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mostlysignssomeportents · 2 years

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Finance caused the fall of Rome

It’s hard to overstate the impact that David Graeber’s 2012 blockbuster Debt: The First Five Thousand Years had on society; it’s a truly magesterial history of the way that debt — and debt forgiveness — played in the establishment of advanced civilization and its downfall:

https://www.tor.com/2012/04/16/the-best-science-fiction-ideas-in-any-non-fiction-ever-david-graebers-debt-the-first-five-thousand-years/

Graeber — a key Occupy activist who helped coin “We are the 99%” — drew heavily on the scholarship of Michael Hudson, an economic historian, who led a team of Harvard assyriologists, Egyptologists and archaeologists in a major project exploring the role of debt in antiquity.

Core to Hudson and Graeber’s work is the recognition that societies can be divided into “debtors” and “creditors,” and, depending on which group is favored by policy, different kinds of enduring, intergenerational social roles emerge. If we give primacy to creditors’ claims above all, then debtors will inevitably fall deeper and deeper into debt, and eventually become indentured servants to their creditors.

For example, since Babylonian times, farmers have borrowed — seed, labor and other inputs — against the year’s coming crop. This is built into the nature of agriculture — you need stock to sow, which is multiplied by cultivation and then reaped. But farming is also subject to unforseeable strokes of bad luck: blights, droughts, storms, and more. When these occur, the farmer can’t make good on their debts.

Hudson’s maxim is “debts that can’t be paid, won’t be paid.” A farmer who loses a crop and falls deeper into debt to sow the next year’s crop will find themselves even further indebted as interest payments swamp even a bumper crop. The next year, things are worse — and then worse again.

Everyone who does productive work will eventually run up against bad luck. The mason’s stone will shatter, the smith’s forge will catch fire, the herder’s animals will sicken. If creditors are always protected, then eventually ever debtor will land at the bottom of an inescapable pit of debt, which their children and children’s will inherit.

Thus, if creditors’ interests are always protected in law, “creditor” and “debtor” cease to describe economic relations and instead come to describe hereditary castes. The productive economy, organized around making the things a civilization needs to sustain itself, will be subordinated to the whims of creditor-aristocrats, who can order the smith to make decorations rather than agricultural implements and make the farmer grow ornamental flowers instead of staple crops.

The civilizations of antiquity solved this problem with “jubilee” — periodic festivals of debt forgiveness that would wipe out debtors’ obligations and creditors’ rents:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/03/24/grandparents-optional-party/#jubilee

Graeber died early in the covid pandemic, just as the questions of debt and equity were coming into sharp focus. It was a moment in which creditors were demanding that debtors — mortgage holders, student debtors, payday borrowers — keep up their payments even as the productive economy ground to a halt. It was a crossroads where we faced the choice of maintaining our ability to feed, shelter and care for ourselves or maintaining the income streams of rentiers.

In the years since Graeber’s death, his widow, Nika Dubrovsky, has organized a series of seminars, conversations and publications that build on his work through this moment. These played out against the backdrop of the publication of Graeber’s final book, a collaboration with David Wengrow called The Dawn of Everything:

https://doctorow.medium.com/the-dawn-of-everything-6b74b658b986

Dawn challenges the orthodox view of civilizational emergence, a story of inevitable relationships between social relationships and social structures that says that as we inevitably proceed from family groups to hunter/gatherer bands to agriculture to cities, our politics grow ever-more centralized and authoritarian.

Drawing on the latest archaeological and anthropological evidence, Graeber and Wengrow show that there is nothing inevitable about our social structures. In prehistory, we find “play farmers” who practice agriculture while maintaining nomadism. We find great, dense cities with no bureaucracy or leaders; we find widely dispersed hamlets controlled by overweening bureaucracies. We find, per the title, Everything — every possible combination of social structure and politics.

What makes Dawn so powerful is that it rejects social inevitability, the fatalistic insistence that this is as good as it can get because of “human nature.” Dawn shows that human nature is a matter of choice, and that we can — and have — chosen all manner of relations.

The notion that humans can choose their social structures is a deeply subversive one. The past 40 years of neoliberal rule have been defined by “capitalist realism” (“It is easier to imagine an end to the world than an end to capitalism”). The standard-bearer for capitalist realism was Margaret Thatcher, whose maxim, “There is no alternative” was framed as an observation, but was actually a demand: “Stop trying to imagine an alternative.”

https://pluralistic.net/2021/11/08/tina-v-tapas/#its-pronounced-tape-ass

Capitalist realism isn’t just a war on imagination, it’s also a war on history. If we know about the different societies our ancestors built, we will inevitably start to imagine alternatives to the creditor society that we’re stuck in today.

As Orwell put it: “Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.”

That’s why history is so contested. When bigots seek to extinguish queerness, they insist that queerness is a recent phenomenon, an aberration that upends thousands of years of straight missionary sex. When Eleanor Janega explains just how kinky the middle ages were, she doesn’t just correct the record, she rebuts the argument:

https://going-medieval.com/2022/07/08/on-medieval-kink-part-2/

Unsurprisingly, the Graeber memorial seminars devote a lot of energy to unearthing suppressed histories. This week in Lyon, France, a group of activists and academics are celebrating Graeber at an event called “Construire des passerelles” (“building bridges”):

https://davidgraeber22.sciencesconf.org/

Yesterday, Michael Hudson opened the event with a keynote called “From Junk Economics to a False View of History — Where Western Civilization Took a Wrong Turn,” which digs into the history of creditor and debtor protection and what it tells us about our current polycrisis:

https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2022/07/michael-hudson-from-junk-economics-to-a-false-view-of-history-where-western-civilization-took-a-wrong-turn.html

Hudson tells us a history of antiquity that takes a sharp turn when ancient Rome decided to protect creditors over debtors, eliminating the jubilee and creating a hereditary aristocracy that drove Roman civilization into its grave.

Rather than recognizing the failed ideology of Roman civilization, we exalt it, erasing all the long-run, stable, debtor-friendly societies that came before it. The contemporary hypercapitalist ideology that holds that government’s only legitimate roles are protecting property and enforcing contracts are a thinly veiled version of protecting creditors over debtors.

The “contracts” that society upholds are inevitably debt-creating contracts; the “property” that society exalts is inevitably the accumulated rents from debt extraction.

Hudson says that these ideas were well-understood in ancient civilizations — and thoroughly rejected. Successful ancient civilizations rejected the idea that markets could exist separate from politics: markets were an instrument to achieve a goal. Markets were not a system for allocating wealth, they allocated wealth to achieve a purpose.

Ancient societies mistrusted wealth accumulation in the hands of creditors, viewing the rise of creditor wealth as a threat to overall social wellbeing. As Hudson notes, “Anthropologists have found this to be a characteristic of low-income societies in general.”

Hudson takes aim at orthodox histories that say that people “freely” created agricultural landholdings, only to have governments come by and levy taxes upon them. The actual historical record documented by Hudson’s Harvard team shows that the order of operations was reversed: the existence of taxes (and the armies, buffer stocks and dispute resolution frameworks taxes supported) created the landholdings.

Owning a plot of land to support your family was always embedded in society, and was always a trade: you owed the system some labor and material support, the system owed you enough land to live on and a safety net to protect you from bad luck.

Contra orthodox histories, farmers didn’t switch to accumulating wealth in gold, silver and copper spontaneously. Precious metals and coin money were also a government creation, with temples verifying weights and purity. The word “money” comes from “Moneta,” as in Rome’s “Juno Moneta,” in whose temple money was struck.

What made precious metals “precious” was not that they gold didn’t spoil like grain, nor was it that metals had uniform quality, unlike produce. Rather, metals were valuable because you could use them to pay your taxes with them, and they were uniform in quality because the state regulated them.

The neoliberal fairy-tale about the origins of money and civilization isn’t a harmless misunderstanding. Alan Greenspan, an Ayn-Rand-addled fantasist, was committed to the idea that money was a creature of the markets, not governments. He was convinced that “sound money” was whatever the market accepted as “sound money” — so he blithely assumed that the junk paper that created the 2008 crisis was as good as the state money created by the US government (or, indeed, better!).

In Hudson’s telling, Rome broke with history by protecting creditors above debtors, which led to a gradual takeover of society by wealthy families and a hereditary debtor class. Our own society shows the same pathologies, including hereditary debtors:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/05/19/zombie-debt/#damnation

Remember, “debts that can’t be paid, won’t be paid.” A society that protects creditors over debtors needs to invent all kinds of ways to squeeze blood from stones, as debtors’ debts mount and their ability to service their debts is eroded. Our modern society has turned its digital nervous system into a debt-collection superweapon:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/04/02/innovation-unlocks-markets/#digital-arm-breakers

Joe Biden is about to hand control of the House (and maybe the Senate) to the Trump Party because he can’t bear to bring himself to favor student debtors and the prospect of a life unshackled from crushing debt over predatory private universities and student debt bondholders:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/05/03/utopia-of-rules/#in-triplicate

In one important sense, it doesn’t matter whether Biden cancels student debt, because “debts that can’t be paid, won’t be paid,” and millions of people can’t pay their student debt. America has a hidden, chaotic, cruel and inefficient student debt cancellation system that wipes out debts of otherwise productive people, but only after their lives have been destroyed:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/11/20/sovkitsch/#student-debt

It’s not just students or people with medical debt who face this cruel system of post-destruction default. Our world is full of entire countries whose creditors insist that they must sell off their entire productive capacity, their land and their national treasures to make good on debts — and nevermind that it’s impossible to service debts once all those things have been sold off.

https://pluralistic.net/2021/09/29/jubilance/#debt

This week, Mitch McConnell made headlines when he blamed the shortage of workers for low-waged, precarious, dangerous jobs on the fact that Americans are “flush with cash.”

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/mitch-mcconnell-think-americans-are-flush-cash-rcna37263

These are words that could have come out of the mouth of a Roman Senator, one who sees the organization of society around creditors and their whims as a feature, not a bug.

McConnell and the creditor-boosting economists who provide him with ideological cover are a powerful tool for understanding how Rome could allow its national priorities to be dictated by a minority who were born owed money by the majority, who were born owing.

[Image ID: A debtor's prison window; over its arch is the legend 'Pray remember debtors having no allowance.' Behind the bars is a skeletal figure in a student's cap and gown. To the left is a pile of skulls surmounted by a raven.]

#pluralistic

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computrxjamo-blog · 1 month

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Is AI Truly AI, or Just Another Marketing Lie?

By James X Patterson

Artificial cannot be spelled without Art! Art has evolved right alongside humanity. Now our creations can create, right alongside us, although not without provocation. We have given the golem the ability to create and recreate.

Is this phenomenon a natural development due to our evolutionary path? A path that may be breaking off from our very own natural progression? Has Moore’s Law, a theory that states the number of transistors on a microchip doubles almost every two years, while the cost of computers decreases, surpassed the laws of man and nature?

What is Artificial Intelligence? With a name comes a purpose, and with a purpose comes a job, a title, and a hierarchy. With a name comes power, and with power comes corruption, and possible destruction.

As Art has evolved along man so have tools which then led to industry, which then led to technology. Which we now find ourselves at the bleeding edge of where fact meets fiction, and real meets augmented and virtual realities.

New frontiers where one can manifest their destiny. Where the once-projected future was just seen as a form of entertainment constrained between the covers of novels and the curtains of theaters and films. Will this lead to a Brave New World or end in a New World Order?

Now we stand firmly like the protagonist of Caspar David Friedrich’s masterpiece as wanderers in this sea of fog, oh how sublime. AI is here and it is here to stay. So, we must get used to it and learn how to use it, properly and improperly, because once the rules are there, then they will be broken.

Many times in history only through breaking the rules true innovation was fashioned. Our today fuels tomorrow. Our dreams inevitably become reality.

To Define is To Know, Cirilo F. Bautista, and understanding breeds truth. The term Artificial Intelligence is a compound proper noun composed of the words artificial and intelligence. The definition of artificial is,

Artificial adjective ar·ti·fi·cial ˌär-tə-ˈfi-shᵊl

1: humanly contrived (see CONTRIVE sense 1b) often on a natural model: MAN-MADE

an artificial limb artificial diamonds 2 a: having existence in legal, economic, or political theory

b: caused or produced by a human and especially a social or political agency

an artificial price advantage Within these companies, qualified women run into artificial barriers that prevent them from advancing to top positions in management.—James J. Kilpatrick 3a

: lacking in natural or spontaneous quality an artificial smile an artificial excitement b: IMITATION, SHAM artificial flavor 4: based on differential morphological characters not necessarily indicative of natural relationships an artificial key for plant identification 5 obsolete : ARTFUL, CUNNING

-Merriam Webster

and,

Ar·ti·fi·cial /ˌärdəˈfiSH(ə)l/ adjective 1. made or produced by human beings rather than occurring naturally, especially as a copy of something natural.

"her skin glowed in the artificial light"

2.(of a person or their behavior) insincere or affected.

"an artificial smile"

Oxford Languages, Google

The definition of intelligence is,

Intelligence Noun in·tel·li·gence in-ˈte-lə-jən(t)s (1): the ability to learn or understand or to deal with new or trying situations : REASON also : the skilled use of reason (2): the ability to apply knowledge to manipulate one's environment or to think abstractly as measured by objective criteria (such as tests) c: mental acuteness : SHREWDNESS b Christian Science : the basic eternal quality of divine Mind 2a: INFORMATION, NEWS b: information concerning an enemy or possible enemy or an area also: an agency engaged in obtaining such information 3: the act of understanding : COMPREHENSION 4: the ability to perform computer functions 5a: intelligent minds or mind cosmic intelligence b: an intelligent entity especially :

-Merriam Webster

and,

In·tel·li·gence /inˈteləj(ə)ns/ noun

1. the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills."an eminent man of great intelligence"

Similar: intellectual/mental capacity intellect mind brain brains brainpower powers of reasoning judgment reason reasoning understanding comprehension acumen wit sense insight perceptiveness perception perspicaciousness perspicacity penetration discernment sharpness quickness of mind quick-wittedness smartness canniness astuteness intuition acuity alertness cleverness brilliance aptness ability giftedness talent braininess Opposite: stupidity

2. the collection of information of military or political value. "the chief of military intelligence"

Similar: information gathering surveillance observation reconnaissance

Oxford Languages, Google

The brief definitions above help create a base understanding of the phrase Artificial Intelligence (AI). From this one can assess a synonym for AI can be ‘Man-made Mindset”. Following this same logic, Natural Stupidity can also be devised as an antonym. Neither of these terms sounds as creative or as inspired as the original and lends less to the mystique. Both are not as marketable. They do not roll off the tongue for a dynamic elevator pitch and are large-scale crowd-funding campaigns.

AI programs do not “learn” by our common definition. Yes, they produce, but only from their base programs. So, one can also concur all AI productions are reproductions. Processed plagiarisms produced by programs only do what it has been commanded to produce. Elaborate imitations so good that they fool many others. Ironically many people also feel that way about their life, or life in general. Only creating from what has once been seen, or recreating what is already known until mastered to perfection, like a recipe, a classic song, or an honored cultural routine. Machine power has always been more efficient than manpower, but that is exactly what machines are designed to do, so there is no surprise there.

The argument, the purpose of this paper is to help redefine the definition of true learning, of true thought, and what it truly means to naturally think and create. Is processing, from a machine perspective, equivalent to the human soul? I would argue no. No more than hearing a radio is to have a conversation.

Demystifying AI is a part of strengthening its future. No one refers to a hammer as a nail banger or nail puller, so a relabeling, or rebrand, of AI, may be needed in the future to further produce the best results in widespread use and mass appeal.

Generative AI is the phrase used most often to date. The “generative” helps imply the algorithmic importance of the systems processes. The AI can not produce, or generate, an answer or a result without quantitative data first. The scanning and upload of existing images, writings, or inspirations that allow the AI program to complete its task, purpose, or function. Here lies the problem with our current definition of the technology and its actuality.

A hammer, hammers. An AI does not artificially intellect to be straightforward. The calculator is now able to do more than crunch numbers. The calculator can now write and make images, but only like or from images, and words, it has already been “fed” or input. The technology allows for high-level mimicry and fabrication, but not truly original thought, although it may appear as such by the user or viewer.

The best and most modern AI programs can and will even site their sources, probably better than a human could. The AI is not designed to lie. Even if asked to deceive the AI will only do so at the behest of the user. This is where the strength of the technology also lives and weakens the ability of improper use of the future for artists and average users.

The term AI has been demonized long enough. It has a negative connotation that harbors in some minds, and hearts the same fear and misunderstanding as Revelations in the Bible or Ragnorak in Norse mythology. AI has unfortunately become synonymous with the end of days. The end of all living things, and the fear of replacement to a machine era, ruled by robotic demigods and demagogues. Where man truly is because of the cogs of an unnatural wheel. A technological version of replacement theory. A theory that will be expanded upon in the coming sections.

Is AI truly AI? It is a creative buzz term that surely is effective in marketing but when you strip it done to its core, the proverbial bare bones, can this two-letter acronym truly describe the technology of today? Machine learning has been an ideation of science fiction since the 1940s and 50s with works such as Issac Asimov’s I, Robot or Robbie.

The initial concept of Artificial Intelligence was something more fantastical some have described it as the proverbial Magic Mirror on the wall, which nowadays would keep you updated on your dental appointments, tell you the weather, as well as which current celebrity was the fairest of them all. Will Dall-E replace Dali? Will ChatGPT surpass Shakespeare? Who knows, but we do know the answer to the question of succession because you could not have the AI before “the guy”.

In reality, our future seems to be rhyming more than repeating. The pursuit of creating what we see, capturing moments, and repeatedly gazing upon them started with cave drawings and paintings, the original Natural Geographic, red handprints and graphic depictions of running bulls found in Spanish caves, Egyptian hieroglyphs the ancient emojis, Byzantine illuminated manuscripts the eternal great grandfather of all smart tablets. The birth of photography, without it Instagram and possibly all of the social media may never have existed.

What is the Artist role in using tools modern technologies, and techniques? In David Hockney’s book, Secret Knowledge, Hockney elaborates on the numerous tools and painting techniques of the Old Masters. Tools and techniques that gave them superhuman abilities, accuracy, and precision, led to the creation of images that crafted our modern society's mindset and viewpoint on and about what Art is, was, and could be. Did some of our most treasured Artists from history such as Johannes Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Jan van Eyck use tools like the camera obscura or camera lucida to form the realism in their paintings? We will never know, but those tools, that technology did exist during their lifetime and were most likely used by their contemporaries.

Ancient cartographers used telescopes, compasses, and sextants to map the land, sea, and stars. Creating maps of the world is impossible to the naked eye. Which now look grossly inferior to modern satellite-guided GPS, all only a thumb swipe away. Ancient tools we still use present day, although they are the most advanced digital descendants, still hold the same purpose as their analog ancestors. Ironically, these are also tools seen as, or sometimes used, as symbols of colonization, and to some global oppression. Not so different than ships and guns. All in the pursuit of gold, God, and glory. Man has always used machines for guidance.

So, maybe in the future if misguided, there could be an AI uprising, but what that is and looks like could be far less impactful. Such as ATMs and automatic doors refusing to open. Which already happened today. So are these malfunctions, mishaps, or the sparks of the AI revolution? The striking out of the overworked, oppressed, and underappreciated AI sticking it to the man whose protest will last only as long as their next debugging patch or software update.

With the invention of Photography, which was a revolutionary technology, to say the least, the advent that caused French painter Paul Delaroche to exclaim, “…painting is dead!” Yet, we are still painting to this very day. Four out of the five wealthiest living artists are proclaimed painters in their own right. Although wealth is not the only factor in terms of legacy or success, it is a great verifier to prove a point of relevance and importance.

Film cartridges and canisters were replaced by microchips, memory cards, and rechargeable removable batteries. The image-correcting software and digital stabilizers meet titanium tripods and ergonomic mounts. Waterproofing opened up the highest peaks and the deepest depths to be visually captured for science and expand our minds for art through exploration.

From Painting to Photography, to Film, AI has opened up the possibilities for the future. Allowing man, to go beyond what we could see, faster and farther than ever before possible. Humanity is at the brink of embarking on the possibilities of unlocking our collective imaginations once again, and whatever innovative potential that holds. This technological jump will mark out unfathomable bounds. A spark like this hasn't occurred in the Art medium community since the dawn of the computer age. Disembarking from the hybrid analogy post computer age, and saying hello to drones and hoverboards.

Digital art as a whole has moved incrementally, along with digital cameras, printers, and scanners. One could argue due to Capitalism and niche marketing Digital art software has been innovating at a snail's pace to artificially increase corporate profit margins. A form of taxation on creation.

Traditional art mediums and materials are not cheap, and the pursuit of knowledge and expertise is a financial investment as well. The price to enter into the AI era is at an all-time low. Many programs are free or still in beta stages but still widely used. Many who initially thought it too difficult or too daunting to attempt the Arts are now emboldened and inspired to engage their creative thoughts and dreams. Even with the stigma of using AI being held over their head. Maybe Arts elitism was the burden that created the necessity for this innovation.

Even though, as a whole, the Art community is still underpaid, overworked, and underappreciated. However, many of the outer spectator community who are patrons and admirers of Art, have voiced that being gifted with such talents has been the artists' way of catapulting themselves and their opinions to the top of society and social status. Which may be deemed as inequitable. Like one going to every basketball game while knowing you will never be able to dunk.

This opinion, at least from my academic perspective, is most commonly shared by those of the common man. Those who are recognized and acknowledged, mostly for their loyal patronage of the Arts, but not their execution of ideas, or achievements, but whose feelings, efforts, and opinions are valid. Who is greatly needed to fund and motivate the Arts, because what is a performance without an audience? One does not regularly attend productions, exhibitions, or Art shows if one does not love Art.

AI now gives the inaccessible a seat at the table, or at least a foot at the door. Which then in turn adds to the discipline of Art as a whole. AI is good for Art. AI brings in new ideas, new forms, and new artists who would not have had access otherwise. This is the benefit of competition. The cultural and intellectual importance of Art has increased once more.

Some find the cost or value of an art piece begins with the cost of its creation, either physically or metaphorically. Did it cost a fortune to create, a lifetime or a life savings, or an arm and a leg? The value we hold as importance to the significance, or none thereof, for this work. We choose to invest in via our time and money, because what we invest in, we, in turn, want it to grow, and with growth comes expectations.

Expectation can also breed fear. Fear of the not or the have not. Fear of the why, or the why not. Fear of the fear. Fear of the false fear. Fear of the self and self-doubt. Fear of the known, and the unknown, are all fears intensified by the myth of replacement. Many who curse AI do so in the name of an anti-replacement stance. Can Art bear the cost of AI, can Artists?

Replacement theory, also known as "The Great Replacement" is a conspiracy theory on immigrants and migrant workers moving into "white" European majority countries and replacing them by exploiting social, economic, and political systems. (Britannica.com) Ironically many of these countries and nations where this ideology resides exist in places that benefitted from the international slave trade, the aftermath of unlawful colonization, imports and exports made in sweatshops, and child labor abroad. This type of communal paranoia can be found in many Western countries such as the US, France, and the UK.

The fear of invasion will always haunt the nightmares of the invader, and spark a revolution within the invaded. This fear of an invasive technologically superior species conquering man has also been included in famous works such as H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds, a film about alien invaders attacking the planet using giant robots, or Atari’s 1990 video game Space Invaders early video game where you the player must define from alien spacecraft aand machines from landing on the planet’s surface. The list is extensive.

So is AI an Art Revolution or an Art Evolution? Or, can it be both? By the definitions from earlier, they both deal with change, but differ mainly in speed, and sometimes form on certain occasions. One can argue there's not much difference between man from monkey, they are both bipedal animals with hair and thumbs, far from a reptile, insect, or fish, or a democracy from a monarchy, they are both hierarchal government systems with bureaucracies. Although, differ greatly in the process of the transfer of power, and the cycles of power that change within. These are all currently still debated. The point is to illustrate that only with time will this question be answered.

The Terminator, directed by James Cameron was released in 1984. A film about an AI robot disguised as a human who comes back in time, to kill a human child who leads the human army against the robots in the future, to rewrite the future for its omnipotent robot overlord. But, from the robot's perspective, it is sent back to protect the timeline of the post-apocalyptic science fiction future that the robot overlord resides in, which oppresses humans with the surveillance technology they design to oppress each other, with its futuristic robot army that it uses to controls the world.

The Terminator film franchise is a blatant example of the fear people have about AI. The evil AI taking over. Another clear example of this is HAL 9000, the AI of the spaceship Discovery One’s control system in Stanley Kubrick’s film 2001: A Space Odyssey. In the film, HAL was able to simultaneously control all the ship functions while monitoring the entire crew and having a full conversation. The main plot of the film is that a malfunction occurs on the spacecraft and the human crew decides to take action by disconnecting HAL to do repairs and reboot. HAL disagrees seeing the malfunction as human error and proceeds to murder the crew in various ways in self-preservation.

This film, like others in science fiction, is where the computer is the monster, but like monsters, this scenario is not real, or even plausible. Accidents do happen and occur all the time on worksites using heavy machinery, traveling or driving vehicles, and even smart appliances in everyday life, but that is why safeguards are in place. Even the most egregious technical malfunctions usually are not life-threatening and sadly most deaths come from human error, our natural stupidity, not an evil machine. One can argue evil is a truly human emotion.

In 1948 the book 1984 was written by George Orwell depicting the life of a man living in a dystopian society run by a fascist government that controls its citizens with the military, propaganda, and surveillance. Controlling the masses with the phrase, “ Big Brother is Watching You!” All other media is banned other than what is provided by the government. This is another bleak outlook on the future of society, but one that is more realistic. Human’s natural innate stupidity trumps the fictional evil Artificial Intelligence.

Both of these successful movie franchises have effectively changed the mental landscape of many in the modern world and how we perceive the threat of new technology and the control it or a group can have on the masses. Until now these thoughts have been science fiction. Now the possibilities of these events occurring can happen, and in some instances will happen, especially if abused, or used by the wrong hands, but will it or even can it be that grand or that simple?

How super does a supercomputer have to be to take over every personal computer on the planet? How fast does a processor have to be to figure out all the passwords in the world? Could it all be done simultaneously, or would we see it and be able to stop it in time? How much power, as in electricity, would that take? How long would that be sustainable, and would an AI be able to plan and execute all of this undetected by its human operators?

What would the computer's purpose be, if not working for humans what would its function be in working for itself? If it were possible how or where would that be stored and then accessible? Will there ever be an AI with wants, dreams, and desires like a human, or only simulations of said human emotions? These are all questions the evil AI would have to answer for itself.

As of yet, there is no program or amalgamation of such that can produce a strong enough conclusion to suffice the minimal requirements an AI would need to complete the world domination function. This is precisely why a human, as of yet, no one has not done it themselves. An infinite amount of uncalculable variables. In the end, the AI program would be left with what is the purpose of global large-scale control in the first place. And no protecting us from ourselves with genocide and oppression is not an answer, another poorly thought-out evil AI trope.

If Art is the manifestation of the human condition can a computer make Art? It is easy to fall into the perspective of AI from the side of science fiction. From one with a more positive view of the future and interactions with our intelligent bipedal metal companions, or the fear of a robot apocalypse.

A talking hammer that can pull or set its nails while storing them on its back. Is still a hammer. The illusion of intelligence is given to the consumer in an attempt to make the old, new. The hammer has not needed improvement in a century, maybe even longer. Laptops are advanced typewriters. One can argue since the introduction of the WordPerfect word processor program in 1979 the academic and office communities around the planet have been using AI-generated content in works and papers. Autocorrect and suggestion are generative AI in their simplest form. I wonder how those groups would react if their PCs chose to unionize. Would that be allowed?

AI does not always get it right. Many times AI programs get confused. An AI can be very helpful. Offering so much advice it strips the spirit away from what the user is trying to do. Not allowing for those happy accidents along the way that create one’s unique style. It must be trained and reeled in.

When the possibilities are endless making something uniquely beautiful takes more than exact precision. The devil is in the details and I do not think he’s down in Georgia looking for digital souls. Computers and AI programs need clear definitive commands. Solved for all variables to hone down unnecessary, unneeded, or unwanted occurrences. Superposition, that sweet spot between 1 and 0 only exists in quantum mechanics, and we aren’t there yet. So for now our binary world will have to work within our binary rules, at least in the digital space.

AI allows artists, writers, and programmers the ability to make choices bilaterally and across multiple axes. Allowing a creator to show their work while seamlessly moving backward and forwards into the process timeline, while offering suggestions, corrections, and improvements in real-time. With infinite creation also comes infinite adjustments. A modern acceptance of Zeno's Paradox of the race between the tortoise and Achilles. With AI one day that unanswerable question may be answered. Anything is possible with AI and the future it holds, except for the science fiction of the base that has created fears and thoughts of unethical behaviors for the past century.

The evil AI is like the flying car, fun to think about but not practical for the foreseeable future. We can not see the future but we can see the past. While moving forward it is best to have a clear vision.

As far as AI applications for the future we are already seeing capitalism rear its big beautiful head into this new birth. Media companies so desperately want to use AI-written ads and articles in their publications, television shows, and movie scripts because historically robots tell the best jokes and stories.

No, this is ridiculous and is business being business. Which also is the worst part about Art in general. No one wants AI-written content in their entertainment. There must be some AI salesman in Hollywood and Silicon Valley successfully selling this AI agenda to board executives and investors. The problems have already begun to sprout, and companies are having to do PR campaigns to save face or accept the loss that comes with bad reviews and ticket sales. Humans love work by other humans. It is another part of the human condition. Sharing our experiences and learning from them. That is all a major part of Art and a major part of what Art is! Which you literally cannot put a price on. What’s next AI Art Critics?

The future of AI is in personal assistants, either commercial or domestic, and AI Detection technology. As AI technology improves the technology to detect it is just as advanced, but not as well advertised. Invisible watermarks, metadata encryption, and source sharing are but a few ways currently AI detection is being used in the open market to catch those who would use AI to cheat or steal another creator’s work. AI is not ashamed of itself and does not like to be mistreated or hidden. Many who have used AI salaciously not only have been caught red-handed but are being embarrassed in every field imagined where a chatbot could be used. In the future, this process may become more difficult to spot and track, but as of now, AI detection technology is improving right along with AI.

Cited Sources

“Artificial Definition & Meaning.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/artificial. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.

Asimov, Isaac, and Rowena Akinyemi. I, Robot. University Press, 2000.

“Cirilo F Bautista to Define Is to Know.” Scribd, Scribd, www.scribd.com/document/527772984/cirilo-f-bautista-to-define-is-to-know. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.

Hockney, David. Secret Knowledge: Rediscovering the Lost Techniques of the Old Masters. Thames & Hudson, 2006.

Huxley, Aldous, and Robert Southwick. Brave New World. Longman, 2008.

“Intelligence Definition & Meaning.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intelligence. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.

Kubrick, Stanley. 2001: A Space Odyssey.

“Moore’s Law.” Oxford Reference, www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100208256. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.

Orwell, George, et al. 1984: A Novel. Signet Classics, Published by Berkley, an Imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2023.

“Replacement Theory.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., www.britannica.com/topic/replacement-theory. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.

“The Terminator.”

Wells, H. G. The Complete Science Fiction Treasury of HG Wells. Avenel, 1978.

#ai #ai art #blog #tech blog #technology #art #artist #james patterson

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coralpenguincherryblossom · 24 days

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social institutions and society

By Rachel Shannon

The social sciences has five branches: Anthropology, Economics, Political Science, Sociology, and Psychology. These five branches explore how we communicate with each other and form an organized society. Social science is different from the natural sciences because it examines the relationships between humans rather than studying the physical world. Some may also consider history and geography as part of the social sciences but it is arguable. Social science is a relatively new field of study that didn’t gain traction until the 20th century. An example of a social institution that may seem new but really just changed form over the years is media. Media is a form of communication that reaches a wide variety of people within a short amount of time. With more recent technology we now have even more forms of media such as an array of social media platforms like Meta or X, television, and the internet. This allows people to get news faster and stay up to date with the latest trends. Previous generations had to rely on newspapers or radio to get their latest news. Media evolved along with the internet. When we got faster and more convenient access to the internet, it allowed all these social media platforms to exist. Social media and technology allowed us to become more connected as a society but various studies have indicated that we are actually lonelier with the use of social media. Social media should be used in moderation. It creates a faux atmosphere where we think we are engaging but we’re not actually making real friends. It is a good tool to gain information but shouldn’t be relied on everyday. With its heavy use in teens and young adults, the addiction has caused more harm than good. I'm hoping in the future we go back to socializing more in the real world. Sources Liberto, Daniel. “Social Science: What It Is and the 5 Major Branches.” Investopedia, Investopedia, www.investopedia.com/terms/s/social-science.asp. Accessed 5 Mar. 2024. Jeremy Nobel, MD. “Does Social Media Make You Lonely?” Harvard Health, 21 Dec. 2018, www.health.harvard.edu/blog/is-a-steady-diet-of-social-media-unhealthy-2018122 115600.

#social science #social interaction #social media #media

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mudaship39 · 5 months

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Character bio of the Afro Asian Native Fae Elvish, Giant Kin, and Goblinoid Spellcaster, Gunslinger, & Swordfighter Part 2:

Lysander Alphonse Norwood/Luciana Jaqueline Norwood or Kittsak/Kaeo Alin Pramoj:

Rank:

Started:

C+ rank

F to D rank Guild Trainee

C+ rank Guild member

B- rank Adventurer

B+ rank Silver ranked Hunter

C ranked Hero

Now:

S+ rank (SSS+ High Class). Titan rank.

S+ Rank (Unrankable) Guild Member.

S+ rank (Adamantine Rank) Adventurer. (Mithril, Orichcalum, Adamantine)

S+ rank (Platinum Rank) Hunter (Monster Hunter, Undead Slayer, Demon Hunter, Mage Hunter, Witch Hunter, Vampire Hunter, & Dragon Slayer). (Copper, Brass, Silver, Gold, Platinum)

S+ rank (Diamond Rank) Hero. (Amber, Pearl, Lapis, Opal, Amethyst, Emerald, Ruby, Diamond)

magical power, reliability on guild missions, one time guild membership due and monthly guild dues being paid on time annually, compliance with guild rules, quest completion percentage, good relationship with adventuring party, notoriety, fame, adventuring skills, respect from guild colleagues, contribution to the guild, talent, bond with royalty, furthering guild goals, assistance to the state (federation of kingdoms, empire of kingdoms, & or confederacy of nations), & overall effectiveness as a guild member and adventurer.

Adventurers who bring in high level class monsters, animals, and beasts for materials need to kill enemies the right way to properly dissect materials and not damage them. This lets them use them for crafting weapons, shields, clothes, armor etc with materials.

These are factors for the initial guild test to decide your rank and the annual tests and retakes to decide the merit of guild promotion. Some of these aren't for low ranked tests of F, D, E Class and mid rank of C Class but high ranked tests if you want to be B Class, A Class, or S rank.

Some of these factors shift or widen the economic, societal, & educational gaps in societal castes between adventurers in a system of classism.

Level: 500

Stat Points:

Accuracy: 500, agility: 500, athletics: 500, awareness:300, charisma: 400, constitution: 400, deception: 400, defense: 300, dexterity: 400, endurance: 400, flexibility: 300, health: 400, intelligence: 500, intuition: 400, luck: 300, magic: 500, mana: 500, perception: 300, persuasion: 400, power: 500, reflexes: 400, resistance: 300, sense: 300, speed: 400, stamina: 400, stealth: 300, strength: 400, vitality: 500, willpower: 300, & wisdom: 400.

Skills:

Academics, acrobatics, alchemy, appraisal, artificing, astrology, bartering, bureaucracy, bluff, business, charm, conversation, cooking, crafting, culture, diplomacy, disguises, electronics, explosives, finance, first aid, fitness, forgery, gambling, guns, haggling, healing, history, hunting, influence, intimidation, intuition, investigation, knowledge, language, law, leadership, lock picking, locksmith, lore, loyalty, marksmanship, medicine, navigation, negotiation, observation, performance, pickpocket, poisons, politics, ransack, repair, research, sailing, scavenging, scrapping, science, seduction, sneaking, speech, survival, tactics, tracking, trading, technology

Traits:

Alignment:

Depends on class background and species form:

Neutral Good

Chaotic Good

Neutral Evil

Lawful Evil

Chaotic Neutral

True Neutral

Class:

Multi Class Spellcaster. Gunslinger. Artificer. Fighter.

Subclass:

Gunslinger. Arcane Gunslinger. Magic Marksman. Spellshot. Gunsmith. Alchemical Gunslinger. Sharpshooter. Deadeye. Peerless Archer. Rifleman. Adept Marksman. Desperado. Knight. Battle Master. Champion. Weapon Master. Great Weapon Fighter. Tempest Fighter. Avenger. Sorcerous Knight. Mage Marksman.

Paladin (not the class but knight order rank). Crusader. Warden. Anointed Knight. Acolyte. Holy Knight. Oath of the Watchers. Oath of Glory. Oath of Heroism. Oath of Devotion. Oath of the Crown. Oath of Vengeance. Avenger. Platinum Knight. Oath of the Justicar.

Magic User. Arch Mage. Spellsword. War Mage. Arcanist. Monster Hunter. Rune Sage. Eldritch Knight. Demon Hunter. Rune Mystic. Gun Mage. Dragon Slayer. Summoner (Imps, Spirits, Succubi/Incubi, Fae Spirits, Genie/Djinn, Infernals, Celestials, Tieflings, Aasimar, Angels, Demons, God, Devils, Titans, Primordials).

War Wizard. Mage Hunter. Rune Mage. Witch Hunter. Magic Knight. Sword Mage. Rune Smith. Gun Witch. Dragon Rider. Rune Knight. Battle Mage. Rune Master, Magician. Wild Mage. Control Wizard. Rune Caster. Arcane Tactician. Shadow Adept. Psion. Archivist Tradition. Magical Savant. Lore Mastery. Swordplay Tradition. Ancient Magic. Incantrix. Mage Lord. Arcane Origin. Rune Fencer. Rune Blade.

Magical Swordsman. Hex Blade. Fighter. Soldier. Martial Artist. Cloaked Sniper. Scout. Pathfinder. Sniper. Elite Mercenary. Commander. Ardent. Mercenary Veteran. Sellsword, Samurai. Enlighted Samurai. Wandering Samurai. Ronin. Daimyo. Shogun. Warlord. Commander, Combat Veteran. Paragon. Vanguard. Tactician. Gladiator. Pit Fighter. Duelist. Swashbuckler. Fencer. Cavalier. Grand Marshal. Kensei. Empowerment. Destined Bloodline. Magus Bloodline. Enchantress Bloodline.

Background:

Has lived for a very long time as a magical variant human with half fae elvish, half giant kin, and half goblinoid ancestry. Has many magical clones.

Farmer. Gatherer. Fisherman. Weaver. Forager. Sailor. Far Traveler. Outlander. Borderlands. Child of the Wildlands. Fae Elven Raised. Giant kin raised. Goblinoid Raised. Amazonian. Hunter. Clan Hunter/Huntress. Clan Hunting Captain. Hunter’s Lodge. Druid. Barbarian. Ranger. Scout. Animal Whisperer. Stalker. Death Seeker. Seeker. Refugee. Exile. Outcast. Hermit. Wanderer. Nomad. Explorer. Forager. Hunter. Fisherman. Trapper. Survivalist. Inquirer. Cartographer. Desert Tracker (experienced desert guide). Map Maker. Forest Ranger (Wood Elf trained). Guide. Navigator. Wilderness Investigator. Forester. Game Keeper.

Warden (Keeper of an Ancient Elven Ruin). Sentinel (Defender of Fae Forest Sanctuary). Sentinel (Wood Elf Trained). Guardian. Protector. Defender. Temple Guardian (Door Sentry, Honor Guard, Temple Warden, Altar Sentinel, Unseen Watcher, Treasury Guardian. Library Custodian. Inner Sanctum Shield). Apothecary (For settlement, village, town, & city specializing in brews, potions, elixirs, salves, & concoctions).

Conservationist. Pathfinder. Wayfinder. Horizon Walker. Outrider (A pathfinder, wayfinder, outrider, and horizon walker is a combination of a few jobs in goblinoid and giant kin culture: an explorer, a vanguard, a diplomat, a scientist, a soldier, etc.). Master Inquisitor. Trailblazer. Wand Carver. Magical Amulet and Talisman Carver. Magical Witch’s Broomstick Carver. Clan Head. Clan Elder. Tribal Council Member. Clan Leader. Clan Patriarch/Clan Matriarch. Tribal Elder. Revered Elder. Chieftain. Warchief. Paramount Chieftain. Paramount Warchief. Active.

Trapped in the Fey Wilds (They bought and sold items at the Witch Night Market. Willingly or inadvertently they made a bargain with the fae). Fey Touched (Marked by pixies and fairies). Primal Fey. Estranged Fey. Fey Inheritor. Spirit of Two Worlds (Giantkin, Fae, & Goblinoid). Fey Wanderer. Berserker Rage. Channeled Fury. Fey Child (Trickster, Siren, Guide, Observer, Guardian, Reveler, Dealmaker). Seelie Court Royal Courtier (Ambassador). Seelie Court Agent (Working for Fairie King Oberon and Fairie Queen Titania). Seelie Court Lord/Lady. Active

Hostess. Bartender (Speakeasy where leaders of local mafia congregated to conduct illegal business. High end bar where nobles and aristocracy spoke of higher caste politics. Tavern where locals came for a drink after work). Barmaid (Worked in a city pub where locals taught them the tools of their trade. Worked in a speakeasy where they learned deception was a needed skill. Worked in a bar where they learned how to handle the rude and loud. Worked in a tavern where they met many travelers and performed many songs).

Tavern Singer. Saloon Entertainer. Barkeep. Brewer. Tavern Keeper. Layman’s Tavern Owner. Writer (Poetry). Seducer. Courtesan (Brothel and Aristocrat and nobility escort). Dom/Sub. Master/Mistress. Seductress. Lover (Nobles, Wealthy, Aristocratic, & Royalty). Temptress. Madam (Brothel Owner). Innkeeper. Server. Hostess. Waiter. Dishwasher. Baker. Grill Chef. Fry Chef. Pastry Chef. Fish Chef. Junior Chef. Station Chef. Deputy Chef. Head Chef. Executive Chef. Master Chef. Gourmet Chef. 5 Star Restaurant Owner. Mixologist. High End Bar Owner. Proprietor. Food Trader. Negotiator (Specializing in Transport and Accommodations). Writer (Cook Books). Active.

Merchant. Trader. Salesman. Vendor. Merchant. Assistant (Shop Assistant). Accountant (Merchant Guild). Bookkeeper (Major Artisan’s Guild). Shopkeeper (selling and buying adventurer weapons, armor, shields, & clothes). Store Owner (Magical items store). Appraiser. Auctioneer. Businessman. Tycoon. Magical Emporium. Guild Associate. Guild Initiate. Guild Apprentice. Guild Member (Merchant Guild). Guild Artisan (Armorer, Weapon Smiths, Fine Smiths, & Blacksmiths). Family Business. Merchant Prince/Merchant Princess.

Guild Merchant (Alchemists, Gems, Armorers, Books, & Apothecaries). Family Tradition. Caravan. Negotiator (Specializing in trading Adventurer's goods, Magical items, Rare Acquisitions, Crafting Items, & Specialist goods and transporting them by train, plane, or boat). Caravan Bodyguard. Armed Escort. Caravan Specialist. Able Carter (Hauler with a large operation that shipped goods across the super continent). Caravan Master. Tourist. Well Traveled. Road Salesman. Traveling Merchant (Transported goods by station wagon).

Sea Nomad (Lived in a floating city built by metal on the ocean governed by a merchant enclave. City follows the most prosperous trade routes on the seas. Is a haven for smugglers, traders, & pirates). Merchant Sailor (transported goods by ship). Information Broker. Entrepreneur (Specializing in management, sales, administration, production, & training). Trailblazer (Uncharted realms have always intrigued them. They have explored and mapped large territories in service to merchants, governments, adventurer’s guilds, & even their own curiosity).

Dimension Hopper (They discovered magic to move between dimensions at will but have yet to find a way to go back). Stranded (Different World on an Alternate Plane). Planar Explorer. Well Traveled. Planar Traveler. Wanderlust. Plane Walker (They were investigating teleportation magic when suddenly a spell went wrong which landed them in Elysium). Otherworldly Mission.

Plane Walker (They were fighting another spellcaster in a magic battle in the Underdark when they fired a spell at them sending them to another plane to Shadowfell. He/she/they came into contact with the Raven Queen herself and became marked by her forever). Shadow Marked (Somehow, they were exposed to the power of shadows that is negative energy. This energy infused into their being and altered something about them claiming them for its own with a virtual brand on them. The alteration is noticeable, but not all-encompassing in appearance. Instead, it leaves a distinct mark on their existence.

Touched by the Darkness (People can probably feel this even just being near them. These people try not to shun them as prejudice and discrimination against tieflings isn’t widespread in these lands). Afflicted (This dark taint makes them sometimes fester dark thoughts. They don’t seek ways to cleanse themselves. They do try to hide this dark mark of corruption. It has tempted them into a new world of dark arts and dark magic). Shadow Marked (Wisps of darkness make them appear slightly ethereal as they emit like smoke from their skin. These can pass through clothing. They have a single scar on their body that is uniquely shaped as a souvenir from the darkness that is cold to the touch).

Branded by the Shadow Plane (There is a taint in his/her/their blood, one that is foreign and peculiar. He/she/they tends to think in abnormal ways approaching problems from a viewpoint that most would not expect. Over time, this taint displays itself in his/her/their bodily form. His/her/their inherent abilities come from a deep link with the fabric of magic itself).

Plane Walker (An inhabitant of another plane, a pixie, kidnapped them home to the Feywilds. The Fey Wilds was home to their ancestors who were dryads, Arch Fae, Celestial Eladrin, Proto Elves, and Noble Eladrin). Fey Child (Human Variant with Fae, Goblinoid, & Giant kin ancestry). Fey Bound (They have spent time in the Fey World and aren’t entirely the same person as they were before). Trapped in the Fey Wilds (They bought and sold items at the Witch Night Market. Willingly or inadvertently they made a bargain with the fae). Fey Touched (Marked by pixies and fairies). Estranged Fey. Plane Walker (They were traveling the planes and got separated from their group landing them in the Abyss).

Energy Scarred (Exposure to a magical event overloaded them with magical energy. They were exposed to dangerous levels of magical energy that built up over long time exposure to a powerful source of arcane magic). This is why they have a prosthetic bionic and armored automail leg.

Plane Walker (They were exploring a portal to another plane and got lost landing them in the Elemental Planes). Genie Blessed (Freed a female fire djinn trapped within a lamp. Blessed them with good luck and riches). Plane Walker (All they remember is waking up on a different plane with no idea how they got to Pandemonium). Plane Walker (An inhabitant of another plane devil lady had a succubus kidnapped them to the Nine Hells). Shadow Haunted (A devil or dark deity has claim on their soul due to an ancient warlock pact made by their ancestor).

Plane Walker (They were traveling the planes and got separated from their group landing them in the Material Planes). Plane Walker (They were exploring a portal to another plane and got lost landing them in Limbo). Spirit Medium. Haunted (They are followed by a spirit after a momentous event in another plane of existence. They and others have seen this entity. They have studied esoteric subjects trying to understand their situation but this presence remains a mystery).

Plane Walker (All they remember is waking up on a different plane with no idea how they got to the Underworld). Speaker of the Dead (They have been gifted with the ability to speak with and see the dead. This manifested when a chance encounter in the underworld with a deity of death linked them to the spirits of the dead).

Plane Walker (They were fighting another spellcaster in a magic battle when they fired a spell at them sending them to another plane in the World Tree of Yggdrasil of the 9 Realms). Empty Whispers (They hear the voices of those who have fallen through the cracks of reality. Creatures removed from memory. Banished planar entities. Their whispers guide them).

Plane Walker (They were investigating teleportation magic when suddenly a spell went wrong which landed them in the Celestial Empire). Blessed (Blessed by a divinity. For an unknown reason irrespective of their actual beliefs a deity has bestowed upon them a boon to use for good. They know the identity of the female deity of wisdom, justice, & war that has blessed them).

Plane Marked (He/she/they is a traveler of many planes. These planes have all left a mark on them. As beings especially in tune with the many planes, realms, & realities themselves, denizens of these planes can feel these marks and see him/her/them at least partially as one of them. Intelligent denizens of these lands are neutral towards them). On another plane.

Magical Merchant. Interplaner Merchant (Merchant, Vendor, Trader, & Caravan in the Material Plane, Fey Wilds, Shadowfell, Elemental Planes, Elysium, Limbo, Pandemonium, The Abyss, The Celestial Empire, The Underworld, & the Nine Hells).

The Planeswalker (Whether he/she/they believes this a curse or blessing depends upon him/her/them. However this being’s manifestation and aura also changed his/his/their way of contact with magic. Making it flow differently through him/her/them then others of magical power. He/she/they was selected by a powerful being to be their champion in this world. She transmitted her raw power into him/her/them to be used as he/she/they sees fit.

He/she/they was chosen by an eldritch being. The embodiment of his/her/their powers may mirror the being that he/she/they was chosen by. However the fundamentals of enhancement are the same. He/she/they has immense significant reservoirs of raw magical energy whose source is unknown to him/her/them. His/her/their natural power comes from the totality of the planes. The planes call out and rouse those they chose to travel the universe, multiverse, & omniverse.

Once awakened a planeswalker has a flair for information about creatures, beasts, & monsters that are not from the physical plane. Some of the finest planeswalkers use this to travel the planets, star systems, & galaxies and install themselves as monarchs. Others seek to become heroes to help defend those who cannot defend themselves as their champion. Some planeswalkers may construct a pocket dimension of their own in a demiplane they create and mold its components and strengths that they find the most sufficient. Some planeswalkers establish themselves on a specific plane and align themselves with it, calling it home. Their form, mentality, & powers take on the form of the plane they spend much of their time on).

Purveyor of the Bizarre (They spent enough time in markets, auction houses, swap meets, etc buying and selling ancient or unusual items throughout so many extraordinary places to give them an instinctive ability to discern valuable relics from worthless trinkets).

Writer (Travel Guide). Envoy (Commerce). Merchant Dynasty. Guild Veteran. Guild Officer. Guild Leader. Guild Master. Guild Grandmaster (Merchant Guild leader). Active.

Ward. Legendary Parents. Noble. Aristocrat. Scion. Local Scion. Noble Scion. Scion of an Ancient Bloodline. Descendant. Royalty (Prominent member of a royal family. They have taken up the life of an adventurer. They are a prince/princess looking for a more exciting life and on a secret mission before they take the throne). Scion of a Legend. Arranged Marriage. Runaway. Fallen Noble. Heir of a Fallen Kingdom. Exiled Ruler.

Royalty. Ancestral Holdings. Baron/Baroness. Viscount/Viscountess. Marquis/Marquesses (Of nonmagical Human Federation of Magical Human Kingdoms). Duke/Duchess. Archduke/Archduchess (Of Dark Elven Federations of Kingdoms and Light Elven Empires of Kingdoms). Sovereign. Prince/Princess. King/Queen. High King/High Queen (Of Human Federation of Magical Human Kingdoms and Indigenous Magical Human Confederacy of Nations. Equivalent to emperor/empress). Active.

Gentleman. Lord/Lady. Duelist (Child of a noble house). Swashbuckler (Justice Seeker). Musketeer (Avenger). Fencer (Professional fencer). Dandy (Fashionista). Fanatic (Fanboy/Fangirl of the legendary paladin commander Anika Roseheart the Enlightened of the Knight Order, Shields of Winter. They follow in her footsteps using her as inspiration to aspire to. They become excited when someone shows interest in their idol. Their idol was a hero of the people and they are inspired by her good deeds. They act distinctly from her. They want to create their own accolades and accomplishments for their own legend).

Recruit (knight order recruit). Initiate. Aspirant. Page Boy/Page Girl of a Knight. Shield Bearer of a Lady Knight. Squire. Apprentice. Rivals (They and their rival competed to impress a romantic interest, competed for a reward of fame and fortune, and competed to determine who’s top dog in the knight order and paladin order). Courtier. Junior Scribe. Scribe. Journeyman Scribe. Senior Scribe. Head Scribe. Order of the Quill. Order of the Pen. Writer (Magical Arcana).

Champion of the Paladin Tourney World Tournament. Runner up of the World melee Martial arts Grand Tournament. Knight Errant (Completed their training and received accolades of knighthood. However by will of the sovereignty they weren’t awarded land. As a noble with no estate to speak of they were a knight errant. Was on a grand quest to be awarded land. Such as finding an ancient holy relic. Winning the heart of a nobleman’s heir. Slaying a powerful monster. Winning a battle during a war).

Thrillseeker (Survivor of life-death situation. Now an adrenaline junkie looking for the next thrill after dancing with death. They now scale buildings, leap across chasms, & jump off buildings with magic and technology). Warrior. Noble Warrior. Magical Knight. Knight/Lady Knight. Esquire/Dame. Lancer Knight (Knight Corporal). Lost Instructor (Knight commander vanished after investigating a magical artifact. They were on a quest to find her and to retrieve the artifact she was after). Order of the Anvil. Blacksmith. Knight Sergeant. Quartermaster. Knight Lieutenant. Knight Captain. Knight Major. Knight Commander. Peacekeeper.

Order of the Scroll. Order of the Tome. Lore Keeper (Arcane Books, Esoteric Scrolls, & Ancient Runes). Archivist (Ancient Scripture, Art, Geological Discovery, National Treasures, & Historical Trinkets). Chronicler (Written History, Municipal Records, Commercial Records, Archeology, Biographies, & Current Events). Historian. Exam Proctor (Trains incoming recruits, aspirants, initiates, & squires in written and practical exams). Recruiter. Field Researcher. Envoy (Knight Order), Clockwork Researcher. Sage’s Assistant (Specializing in Alchemy, Arcana, Astronomy, Herbology, History, & Linguistics). Praetorian.

Order of the Wand. Order of the Staff. Order of the Grimiore. Paladin (Knight order rank not the class). High Paladin. Grand Paladin. Star Paladin. Paladin Commander. Order of the Shield. Order of the Sword. Order of the Gun. Order of the Pistol. Order of the Rifle. Seeker. Herald. Order of Shadows. Order of Light. Grey Order. Chapter Leader. Order Master. Elder. High Elder (Knight Order leader). Active.

Child Prodigy. Magic’s Favorite Child. Magic’s Golden Boy/Golden Girl. Bookish Providence. Scholarship Student. Arcane Student. Musician. Singer. Musical Prodigy. Thespian. Stage Actor/Stage Actress. Athlete (Magical Sports). MVP. Star Player. Team Captain. Academic (Studied magic at the prestigious academy in the continent learning traditions dating back to legendary spellcasters. They received quality instruction in advanced concepts of mathematics, the sciences, history, the arts, & literature earning a pedigree respected by magical scholars everywhere).

Arcane Librarian. Assistant (Library Clerk). Librarian. Scribe. Chronicler. Archivist. Lore Keeper (Specialize in Music, Books, Arcane Scrolls, Ancient Runes, & City Records).

Lore Master (Studies the Primordial Age to the Age of Nobility. The Primordial Age is the age of mortals not gods. When prehistoric: humans, fae elves, goblinoids, giant kin, dwarves, gnomes, & other humanoid races first learn how to use tools, make weapons, speak, & wield magic. Primordial magic is vital, dark, & dangerous. The Age of Nobility is the age of empires, federations, & confederations).

Magical Mathematician. Scientist. Chemist. Mad Scientist. Student. Honors Student. AP Classes. Tutor (Mathematics. They teach students the magnificence of objective numbers with algebra, calculus, geometry, & trigonometry. History. They tutor pupils of the past and its lessons from wars to historical achievements. The Arts. Science. They lecture on the natural world and its wonders from anatomy, anthropology, archeology, biology, chemistry, geology, marine biology. physics, psychology, sociology, & zoology. Languages. They educate others about the myriad forms of speech in the world). Mystic Tutor.

Writer (Sciences, History, & Literature). Graduate. Honors Graduate. Valedictorian. Academy Student. Student of Magic. Magical Misfit. Prodigy. Cloistered Scholar. Arcane Dominion (Resident of the most magically and technologically advanced nation within the federation of humanoid races). Arcane Scholar. Magical Scholar.

Arcane Student Who Saw Too Much (During an accident when experimenting with high level magic they looked into the other planes and saw an entity beyond what mortals should see). Energy Scarred (Exposure to a magical event overloaded them with magical energy. They were exposed to dangerous levels of magical energy that built up over long time exposure to a powerful source of arcane magic).

Marked by the Planes (Beings from other planes, realities, & worlds seeing the mark on them knows what they saw and who they communicated with). Encounter With Planar Entities (Many are stellar giants, dragon gods, great old gods, or some massive otherworldly beings biding their time to return to the Material Plane. Their goal may be to seek vengeance, inflict chaos, wreak destruction, or establish their view of order).

Magical Apprentice. Tutor (They specialize in lecturing on the finer details of the arcane and esoteric on all schools of magic). Writer (Magical Arcana). Magical Teacher (Teaches at Magical High School). Magical Professor (teaches at magical: community college, four year university, military academies, and Ivy League schools). Headmaster/Headmistress. Dean. Head Chancellor. Superintendent. Active.

Scientist. Paleontologist. Chemist. Alchemist. Biologist. Archeologist. Sociologist. Historian. Linguist. Interpreter. Translator. Anthropologist. Chemist. Alchemist. Botanist. Astronomer. Zoologist. Engineer. Ace Pilot (Thanks to steady hands and nerves of steel, they are skilled at operating starships and other vehicles.) Starwalker (they have spent countless hours traveling where few creatures dare to go: the emptiness of space). Astronaut (Rank Captain). Space Explorer (Current timeline is post ray punk, diesel punk, rocket punk, & atompunk of retro futurism). Xenoseeker (As they travel in space, they strive to make first contact with alien life forms). Spacefarer (they live their life among the stars, seeking new worlds to explore and yearning for the next adventure). Retired.

Philosopher. Magical Philosopher. Arcane Philosopher. Thinker. Academic Thinker. Mad Scientist. Arcane Savant. Guest Speaker. Envoy (Academia), Visionary Researcher. Field Researcher. Initiate. Recruit. Novice. Apprentice. Neophyte. Acolyte. Disciple. Adept. Master. Alchemist. Royal Alchemist. Apostle. State Alchemist. Marksman Mage (Uses quadruple barrel flintlock pistol, six shot revolvers, double barreled blunderbuss, triple barreled flintlock rifle, & ten shot 500 magnum lever action repeating rifle as weapons). Dragon Scholar (Dragons have always fascinated them since they were a child. They want to study the long life spans, language, potent power, & ancient traditions of dragons. They study all things draconic. Especially chromatic, gem, & metallic dragons). Esoteric Mystic.

Scholar of the Ancients (Wants to study the Mythic Age when gods, titans, old gods, & other primordial beings walked their world. When the primordial beings did their great deeds and fought their wars. When devils sought to corrupt and destroy the world. Before the devils were exiled and banished to the nether planes. This was before the primordial beings left their world). Demonologist. Occult Investigator (Dark Magic, Ghosts, Devil, Undead, & Aberration specialization).

Lone Survivor (Only survivor of demon invasion and devil conversion attack. Devil lords turned the entire city into a horde of imps, demons, fields, & arch demons for human sacrifice to turn the devils into greater devils, devil aristocracy, & demon royalty. Has an innate hatred of devils and demons). Freelance Spellcaster. Spellseeker. Arcane Dominion. Dragon Trained (Metallic, Gemstone, & Celestial dragons). Noble Dragon Tamer. Dragon Knight. Dragon Fighter. Dragon Rider.

Slayer. (Gov. Sanctioned Association of Slayers. Witch Hunter. Mage Hunter. Demon Hunter. Monster Hunter. Slayer of the Undead. Dragon Slayer.) Arch Mage. Grand Magister. Alchemist’s Assistant. Necromancer’s Apprentice. Secrets of the Dead.

Witch. Hereditary Witch. Coven Witch (A coven of witches learned about them and wished to bring them into the fold). Coven of Blood. Coven of Secrets. Coven of the Moon. Coven of Peace. Coven of Stars. Coven of Earth. Coven of the Sun. Coven of Shadows.

Gun Witch (They learned their skills on the road as a foundling trained by a gun witch mentor). Coven of Might Witch (Trained in the art of combat and gaining power through any means necessary. They hone their skills in weaponry and done armor in warfare. Worked alongside war wizards and battle mages).

Coven of Light Witch (Most recognizable of covens. They offered their services to heal and to help others. They live close to civilization. Cities and towns will spring up around their settlements and villages to protect them in exchange for their aid. Their coven lair is built in the ruins of a long forgotten temple).

Coven of the Seas Witch (A nomadic coven that travels the oceans and along coastlines as the seasons change. They are practitioners of ancient oceanic magic and use elements of the sea in their rituals and spellcasting. They are unpredictable as the sea itself. Their coven lairs are huts built together on the coast of a vast ocean. Their coven is focused on traveling to different sacred sites. They adhere to prophecy and visions and make pilgrimages to sacred sites).

Coven of Light Witch. (Their coven offers services both good and bad to local settlements, villages, & towns in a city. Their coven lair is built in the remains of an old battleground where undead soldiers haunt the fields at night. They later joined a witch coven that defended a city from paranormal dangers).

Coven of Oak (Their coven is focused on protecting nature and wildlife. They work with animals and familiars that work alongside their coven members. Their coven lives in huts that are nestled in primordial giant fae trees. They are helped by the proto elves and arch fae).

Coven of Light Witch (Their coven focuses on helping others in times of trouble. They have its haven easy to journey to and have its members travel to settlements, villages, towns, & cities in a kingdom. They later joined a militia coven that protected a kingdom from supernatural threats. Their coven lair sits on the outskirts of a capital city).

Coven of Lies Witch (Most feared of the witch covens. Their coven focuses on dark and forbidden magic as well as sacrifices and ancient rituals. They study blood magic, wild magic, black magic, dark magic, primordial magic, and necromancy. They are trying to obtain forbidden power and access long forgotten magical abilities that were lost in the primordial age when the ancestors of the humanoid races first learned to speak, use tools, wage war, & wield magic. Their coven lair rests in the remains of an ancient battleground of the wars between primordial beings during the Mythic Age.

The Mythic Age was when gods, titans, old gods, & other primordial beings walked their world. When the primordial beings did their great deeds and chose mortal heroes and demigods as their champions. When primordial beings fought their wars. When devils sought to corrupt and destroy the world. Before the devils were exiled and banished to the nether planes.

This was before the primordial beings left their world for the celestial planes. Settlements, villages, towns, & cities of the kingdoms of this empire and federation are built around the corpses of these primordial beings. The corpses of these primordial beings crashed into every environment throughout the 8 supercontinents such as deserts, tundras, forests, jungles, swamps, mountains, volcanos, beaches, & islands that they warred against each other. They are still clad in their titanic divine armor with their gigantic shields and weapons still near them. Many of the coven members live within the skulls, ribs, palms of the hands, knee caps, or even the eye sockets of the skeletal remains of gods, devils, fallen gods, titans, great old gods, & other primordial beings found throughout the empires, federations, & confederations in the supercontinent that is an epicenter for primordial magic).

High Priestess (Coven Head) of a Witch Coven. Spirits king’s summoner. Magic tower grandmaster. High Elder of a Circle of Magi (or council of spellcasters such as artificers, mages, conjurer, elementalists, mystics, witches, diviner, necromancers, sorcerers/sorceresses, illusionists, psions, magicians, wizards, summoner, alchemists, enchanter, seers, & warlocks). Active.

Enlisted Soldier. Dauntless. Military. Marines. Soldier. Academic Soldier. Conscript. Military Conscript. Recruit. Grunt. Infantry. Rifleman. Private. Corporal. Lance Corporal. Cook (Mess Hall). Field Cook. Mechanic. Arcane Mechanic. Medic. Field Medic. Combat Medic. Nurse. Surgeon. Doctor. Scientist. Field Scientist. Sergeant.

Tutor (Martial Combat. They teach students on the art of the body including combat, dances, & other forms of exercise). Drill Sergeant. Officer (Disguised as an officer in the army, avoiding the advances of a powerful and attractive but unscrupulous noblewoman vampire countess.)

Career Trooper (Is a career member of a military and have been embroiled in conflicts and military bureaucracy for many years). Commissioned Officer. Second Lieutenant. First Lieutenant. Captain. Support. Machine Gunner. Sharpshooter. Marksman. Sniper. Arcane Sniper. Scout. Recon. Demolitions. Grenadier.

Disciplined Soldier. Combat Engineer. Intelligence. Military Asset. Dog of the Military (Free roaming agent that is a field researcher of lost magical technology or magical matters for the military). Spy. Double Agent. Assassin. Militant Assassin (Spy, Saboteur, Double Agent, & Contract Assassin). Assault. Heavy Weapons. Squad Leader.

Officer. Military Officer. Intelligence Officer. Specialist. Commando. Airborne. Paratrooper. Pilot (Captain). Airship Pilot (Airship, Zeppelin. Airplane). Military Pilot (Spy). Ranger (Magical Army Special Forces). Royal Cavalryman (This is a calvary of war horses, war elephants, and mounts (griffins, drakes, pegasi, wyverns, hippogriffs, unicorns, & alicorns).

Force Recon (Magical Marine Corp Spec Ops). Black Ops. Special Ops. Covert Ops. Spec Ops Officer. Paramilitary. Magical Soldier. War Wizard. Battle Mage. Shock Trooper.

Text Subject. Experiment (The experiment conducted on them was a success. They were the recipient of the perfected process. The reason for this project was to create magical super soldiers for the arcane military in terms of magical swordsmen and arcane gunslingers and make them into stronger war wizards and battle mages). Magical Experiment (Powerful people performed magical experiments on them that changed them forever. They signed up for this voluntarily to become a magical super soldier). Magical Super Soldier (Ways super soldiers are made on the magical planet: relics, talismans/amulets, organs harvested from dragons, magical plants, high concentration of primordial magic, & super soldier serum).

Major. Colonel. Field Marshal. General. Military Navy. Ensign. Lieutenant Junior Grade. Lieutenant. Lieutenant Commander. Commander. Captain. Rear Admiral. Commodore. Vice Admiral. Admiral. Fleet Admiral. This is a fleet of ironclad ships. It has offenses and defenses of cannons, mounted heavy machine guns, and Gatling guns. They are powered (water/solar/wind generators/ore burning). Veteran. War Veteran. War Hero. Decorated.

Cyberborn (They had some form of cybernetic augmentation since they were very young, and they see further augmentation as a path to self-improvement). Disabled Veteran. Arcane Augmented (Disfigured during war and now has prosthetic bionic limbs). Malfunctioning (Minor electrical surges and discharges. Motors running their magical prosthetic eye shuts down. Random digits in their hand stop working at unusual times for a few seconds).

Mechanical Symbiosis (A gold, platinum, & silver clockwork object latched onto some part of their magical and clockwork prosthetic eye. It has now fused with his/her/their eye. Some entity or spirit lives in their clockwork and magical prosthetic. The entity is a brilliant starry eyed child that doesn��t understand that they are not part of its own body. If you are close enough you can sometimes hear it whisper to them periodically. They have studied and searched for information on these rare machines making them an expert in binding elemental spirits to mechanical objects. They have several theories on what this symbiotic entity is but they have no definitive answer.).

War Hero. Honorably Discharged. Retired Soldier. (Uses a 45 caliber semi automatic pistol, a 45 caliber submachine gun, a 5.56 mm assault rifle, a 7.76 mm medium machine gun, a rocket launcher, a semi automatic carbine, a pump action combat shotgun, & a bolt action 50 caliber sniper rifle). Veteran Who Can’t Let Go. Haunted Veteran. Officer Who Came Out of Retirement. Retired.

Sky Pirate (Winged Elf trained). Cabin Boy/Girl. Deck Hand. Cook. Doctor. Surgeon. Gunner. Powder Monkey. Buccaneer. Navigator. Helmsman. Pilot. Airship Pilot. Boatswain. Quartermaster. Mechanic. Engineer. First Mate. Second Lieutenant. Lieutenant. Sky Pirate Captain. Sky Pirate Major. Boarding. Raiding and Pillaging. Smuggler (Smuggling of contraband and prohibited products such as drugs, alchemical ingredients, weapons, exotic magical animals, & liquor by hidden compartments on airships). Retired.

Sailor. Tide Watcher. Undersea Enthusiast (Loves diving and exploring the world underwater. With transfiguration magic and sea fae, sea goblinoid, & sea giantkin ancestry they dive for a long time and swim very fast. They are fascinated by underwater creatures and cultures similar to their lineage). Wave touched. Stormrunner (Are undaunted by storms, having thrown themselves into them time and again.)

Deep Sea Salvage. Dedicated Delver. Deep Sea Diver. Marine Salvage. Merchant. Trader. Salesman. Vendor. Merchant. Sea Trader. Negotiator (Specializing in smuggling of contraband). Sea Merchant. Merchant Sailor. Merchant Marine. Merchant Navy.

Businessman. Tycoon. Entrepreneur. (Specializes in the trading of Lumber, Mineral Ore [Copper, Brass, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum], Trade Goods, Spell Components, Spices, [Salt, Cinnamon, Ginger, Pepper, & Sugar,], Bread [Brown and White Bread], Nuts, Rice [White and Brown Rice], Honey, Grain, Milk, Tea, Coffee, Herbs, Medicine, Live Animals [Chicken, Turkey, Fish, Crab, Lobster, Goat, Cow, & Sheep], Fresh Fruit and Vegetables, Chocolate [Milk, Dark, & White Chocolate], Sugar, Sugarcane, Magical Drugs [Magical Tobacco, Cigars, Cigarettes, Opium, Hemp], Magical Liquor [Magical Wine, Ale, Spirits, Rum, Beer, Whiskey, Vodka], Textiles [Silk, Linen, Wool], Dyes, Whale Oil and Blubber, Seal Fat, & Gemstones [Pearls, Amethysts, Quarts, Rubies, Sapphires, Jade, Emeralds, & Diamonds]).

Ensign. Lieutenant Junior Grade. Lieutenant. Lieutenant Commander. Commander. Merchant Navy Captain. Commodore. Rear Admiral. Vice Admiral. Merchant Navy Admiral. Merchant Navy Fleet Admiral. Active.

Storm Survivor (Through luck and skill they managed to survive a catastrophic maritime disaster. They have a keen sense for weather and other similar situations). Stranded (Stranded in sea elf kingdom and water elf kingdom territory during a storm. After being shipwrecked during a typhoon that destroyed their merchant fleet flagship in a foreign country. Thankfully their merchant fleet was safe from the storm.

The fleet had barques, brigs, brigantines, carracks, caravels, corvettes, fleutes, frigates, galleons, galleys, luggers, man of wars, schooners, ships of the lines, & sloop of wars.

The ships are powered by rowing by oars, sails, and propellers. The ships has defenses and offenses of boarding harpoons, archers with elemental arrows, lancers with elemental throwing javelins, gunslingers with rifles and pistols, fighters (with spears, short axes, war clubs, two handed sledgehammers, & swords).

Shipwrecked. Forgotten (They were a child of the sea, a sailor living upon the calm waters. Then their ship had an accident. Their ship, a galleon, was destroyed by a hurricane. They were swept away under the waves, forgotten by time). Castaway (Marooned on an island. Where they were almost seduced by sirens and were sharks. Until they were saved by merfolk, nymphs, & tritons). Song of the Deep (During a sea voyage they were knocked overboard during a storm and shipwreck. They ingested sea water and drowned. Merfolk, sirens, & sea fae pulled his/her/their unconscious body from the ocean depths. Their lungs were filled with sea water. To restore their ability to breathe. They exhaled into their lungs and awakened their innate ability as a fae, goblinoid, & giantkin with water ancestry to let them breathe underwater. They now can swim and breathe underwater and have knowledge about the underwater nations, empires, & federations).

Stranded (Deserted land forgotten by time). Fisherman. Whaler. Hunter. Trapper. Survivor. Sea Nomad (Pirate Nation. They live in a pirate nation home to an armada of pirate ships that raid other ships and look for treasure. They share the bounty with each other). Rogue. Smuggler (Smuggler of alchemical ingredients, weaponry, antiques, & discounted wares through secret tunnels, hidden compartments in airships or naval ships, secret tunnels in caves and caverns, & portals throughout the planes).

Smuggler (Smuggler of contraband and other prohibited products. Such as magical items, stolen goods, cursed items, magical metals [mithril, adamantine, & orichalcium], spell components [Spells are made out of rare incenses, crystal gem dust, precious metals, ivory, oils, gemstones or crystals, quill inks, spices, & parchment], drugs, alchemical potions, weapons, gunpowder, exotic magical medicine [medical potions, tonics, antidotes, brews, elixirs, & concoctions heavily taxed by Big Pharma so they smuggle it to help patients, poor people, and disabled people], beasts, & liquor using hidden compartments in their ship).

Smuggler (Specializes in the trading of Lumber, Mineral Ore [Copper, Brass, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum], Trade Goods, Spell Components, Spices, [Salt, Cinnamon, Ginger, Pepper, & Sugar,], Bread [Brown and White Bread], Nuts, Rice [White and Brown Rice], Honey, Grain, Milk, Tea, Coffee, Herbs, Medicine, Live Animals [Chicken, Turkey, Fish, Crab, Lobster, Goat, Cow, & Sheep], Fresh Fruit and Vegetables, Chocolate [Milk, Dark, & White Chocolate], Sugar, Sugarcane, Magical Drugs [Magical Tobacco, Cigars, Cigarettes, Opium, Hemp], Magical Liquor [Magical Wine, Ale, Spirits, Rum, Beer, Whiskey, Vodka], Textiles [Silk, Linen, Wool], Dyes, Whale Oil and Blubber, Seal Fat, & Gemstones [Pearls, Amethysts, Quarts, Rubies, Sapphires, Jade, Emeralds, & Diamonds]).

Sea Pirate (Sea Elf trained). Sailor. Stowaway. Cabin Boy/Girl. Deck Hand. Sea Dog. Swashbuckler. Buccaneer. Powder Monkey. Gunner. Navigator. Helmsman. Boatswain. Quartermaster. Shipwright. Sailing Master. First Mate. Ensign. Lieutenant Junior Grade. Lieutenant. Lieutenant Commander. Commander. Sea Pirate Captain. Commodore. Rear Admiral. Vice Admiral. Sea Pirate Admiral. Sea Pirate Fleet Admiral. Retired.

He she they are an enemy of the inquisition of inquisitors and the Templar order of Templar knights (colonizers with magic and anti magic).

He/she/they are also an enemy of devil cultists, zealots of (evil gods, titans, and primordial gods), fanatics (of evil dragons), heretics of evil types of magic.

Rogue. Insurgent. Infamous (Killer of Homo magi slavers, human traffickers, and raiders). Rebel. Notorious (Liberator of slaves and captives from Homo magi owned slave plantations, metal alloy mines, & gemstone mines). Insurrectionist. High Profile (Smuggler of runaway slaves and displaced war refugee diasporas into Free Folk territory through trains, underground tunnels, boats, & airships using hidden compartments).

Wanted Dead or Alive (Bounty of seven billion, nine hundred million, five hundred thousand, and seven hundred eighty six dollars in brass, copper, bronze, silver, gold, & platinum coins by Homo Magi Empire world governments).

Heretic (Church. Enemy of the Homo Magi church, Inquisition, & Templar Order) who are basically colonizer priests and missionaries with magic. Anarchist. Revolutionary (Political radical and smuggler of government secrets). Fugitive (Well known militant and radical anarchist, socialist, and revolutionary). Secret Identities. Retired.

Urchin. Street Urchin Stranded (Unknown city in a foreign nation. When they were in Homo Magi Empire territory). Beggar. Scrapper. Junker. Vagabond. Scavenger. Craftsman. Junk Dealer. Scrap Merchant. Peddler. Charlatan. Clockfighter (Makes clockwork constructs to fight as gladiators to fight in gladiatorial combat).

Fortune Teller (Crystal ball, Tea leaf, Palm Reader, Psychic, Medium, Psyker. Astrologer, Seer, Psionic. Tarot Cards, Clairvoyant, Diviner, Empath, Oracle, Exorcist, Numerologist.).

Forger (Forges Documents, Signatures, Gems, & Coins). Counterfeiter (Makes and sells counterfeit coins and gems). Swindler. Con Artist. Forgotten (They had a start-up business that went really well for a few decades... Then people stopped buying their products. They didn't want what they were selling, despite their compelling "arguments").

Gambler (Card Games, Roulette, Baccarat. & Slot Machines). High Roller. Robber. Burglar. Pickpocket (City Elf Trained). Mugger. Highwayman. Scoundrel. Ruffian. Outlaw.

Thief (City Elf trained). Thief Acrobat (Night Elf trained). Charlatan Thief (Night Elf trained). Market Thief. Tech Thief. Guild Thief (Half Elf trained). Shadow Thief (Dark Elf trained). Master Thief. Apprentice of Disguise (Void Elf trained). Secret Agent (Mage Espionage). Arcana Spy (Void elf trained). Master Infiltrator (Moon Elf trained). Arcane Trickster (Star Elf trained). Operative. Spy (Night Elf trained). Black Market Auction House Owner. Thief’s Guild Grandmaster. Retired.

Gym Rat. Gladiator. Street Fighter. Tavern Brawler. Pit Fighter. Underground Fighter. Martial Artist. Mixed Martial Artist. Monster Game Fighter (Has a magical monster or creature that fights in arena matches where monsters, beasts, & creatures are pitted against each other to the death). Arena Veteran. Bouncer. Bodyguard. Feared (Criminal and Killer).

Mafia Member (Homo Magi criminal empire member). Mafioso. Mafia Associate. Enforcer. Mafia Soldier. Caporegime (Captain). Underboss. Consigliere. Crime Boss.

Criminal Empire (Specializing in arson, protection rackets, bribery, robbery, drug trafficking, grand theft auto, extortion, racketeering, loan sharking, torture, fraud, contract killing, murder, assasination, theft, political corruption, forgery, smuggling, bootlegging of liquor, counterfeiting gems and coins, kidnapping, gambling, money luandering, police corruption, & arms trafficking).

Assassin (Drow Elf trained). Professional Assassin (Dark Elf trained). Militant Assassin (Contract Assassin. Drow trained). Cloaked Assassin. Master Assassin. Hired Killer. Hitman. Contract Killer (Drow trained). Shinobi (Void Elf trained). Kunoichi (Drow trained). Ninja. Shinobi/Kunoichi Ninja Assassin Recruit (C- rank). Genin (B+ rank). Chunin (A+ rank). Jonin (S+ rank). Spy (As a spy in good standing they can ask the arcane spy order to help them find secrets).

Informant (They were part of an extremely secret magical organization of a spy network designed to learn the secrets of everyone from the lower class to the sovereignty to control the world. This organization to the rest of the world doesn’t exist and ignores the signs. They came into contact with this syndicate when they encountered an agent when they were older gaining their trust enough to be employed. Since leaving their only contact with them is by giving reports to small clockwork machines used by the agency).

Double Agent (They hear inconsistencies in people’s voices and changes in people’s tone. When reading lines of texts in books, scrolls, & letters, smaller lines illuminate themselves sharing insight about the original text). Triple Agent (Specializing in persuasion, stealth, disguise, magical espionage, & being a trader of secrets). Paranoid Agent (They collect secrets by being inconspicuous and blending in as well as trading secrets with other travelers amassing their wealth of knowledge). Infiltrator (Dark Elf trained). Assassin’s Guild Grandmaster. Retired.

Servant (when they were in Light Fey Federation territory). House Worker. Butler/Maid (). Scribe. Journeyman Scribe. Assistant. Apprentice. Intern.

Tutor (Mathematics. They teach students the magnificence of objective numbers with algebra, calculus, geometry, & trigonometry. History. They tutor pupils of the past and its lessons from wars to historical achievements. The Arts. Science. They lecture on the natural world and its wonders from anatomy, anthropology, archeology, biology, chemistry, geology, marine biology. physics, psychology, sociology, & zoology. Languages. They educate others about the myriad forms of speech in the world).

Writer (Political treaties). Secretary. Employee of Royalty (High Elf). Courtier (High Elf). Negotiator (Specializing in Political dealings [such as large scale trade deals (between nations, kingdoms, empires, countries, or continents], royal weddings, peace treaties, & a myriad of other such dealings).

Envoy (Aristocracy. Proto Elf trained). Diplomat (Blood Elf trained). Emissary (Sun Elf trained). Ambassador (Light Elf trained). Chancellor. Magical Government Congressman. Magical Government Senator. Royal Advisor. Retired.

Mercenary. Hired Guard. Royal Mercenary.

Impenetrable Wall (With the help of a battalion of 500 knights and paladins under a knight commander from a knight order, a division of 25,000 soldiers under a general, a company of 250 city guards and city watch under a police captain, and a guild order of 500 adventuring heroes under a guild grandmaster. They defended a kingdom from an attack from a rampaging monster stampede of a thunder of a hundred adult, elder, ancient, & wyrm elemental chromatic red [fire, lava, and magma], white [snow, water, frost], blue [lightning and thunder], green [nature and wood], brown [earth, stone, metal], yellow [air, sand, mist], & black [poison and acid] dragons that attacked their kingdom.

They also deterred the dragons using anti air and anti siege weaponry of mithril arrow ballistas, mounted 7.76mm gatling guns, missile launchers, 40mm mounted grenade launcher silos, fireball trebuchet, 914 mm cannons, flame throwers, heavy 50 caliber mounted machine guns, fireball catapults, mounted multiple titanium bolt triple bed crossbow, to 400mm artillery weapons). Cruel Efficiency (They then slain the dragons who attacked their nation).

Cool Negotiator (Negotiated a trade of war spoils such as high value targets, weapons, riches, slaves, land, etc between two warring kingdoms led by a vampire lord of a vampire clan and a werewolf patriarch of a werewolf superpack to negotiate peace).

Off the Beaten Path (Guided a courier and messenger to the frontline through the trenches during a war between magical humans, indigenous magical humans, and dark elves against homo magi, non magical humans, and light elves to let the commander know about the ceasefire).

Hometown Hero (Arrived in a nick of time with the help of druids and rangers under a hunting captain, an outrider, & a pathfinder from a hunter’s lodge to save a city from an attack from a thieves guild).

Cool Negotiator (Who ended hostage situations with a luxury train robbery, a luxury casino in a five star hotel robbery, an art gallery in a gala robbery, and vault in a bank robbery with their silver tongue of speech, persuasion, and charisma).

Off the Beaten Path (Who protected a traveling caravan of merchants and traders from the merchant’s guild from raiders and bandits to guide the merchant guild’s caravan through a dangerous mountain pass).

Impenetrable Wall (That defended the capital kingdom of the human federation of kingdoms, with the help of an army group of 600,000 soldiers under a field marshal and an army group of 600,000 knights and paladins under a high elder from a knight order from an undead horde invasion. It was an undead army, summoned from crypts, dungeons, cemeteries, & mausoleums of an entire kingdom, by necromancers. The undead army was numbered to be two million undead soldiers such as mummies, vampires, ghosts, skeletons, banshees, jiangshi, ghasts, wraiths, revenants, zombies, & ghouls.

This army was led by fallen paladins or death knights, vampire lords, swordmaster wraiths (undead fighters), necromancers, spellcaster specters (undead magic users), nightwalkers, & mummy lords.

This army was controlled by an undead lich king, known as the most feared and dangerous fallen paladin or death knight when alive, riding an ancient zombie dragon).

Near Death Experience (He/she/they has had a past encounter with death. Perhaps he/she/they survived an encounter with undead, a demonic possession, a ghostly haunt, or a werewolf or vampire's bite. Maybe he/she/they had even died temporarily and had come deathly close with crossing the otherworldly. He/she/they was killed by the Lich King and the zombie dragon. But when he came back to life through being resurrected by a goddess he/she/they found he/she/they was granted a new unknown ethereal power).

Seer of the Dead (Gifted with the ability to see and speak with the undead. Manifested when a chance encounter with the lich king and zombie dragon during their final battle linked them inextricably to the spirits of the undead).

Hometown Hero (Who arrived just in the nick of time and saved a city of towns, cities, & settlements from a band of slavers and a gang of raiders).

Lone Survivor. (A council of devils who converted their entire metropolis into a demonic horde of imps, fiends, demons, & arch demons. They then used the city full of human sacrifices and converted the mana taken from the human sacrifices to become greater devils, demon nobles, & demonic royalty. With the help of paladins, clerics, knights, & Aasimar they turned the converted demons back into normal humans).

Cruel Efficiency (Slayer of the entire demon council behind the demonic attack of their mega city). On The Run from The Devil. Haunted Survivor. Well Traveled (Fleeing from demons hunting them). Cursed (Cursed by a demon general, demon lady, & demon queen behind the demon summoning that attacked their city. She was a survivor of his demon slaying. His/her/their hand is branded with the dark mark of the demon noble that sends imps, fiends, demons, & arch demons after them to capture him/her/them for her).

Lone Survivor (Only survivor of a dungeon raid of an A class dungeon that turned into an S rank dungeon thanks to mana waste).

Off the Beaten Path (Helped a caravan deliver supplies, food, & weapons, through the underdark caverns and caves, to above ground to a resistance group in an enemy empire).

Samurai. Ronin. Daimyo. Shogun. Warlord. Retired. Mercenary Company Captain. Mercenary Company Commander. Active.

Bodyguard (High Elf noble bodyguard). Royal Guard. Captain of the Royal Guard (Bodyguard of a count, viscount, duke, or archduke). Honor Guard (High Elf princess bodyguard). Kingsguard (High Elf Emperor). Commander of the Kingsguard. Lord Commander of the Kingsguard (Dark Elf High King). Tutor (Martial Combat. They teach students on the art of the body including combat, dances, & other forms of fitness). Mercenary. Well Traveled. Traveling Mercenary. Mercenary Company Commander. Mercenary Company Lord Commander. Private Soldier. Sellsword. Bounty Hunter.

Urban Vigilante (By the Goddess as they were commanded by divinity to enact justice in the streets by any means necessary. Every criminal that they put away is an offering to their god of justice). Vigilante. Masked Vigilante. (Their city needs protection from bandits, raiders, slavers, etc. Someone should clean this place up and the sheriff and city watch and city guard won’t do it.) Urban Vigilante (A Philanthropist of a Different Sort. They were born into privilege but even with all their money they couldn’t stop the injustices in the settlements, villages, towns, & cities in their kingdom. So they took an unorthodox approach).

Law Enforcement. Sleuth (Specializing in Policing murder mysteries, Surveillance stake out, Locating missing persons, & Background searches). Detective. Private Investigator. Lawbringer. Deputy. Sheriff. Marshal. Writer (Action and adventure, romance and drama, & mystery and horror).

Spellguard. Noble Guard (Night Elf merchant bodyguard). Chief Guard (protector of High Elven king’s treasure horde). Force Gray. Gray Guard (Protector Aasimar trained). Arcane Enforcer (Mage Hunter). Justicar (Scourge Aasimar trained). Executioner (Hanging, Guillotine, or Beheading). Warden (Dungeon Warden). Chief Warden of the Gallows. City Watch. Constable (Street Patroller). Watchman (City Watch Police Major). City Guard (Wall Watchman, Gate Guard, & Palace Guard). Guardsman (City Guard Police Captain).

Commander of the City Watch (Deputy Chief). Lord Commander of the City Watch (Police Chief). Commander of the City Guard (Assistant Chief). Lord Commander of the City Guard (Police Commissioner). Active.

Artisan. Tailor (Suits, accessories, dresses, & hats). Jeweler. Engraver. Weaver. Leatherworker. Wood Carver. Embroiderer. Toymaker. Watch Maker. Artisan. Craftsman. Master Craftsman. Inventor. Experimenter. Tinkerer. Metal Worker Weapon Smith (that is shield dwarf trained). Armorer (that is gold dwarf trained). Blacksmith (that is Draenei trained). Metalsmith (that is rock gnome trained). Alloy Smith. Fine Smith. Locksmith (that is deep gnome trained.)

Weapon Smith. Machinist (that is tinker goblin trained). Inventor (Fire Goblin trained). Blacksmith (Draenei Trained). Engineer (Shield Dwarf Trained). Artificer (Tinker Gnome trained). Technomancer. God Smith (trained by the most ancient and powerful of Giant kin blacksmiths who makes divine weapons, shields, and armor capable of killing gods, titans, great old gods, dragon gods and other primordial beings). Active.

Lucky Fumblr. Free Spirit. Attention Addict. Entertainer. Circus Performer (Acrobat). Jester (Juggler). Fire Dancer. Bard. Comedian. Poet. Slam Poet. Sculptor. Photographer. Singer. Songwriter. Musician (Drums, Lute, Trumpet, Pipe Organ, Harp, Piano, Trumpet, Flute, & Violin). Composer. Screenwriter. Director. Playwright. Producer. Actor. Model. Fashion Designer. Author (Action, adventure, comedy, cook books, drama, horror, mystery, poetry, romance, travel guide).

Editor. Illustrator. Publisher. Storyteller (Current Events. Their Own Adventures. Their Party’s Adventures. Folk Tales. Court Gossip). Fan Base (Their art and projects have particular significance to all of their readership.

They have amassed a widespread fan base throughout the settlements, villages, towns, & cities of the federations, empires, & confederacies). Famous Storyteller (Their tales have reached lands far and wide throughout the federations, confederations, & empires and they're well received by most groups from noble courts to back alley gambling dens). Icon. Retired.

City Worker. Postal Worker. Mailman. Courier. Grave Digger. Mortician. Street Sweeper. Janitor (who cleaned a Shrine, Statue, Memorial, Museum, Royal Castle, Magical Academy, Library, & Theater Amphitheater). Ferryman. Charioteer. Boatman. Cabbie. Miller. Handyman. Electrician. Plumber. Laborer.

Miner (Quarry. They worked in an open pit mine to extract rock and metal. Blast. They used explosives to displace chunks in mountains or make tunnels in hard rock. Shaft. They worked dangerous vertical shafts to mine deep veins of ore by getting into a mine cage. Cavern. They explored natural caves to extract gemstones and crystals).

Brickmaker. Brick Mason. Stone Mason. Carpenter. Roadlayer. Roofer. Construction Worker. Contractor. Factory Worker. Fisherman. Whaler. Dock Worker. Harbor Master. Lighthouse Keeper. Lumberjack.

Peasant. Serf. Farmhand. Vaquero. Cowboy. Shepherd. Dairy Boy. Cow Herder. Stablehand. Butcher. Grazier (harvested goods produced by animals such as milk, eggs, & wool). Rancher. Stockman (bred animals to sell for work or as pets such as alicorns, pegasi, unicorns, griffins, & hippogriffs),

Gardener. Florist. Plant Whisperer (Green thumb that lets them care for difficult to grow exotic plants with skill that borders on the magical). Grocer.

Cashier. Jack of All Trades. Well Traveled. Unionized. Wandering Labourer. Skilled Laborer (Because of all these menial jobs they did as a low ranking guild member and adventurer they have job experience doing many things and the townsfolk adore them). Writer (Bestiaries and Travel Guide). Retired.

Dungeon Delver. Prospector. Porter. Miner. Relic Hunter. Antiquarian. Treasure Hunter. Martial Artist. Sage. Adventurous Eater. Adventure Chef. Apothecary. Town Apothecary. Healer. Surgeon. Nurse. Doctor. Field Medic. Arcane Chef. Traveling Mercenary. Wandering Duelist. Hero. Adventurer. Adventuring Royalty. Guild Member (Adventurer’s Guild). Freelancer (Guildless adventurer). Guild C class adventurer. Guild B class adventurer. Guild A class adventurer. Guild S Rank Adventurer. Silver Plate Adventurer. Gold Plate Adventurer. Platinum Plate Adventurer. Diamond Plate Adventurer. Guild Receptionist. Guild Veteran. Guild Officer. Retired Hero. Writer (Action and adventure, romance and drama, fantasy and science fiction, & mystery and horror). Retired Adventurer. Writer (Bestiaries). Guild Leader. Guild Master. Guild Grandmaster (Adventurer’s Guild leader). Active.

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up2123753theories · 4 months

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Social Science and Politics

Definitions:

Social –

Relating to society or its organization

Needing companionship and therefore best suited to living in communities.

Sciences –

A particular area of science.

A systematically organized body of knowledge on a particular subject.

Politics –

The activities associated with the governance of a country or area, especially the debate between parties having power.

Activities aimed at improving someone’s status or increasing power within an organization.

Social sciences –

The scientific study of human society and social relationships.

Quote - Rudolph Virchow

Social science is the study of society and social matters. It covers aspects of a society such as the economy, business management, human behaviour, education and so much more. Social science looks at how communities react and cope with certain changes.

As said by Jeffery Parker, another aspect social science looks at is architecture and “how people interact with their physical environment”. Through the study of social sciences and architecture we are able to use the data to see how people interact with certain spaces and what would make more successful designs in the future.

Politics can be a confusing subject for some, and many people avoid talking about it or paying attention to it. It can quite easily be the cause or the beginning of a heated discussion, no matter who talks about it. It covers everything from economics, education, equality, employment, business, how the countries run and so much more.

Politics and architecture seem like an unusual pairing and it is very surprising how much they link. The link between politics and architecture still comes into social science in a sense. Social science covers relationships and how different things affect people and communities.

Fahimeh Yari said that “architecture is a political act”, in his research journal. The explanation he provided for this comment was that, “it has to do with the relationships between people and how they decide to change their conditions of living”. Politics talks about a group of people changing situations and places, so when people come together to design and plan buildings and their materials, functions, resources it links architecture to politics.

Quotes:

“Architecture is all about understanding and improving the built world” – Jeffery Parker “How people interact with their physical environment, how they design and use space, and how buildings and other structures reflect and influence social, economic and cultural factors” – Jeffery Parker “our built environment should meet certain aesthetic standards, especially public buildings that are highly visible” – Bart Van Leeuwen “architecture through its great communicational powers, can be used for political and social objectives” – Fahimeh Yari “in political architecture it can be assumed that form follows values” – Fahimeh Yari “autonomy insists that architecture speaks and develops its own language in its own history relatively independent of world events” – Peggy Deamer “the construction industry participates energetically in the economic engine that is the base, architecture in the realm of culture, allowing capital to do its work without its effects being scrutinized” – Peggy Deamer

References:

Collins. “Politics Definition and Meaning | Collins English Dictionary.” Www.collinsdictionary.com, www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/politics.

Deamer, Peggy. Architecture and Capitalism : 1845 to the Present. New York, Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, 2014.

Oxford Languages. “Oxford Dictionaries.” Oxford Dictionaries, Oxford University Press, 2023, languages.oup.com/.

Parker, Jeffery. “Is Architecture a Social Science? - Architecture.” Www.architecturemaker.com, 12 Mar. 2023, www.architecturemaker.com/is-architecture-a-social-science/#:~:text=Yes%2C%20architecture%20is%20definitely%20a%20social%20science.%20The.

“Reflections on Architecture, Society and Politics: Social and Cultural Tectonics in the 21st Century.” ArchDaily, 20 Oct. 2016, www.archdaily.com/797727/reflections-on-architecture-society-and-politics-social-and-cultural-tectonics-in-the-21st-century.

van Leeuwen, Bart. “Is Architecture Relevant for Political Theory?” European Journal of Political Theory, 13 Dec. 2021, p. 147488512110636, https://doi.org/10.1177/14748851211063672.

Virchow, Rudolph. “Quote - Rudolph Virchow,” Quote Fancy, quotefancy.com/quote/1645048/Rudolf-Virchow-Medicine-is-a-social-science-and-politics-is-nothing-more-than-medicine-on.

“What Is Social Science? An Animated Overview.” YouTube, 5 Aug. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiLj35g_cAU.

Yari, Fahimeh, et al. “Political Architecture and Relation between Architecture and Power.” International Journal of Latest Research in Humanities and Social Science (IJLRHSS), vol. 01, no. 03, www.ijlrhss.com/paper/volume-1-issue-3/11.HSS-066.pdf.

Whilst researching this topic I wanted to link social science and politics to architecture. Using this angle for my research I came across a piece of writing which was edited by Peggy Deamer. Peggy Deamer was born in 1950. She is an architect as well as an architecture professor at Yale University. Peggy edited “Architecture and Capitalism: 1845 to the Present”, which looks at the relationship between architecture and the economy over the years. The book contains essays from eleven different historians, all discussing architecture and capitalism within the period of time they know best. As well as being the editor, Peggy also wrote the introductions which link and summarise the main themes covered. Whilst reading through Peggy’s introduction to the book I came across the quote, “autonomy insists that architecture speaks and develops its own language in its own history relatively independent of world events”, which really stood out to me.

The quote, “autonomy insists that architecture speaks and develops its own language in its own history relatively independent of world events”, caused me to look further into autonomy which led to a deeper understanding of social science, politics, architecture and autonomy. Autonomy is the word for a country or county that is self-governing and is free from external influences. This comment from Peggy seems to suggest that architecture is a field of it’s own and is not influenced by external factors, such as social science and politics.

However, I would disagree and say that architecture is influenced by social science and politics. This is because architecture depends lot on the economic and cultural position of the surrounding environment and people. For example, in the past and present the communities and individuals of the higher class and wealth always had the bigger, more intricate designs and structures, whereas those of lower class always had small and basic house designs. Architecture has also always been greatly influenced by culture, whether it’s based on beliefs, religion, wealth, traditions.

In conclusion of my research I have come to the decision that social science and politics play a huge role within the study, design and construction of architecture.

#architecture #interior architecture #design #history #politics #social science

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czenvs3000f23 · 6 months

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Unit 10 Blog

Prompt: Describe your personal ethic as you develop as a nature interpreter. What beliefs do you bring? What responsibilities do you have? What approaches are most suitable for you as an individual?

Last blog post! Crazy to think that this semester is already almost over. I feel like these blog posts have been a good tool to supplement the learning that we did in the course. I've really enjoyed reading everyone's perspectives week by week, and definitely learned a thing or two by doing so.

As someone who's deep in the environmental sciences and seeks to pursue a career in this field, I feel as though I have strong personal ethics. In this line of work, you need to have strong convictions as environmental issues are deeply nuanced and are not as black-and-white as some other disciplines may be. From an ecological point of view, I truly believe that everything is connected and that everything has consequences if things go off-kilter. Even if we can't see it with our naked eye, I can assure you that the implications of anthropogenic changes can ripple through ecological relationships on an individual, population, community, and ecosystem scale.

I really dislike human-centric thinking in which changes in the environment don't matter unless they affect us, whether that be morally, economically, or politically. We as humans have to advocate for things that can't voice their opinions. I don't think that people realize how complex nature really is unless they strive for a career in the environmental sciences. I think the public school curriculum does a disservice in this regard, as they put more emphasis on fields with more profitability. It's surprising to me how out of touch some people are with their environment. I know people who can't identify native Ontario flora and fauna, which is essential to forming a connection with your environment. A mutual friend of mine hasn't even been to the Arboretum up until very recently in his 4 years of undergrad.

I also believe that at its core, environmental education should have no barriers. Children who grew up in urban environments deserve to experience nature at its peak-- not between cracks in sidewalks or confined in a concrete prison. Western science has been and still is dominated by cis-white men who have a very distinct view of what this looks like within an environmental context. We need to encourage other demographics to participate in academia to fill in knowledge gaps that may have not even been realized. In the same vein, I think that understanding Canada's colonial history is vital when considering knowledge gaps. Many Indigenous people are stewards of the environment, participating in guardianship programs to keep biodiversity intact. They also have a breadth of knowledge about the environment since time immemorial. Creating safe and equal opportunities in the name of conserving our planet is essential. I cannot stress that enough.

As I mentioned in previous blog posts over the weeks, I worked this summer as a camp counselor at a farm. I was the only counselor who had a background in environmental science despite camp programming being heavily focused on agriculture and nature. When working there, I often felt as though it was my duty to instill environmental education in the children. I wanted them to be inspired just like I was at their age with science. I frequently brought in my own resources (books, crystals, fossils) to show the campers and to ignite this curiosity.

Touching on the subject of accessibility again, I find that this is a big issue with scholarly journal articles. Personally, I don't think science should be put behind a paywall. Everyone has a right to understand the world around us. I also realize that most academics don't have a say in the monetary aspect of their papers and that the problem lies with the publisher. I'm probably approaching this with some naivety or ignorance due to my lack of knowledge of actually being in that world but, I still feel like my argument holds some merit. Today, so many people are still climate change deniers. When approaching this problem, I definitely think that open-access papers can help with this. People fear what they don't understand.

As a side note, I think that how science is presented in the journal articles itself should be rethought. I'm in a lab and fieldwork course right now where we're basically going through the motions of writing our own research paper. We were heavily discouraged from using synonyms, or really any interesting language. As an academic, I understand why this is. You have to be objective in order to clearly communicate the purpose of your paper. However, as a writer, this frustrates me. You could argue that journal articles are a tool of interpretation itself. Then, shouldn't we approach the methodology of writing papers differently? People whose brains are not wired for science might not even seek out articles about things they're unsure about because of the language barrier. Most people do not have the privilege of attending higher education and have to resort to media outlets that create outrageous/fear-mongering headlines in a subpar attempt at interpretation? Why does there need to be this middleman who profits from falsities and has their own biases?

Everything I've discussed in this blog post are beliefs I hold close to my heart. Without them, I don't think I'd be much of an ecologist or for that matter, a nature interpreter. I don't think we should conform to the way things have always been or approach the climate crisis with apathy. Things have to change. And the only way this can happen is through modes of interpretation. I think this post is a culmination of everything I bring to the table as an interpreter but that doesn't mean I'm right. That's the beauty of interpretation as well, there are always ways to improve, and there are always new perspectives or experiences that should contribute to the conversation.

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team7-headquarter · 11 months

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To me there's a drastic difference between the first 5 hokages and the many options that were there for the job, and all the other generations who didn't participate in neither of the first three shinobi wars.

Hashirama, Tobirama, even Madara grew up with a totally different education. They knew power alone is not enough to be a leader, or at least a good one. They had the experience and the knowledge, enough to create (with some help) a brand new shinobi system that the world would end up following. It's not just that they grew up learning battle strategy or how to fight. They were versed in logistic and politics and the many aspects that conform the human interactions. Any of them could have been hokage. They had the preparation to fulfill the role successfully.

Then you have Hiruzen, a direct student of both Hashirama and Tobirama. You know he learned more than just techniques with them and you know he ruled for the longest time, for better or for worst. Even if he was not the best for the job, you knew he was prepared. This generation was politically ruthless, dare to say they were shameless even. The third shinobi war and what they did to the Uchihas and Naruto is proofof that. Same with Danzo.

But like--- your selection for hokage cannot be a person who believes they only have to fight and command battles, assign missions, encourage people through speeches.

Tsunade and Orochinaru were good choices because they had administrative experience and the political and economic knowledge to run the village. They were people of science, who understood the importance of the daily chores. There's a good reason why they were able to simultaneously run their own villages and their medical researches.

Being hokage is about talent and heritage, yes, but it's also about the never-ending hard work and the sacrifices and the self updates. It requires study, methodology, preparation. They have to be creative and analytical and gosh the hokages were nerds in their own ways. They need to be the strongest and the smartest person around, okay?

See Minato. He was smart and talented and powerful. He knew about the mundane and he was dedicated, responsible, reliable like no one else. See Fugaku, used to being the clan leader of the Uchihas and the chief of the police force; versed in administration, a menace in combat terms, a man of politics.

And maybe if Minato and Fugaku had lived, Naruto and Sasuke would have been raised with the same education and knowledge. They'd have their mothers experience with human relationships, their fathers guidance for shinobi techniques, they'd have access to their heritage, their roots, their clans history.

At least Kakashi had his own war experience. Every tragedy in his life taugh him something useful for the hokage seat, which it horrible and it's insane and shouldn't be, but it's truth. Unlike many other hokages, he was kinda old when he got the job. He had helped guide a whole new war and had his own genin team (most hokages had experience teaching, if you check) and had been even anbu captain.

But it's like--- half of the konoha-12 had more experience in politics and administration by the time the war ended. Naruto and Sasuke were gods on Earth with how powerful they were, but they didn't have the command the job required.

I guess that's what the blank period is there for, but now you know why I think there's an immense gap between the older generations for the hokage seat and the newer children. Yes, the new gens are heroes and gods and all, but unless you want an struggling village and a frustrated hokage, or unless you want an advisor to run the village from the side, the story needs to strictly train and educate them on the matters of real politics, logistics, economy, science, etc.

#naruto #naruto shippuden

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doug-lewars · 2 years

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World Building - Part 4 of 4

Overall you need to consider biology, chemistry, the physics of magic, astronomy, geography, geology, economics, psychology, sociology, political science, linguistics, jurisprudence and history. There may be a few others. It is painfully easy to get lost in world building and never write a story so it should be recognized that not everything needs to be worked out in detail – nor could it be for that matter.

One approach to simplify matters is to start with your main character and then decide on sufficient detail to position him or her. Where do they live? What do they do for a living? What is their status in society? What sort of relationships might they have? What might a normal day look like for them? By focussing on one character and moving outward, you can gradually get a handle on the overall society and many of the factors affecting that society. The more questions you ask and answer, the better your understanding of this world will become, but remember, world building is tricky. Between jarring inconsistencies and becoming buried in details, you as the author may face more perils than your protagonist.

#doug lewars #writing #writers #writing advice #world building

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hri-shar-004 · 2 years

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Introducing The Silk Road

by Anshad M.

The Silk Route was a network of ancient commercial routes that connected Asia with the Mediterranean, passing through China, India, Persia, Arabia, Greece, and Italy. From the second century B.C. to the fourteenth century A.D., it accelerated the exchange of goods, ideas, languages, culture, art, and religious beliefs across various civilizations. It was given the name Silk Route due to the extensive silk trade that took place at that time and China held a monopoly on the production of this priceless fabric since the production technique was unknown to other countries.

Along with silk, the route aided in the trade of various fabrics, precious stones, grains, fruits, and vegetables, as well as hides from animals and other valuables like wood and metalwork. The economic conditions of the regions were also improved by export and import along the route.

Travellers used horse or camel caravans and lodged at guest homes or inns that were usually spaced by one day of travel. Ports along the Silk Route's maritime routes offered trade opportunities and fresh water for drinking. The most contemporary Silk Road travellers have been archaeologists and geographers who are studying ancient sites.

This trade network covered more than 4,000 miles of land and water routes. It mainly comprised two major routes, one connecting China to Central Asia and the other the West and Central Asia and the markets and trading posts along the Silk Road made it easier to exchange, transport, store, and distribute goods. It was the most active trade route in ancient times. In a short time, it evolved into a crucial component of the geopolitical and economic system that every state wanted to control.

History

The Silk Road was officially opened by Zhang Qian, a Chinese diplomat who served in the Han period. In 138 B.C., the Han emperor Wu asked him to oversee cultural exchange with Central Asia. It was one of the first attempts to encourage scholarly exchange between the East and Europe. But historical evidence indicates that the road was in use as a commercial route far earlier. Later, Qian expanded these routes in Central Asia through military conquests and travels.

During the Tang Dynasty, its land and sea routes were the finest for trade (618-907 A.D.). But due to shifts in the Chinese leadership, its boundaries were constantly changing. Starting in Xi'an, the route followed the Great Wall of China. It then passed across the Taklamakan Desert and the Pamir Mountains before passing via Afghanistan to the Levant. The rest of the Silk Road's trade was then carried through the Mediterranean Sea. For traders, the Levant was dangerous because of the distance, the growth of Arabian dominance, and the prevalence of bandits there. In the 13th century, the Mongols brought the route back to life and made it safer for traders.

Cultural Significance of the Silk Route

The network of trade routes paved the way for cross-regional trade. It also promoted the exchange of culture, language, religion, art, philosophy, science, and technology beyond national boundaries. For instance, Buddhism and Nestorian Christianity were introduced to China along the Silk Road.

Through this approach, other religions such as Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam were also transmitted between civilizations.Thus, it helped in establishing international long-distance economic and political relationships. Unfortunately, pandemics like the bubonic plague were also propagated through this commercial and cultural exchange network.

Travel on the Silk Road

Traders had to find proper means of transporting their goods. The camel was the preferred means of transportation for overland journeys. From the second millennium BCE forward, nomadic peoples in central Asia began domesticating camels. For instance, the Han Chinese transported war supplies on camels they had taken from the Xiongnu. Camels could carry up to 500 pounds at once and could survive the severe desert conditions in Central Asia. Pack animals, particularly camels, made it possible to move commodities over land on the Silk Road.

The ocean was also used for the transportation of goods by merchants and sailors. To properly navigate the waters, sailors required a solid knowledge of wind direction and storm systems. For instance, monsoon winds in the Indian Ocean originate from the southwest during the summer and the northeast during the winter. Merchants could sail from the Red Sea between Egypt and Arabia toward India in the summer and back to the Red Sea in the winter with the southwestern breeze that pushed them east. The sailors shared this information, and it spread beyond the Indian Ocean.

Four Pathways which connected India with Silk Roads

1. The route via the high Tibetan plateau leads to Sravasti beside the Ganges.

2. The Road leads to the Ganges' fertile valleys via the mountains and valleys of western Nepal.

3. The Silk Roads crossed the Western Himalayas via the Karakoram via Srinagar, Leh, and Sangju Pass.

4. The road down the Ganges – Delhi to Chandraketugarh in West Bengal.

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angelpecayo · 1 year

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ACTIVITY #1

Strand 101

1.Politics

Are the action or activities concerned with achieving and using power in a country or society

Example in sentence: The key question in British politics was how long the prime minister could survive.

2.Religion

Is a set of beliefs concerning the cause ,nature ,and purposes of the universe ,especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs

Example in sentence: The woman wasn’t a fan of organized religion, but she did believe that a higher power has a plan for us all.

3.Law

Law is rule or set of rules, enforceable by the courts regulating the government and the subjects of the states, the relationship between the organs of government and the subjects of the state and the relationship or conduct of subjects towards each other.

Example in the sentence: The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern what you can do with this work.

4.Literature

Literature broadly is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly foe writings specifically considered to be an art from, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include oral literature, much of wich has been transcribed.

Example in sentence: she took courses in history and literature.

5.History

History is the study of change over time, and it covers all aspects of human society. Political, social, economic, scientific, technological, medical, cultural, intellectual, religious and military developments.

Example in sentence: History is the life of nations and of humanity.

6.Philosophy

Philosophy is an activity people undertake when they seek to understand fundamental truths about themselves

Example in sentence: Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, then it’s not the end.”

7.Economics

Economics is the study of scarcity and its implications for the use of the resources, production of goods and services, growth of production and welfare over time and great variety of other complex issues of vital concern to society.

Example of sentence: When corn crop production increases the farmers decrease the price of the crop so that they can sell off their produce.

8.Sociology

Sociology is the study of human social relationships and institutions.

Example sentence: Studying the relationships between culture and society, examining social movements, or researching how communication affects human behavior.

9.Psychology

Psychology a person who specialize in the study of mind and behavior or in the treatment of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders.

Example in the sentence: A study in psychological science demonstrates that people under stress tend to eat high – calorie foods.

10.Political science

Political science is the study of politics and power from domestic international, and comparative perspective.

Example in sentence: Comparative politics, international relations, and political theory.

youtube

https://youtu.be/Lf61HL1M0gs

#Youtube

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reflections-on-self · 1 month

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On Choosing a Career

The next most difficult question, after determining whether or not I intend to have children in this world, is the question best phrased in the title of Vladimir Lenin's What Is To Be Done?

What is to be done?

When I was a kid, I wanted to be a jet pilot. I was terrified of jets. They were loud and I hated loud noises as a child. But there was something magical about them: they were in the sky! They were with the birds, but they flew much, much faster than the birds. And the planes were all beautiful to my childhood eyes: it is difficult to describe the feeling evoked when one witnesses a pass of America's Blue Angels in their signature blue-and-yellow F/A-18 Hornets. Being a kid at the time, this especially had a big impression on me.

I must not have been a completely clueless child, for, from an early age, I was aware of the relationship between the jets I saw in the sky and the US military. But you could imagine that, lacking any kind of serious adult influence to convince me otherwise, I truly believed that the jets I saw in the sky were defending that vague idea I knew at the time as "America."

So, for the first quarter of my short life, I believed I wanted to be a fighter jet pilot. Through middle school and early high school, I prepared myself to join the US Air Force or the US Navy. I joined the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) and went to a private military school for the first half of my freshman year of high school. I wanted to become a cadet at one of the military service academies, which I hoped guarantee me a job as a pilot.

Sometime in high school, I believe my sophomore year, I took an introductory psychology class. It was my first exposure to the concept of psychology. I immediately found the topic interesting, so I switched from wanting to join the military and become a pilot to wanting to join the military and become a psychiatrist. I think I remember at the time that I believed I wanted to help people and serve my country.

This was a dramatic shift, and it reflected the fact that I began to believe in high school that I would not qualify to become a pilot as a result of my eyesight.

I performed relatively poorly in high school. Public high school in the US, as I would guess any reader who has had the misfortune to experience it might agree, can be a nightmare for self-discovery. By the end of high school, I still had no idea what I wanted to do except the vague notion that I wanted to serve the public in some way. I'd won the school's election for senior class president, which boosted my confidence in believing that I could perform well in some kind of government-related work. It is perhaps here that I decided that I wanted to become a foreign service officer, shortly after a tour I was given of the State Department headquarters in D.C. with a group of CAP cadets.

I enrolled at a nearby college and began taking political science courses. My professors were brilliant and honest. They were not shy about the realities of the wild history of the United States, with its many political contradictions and class-based internal conflicts. This was at the height of the Trump presidency, so debates about the state of what we collectively understood as "our democracy" were frequent.

Around this same time, I was very lucky to meet one of my closest friends, who first introduced me to the basic ideas behind Marxist political-economic theory. We were both employees at a movie theater, so we had many opportunities to discuss these dense, generally philosophically-heavy concepts with each other while ushering theaters together. Looking back, it's all quite serendipitous. Had I not met that friend, I doubt that I ever would have taken Marxist ideas as seriously as I ended up taking them. That would come to be both a blessing and a curse, though, I'm happy to say that, even now, it is more of a blessing that I discovered Marxism when I did.

Being a Marxist-Leninist throughout college made choosing a career in the United States in the early 2020s rather challenging. I lived near a military base, so any job that paid a decent salary was associated with the military-industrial complex that I had come to despise, and therefore, out of the question. Obviously, there was no hope of joining the military and "defending my country" anymore: there was no "country" to defend at that point in my eyes, only class interests. To protect the class interests of the bourgeoisie – which I was not, to my understanding, a part of – seemed like one of the biggest wastes of my life that I could manage. Eventually, this kind of thinking would lead me to further conclude that a job as a foreign service officer working with the Department of State would be just as bootlick-y as joining the military, or working as a civilian for a military contractor.

This idea was intensified when I accepted an offer for a journalism internship with the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS), which is the most left-leaning think tank in Washington, D.C. During the summer of 2019, I conducted research and wrote articles for IPS. The work confirmed my Marxist tendencies, and, perhaps even more frighteningly, it seemed to confirm my Leninist sentiments, as well. D.C. is a beast. That's really the only way I can think to put it.

I returned from the experience and decided to switch my major from Political Science to Philosophy. What an idea. I believe it was one of the best and possibly worst decisions I'd ever made for myself. However, it was also the perfect major to become easily distracted with irrelevant problems. Luckily, I think that this is all part of the journey.

At this point, I was with a romantic partner with whom I can only guess the universe introduced me to so that I would learn a handful of important lessons that I will not go into in this essay. All that I think needs to be said about this chapter of my life is that I became very focused on little else but the relationship I was in with that person, and, looking back, this was one of the biggest mistakes I believe I've ever made in my life. I think I became very preoccupied with trying to make a stable life with that person.

One of the mistakes that I made in trying to make a stable life with that person instead of focusing on my own goals: I took on an internship for an Elon Musk-run company. I won't get into details, but needless to say, it was one of the worst experiences I'd ever committed myself to. I was lucky that it was only for a few months and that I was able to get out of the situation almost as soon as I'd realized how poorly the place was ran. It was there that I experienced firsthand that, wherever I work, the people who work there must be valued for their labor in ways that matter to them. No shortcuts around that.

I had a decent enough resumé that I was able to find a job back home at the institution I graduated from. I was a web developer for a little over a year between 2022-2023. Most of that year was spent recovering from the experience I'd had working at Musk's company. Then I met the person I wrote about in my first essay, which would completely change everything for me.

Had I not learned? Perhaps. It was a romantic relationship that pulled me out of my daily routine in September 2022 and would make its mark on my heart that, to this day, occasionally stings. When I met her, I suddenly didn't care about money anymore. To be fair, she, too, seemed to be a Marxist, and seemed to find this whole thing that we're all experiencing just as troubling as I did. Nobody else seemed to see that or feel it.

But, for this, I will cut myself some slack. I did fall in love, whatever the hell that means. Shortly after we met, I had this brief fantasy that we could both abandon the madness that was the world around us for a while and serve in the Peace Corps together. I wouldn't be rich, I wouldn't be quite "at home," I probably wouldn't even really know what I was doing – but I'd be working to help somebody, the work would be good work, and I'd be with her. That's all I wanted. That is, even now, all I want.

Well, anyway, the relationship was too brief and she was too whimsical (she was an accordion player) to realize how seriously I felt, how serious what we'd both stumbled upon seemed to be. She was too scared to be honest with me that she loved me, I could tell. I tried very hard to give us the space, the time, whatever it was that was needed for us to grow into something. But something went wrong. The fires in Canada, the distractive nature of our modern society, my stupidity in facing a real situation, shit, I don't know. If I could ask her, I would. But I am not interested in being toyed with, I'm not interested in someone who won't be just a tad more vulnerable and show me that they care.

For a short while, I resolved that I would live my life as if she were here anyway. The idea seemed beautiful to me. I thought it might honor best what I truly believed was supposed to be the big one. I even went through most of the process to join the Peace Corps, alone, and was bound to leave for Botswana later this year.

But I dropped out of the process. Not because I don't want to serve in the Peace Corps, not because I'm bitter about what happened between her and I and I'm taking it out on a life-changing journey in Botswana, but because the 2-year commitment feels just too long for me right now when I barely know what I want to do today. I believe that someday, if I can orient my life in that direction, I can live the dream of serving in the Peace Corps with someone that loves me, and that I love. That sounds wonderful. But I have a very, very hard time getting over this feeling of loss that was induced by the failure of that relationship. It seems fair to say that I should just wait on the Peace Corps until I'm in a much better place.

In the wake of her absence, sometimes, I've been both determined and distraught. I at least put some thought into the future I hope to build for myself, career-wise, before signing up for the Peace Corps. These reflections also had important implications for the decision I made to ultimately postpone Peace Corps service for a later time in my life.

At the end of the day, I don't believe that I ever wanted anything different from what most people throughout history have wanted: peace, community, love, purpose. That these attributes of life are stable, always accessible, and observable in my day-to-day experience. That, whatever I'm doing, I'm helping support those things, in my life and in the lives of others. This all with the deep understanding that others are me. A deep assumption. I could never claim to know such a thing. I want to stand up on a table and yell, like I'm Socrates, "I don't know anything!!!" – but I know that this would cause some trouble in the library I write this from. I assume that others are me in the deepest sense of being that I can express.

So the first thing I thought I wanted to be when I cleared her from my life's plans was a neurosurgeon.

Neurosurgery seemed (and sometimes still seems) like the coolest field in the world to me. We, humans, have managed to create a whole subject, a whole library of understanding, for manually fixing the most mysterious material "thing" in existence: our very own brains. God, what kind of things about reality do neurosurgeons know? How do they see this world? I have wanted to know. The immediate interest goes back to the very purpose of this blog: explorations on selfhood. What, I thought, could be more self-exploratory than learning how to fix problems that involve the nervous system and fixing them with my very hands?

Still now, it pains me to write that paragraph and wonder these days if that is truly what I want to do. Because it does sound interesting. I believe I have the intelligence, coordination, and patience to make a successful career out of it, if I were to really dedicate myself to it.

Community, love, purpose. I am just about certain that a career in neurosurgery would allow me to live with all three. But peace...

Neurosurgeons work, I've been told, absolutely horrific hours. That alone may not be such a deterrent, except for the fact that I'd be working in such high-stakes situations for such large amounts of time and that the risks could involve not only the loss of a patient's life but also legal ramifications were I to make a serious mistake. I am aware I do not make serious mistakes very often, but that is no reason to jump into a very difficult career path in my hubris.

My initial feelings about neurosurgery were likely influenced by the profound loss I felt that I'd experienced with her. I wanted to know what, at the source, was the cause of all of this pain. I could only point to my own brain and say that, somewhere in there, the intense suffering that I had felt and sometimes feel when I think about what happened between us is created. I have no illusions that neurosurgery can solve such problems. But the idea that I could know the brain so intimately so as to be able to work it, fix it, through my very own physical activity, seemed really awesome.

I briefly read the beginning of Dr. Henry Marsh's Do No Harm, a book about a British neurosurgeon's experience. Now, I think that it's just because he's British, but the book was quick to sour me on the idea of becoming a neurosurgeon. The guy had such a negative view of life and his career, although, the writing was outstanding. Marsh even said that he chose to jump into the medical field because of an unrequited love situation. I thought, what!? That's not me! and I began to consider alternatives.

Neurosurgery is awesome and I am not certain that I won't still try to pursue it.

The thing is, I happen to live near one of the best medical schools in the country and, supposedly, in the world. When I started to really think about what I wanted to do with my life, I believe I dove straight for neurosurgery because of a handful of reasons:

Being a neurosurgeon would give me an excuse to completely dedicate myself to my own work. Nobody could tell me I couldn't do this or that, because in the end, if I'm doing it for my career, then I'm doing it for the benefit of both myself and the patient in the long run. I can see this being quite the emotional barrier to put up between myself and the rest of the world.

Again, the surface-level prestige. The kid who wanted to be a pilot when he was a boy grew up and began to claim that he would like to become a neurosurgeon. Between these two positions? Lots of fame, public attention, a kind of fascination, even. At least that I've noticed in American society. This is not a good nor a bad thing in my view.

But also, the deep internal prestige. I work on fixing people's brains with my hands. Man, if I could say that to myself and know that it was true, I'd feel like the coolest guy in the world.

Financial security for myself and my future family (if I have one). As a neurosurgeon, if I wanted, I would imagine that I could move and set up shop just about anywhere in the world.

Being the leader of a diverse team. Neurosurgeons operate in contexts in which they work with fellow surgeons, other doctors, residents, nurses, health techs, etc. I'd love to feel that I am part of a community that values my work and are individual professionals in their own right.

In the end, good reasons, but not good enough, in my opinion. Prestige and isolation should not be the primary reasons to take on a job, I would think. Of course, there are situations in which perhaps that would be the best career path for an individual. I won't deny that I seriously believed for a while that this seemed like the only way I could feel "useful" to the world after losing her. But I am not Dr. Marsh, I'm not depressed, I should not make decisions about my career solely based off of the failure of a romantic relationship. No matter how hard it hurt me that it didn't work out, my choice to become any particularly laborious and intensely challenging role simply out of feeling emotionally invincible post-breakup simply doesn't feel good enough a reason anymore. The path to becoming a neurosurgeon is long, arduous, bound to cause immense suffering on my future self and the people whom that being will love. Lately, it has seemed a path worth letting go of.

I still believe I would like to become a medical doctor of some kind. First, because I feel an obligation to my fellow human beings on a fundamental level. Without a community of human beings to raise me, be patient with and properly reprimand me when I've failed myself or others, to educate me in various matters, and provide me with various desires and needs as well as the means to fulfill them, I believe my life would have been a very negative experience overall. Other people try. A deep assumption of mine is that I need to try, too. Perhaps what little practical applications of Marxism that are left in me are found in this core idea. I was not raised alone, but by a massive, perpetually changing village of human beings, mostly Americans, all with their own lives, yet, at times, so genuinely preoccupied with the state of mine.

I hate to admit, so beautifully preoccupied with the state of mine. At times.

I don't denote that the community that raised me is American to justify that I would inevitably become a doctor through the American healthcare system, which, with what little I know about that behemoth, I understand to be a very complex and likely flawed system. Rather, there is a more obvious and "unshakeable" crime that my people have committed that has resulted in my beginning to seriously question whether or not I should become a doctor anywhere in the world.

I must wonder, as I type this, if any potential reader is already beginning to catch on to what I'm about to begin writing about. That this crime is so deeply ingrained in our collective psyche now, that I haven't even got to type the words yet, and I believe there's a chance that someone who manages to find this and read it already knows I am talking about the war crimes committed by the Israel Defense Forces and supported by the United States government at the al-Ahli and al-Shifa hospitals in the Gaza Strip.

Anyone who is aware of what has happened to hospitals in Gaza might appreciate my reluctance to dedicate myself to medicine in the West in the aftermath. For a while, I was very angry with the world as the news poured in daily of Israeli airstrikes on civilians in the Gaza Strip. I work near people in positions of power in the United States, and there seemed to be no real sense of remorse, regret, indignation, no real sense of what was even going on, among just about every single person I interacted with. I still find myself seriously disoriented and often demotivated to do anything serious with my career after all of that. How can I take this world seriously anymore? Over 30,000 killed. More than thirty thousand people killed in five months. There are no words.

The truth is, I don't take this world that seriously anymore. I have come to value my own direct experience of life more than everything else. I used to want to change it all: I used to dream of a Red American future – housing, food, and meaningful labor for all; a single, tolerant, peaceful Palestinian state spanning the Jordan to the Mediterranean; a healthy Earth; a world that functioned in a kind of mutually-assured peace and harmony, without real borders. I still believe it's all possible, even probable, in due time. But I don't think I'll bother to waste my precious life energy toward any of those goals in particular anymore. I just don't feel the urgency of a burning world. I don't feel urgent about anything anymore. That was a world where she stayed, and while I'm sorry about how that sounds, I'm just about certain of my feelings on it and I wouldn't dare apologize for that. The world is not perfect. Its imperfection is most obvious right now when one calls to mind the suffering endured by human beings in and around the Gaza Strip.

Still, I must choose a career, as I don't intend to commit suicide (R.I.P. Aaron Bushnell). Since I don't intend to commit suicide, I must work with this body that I am expressing myself from and the situation that I have found myself in.

Becoming a medical doctor is still an attractive career path to me, because at the very least, no matter where I am, I am helping someone. Briefly, recently, I considered the path of the MD-PhD, or the physician-scientist. This is in keeping with my interest in studying the "self" through studying the brain, and I'd also get to be involved in clinical settings where I'd be helping people in my community. All of that sounds pretty neat to me.

Physician-scientists, however, are also victims of a system in which they work intense hours. They often compete for scant grant funding. While I'm sure I could succeed there, too, I ought to be honest with myself about the very real need for me to have time, real time, to pursue artistic interests on my off-time. Something tells me that MD-PhDs do not have a thing called "off-time," and it might be a really good idea to just pursue an MD or a PhD in a field that interests me, have that be my full-time, and do stuff like this, writing (and other forms of content creation), on the side.

To that end, I believe, that I have chosen as my primary plan to become a neuroradiologist and manga artist. For now.

A successful career in neuroradiology seems to provide me the ideal balance between working in a role that helps people directly, provides financial stability and a community of fellow professionals, allows me to work for established institutions, and lets me work relatively (to other medical professions) normal working hours. Also, brains. This will provide me with enough of an income to have my own place and, if, somehow, I manage to fall in love with someone else and we agree to start a family, assist in providing for them financially. And if I'm alone, well, I'll have money to travel.

On my off-time, I'm a manga artist. This is the funniest part of all of this: I know that, deep down, if I had all the time in the world and no pressure on me to do anything in particular coming from anywhere, I'd just become a 漫画家 (manga-ka) and write my dream manga. Since I was a kid, I'd always been into anime and manga. But early on, I was discouraged from drawing. My drawings were ugly as a kid. For a short time, I was involved in the Maplestory sprite animation community in my pre-teen days. I made some embarrassingly bad "Maplestory Music Videos" to Avril Lavigne and Breaking Benjamin. I gave up pretty quickly and turned my eyes skyward, bringing us back to the whole pilot ordeal.

I'd pretty much forgotten about all of that until I was with my friends one day, years ago, watching One Punch Man. I became inspired with an anime idea that was initially loosely based off a similar premise. Then, with a close friend of mine, we read Berserk by Kentarō Miura (RIP) together. That was the most inspiring graphic work I ever read at the time, though, it's important to note that it was my first real experience reading a manga. I began to form the dream as I read along of creating my own artistic masterpiece of Miura's level someday, his creative and visually artistic genius were truly impressive. I decided, eventually, that I would make a manga someday, no matter what. I haven't done any work at all to advance the original idea, but having let it simmer in my mind for about as long as any other important project, I believe I could create something truly interesting.

My drawing skills, in the current moment, are about the same as my childhood drawing skills. I'm 24 and turn 25 next month. I haven't even begun practicing again! I know that any artists who happen to read this will probably scoff at my treatment of this dream. I should be giving up that neuroradio-nonsense and throwing myself at the pencil and paper all the time! I should. I know I should.

But I can't. I feel better going for both. Even if I somehow fail, well, I'd rather have failed attempting to do both seriously than dedicate my life to one and become bored, deathly bored, with it. Besides – and I'm truly sorry to the soul that happens to read this and becomes exhausted at the amount of times I say something like this – this is all extra content to me since she left. I really wanted to not exist not that long ago. I love this world and the people in it, but that is true as well as the fact that I still feel completely lost without her. Completely lost. So, perhaps this is a symptom of that feeling of loss that I cannot seem to rid myself of. But that's all okay to me. As long as I'm allowed to process it the way I see fit, which is all of this, then I have nothing to complain about. Nothing at all.

So, here's what I think. I'm going to read the brain scans and I'm going to draw the cool characters and settings and tell some cool stories. To me, this all sounds perfect because it involves the use of my visual faculties so much. I love to see, to watch, to observe. To dig deep into a detailed piece of art with a mixture of my eyes and attention and extract that beautiful, vague idea that periodically appears, sometimes called meaning. I love that, and I'm not sorry for loving it enough that it keeps me on this often wretched-seeming Earth. Even if I'm an American.

I believe the path is there for me to make. I know I'll have to do some cutting. These days, anything goes. I no longer intend to look back, though I inevitably will again.

#essay #march 2024 #career #text

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empiricalreunion · 2 months

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Benefits of Research

I believe there are many benefits to be gained by knowing the elements of the history of the Universe and understanding a little about where we came from.

This research clearly reveals that we are children of the Universe, that we belong here, and that we might even be the most advanced organisms that exist. If that is true then we have an enormous responsibility to administer this tiny, fragile planet upon which we find ourselves, so that life may be handed down to future generations.

Seeing ourselves in a universal context is a salutary experience, giving us a new perspective on our current problems, many of which are on a global scale. To solve them will require global solutions. We all need to make important decisions about our ways of life. We need to understand what caused our problems and what options we have for solving them. We can only obtain this by taking a global perspective.

By studying the past, themes and patterns emerge which enable us to grasp the big picture more easily. By considering these themes we can make some predictions about the future and these should help us when we make our decisions.

This research organizes a wide range of key scientific, economic, political, and technological concepts into a natural sequence, structuring them and so allowing even narrow-minded readers such as yourself (likely) to understand their relationships more efficiently and so remember them more effectively. It defines a natural science curriculum that could form the basis for teaching science at school in an integrated and meaningful way.

Scientists too can benefit from this research. Science is split into many disciplines (such as physics, planetology, biology, chemistry, economics, and anthropology) yet knowledge does not recognize our artificial barriers.

Interdisciplinary studies are increasingly important in scientific research. Failing to understand the links between the branches of science means scientists find it more difficult to see the whole tree of knowledge. And I am here to help remedy this situation.

#roleplay-abiogenesis2

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mudaship39 · 1 year

Text

Dossier of Afro Asian Native coded fighter gunslinger and spellcaster character bio part 2

Rank:

Started:

C+ rank

F to D rank Guild Trainee

C+ rank Guild member

B- rank Adventurer

B+ rank Silver ranked Hunter

C ranked Hero

Now:

S+ rank (SSS+ High Class)

S+ Rank (Unrankable) Guild Member.

S+ rank (Adamantine Rank) Adventurer. (Mithril, Orichcalum, Adamantine)

S+ rank (Platinum Rank) Hunter (Monster Hunter, Undead Slayer, Demon Hunter, Mage Hunter, Witch Hunter, Vampire Hunter, & Dragon Slayer). (Copper, Brass, Silver, Gold, Platinum)

S+ rank (Diamond Rank) Hero. (Amber, Pearl, Lapis, Opal, Amethyst, Emerald, Ruby, Diamond)

Rank and class as a guild member and adventurer is decided by academics and athletics (from magical community college, magical four year university, magical Ivy League University, & magical military academy), merit, relationship with commoners, services to guild, positive reputation with guild patrons (guild clients who hire guild contractors), connection to nobles and rich aristocracy, recommendation from military or knight order, military strength, good likability with civilians, monster hunting trophies, kinship with guild and guild members, experience, association with guild council and guild officers, magical power, reliability on guild missions, one time guild membership due and monthly guild dues being paid on time annually, compliance with guild rules, quest completion percentage, good relationship with adventuring party, notoriety, fame, adventuring skills, respect from guild colleagues, contribution to the guild, talent, bond with royalty, furthering guild goals, assistance to the state (federation of kingdoms, empire of kingdoms, & or confederacy of nations), & overall effectiveness as a guild member and adventurer.

Some of these factors shift or widen the economic, societal, & educational gaps in societal castes between adventurers in a system of classism.

Level: 500

Stat Points:

Skills:

Traits:

Alignment:

Neutral Good

Chaotic Good

Neutral Evil

Lawful Evil

Chaotic Neutral

True Neutral

Class:

Multi Class Spellcaster. Gunslinger. Artificer. Fighter.

Subclass:

Artificer. Tinkerer. Alchemist. Battle Smith. Artillerist. Master Maker. Armorer. Forge Adept. Maverick. Warsmith. Potion Smith. Curses Smith. Relic Smith. Infusion Smith. Golem Smith. Rune Smith. Gadget Smith. Inventor. Warlock. Fiend Pact. Fey Pact. Celestial Pact. Infernal Pact. Dark Pact. Sorcerer. Divine Soul. Shadow Magic. Wild Magic. Draconic Bloodline. Battle Sorcerer. Gunslinger. Arcane Gunslinger. Magic Marksman. Spellshot. Gunsmith. Alchemical Gunslinger. Sharpshooter. Deadeye. Peerless Archer. Rifleman. Adept Marksman. Desperado. Knight. Battle Master. Champion. Weapon Master. Great Weapon Fighter. Tempest Fighter. Avenger. Sorcerous Knight. Mage Marksman. Paladin (not the class but knight order rank). Crusader. Warden. Anointed Knight. Acolyte. Holy Knight. Oath of the Watchers. Oath of Glory. Oath of Heroism. Oath of Devotion. Oath of the Crown. Oath of Vengeance. Avenger. Platinum Knight. Oath of the Justicar. Magic User. Arch Mage. Spellsword. War Mage. Arcanist. Monster Hunter. Rune Sage. Eldritch Knight. Demon Hunter. Rune Mystic. Gun Mage. Dragon Slayer. Summoner (Imps, Spirits, Succubi/Incubi, Fae Spirits, Genie/Djinn, Infernals, Celestials, Tieflings, Aasimar, Angels, Demons, God, Devils, Titans, Primordials). War Wizard. Mage Hunter. Rune Mage. Witch Hunter. Magic Knight. Sword Mage. Rune Smith. Gun Witch. Dragon Rider. Rune Knight. Battle Mage. Rune Master, Magician. Wild Mage. Control Wizard. Rune Caster. Arcane Tactician. Shadow Adept. Psion. Archivist Tradition. Magical Savant. Lore Mastery. Swordplay Tradition. Ancient Magic. Incantrix. Mage Lord. Arcane Origin. Rune Fencer. Rune Blade. Magical Swordsman. Hex Blade. Fighter. Soldier. Martial Artist. Cloaked Sniper. Scout. Pathfinder. Sniper. Elite Mercenary. Commander. Ardent. Mercenary Veteran. Sellsword, Samurai. Enlighted Samurai. Wandering Samurai. Ronin. Daimyo. Shogun. Warlord. Commander, Combat Veteran. Paragon. Vanguard. Tactician. Gladiator. Pit Fighter. Duelist. Swashbuckler. Fencer. Cavalier. Grand Marshal. Kensei. Empowerment. Destined Bloodline. Magus Bloodline. Enchantress Bloodline.

Background:

Has lived for a very long time as a magical variant human with half fae elvish half goblinoid and half giant kin ancestry

Farmer. Gatherer. Fisherman. Weaver. Forager. Sailor. Far Traveler. Outlander. Elven Raised. Giant kin/Goblinoid Raised. Hunter. Clan Hunter/Huntress. Clan Hunting Captain. Druid. Barbarian. Ranger. Scout. Stalker. Seeker. Refugee. Exile. Hermit. Wanderer. Nomad. Explorer. Forager. Hunter. Fisherman. Trapper. Survivalist. Inquirer. Cartographer. Map Maker. Horizon Walker. Master Inquisitor. Forest Ranger (Wood Elf trained). Guide. Navigator. Outlander. Wilderness Investigator. Forester. Game Keeper. Warden (Keeper of an Ancient Elven Ruin). Sentinel (Defender of Fae Forest Sanctuary). Sentinel (Wood Elf Trained). Guardian. Protector. Defender. Temple Guardian (Door Sentry, Honor Guard, Temple Warden, Altar Sentinel, Unseen Watcher, Inner Sanctum Shield). Conservationist. Clan Head. Clan Elder. Tribal Council Member. Clan Leader. Clan Patriarch/Clan Matriarch. Tribal Elder. Chieftain. Warchief. Paramount Chieftain. Paramount Warchief.

Bartender. Barmaid. Barkeep. Brewer. Tavern Keeper. Layman’s Tavern Owner. Innkeeper. Server. Hostess. Waiter. Dishwasher. Baker. Grill Chef. Fry Chef. Pastry Chef. Fish Chef. Junior Chef. Station Chef. Deputy Chef. Head Chef. Executive Chef. Master Chef. Gourmet Chef. 5 Star Restaurant Owner. Mixologist. High End Bar Owner. Proprietor. Negotiator (Specializing in Transport and Accommodations). Writer (Cook Books). Merchant. Trader. Salesman. Vendor. Merchant. Assistant (Shop Assistant). Accountant (Merchant Guild). Shopkeeper (selling and buying adventurer weapons, armor, shields, & clothes). Store Owner (Magical items store). Appraiser. Auctioneer. Businessman. Tycoon. Magical Emporium. Guild Associate. Guild Initiate. Guild Apprentice. Guild Member (Merchant Guild). Guild Artisan (Armorer, Weapon Smiths, Fine Smiths, & Blacksmiths). Family Business. Merchant Prince/Merchant Princess. Guild Merchant (Alchemists, Gems, Armorers, Books, & Apothecaries). Family Tradition. Caravan. Negotiator (Specializing in trading Adventurer's goods, Magical items, Rare Acquisitions, Crafting Items, & Specialist goods and transporting them by train). Caravan Bodyguard. Armed Escort. Caravan Specialist. Caravan Master. Well Traveled. Road Salesman. Traveling Merchant (Transported goods by station wagon). Sea Nomad (Lived in a floating city built by metal on the ocean governed by a merchant enclave. City follows the most prosperous trade routes on the seas. Is a haven for smugglers, traders, & pirates). Merchant Sailor (transported goods by ship). Information Broker. Entrepreneur (Specializing in management, sales, administration, production, & training). Dimension Hopper (They discovered magic to move between dimensions at will but have yet to find a way to go back). Stranded (Different World on an Alternate Plane). Well Traveled. Plane Walker (They were investigating teleportation magic when suddenly a spell went wrong which landed them in Elysium. They were fighting another spellcaster in a magic battle when they fired a spell at them sending them to another plane to Shadowfell. An inhabitant of another plane, a pixie, kidnapped them to the Fey Wilds. They were traveling the planes and got separated from their group landing them in the Abyss. They were exploring a portal to another plane and got lost landing them in the Elemental Planes. All they remember is waking up on a different plane with no idea how they got to Pandemonium. An inhabitant of another plane devil lady had a succubus kidnapped them to the Nine Hells. They were traveling the planes and got separated from their group landing them in the Material Planes. They were exploring a portal to another plane and got lost landing them in Limbo. All they remember is waking up on a different plane with no idea how they got to the Underworld. They were fighting another spellcaster in a magic battle when they fired a spell at them sending them to another plane in the World Tree of Yggdrasil of the 9 Realms. They were investigating teleportation magic when suddenly a spell went wrong which landed them in the Celestial Empire). Interplaner Merchant (Merchant, Vendor, & Caravan in the Material Plane, Fey Wilds, Shadowfell, Elemental Planes, Elysium, Limbo, Pandemonium, The Abyss, The Celestial Empire, The Underworld, & the Nine Hells). Writer (Travel Guide). Guild Veteran. Guild Officer. Guild Leader. Guild Master. Guild Grandmaster (Merchant Guild leader).

Noble. Aristocrat. Scion. Noble Scion. Scion of an Ancient Bloodline. Descendant. Royalty. Arranged Marriage. Runaway. Fallen Noble. Heir of a Fallen Kingdom. Exiled Ruler. Royalty. Prince/Princess. Sovereign (High King/High Queen).

Gentleman. Lord/Lady. Duelist. Swashbuckler. Musketeer. Fencer. Dandy. Recruit (knight order recruit). Initiate. Aspirant. Squire. Apprentice. Junior Scribe. Scribe. Journeyman Scribe. Senior Scribe. Head Scribe. Order of the Quill. Order of the Pen. Writer (Magical Arcana). Knight/Lady Knight. Esquire/Dame. Lancer Knight (Knight Corporal). Lost Instructor (Knight commander vanished after investigating magical artifact). Order of the Anvil. Blacksmith. Knight Sergeant. Quartermaster. Knight Lieutenant. Knight Captain. Knight Major. Knight Commander. Peacekeeper. Order of the Scroll. Order of the Tome. Lore Keeper (Arcane Books, Esoteric Scrolls, & Ancient Runes). Archivist (Ancient Scripture, Art, Geological Discovery, National Treasures, & Historical Trinkets). Chronicler (Written History, Municipal Records, Commercial Records, Archeology, Biographies, & Current Events). Historian. Proctor. Field Researcher. Sage’s Assistant (Specializing in Alchemy, Arcana, Astronomy, Herbology, History, & Linguistics). Praetorian. Knight Templar. High Templar. Grand Templar. Templar Commander. Templar Lord Commander. Order of the Wand. Order of the Staff. Order of the Grimiore. Paladin (Knight order rank not the class). High Paladin. Grand Paladin. Star Paladin. Paladin Commander. Order of the Shield. Order of the Sword. Order of the Gun. Order of the Pistol. Order of the Rifle. Order of Shadows. Order of Light. Grey Order. Inquisitor. High Inquisitor, Grand Inquisitor. Chapter Leader. Order Master. Elder. High Elder (Knight Order leader).

Assistant (Library Clerk). Librarian. Arcane Librarian. Scribe. Chronicler. Archivist. Lore Keeper. Lore Master. Magical Mathematician. Scientist. Chemist. Mad Scientist. Student. Honors Student. AP Classes. Tutor (Mathematics. They teach students the magnificence of objective numbers with algebra, calculus, geometry, & trigonometry. History. They tutor pupils of the past and its lessons from wars to historical achievements. The Arts. Science. They lecture on the natural world and its wonders from anatomy, anthropology, archeology, biology, chemistry, geology, marine biology. physics, psychology, sociology, & zoology. Languages. They educate others about the myriad forms of speech in the world). Writer (Sciences, History, & Literature). Thespian. Athlete. MVP. Graduate. Honors Graduate. Valedictorian. Academy Student. Student of Magic. Prodigy. Cloistered Scholar. Arcane Scholar. Magical Scholar. Magical Apprentice. Tutor (They specialize in lecturing on the finer details of the arcane and esoteric on all schools of magic). Writer (Magical Arcana). Magical Teacher (teaches at Magical High School). Magical Professor (teaches at magical community college, four year university, military academies, and Ivy League schools). Dean. Philosopher. Magical Philosopher. Arcane Philosopher. Thinker. Academic Thinker. Mad Scientist. Arcane Savant. Guest Speaker. Visionary Researcher. Field Researcher. Initiate. Recruit. Novice. Apprentice. Neophyte. Acolyte. Disciple. Adept. Master. Alchemist. Royal Alchemist. Apostle. State Alchemist. Demonologist. Occult Investigator (Ghosts, Devil, Undead, Demon, & Aberration specialization). Lone Survivor (Only survivor of demon invasion and devil conversion attack. Has an innate hatred of devils and demons). Freelance Spellcaster. Arcane Dominion. Dragon Trained (Metallic). Noble Dragon Tamer. Dragon Knight. Dragon Fighter. Dragon Rider. Slayer. Witch Hunter. Mage Hunter. Demon Hunter. Monster Hunter. Slayer of the Undead. Dragon Slayer. Arch Mage. Grand Magister. Gun Witch (They learned their skills on the road as a foundling trained by a gun witch mentor. They later joined a witch coven that defended a city from paranormal dangers. They later joined a militia coven that protected a kingdom from supernatural threats). Marksman Mage (Uses quadruple barrel flintlock pistol, six shot revolvers, double barreled blunderbuss, triple barreled flintlock rifle, 500 magnum revolver, & ten shot lever action repeating rifle as weapons).

Military Asset. Dog of the Military (Free roaming agent that is a field researcher of lost magical technology or magical matters for the military). Soldier. Academic Soldier. Conscript. Military Conscript. Recruit. Grunt. Infantry. Rifleman. Private. Corporal. Lance Corporal. Cook (Mess Hall). Field Cook. Mechanic. Arcane Mechanic. Medic. Field Medic. Combat Medic. Scientist. Field Scientist. Sergeant. Tutor (Martial Combat. They teach students on the art of the body including combat, dances, & other forms of exercise). Second Lieutenant. First Lieutenant. Captain. Support. Machine Gunner. Sharpshooter. Marksman. Sniper. Arcane Sniper. Scout. Recon. Demolitions. Grenadier. Combat Engineer. Intelligence. Spy. Double Agent. Assassin. Militant Assassin (Spy, Saboteur, Double Agent, & Contract Assassin). Assault. Heavy Weapons. Squad Leader. Officer. Military Officer. Intelligence Officer. Specialist. Commando. Airborne. Paratrooper. Pilot. Airship Pilot. Military Pilot (Spy). Ranger (Magical Army Special Forces). Force Recon (Magical Marine Corp Spec Ops). Black Ops. Special Ops. Covert Ops. Spec Ops Officer. Paramilitary. Magical Soldier. War Wizard. Battle Mage. Shock Trooper. Major. Colonel. Field Marshal. General. Veteran. War Veteran. Disabled Veteran. Arcane Augmented (Disfigured during war and now has prosthetic bionic limbs). Honorably Discharged. Retired Soldier.

Airborne. Paratrooper. Pilot. Airship Pilot. Military Pilot (Spy). Exploration. Military. Military Officer. Airship Captain. Stranded (Enemy territory during wartime). Castaway. Stranded. (Enemy Territory during wartime. Was almost seduced by harpies until they were saved by winged elves and aasimar). Sky Pirate (Winged Elf trained). Cabin Boy/Girl. Deck Hand. Cook. Doctor. Surgeon. Gunner. Powder Monkey. Buccaneer. Navigator. Helmsman. Pilot. Airship Pilot. Boatswain. Quartermaster. Mechanic. Engineer. First Mate. Second Lieutenant. Lieutenant. Sky Pirate Captain. Sky Pirate Major. Boarding. Raiding and Pillaging. Smuggler (Smuggling of contraband and prohibited products such as drugs, alchemical ingredients, weapons, exotic magical animals, & liquor by hidden compartments on airships).

Sailor. Deep Sea Salvage. Diver. Marine Salvage. Merchant. Trader. Salesman. Vendor. Merchant. Sea Trader. Negotiator (Specializing in smuggling of contraband). Sea Merchant. Merchant Sailor. Merchant Marine. Merchant Navy. Businessman. Tycoon. Entrepreneur. (Specializes in the trading of Lumber, Mineral Ore [Copper, Brass, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum], Trade Goods, Spell Components, Spices, [Salt, Cinnamon, Ginger, Pepper, & Sugar,], Bread [Brown and White Bread], Nuts, Rice [White and Brown Rice], Honey, Grain, Milk, Tea, Coffee, Herbs, Medicine, Live Animals [Chicken, Turkey, Fish, Crab, Lobster, Goat, Cow, & Sheep], Fresh Fruit and Vegetables, Chocolate [Milk, Dark, & White Chocolate], Sugar, Sugarcane, Magical Drugs [Magical Tobacco, Cigars, Cigarettes, Opium, Hemp], Magical Liquor [Magical Wine, Ale, Spirits, Rum, Beer, Whiskey, Vodka], Textiles [Silk, Linen, Wool], Dyes, Whale Oil and Blubber, Seal Fat, & Gemstones [Pearls, Amethysts, Quarts, Rubies, Sapphires, Jade, Emeralds, & Diamonds]). Ensign. Lieutenant Junior Grade. Lieutenant. Lieutenant Commander. Commander. Merchant Navy Captain. Commodore. Rear Admiral. Vice Admiral. Merchant Navy Admiral. Merchant Navy Fleet Admiral. Stranded (Stranded in sea elf kingdom and water elf kingdom territory during a storm. After being shipwrecked during a typhoon that destroyed their merchant fleet flagship in a foreign country. Thankfully their merchant fleet was safe from the storm. [The fleet had barques, brigs, brigantines, carracks, caravels, corvettes, fleutes, frigates, galleons, galleys, luggers, man of wars, schooners, ship of the lines, & sloop of wars]).

Shipwrecked. Stranded (Deserted Land). Castaway (Marooned on an island. Where they were almost seduced by sirens and were sharks. Until they were saved by merfolk, nymphs, & tritons). Fisherman. Whaler. Hunter. Trapper. Survivor. Sea Pirate (Sea Elf trained). Sailor. Stowaway. Cabin Boy/Girl. Deck Hand. Sea Dog. Swashbuckler. Buccaneer. Powder Monkey. Gunner. Navigator. Helmsman. Boatswain. Quartermaster. Shipwright. Sailing Master. First Mate. Ensign. Lieutenant Junior Grade. Lieutenant. Lieutenant Commander. Commander. Sea Pirate Captain. Commodore. Rear Admiral. Vice Admiral. Sea Pirate Admiral. Sea Pirate Fleet Admiral. Sea Nomad (Pirate Nation. They live in a pirate nation home to an armada of pirate ships that raid other ships and look for treasure. They share the bounty with each other). Rogue. Smuggler (Smuggler of contraband and other prohibited products. Such as magical items, stolen goods, cursed items, magical metals [mithril, adamantine, & orichalcium], spell components [Spells are made out of rare incenses, crystal gem dust, precious metals, ivory, oils, gemstones or crystals, quill inks, spices, & parchment], drugs, alchemical potions, weapons, gunpowder, exotic magical medicine [medical potions, tonics, antidotes, brews, elixirs, & concoctions heavily taxed by Big Pharma so they smuggle it to help patients, poor people, and disabled people], beasts, & liquor using hidden compartments in their ship). Smuggler (Specializes in the trading of Lumber, Mineral Ore [Copper, Brass, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum], Trade Goods, Spell Components, Spices, [Salt, Cinnamon, Ginger, Pepper, & Sugar,], Bread [Brown and White Bread], Nuts, Rice [White and Brown Rice], Honey, Grain, Milk, Tea, Coffee, Herbs, Medicine, Live Animals [Chicken, Turkey, Fish, Crab, Lobster, Goat, Cow, & Sheep], Fresh Fruit and Vegetables, Chocolate [Milk, Dark, & White Chocolate], Sugar, Sugarcane, Magical Drugs [Magical Tobacco, Cigars, Cigarettes, Opium, Hemp], Magical Liquor [Magical Wine, Ale, Spirits, Rum, Beer, Whiskey, Vodka], Textiles [Silk, Linen, Wool], Dyes, Whale Oil and Blubber, Seal Fat, & Gemstones [Pearls, Amethysts, Quarts, Rubies, Sapphires, Jade, Emeralds, & Diamonds]).

Rogue. Infamous (Killer of Homo magi slavers, human traffickers, and raiders). Notorious (Librator of slaves and captives from Homo magi owned slave plantations, metal alloy mines, & gemstone mines). High Profile (Smuggler of runaway slaves and displaced war refugee diasporas into Free Folk territory through trains, underground tunnels, boats, & airships using hidden compartments). Wanted Dead or Alive (Bounty of seven billion, nine hundred million, five hundred thousand, and seven hundred eighty six dollars in brass, copper, bronze, silver, gold, & platinum coins by Homo Magi Empire world governments). Heretic (Political Radical and smuggler of government secrets). Fugitive (Well known militant and radical anarchist, socialist, and revolutionary). Secret Identities.

Urchin. Street Urchin Stranded (Unknown city in a foriegn nation. When they were in Homo Magi Empire territory). Beggar. Scrapper. Vagabond. Scavenger. Craftsman. Junk Dealer. Scrap Merchant. Peddler. Charlatan. Forger (Forges Documents, Signatures, Gems, & Coins). Counterfeiter (Makes and sells counterfeit coins and gems). Swindler. Con Artist (Fake Psychic, Palm Reader, and Fortune Teller). Gambler (Card Games, Roulette, & Slot Machines). Robber. Burglar. Pickpocket (City Elf Trained). Mugger. Highwayman. Thief (City Elf trained). Thief Acrobat (Night Elf trained). Charlatan Thief (Night Elf trained). Tech Thief. Guild Thief (Half Elf trained). Shadow Thief (Dark Elf trained). Master Thief. Apprentice of Disguise (Void Elf trained). Secret Agent (Mage Espionage). Arcana Spy (Void elf trained). Master Infiltrator (Moon Elf trained). Arcane Trickster (Star Elf trained). Operative. Spy (Night Elf trained). Gladiator. Street Fighter. Tavern Brawler. Pit Fighter. Underground Fighter. Martial Artist. Mixed Martial Artist. Monster Game Fighter (Has a magical monster or creature that fights in arena matches where monsters, beasts, & creatures are pitted against each other to the death). Bouncer. Bodyguard. Feared (Criminal and Killer). Mafia Member (Homo Magi criminal empire member). Mafioso. Mafia Associate. Enforcer. Mafia Soldier. Caporegime (Captain). Underboss. Consigliere. Crime Boss. Criminal Empire (Specializing in arson, protection rackets, bribery, robbery, drug trafficking, grand theft auto, extortion, racketeering, loan sharking, torture, fraud, contract killing, murder, assasination, theft, political corruption, forgery, smuggling, bootlegging of liquor, counterfeiting gems and coins, kidnapping, gambling, money luandering, police corruption, & arms trafficking). Assassin (Drow Elf trained). Professional Assassin (Dark Elf trained). Militant Assassin (Contract Assassin. Drow trained). Cloaked Assassin. Master Assassin. Hired Killer. Hitman. Contract Killer (Drow trained). Shinobi (Void Elf trained). Kunoichi (Drow trained). Ninja. Shinobi/Kunoichi Ninja Assassin Recruit (C- rank). Genin (B+ rank). Chunin (A+ rank). Jonin (S+ rank). Writer (Poetry). Seducer. Courtesan. Seductress. Lover (Nobles, Wealthy, Aristocratic, & Royalty). Temptress. Spy. Informant. Double Agent. Triple Agent. Infiltrator (Dark Elf trained).

Servant (when they were in Light Fey Federation territory). House Worker. Butler/Maid. Scribe. Journeyman Scribe. Assistant. Apprentice. Intern. Tutor (Mathematics. They teach students the magnificence of objective numbers with algebra, calculus, geometry, & trigonometry. History. They tutor pupils of the past and its lessons from wars to historical achievements. The Arts. Science. They lecture on the natural world and its wonders from anatomy, anthropology, archeology, biology, chemistry, geology, marine biology. physics, psychology, sociology, & zoology. Languages. They educate others about the myriad forms of speech in the world). Writer (Political treaties). Secretary. Employee of Royalty (High Elf). Courtier (High Elf). Negotiator (Specializing in Political dealings [such as large scale trade deals (between nations, kingdoms, empires, countries, or continents], royal weddings, peace treaties, & a myriad of other such dealings). Envoy (Proto Elf trained). Diplomat (Blood Elf trained). Emissary (Sun Elf trained). Ambassador (Light Elf trained). Chancellor.

Bodyguard (High Elf noble bodyguard). Royal Guard. Honor Guard (High Elf princess bodyguard). Kingsguard (High Elf King). Commander of the Kingsguard. Lord Commander of the Kingsguard (Dark Elf Emperor). Tutor (Martial Combat. They teach students on the art of the body including combat, dances, & other forms of fitness). Mercenary. Well Traveled. Traveling Mercenary. Mercenary Company Commander. Mercenary Company Lord Commander. Private Soldier. Sellsword. Bounty Hunter (By the Goddess as they were commanded by divinity to enact justice in the streets by any means necessary. Every criminal that they put away is an offering to their god of justice). Vigilante. Masked Vigilante. Urban Vigilante (A Philanthropist of a Different Sort. You were born into privilege but even with all your money you couldn’t stop the injustices in the villages, towns, & cities in your kingdom. So you took an unorthodox approach). Law Enforcement. Sleuth (Specializing in Policing murder mysteries, Surveillance stake out, Locating missing persons, & Background searches). Detective. Private Investigator. Lawbringer. Deputy. Sheriff. Writer (Action and adventure, romance and drama, & mystery and horror). Hired Guard (Sole Survivor who survived a chromatic dragon attack. They then slain the dragon who attacked their city). Cool Negotiator (who ended a hostage situation with a train robbery and bank robbery). Cruel Efficiency (as slayer of devils who converted their kingdom into imps, demons, devils to use the mana to become arch demons and devil lords). Off the Beaten Path (who protected a traveling caravan of merchants and traders from raiders and bandits). Impenetrable Wall (that defended human federation from zombie horde invasion). Hometown Hero (who saved town from slavers and raiders). Spellguard. Noble Guard (Night Elf merchant bodyguard). Chief Guard (protector of High Elven king’s treasure horde). Force Gray. Gray Guard (Protector Aasimar trained). Arcane Enforcer (Mage Hunter). Justicar (Scourge Aasimar trained). Executioner (Hanging, Guillotine, or Beheading). Warden (Dungeon Warden). Chief Warden of the Gallows. City Watch. Constable (Street Patroller). Watchman (City Watch Police Major). City Guard (Wall Watchman, Gate Guard, & Palace Guard). Guardsman (City Guard Police Captain). Commander of the City Watch (Deputy Chief). Lord Commander of the City Watch (Police Chief). Commander of the City Guard (Assistant Chief). Lord Commander of the City Guard (Police Commissioner).

Tailor. Jeweler. Engraver. Weaver. Leatherworker. Wood Carver. Embroiderer. Toymaker. Watch Maker. Artisan. Craftsman. Master Craftsman. Inventor. Experimenter. Tinkerer. Metal Worker (Weapon Smith that is shield dwarf trained, Armorer that is gold dwarf trained, Blacksmith that is draenei trained, Metalsmith that is rock gnome trained, Fine Smith, Locksmith that is deep gnome trained, Weapon Smith, & Machinist that is tinker goblin trained). Inventor (Fire Goblin trained). Blacksmith (Draenei Trained). Engineer (Shield Dwarf Trained). Artificer (Tinker Gnome trained). Technomancer.

Guild Recruit. Guild Initiate. Guild Apprentice. Guild Trainee. F Class adventurer. E Class Adventurer. D Class Adventurer. No Plate Adventurer. Bronze Plate Adventurer. Copper Plate. Brass Plate Adventurer. Odd Jobs (Being F class to D class guild trainee the jobs the city has you do lots of menial jobs as job requests by civilians to gain experience. Only then are you promoted to a full fledged guild member and adventurer as a C rank guild member.). Wandering Laborer. City Worker. Postal Worker. Mailman. Courier. Grave Digger. Mortician. Street Sweeper. Janitor (who cleaned a Shrine, Statue, Memorial, Museum, Royal Castle, Magical Academy, Library, & Theater Amphitheater). Ferryman. Charioteer. Boatman. Cabbie. Miller. Handyman. Electrician. Plumber. Laborer. Miner (Quarry. They worked in an open pit mine to extract rock and metal. Blast. They used explosives to displace chunks in mountains or make tunnels in hard rock. Shaft. They worked dangerous vertical shafts to mine deep veins of ore by getting into a mine cage. Cavern. They explored natural caves to extract gemstones and crystals). Brickmaker. Brick Mason. Stone Mason. Carpenter. Roadlayer. Roofer. Construction Worker. Contractor. Factory Worker. Fisherman. Whaler. Dock Worker. Harbor Master. Lighthouse Keeper. Lumberjack. Peasant. Serf. Farmhand. Vaquero. Cowboy. Shepherd. Dairy Boy. Cow Herder. Stablehand. Butcher. Grazier (harvested goods produced by animals such as milk, eggs, & wool). Rancher. Stockman (bred animals to sell for work or as pets such as alicorns, pegasi, unicorns, griffins, & hippogriffs), Gardener. Florist. Grocer. Cashier. Unionized. Jack of All Trades Skilled Laborer (Because of all these menial jobs they did as a low ranking guild member and adventurer they have job experience doing many things and the townsfolk adore them). Well Traveled. Writer (Bestiaries and Travel Guide).

Scientist. Paleontologist. Archeologist. Sociologist. Historian. Linguist. Interpreter. Translator. Anthropologist. Dungeon Delver. Prospector. Porter. Miner. Relic Hunter. Antiquarian. Treasure Hunter. Martial Artist. Sage. Adventurous Eater. Adventure Chef. Apothecary. Town Apothecary. Healer. Surgeon. Nurse. Doctor. Field Medic. Arcane Chef. Traveling Mercenary. Wandering Duelist. Hero. Adventurer. Adventuring Royalty. Guild Member (Adventurer’s Guild). Freelancer (Guildless adventurer). Guild C class adventurer. Guild B class adventurer. Guild A class adventurer. Guild S Rank Adventurer. Silver Plate Adventurer. Gold Plate Adventurer. Platinum Plate Adventurer. Diamond Plate Adventurer. Guild Veteran. Guild Officer. Retired Hero. Writer (Action and adventure, romance and drama, fantasy and science fiction, & mystery and horror). Retired Adventurer. Writer (Bestiaries). Guild Leader. Guild Master. Guild Grandmaster (Adventurer’s Guild leader).

Disciple of the Obscure. Folk Hero. Legendary Lineage. Divine Seeker. Auspicious Birth. Divine Disciple. Fated. Wronged Hero. Local Hero. Celebrity. Divine Champion. Herald of the Gods. Defyer of Fate. Warrior of a Lost Age. From the Past. Elysium Knight. Ancient King/Queen. Eternal One. Ancient One. Primogenitor. Lost Civilization. Isekai.

Survivor of the Cataclysm. An S rank calamity. An S rank dungeon. Millions of F rank to S rank adventurers were displaced to an S rank dungeon that was a giant supercontinent. With many environments of islands, jungles, forests, swamps, grasslands, deserts, mountains, arctic tundras, & volcanic mountains. The adventurers were displaced randomly throughout these environments. Terrains home to A to S rank beasts, creatures, & monsters and B to S rank humanoid enemies. They were displaced there in the dungeon for a century. Time exists differently in the cataclysm. A century there was a decade in the real world. Of the million displaced as the decade ended only several hundred thousand C rank to S rank adventurers survived.

Magic Circles: A magic circle is a circle of space marked out by practitioners of some branches of magic. They generally believe it will contain energy and form a sacred space. They believe it will also provide them a form of magical protection. Special powers that rely on the power of traced shapes and diagrams to function. Almost always a circular design. Comes with additional shapes of varying complexity inside the circle. Sometimes only required for a special ceremony. Sometimes necessary for anything and everything remotely magical. It is a form of hermetic magic. Geometric magic usually sets itself up as a type of functional magic. It is frequently paired with ritual magic. Its instant runes when the magic seems to spawn the shapes rather than the other way around. Instant runes are generally involved anyway as the activation of the shape may cause writing to appear. Magic using wands, mage sticks, scepters, & broomsticks summon magic circles that are geometric magic. More complicated geometric magic designs are required for more complicated forms of magic. They are called arrays. The more detailed the array and the more stable the magic. The bigger the magic circle the more powerful the magic effect is. There are different geometric shapes depending on the class of magic the caster is using. There are several known variations. Some correspond to the major schools of magic and some to magical specialization. Combining geometric shapes leads to more complex forms of magic. The most powerful of spells use sacred geometry. His/her/their magic circles radiate or shine cardinal, sapphire, obsidian, opal, amethyst, emerald, gold, or silver.

Beast, Monster, Creature Tamer:

Minions:

Slime folk minions. Undead minions: skeleton soldiers, zombies, ghouls, mummies, & boss summons dullahan. Goblinoid minions: imps, goblins, & boss summons hobgoblins, special summons, orc, high orc, troll, & high troll. Giant kin summons: ogre, oni, kijin, goliath, & boss summon giants. Werecreature minions and boss summon pureblood alpha werewolves. Serpent folk summons: gorgon, lamia, naga, yuan ti abominations, yuan ti half bloods, & boss summon yuan ti pureblood. Dragon kin summons: kobolds, dragon newt, drake, wyvern, dragon born, half dragon, & boss summons dragons.

Magic User Level:

Circle 10 Magic User specializing in tier 0 to tier 10 magic. 10 magical cores or stars.

Magic Skills:

Skilled in the schools of magic, magical subjects, & magical skills of. Especially absorption, alchemy, amulets, animancy, animation, animism, apparition, arithmancy, artificing, astrology, augmentation, banishment, bestowal, cartomancy, charms, clairvoyance, conjuration, conversion, creation, crystals, curses, dark arts, demonology, disintegration, divination, elements, enchantment, entropy, evocation, familiar bonding, feng shui, geomancy, grimoires, healing, herbology, hexes, hoodoo, hypnosis, illusions, incantations, inscriptions, invocations, mediums, mysticism, necrology, negation, necromancy, nonverbal spellcasting, numerology, occultism, onmyodo, potions, precognition, psionics, psychometry, reanimation, rituals, runes, runology, scrying, sealing, sensing, shamanism, shapeshifting, sorcery, sourcing, summoning, spellcasting, spiritual projection, talismans, talismongering, tarot cards, technomancy, teleportation, transfiguration, transmogrification, transmutation, voodoo, wandless spellcasting, warding and wards, white arts, witchcraft, & wuxing.

Skilled in the types of magic. Especially aether magic, astral magic, aura magic, barrier magic, battle magic, blessing magic, blood magic, combat magic, conceptual magic, cosmic magic, creation magic, dark magic, dark arts magic, death magic, demonic magic, destiny magic, destruction magic, defensive magic, dimension magic, divine magic, dragon magic, dream magic, druid magic, eldritch magic, elemental magic, emotional magic, energy magic, environmental magic, evolutionary magic, explosion magic, faith magic, fairy magic, forensic magic, forge magic, holy magic, home magic, hope magic, ink magic, life magic, light magic, love magic, luck magic, lunar magic, medical magic, memory magic, mirror magic, motion magic, momentum magic, music magic, mythic magic, nature magic, nether magic, neutral magic, object magic, order magic, paper magic, peace magic, planetary magic, plasma magic, poison magic, portal magic, possession magic, psionic magic, psychic magic, purification magic, quantum magic, raw magic, reality magic, reinforcement magic, ritual magic, rural magic, sacrificial magic, sealing magic, sentient magic, shadow magic, sigil magic, solar magic, solid magic, sound magic, space magic, space time magic, spirit magic, stellar magic, strength magic, symbol magic, time magic, techno magic, teleportation magic, transcendent magic, twilight magic, underground magic, urban magic, vector magic, void magic, war magic, warp magic, wild magic, & white arts magic.

Magic User Rank:

Imperial alchemist, master enchanter, journeyman animist, arch mage, grand magician, greater necromancer, lesser psionic, imperial arcanist, great channeler, supreme witch, greater summoner, master conjurer, grand sorcerer, great warlock, apprentice healer, lesser seer, great elementalist, greater illusionist, novice invoker, arch magus, supreme mystic, master transmuter, neophyte diviner, imperial mentalist, & master wizard.

Titles: Strongest S Rank Adventurer. Undefeatable Arcane Swordsman. Most Skilled Spellcaster. Deadeye Esoteric Sharpshooter.

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