s orders and forming up behind the Unruly Yeoman.

The last ship had entered the formation just as the first volley of enemy plasma lances impacted the fleet. A number of coalition ships were struck in the rear and suffered critical engine failures or outright exploded.

“Engines to full,” Admiral Kelly shouted as the shields endured another barrage, “make for the center of their fleet!”

“All ahead full.” Captain Brakus relayed and the Unruly Yeoman slowly pressed forward at the head of the Terran navy.

“We have a communication incoming from the supreme admiral.” The communication officer shouted across the bridge as another salvo struck the shields sending a shudder through the ship.

“Ignore it.” Admiral Kelly said as the Terran line continued pressing forward.

The amount of incoming fire was steadily increasing as the Genven ships began to find their mark. Each impact sending increasingly violent shudders. At the front of the column were all of the heavier ships were in the front soaking up the majority of the damage while the smaller escort vessels clung tightly behind them for protection.

“Do we have an actual plan?” captain Brakus inquired as the fleet pressed ever closer to the center of the Genven formation. “I’d rather not end up like the light brigade.”

“We needn’t worry about that unfortunate debacle.”

She pointed to the tactical chart. Coalition forces were making all speed towards the edge of the system while the Genven fleet was still in hot pursuit.

“Now that we’re between their wings they can’t fire on us since any deflected or missed shots will hit their own forces.”

Brakus nodded as he realized why the admiral had ordered power to the shields and engines. “So only the center formation can still attack us freely.”

He looked up from the display to see the center of the Genven fleet steadily becoming larger in the view screen as was the looming dreadnought that housed their command staff. It was the easiest to spot as it was twice as big as any of the surrounding vessels and dotted with nearly three times as many gun ports.

“So are we going to eliminate their command?”

To his surprise the admiral shook her head. “Even if we did wipe out the center the two wings would still be enough to wipe out the rest of the coalition before turning around and snatching us.”

She tapped the tactical display as if counting down to some event only she knew. “We need to destroy their formation in a way that causes enough chaos to break their momentum and give our own forces enough time to counterattack.”

“Captain.” One of the deck officers interrupted. Brakus turned to see the officer motioning to the proximity warnings now displaying as the Genven ships were rapidly approaching.

Brakus nodded to the officer and turned back to the Admiral.

“If you have a plan, now would be the time.”

Without missing a beat Admiral Kelly finally stopped tapping the tactical display and shouted “All ships hard to port!”

As one the entire line of terran ships broke off what many appeared to be a suicidal charge and steered headlong into the right wing of the enemy fleet that was still chasing after the Coalition.

“Divert power from shields to forward batteries; fire when ready!”

Brakus could hear the thrumming of the energy planets as they once more diverted power across the ship on a whim and watched as the first plasma lances from the forward cannons lashed out.

The Genven right wing had been so focused on catching the retreating Coalition forces that the sudden attack from the Terran navy blindsided them. They had expected the humans to smash themselves against the center of their lines but now faced massed fire from dangerously close quarters. A few of the ships attempted to divert power back to their shields but at such short distances the plasma lances were already carving through their hulls.

Like a hot knife carving through butter the Terran navy decimated the right wing, separating the forces almost in two as the forward elements aborted their forward charge and the rear elements found themselves crashing into the burnt remains of the destroyed ships the Terran’s left in their wake.

Several of the bridge crew let out a hearty cheer as the gun batteries across all decks adding nicely to their ever growing kill count until finally they broke through the line entirely. Brakus was about to ask for next orders but the admiral beat him to it.

“All ships hard to starboard now, come up behind the center; target engines and rear emplacements first then work your way down through critical systems.”

Brakus relayed the orders to his crew as the Terran navy came about once more and poised themselves to strike at the rear of the center Genven fleet.

Already their attack was causing the desire chaos the admiral had wanted as the left wing of the Genven fleet was breaking off their pursuit of the retreating Coalition forces to come turn and face the Terran forces. The center was likewise positioning themselves to track the Terran fleet but finding their progress slowed by how packed together they were.

“Coalition forces are turning around Captain.” The scanning officer called out followed swiftly by the communications officer.

“The Supreme Admiral is hailing us again and is demanding to speak to you admiral.”

“Tell him to take a number,” she said with a smile as the opening salvos against the center fleet started, “I’ve got a battle to win.”