#the blindsight set

[dr-abigail-richelieu]

This is Maelle Forget, one of our more "docile" patient at the G.I.I's "Habilitation Centers". Although docile doesn't mean harmless, She's still a Vampire after all.

Hi! This is a teaser for something I'm currently Working on. A Scifi Horror Setting, with scientifically explanable Vampires, Werewolfs, Zombies, and much much more... This Setting started out as a Blindsight AU but the addition I made to the world, the Vampire biology, neurology, etc and a general desire to have more then just Vampires made me make this a separated setting (Althouth, Alot of aspects of Vampire lore was kept from Peter Watts amazing work, so yes, technically this is very much A Blindsight AU) other inspiration are from Though Potato's channel, like the whole idea of scientists researching cryptids and creatures and explaining the science. I also wanted to make it into Analog Horror but I certainly doubt my skillsets would allow me.

#horror #science fiction #weird fiction #science horror #blindsight #peter watts #blindsight peter watts #vampire #echopraxia #scifi #vampire art #my art #my artwork #science fiction writing #vampirism #horror setting #setting idea #my au #my artwrok #artwork #artist on tumblr #my writing #horror writer #vampire oc #writers on tumblr #writers #writing #horror writing #stories

[random-thought-depository]

"Mostly settled, complex hunter-gatherers exploiting an abundant range of resources, some Natufian settlements were small and temporary, but others reached 1000 m^2 with about 150 residents. Over time, settlements expanded into different areas, shaped by population growth, local ecology, and climatic perturbations. Trade in exotic stone such as obsidian developed, with some indication of regional cultural differentiation, but with no persuasive evidence of social ranking as found among some other complex hunter-gatherers…

Skeletal remains have been recovered of more than 400 Natufians. One female of 35-40 years from Nahal Oren apparently died of a blow to the head (Ferembach, 1959, p. 67). Three small samples also indicate the presence of violence, sometimes deadly. One of seven individuals, an unsexed adult, from around 10000 BC, had two healed and one unhealed cranial fractures, possibly the cause of death (Webb & Edwards, 2002). A reexamination of 17 individuals from around 9100 BC, found an embedded lunate point with no signs of healing in a vertebra of a mature adult male. Two others among the five adult males had healed cranial trauma (Bocquentin & Bar Yosef, 2004). In another study, 5 of 30 adult male skulls (16.7 percent) and 3 of 15 adult females (20 percent) had healed trauma, though only 1 of 487 upper limbs had a fracture (Eshed, Gopher, Pinhasi & Hershkovitz, 2010, pp. 125,127). Conflict violence? Yes. But Bar-Yosef, who has called for a deliberate effort to de-pacify the past (2010a), considering all that is known about Natufians, concludes that there is no evidence supporting the interpretation of war, just personal violence (2010b, p. 72). LeBlanc (2010, p. 41) posits three possible indicators of warfare among people such as the Natufian: settlements on defendable sites, deadly skeletal trauma, and specialized or stockpiled weapons, yet even this champion of de-pacification does not cite any instances. In contrast to the European Mesolithic, there is no evidence of war among Natufians. … Compared to the Natufian, PPNA population is denser, and with larger settlements of commonly 150-300 people. Evenly spaced villages cluster in favorable lowland environments near rivers, and are abandoned after a few centuries. A hierarchy of settlement sizes is apparent, down to small seasonal sites, with storage and cultic constructions in the larger ones. They are not in defendable locations, and without any indication of surrounding ditches or walls. Except by distance between major centers, there are no major cultural breaks. All areas are marked by convergence in technologies, and are linked in trade of exotic materials such as salt, bitumen, sea shells, and above all, obsidian, coming from multiple sources… Nothing in the construction or distribution of settlements suggests the presence of war.

A few of the largest sites appear to be nodes in trade networks, and probably cultic centers (Belfer-Cohen & Goring Morris, 2011, p. 213). Evidence for communal production and distribution, and for collective ceremonialism, is a persistent characteristic of the early Near East. My argument is that they are part of a peace system, resolving potential conflict and avoiding war. At the very start of the PPNA around 9650 BC, Wadi Faynan 16 in Jordan has a large public structure with complex internal structure (Mithen, Finlayson, Smith, Jenkins, Najjar, and Maricevic, 2011). The purpose is not obvious, but a ritual center seems likely. A more clear-cut (and amazing) ritual center is Gobekli Tepe in southeastern Turkey, centrally located on high ground visible for miles around, from 9130-8650 BC (Mithen, Finlayson, Smith, Jenkins, Najjar & Maricevic, 2011, pg. 360). It seems to have been free-standing, without accompanying settlement. No settlement remains have been found, and its monumental construction suggests a massive work commitment from populations throughout the surrounding area, leading to the inference that it was a means of creating a shared identity and culture at the very transition to the Neolithic (Schmidt, 2010, 253-254).

Jericho in Jordan is the best known settlement of the PPNA, reaching 500 inhabitants. After some centuries, the people of Jericho constructed a wall and a central tower, which was often taken as the earliest evidence of warfare, unique of its milieu (Roper, 1975, pp. 304-306). Bar Yosef (1986) reanalyzed those constructions, and found them unsuited for defense, and more likely for protection against flooding and mudflows, an interpretation that has been widely accepted. Over 500 burials at Jericho have been recovered from all periods (including PPNB), with some multiple burials. One burial that has 30 individuals lacks any sign of violence, which suggests that they died in an epidemic (Rollefson, 2010, p. 62). LeBlanc (2010, p. 45) mentions "a few … healed skull fractures" from Jericho and one other site, without elaboration.

Another huge, long-inhabited and very well-investigated PPNA site is Abu Hureyra in Syria. On a terrace above a flood plain, there are no signs of walls or towers. With up to 3,000 inhabitants in clearly planned structures, there must have been some form of authority. Yet there is no sign of social hierarchy - which suggests an alternative to standard evolutionary models that connect authority to chiefs. Authority may be vested in village councils of elders or lineage representatives, who live as others do. Recognized authority can be a precondition for peace. At Abu Hureyra, remains of approximately 162 individuals include multiple burials but they have no signs of violence. Disease seems likely. Points are found in a few burials, but their positioning suggests they are grave offerings, along with other objects… One young man, however, has an embedded point that was clearly lethal. "This is the only evidence that we have found for death by violence" (Moore et al., 2000, p. 288).

From the Southern Levant, several small sites spanning PPNA and PPNB yield 34 skulls for osteological analysis. One has a healed cranial fracture (Eshed, Gopher, Pinhasi, & Hershkovitz 2010, pp. 123, 127, 129). That is the paltry sum of evidence for war in the Levantine PPNA. The PPNA lasted for only 1,100 years, but that much time was more than enough in Europe for clear signs of war to emerge among Neolithic people.

This absence of evidence gains significance in contrast to the earliest Neolithic in the northern Tigris area, northern Iraq. … The Late Round House Horizon seems to develop out of the local Epipaleolithic Zarzian. Considerable differences exist on dates. Goring-Morris et al. (2009, pp. 210,212) go for calibrated 9750-8750, making it contemporary with the PPNA of the Levant. Village sites are located on the ecotone between floodplains and the Taurus. Two sites are important for evidence of war, the smaller and earlier Qermez Dere, and the nearby and later but overlapping Nemrik 9.

Qermez Dere is on high ground, with panoramic views of all approaches, and is protected on three sides by a steep drop. There are a few mace-heads, which may or may not be weapons of war. More significantly, it has a "spectacular development of projectile points" without any evident changes in hunting. Many points have broken tips, and may have "impacted with the settlement" (Watkins, 1992, pp. 68-69; Watkins, Baird, & Betts, 1989, p. 19). Nemrik 9 is bounded by steep wadis. It has mace heads, but also has skeletons with associated points (and no other grave goods) (Kozlowsky, 1989, pp. 25-28). One male skull contained two points, a second skeleton had a point in the pelvic area, and a third had a broken point next to a broken arm. These points are of a type that is unusual locally, suggested that attackers had come from some distance (Rollefson, 2010, p. 63). This convergence of different kinds of evidence supports the inference of war, the earliest in the Near East. Why war first appeared here is anyone's guess. Later firsts in the evolution from this same area are associated with the long-distance trade in Anatolian obsidian, as later routes went right through this area. But obsidian was rare at Qermez Dere (Watkins et al., 1989, pg. 22) and not mentioned at Nemrik 9 (Kozlowsky, 1989, pp. 27-28). … The second phase of the Pre-Pottery Neolithic, PPNB, laster longer, 8500-6400 cal BC. This was the early Holocene climatic optimum, especially favorable to cultivation - "a time of plenty as conditions improved from one year to the next" (Goring-Morris & Belfar-Cohen, 2011, p. 202). Cultivation shifted from earlier local experimentation to heavy reliance on cereals. Domesticated animal herds increased, use of wild resources declined, and the population exploded. Villages grew in size and stayed put for many centuries - still regularly spaced and with smaller settlements grading out from larger - and populations colonized formerly marginal areas. With northern and southern variations, some long-settled locations were abandoned, possibly due to changing water tables (Bar-Yosef, 2011, p. 182; Goring-Morris et al., 2009, pp. 212-214). Within this panorama, a new phenomenon of "mega-sites" approaching urban proportions developed and spread, transforming the social landscape, expanding "on an almost 'unlimited' scale in terms of food resources, due to the presence of various ungulates … and the availability of arable lands" (Gebel, 2004, p. 4).

Across a mosaic of locally specific adaptations, a deeply entwined interaction sphere of exchange and cultural convergence developed that extended past the old PPNA areas to include Anatolia and Cyprus (Asouti, 2006; Goring-Morris & Belfar-Cohen, 2011, pg. 202). Still, no fortifications or territorial separations are noted, at least until (possibly) the end, even though the presence of war is sometimes assumed (eg., Gebel, 2004, p. 9). In contrast, major ritual centers - consistent with the generally pronounced cultic orientation of PPNB remains - developed between major population centers, especially in the Northern Levant and southern Anatolia, which imply social cooperation across large areas. Gobekli Tepe, which began in the late PPNA, continued on, but other centers such as Nevali Cori and Cayonu became more common in the PPNB, often between settlements, often on high ground visible for miles around…

Roper's (1975, pp. 311-312) pioneering study of signs of war in the Near East finds nothing for a millennium after the questionable early wall of Jericho, the original mega-site, but some possibilities from the late seventh millenium. Extensively quoting Kenyon's report, the first ten PPNB occupation levels have no hint of a wall, but Phase XII and XIII trenches found massive stone slabs sloping up on top of fill, which Kenyon interpreted as defensive. Not likely. The structure was built in the midst of domestic units. The land behind it was filled in to its top, with house structures then built right up to the edge. Everything looks like a terrace, not a defensive wall. Besides that, for this key case, the extensive skeletal collection from PPNB Jericho does not display signs of violence, and multiple burials could be from epidemics.

Beidha (Southern Levant) level IV c. 6900-6600 BC is another candidate for war. Beidha was burned, with some culturally new elements found after, yet there are also continuities. With no clear signs of fortifications or any violence in skeletal remains, war remains nothing more than a possibility (Roper, 1975, pp. 312-313). Ras Shamra (Northern Levant) c. 6436 BC, possibly an early seaport, has a surrounding glacis of stone slabs over dirt, but that could be to prevent inundations (Roper, 1975, pp. 313-314). In Turkey Mellaart (1975, p. 90 ff) had interpreted Catalhuyuk joined structures with roof entrances as defensive - a point that seems destined to interminable debate - and a similar interpretation has been offered for aceramic Haclilar c. 7040 BC. Roper (1975, p. 316) notes the doubts, and considering all four sites, concludes that "there is no conclusive evidence … that warfare was feared or practiced, though it is likely." These four sites are frequently noted as evidence of Near Eastern warfare. It is not much of a record.

Post-Roper's-survey, Ghwair I, a smaller site from southern Jordan (Southern Levant, as are other PPNB sites to follow), 6800-6300 BC, has one infant with elaborate grave goods, and an elderly female with a point embedded inside her jaw (Simmon & Najjar, 2006, p. 90). At late PPNB Basta in Jordan, of 29 skulls, five had healed minor cranial fractures (Schultz, Berner & Schmidt-Schultz, 2004, p. 260). Another boy was killed by a blow to the head (Rollefson, 2010, p. 63). The violence at both those sites would be consistent with pronounced internal hierarchy. Late PPNB Ba'ja, a small site in mega-site times, is on a terrance in nearly vertical sandstone formations, approachable only through a steep and narrow passage. It certainly could be called defendable, and in that quality is noted as unique within its time. But from photographs, Ba'ja's terrace seems to be the only habitable ground in the vicinity, at least with access to water. No traces of contemporary settlements have been found anywhere around them (Bienert & Gebel, 2004, pp. 119-121, 135; Gebel & Bienert 1997, pp. 223, 229).

Ba'ja, Basta, and Beidha are not far apart, and this confluence of inconclusive clues makes it a promising area to look for concrete evidence of war. Yet as it stands, there is really nothing in any of those sites that even probably support the conclusion that war was present. The mega-sites should be able to raise a few hundred fighting men, and the effects of fighting at that scale most likely would be seen. On the contrary, in the north Jordan valley from the PPNB through the Pottery Neolithic, the countryside was spotted with small settlements in flat ground near water without any defensive characteristics (Roper, 1975, pg. 31). In sum, there is no persuasive evidence of war in the PPNB from the Southern Levant to Anatolia. Kuijt and Goring-Morris (2002, pg. 421) sum up the record for the entire Levant Pre-Pottery Neolithic, both A and B. They note the "near-total absence of evidence for interpersonal or intercommunity aggression in the PPN." Starting with the Natufian in 13100 BC, the close of the PPN around 6400 BC makes 6700 years in the Southern Levant without any good evidence of war. … The end of the PPNB, often called "collapse," included abandonment of many long-settled sites, and was close to and quite possibly related to the major climatic reversal and aridity in the eastern Mediterranean, known as the "8200 cal yr BP event" (Clare, 2010, pp. 15-17; Rollefson, Simmons, & Kafafi, 1992, p. 468; Weninger et al., 2006). The Pottery Neolithic, 6400-4500 cal BC (Goring-Morris et al. 2009:190), post-8.2 K cal BC, is marked most obviously by the development and immediate spread of pottery. It also saw a shift to smaller settlements, the digging of wells, more reliance on pastoralism, and sharp differentiation of local cultures. With climate-forced competition, invested labor in wells and livestock, and cultural differentiation, one might expect the emergence of warfare.

But war is not apparent in the record of the Southern Levant PN. Roper (1975, p. 317) notes settlements are small, on low, watered land. There is no sign of fortifications in the sixth millennium after the questionable wall at PNNB Jericho. Archaeological excavation in the Southern Levant has been intense in recent decades, as more real estate is developed (Rowan & Golden, 2009, p. 2). But 35 years after Roper, the evidence has not changed.

'Ain Ghazal was a central Jordan mega-site and major ritual center that was not abandoned with the PPNB "collapse." Occupied from 7250-5000 BC, no walls are indicated until Pottery Neolithic times (5500-5000 BC), when "stone enclosure walls abound … but just what these features enclosed is difficult to determine" (Rollefson et al., 1992, pg. 450). As these walls are found throughout the settlement, it is hard to see anything that suggests a defensive purpose (Rollefson, 1997). Differential burial of 112 skeletons suggests two classes of people, perhaps "a two-tiered 'patron-client' population" (Rollefson et al., 1992, p. 463). One of the "trash burials" has a thin flint blade, snapped at both sides, going through the skull (Rollefson, 2010, p. 63). it could be a killing, except "it is not entirely clear if this was intentional or rather the result of post-depositional processes (Kuijt & Goring-Morris, 2002, p. 422). What 'Ain Ghazal may be indicating is some form of hierarchy in a ritual-oriented central place, and increasing control as an alternative to warfare even in tough times for subsistence.

Although Clare (2010, pp. 18-19, 20, 23) takes a generally hawkish position in interpreting evidence for war, and points out a few possible indicators which are "to say the least, ambiguous," he recognizes a total absence of any "obvious fortification structures," a general reduction (with local variations) of tool-weapons of knives and arrowheads without any increase in sling ammunition, and concludes "harmonious times for the southern Levant might even be suggested, at least during the PN, and this is indeed the picture that is beginning to emerge." Clare suggests that climatically driven hard times may have led to new forms of cooperation.

The issue of maces is fully joined in the Pottery Neolithic Southern Levant (Rosenberg, 2010, pp. 210-211, 214). Many maceheads are found, but they are small (most under 5 cm diameter) and with very thin shaft holes (most 10-15 mm, some down to 6 mm). These maces could not "withstand a serious blow." He concludes, "most early maceheads were never used in combat." Rosenberg speculates on possible ritual uses. A reasonable interpretation is that they were symbols of authority. This does not necessarily imply a social ranking or "chiefs." It could be the authority of a community, represented by elders and wise people, perhaps with cultic backing (Kuijt & Goring-Morris, 2002, pp. 420-423). As noted previously, recognized authority is a way of regulating conflict, and could be central to avoiding war. Maces may be part of a system of peace. Adding the PPN to what came before in the Southern Levant, that makes 8600 years without signs of war.

Yet across the northern Near East, evidence for war is substantial in the Pottery Neolithic. Around the northern Tigris, close to Qermez Dere at the border between mountains and plains, is seventh millennium Tell Maghzaliyah. Several centuries after it was first occupied, a major defensive wall was raised, possibly with one or more towers (Bader, 1993, pp. 64-66). This is the earliest known fortification in Mesopotamia (Munchaev, 1993, p. 250), and may be the earliest in the Near East. Maghzaliyah appears to be of different cultural tradition than Qermez Dere, with some Anatolian affinities, and its people had a thousand times more obsidian (Watkins et al., 1989, p. 22). This is the debouchment where Anatolian trade comes down to the plains. Maghzaliyah could be a node in what would become (if it was not already) an enduring system of long-distance trade routes in Anatolian obsidian (Healey, 2007, pp. 262-263), certainly the most important exotic good in the Neolithic (Yellin et al., 1996, p. 366). Cross-culturally, different aspects of trade control are often critical issues in practices of war (see Ferguson, 1999, pp. 414-415). A linkage is suggested in this case, since erection of the wall coincided with a dramatic shift from obsidian to flint, suggesting that somebody was cutting into the flow of trade from Anatolia (Bader, 1993, p. 66).

Turning to Anatolia itself, the origin of Neolithic ways is still poorly understood. In central Anatolia, clear indicators of a Neolithic way of life appear near the end of the Pre-Pottery Neolithic, between 7400-7100 cal BC. Settlements remain small and sporadic until about 6500, around the start of the PN, with level 6 at Catalhuyuk - which as noted early is perennially debated as an exemplar of war. A significant development for this chapter's interest in peace is that communal ritual centers disappear from Anatolia over the PN, with religious practices moving into domestic contexts (Ergogu, 2009, 129). If major ritual centers had unified scattered people, their decline could make war more likely. Yet the painted representations at Catalhuyuk do not suggest war. There are life scenes of hunting, of domesticated plants and animals, and of vultures picking flesh from headless bodies - but no portrayals of war (Erdogu, 2009, pp. 133-135). The vulture scenes could stand as a warning against it. They may have had reason to worry. War was on the way.

A case has been made (Ozdogan, 2011) and challenged (Asouti, 2009; Thissen, 2010) that climatic deterioration associated with the 8200 cal K BP event drove late Neolithic subsistence shifts within Anatolia, and the spread of domestication from there to the Balkans. Consistent with that line of thinking, Clare et al. (2008, pp. 71-77) discuss four Late Neolithic/Early Chalcolithic sites in the densely settled Lake District (Pisidia) of the south-western Anatolian plateau: Hacilar, Kurucay Hoyuk, Hoyucek Hoyuk, and Bademagaci Hoyuk. Between them are multiple indicators of war: major conflagrations, some with unburied bodies, some with a subsequent hiatus or replacement by another group, fortifications with walls and towers, and large numbers sling missiles. During (2011, pp. 72-73) questions the defensive interpretation of structures at Hacilar and Kurucay (and elsewhere) and argues that the postulated signs of war postdate 6000 BC, centuries too late to be linked to the 82 cal K event. These are valid points. The most compelling evidence of war at Hacilar (II) is dated to 5600 BC (Roper, 1975, pg. 321).

Signs of war in other Anatolian sites also date to the early sixth millennium. Domuztepe of the Halaf culture has a pit (5700-5600 BC) with 40 possible victims of violence (Erdal, 2012, p. 2). Guvercinkaya, 5210-4810 BC, was built on top of a steep rock outcropping. During (2011, pg. 75) emphasizes that a nearby contemporary settlement was not fortified, but that would be consistent with fortifications on trade nodes. Down from the highlands on the coast, between Anatolia and Cyprus, the port settlement of Ras Shamra was destroyed by fire around 5234 BC. An apparent defensive wall went up somewhat later, possibly associated with the arrival of Halafians, a people originating in Northern Mesopotamia (Akkermans 2000), who seem to have brought war along with them (Roper, 1975, p. 318). The Halafian culture is not well-understood, but they had an unusual immersion in obsidian commerce. "They apparently engaged in directionally controlled, nonreciprocal, extensive trade which seems to have been more structured and more intensive (e.g., imported obsidian comprising three-fourths or more of the chipped stone industry) than we might expect in a tribal society" (Watson & LeBlanc, 1990, pp. 137).

While climatic deterioration may be related to this widespread pattern of war, a much stronger causal connection appears to involve key nodes of the trans-Anatolian obsidian trade. Obsidian from Anatolia was found all over the Near East. Pisidia was not a center of obsidian production, which came from Central Anatolia (Clare, Rohling, Weninger, & Hilpert, 2008, p. 82). Sources of critical goods usually do not control trade, those at passage bottlenecks do. Ozdogan (2011, p. 55) notes final Neolithic "turmoil" in Anatolia, and that for the first time, there appears to be a monopolization of trade patterns. Monopolization is the key link between war and trade.

On the Turkish coast, Mersin XX was destroyed and then reoccupied by the Halafians. A similar sequence occured at Chagar Bazar in northern Syria, and level 8 of Sakce Gozu. Below the mountains but close by, Ras Shamra Vb, also on the coast, and basal Tell Halaf (c. 5837 BC) appear to be "fortified Halafian settlements." "It is significant that all the sites that exhibit destruction or have fortifications are located on the east-west overland trade route (or subsidiary connections to this route)" (from Nineveh in northern Iraq through the Northern Levant, to Mersin, and up through the Taurus). "One may hypotheize that the Halafians wanted and took control of a portion of this great trade route" (Roper, 1975. pp. 323-325). Sixth millennium Halaf may be the first cultural group to expand via war. … The Anatolian trade network and accompanying warfare continued through the Chalcolithic (4500-3300 BC), with (probable) fortifications at Cadir Hoyuk and Kurucay level 6 (During 2011, p. 75). The Early Bronze Age Anatolia trade network included a wide array of materials and products. It expanded to reach from the northern edge of Mesopotamia to the Aegean and Greece (including Troy), and was characterized by centralized urban centers with massive fortifications (Sahoglu, 2005, pp. 339-341). "Signs of systematic violence become ever more pervasive in Anatolia during the Bronze Age (ca. 3000-1200 BC), starting especially in the EBA (ca. 3000-2000)" (Erdal, 2012, p. 2).

Considering this record against all the other records examined here leads to a major conclusion: by the early sixth millennium, along the trade corridors of Anatolia, the Western world's first widespread, enduring social system of war had begun. The inclusion of Troy serves to extend that point: this is the start of a system of war that flows down in a river of blood to our present.

On the Turkish coast around 4300 BC, Mersin was a true fort or citadel with firing ports, offsets covering turns in the walls, a protected gateway and tower, and possible barracks for specialized soldiers (cf. During, 2011, pp. 74-75). After about a century, Mersin was destroyed, and the site occupied by Ubadian people (Roper, 1975, pp. 328-329). At the eastern end of the Northern Levant, even more dramatic developments ensuded in the Late Chalcolithic.

In northeast Syria, close to the earlier Tell Maghzaliyah and Qermez Dere, Tell Brak and Hamoukar were emerging as urban centers by 4200 BC. Each was a major entrepot for northern obsidian (Khalidi, Graute, & Boucetta, 2009; Oates, 1982, p. 62). … Findings at Brak particularly (but the less excavated Hamoukar looks similar), have upended conventional notions of southern Mesopotamia as the heartland of cities, preceding known southern developments by several centuries…

Surrounding Tell Brak were massive fortifications, with towers, gates, and guardhouses (Oates et al. 2007, p. 588-589). Four mass graves have been found from 3800 to 3600. The two best known suggest a simultaneous internment of hundreds, with demographic patterns and casual disposal suggesting purposeful killing rather than an epidemic. Based on several factors - such as the absence of peri-mortem skeletal trauma and the formidability of defenses - researchers speculate that this represents internal violence rather than attacks from the outside (McMahon, Soltysiak, & Weber, 2011). That is not far-fetched, given Gilgamesh's oppression of his own people to build his massive walls (Garder & Maier, 1985, pp. 57, 67), and the possibility that local food production was stressed by cooling and increased aridity (McMahon et al., 2011, p. 217). Hamoukar, however, was attacked by outsiders. Recent excavations indicate that around 3500 BC, a massive bombardment by thousands of sling bullets weakened its 10-foot high wall, which then collapsed in a conflagration. Subsequent levels were dominated by Uruk pottery, suggesting the south had conquered the northern trade portal to Mesopotamia (Bower, 2008; University of Chicage, 2005)." - R. Brian Ferguson, "The Prehistory of War and Peace in Europe and the Near East," (from War Peace and Human Nature: The Convergence of Evolutionary and Cultural Views).

#history #prehistory #deep history #war #copied cause relevant to my Blindsight vampire fanfiction lol #deciding whether to set it in the PPN or the PN or the Copper Age #and how to portray the humans #tempting in this context to interpret a lot of those Natufians with skeletal trauma as vampire victims #‟no clear evidence of war but lots of people with fight injuries‟ sounds like what you might see in a prey species

[sketchytea]

art of hísetiri rangers from my homebrew dnd setting, talormír 🌱

though their faces are obscured, these rangers possess incredible blindsight that allows them to carry out their duties in the misty highlands they wander

#art #my art #dnd #dnd npc #dnd ranger #dnd wood elf #dnd half elf #dungeons and dragons #oc #oc art #original #digital art #artists on tumblr #talormir #seabiscuittiers

[mysticmunson]

Maybe some Alpha!Eddie x Plussize!Omega!Reader comfort fluff/smut? Acquaintances to Lovers, she didn't think Eddie looked her way until it was discovered she was an omega. Reader is feeling low wondering if Eddie actually has feelings for her or if it's just because she finally presented. Turns out he always had a crush on her. He shows her he would've chosen her regardless.

from the sidelines: alpha!eddie munson x omega!reader

authors note: hi darling! thank you so much for the lovely ask, i'm a bigger girl myself so these hit close to home. i hope you enjoy! i also want to note that my work can be interpreted as any body type, but this piece does reference being bigger. i'm not sure how i feel about this so feedback is welcomed as always. (not proofread whoopsies)

warnings: mentions of being bigger than others, insecurities, brief smut (18+)

When going through a turbulent time, a good friend can be the remedy or the impairment, but you weren’t sure which one had occurred with your relationship with Eddie Munson. 

Being the outcasts in middle school meant you stuck together, hushing the boys who teased him as he scared the girls who belittled you. Watching him grow was an unexplainable experience, not knowing the exact day when your platonic connection became romantic.

Change knowingly came when you both presented, him as an alpha and you as an omega. The knowledge of one another was by pure happenstance, but he didn’t hesitate to come to your house, assisting your situation. Already in a state of blatant desire, all his attributes became more prolific, noticing every line by his eye or fainted freckle on his shoulder.

The next few days were spent beside each other, comforting the other through affirmation or unspoken caresses. But as you faded from your heat, the knife in your chest began to twist, that there was a future beyond what was in front of you.

The delusion brought by nature during this time had blindsighted you to the impact this could have on your friendship, on your other friendships, and your mental health. The thoughts swarmed in your brain once Eddie pulled on his Metallica tee for a final time, kissing your head and going to his van.

The warmth of his skin still left you shuddering, recalling it like a forgotten song as he played every string of your body, a one sided symphony being left in its wake. His duty as composer satisfied his need to create as you reeled in the masterpiece at hand.

You hadn’t spoken to him since, taking every opportunity to avoid those soft brown eyes that were once so close to your own. However, the game of cat and mouse could only go on for so long, especially when he wasn’t one to beat around the bush. 

Trudging to the door, it was the first knock you heard on your door all day, the sun now set as the star just began to shine. The pounding increased as your steps went in sync, prepared to politely scare away whoever decided to ruin your night of somber. As you threw the door open, the tall man with a mane of curls was before you with an unamused look, stepping inside without saying.

He looked at you, crossing his arms over his chest with furrowed brows, clearly not entertained by your avoidance. It made you feel two feet tall, glancing down at your feet, only to realize your state of undress in only small shorts and a thin tank top.

“Shit, Eddie, let me get changed.” You mumbled, walking quickly, but he followed right after you. Cutting you off to your room, he went in first, flopping on your unmade bed.

“Not like I haven’t seen you in less,” He sassed, propping himself up on his elbows, “Now tell me why you’ve been ignoring me.”

The silence laid thick enough to cut, emotions swirling around you as you tried to think of any congruent thought. His attitude would typically amuse you, but now it felt too real. As if this were an interrogation, the bright light beaming down on your face as you broke a sweat, barely able to see him under the pretense that you had been caught. An unspoken crime.

Walking to your dresser, you pulled on a baggy sweatshirt, despising the heat while aching for the coverage. The same eyes that were looking at the back of your head had seen every crevice and crease of you, but you doubted he truly perceived you as you did him.

The detail in which you find yourself yearning for him goes beyond skin, but it’s the part of him you can touch. The self-given tattoos that took residency on his arms, the dimple in his back, the way his hair poked through the pores of his face. 

“Hey,” He broke you from your daze, “Talk to me, you’ve been ignoring me since last week.”

He sat at the edge of the bed now, pillow in his lap and, seemingly, much calmer. What you hated was the way it made you feel even lower, that your longing was so blind to him.

Rubbing your hands down your face, the burning within your skull made you curse yourself, struggling to control your emotions. The hitch in your breathing made his attention heighten, standing to pull your hands away to see your distress. 

The combination of loneliness, affection, anxiety, and all the other unexplainable sensations brewed into anger. Pulling from his loose grip, you pointed at the door while looking towards your feet, tapping one to show your lack of patience.

“I’m not leaving, not until you say what’s wrong. What we did was completely natural.” He sighed, flopping his hands against his jean clad thigh, wishing things would resume to how they were.

But the past was as painful as the present for you, maybe even more so now knowing he had touched you. It irked you that maybe the past was so easy for him to go to because nothing had truly changed.

“Eddie, stop, you don’t get it.” You spoke with a waving voice, trying to reign in the racing beat of your heart.

He scoffed, making you lose your grip on the invisible rope, blood flushing to your cheeks in a mix of embarrassment and pain. 

“What makes you think I don’t? We’re going through this together!” He emphasized, “I know it's different for alpha and omega’s, but we have each other.”

The band of false serenity snapped as your fists clenched, biting your lip for a brief moment before letting your words loose. 

“Eddie! You don’t get it because you didn’t have to watch you leave!” You sighed, his eyebrows furrowing in momentary confusion, “You went into your van and you drove home, but I’m still there. I’m still at the night you arrived, the night you left, and every fucking minute since.”

Your usual calm tone was exchanged for a fierce one, but through the frustration, the agony rose to the surface. He felt frozen in place as you continued your rant, wishing he could take a peek inside your brain.

“I have spent years watching you look at girls and I supported you every single time even though it made me want to die. These girls looked perfect and only had to worry about if your personalities matched, not if they even liked bigger girls in the first place! And I was there every single time. Shit, I was here when you presented!”

The tears rolling down your cheeks cascaded like the words streaming out, losing any bit of secrecy you had from him, hoping the feeling of relief would wash over you soon.

“I was here and I felt so beautiful and amazing and worthy. It hurts like hell knowing that was a natural instinct for you when it was so much more for me.” 

Before you could continue, arms wrapped around your body, securing you firmly to a warm chest you knew too well. One that you would fall into without hesitation, greeted by the familiar aroma that infiltrated your senses.

A palm stroked your hair, hushing your cries as you nuzzled into his neck, inhaling as if this were the last time. As if this were a pitiful action to cease the awkwardness, but there was nothing that could make Eddie seem anything less than accepting of you.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered, swaying you both to soothe you, but you tensed at his response. 

All the years of friendship seemed to be dripping from both of your hands, piling into a mess on the floor that would dissolve without a trace, just a memory. The thought of letting him go and never seeing him again terrified you, enough to humiliate yourself just to get one more minute of his love.

“You mean so much to me and I fucking mean that. I wanted you before we presented and even more now, it felt like destiny, like a plot twist in DnD.” He gasped, his nerdiness making you laugh as you smacked his chest, looking up at him, “I didn’t want to ruin our friendship, but the thought of you here, so needy, made me insane. More insane than usual.”

Hands gripped your hips as he pulled you to his body, “I need you, I wanted to ask you to be my omega, but I chickened out. I think you’re magnificent, like a beautiful princess from those old fairy tales.”  

Unexplainably dorky and with a hint of self depreciation, nothing could have been more genuine from your curly haired knight in shining armor. The cracks in your confidence would take a while to patch up, there was now assistance in the job as mere words helped mend the destruction.

“I have thought about you every day. How gorgeous you are, how perfect we are when we- uh- made love? Fucked? Whatever, that was great.” He laughed walking you both over to the bed, having you lay down as he threw his shirt to the floor.

Noses skimming across one another, his brown eyes pierced your own, his own breath tickling the hairs above your cupid's bow. There was no time for insecurity as his lips met your own, melting together into an entanglement of words left unsaid. 

As the clothes came undone into an accumulation on your childhood rug, your bodies mended as the doubt washed away, flooding into the forget worries of only minutes previous and longer. 

“I love you, I’m sorry I’m shitty with my words and didn’t say it sooner.” He breathed out, stretching you as he rutted into your cunt as you elicited a moan.

“I love you too.” You whimpered, cupping his face while your thumbs ran across the hair protruding through, scratching the pads of your fingertips. 

It felt like you were creating a work of art as he made love to you, as if no one had felt so strongly about one another as the two of you felt right now. That no matter what occurred in the world outside of your home, it wouldn’t amount to the pure passion filling your bodies.

Finishing quickly with him right behind you, his body felt limp against yours as his arms shook, making you giggle that was music to his ears. With a wet kiss to your nose, he stared into your eyes and wondered why it took him so long to ask in the first place.

He had never felt this close to anyone, ever since joining forces in middle school, and he didn’t plan on anyone else. He had considered others, but no matter what, he couldn’t wait to run home and call you. To hear your voice on the opposite end of the fuzzy phone line, reminding him that you were always there. 

Truthfully, even if you hadn’t presented as an omega, he thinks he would’ve done anything in his power to adapt. He wasn’t ready to move through adulthood without you and if there was anything he could do about it, neither of you would have to find out.

tagging some who were interested in my other alpha content :) @elizabethmidnight2017 @iheartyouyou @forksloree @fantastic-fantasy-fanfics @sillypurplemurple

#eddie munson #eddie munson fluff #eddie munson imagines #eddie munson smut #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson gif #stranger things s4 #eddie munson stranger things #eddie munson headcanons #eddie munson x oc #eddie munson oneshot #eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson drabble #eddie munson x plus size reader #eddie munson x female reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x fem!reader smut #alpha!eddie munson #alpha!eddie munson x omega!reader #a/b/o universe #a/o/b #elora writes

[rottenpumpkin13]

What do you think would have happened if Hojo actually did tell Miniroth about Lucrecia? Why did he even give the locket anyway? To taunt him?

I have a few theories about the locket.

#1 Hojo gave out pieces of information on Sephiroth's mother as rewards for being successful and breaking his own personal records when he was training. Sephiroth undoubtedly asked about his mother constantly, and Hojo used this as a means to control/motivate Sephiroth into acting according to what Shinra wanted from him. He first gave him a name (albeit a fake one) and then the locket with the photo. Emotionally manipulating a child sounds right up Hojo's alley.

#2 Sephiroth found the locket. This one is less plausible if he found it in Hojo's posession, because it implies that Hojo treasured Lucrecia enough to keep a memento. HOWEVER, and this is what I'm leaning towards: The locket could've originally belonged to Vincent. Vincent became a test subject for Hojo after he shot him, so he could've found the locket on Vincent's body and kept it, and then it would later be found by Sephiroth.

#3 Gast gave him the locket after Hojo told Sephiroth his mother's name was Jenova because he pitied him.

Those are the three possibilities I can think of, because where else could he have gotten that locket? (genuinely asking, this keeps me up at night lol)

Hojo being upfront with Sephiroth from the start about Lucrecia and the Jenova project would've prevented a lot of things from happening *cough* Nibelheim *cough* But it would've caused a whole different set of events to happen, because instead of being blindsighted by the overwhelming discoveries in Nibelheim, he would've had time to process it all and plan accordingly. For one, he would've told Gen and Angeal everything about the Jenova project, and would've left Shinra the moment Gen started degrading (this assuming they wouldn't have left earlier). From there I can see them going against Shinra, possibly joining Avalanche or adhering to a similar cause that ensures saving the planet, and building their life away from SOLDIER. Maybe Hojo thought Sephiroth would eventually grow resentful, which is why he kept Sephiroth in the dark. It's easier to control someone when you have the upper hand.

#ff7 #ffvii #final fantasy 7 #sephiroth #final fantasy vii

[soylent-crocodile]

Moørkutlot (Monster)

(One of Kaimere's most unique and infamous monsters, the silent one was teased for a good few years before we finally got to see exactly what it was and what it evolved from! I have to say, while the titanosaurs and megaraptors and sloths of kaimere are the bread and butter of the setting, the moorkutlot is to my eyes one of its most iconic creatures. Here's a link to the youtube vid about it, if you're interested in alien monsters and/or spec evo, I'd reccomend a watch.

All that said, an animal is only as strong as its context, and while the moorkut is a predator so deadly it can scare an entire ecosystem into silence, I imagine it's kinda small beans in a world that has fire breathing magic lizards the size of a city block as an apex predator.)

CR11 TN Large Animal HD16

Moorkutlot are nightmarish predators of icy forests on a faraway planet, distantly related to amphibians but evolved to a far more active, predatory role. Moorkutlot have a number of adaptations that make them terrifying hunters- their metabolism fluctuates between high- and low- energy periods, making them capable of going months without a meal, but capable of long-term chases and bursts of extreme speed and ferocity. They are social hunters, and in regions where they live a single moorkutlot hunting may lead to a half dozen or so ganging up on a target as the sound of a struggle attracts more. Most notoriously, however, is the non-newtonian fluid produced by modified mucus glands in their body; this is both a defensive tool, protecting them from powerful strikes, and an offensive one. Outside the body, the fluid sticks to skin and joints and makes escape a struggle, but inside the body it is truly dangerous; it rapidly clogs blood and joints, making movement nearly impossible and quickly leading to cardiac arrest. This fluid dissolves in salt, however, and this means that moorkutlot universally avoid oceans.

In their homeland, they are integrated into the ecology of their world as much as any other animal- they are dominant predators, yes, but life around them has learned to accommodate for their behavior and deadly weaponry. Not so for other planets- moorkutlot are occasionally used as terrible biological weapons, something that can be dropped on a planet and allowed to run wild, killing sentients and destroying the local ecosystem.

This horse-sized creature has a face that opens like a flower to reveal snapping jaws, and craggy gray skin covered in strange slime.

Misc- CR11 TN Large Animal HD16 Init:+7 Senses: Blind, Blindsight 60ft Perception:+16

Stats- Str:26(+8) Dex:16(+3) Con:23(+6) Int:2(-4) Wis:20(+5) Cha:11(+0) BAB:+12/+7/+2 Space:10ft Reach:5ft

Defense- HP:168 (16d8+96) AC:21(+3 Dex, -1 Size, +9 Natural) Fort:+16 Ref:+15 Will:+10 CMD:44 Immunity: Gaze and other visual effects Special Defenses: DR10/Salt

Offense- Bite +20(2d6+12 plus Poison) or Spit +15(1d4 Acid, Non-Newtonian Spit, 20ft) CMB:+21 Speed:40ft

Feats- Improved Initiative, Power Attack (-4/+8), EnduranceB, Feral Grapple, Improved Bull Rush, Weapon Focus (Bite), Skill Focus (Stealth), Lightning Reflexes

Skills- Perception +16, Climb +16, Stealth +9 (+4 Racial to Climb)

Special Qualities- Metabolic Surge

Ecology- Environment- Forests (Cold) Languages- None Organization- Solitary, Gang (4-6) Treasure- None

Special Abilities- Blindsight (Ex)- A Moorkutlot’s blindsight is echolocation-based; it cannot sense within areas of Silence or similar spells. Non-Newtonian Spit (Ex)- The moorkutlot spits a spray of thick, viscous fluid that traps an entangles its victims. Creatures hit  by this saliva are entangled without a save. This fluid cannot be removed without a DC16 Strength check, universal solvent, or at least a ¼ pound of salt. Metabolic Surge (Ex)- Three times a day, a moorkutlot can push its metabolism into overdrive, giving it an additional move action. It cannot use this ability if it has used it since the start of its last round. Moorkutlot Poison (Ex)- Bite-Injury Save:Fort DC20 Effect: Victim takes 1d6+1 Con damage and is Stunned Frequency: 1/round Cure: 2 Consecutive Saves

#soylent original #monsters and races #homebrew #pathfinder #tales of kaimere #kaimere #speculative evolution

[thecreaturecodex]

Spawn of Rovagug, Xotani

Image © Paizo Publishing

{Sponsored by @tar-baphon​. Although I imagine that @monstersdownthepath​ will be happy to see it too, since they had to sort of average the 3.5 and PF2e statistics of Xotani. PF1e skipped it completely, maybe because it appeared in literally the last D&D 3.5 adventure Paizo published. I did run Legacy of Fire, and loved it. Personally, I made a few tweaks. Even if Jhavhul had succeeded, his consciousness was just going to be overwritten by Xotani; you don’t compromise with a Spawn of Rovagug. The sponsor asked me to adjust its CR up by 1, which was really only a matter of deciding how many HD to give it. Besides that, and the lava bombs borrowed from PF2e, this is a pretty straightforward conversion.]

Spawn of Rovagug, Xotani CR 21 CE Magical Beast This creature is a living magma flow, a cross between a wingless dragon and a centipede. It is the size of a building, jagged obsidian plates rising from its back and sides, and gouts of flames shooting from cracks in its surface and drool from its maw. It has eight empty eye sockets, but still seems able to see just fine. 

Xotani the Firebleeder is the weakest of the Spawn of Rovagug, but this still makes it one of the most deadly creatures in Garund. When Xotani is awake, it avoids the sun. It finds sunlight blindingly bright and surprisingly painful, and so remains underground by day, creating a network of tunnels from its own burrowing and from the lava that it spews and leaks. By night, it emerges, setting everything ablaze in its path. It has no desires or intentions other than pure destruction, although it will consume the ashes of what it destroys as a mockery of natural predation. It does take extra damage from the touch of cold, but cold damage enrages Xotani more than dissuades it.

Xotani is an unstoppable force in combat, moving like a lava flow over anything that stands in its path. Its very touch sets combustible objects ablaze, and weapons turned against it melt into slag. Xotani’s main strategies are either breathing a torrent of fire over clustered enemies, or grabbing and swallowing a single powerful foe. Wounds that open in Xotani’s flesh spew magma reflexively, and Xotani can fire lava bombs from its back. Xotani is barely sapient, but knows enough to avoid using its breath weapon against foes that are immune to fire: these it just eats after softening them up with claws and teeth.

The Firebleeder was “slain” by a powerful order of mages millennia ago, and is currently slumbering beneath Pale Mountain in Katapesh, where the color of the rock is said to come from the crushed bones of those who died in battle.  However, Xotani came very close to being awakened in the recent past. The lovesick Jhavhul, an efreet general, attempted to possess Xotani in order to have a form worthy of the object of his obsession, Ymeri the Queen of the Inferno. Without the twisted wishcraft used by Jhavhul, Xotani will not awaken for centuries. But it does now stir in his slumber, and droughts, wildfires and heat waves are more common around the Obari Ocean because of it. And plenty of other doomsday cults, misguided fire worshipers or simply bad actors may be able to wake Xotani yet. 

Xotani the Firebleeder       CR 21 XP 409,600 CE Colossal magical beast (fire, spawn of Rovagug) Init +8; Senses blindsight 120 ft., darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, Perception +26 Aura frightful presence (300 ft., Will DC 27) Defense AC 38, touch 6, flat-footed 34 (-8 size, +4 Dex, +32 natural) hp 403 (26d10+260); regeneration 30 Fort +25, Ref +21, Will +20 DR 15/epic; Immune ability damage, ability drain, bleed, disease, electricity, energy drain, fire, mind-influencing effects, paralysis, permanent wounds, petrifaction, poison, polymorph; SR  32 Defensive Abilities heat, hibernation, supreme regeneration; Weaknesses cold, sunlight blindness Offense Speed 60 feet, burrow 40 ft., climb 60 ft. Melee bite +32 (4d8+14 plus grab and 5d6 fire), 2 claws +32 (2d8+14 plus 5d6 fire) Space 30 ft.; Reach 30 ft. Special Abilities breath weapon (70 ft. cone, 1d4 rounds, 16d10 fire, Ref DC 33), firebleed, lava bomb, swallow whole (AC 26, 40 hp, 2d8+21 plus 20d6 fire), trample (2d8+21 plus 5d6 fire, Ref DC 37) Statistics Str 38, Dex 19, Con 30, Int 3, Wis 17, Cha 18 Base Atk +26; CMB +48 (+52 grapple, +68 overrun); CMD 62 (cannot be tripped) Feats Combat Reflexes, Critical Focus, Greater Vital Strike, Improved Critical (claw), Improved Initiative, Improved Vital Strike, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Nimble Moves, Power Attack, Staggering Critical, Stunning Critical, Vital Strike Skills Climb +27, Perception +26, Survival +23; Racial Modifiers +8 Perception, +8 Survival Languages Aklo (cannot speak) SQ unstoppable force Ecology Environment any land or underground Organization unique Treasure incidental Special Abilities Blindsight (Ex) Xotani’s blindsight is based on hearing. If it is deafened, Xotani cannot use its blindsight. Firebleed (Ex) As an immediate action upon taking at least 10 points of slashing or piercing damage, Xotani can spew lava from its wound in a 30 foot cone. All creatures in the area must succeed a DC 33 Reflex save or take 10d6 points of fire damage. Creatures that fail the save are coated in cooling sticky lava, being entangled and taking 5d6 points of fire damage for the next 1d3 rounds or until they spend a full round action to scrape the lava off. The save DC is Constitution based. Heat (Ex) All of Xotani’s attacks deal an additional 5d6 points of fire damage, and any creature touching or striking it with a unarmed strike or natural weapon take that damage. A manufactured weapon that strikes Xotani is incinerated and destroyed; a magical weapon may attempt a DC 33 Fortitude save in order to survive. The save DC is Constitution based. Hibernation (Ex) Spawn of Rovagug can sleep for years, decades, or even centuries and do not need to eat or breathe during these periods of dormancy, though they breathe normally and eat ravenously and almost constantly once they’ve been awakened. If a spawn of Rovagug is forced into an environment where it cannot breathe and would suffocate, it goes into hibernation until conditions are right for it to reawaken. Lava Bomb (Su) Once every 1d4 rounds, Xotani can create lava bombs as a standard action. Treat this as a supernatural version of the meteor swarm spell (ranged touch +22, Reflex DC 27) with a range of 400 feet. The save DC is Charisma based. Sunlight Blindness (Ex) Xotani’s light blindness is only activated by true sunlight. Supreme Regeneration (Ex) All spawn of Rovagug possess regeneration, and no form of attack can suppress this regeneration; they regenerate even if disintegrated or slain by a death effect. If a spawn of Rovagug fails a save against an effect that would kill it instantly, it rises from death 3 rounds later with 1 hit point if no further damage is dealt to its remains. It can be banished or otherwise transported as a means to save a region, but a method to kill Spawn of Rovagug has yet to be discovered. Unstoppable Force (Ex) A spawn of Rovagug can always charge, even if its movement is impeded or its path is blocked by another creature. It receives a +20 racial bonus on combat maneuver checks to overrun and Strength checks to break or destroy objects, and can make one such check as a free action as part of a charge. In addition, the natural weapons of a spawn of Rovagug ignore all forms of damage reduction and hardness.

#xotani #spawn of rovagug #pathfinder 1e #pathfinder 2e #D&D #legacy of fire #sponsored post

[gronnulv]

get to know me tag game

tagged by @especiallyhaytham 💚

last song: Autocorrect - Kongos

favorite color: Obsessed with almost all shades of green; mulberry + peacock green + the texture of copper = simply mind blowing! @_@

currently watching: In general, I listen to audiobooks during my work. At the moment this is 'Blindsight' by Peter Watts.

last movie/tv show: The second season of "What We Do In The Shadows" series.

spicy/savory/sweet?: I absolutely love cooking and combining flavors. I cannot pick a single favorite %)

relationship status: I have a beloved - he saved my life several years ago. Unfortunately, due to the war, we became separated and our attempts to reunite and get married have failed for two years. I feel absolutely exhausted scared for him. In the face of this, I live alone far from home, and I don't have anyone to hug and talk to in real life. On top of that, I live alone far from home and I have no one to hug or talk to irl. I have failed to make new friends and I'm constantly working or falling ill due to severe stress.

current obsession: Obviously, the Kenways family and their surroundings :`D

Also I'm trying to organize the relocation of the "AskAssassinsCreed" art community to Tumblr, which is damn a lot of work, since we have a archival of the works starting from 2013. There's a lot of authors, characters, so I'm trying to establish contact with every artist, to sign up every piece of work. At the moment, this is proceeding slowly, as I have to finish my art commissions, I take way too much time to complete the due to my health issues T__T

Plus, I'm dreaming of finishing my animatics with Haytham and Shay. And maybe I may dare to show my OC, which I started writing at 2009, but I was too shy to show her. It seemed to me she could fit well in the AC3-Rogue setting, so maybe I'll manage to make some arts and comics with her.

last google search: Aurelio Tiratelli

💚 Non-pressure tags: @skatik, @bookworm-with-coffee, @piparkukke

[byrdtrollsunoreversearchive]

Blindsighted

Your name is Sereni Sotkia, and you are knocking rapidly on the door of Rollyn’s on set trailer, a suitcase held tight by your side. The noises of your frantic demand for the model's attention are drowned out by the sound of loud music and running water. It’s easy to deduce the woman is taking some kind of bath while blasting the radios top fifties. You keep knocking and frustratedly call out Rollyn’s name on occasion, struggling to be heard over Levvie Arlott lyrics played at full volume. Eventually, you hear the sound of someone slipping out of the tub and stomping around, complaining as she makes her way to the door. 

“MATISE I AM NOT DUE ON SET FOR THREE HOURS!!!” They yell, before finally opening the door in an ornate fluffy bathrobe, she pauses when she realizes it’s you and not your shared manager. 

“Fucking shit, what can’t wait another thirty minutes.” She says, leaning on the door dramatically. 

You gesture at the suitcase by your side. “We’re leaving for tour soon” You say. “And I need to talk to you. Did that Sunset guy you dated have some kind of memory erasing voodoos?”

“What?” They frown. “Yeah- but he used them, you know, ethically, usually” She says, which earns her a long, long stare from you, a look several parts rage and many parts pity. You glance around, none of the production assistants and photographers are hovering- but it's better to be safe just in case. 

“Can I come inside?” You say, and they step out of your way, shutting the door behind them as you enter the trailer. 

“Rollyn” You say, “You dated that guy for longer than two months” 

“I- What?” She stutters, her wings bristling defensively. 

“Look, this is you guys at the VMA’s in January,” You say, showing her a photo on your phone, “And together at a cafe in lte december- and here in this fundraiser interview- I was so confused why you kept saying that shit. I think he deleted like- several months worth of your memory.” You explain. 

Rollyn turns off her bluetooth speakers, the music suddenly unfitting of the atmosphere, staring at the photos you’ve shown her, struggling to keep up.

“I-No” She chokes, her breath racing as she panics, they grab the phone from your hand and start flipping through the gallery in disbelief. 

“What the fuck. What the fuck” She whispers. 

“That- fucking douchebag” You exclaim. “He must have done something shitty and didn’t want you to remember it, right?”

“He wouldn’t- I don’t…” They trail off. “There must be some kind of, explanation” She says, handing you back your phone, Rollyn pulls out her own, going to dial the purpleblood. 

“Rol!” You snap, slapping it out of her hand. “Girl! What if he just does it to you again!” 

“He must have- a reason, he wouldn’t just- do that” She insists. 

“He clearly did.” You retort. 

“This- goes against everything I know about his character! And I’m a good judge of it!” They say, going to pick up the phone. You put your hand over the device defensively. 

“I’m not saying you’re not” You say, frustrated. “I’m not- I just, how can you judge his character if you don’t know what happened in those three months, or why he took them from you?” 

Her brows furrow as she thinks on this, expression becoming more turmoiled by the minute. 

“Does the press know?” She says, glancing anxiously at the shaded trailer windows. “Has everyone on Alternia just been laughing it up at my blank faced idiocy, and I had no idea?” She chokes. 

“Rol. Breathe” You say, resting your hands on her shoulders.

“You let me go on TV!” She snaps. “In interviews, blabbing about my life with a chunk of it missing! Do they think I’m crazy?” They choke, making some attempt to follow your advice but struggling. 

“I didn’t know” You say, placing a hand on her shoulder. “I just thought you were joking- or hiding something else. I’m sure no one noticed.” 

“Somebodies noticed,” She says. “You know the internet- someone noticed” They hiss. 

“It’s not your fault, okay, and you’re not an idiot. You’re gonna be fine.” You attempt. 

“I- no I’m not!!” She snaps. “Have you SEEN how mutants in relationships with highbloods are talked about in the press!! They’re gonna think I’m an idiot- after all the talk I do about mutant rights- falling face first into a relationship with a clown who did something shitty to me- I’M SUPPOSED TO BE BETTER THAN THAT!!” She insists, stepping towards you, grabbing your shoulders. You raise your hands in surrender, taking a step back. 

“Okay” You say. “I don’t even know how to unpack all that.” 

“I mean” They let out a frustrated huff, shaking you. “I don't think that! But that’s what they’re all going to SAY! Especially with me prancing around like a dumbass on national television giving out wrong information about my own life! I can’t-” She lets go of you, and plops down on the couch, covering her face with her hands, letting out a long sigh. They take a moment to gather themself- before meeting your eyes. 

“How long?” She says. “How long was I missing” 

You pause, inhaling and exhaling. You never smoked around Rollyn, on account of her asthma, but moments like this sure make you miss it. 

“Three months,” You say. “You dated for five months.” 

“No…” She chokes. Quietly, you sit down next to her, wondering what to do with your hands. You don’t pretend to be competent in the emotional department. Being more of a bite first ask questions later kind of woman. 

“I’m sorry” You say softly, opting to place a single hand on her shoulder. 

“It’s not your fault- You didn’t do anything wrong.” You reply, hands clenching in tight little fists. “It was a totally fucked up thing for that guy to do to you.” 

She is silent for a long, loaded minute, before her jaw sets. 

“Yeah” They manage. “Yeah,  it is.”

“To hell with the press.” You say. “But also. We can decide when or if we come to them. On our own terms. And what we say. It’s up to you.” 

She gives a long sigh, before reaching over and picking up her long discarded phone. “I should probably make a post” She decides. “It’s- better to get ahead of it before it gets ahead of me. I’m sure someone else has already noticed.” 

“Okay” You say. 

There is a long silence as Rollyn begins drafting something in her notes. The fans of the trailer whirring in a quiet buzz around you, before you’re able to voice the inklings of a plan that had been forming in your mind since last night. 

“Me and Nyghte are leaving for tour” You say. “Tes Roven’s our first city. I could talk to him for you.” 

She doesn’t answer for a second, before crossing her arms. 

“What if he wipes your memory too?” They say. 

“Then he’ll get socked in the jaw.” You retort. “I told Nyghte everything too- I wrote down a note in my phone detailing everything. We’ll still know what happened.” You say. “I go there, I talk to him, I hear his side of the story, worst comes to worst, I give him a good scare so bad he never sets foot near you again.” 

“Don’t kill him” They plead. 

“...Rol” you say. 

“I mean it- I know, with everything-” She snaps. “I just…”

“I won’t” You say slowly, already lost on whether it's a promise you could keep. The heart to heart is interrupted by a loud rapping on the door. 

“Sereni!” Matisse yells. “Hate to interrupt girl time, but what the fuck are you doing in there- You have a ship to catch!!” 

.

.

.

.

.

Sunsets Voodoo’s have several major flaws. He had long since identified them as weaknesses to keep in careful mind. 

Number one- He has to have eye contact. 

Number two- He cannot work them without a verbal evocation. He had long since tried, practiced, but eventually had to give up on the idea of ever using them silently. For reasons unknown- he must always verbally outline what he wants the troll to forget. 

And finally, number three- they do not work on machines. He could erase every troll's memory of, say, him walking into a bank or a guarded fleet facility, but if there were camera’s, they’d tell a different story, no matter the wiped trolls. 

He is usually so careful. He is meticulous with his work. But this is not work. It’s a painful, interpersonal matter he wants as little to do with as possible. The wound of losing Rollyn is still wide open and raw. His reluctance to confront the situation makes him clumsy. Stupid. Acting quickly, and irrationally. He doesn’t know it, and neither do you, but you are about to sucker punch him in every single one of those listed weaknesses, hitting them all on the way down with the random and change agility of a cat falling down the stairs. 

It is a dimly lit concert after party in a club. Your name is Sereni Sotkia and you are nursing the same Shirley Temple you’ve had since you arrived, determined to be sober and sharp on this particular night. You’re still in the many belted, steampunk kind of black scandalous outfit that had been your costume for the last number, too lazy to change. You are making small talk with a growing crowd of female admirers, but they don’t captivate you the way they normally would. You only have two shows in Tes Roven. You are trying to think of how to find Sunset in that time in such an expansive city. Unbeknownst to, and lucky for you, he is looking for you at the same time. The purpleblood had already been warned. It’s nearly midnight when you spot him, the chance glimpse of his canary colored hair across a long room. He is waiting to approach, trying to figure out his strategy. Unfortunately for him, you hold no such reservations, handing off your drink to one of your admirers. 

“Could you hold this for me, baby? I’ll be right back” You say, with a coy smile, raising a single finger to your lips as you slip out onto the dance floor. Several of the fangirls dissolve into giggles, crowding around the one who has the glass, who is blushing deep rust as she stares into the beverage. You make your way across the room, shoulder checking the occasional troll as the crowd parts for you like butter. The taller purple seems to get the sense you’re coming after him, slipping further and further back into the crowd as if with intent to escape, but he’s not fast enough. You catch him by the shoulder, grinning like an animal baring it’s teeth. 

“Sunset” You say, raising your voice to be heard over the music. “Can we talk?” 

He pauses. “Sure!” He answers, and the two of you duck out into the hallway to the bathroom, where you can hear each other a little better. You grab the man, slamming him against the wall. 

“You wiped three months of Rollyn’s memory from her mind.” You hiss. “WHY.” 

He stutters. Despite all the time he had to prepare to be asked such a question, fumbling immediately at the finish line, with a clumsy, unhelpful bit of truth. 

“She asked me too,” He says. “She asked.” 

Your eyes narrow. 

“Think you’re helping your case, clown?” You say, tilting your head. “What exactly happened between you that was so traumatic that they’d ASK for you to AXE three months of their fucking life!” You snap. 

He doesn’t answer, of course, because he can’t. Not without revealing himself, not without revealing his plot against Midas. He could lie- but he doubts- knows- you are unlikely to believe him. He is backed into the same corner he’s been backed into for days. This battle was lost before it even started. How frustrating- to hate everything about the situation and your choices but see no way onward but forward. Sunset meets your gaze, eyes lighting up with a soft glow, but before he can make a sound, you make good on your promise to sock him in the jaw. The man stumbles, lights in his eyes flickering like a bad bulb. 

“DON’T FUCKING TRY ME, MOTHER FUCKER” You yell. He open’s his mouth again, desperate to try again, ever more panicked now that you’re drawing more attention to him, but you slam your hand over his lips just as they start to close around the word, pulling him into a headlock, stumbling back into the club. 

“You really wanna play this fucking game, huh?” You threaten as he thrashes in your arms. “I could ruin you with a tweet, you weaselly bitch. What the fuck did you do to Rollyn. Don’t fucking try me- OW!” You yelp as the man bites down on your hand, hard, he wriggles out of your grasp, slamming you into the wall, his eyes lighting up again, but thinking fast, you have simply closed your eyes. Your hands swing wildly in the darkness, throwing punches without seeing your attacker. Finally, your fists connect with flesh, and once you have your bearings on where his face is, you open your eyes, grabbing the purpleblood and slamming him onto the ground. 

“Motherfucker” You growl, as a growing crowd watches the fight. 

“YOU STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME” You say, grabbing him by the horn and slamming his face into the floor. 

“AND YOU STAY”

“THE FUCK”

“AWAY” 

“FROM ROLLYN” 

“FIRLYN”

“BITCH” You say, punctuating each word with a hit. Eventually, you’re confident he won’t rise to try and wipe your mind again. You stare down at the bloodied man, trying to catch your breath, some crazed rainbow drinker banging in the walls of your chest as the scent of his blood fills the open air, you press a hand to your mouth. 

“Fucking shit” You mutter, heading towards the club balcony. “Any of you girls got a light?” You say over shaky breath, pulling a pack out of your pocket as you head out into the fresh air. 

Sunset rests on the floor for a long moment, trying to muster the will to rize. Get up, his brain insists. Get up, you’ve got to do damage control. But his body doesn’t listen. He has to wipe these onlookers- his logic tells him. It would be a hassle, but whatever. He needs to get up. He needs to open his eyes. But one refuses to listen, swollen, bruised, definitely black. There go his hopes of concealing this fight from his coworkers. Whatever. He’d come up with some story. He needs to open his eyes- If getting a little roughed up is the worst he paid for wiping Rollyn’s memory, fine. He could take it. He could still smooth this over- even if he didn’t get Sereni, he could wipe the trolls at this party, his struggling mind repeats in cycle, willing him forward. He comes to his feet slowly, his squinting black eye finally opening a sliver-

Only to be met with the black, glittering lights of the surrounding phone cameras, held high in the hands of curious onlookers.

#tw violence #sereni writing #sunset writing #my writing\ #fantroll #fantroll rp #homestuck #homestuck oc #homestuck rp #hiveswap #friendsim #pesterquest

[grey-spark]

Who is Rumerie?

So whoever RUMERIE is. They seem to be important to Futa’s story. And so I made this very long post going into who it might be. 

So the main theory goes that RUMORIE is the green friend. D_TTTTT is the orange friend. And ice_gorilla_ice (the first victim) is the blue guy, which kinda fits with the ice motif. He’s seen laughing at RUMORIE and that’s why he sets out for revenge. Both characters are the only two extras to have faces. Which lends more credence to their importance.

The biggest piece of evidence we later see someone in the second trial song holding a spray can with the same watch. A can that has the same color as the pink haired guys’ shirt. 

But what if we got this all wrong?

What if Rumerie might not be the pink haired guy. What if the colors at the start have no meaning and the pink hair guy is ice_gorilla_ice. 

He’s the one playing the game on the arcade. 

He’s the one our eye is drawn to.

He’s the one in the ice blue shirt. 

So I could totally see him being ice_gorilla_ice.

But if so, why does Futa attack him? In the post, Ice gorilla photoshopped himself into an icecream freezer (implying he’s cool) and adds the text “If you're worried that you might be getting unreliable”. (implying he’s good at gaming.) But Futa see’s Ice Gorilla (the pink haired guy) at the arcade and sees he sucks at the game. So he begins his first callout. 

If it turns out that RUMERIE isnt Pink hair guy who is it?

Let’s get the basic symbolism out of the way. His name is a play on words for RUMORY.  As in “Why are you spreading rumory gossip?”  An his pfp is a skull on radioactive green implying that he’s toxic. Not a good influence.

We see him talking to Futa at the start of the MV, before all the drama starts. Implying they are close (or at least online friends).  

Therefore, RUMERIE has to meet two criteria:

Has to be somebody close to Futa

Who helped spearhead his callouts. 

And that’s were I’m stumped... If only we saw Futa interacting with someone on his missions, collaborating with him.

You know, someone he looks to impress.

Sarcasm aside. I don’t know for certain if the Spear Guy is RUMORIE. He’s the most likely candidate if it’s not Pink hair guy. Regardless, spear guy seems like someone Futa is pretty close with. 

All of this is to say:

If Trial 3 comes out, and REMERIE is revealed to be the Spear Guy. I wouldn’t be surprised at all. It’d look obvious in hindsight. But I’m still not convinced. His watch and green color coding at the start is still pretty suggestive. So I lean towards it being Pink Hair Guy over some faceless dude.

RUMERIE is likely Pink Hair Guy, but if its not, its Spear Guy. 

There’s also the possibility that Spear Guy is Pink Hair Guy. As in, Pink Hair is anonymous as REMERIE. Therefore Pink hair guy takes on a different appearance in the metaphorical online world. Meanwhile, everyone knows Futa is Pazuzu, so he appears as himself. But again, I’m doubtful. Spear Guy could just be a random guy online. I just putting this forward, so we won’t be blindsighted by an alternate possibility.  

That being said, nothing is confirmed as canon yet. And we may never know who RUMERIE is. However, if Futa’s Trail 3 song is about the nature of friendship, (which seems to be where his story is going, since he has to make friends with the other prisoners to survive) then RUMERIE may be making an appearance. Knowing Futa it’ll be a heavy rock song about “🔥BETRAYAL!!!!🔥” not friendship. But in truth it’ll be about his gay feelings.

#milgram #fuuta kajiyama #rumerie #analysis #milgram analysis

[influenzalake]

'I love...' (Damian's ver.) Damian Wayne x Reader (pt2!)

The media will always be annoying, but now Damian is acting off too. How do you stop this before it gets too much?

femelle reader, 840 words, enjoy!

- - - 

You had originally given your speech to set things right. To fend OFF the press. Now, they just can't get enough.  

You and Dami have been in the news for weeks straight. 

With shameless photographers at every turn, being hounded by reporters at the most inopportune times, or cameras and microphones shoved in your face- life has become a game of hide and HIDE MORE. The paparazzi have been all OVER you and any other Wayne they can trap in a corner. 

All this suffocating attention seems to be getting to Damian. He's been more quiet for some reason... Like he doesn't know how to act around you anymore. He will stare, then look away when you turn to make eye contact. He keeps his poker face on 24/7 and responds with "Hmm"s and "Hrnn"s. You managed to crack the code by the way, hmm meaning yes and hrnn meaning no, but that's no way to communicate with your partner! You thought it was Bat Business and that it would pass eventually, but nothing changed. You start to worry if it's the overwhelming media... or if it's you.

The wheels start turning in your mind and it lights a fuse you didn't know you had. You thought you made the right decision? Said all the right words? What more could he want? You THINK you know somebody, yet here we are. 

Well. After all this time, you are not going to play some hot-n-cold game with a grown man. After breakfast one day, you grab him by the arm and take him to one of the many study rooms in Wayne Manor. You sit him down, stand a few paces away, arms crossed, and tell him out with it. This behavior is childish and he CAN do better. Damian states into his hands for a while, then he finally looks up and a hurricane of emotions hit like it's the first time seeing his deep green eyes. 

His mouth opens slowly, dry and unsure. 

"Is what you said about me true?        All of it?    Did you mean every word?"

You feel like your heart just went on a rollercoaster and landed back in your chest. Is that what this is about?? All this worrying and he just needed some reassurance??? You feel the need to spite him out for all this cold and standoffish behavior, but as you return to Earth to say your peace you find he is still sitting there waiting for an answer. Damian, master in strategy, is using his most cruel tactic- the puppy dog eyes. The reprimanding... can wait.  

You take a deep breath, just like you did before, and take a seat next to him. 

You take his hands and look right at him. You channel the love in your beating heart, and tell him everything he needs to hear. 

"Yes, every word, but what I didn't tell them is this-"

and you see the color drain from his face. A little bit of karma for the past weeks... but then you continue...

"You were born and abused to dominate, to control without a second thought for others. You were pushed beyond your limits by the League, but you were just a boy. In that same time, you lost everything. You were abandoned and blindsighted. But then chose to pick yourself up and try a different path. You were introduced to another way of life and decided your own actions. You make your own choices, your own right and wrong. You have devoted your life to your family, your father, your city, and the symbol. Gotham sleeps well because you are out every night catching and stopping those who seek to do it harm. Your family is proud to have you fighting alongside them. Bruce, Alfred, your brothers and sisters, they're all proud of you because you are making choices according to your own creed. You honor them everyday by never letting yourself be consumed. With all the darkness in your life and in your past, you still make it through every day. That is your strength. 

 I admire that Damian. I admire the Damian you have become. I know exactly who you are and you know who you are too. All of that brings me even closer to you. I'm proud of you baby, and I love you." 

You go in to end with a little kiss on the cheek, and intend to give Damian some time alone, but as you rise toward his face Damian brings you into a deep hug. You don't see it, but you can feel it. Wet, heavy tears on your shoulder. 

You slowly bring your arms up to return his hug, and you rub his back up and down to settle him. You turn your head and whisper sweet words and more I Love Yous into his ear. He needs this. Your precious Damian. 

#damian wayne #fanfiction #x reader #imagines #batman

[the-oricami-curio]

Tidal Step Armor

Any Armor, Very Rare (Requires Attunement)

This type of armor was specifically crafted to aid in travel through the Elemental Plane of Water. Made from Magentite, a metal made from silver and nacher (Mother of Pearl), this armor manages to not increase in weight when wet and minimizes drag when submerged.

Each of the four pieces of this armor set, pauldrons, curiass, bracers and greaves, requires attunement. However being attuned to multiple pieces of this same armor set do not count towards more attunement slots, so you can be attuned to the entire set and it only takes up 1 attunement slot.

Resonant Pauldron

Wonderous Item, Rare (Requires Attunement)

Sonar. While wearing these pauldrons, you can feel them vibrate with your surroundings and hear them emit a soft ring in response.

After attuning to this armor, while fully submerged in water, you gain blindsight of 100ft via sonar. If you are silenced or deafened the you can not use this ability. Finally you can not stealth while using sonar as it is constantly emitting a sound, you can stop using sonar at any time, no action required.

Amphibious Cuirass

Any Armor, Uncommon (Requires Attunement)

Liquid Air. The woven margentite of this cuirass and tassets cling to your form, as if constantly wet.

While wearing this armor you can breathe water as easily as air. However,switching between air and water can be painful. When switching which substance the wearer is breathing they must make a DC 15 Constitution Saving throw, taking 3d6 necrotic damage on a fail or half as much on a success. This necrotic damage can not be resisted, and even immune creatures take the damage as normal.

Switching which substance you are breathing takes an action. If you do not switch, you are holding your breath. When taking damage while holding your breath, you must make a Constitution saving throw, where the DC is equal to half the damage you took, no lower than DC 10. On a failure you lose a minute of breath.

Finally, while wearing this armor you are neutrally buoyant, neither floating towards the surface nor sinking towards the depths, and you are acclimatized to the cold.

Riptide Bracers

Wonderous Item, Uncommon (Requires Attunement)

Current. These bracers cause water to constantly swirl around them while submerged.

While wearing these bracers, you have a swimming speed equal to your walking speed and you suffer no penalties, while attacking with weapons your are proficient in, from being submerged.

Fluid Greaves

Wonderous Item, Uncommon (Requires Attunement)

Frictionless. The scale pattern on these greaves allow them to move easily through the water.

While wearing this armor you are more nimble when submerged. Before rolling, you can use your reaction to gain advantage on a Dexterity Saving throw made while fully submerged. You can use this feature three times before taking a long rest.

Set Bonus

Armor Set, Very Rare (Requires Attunement)

Wave Walk. While wearing this armor you can walk on water as if it was solid ground, by activating Wave Walk.

As a bonus action, you can stomp your foot on solid ground while above the surface of the water. Attempting to activate Wave Walk while submerged will result in no change.

While using Wave Walk, becoming prone, jumping, flying or any other motion where all feet leave the surface of the water, will cause it to deactivate.

This feature can not be activated again until you finish a short rest.

Element Infused. While on the Elemental Plane of Water, you can activate Wave Walk again after only setting foot on dry land. No rest required.

Basin Cypress Variant

Any Medium or Light Armor, Very Rare (Requires Attunement)

Some visitors to the Elemental Plane of Water may have reservations against wearing metal armor. To accommodate these individuals, an identical armor set was made using Basin Cypress wood and Benthic Kelp instead of Margentite. While both these plants can be found o the Material Plane, their specific growing conditions cause the materials, and thus this type of armor set, to be much more difficult to find than the Margentite variant.

Basin Cypress wood and Benthic Kelp both take to the set's enchantments well, however the types of armor it can accommodate suffers.

#dnd 5e art #dnd 5e homebrew #dnd homebrew #dnd5e #dnd #dungeonmaster #d&d 5e homebrew #d&d 5th edition #d&d 5e #d&d #digital art #digital artist #5e homebrew #homebrew #magic item #magic items #art #artists on tumblr #fantasy #fantasy artist #magic armor #armor #mermaid #merfolk

[ghelgheli]

hmm either blindsight wasn't as good as i remember or echopraxia is distinctly worse. or maybe it's just a matter of setting. i forgot that watts takes the shotgun approach to hard sci fi which only works sometimes and when used with domain-specific restraint. all of blindsight took place in a specific domain but now i'm having to deal with sprinkles of jargon where they truthfully do not enrich the narration. liu never wrote this deliciously crunchy but he knew how to keep conceptual focus at least.

#first sentence looks like it's about medical conditions but it's actally about books #sff #text #only like a fifth of the way in tbf but we'll see

[monstersdownthepath]

Monster Spotlight: Roiling Oil

CR 6

Neutral Large Ooze

Bestiary 5, pg. 210

These gigantic, reeking predators are the result of magic contaminating large volumes of pitch or, more dangerously, stores of alchemist’s fire, meaning they come into being underneath industrial environments more often than not. Looking like little more than mundane puddles of tar as they move, adventurers--and innocent civilians--who come across them may not realize they’re looking at a living creature until a portion of it peels from the floor and begins to throttle them. Due to its glacial movement--10ft, plus 10ft of climb speed--it relies, like many Oozes, on exactly that happening. Oozes in general tend to work best as obstacles sitting between players and an objective they need to get to, as each one tends to have both slow speed and the pains of mindlessness, meaning it’s not particularly likely to chase a party that flees and instead will just seek easier meals.

“Meals” in this case being fats and most bodily fluids. Victims of a Roiling Oil are typically drained of blood, bile, and various fats, leaving behind stinking piles of half-digested tissues and mangled bones, a far cry from the scoured-clean surfaces most Oozes leave. You’d think a creature made mostly of oil and grease would stink to high heaven, but the unfortunate truth is that Roiling Oils build up a thick film over their bodies while idle that restrains their most wretched odors, so unsuspecting players only smell mundane tar; this film only breaks when they lash out with their pseudopod and initiative is rolled. They only get one attack a round, but it’s a painful one dealing 3d6+15 damage and spattering foes with thick, clinging, foul-smelling sludge.

Any creature damaged by the slimy limb is nauseated for 1d4+1 rounds, with a DC 19 Fortitude save only reducing the nausea to 1 round... Which, obviously, means nothing if you’re just going to get slapped every round anyway. Though it mercifully lacks any way to hold its prey in place, the nausea will still prevent most creatures from fighting back against the Oil. Even ones that can either power through or ignore the nausea (or simply avoid the blow) find out its viscous body can only really be damaged by slashing weapons, as everything else runs into its DR 10.

“But wait,” you hear the party Sorcerer say, “it’s called Roiling Oil, right? And it smells flammable!” A deep, hideous dread creeps into your stomach and you can’t place why. Your ears ring as the Sorcerer says “Scorching Ray!” And then your world goes black. In a cruel prank crafted by Paizo, Roiling Oils are immune to both Fire and Electricity damage, and exposure to even a single point of either damage type causes the thing’s thick film coat to go off like a bomb, dealing 5d6 Fire damage to everything in a 20ft radius. Now transformed into a Rolling Inferno, the Ooze loses its nauseating slime but gains +2d6 Fire damage on its slam, which also sets the victim on fire for 2d6 additional Fire damage every round. If that weren’t enough, the Rolling Inferno also puts of thick, choking smoke that grants it total concealment unless you’re standing right next to it, but in a further cruel twist the smoke is actually very slightly smaller than its actual threat radius (10ft of space + 10ft of reach versus the smog cloud’s 15ft radius), so if you’re close enough to negate its total concealment you’re close enough to be thrashed by its flaming limbs. Of course, being an Ooze with blindsight, it’s completely unimpeded by the smog.

The Oil isn’t even inconvenienced by its new ignited state, taking no damage from the explosion or its burning body, and will continue to attack anything it views as prey as the fires boil away everything it wants to eat. Any amount of Cold damage or even a meager Gust of Wind will put out the fire, as will waiting 1 minute for the blaze to die down on its own, but any further exposure to Fire or Electricity refreshes the duration (without causing another explosion, thankfully), and water won’t do anything to quell the flames (because it’s a grease fire). In the initial panic following the sudden and dramatic explosion, players might not realize what they need to do, or that the flaming ooze isn’t dying, before it’s already knocked one of them to death’s door and set the whole damn room on fire. Or worse, burned up the quest objective!

You can read more about them here.

#Monster Spotlight #CR 6 to 10 #Pathfinder #Dungeons and Dragons

[honourablejester]

Homebrew Magic Items: The Viscous Rings

Three Viscous Rings for the Oozing Kings …

Viscous, NOT vicious, although the wearer may vary. Heh. So. I love oozes? And I wanted some vaguely ooze-themed magic items. And as I was thinking about it, it evolved from a single item that likely did far too much, to a set of three linked magic items on a theme of slimy things.

RING OF GREASE

Wonderous Item, Uncommon, requires attunement

This broad, flat brass ring has a thin line of a shiny black material running around the centre of the outer circumference of the band. Although it looks like enamel or perhaps a dark stone of some kind, this band is actually an imperturbable line of magical black grease. While the wearer is attuned to the ring, they gain a +2 bonus to skill checks involving the use of thieves tools or tinkers tools, as the ring gently loosens stiff components and eases the control of moving parts. In addition, the ring has 3 charges, and regains all spent charges daily at midnight. As an action, the wearer can expend a charge to cast the grease spell from the ring, without any verbal or material components.

(Note: I was browsing tools to see what ones would reasonably be affected by a ring of WD40, going broadly with thieves and tinkers, musing about jewellers, before my sister pipes up ‘what about bard’s tools’, and it takes me a minute to get innuendo most of the time, so it took me a second to throw a dirty look her way. So, you know. Make what allowances you will).

RING OF SLIME

Wonderous Item, Rare, requires attunement

This strange ring is made from an unknown greenish metal stained deeply with a darker green verdigris, and appears to have been less cast or carved and more simply cooled straight from a molten state into a strange, drippy circle. When worn, it gradually stains the finger of the wearer a permanent green around the band. This stain can only be removed by application of a lesser restoration spell or other similar magic. The ring has 4 charges, and regains 1d4 charges daily at midnight. Once attuned to the ring of slime, the wearer can use a bonus action to expend a charge and coat themselves and their equipment in a thin, greenish sheen of slime, extending from the ring. This slime lasts for 10 minutes, and grants the following benefits:

All checks made to grapple or restrain the wearer have disadvantage, and the wearer has advantage on all checks or saves made to avoid or escape grapples or restraints.

The wearer gains a +2 bonus to AC, as attacks slide off the coating of slime.

RING OF OOZE

Wonderous Item, Rare, requires attunement

This oddly beautiful ring appears to be carved whole from a piece of slick, clear, polished crystal or glass, but in truth is carved from a piece of petrified ooze. The ring has 6 charges, and regains 1d6 spent charges every day at midnight. While attuned to the ring, the wearer can use an action to spend a number of charges to summon one of the following ooze: gelatinous cube (2 charges) or black pudding (3 charges). The summoned ooze manifests in an unoccupied space that you can see within 60ft, and disappears at the end of 1 hour, or when it drops to 0 hit points. The ooze is an ally to the wearer and their companions. In combat, the ooze shares the wearer’s initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after theirs. It obeys the wearer’s verbal commands (no action required). If the wearer doesn't issue any, it will move towards and attack the closest non-allied creature it can sense.

THE VISCOUS RINGS

If a single wearer becomes attuned to all three of the Viscous Rings simultaneously, they gain the following additional benefit:

As an action, the wearer of the three Viscous Rings can cause themselves and all their equipment to enter an amorphous state. While in this state, the wearer gains blindsight to a range of 30ft, and can squeeze through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide, carrying all of their equipment with them. This state lasts for 1 minute, unless the wearer uses a bonus action to remain in the amorphous state. Once the wearer has existed in this amorphous state for 10 minutes, either continuously or in separate 1 minute increments, they cannot enter this state again until they finish a long rest.

#d&d #d&d 5e #homebrew #magic items #oozes #i just really love them #don't ask #have some slimy rings instead

[pstelwitchcraft]

My mind is still reeling from last episode but I literally have SO much to say. Matt Mercer has once again blindsighted me and I have no idea how he keeps doing this shit. And the thing is, this has felt fishy from the beginning. It felt like Bells Hells were set up to fail from the moment they met Ira in that tower, they're a new group, barely breaking double digit levels, barely able to grasp teamwork and doing things together AND they're expected to somehow avert the apocalypse against the craziest group of overpowered villains CR has ever had? There was simply NO WAY they could take down Otohan, Liliana, Ratanish, Ludinus AND however many fighters they had in that excavation site without the help of Keyleth, and Keyleth being there is what eventually led to the beam working in the first place. From the very beginning there was a catch. Another shoe about to drop.

The only way they could win without Keyleth is if they knew everything that was about to happen. And THERE is the catch.

Now, I have no idea if we've been sent back in time, if time is frozen, if it's an alternative reality, but the fact that Ruidus is still on the sky makes me think that whatever the plan was, it didn't go the way they thought it was going to. Whether this means they went back in time, forward, or nowhere, I have an overwhelming feeling that we'll get to see a do-over of the Apogee Solstice.

I do not believe Matt would just stack the odds like that against them and not give them a chance to win, I also don't believe he would pulverize four beloved PCs while barely giving their players a chance to fight back. He simply wouldn't. Now what exactly they have to do is still a mystery but I can't wait to see what comes next for Bells Hells and I can't wait to see them eventually obliterate Ludinus' pretty face.

#critical role #cr spoilers #cr3 #critical role spoilers #bells hells #critical role c3