#ziggurat skyscrapers

[blackink-onpaper]

The Descend and the Resurface

Damian Hart (Beyblade) x OC

Summary: OC comes from a complex background, and in the midst of trying to save it all and help her family she enters a strange arrangement, which will change her life forever.

Masterlist 🖤

Tags: Beyblade, Beyblade Metal Masters, Julian Konzern, Jack, Damian, OC, Gingka Hagane, team Starbreaker, team Excalibur, dr. Ziggurat, Hades Inc.

A/N: Hope you enjoy!

Also, please let me know what you think so far! It means a lot to me!

Chapter 5

Bewildered, I ripped the entire envelope apart and opened the letter:

Dear Miss Casilarghi,

You are hereby personally invited to come to Hades Inc. headquarters tomorrow at noon for a meeting with dr. Ziggurat.

This invitation also extends to a pick up at 11:30AM and return to your hotel with our chauffeur, a guided tour of the entire Hades complex and a complimentary lunch. We are looking forward to your arrival.

Best regards,

Dr. Ziggurat

CEO of Hades Inc. and Hades Academy

“Oh like fuck I will” I threw the letter into the trash: “I wasn’t even asked, they just let me know I am supposed to come! Hah, ridiculous” slowly sitting down on the bed again and running my hands through my hair, my thoughts continued: “Hades…” could it have anything to do with Kerbecs? With Starbreaker? A quick Google search later, I learned that Starbreaker is managed by this dr. Ziggurat, and that this academy is where they train their bladers. I also came across many articles about how Starbreaker members are the only three members of the Academy that were ever publicly acknowledged as graduates of the program. Apparently, many people apply and get accepted, but the majority get sent home eventually. One article even said all accepted candidates of the program need to sign iron-clad NDAs, but this was from a blog so I took it with a grain of salt. I was in a conflicted position: on one hand, I didn’t want to waste my time, which was meant to be dedicated to reconciling with Julian, on the guy who managed those lunatics from Starbreaker, but I also couldn’t help but wonder what he wants to talk about with me? This was all very suspicious, yet thought provoking. Drawing myself a warm bath to rest in, I decided to indulge dr. Ziggurat and see what he wants. After all, if I will want to leave I can. After this, I will get in contact with Julian and see if he recovered enough to speak with me.

For the meeting, I decided not to dress too formally. Even though I decided to indulge dr. Ziggurat with this meeting, I don’t plan on honouring him or his organisation by wearing my nice clothes. Therefore, I settled on a pair of ankle-length straight white jeans, and a black viscose tank top with a square neckline and thick straps, accessorised with a regular black shoulder bag and white sneakers. At 11:30 sharp, the chauffeur was in front of the hotel, holding the rear door of a big, black jeep open for me. The driver himself was dressed all in black, and was wearing black leather gloves and sunglasses. He greeted me with a polite, noticably trained smile as I settled into the vehicle. The seats were comfortable and soft, but the tainted side windows made me feel uneasy. The drive itself was not long, but it occurred to me that the reason why they sent a driver in the first place was because they want absolute control over who comes in, and who goes out. The Hades complex was in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nothing but dust and empty land. A circle of tall buildings built of sun-reflecting glass surfaces, which gave the city a kind of glow from a distance, surrounded a single skyscraper. Upon entering the city, I noticed that there was no one in the streets, maybe an odd man here and there. The driver pulled up in front of the tallest skyscraper, and another suited man opened the door for me.

“Welcome to Hades Inc.” A short, blonde woman greeted me with a neutral but pleasant voice. She accompanied me to the elevator, where she placed one of the highest floors.

“How come there is no one in the streets?”

She smiled mildly at me: “people are working! This is a company more than anything. Besides, this time of the day it gets too warm, and the solar panels work better if there are no disturbances.”

“But where are the employees’ cars then?”

“There are several levels of underground facilities in this complex, the first one featuring a garage” she spoke just a bit more lively than Siri or Alexa, but in a very similar manner. When the door opened, there was another frosted glass wall in front of us, the door of which required a finger print for enterance. Apparently, the glass wall was sound-proof, because when she let me in I could hear two men discussing something:

“Sir, your 12PM appointment is here.” the woman let me in and closed the door softly behind me.

Dr. Ziggurat sat straight across from me, seated behind a minimalistic black desk, with two chairs in front of it, and surrounded by light gray walls and carpet. There was a lot of natural light coming into the room through floor-to-ceiling windows, yet the room was at a comfortamble temperature.

Dr. Ziggurat got up from his seat, and walked over with a grin. When he stood up, I noticed he was much taller and skinnier than I expected. He extended his hand: “Camila, so nice of you to come!” He showed me to one of the seats in front of him. On the left side of the room was a two-seat black leather sofa supported by a silver metal rod, and a man with a short beard and thin glasses sat there.

“I am dr. Ziggurat, the owner of Hades Inc., and this is my colleague, dr. Carlisle. If it is not a problem, he would like to stay for this meeting.”

“You have a lovely complex, dr. Ziggurat” I employed a bit of charm my mother taught me: “I am really impressed by the design and upkeep of the entire facility.”

“We do try our best” Ziggurat smiled, before leaning back and looking at his tablet: “So Camila, I see here you speak 4 languages?”

I was just about to engage in this small talk, when I decided my time was more valuable: “Why am I here, dr. Ziggurat?”

He smiled again: “Straight to the point. Very well. Are you aware that I am the managing figure of the US representative team in this Beyblade championship?”

“Until now, I wasn’t” I lied, but I was not going to give him the satisfaction of admitting I Googled Hades Inc. last night.

“How did you like the battle yesterday, especially as a supporter of the European team?” He grinned and looked at me directly over his orange-tinted glasses.

“Doctor, am I really here to talk about that? Besides, I didn’t even watch it.” I blurted out, I don’t even know why.

“Now now, lying is not very ladylike. I’m sure you know that” He fixed his glasses: “Besides, we are well aware of your affiliation with Julian Konzern, and your recent… how shall I put it… change in this affiliation?” I stared at him, I did not know what to say. Yes, I was frequently photographed with him and his family, so I wasn’t unfamiliar to the occasional photo in the newspaper, or a mention in a gossip column, but this guy seemed to have more information on me than I would be comfortable giving if he directly asked me.

“We think you were not treated fairly by Julian, or Excalibur.” He lowered his tone a bit: “and after seeing your passionate support for the team regardless of the severed relationship, we could not help but want this extraordinairy woman for ourselves.”

“Excuse me for being so direct, but why are you interested in my personal life and disrespecting my privacy?”

“Please forgive me. I am a scientist, I’m not so good with words.” He explained, but I highly doubted that statement: “What I meant to say is; we think Julian and Excaibur treated you unfairly on a personal matter just as much as a professional one. You abandoned further studies and pursuits after graduation in order to support Julian, and were not compensated for the years of devoted service in any way. How is that fair?”

“I loved- I love him.”

“Yes, but do you see in what kind of a position he put you in? And left you in?” Ziggurat continued: “not to mention your family.”

In order to not come across as outraged, which I was, I took a moment of silence before I asked once more in a soft tone: “Doctor, why am I here?”

He smiled, this time a genuine one I think: “We would like to help you and your family by offering you a position at Hades Inc. with a generous salary. You would be working closely with the members of Starbreaker at a salary of your choice.”

I was absolutely baffled: “What?”

“We know you’re a supporter of the European team, but we hoped you might give our generous offer a thought.”

I thought about it, but how does any of this make sense? Who am I benefitting here? I could literally be ripping them off for vast sums of money? For what?

“And what would be the nature of my employment?”

“What an eloquent young lady” Ziggurat purred: “This is exactly what the boys need. We would like to hire you as… an assistant, shall we say. You would be living and working in the Starbreaker wing in order to bring a softer touch, and more team building among the members.”

Then the other doctor spoke up: “Their schedules are very densely organised, so we considered adding a feminine touch might help the boys feel more calm by bringing a more realistic environment to them. More balanced.”

“Balanced?” I asked, and I still wasn’t sure what my job would be exactly.

Ziggurat picked up this time: “We’ve seen your demeanour by Julian’s side, and we believe you would enhance our boys’ performance by providing them with a friendly, emotional support. Plus, the program of the Academy does not yet feature girls, so having a female presence might remind them of previous education, or of home.”

“And you would pay me whatever I asked to be a friend to the boys from Starbreaker?”

Carlisle cleared his throat: “by no means are we suggesting a particular kind of relationship, we would financially support your natural development of a relationship with the members of Starbreaker as a means of helping them reach their maximum potential.”

I accidentally snorted: “wait, you think I’d like to hang out with Jack and Damian after what they did to my friends yesterday?”

Both doctors chuckled: “Ah yes, Damian loves to take things too far to entertain the audience. And Jack is… simply extravagant.” Ziggurat explained, but I was not convinced at all. Enteratining the audience or being dramatic is completely different from torture and ridicule.

“I am sorry gentlemen but as of this moment I am not sure about this offer.”

There was a brief pause, before Ziggurat spoke up again: “Camila, you are a smart girl. You went to a prestigious school, and while all of your peers followed their dreams and potential, you were halted by your family’s lack of funds, yes, but primarily by a boy who asked you to drop everything to be by his side, only to leave you to fight your battle alone once things got too difficult for him to manage.”

“He never asked me.” I defended myself

“Not directly, no” Ziggurat left a moment of silence pass: “Consider our offer until this time tomorrow, and if you decide to join us, send a message to this contact.” He passed a card across the table, and leaned back in his chair: “Would you like a tour of the complex? Something to eat?”

Darting s look at the clock on the desk, I’ve noticed somehow an hour and a half passed, and I did not want to be here any longer: “Actually, I am still quite tired from yesterday. I would like to go home.”

After saying goodbye to both doctors, and promising to Ziggurat I would carefully consider his offer upon leaving the room, the door closed behind me cutting me off from the conversation the two doctors were about to have:

“She is very interesting” Carlisle massaged his temples: “not even typically pretty, she really has that subtle beauty.”

“Yes, she is very European” Ziggurat said, perhaps even sarcastically: “but she is exactly who we need in order to get what we want on all sides, and from what the investigators found her family is… quite desperate” He chuckled at this last part.

Carlisle looked at his colleague: “Do you think your plan is going to work?”

“You’re the psychiatrist, dear friend.” Ziggurat poured a glass of whiskey, and handed it to Carlisle: “Besides, it’s all women are good for isn’t it?”

[archinform]

Trustees System Service Building - Part 2

Address: 201 N. Wells St.

Year Built: 1929 - 1930

Architects/designers: Thielbard & Fugard, Edgar Miller, Eugene and Gwen Lux

Trustees System Service Building

Trustees System Service Building, Chicago, Illinois, Presentation Drawing, 1930. Artist: Thielbar and Fugard (American, 20th Cent.)

Elizabeth Hyde Holden (American, Unknown). Art Institute of Chicago

Trustees System Service Building, top stories, June 2, 1930. Creator: Hedrich-Blessing. Chicago History Museum.

The building:

The Trustees System Service Building (now known as Century Tower) is a striking art deco skyscraper rising at the corner of Lake and Wells Streets, in downtown Chicago. Designed in 1929 by the architectural firm of Thielbar & Fugard, the building was completed in 1930. Elevated tracks round the southwest corner of the building as CTA trains enter the Loop from the North and West Sides, making its second-story relief sculptures easily viewable by train passengers.

Of 28 stories, the building consists of a 20-story base topped by an eight-story set-back tower and a ziggurat (stepped pyramid). Its design conformed to a 1923 local zoning ordinance which not only allowed for taller buildings of over 264 feet, but only through the use of set-back towers that covered only 25 percent of the building lot.

At the time of its completion, it was the tallest reinforced concrete building in the world. Its original tenant and namesake was the Trustees System Service, a bank founded in 1914 by businessman John Charles Corcoran that specialized in consumer loans, capitalized by wage earners in the American Midwestern cities in which it operated. The building had a long list of various countries' consulates as tenants. The bank collapsed some years later, and a receiver was appointed in late October 1932. It was held bankrupt in January 1934. 

The building’s first twenty stories were constructed of concrete slabs and columns reinforced with cast-iron cores and helical bars, while the set-back tower was framed in steel. The first four floors are faced in pale gold limestone while upper floors are clad with various colors of brick that graduate in color from rust red on the building's lower floors to lighter yellow on the building’s tower. It was thought that this gave the impression of greater height. [Chicago Landmark Commission]

The original banking entrance on Lake Street rises two stories, and to the right a secondary entrance leads to the business building and the elevator banks (now the entrance to the Century Tower residences). Exterior relief sculptures by Eugene and Gwen Lux frame the doorway and decorate upper floors of the building.

Inside, all is colorful rare marble and further sculptural ornament, including pilaster capitals and gold relief medallions framing the original banking stairway. The banking entrance doors are set below a grid of glass panels that rises to the top of the two-story surround, consisting of a cut-lead grillwork sandwiched between glass. Designed by Chicago artist Edgar Miller, the lead grillwork contains human figures representing the many trades of man through history, including mining, farming, and logging, set within lace-like geometry.

The banking lobby itself is 25 feet in height and finely detailed with various marbles, including a Travertine floor detailed with black Belgian marble and a sixteen-foot-wide marble staircase that originally led to the second-floor banking hall. The walls of the staircase are clad with red Numidian marble matching that used for the office lobby walls.

Eugene and Gwen Lux, husband and wife, designed the low-relief sculptural panels that ornament the Trustees System Service Building. Eugene Van Breeman Lux was born in Hungary in 1900 and received training as a sculptor at fine arts academies in Paris, Vienna, and Munich. Among his teachers were the French sculptor Bourdelle and the Yugoslav artist Ivan Mestrovic, who created the Native American statues in Chicago's Congress Plaza. Along with the low-relief sculptures ornamenting Chicago’s McGraw-Hill Building (created with his wife Gwen), the sculptural panels for the Trustees System Service Building are his best-known artistic works; after their completion, Eugene Lux entered the newly developing field of industrial design.

Gwen Lux (1908-1986) had a long career as an artist... Later commissions by Gwen Lux include an aluminum sculpture of Eve commissioned by the Radio City Music Hall in New York and installed in 1933.

Edgar Miller (1899-1993) designed the cut-lead decorative grilles that ornament the transom above the building’s banking lobby street entrance and the large door that separates the banking lobby from the building’s office lobby. One of the country's most versatile artists, he is known for his collaboration on the Carl Street Studios, in Chicago.

Architects Thielbar and Fugard

Thielbar & Fugard, the architects for the Trustees System Service Building, are significant in Chicago architecture as the designers of the McGraw-Hill Building on North Michigan Avenue and as associated architects for the Jewelers Building on East Wacker Drive, both Chicago Landmarks. In addition, John Fugard was the designer, through his earlier firm of Fugard & Knapp, of several luxury apartment buildings on Chicago’s prestigious East Lake Shore Drive (now a Chicago Landmark district) and was associated with the design of the Allerton Hotel on North Michigan Avenue, also a Chicago Landmark. 1 Chicago Landmark Commission

Portraits, Chicago Landmark Commission

The building was illustrated and described in various publications, some of which are shown below.

Scanned pages from The Architectural Forum, vol. LII, no. 1, January 1, 1931, Part One:

Set into the staircase walls are a pair of bronze plaques, also designed by the Luxs. Allegorical in image, one symbolizes “Thrift” with images of an owl (representing wisdom), a beehive (denoting hard work), a prosperous-looking man, and the phrase “Life prospers the thrifty,” while the other, “Thriftlessness,” depicts a shoeless, ragged-looking man surrounded by weed-like thistles and thorns and bears the phrase “Life punishes the thriftless.”

[Commission on Chicago Landmarks]

Additional images from Trustees System Service Building, 201 N. Wells St. Preliminary Landmark recommendation approved by the Commission on Chicago Landmarks, January 9, 2003

This plan of the second floor dates from 1953, and shows the intact configuration of the main banking room (see illstratiions below). The west portion, on the Wells Street side, was apparently occuppied by the architectural offices of Graham, Anderson, Probst, and White.

The building was illustrated in the April 1931, vol. 8 no. 12 issue of Through the Ages, pp. 9-16 [link to pdf of article]. Published by the National Association of Marble Dealers, the publication focuses on the use of marble in the Trustees System Service Building.

Describing the building's entrance:

Through bronze doors, you enter into a spacious lobby of warm, subdued richness, relieved by touches of gold. The wall surfaces are of Red Numidian marble to the ceiling, the floor is of Napoleon Gray, and borders are of Cardiff Green and Travertine Antique. From this lobby seven elevators, all of them of the latest type with full automatic control, serve the patrons. From an adjacent entrance hall (there are entrances conveniently located on both Wells and Lake Streets) a grand staircase of Italian Travertine mounts to the Industrial Finance quarters. The walls of this fine flight are also of Red Numidian, and this same striking material was widely employed for the main banking quarters, which are described later on. This Red Numidian marble comes from quarries at Oran, in Africa, and it is claimed that there are only a very few buildings in America in which it was used. The quarries were known to have been operated by the Romans, but records show that they were in production even before the Romans. They have found traces where this material was used in Palestine many years before any of it was transported to the Roman Empire. The original quarries (the Romans operated several) have become exhausted, and those which are now being worked are comparatively new, having been opened only ten or twelve years ago. [Through the Ages p. 12]

Further:

"The marble, which is blood red in color, is quarried by hand. No machinery whatever is employed. Often entire families work for months in getting out a single block. "It is said the Trustees System headquarters, the Carnegie Library in Pittsburgh and the Union Trust Company in Detroit, are the only buildings in America which are fortunate enough to possess this rare relic of old Roman splendor." [Through the Ages p. 14]

The illustrations below come from the same issue of Through the Ages.

Finance Banking Room, second floor

The banking room lobby has a Travertine floor with dots of Belgian Black, but the outer border is of Dark Cedar Tennessee. The banking room is divided by a row of Red Numidian marble pillars supporting a gold decorated ceiling, and the foyer is between the pillars and the east wall. Check desks, benches and cashiers’ cages are all a combination of Black and Gold marble and the African Numidian above referred to. The illustrations herewith portray the splendid effect of these materials. [Through the Ages p. 14]

A detail of the above image, showing the decorative panels of the history of Industrial Finance by Eugene Lux. The third panel appears at top right, depicting the Schulze Delitzch banks .2

The banking room and panels are described:

"Topping the Numidian marble of the east wall,” to quote from a booklet published as a supplement to the Industrial Banker of May, 1930, "is a frieze of sculptured plaques depicting the history of Industrial Finance. These plaques, the work of Eugene Lux, are done in a Neo-Classic style, and tell the story of the rise of this important field of business. The first plaque portrays the Medieval Pawnshop, one of those institutions which made the need for co-operative credit so imperative; the second, depicts the Raiffeisen system; the third, the Schulze-Delitzch banks; and the fourth, a Trustees System Service office. This last plaque is one of the few pieces of sculpturing in this country in which the figures are done in modern dress.” [Through the Ages pp. 14, 16]

The second of Lux's panels, on the east wall of the banking room above a doorway, depicts the Raiffeisen system. 3 The image above is a detail from p. 17 of The Architectural Forum article reproduced above.

Marble bench in the Banking Room

According to the Chicago Landmark Designation Report, "The building was modernized in 1967, at which time the second-floor banking hall was largely stripped of historic details." It is not known what happened to the relief panels and other banking lobby accoutrements.

The building went by several named after Trustees System Service lost control in the 1930s. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. The property was converted from a commercial building to apartments in 2003, and in September 2005 became a condominium and its name changed to Century Tower.

NOTES:

1. The architectural firm of Thielbar & Fugard was founded in 1925. Frederick J. Thielbar (1886-1941), a native of Peoria, Illinois, attended the University of Illinois before going to work for the noted Chicago firm of Holabird & Roche. There, Thielbar served as a superintendent of construction and later as a partner. His most significant work while with Holabird & Roche was the Chicago Temple Building, located at Clark and Washington Streets and constructed in 1923. Thielbar was a member of the Board of Directors of the Methodist Church in Chicago and secured the commission for the building, built by the First Methodist Church to house both church sanctuaries and rental offices. Thielbar was both principal designer and construction supervisor for this work. John Reed Fugard (1886-1968) was born in Newton, Iowa, and also attended the University of Illinois, receiving a B.S. in architecture in 1910. His early practice was with George A. Knapp in the firm of Fugard & Knapp, and the pair designed several noteworthy luxury apartment and hotel buildings in Chicago during the 1910s and early 1920s, including three of the eight buildings that comprise the East Lake Shore Drive Chicago Landmark District. Fugard & Knapp also designed the Moody Memorial Church on N. Clark St. (1924) and the South Water Market complex on Chicago s Near West Side (1925). They also collaborated with New York architects Murgatroyd and Ogden in the construction of the Allerton Hotel, 701 N. Michigan Ave., built in 1924 and a designated Chicago Landmark. The firm of Thielbar & Fugard was formed in 1925. Significant buildings designed by the firm include the McGraw-Hill Building , 520 N. Michigan Ave., built in 1929 and a designated Chicago Landmark; the Raphael Hotel at 201 E. Delaware Pl.; the Colonnade apartment building at Main and Hinman in Evanston; the Hall of Religion for the 1933- 34 Century of Progress Exposition; and the Wesley Memorial Hospital (now part of Northwestern Memorial Hospital) in 1941. The firm also collaborated in 1926 with architects Giaver & Dinkelberg on the design of the Jewelers Building at 35 E. Wacker Dr., designated a Chicago Landmark. Fugard was prominent in civic affairs, taking a special interest in housing issues. He served as a commissioner of the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) and was a founder and president of the Metropolitan Housing and Planning Council. Thielbar & Fugard also were associated architects on the Ida B. Wells housing project for the CHA, one of the city s early public housing projects in the late 1930s. Source: Commission on Chicago Landmarks, Preliminary Landmark recommendation, p. 16

2. For information on Franz Hermann Schulze-Delitzsch, see Wikipedia.

3. The Raiffeisen system: [Friedrich Wilhelm] Raiffeisen "...conceived of the idea of cooperative self-help during his tenure as the young mayor of Flammersfeld. He was inspired by observing the suffering of the farmers who were often in the grip of loan sharks. He founded the first cooperative lending bank, in effect the first rural credit union in 1864."

Wikipedia

Links:

Architecture Farm: old chicago skyscraper of the week–trustees system services

Cahan, Richard and Williams, Michael, Edgar Miller and the Handmade Home. CityFiles Press, 2009

Century Tower (Chicago)

chicago.designslinger, Thursday, March 5, 2015, Trustees System Service Building

Divi Logan, Linkedin.com, The Artistic Legacy of Edgar Miller, Gwen Lux and Eugene Lux: The Trustees System Service Building.

Trustees System Service Building, 201 N. Wells St. Preliminary Landmark recommendation approved by the Commission on Chicago Landmarks, January 9, 2003

National Register of Historic Places Registration Report

The Architectural Forum Part 1, January 1931, section of Trustees System Service Building, pp. 59-70

The Architectural Forum: Link to complete January 1 1931 Part 1 issue

Through the Ages, April 1931 , vol. 8 no. 12, pp. 9-16

[mrcompass]

Flame Byxis: A detailed analysis

Flame Byxis 230 WD is the 95th Beyblade in Metal Fight Beyblade. It first appears in Metal Masters' 85th episode. It was owned by Zeo Abyss, who makes his first speaking appearance in this very episode. What is particularly striking is that, unlike the vast majority of Bladers, Zeo didn’t show the front of Byxis but rather the track, which for this Bey is the main attraction.

The face bolt represents a compass with large eyes similar to Sagittario's face bolt. The letters forming Byxis' name can also be observed mimicking cardinal points: B for north, Y for west, X and I for south, and S for east. Note that it is only the second Beyblade based on a constellation representing an object, the first being Libra, which shares the Flame fusion wheel. The word Byxis comes from the name of said constellation Pyxis, which in Latin means compass. The energy ring is itself very unique; it is not as large and thick as Bull or Kerbecs, for example, and it helps to expose contact points, making it a decent choice for attack customization. The overall design reminds one of a compass and also of the design appearing in Zeo's first special move, Needle of Destiny. It is also worth mentioning that the circular symbols apparently represent the four cardinal points. The fusion wheel, Flame, has already been used profusely; in the anime, it is the fourth Beyblade to use it (after Flame Sagittario, Flame Libra, and Flame Serpent). The wheel resembles two arrows, which is quite fitting for Byxis, which is a compass. We also get, for the first time, an in-universe explanation of Flame's advantages. According to Dr. Ziggurat, the four weights increase its stamina thanks to centrifugal force, making it a decent yet outclassed choice for stamina customizations. However, Flame's more important characteristic is its slightly raised perimeters. With the 230 track, as well as a performance tip like CS or MB, which are higher than average, permanent stamina combos can be obtained. The track 230 is the most important part, like for the other Beys of Team Starbreaker. It is the highest spin track ever made, even if in Zero-G there will be variations (some less successful than others). Thanks to it, Flame Byxis is part of the Maximum Series (like the rest of Team Starbreaker), grouping Beys with one part that is considered the "best." Needless to say, this part in particular had a huge impact on the metagame, as 230 became an easy way to counter low-height attack combos. In the anime, it is often paired with the WD tip, maybe for design purposes (the bottom almost looks like an arrow itself); however, WD doesn't have the best balance even though it is a great stamina tip. We can see that this Bey is in itself a pretty solid stock combo, and by changing the tip and energy ring to a heavier one, it can become a competitive combo. Flame Byxis appears taller than most Beys, almost like a landmark. The American Blader-DJ even compared it to a skyscraper.

The colors of this Bey are also notable; the Japanese versions share the turquoise color for the energy ring and purple and pink for the face and bottom parts. The Hasbro version replaces turquoise with blue and the rest with red. Blue is directly tied to Zeo, since all of his Beys have a blue energy ring. His blue eyes are also reminiscent of Byxis. Red and blue are themselves colors sometimes associated with magnets in cartoons and other media to display two polar centers. This makes sense considering Byxis's ability revolves around controlling magnetic wavelength, much like Libra controls sound. It could also be a way to emulate the colors of the flag of the United States, since Zeo is the first member of the American team that we fully meet in the show. It is interesting to note that the flag of NATO (an alliance led by the US) uses a compass rose emblem in its flag.

In the case of Zeo himself, Byxis is actually his second Beyblade, which he got from Dr. Ziggurat. His first was Evil Aries 145S, which is also a balance type with a blue Energy Ring. Considering those parts, this Beyblade isn't competitive at all, as there are better alternatives. In fact, Flame Byxis almost seems like an evolution of Evil Aries. Zeo himself pretends in episode 85 that he was behind Masamune and Toby because his Beyblade wasn't good enough. So it seems Zeo projected his insecurities onto his original Beyblade. He also claims that motivation is secondary compared to the Bey, which might explain why he shows the track to Masamune and the rest of the audience. It is a way of establishing the uniqueness of his Bey and a sense of surprise and respect to his audience, which does happen. Zeo is more concerned about his shiny Bey and its special part than his link with this new partner (especially since he tossed away his previous Bey he kept and used for years). Rather than forging a bond with his new Beyblade, however, Zeo mostly cared for the advantage and power he got from it; he has no real attachment to Byxis. And why would he? He got his Beyblade and power not through hard work or because of his passion for Beyblade but through pain and experimentation, all of this in order to help his friend. He isn't particularly good at using it either; it wasn't until he was pushed to his breaking point that he used his full power in episode 92. In addition, he doesn't use the advantages provided by 230 as well as Johannes or Herschel did in Metal Fury, as he handles it exclusively as a shield rather than a way to dodge attacks more easily. Zeo gaining a Beyblade representing a compass is quite fitting since he was lost in a seemingly desperate situation until Ziggurat came and made a deal with him: having good results and participating in his experiments, and in exchange, the doctor would cure Toby. In a way, Ziggurat gave Zeo a path in which Toby is the north, with Byxis as the compass to follow said path. Zeo had very little room for maneuver; he was essentially trapped by his deal with the doctor. He couldn't go back, not after everything he did for Toby's safety. Ziggurat himself is very strict and controlling with Zeo, criticizing or punishing him when he makes a wrong step. The latter displays a change of personality after taking the arrangement: he becomes more aggressive and prone to anger and irritability, sometimes being even sadistic. This contrasts with his manga counterpart, who entered Hades Inc. for fun. This version of Zeo follows his own agenda and path, unlike the anime version. The path of the latter ends rather ironically, as Zeo uses Byxis to take down Ziggurat, who was trying to avoid his responsibilities and fate. Note that Byxis was created by him to counter small attack-type Beyblades like Spiral Capricorn. In the end, Zeo gave up Flame Byxis, presumably letting it sink into the abyss with Hades City. He begins anew with his friends on his own path.

[torley]

Dystopika is a cyberpunk building game where you place down skyscrapers, apartment blocks, factories, and ziggurats straight out of Blade Runner.

[ashitakaxsan]

Marvel Atlas

✨ From the towering skyscrapers of New York City to the mystical realms of Asgard, the MARVEL Atlas is a treasure trove of information about the diverse lands that make up the Marvel Universe. With intricate maps, vibrant illustrations, and in-depth descriptions, it's an essential companion for any Marvel fan.

 However, as we explore the pages of the Atlas, one notable absence stands out – the lack of information about Iran. Despite the Atlas's meticulous attention to detail in depicting lands from around the world, Iran's rich history, culture, and geography are notably absent from its pages.

Below:The iranian archaeological site and necropolis Naqsh-e Rostam, located about 13 km northwest of Persepolis, in Fars Province, Iran.

Below:Illustration based on Persian Infantry. Source: Wargames:Immortals-persian-Infantry

Chogha Zanbil(Persian: چغازنبيل; Elamite: Al Untas Napirisa).It’s a ziggurat,made by the ancient Elamites,located in the Khuzestan province of Iran. 

As fans of the Marvel Universe, we appreciate the effort put into creating such a comprehensive guide, but we also recognize the importance of inclusivity and representation.

 We hope that future editions of the Atlas will rectify this oversight and shine a spotlight on the diverse landscapes and peoples of Iran, enriching the Marvel Universe even further.

The persian/iranian faravahar:

A vital lesson of history is the Biblical magi(plural for Magus):The distinguished wise men who journeyed form lands of the East to visit Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh in homage to his birth.

"After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:1-2)

Below: The Three Magi, Byzantine mosaic, c. 565, Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna, Italy (restored during the 19th century). As here, Byzantine art usually depicts the Magi in Persian clothing, which includes breeches, capes, and Phrygian caps.

Their identities,and their exact number is a mystery.However  prominent figures within the Christianity; they are venerated as saints or even martyrs in many Christians communities, and are the subject of numerous artworks, legends, and customs. Both secular and Christian observers have noted that the Magi popularly serve as a canvas for various ideas, symbols, and creative interpretations

There are legends and narrations bout the prominent three*:

Caspar or Gaspar (and several other Greek or Latin variants such as Gathaspa,[6] Jaspar, Jaspas, etc.)from India .

Melchior (Melichior,[6] Melchyor) from Persia(todays Iran)

Balthasar (Bithisarea,[6] Balthassar) from Arabia.

In the meantime, let's continue to celebrate the MARVEL Atlas for its expansive scope and immersive storytelling, while also advocating for greater diversity and inclusion in our favorite fictional worlds. Excelsior! 🚀📖

*: These names apparently derive from a Greek manuscript probably composed in Alexandria around 500 CE, and which has been translated into Latin with the title Excerpta Latina Barbari.[6] Another Greek document from the 8th century, of presumed Irish origin and translated into Latin with the title Collectanea et Flores, continues the tradition of three kings and their names and gives additional details.

[thestickbin]

Equilibrium - Shape theory

Our theme for this topic is equilibrium, with a heavier focus on the core shapes included in any artistic field.

Square, circles and triangles, in design, just feel like shapes to be put together to create something bigger than themselves. What not a lot of people talk about is the effect the use of each shape can have on a piece. Especially in things like concept are or character design for a video game.

While shapes in general are the building blocks to the visual world, squares are literal blocks. Because of this we typically associate them with stability. They remind us of skyscrapers and structure, especially when stacked. They also tend to imply weight and immovability. Like buildings, you expect squares to stand firm. Similarly, a character with square shoulders and/or upper body can come across as strong, imposing or immovable. In terms of personality, squares can imply both reliability and sternness. In general they give off a feeling of stability rigidity, heaviness, reliability, strength and seriousness.

In the context of game design, the use of squares is vast. Almost any level design is going to include squares for walls or crates or doors. It's for a semblance of structure and reliability, creating a level out of shapes that don't make sense in that context can break the immersion quickly.

In character design, square looking characters emanate strength, predictability, uniformity and strong wiled in nature.

Circles are the near opposite of squares: their roundness implies that they are always on the move, hard to pin down. Where squares are strong as bricks, circles can be light as bubbles or clouds. They have no sharp edges, which makes them feel friendly. All of this gives them a joyful, mischievous personality, and they are commonly found in designs aimed at children. Despite this, circles are not all immaturity: the fact that they have no beginning or end leads them to be associated with deeper concepts such as eternity or recurring cycles, as in the rising and setting of the sun. They give of a feeling of lightness, happiness, softness, innocence, movement and the concept of eternity.

In the context of game design, I'd lead more to movement or softness. Circles can be used for wheels or tumbling rocks or cogs. All giving the illusion of movement in video games.

From a character design stand point, circles radiate calm, soft, well rounded characters. They would be pretty surface level in term of their personality, but would always be bubbly and happy.

Although they are not the only shape to contain points and corners, there is something that feels particularly sharp about the triangle’s edges. Triangles remind us of spearheads and spikes. Because of this they inherently imply danger. At the same time, the points are literally pointing, and we are used to seeing triangles in directional contexts, such as compasses or maps. Likewise, many ancient triangular structures such as pyramids and ziggurats are believed to have been built with the implication of reaching towards heaven. This can lend triangles an air of divine guidance.

It the context of game design, triangles are only ever used to imply a sense of danger, and occasionally direction. If you see a row of triangles down a pit in a platformer game, you instinctually do not want to fall in it. Aside from that, they can form arrows.

In a character design environment, this would obviously create a jagged, spikey character. Egotistical or angry or passionate.

Because the theme of shapes would not only be boring, but also already very closely related to game design, most people in the class have gone for more in the direction of equilibrium, into two sided stories. The way I'll be achieving it is through my collaboration with Ethan.

[onepeaandatodd]

Research into shapes

We have to do research into shapes because that is our theme along side equilibrium for our project.

Squares - Shapes in general form the basis of the visual world, but squares and rectangles are particularly significant as they represent literal blocks. This association gives them a sense of stability, often reminding us of tall buildings and skyscrapers, especially when they are stacked. Additionally, squares convey a feeling of weight and immovability, much like the steadfast nature of buildings. When applied to characters, square shoulders and a square upper body can convey strength, authority, and an unyielding presence. From a personality perspective, squares can suggest both reliability and sternness.

Circles - Circles offer a stark contrast to squares: their rounded shape suggests constant motion and an elusive nature. While squares are solid and robust, circles can be as light as bubbles or clouds, evoking images of wheels or bouncing balls. Their lack of sharp edges gives them a friendly and approachable appearance. This endows them with a cheerful, almost playful personality, making them a common feature in designs targeted at children. However, circles are not solely linked to immaturity. Their endless form associates them with profound concepts such as eternity and recurring cycles, mirroring the rising and setting of the sun.

Triangles - While triangles are not the sole shapes with points and corners, there is an inherent sharpness to their edges that sets them apart. Their resemblance to spearheads and the impression of rows resembling shark's teeth naturally evoke a sense of danger. Moreover, their pointed nature is associated with direction, commonly seen in compasses and maps. Additionally, many ancient triangular structures, like pyramids and ziggurats, were constructed with the intention of reaching towards the heavens, which can imbue triangles with a sense of divine guidance, depending on the context.

[vintagemanhattanskyline]

The 20-story 400 and 410 Park Avenue Buildings. Park Avenue west side between 54th to 55th Sons. Emery Roth & Sons, architects. 1956-1958 (400 Park Avenue); 1957-1959 (410 Park Avenue).

View looking southwest of 400 (left) and 410 (right) Park Avenue Buildings. Spring, 1960.

Photo: Emery Roth & Sons.

Source: Stern, Robert. A.M. Mellins, Thomas. Fishman, David. "New York 1960. Architecture and urbanism between the Second World War and the Bicentennial" (New York. The Monacelli Press. 1997).

[maxknightley]

(taking a drag from my cigarette holder) more than anything, I suppose... I want mine craft real. carving out perfectly cubic little blocks of dirt, day in and day out. stacking chunks of stone atop one another. we could build a ziggurat, you know, or a skyscraper, or a lighthouse out by Lake Michigan...

aw, but who am I kidding... (taps away the ashes) mine craft is only a childish fantasy in a world like this

[eli-kittim]

The Tower of Babel: History or Prophecy?

By Biblical Researcher & Goodreads Author Eli Kittim 📖

The New World Order

For decades, atheists, anarchists, and irreligious organizations——such as the Freedom From Religion Foundation & the American Atheists——have tried to ban religious freedom and religious expression from society, culture, education, and the media. And, by and large, these secular humanists have won that fight. The Bible was removed from American classrooms in the 1960s, and shortly thereafter prayer and the Ten Commandments were also removed.

The current shift toward atheism in America and Europe is largely due to these political endeavours. And in the globalist agenda——as propounded by Klaus Schwab of the World Economic Forum, & António Guterres (the Secretary-General of the United Nations)——religion plays a subordinate role in the upcoming one-world government.

In fact, powerful leaders have been conspiring for decades. We’re talking about a global dictatorship that has been in the making since the founding of the Federal Reserve in the early part of the 20th century. It has been affectionately called by Henry Kissinger, George H. W. Bush, Barack Obama, & Gordon Brown, among others, as “the new world order.” It’s not a conspiracy theory since many US presidents, British prime ministers, and high level officials——including Charles, Prince of Wales——have explicitly referred to it as an ideal future government that they’re all working towards as if “they are one people” (cf. Genesis 11.6)! This is no longer a conspiracy theory since this totalitarian world government——which has now reared its ugly head by censoring the masses through social media-driven panic, fake news, government lockdowns, and forced mask and passport mandates——is emerging before our very eyes. Surprisingly, the Bible foresaw this attack on religion, and especially on Christianity, and recorded it in Scripture. Psalm 2.1-3 (NRSV) reads:

Why do the nations conspire, and the

peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth

set themselves, and the rulers take counsel

together, against the Lord and his anointed,

saying, ‘Let us burst their bonds asunder,

and cast their cords from us.’

The Tower of Babel & the One-World Government

The modern discoveries & innovations in virology, nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, robotics, genetics, molecular biology, as well as the harnessing of nuclear energy are seemingly implied in the following Biblical excerpt from Genesis 11.6:

and this is only the beginning of what they

will do; nothing that they propose to do will

now be impossible for them.

Might the scheme to “confuse their language” be a form of electromagnetic pulse attack known as EMP? An EMP is a massive burst of electromagnetic energy that can be generated using nuclear weapons. It creates an enormous magnetic field that can cause widespread damage & disruption to electrical and power grids within range. According to Peter Pry, a defense analyst with the Congressional EMP Commission:

You can use a single weapon to collapse

the entire North American power grid. …

Once the electric grid goes down,

everything would collapse … Everything

depends on electricity: telecommunications,

transportation, even water.

This is certainly one way to “confuse” or disrupt all forms of communication.

Since the towers or ziggurats that ancient people built were no match for the modern skyscrapers, might the Tower-of-Babel narrative be a *prophecy* instead of an origin myth about why people speak different languages? Let’s look at the evidence. The Hebrew Bible (Gen. 11.4) says that the people built a tower (וּמִגְדָּל֙ ū·miḡ·dāl) whose top (וְרֹאשׁ֣וֹ wə·rō·šōw) is in the heavens, or will reach into heaven (בַשָּׁמַ֔יִם ḇaš·šā·ma·yim)! Have the ancients ever built a tower that soared above the clouds? Hardly! However, the Jeddah Tower (aka Kingdom Tower), currently built in Saudi Arabia, will be 1 km (3,281 ft) high, “whose top” will literally be “in the heavens.” And it is appropriately called: a “tower.”

Notice also that many of today’s highest skyscrapers are actually called “towers” and they do, in fact, reach the clouds: the Jin Mao Tower, in Shanghai, the Willis Tower, in Chicago, the Petronas Towers, in Kuala Lumpur, the Burj Khalifa, in Dubai, even the Empire State Building, in New York City. Here’s a shot of the Empire State Building peeking above the clouds!

The Prophecy Concerning Babylon the Great

Revelation 18.8-21

‘therefore her plagues will come in a single

day — pestilence and mourning and famine

— and she will be burned with fire; for

mighty is the Lord God who judges her.’ And

the kings of the earth, who committed

fornication and lived in luxury with her, will

weep and wail over her when they see the

smoke of her burning; they will stand far off,

in fear of her torment, and say, ‘Alas, alas,

the great city, Babylon, the mighty city! For

in one hour your judgment has come.’ …

Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a

great millstone and threw it into the sea,

saying, ‘With such violence Babylon the

great city will be thrown down, and will be

found no more.’

Conclusion

All of the evidence——including the language of the Hebrew Bible——supports an *apocalyptic* rather than a pseudo-historical Tower-of-Babel. The so-called “confusion” or disruption of communication may indicate the coming world Judgment in the form of EMP attacks & nuclear weapons, as alluded to in Daniel 12.1, Joel 2.31, Zechariah 14.12, Matthew 24.6-21, Luke 21.20-26, & Revelation 6.12-15 (i.e. the Great Tribulation). And the prophecy is set to take place when the whole world will be united as “one people” (Genesis 11.6), or one-world government!

Genesis 11.4-9:

Then they said, ‘Come, let us build

ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in

the heavens, and let us make a name for

ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered

abroad upon the face of the whole earth.’

The Lord came down to see the city and the

tower, which mortals had built. And the Lord

said, ‘Look, they are one people, and they

have all one language; and this is only the

beginning of what they will do; nothing that

they propose to do will now be impossible

for them. Come, let us go down, and

confuse their language there, so that they

will not understand one another's speech.’

So the Lord scattered them abroad from

there over the face of all the earth, and they

left off building the city. Therefore it was

called Babel, because there the Lord

confused the language of all the earth; and

from there the Lord scattered them abroad

over the face of all the earth.

—

[designobjectory]

Telephone stand, c. 1927

Attributed to Abel Faidy

Ebonized walnut and maple marquetry with mechanized doors

The American Art Deco movement is conveniently divided into two principal phases: Zigzag Moderne of the 1920s and Streamline Moderne of the 1930s, the first reflecting the dominance of the triangle and T-square and the second the French curve and the compass.

Few works capture the essence of the Zigzag Moderne better than Abel Faidy's telephone cabinet and matching side chair. Among the contributing factors to this delightfully fragmented design were the interplay of light and shadows seen in America's new vertical cityscape (overlapping skyscrapers), Cubism, the mania for Egyptian and South American cultures (pyramids and ziggurat-shaped temples), and even electricity (jagged lighting bolts). The doors of the cabinet are wired to open when the candlestick telephone, housed inside, rings.

[mia-decorative]

Telephone stand, Attributed to Abel Faidy, c. 1927, Minneapolis Institute of Art: Decorative Arts, Textiles and Sculpture

Box with two doors sits on top of table, black triangles of various sizes throughout The American Art Deco movement is conveniently divided into two principal phases: Zigzag Moderne of the 1920s and Streamline Moderne of the 1930s, the first reflecting the dominance of the triangle and T-square and the second the French curve and the compass. Few works capture the essence of the Zigzag Moderne better than Abel Faidy's telephone cabinet and matching side chair. Among the contributing factors to this delightfully fragmented design were the interplay of light and shadows seen in America's new vertical cityscape (overlapping skyscrapers), Cubism, the mania for Egyptian and South American cultures (pyramids and ziggurat-shaped temples), and even electricity (jagged lighting bolts). The doors of the cabinet are wired to open when the candlestick telephone, housed inside, rings. Size: 44 x 26 1/2 x 13in. (111.8 x 67.3 x 33cm) Medium: Ebonized walnut and maple marquetry with mechanized doors

https://collections.artsmia.org/art/39828/

[classicisminmodernity]

Standard Oil Building, NYC, Carrère & Hastings, and Shreve, Lamb and Blake, 1922

[rabbitcruiser]

5th Avenue (No. 5)

The Fred F. French Building is a 38-story skyscraper on the northeast corner of 45th Street at 551 Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. 

It was erected in 1927 with a striking art deco facade contributing significantly to the international reputation of Fifth Avenue. The building measures approximately 430,000 rentable square feet and is currently owned by The Feil Organization. It is used primarily as an office building and also houses classrooms of Pace University. The building is one of the better known projects of the real estate developer Frederick Fillmore French. The lead architects were H. Douglas Ives and Sloan & Robertson. The tallest building on Fifth Avenue when completed, by the 1990s underwent a complete restoration, subsequently earning the Building Owners and Managers Association 1994/1995 Historic Building of the Year Award. The National Register of Historic Places listed the building in January 2004.

Past tenants have included The Cattleman restaurant and Raymond Abrahams, an award-winning diamond jeweler. 

Fred F. French was a real estate developer, who believed in spending money in the design and decoration of his buildings. And he would use different styles in different buildings. No building is a better example of his aims than the office building he erected on Fifth Avenue, New York, naming it after himself and locating his offices there. The building was constructed in 1925–27.

The decorations and designs French ordered for his building are influenced by art of Mesopotamia, Assyrian, Babylonia, Chaldea—that is Near Eastern (Syria and Iraq) cultures in time period roughly 1700 to 500 B.C. Excavations done in the early 1900s produced illustrations of these cultures available to the Western world and artists. King Tut's tomb was found in 1920 and led to some Egyptian influence in the décor.

The term "Art Deco" is often applied to the decorations of this building. Overall the Landmark Preservation Commission concluded that the French building "remains one of the finest examples of the stylistic compromise between lingering historicism and vanguard modernism."

The decorations on the four sides of the rectangular tower on top of the building were described by one of its architects, H. Douglas Ives, as symbols used to connote commerce and "character and activities" of the French companies. The material used is faience—glazed ceramic ware.

Facing north and south are rising suns—signifying progress, Ives said. At the sides of the sun are griffins, winged horses features in Mesopotamian art. Ives said that all this symbolized integrity and watchfulness. Further at the sides, beehives with golden bees, symbols of thrift and industry. Facing east and west one sees the heads of Mercury. Ives said that these were "spreading the message of the French plan"—a concept explained below. 

Ives discussed the evolution of the architecture for the building. Although Gothic and Romanesque was first considered, they settled on the Eastern design, in large part due to a new zoning requirement for skyscrapers, which called for setbacks, which allowed more light to reach the streets. This suggested to the architects that they follow the Assyrian ziggurat style.  If one studies the setbacks, they do appear to be like ziggurats. Ives also stated that colorful terracotta bricks were used, because the designs were more two dimensional than Greek sculpture. 

Per the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission report of 1986: "On the portal over the entrances both on Fifth Avenue and Forty Fifth Street are two triangular niches. On the left Mercury (denoted by the winged shoes), holding a column in his right hand and a compass and two T-squares in the left—symbolizing architecture and building, one can safely assume. In the right niche is a woman holding a beehive, the symbol of industry, as we have noted. Above the name is a band of griffins. And above them are bronze frieze metopes, with five winged Assyrian beasts. On the frieze and everywhere in the building one finds plants and flowers of the Egyptian era: lotus, papyrus, and anthemion—both stems and the flower."

Source: Wikipedia

[ravageknight-eternal]

There is a desert, and a City, a long way from here, from anywhere. It is hot, beneath the gaze of a titanic star, all red lashing and mile-long-shadows.

Vast, fossilized rock carved by howling winds stands in sentinel defense across endless marching eons. Jagged broken mountain peaks, shifting dunes, gloomy shadowed canyons.

But—there is something else. Something across the sands. The City. An ancient metropolis far larger than anything built on Earth, by human hands. It’s immensity dwarfs Giza and her pyramids, Greek Colossi, Aztec ziggurats. Polished-black rock spires, twisted and warren-filled coliseums, gleaming bronze skyscrapers studded by uncountable lightless windows. It is a City of a hundred billion souls. And it appears empty. It isn’t. Shadows linger. Huge, dark eyes peer out from tight stone avenues and yawning, gaping archways.

Whispering winds hide quiet, dreamlike voices.

[out-of-this-dimension]

Planet Biome and Environment Headcanons - Part IV

Venom is evidenced to have been a versatile planet prior to some catastrophe that struck it eons ago, before recorded time.  Its regions can be broken down into two very distinct biomes-- the volcanic wastelands and the toxic jungles.  Rife with carnivorous plants, the toxic jungles of Venom are arguably the most deadly aspect of the planet’s hostile biome.  Thriving in the toxic air that radiates from the planet’s damaged soil, vividly hued flora and fauna alike make their homes in the thick of the jungles, which contains trees so ancient that their branches are often used as a sort of canopy-level highway for the natives.  Volcanic wastelands dot the continents, the soil varying from bloody red to midnight black.  Lava pits are an often sight in these areas, which can easily claim an inattentive traveler.  Venom’s continents are broken up by an ocean, which is said to radiate with a potent toxicity that can peel skin off of bone if proper protection measures are not taken. Withered, ruined colonies bearing the Cornerian logo can be found scattered here.  No scientist dares speak of why that is the case.  

Animus is a primal land teeming with life.  Although the planet itself is quite small, its vast mountain ranges and thick evergreen forests feel as though they stretch forever.  It is said that a thousand nations rose and fell on this planet but looking at its sprawling wilderness, it is hard to determine how factual that statement is.  It is thought that perhaps some of the oldest kingdoms recorded to have existed dwell beneath the planet’s surface, but no exploration attempts have uncovered anything substantial.  As the oldest stories go, this is the planet in which all life sprung forth.  Some clans still dwell here, caught between the modern age and traditions that have been passed down for over a millennia. Ice caps sit on the north and south poles.  Most of the planet is cold but along its equator rests a series of islands that one might consider tropical.  

Cerinia is a planet of sparking energies that seep into its flora and fauna, adorning them with vivid colors. Everything about this planet is otherworldly and teems with magic.  The denizens of this planet are attuned to the mystical nature of this place and work with it to survive.  White, pink, and red-flowered trees are common in the southern lands.  The beaches have white sand and the water is clear as crystal.  To the north in the forests, the land is filled with glistening mist and icicle-ridden caverns. The golden pyramids and ziggurats that dot the lands are timeless, crafted by hands long ago in devotion to gods that most of Lylat has long forgotten.

Aparoid Homeworld was a world whose original name had long been lost.  Abandoned highways and skyscrapers covered the planet’s surface, the structures overwritten by aparoidedation.  It is said the roads there had eyes when the Queen still lived, and that nothing ever traveled there without her knowing its exact location.  It is not known if the aparoids constructed the planet-wide city themselves or if they found it, taking it over in brutal conquest as was their way.  The core of the planet was hollowed out, its center crafted into a nest for the Queen.  Careful observation of planet remains revealed that the planet itself seems to have traits similar to the decaying aparoid soldiers left over from the invasion.  Perhaps the planet itself was an aparoid...?