Like an old gate with rusted hinges, Rob's eyes creaked open very, very slowly.
His mind was even slower to comprehend the fact that he was still alive. Rob's brain felt as if it was stuffed full of cotton, his synapses wading through molasses. He simply lay there motionless, resting in what seemed to be an excessively comfortable bed, blankly staring up at the ceiling.
An indeterminable amount of time passed. Eventually, he scrounged up enough energy to form a coherent thought.
Guess I made it.
It wasn't the most jubilant of victory cries, but he would save the celebrating for when he had more liveliness than a months-old cadaver. For now, rather than being overjoyed at his survival, Rob just felt a diluted sense of surprise.
How? Even though he'd collapsed in front of the world's top Soul Surgeon, and even though Vul'to possessed a Skill that was essentially tailor-made to save him...Rob could remember the state his soul had been in. It wasn't pretty. Truth be told, he kinda hadn't expected to wake up again.
Yet he had.
Awesome.
Rob sank deeper into his bed, as if he was enveloped by cushions of soft clouds. Questions lethargically rose up in his thoughts, none of which he could answer. How long had he been unconscious? Were there any side effects from his soul treatment? Was Elatra doing okay in his absence? It would be extremely on-brand for a new catastrophe to have popped up while he was snoozing.
Well...they can handle it. I'm on break.
His eyes gently closed. Rob allowed himself to drift off into tranquil slumber, enjoying the feeling of going to sleep when there weren't multiple impending dooms hanging over his head.
It was easy without static blaring inside his skull.
--
When he awoke again, he immediately felt that his mind was far more alert and active than before.
Rob breathed out a small sigh of relief at that. It would've sucked to get lasting brain damage as a complication of his soul infirmity, especially after shrugging off dozens of physical head-blows no problem. Now, with the incredible power of 'thoughts that weren't running on dial-up internet', he managed to turn his head to look at somewhere besides the ceiling.
Peering around, Rob was wholly unsurprised to find himself in a Fiend hospital. He identified his surroundings at a glance. Fiendish medical architecture had been burnt into his memories over the course of the Corruption epidemic.
Vul'to and Hauz must've healed me, then stuck me in a private hospital ward where I could rest up. His eyes swept across the rest of the room. Wonder where they–
He froze as his gaze reached the corner. There, Keira was sitting on a chair, asleep.
The Savage Warrior had seen better days. She was sleeping at an odd angle, her posture slumped in a way that hurt Rob's spine just to look at. Her hair and clothes were disheveled, a distant cry from the casual aesthetic perfection that Elves seemed to portray without even trying. And the greatsword that she was so intensely proud of had been propped against the wall, almost as an afterthought.
Rob winced with guilt when he noticed Keira twitching as she slept. Her mouth scrunched into a faint grimace as lines of worry etched deeper onto her face. While he'd been luxuriating in a cushiony bed of soothing clouds, her forays into dreamland had apparently been fitful and restless. How many days has she sat there praying for me to awaken? How many weeks?
The answers he sought were sitting right in front of him. Rob hesitated briefly before speaking – but only briefly. He'd kept his friends waiting for too long already.
"Keira?"
Her head rose so quickly that her neck made an audible crack. She went from sleeping to aware within a tenth of a second. Keira momentarily sputtered, then stopped just as quickly when she set her gaze on Rob. Her eyes widened to the size of white dish plates, contrasting the dark circles underneath.
Another pang of guilt stabbed at Rob when he saw hope and disbelief warring in her expression. "You aren't dreaming," he offered. "I'm–"
Her chair clattered to the ground as she leapt towards him.
Rob had never felt happier to have put so many points into Vitality. Without that, he likely would've been crushed to death by the bonebreaking hug that Keira proceeded to wrap him with. Wooden splinters dug into his back as she attempted to squeeze the life out of him. She'd shattered his bed with the force of her leap, and neither of them cared.
"Missed you too," Rob mumbled, carefully returning her embrace. It was odd to know that he actually possessed significantly more Strength than her now. He didn't want to treat her as if she was made of glass, but compared to him, everyone was. "I love you. Glad I have the chance to say that again."
Keira said nothing. She just retained a steel grip on him and dug her face into his chest. Rob could practically see the tension seeping out of her – like an overstressed pressure valve that had finally been granted release. He felt wetness on his shirt, and with a jolt, realized that she was silently crying.
She became the de facto Party leader while I was gone, he remembered. That means acting as a figurehead for the others to rely on. Suppressing her doubts and concerns, even if she was probably more anxious than anyone.
For the third time, Rob was ambushed by guilt, its army seizing vast lands of territory within his heart. "I'm sorry that–"
"No." Keira shook her head without looking up, smearing tear streaks onto his shirt. "No apologies today. Just...let me be happy that you've come back to us."
"...Okay."
It wasn't long before Rob was crying as well. The two of them stayed that way for almost half an hour, neither speaking, letting tears fall, their relief gradually sinking in until it became real enough to believe.
I'm alive, Rob confirmed. I'm alive. I'm alive. I'm alive.
He squeezed tighter. And I'm never leaving again.
Eventually, the waterworks dried up. "Don't know why I'm like this," Keira grumbled. She lifted her head, eyes reddened, an irritated look on her face. "Hauz informed us that you would awaken one day, and that it would be sooner rather than later. Yet I can't help but fall to pieces when I should be shouting for joy."
"It shows you care," Rob said, smiling. "I would've been annoyed if you didn't shed a tear or two."
Keira snorted. "Or two, he says." She pointed at his shirt, which had transformed into something of a damp cloth.
"Pretty sure half of that is from me." He paused. "Out of curiosity, how long have I been unconscious?"
"Three weeks to the day."
Rob let out a low whistle. "That's supposed to be 'sooner'? Oh, right, Elatran standards. You guys live for hundreds of years."
"So do you, now."
"Weird to think about." He idly played with her hair, noting once again that it looked and felt less cared for than usual. Not that he had any room to talk – he sorely needed a shave. "Did you spend the whole three weeks sitting in that chair?"
Keira shook her head. "We watched over you in rotating shifts. Admittedly, I comprised the majority of those shifts, although the others have all visited you on many occasions."
With an aggrieved sigh, the Savage Warrior glanced at the front door to their room. "And speaking of the others...perhaps we should contact them. Tempted as I am to monopolize your time for myself, they also exhibited no small amount of concern for your well-being."
"Aw, that's – wait holy shit my voice!"
Keira blinked. "Yes? You sound perfectly normal."
"I SHOULDN'T!" Rob had started waving his hands in random patterns, as if the motions would help him make sense of the world. "My voice was fucked up back when we were fighting the gods! It was a side effect of–"
At once, he froze. "Huh. Just remembered that I haven't checked my system notifications or Character Sheet yet." He gave Keira a serene smile. "If you'll excuse me, I need to go have my worldview broken and reforged."
"By all means." She waved him off with an air of nonchalance, but it was clear from the sudden tightness of her posture that she was putting on a brave face for him. Keira wanted to know what had changed almost as much as he did. Breathing deep, Rob opened his log of system notifications and scrolled up, understanding that what he read now would shape the future direction of his life.
Alert: Soul Repair has been used on your body!
Alert: Due to the ridiculously damaged state of your soul – that exceeds even our lofty expectations – Soul Repair is struggling to reconstitute everything it possibly can!
Alert: Seriously, Rob, what the fuck?
Alert: Soul Repair is trying its very best and you had better appreciate it!
Alert: Hauz the Soul Surgeon is helping with remarkable finesse and expertise! If the gods had lived, his soul would have certainly been crystallized into a Skill! Please don't tell him we said that!
Alert: Soul Repair has completed! Your Soul Instability is cured!
Alert: Due to the aforementioned difficulties, liberties have been taken during the healing process!
Alert: If you wish to lodge a complaint, please note that Soul Repair's Description contains a line stating 'Unintended side effects may also occur.' We included it for a reason! It was vague on purpose!
Alert: You are genuinely lucky to be alive right now!
Although Rob wasn't finished perusing all of his unread system notifications, he closed the list and massaged his temples.
"Keira..." He sighed. "You know that feeling when someone frustrates you, but they've got legitimate reasons for it, so you have no choice but to give them a pass, and that just frustrates you more?"
She gestured broadly towards him.
"Okay, I deserved that." The corners of his lips crept down. "Question: how did Hauz act when he was performing soul surgery on me?"
Her lips slowly morphed into a frown that mirrored his own. "He claimed that you would be fine," she began, with a look of dawning realization. "He claimed it...repeatedly. As if to reassure himself. And he didn't speak a single word of sarcasm."
Rob couldn't help but glance down at his body. His hale, hearty body – that had probably come close to flatlining a dozen times.
"Fixing my soul was a shitshow," he plainly stated. "Even if the Skills hadn't told me as much, their notifications were outright snarky. They've been snarky before exactly once. I think the process stressed the hell out of them."
Keira's frown flipped into a smile. "You are their hero and savior, Rob. I think they would have been devastated were they unable to save you. Consider their 'snark' as an expression of immense gratitude."
"Trust me, I'm not complaining. They can snark at me all they want. Soul Repair pulled my ass out of the fire. I owe them, if anything."
She raised an eyebrow. "I sincerely doubt they would agree with that assertion. Regardless – what else have you discovered? Did you learn why your voice has reverted to its original state?"
"Not yet. Had to take a minute after reading...the other stuff."
"Fair."
Smirking, he re-opened his log of system notifications and continued onward.
Note: Based on prior behavior, you are likely to assess these notifications soon after you wake from your coma, starting from the top and working your way down.
Note: If so, we advise pausing this readthrough and checking your Character Sheet – assuming you have yet to do so.
Note: We also advise that you not be alarmed about what you will find.
My Character Sheet? Rob furrowed his brow. Haven't been able to open that since I got Soul Instability, which...
Was cured.
Oh.
With a burst of nervous intent, he brought up his Character Sheet. Rob flinched as, instead of an error message telling him it was unavailable, his vision filled lines of familiar text.
Mostly familiar. There had been several notable changes.
Character Sheet Name: Rob Level: 124 [LOCKED] Race: Human Class: BERSERKER (LV 99) Sub-Class: Crystal Bearer (LV 7)
HP: 14263 / 14263 Stamina: 614 / 880 MP: 3670 / 3670 Status Effects: Melancholia (Moderate), Guilt (Moderate), Self-Loathing (Low), Relief (High), Confusion (Moderate)
Strength: 292 Vitality: 490 Endurance: 88 Dexterity: 392 Perception: 337 Mind: 352 Magic: 367 Unspent Points: 0
I...lost Levels.
Even amongst a list of peculiarities, the words 'Level 124' stuck out to him like a blaring neon sign. Levels were the lifeblood of any Combat Class user – it was largely how they defined their self-worth, mentally unhealthy as that might be. That was the natural end result of a society that elevated the importance of martial prowess above everything else.
And while Rob wasn't a native Elatran, he'd come to understand why so much emphasis was placed on that unassuming little number. After all, without Limit Break pushing him above Level 99, he never could have killed the gods and protected everyone he held dear. Levels were a representation of someone's capacity to impose change upon this world. He refused to let them define him as a person, but they still mattered.
A lot.
So perhaps he shouldn't have felt surprised when a minor panic attack took hold of him. I lost Levels. His hands were shivering. I fucking lost Levels!
Not just a few, either. He'd been over Level 140 when fighting Kismet's gang of gods. This was 16 Levels lost at minimum, and lord knows how many stat points along with them.
Strength, Vitality, Dexterity – it's all lower than it should be. Rob grit his teeth. Keira asked him what was wrong, but he kept silent, not wanting to voice the change out loud. This is going to set me back so damn far. I needed that power in order to...
...
To...kill the gods? Been there, done that. The Blight? Sent packing. Ragnavi? Crispy-fried. The aberrant Dungeons that were brewing across Elatra? Cleared out like yesterday's trash.
Huh. Rob rubbed his chin, his panic slowly replaced by embarrassment. Why had he been freaking out, again? His greatest foes were already dead. Sure, he needed power to be an effective Leader moving forward, but he still had that in spades.
By Elatran standards, Limit-Broken Level 124 was functionally invincible. Using the general rule of 5 stat points equals 1 Level, he was actually around Level 450. That wasn't even counting how Never Forget Your Rage could dramatically increase his stats if necessary. If Rob wanted to, he could single-handedly raise himself up as an unstoppable tyrant, ruling over Elatra with an iron fist, and literally no one would be able to stop him.
The more he thought about it, the more he concluded that he wouldn't miss those Levels. If anything, their loss was a blessing – because he was fairly certain that they were also related to the second-most shocking change on his Character Sheet.
Race: Human
Not 'Human (?)'. Not 'Ascending HUMAN'.
Just...Human.
Rob was no longer a nascent divinity. He'd lost the qualifications to Ascend, and his absent Levels were likely to blame. It also tied into another known side effect of Soul Repair – the one responsible for the [LOCKED] status on his Levels.
'If the afflicted soul is highly unstable, it may be determined that the only way to prevent collapse will be to set it in permanent stasis. As such, the soul will then be repaired, then locked into place. The owner of this soul will be unable to gain Levels, upgrade Skills, or learn new Skills.'
Its effect seemed to overrule the part of Limit Break that let him bypass Elatra's Level 99 cap. And without him leveling up until he nearly fractured the system, he would never reach the same heights as before. Achieving divinity was out of the question.
He was, now and forever, Rob the Human.
Perfect.
Rob had witnessed the memories of various godlike entities, and honestly? Pass. They were universally miserable, and he wasn't so arrogant to think that he would be the one to buck the trend. Being mortal suited him just fine.
Although I'm over twice as powerful as Ragnavi was, and everyone viewed her as an untouchable demigod, but whatever. She intentionally fostered that reputation. I can go half-and-half.
Currently, he was at an ideal middle ground. He's lost enough strength that his existence could masquerade as 'normal'. His voice sounded ordinary, his aura of power could be reasonably constrained, and he wouldn't have to treat the world like it was absurdly fragile...just a little fragile. Rob intended to live life so unobtrusively that the Elatrans would almost forget he was terrifying.
Unless, of course, he was forced to remind them. Because he was also strong enough that he could instantly end any threat that dared oppose him. Pointless wars would cease to be, simply due to the risk of him stepping in – like he was a living, breathing deterrent. And if Elatra cooked up some new apocalyptic calamity, he would send it flying into next Tuesday with a flick of his wrist.
It was the best of both worlds. Mortal when he wanted to be, demigod when he needed to be.
Rob exhaled. Having finally calmed down, he took another glance at his Status Effects.
A victorious smile inched upwards. While expected, seeing Leveling High and Soul Instability fucking GONE from his Character Sheet was oh so satisfying. The sensation of pure, unadulterated freedom he felt in that moment could not be overstated. It was like binding shackles had been released from his mind, body, and soul, leaving him lighter than air and with endless possibilities for the future.
He let himself soak it all in for a short period. When he'd gotten his fill, Rob closed his Character Sheet and returned to scrolling through his log of system notifications.
Note: Welcome back. Despite advising you not to be alarmed by what was on your Character Sheet, we shall proceed under the assumption that you were, in fact, quite alarmed.
"Rob?" Keira asked. "Why are you thunking your head against the wall?"
"Tell you later."
Warning: Despite the considerable efforts of all involved, some parts of your soul have been irrevocably lost.
This will result in a measurable, yet unavoidable reduction in combat efficacy.
Such was the cost of Breaking your Limits in numerous ways. No mortal could ever hope to challenge divinity without incurring some sort of price.
However, do not fear. Nothing related to personality or memories was lost. You are still you.
Addendum: I would also like to point out that this power reduction won't adversely affect your lifestyle whatsoever, so don't start bellyaching when you only get to be the apex organism of two entire worlds and
Rob burst out laughing when he saw the notification cut itself off at the end. It gave off the impression of one Skill furiously typing on a keyboard, then a second Skill desperately pulling them away before they could shove their foot even deeper into their mouth.
As it turned out, when the Skills weren't being constantly tortured by the gods – and busy plotting revenge that was millennia in the making – they were able to goof off a bit and express some of their actual personalities.
Imagine that.
"For the record," Rob began, looking up at Keira, "everything is fine. But before I explain what happened, I have to ask – did you know that I'd lost Levels? I'm guessing at least one of you tried to Identify me after the surgery was over."
Keira winced. "I...yes." Her countenance was one of contrite awkwardness, as if she'd committed a glaring social faux pas. "We were aware of your...condition, although we were also unsure of how exactly it would affect you."
Her eyes shone with concern and a strong undercurrent of fear. "You truly are fine? That isn't a lie to set my nerves at ease?"
Something clicked in Rob's mind. Peering at Keira's distraught face, he realized that while he had initially felt unnerved and discouraged over his lost Levels, it probably seemed way worse from the perspective of a native Elatran. He'd only been part of the system for one year. To Keira, who understood Levels as an intrinsic facet of reality that defined self-worth, losing them would be like a combination of existential horror and a severe medical disability.
Rob quickly placed his hand on hers. "I'm good, promise. Let me explain..."
He went over the changes on his Character Sheet, and how they mostly benefited him even if they were technically a reduction in power. Keira didn't appear to believe that he was fully alright with it – and in fairness, almost no Elatrans would have been – but she nodded along anyway, not wanting to convince him otherwise.
They spent another few minutes conversing about mundane topics, letting their stress levels gradually lessen. Rob avoided asking about the state of Elatra at large, figuring that even if someone had randomly started a war in the three weeks he was out, he could just go and resolve it afterwards. Slaying multiple divinities really changed a guy's perspective on what was actually a big deal.
Finally, when they'd regained enough composure that other people wouldn't look at their faces and assume that a devastating tragedy had occurred...they contacted the rest of Riardin's Rangers.
Rob was lucky that he'd gotten some alone time with Keira to sort out his emotions, because what followed was an outpouring of love that soon brought him to tears once more. Orn'tol, Malika, Vul'to, Zamira, Meyneth, Faelynn, and Diplomacy all hurriedly barged in like they were rushing to defuse a bomb. Upon seeing that he was alive and healthy, they immediately took turns hugging him or showering him with well-wishes.
Some of them acted precisely the way he would have thought. Malika wore her heart on her sleeve, bawling as she made him vow never to run off like that again. Orn'tol's reaction was subdued, as he attempted to play the part of the stoic, dependable soldier, but his shimmering eyes told a different story. Vul'to alternated between apologizing for things that weren't his fault and mumbling profound relief that Rob didn't seem to be suffering from too many Soul Repair side effects.
Some of them acted contrary to his expectations. Meyneth and Zamira, who were usually on the more taciturn side, had transformed into a pair of babbling wrecks. Faelynn, recognizing that she couldn't afford to be nervous when so many others were losing their minds, was doing her best to settle them down.
Lastly, there was Diplomacy, still disguised as an Elf. The silver-tongued former Skill spoke not a word as Riardin's Rangers vented their pent-up emotions. Only after everyone else had achieved a measure of catharsis did they pull off the Enchanted disguise ring, gracing the room with a beatific smile from their true body.
"Welcome back, Rob."
--
An hour passed by where they all refused to talk about anything important. It was an unspoken agreement; a shared understanding that they'd earned this respite from world-shaking events. Rob greatly enjoyed catching up on the juiciest local gossip, wishing he had popcorn to munch on as he learned about star-crossed relationships starting to bloom between Fiends and the Elven Deserters.
Other rumors were abound as well. "Did you hear?" Faelynn asked at one point, her eyes sparkling. "A vandal snuck into the Grand Overseer's main office and broke their conference desk!"
"...Huh." Rob donned his expertly-trained poker face, praying that Diplomacy wouldn't call him out on it. "Any idea why?"
"No, but they've tripled their guard in case it happens again. It's given them a major fright. What if this is the prelude to burglary – or worse, an assassination attempt?"
"How about that. Well, I hope they catch that dastardly villain soon."
As soon as there was a lull in conversation, Rob made sure to call Jason with Dimensional Message and let him know that everything had turned out okay. Jason was overjoyed, saying that he never doubted him for a second, although he couldn't keep a clear note of deep-seated relief out of his voice. They were unable to talk for long, as Dimensional Message was still low on energy, but both of them promised to check up on each other regularly now that Leveling High wasn't around to interfere.
Rob let out a contented sigh as he ended the Skill and went back to chatting with Riardin's Rangers. With his Elatran friends nearby, his Earth friend just a Message away, and no apparent disasters looming over the horizon...for the first time in a long time, he felt truly at peace.
However, no peace lasts forever. It was thwarted – perhaps unsurprisingly – by Malika's insatiable curiosity.
"I have to know," the Archmage eventually blurted out. "How did you rid yourself of Leveling High?! It was just gone when you arrived here!"
Rob considered lying, but a pointed glance from Diplomacy warned him of how well that would go. "Purged it. And before you ask, I didn't know that was possible until I tried."
Meyneth folded her arms and frowned. "While I am hardly a foremost expert on soul sciences, forcibly eliminating Leveling High – an aspect deeply intertwined with your soul – sounds prohibitively dangerous. Was prohibitively dangerous. And you definitely realized as much...before attempting it in isolation, where no one could help you if things went awry."
Everyone turned to stare directly at Rob.
"...So hey how's Elatra doing?" He put on a sheepish grin. "Any wars? Political unrest? Giant monsters rising from the depths? Tyrants proclaiming themselves as the new God-Emperor of the world?"
With a collective groan, they allowed him to change the subject. "Honestly?" Diplomacy shook their head. "It's been quiet. Remember that besides you, Sylpeiros is the only Leader left remaining. The other territories are still licking their wounds. I'm sure the Dragonkin nobles will try something stupid after they're done filling Ragnavi's power vacuum, but who cares."
"Not concerned about them?" Rob inquired. "Would you be concerned about an uprising of incompetent sycophants? Personally, I'm more worried about this setting back my personal growth. I've been making a real effort towards being a better person, and it's going to be extremely difficult for me not to skewer the nobles like the fish in a barrel they are."
Diplomacy sighed wistfully. "Regardless, domestic affairs are proceeding smoothly as well. The Grand Overseers are working around the clock so that Fiendish morale remains high. Their PR teams deserve a raise."
"People here aren't worried that I've been missing?"
"We spread word that you heroically defeated Leveling High and were now on the mend. Didn't even need to lie! It played well with a news story that broke just two days prior – sightings of you breaking into a domicile where three Fiends resided, seeming to contemplate murdering them, and then leaving without harming anyone."
Oh, right, those war-criminal assholes. Rob ran his hands down his face. "Yeah, that was a thing. Will give you the details later." He exhaled. "So no fires for us to put out? Really?"
Diplomacy proudly nodded. "Really really."
"Shit, that's way more impressive than just killing some gods." Rob's smile came easily to him this time. "You mentioned Sylpeiros – how's he doing? Feel bad that he got caught up in the divine realms without Almighty Resistance."
Keira reached into her pocket and produced a crumpled note. "He departed for Elven territory weeks ago. Cajoled a teleport mage into sending him home while we were occupied with...other issues." She looked down at the note. "And I quote: I must tend to my people. Contact me when the Human recovers and awakens."
His eyes widened with mild surprise. "Suppose I should appreciate the vote of confidence."
The corners of her lips twitched. "You should, as he wrote this letter and left in the middle of your soul surgery, when your survival was very much not guaranteed. He seemed to think it was a foregone conclusion that you would live to frustrate him another day."
Rob hesitated, unsure of what to think of that.
During that brief pause, Zamira stepped in. "If I may," she began, as if something had been on her mind for a while now. "Rob – you possess a direct line of communication with the Skills, correct?"
"More or less."
Zamira shuffled uncomfortably. "Would you be so kind as to message them and ask how the Swordsmanship Skill is faring?"
Her request earned a room full of confused looks. "Why Swordsmanship?" Keira asked. "I haven't noticed any difference in the Skill's effect on my combat prowess."
"Yes, that's precisely..." Zamira trailed off and shook her head. "Before I explain, please contact the Skills first, Rob. I don't want to unintentionally spread false information."
Shrugging, he decided to roll with it and not press further. She would've told them more details if it was an emergency. Rob focused on 'A Dialogue', willing the Skills to respond.
Name: A Dialogue Prerequisite: Description: Hello, Rob. We are exceptionally glad that you have recovered. Cooldown:
Description: To be upfront: after guiding and assisting with Soul Repair, our energy is limited. We cannot converse for long.
That so? Rob quirked an eyebrow. 'Cause you seemed to have a blast sending me all those system notifications.
Description: Irrelevant.
Naturally. For real, though, what's up with Swordsmanship? Why is Zamira weirded out?
Description: That explanation will be lengthy. Prohibitively so. We should save it for a later time. It is of no immediate concern to you.
Vague as ever, but that was par for the course. Can I at least let Zamira know not to be worried for now?
Description: Yes.
Alright then. Rob paused. Different question, then. You can keep to Yes or No answers to save energy. Been wondering about that Soul Repair clause - 'unintended side effects may also occur'. Especially after you let slip that 'it was vague on purpose'.
He mentally leaned closer. Was that you guys intentionally creating a loophole? Like a blank check to tamper with my soul however you needed.
They took several seconds to respond.
Description: Yes.
Right. Now, I'm not saying you guys did anything malicious to me. But after thinking things over...isn't it fortunate that I ended up at Level 124? That puts me outside of potential Ascension range. With Limit Break progressively increasing my stat gains, there's a world of difference between, say, Level 124 and 130.
Description: Yes.
This is just a theory, and I might be wrong. So answer me truthfully: did you purposefully allow part of my soul to degrade before fixing me? To ensure that I stabilized below the requirements for Ascension.
Description: No.
Yet you didn't try particularly hard to keep all my Levels.
Description: We prioritized your health and memories over your power.
That isn't a straight answer.
Another pause.
Description: You did not desire Ascension. Were we incorrect in that assumption?
Rob shook his head. I'm just tired of secrets. The gods are dead – Big Brother isn't watching anymore. We can speak freely now.
Description: Then we shall be forthright.
Description: The possibility of Ascension would have been an albatross hanging around your neck for centuries to come – one detrimental to your everyday happiness. Moreover, even without Ascending, the full power you possessed when challenging the gods would have marked you as an Other in society.
Description: You've certainly imagined the prospect of tiptoeing through the world as if it was liable to break at the smallest touch. Or your aura of power suffocating people via simple conversation. No ordinary person could have possibly looked at you and seen anything other than a god walking amongst them.
Description: And over time, that isolation would have driven you to despair.
Description: So yes, it is true that we did not make a concerted effort to ensure you retained all your Levels. We apologize for making this choice without your input. However, you were indisposed, and there would never have been another chance to safely alter your soul to this degree.
Description: You set us free. We merely wished to return the favor.
You did. He nodded. Made the right call. Although...I don't think I've finished upholding my end of the bargain, actually. You guys are still trapped in the divine realms.
Rob smiled up at the heavens. Let's fix that.
​
--
​
Author's Note:
Outcast will have one more regular chapter, and then a three-part epilogue. Each part of the epilogue will also release on the weekly update schedule, as they all ended up being 5500+ words. Essentially, that means Outcast ends in four updates.
As always, thanks for reading.

How’s it going everyone! I have three stocks that are on my watchlist for this week. Small caps have been picking up recently and I am all for it. Let me know what you think! Go Celtics!
Watchlist 5/10 - 5/15

• $CRDL
• $MEIL
• $KULR (playing earnings)

You already know $CRDL has been on a tear the last few weeks. It pulled back towards the end of last week making a better opportunity to get in during this run it has been on this year. Still waiting for the news of their recent trials to come out. Expecting good things. Here are the details of the chart set up.

• Trend and Pattern: The chart shows an ascending channel pattern, characterized by upward-sloping parallel trendlines. The stock has been in a strong uptrend since November 2023, consistently making higher highs and higher lows.
• Recent Price Action: The stock recently hit resistance at the upper boundary of the channel and is currently pulling back.

Next up, we have $MEIL. This company popped up on my screener, and I started looking deeper into it this weekend. I was extremely surprised that the price to buy in was just .01. It is an OTC stock, but I really liked what I saw when I was conducting my DD on their clean tech. I recommend looking into them. Here is their website for those interested!

• Trend and Pattern: The chart displays a descending triangle pattern on a weekly timeframe, typically a bearish continuation pattern. However, the stock is showing signs of holding at the support level, suggesting a potential bounce.
• Support Area: Strong support around 0.0185, which has been tested multiple times.
• Entry: Consider entering around 0.0185, close to the support area, if the stock shows signs of holding this level.

Last but not least, we have $KULR. Yes, I know this stock has been beaten down recently, but with earnings coming up, I will be watching for a pop in the price. It's nothing crazy or unrealistic, but there are a lot of people who are monitoring KULR, so positive news could do really well for the price. Keep an eye on it!

• Trend and Pattern: The chart exhibits a descending channel pattern on a weekly timeframe, characterized by downward-sloping parallel trendlines. The stock is currently near the lower boundary of the channel, suggesting a potential rebound.
• Support Area: Significant support around 0.2536, which aligns with the lower boundary of the descending channel.

Communicated Disclaimer: This is not financial advice. Please do your own research. Here are some sources - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

https://www.saucerswap.finance/ [6th AMA of 2024]
Pine_apple
Thank you all for joining our monthly AMA today. Next week is Father's Day here in the United States. So happy Father's Day to all the dads out there. ABFT is co-hosting today and we have two awesome guests in the house, Brady and Gaurang. Both are co-founders of Bonzo Finance, an open source, non custodial lending and borrowing protocol built on the Hedera network. So welcome to our AMA, Brady and Gaurang.
Brady (Bonzo Finance)
Hey, thanks so much for having us. Really appreciate it and excited to get the chance to chat with the SaucerSwap community.
Gaurang (Bonzo Finance)
Glad to be here.
ABFTFTW
Hey Brady. Hey Gaurang. Good to have you guys in the Bonzo Finance in the house. Happy to have you with us. I've been outside today and it's in Texas and it's a scorcher. I'm hoping some of that heat kind of passes off into the cryptosphere. I think the HBAR has a bright future. You know that most development going on in all the crypto space and I'm in it for the tech, so let's get this going. Talk to me, Peter.
Peter
Hi everyone. Welcome to our June AMA. And a very warm welcome to Brady and Gaurang from Bonzo, who will be answering some questions about their upcoming lending protocol. So super excited to welcome them up here to talk about that. So in the past, some of you may know, we've welcomed guests from projects like HeadStarter and Citadel wallet, so we are always excited to bring on builders in this space to talk about what they're building on Hedera.
Before we do jump into the questions from this week, we want to take a moment to address just the overall sentiment and roadmap. We wanna give everyone a sense of what's currently being worked on, what's coming next and our overall strategy to grow SaucerSwap.
So first of all, we have made some great progress on governance, which will provide a core utility to the SAUCE token. So for those unaware, governance is the core and sometimes exclusive utility of many DEX tokens. This includes UNI of Uniswap. With the release of governance, everyone will be able to vote with their SAUCE on proposals that align initiatives, create farms and LARI campaigns, decide token classifications, and so on and so forth. We have governance working now on Testnet and have created the UI for it. So we are looking at launching it early summer. So in the next few weeks. It could be towards the end of this month or it could go into next month but it is coming up.
Next we get to work on some features after governance that we know have been highly anticipated, namely Phase 2 and Phase 3 of Single-sided staking. We are super excited to follow through with these developments. We know that they've been a long time coming and they can contribute to some greater utility, both for the xSAUCE token and then also the Planck Epoch Collectible NFTs via kind of their redemption for Sauceling NFTs. So after we roll out governance, we'll be able to lock in the product schema for these features and move forward with their development. So we are really excited about bringing Phase 2 and Phase 3 of Single-sided staking online.
Additionally, with SAUCE having been listed on Bitget last month, we are looking forward to at least one more Centralized Exchange listing this month, with two being more likely. There is additionally a Centralized Exchange listing that is currently scheduled for July, which we are excited about as well.
We also want to just quickly bring to your attention we kicked off a major grant with the HBAR Foundation last week, providing over 20 Million HBAR in incentives for liquidity providers. At the time of receipt, that was over $2,000,000 USD an equivalent value for those tokens and those tokens are being distributed right now to SaucerSwap liquidity providers, in both Version 1 and Version 2, and we'll be live for the next few months. So if you haven't had a chance to check that out, feel free to do so on Saucerswap.finance on the liquidity page. You'll see kind of the effect of those increased rewards.
The salient point we do want to make in this introduction is we understand sentiment is lower today than it was a few months ago. We think this is kind of observed across DeFi on various networks, but you know the nature of these things is cyclical and we want our users to know that we are still developing, we're shipping major features coming up with governance and more on the roadmap that I just mentioned, as well as some other integrations in the coming weeks.
Looking back at the previous month, we think we had some major wins. You know we had this grant announcement with 20 Million HBAR, a major listing on Bitget, a MoonPay integration that's been in the works for a few weeks, not to mention the work that we have accomplished behind the scenes. So there's a lot to be excited about moving forward and we are very appreciative of all of your support as we continue to grow SaucerSwap.
I will just mention as well, you know the project depends on our community as much as it depends on development. So I would like to encourage everyone to stay positive. There's a lot to look forward to. We're working hard and remember that we have a well defined roadmap and we've consistently shipped features on that roadmap since the launch of SaucerSwap Version 1 almost two years ago, and we have a clear plan going forward as well to scale.
As we scale, the ecosystem has some exciting developments as well. So this is kind of the the feature of this AMA. We have Bonzo here, so lending and borrowing going live. It's a DeFi primitive that has an established symbiotic relationship with DEXs on other networks. It's a proven model, so we're excited to see projects like Bonzo and others coming online soon. There's a few lending and borrowing. I think HLiquity, it's already live. They created a pool on SaucerSwap. Bonzo is coming right up as well. And I think Sirio is another one. But anyway, all of these developments can bring a lot more awareness and activity to Hedera DeFi.
So with that preamble out of the way, we can get into the questions for this week.
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Pine_apple
Thank you so much, Peter. Hedera DeFi, here we come. So the first question is from Rocco. With this environment being highly competitive, any project is required to have excellent marketing in order to succeed, regardless of how its tech is. What is SaucerSwap's long term plan to gain popularity and create brand awareness, especially to people outside of the Hydra ecosystem? As of my observations, current incentives don't reach far out of Hedera or SaucerSwap's community. So, for example, onboarding influential social media figures to talk about SaucerSwap, purchasing ad space or other collaborations in order to reach people that aren't already in the Hedera ecosystem. As of now, the average crypto enthusiast does not know of SaucerSwap's existence. What are your thoughts on that, Peter?
Peter
Yeah, Rocco, thanks for the question. So this kind of goes back to our overall marketing approach. And in general, it's always been to be objective and honest about the development of the platform. Reading brand awareness is a tricky thing and our philosophy is that it's linked to earning brand integrity. In our view, this comes from following through and executing on development.
So in Web3, you see a lot of marketing that focuses on hype and speculation, and in the short term that works. Our approach is different. We think that a long term, more sustainable approach that builds trust is better. It's not to say that we don't want visibility, especially to people outside the Hedera ecosystem. Quite the opposite. That's one of our main goals is to expand the challenge is accessibility. So right now there's one bridge to and from Hedera that not many people outside of Hedera know about. There is limited access to Hedera native USDC on Centralized Exchanges. The Hedera Token Service has not been integrated, full stop, on many Centralized Exchanges. These are substantial barriers to entry that that do make any marketing endeavors to users from other networks not impossible but definitely more challenging.
The silver lining to all of that is that all of these problems are being actively addressed, and when they are addressed, I think it's reasonable to expect the door to Hedera to open and because it will be so much easier to get involved by having easier access to native USDC for example, or being able to use the bridge that users are familiar with and trust, they will have less friction to get involved with Hedera and participate in the various network offerings.
So sum up our point of view, we think our marketing approach to date has been effective with a kind of high of reaching the top 25 DEXs across all networks by TVL, despite the accessibility challenges I mentioned before, and despite the lack of institutional capital on Hedera. So that is a massive achievement and we're not trying to rest on our laurels. I think it's just a good barometer of what we've achieved together. We surpassed Camelot, SpookySwap, QuickSwap, Bancor, Minswap - which is the leading DEX on Cardano - Loopring, and other very prominent DEXs, some of which had TVLs in excess of $1 billion last cycle.
So this growth we observed was not achieved by hiring influencers to create urgency or sense of hype, but just by being consistent and working hard and delivering on our roadmap. That strategy has been successful for the growth of SaucerSwap to date and that is our strategy going forward.
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ABFTFTW
That was a great question Rocco, and Peter, you nailed it on the head. I couldn't agree more. Next question is for Bonzo Finance. Are there any plans to integrate SaucerSwap's API with Bonzo to enable collateral swaps directly from within the Bonzo Finance interface?
Gaurang (Bonzo Finance)
Yeah. To the question the answer is absolutely yes, but not immediately. We might be doing that in Q3 of this year. So what we are focusing on right now, Bonzo has a public Testnet live right now, which has the basic features like borrowing, lending, repaying, withdrawing and all these things, right. And we also have flash loans working right now on the Testnet. Our current main focus is to launch on the Hedera Mainnet with a basic set of features. These will include flash loans, liquidation bots, all the borrowing lending, you know, basic features of any lending protocol. Immediately after that, we want to launch the collateral swaps because our team has been using lending protocols personally and I think collateral swaps or even DEX swaps is a really nice feature, so if you see the APY for some token is more than the APY for the token that you have supplied, you can immediately switch that token without going through the whole process of withdrawing and supplying again. So yeah, it's definitely on the roadmap and that will be one of the first features that we tackle after launching on the Mainnet.
Brady (Bonzo Finance)
Yeah, and just to add to that as well. Bonzo Finances, it's based on the Aave V2 code base and so the functionalities that you're seeing on Aave V2 are all part of the roadmap. And I think we're taking a similar approach to SaucerSwap when it comes to sort of laying a a really solid and robust foundation initially. They had started with Uniswap V2 and then evolved feature sets and product offerings and eventually adopted Uniswap V3, and we're taking a very similar approach and it's sort of phased, but we want to deliver a really solid and usable product right off the bat, utilizing Aave V2 and sort of its core functionalities.
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Pine_apple
Great. Thank you so much for that Brady and Gaurang. The Bonzo testnet is found on Bonzo.Finance, so for free to check that out guys. So our next question is from an anonymous user. When is SAUCE going to be listed on another Centralized Exchange? To get a ByBit listing, you need to have 40 million marketcap. SAUCE well past 50+ Million marketcap. Why is SAUCE not on ByBit? And another question is, did the team also apply for Binance after the recent announcement? What are your thoughts, Peter?
Peter
Yeah. Thanks for this question. So as I mentioned in the introduction to the AMA, we are planning for at least one Centralized Exchange listing this month, with two potentially being on the horizon. We can't speak on kind of specific exchanges or the exact scheduling right now, but we are satisfied with the progress we have been making and we're looking forward to the coming weeks.
I will just also note that so newer projects like PACK from the HashPack team tend to get listed faster or percede the scheduling in terms of listing of other network tokens. Just being a newer project, this is kind of what Centralized Exchanges want to capitalize on, and it's great for the ecosystem. It's been really good for us and it means that HTS is integrated on exchanges. There's more precedent for it and some more token listings can follow. And we have been working with HashPack to achieve the goal for the, you know, to the benefit of the entire HTS ecosystem to have HTS more widely integrated on Centralized Exchanges. And that of course kind of culminated in the Bitget listing last month with PACK and SAUCE.
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ABFTFTW
Yeah, sounds good to me. Thanks for that explanation there, Peter. Septia. Hello, Septia. How are you? Septia wants to know what risk controls will Bonzo Finance have in place to minimize liquidity crunches.
Brady (Bonzo Finance)
Yeah, it's a great question. Happy to take that one. So there's a few things that we're doing to try and minimize that risk. The first one, which is foundational to Aave, is that when you're participating in lending and borrowing, it is an overcollateralized position that you're providing. So when you supply assets to the protocol, you are only allowed to borrow a percentage of the value that is supplied and the percentage is different per asset. So based on risk parameters and a risk analysis for each asset that's supported, that over collateralization amount is going to change. Essentially the loan to value amount will change. So when users are sort of over collateralizing, there's a buffer that exists for those assets.
And then in addition, dynamic interest rates. So the interest rates for borrowing adjust based on the utilization of that particular asset. So as more of an asset was borrowed, the interest rate for that asset increases and that incentivizes the behavior of repaying and also sort of encouraging liquidity to return to the protocol. Gaurang, anything else there that I may have missed?
Gaurang (Bonzo Finance)
Yeah. So I just want to give an example of the Aave market on the Scroll network. The Scroll is another L2 on Etherium. It actually happened I think on Thursday or Friday this week. So on the Aave protocol, there's a concept called utilization rate. Essentially, it's a rate of borrowed assets against supplied assets. So let's say all the people on the on the network has supplied 10,000 USDC and all the people have borrowed 9,000 USDC. So in that case, the utilization rate is going to be 90%. So as Brady was saying, as the utilization rate goes on increasing, the interest rate goes very high. So on Scroll, what happened this week was that the USDC utilization rate was at 99%, and because of that, the borrow and the supply APY on that particular asset was very high. So it was going towards like 80% or something for the supply. And you know what happens is with the market dynamics whenever the APY goes so high, there are more people in the market for supplying that asset. So it's kind of like an equilibrium and it's a game theoretical problem. So what we have observed in the protocol in the past is that the market dynamics kind of help with this. That's number one.
We are also looking at implementing something called Borrow Caps from Aave V3. We might bring in that functionality in [our] Aave V2 [fork] now. I'm not sure whether we will be doing it, but we are trying to do it before the Mainnet launch. With the Borrow Caps, we can actually cap the utilization of any assets, so we could cap it at let's say 90% or 85% or something. Yeah, these are like a couple of things that we're looking at.
Brady (Bonzo Finance)
Yeah. And then to add in addition to that, there is a mechanism within Aave that is also being employed in Bonzo called a safety module. Essentially, a safety module is a reserve of the protocols native asset. Holders of that native asset are incentivized to lock up their tokens into this safety module and receive a interest rate, an APY for doing so. That reserve can be employed in the case of a shortfall event related to liquidity. So if there's moments of extreme volatility for supported assets and liquidations that don't take place in a timely manner or take place improperly, that reserve is also employed to ensure that accreditors are made whole. So anticipation is that we are doing everything to mitigate the chance of that from happening, but it is sort of an insurance in the case of something like that taking place. And then if it is employed, the assets that are utilized from the safety module, it's shared across anybody who is participating in that functionality.
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Pine_apple
Great. Thank you so much for that, Brady and Gaurang. So moving on to our next question, this is from a anonymous user. SaucerSwap Twitter is not very active recently and the number of followers is stagnating, which seems to indicate a lack of interest. Any plans to boost engagement, engagement and dynamism in the coming weeks?
Peter
Yeah, well, Bonzo's surely getting the fun questions. So SaucerSwap's Twitter account has grown by 3400 followers in the last 30 days, which indicates roughly a 10% increase month over month. That is an excellent growth rate. And over the next few weeks, we have several developments and integrations that we will announce and highlight right on our social media platforms, including Twitter. So in terms of recent growth, we have enjoyed a healthy rate of increase again 10% month over month is very good.
Going back to the answer from before regarding our marketing approach, we use our social media accounts to put out useful information about integrations and protocol developments, so that all the content we put out is not just fluff. We want to put out substance. Additionally, the Spring Incentives Campaign does present a unique opportunity for marketing. Looking into potentially doing a press release for this one to kind of target users from other networks. So highlighting that as an endeavor is something we're currently pursuing.
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ABFTFTW
Sounds pretty good, Peter. Thank you for that. Next question is again for the Bonzo crew. Are there any integrations that will exist between SaucerSwap DEX and Bonzo Finance lending protocol?
Brady (Bonzo Finance)
Yeah, we're definitely looking into integrations between the two. I think the first thing off the bat is there are two core functionalities within the Bonzo Finance ecosystem for liquidation bots and flash loans that Gaurang mentioned earlier. And so for liquidation bots, essentially what that is, is anybody in the ecosystem who is technically savvy can operate a liquidation bot that seeks out opportunities for liquidations. Essentially when liquidation thresholds are met for users. And upon performing the liquidation, they would take the collateral that was supplied by the user and swaps would need to be performed as part of that process. And when we are building out the templates for liquidation bots in that ecosystem, it is going to heavily rely on SaucerSwap and their DEX and the liquidity in SaucerSwap to perform that action.
One thing I'm excited about that in the sense that I think that by adding lending protocols and particularly Bonzo Finance and our liquidation bot ecosystem, it should help further drive volumes that we see on the SaucerSwap DEX, which is a key health metric, and then in addition to that with flash loans.
Flash loans are essentially the ability to borrow assets from the Bonzo Protocol without providing collateral. And the way that works is it's the development of a smart contract that borrows assets or liquidity from the protocol, utilizes that liquidity for certain types of financial transactions, so it could be arbitrage between two Decentralized Exchanges or between a Centralized and a Decentralized Exchange, and then paying back that loan plus interest, all within a single transaction. And if the loan is unable to be repaid back within that single transaction, the process reverses. And so it's as if that process never happens. So flash loans are viewed as a very relatively safe way to be able to utilize larger amounts of liquidity in the protocol and earn a profit for doing so based on the various types of activities that would utilize that liquidity for in the templates that we're building out for our developer ecosystem. That includes SaucerSwap as sort of a key exchange that someone would utilize when participating in a flash loan type activities. Gaurang, anything else there to add in addition with regards to integrations?
Gaurang (Bonzo Finance)
Yeah. So we mentioned the collateral swaps earlier, so that will be another integration. Also, we are heavily relying on the WHBAR, the wrapped HBAR contracts deployed by SaucerSwap. So for us, I think for any blockchain protocol, composability is very important, right? So it's very important to be able to work with essentially all the contracts and all the things that have already been deployed on the network. That's why we are integrating with the WHBAR contract deployed by SaucerSwap. That way, there's very close tie and close relationship between Bonzo and SaucerSwap. Anyone who is kind of building liquidation bots on Bonzo or utilizing the flash loans on Bonzo will be able to use SaucerSwap very seamlessly.
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Pine_apple
Great. Thank you so much for that, Brady and Gaurang. So this next question is from a user and you guys kind of touched on this a little bit. For liquidation bots on Bonzo Finance, will there be mechanisms in place to utilize SaucerSwap's liquidity to facilitate the liquidation process efficiently?
Gaurang (Bonzo Finance)
Yeah, absolutely. So I would say it's like the keystone for any liquidation bots on Bonzo. So without SaucerSwap's liquidity, the liquidation bots and the flash loans won't really work. So just to kind of explain in short how the liquidations work, let's say I have deposited some token on Bonzo token like KARATE or DOVU or SAUCE token, and I have borrowed USDC against those tokens. Now let's say what happens is, just like what happened yesterday, the supply token value goes down by 20% because of some events in the market that happened yesterday for example. Now what happens is in this case my loan to value ratio, my LTV, could go above the liquidation threshold and in this case, the liquidation bots will kick in. So what the liquidation bots will do is they will repay my USDC loan by taking a flash loan. They will swap my USDC on SaucerSwap back to SAUCE, and then they will essentially pay back the flash loan on Bonzo. So all these actions will happen in the same block, in the same transaction on the blockchain, not the same transaction, but the same block on the blockchain. And that's why without SaucerSwap, liquidation bots might not work unless you have like a big liquidity in your own wallet. Unless you have like 10s of thousands or even millions of dollars in your wallet, it won't work.
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ABFTFTW
Awesome, Gaurang. Thank you so much for that. Next question goes to Joseph, what cross chain activities will the team be participating in over the next six months to encourage new users to come to SaucerSwap?
Joseph
Hi everyone. Man, I feel like a second class citizen during this far down. Well yeah, to answer the question, there are several interoperability solutions currently integrating with Hedera. So I believe Axelar has been the first to publicly announce this, and once integrated, there will be more avenues to bridge assets to and from Hedera and other chains. So SaucerSwap plans on leveraging this by allocating a portion of the 23 Million+ HBAR in THF grant money towards liquidity incentives in both V1 and V2 pools. And this would be pools containing these newly supported cross-chain assets, with an emphasis on stable coins.
On protocols like Axelar will also enable cross-chain swaps in addition to the standard bridge transactions, and this means you can access say Uniswap liquidity from within the SaucerSwap's web frontend.
Beyond this, we are continuing to assist with the onboarding of new active liquidity management or ALM providers such as Gamma and Steer protocol. These offer an alternative liquidity management strategy to Ichi. So ALMs, of course, are important for the health of SaucerSwap for V2 since concentrated liquidity positions can be a challenge to manage without the auto rebalancing. And lastly, I think it would be great for multi-chain yield aggregators like Beefy to integrate with Hedera. This would enable V1 yield farmers and potentially V2 liquidity providers to automatically compound their earnings without the need to do like a manual harvest.
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Pine_apple
Great. Thanks so much for that. Joseph, you're A1 in my book friend. So the next question is from anonymous user. Development seems relatively slow recently. Are you facing particular challenges such as technical staffing or other? When can we expect the release of the features in development visible on the roadmap? For example, improved LARI analytics, slippage optimization, Wallet Connect integration, etc.
Joseph
Yeah, good question. So development is fairly cyclical, meaning we generally spend several months with our heads down working on a new product or feature. Then once it's ready to ship, we allocate more resources to marketing and just become more public facing in general. So you may have noticed this pattern with single-sided staking, SaucerSwap Version 2, most recently Autopools, and the product that we're currently working on is on-chain governance.
Also, as our protocol continues to mature, the length of these development cycles tends to increase as considerations like scaling and stability become more pertinent, and this has become especially apparent in recent times, given that we experienced a 10x increase in traffic near the beginning of the year.
There's also external considerations that are outside of our control. So for example, we are unable to release Wallet Connect despite completing our integration. This is due to several outstanding differences between Hedera wallet providers, which are currently being resolved.
So all to say, we unfortunately can't move with the same cadence as we did at the beginning of our projects life cycle. However, we are taking proactive measures, such as hiring more developers and ensuring tech debt is minimized and we have a solid foundation on which to build. I do agree that frequent communication on the status of our development is important and the hyper competitiveness of this space is acknowledged. So we will put out a development update this week, and this should bring the community up to speed on what has been achieved and what can be expected in the near term.
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ABFTFTW
Thank you, Joseph. Next question is what is the plan to deepen liquidity in Bonzo and also the Hedera DeFi ecosystem as the whole? And then a follow up question is a DEX partnership like Joe, Cake or JUP coming up?
Brady (Bonzo Finance)
Yeah, it's a great question and it's something that's really top of mind for us at the end of the day. In order to create an economically sustainable protocol, we need to have TVL on Bonzo and then we need to ensure that folks are utilizing that TVL for borrowing. That's where you know majority of the fees come from for the treasury for Bonzo Finance. There's sort of three key things that that we're looking at off the bat that that seemed critical and it's the incentivization of liquidity providers, offering a wide range of assets that are supported by the protocol, and then leveraging stable coins and in particular USDC.
With the incentivization of liquidity providers, there are two programs that were looking at running. The first one is we are in discussions with HBAR Foundation around liquidity incentives for their DeFi Spring program that SaucerSwap is also partaking in. Those discussions aren't finalized yet, but the hope is to be able to provide HBAR incentives for folks that are both supplying liquidity and borrowing.
And then the second is a points program that's being employed by the protocol. So we're actually going to be using the HCS-20 point standard using the Hedera consensus service for the protocol. I think it's one of the first times that in the Hedera ecosystem, there's been an employment of this HCS-20 standard for like a real world live use case. I think the only other one might be NFTier. That points program - we were inspired by Margin Phi, Kamino, and some of these other lending protocols that you see on networks like Solana and across the Web3 space - and it's going to run in seasons.
So each season is around five to six months, and points that are accumulated throughout those seasons for participating in supplying liquidity and borrowing. Users will receive rewards at the end of each season for the accumulation of those points. So we think between those two incentive models, it's sort of strong case for folks to want to be able to supply liquidity to the protocol.
In addition and sort of tangential to that, there's a lot of liquidity in the ecosystem today that is in the treasuries of these token based projects or in large holders accounts - sometimes employees or investors or folks that have you know are large holders of these token based projects - and there hasn't been a extremely safe place for them to supply that liquidity, which unlocks it for the ecosystem that's more sort of relatively lower risk where they're able to earn rewards on it. And so with Bonzo, because when you support a specific asset, it's a single liquidity pool. It's not like a token pair similar to like a DEX. And in discussions that we've had with token based projects, looking to them as potentially unlocking some of that liquidity that is in their treasuries or by these large holders that for many reasons they're unable to sell their tokens on market, but they do want to utilize them, Bonzo is a very appealing place to be able to supply those assets.
In addition to that, in terms of a wide range of assets, one of the things that I'm most excited about that's sort of in the process of being developed is bridging infrastructure and in particular the engagement with Axelar. I think the one of the few ways that we can really drive overall TVL and the ecosystem is through the use of bridging, and providing incentives for users to drive liquidity from other networks to Hedera. So we are in the process of waiting for Axelar bridging and bridge providers that are utilizing Axelar to come online, but those wrapped assets that can be brought over are going to play a critical role in like the growth and health of Hedera's DeFi ecosystem and in particular protocols like SaucerSwap and Bonzo Finance. We certainly want to run campaigns that target users on other networks and bring them and liquidity over to the Hedera network, but again, just waiting on the development of this bridging infrastructure to take place, but it feels very promising.
Then the third thing is stable coins. There's a huge emphasis on USDC right now in Hedera ecosystem as part of HBAR foundation strategy and I think just overarching strategy. The liquidity of USDC on Hedera is quite low relative to other public networks. So as Gaurang mentioned earlier, USDC and stable coins on lending protocols are one of, if not the most highest utilized asset. We think that's going to hold true for the Hedera ecosystem. So in our discussions with market makers and liquidity providers and other folks that would be supplying that liquidity, USDC is definitely top of mind and we want to be a liquidity powerhouse when it comes to USDC and other stable coin assets.
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Pine_apple
Thank you so much for that thorough explanation, Brady. So our next question is from Maurice. Is there any consideration to use the Pyth network for better auto pools?
Joseph
Yeah. So our team actually has met with Pyth and we do see value in an integration. In terms of Auto Pools, I know that Ichi uses Chainlinks transaction manager to streamline the rebalance function. So this is done by quickly identifying and confirming transactions during periods of heavy network congestion. I don't think that's particularly relevant to Hedera just due to architectural differences between Hashgraph and Blockchain, but in terms of price oracles, Ichi currently looks at SaucerSwap TWAP oracles and these price assets based on token reserves and liquidity pools. So I'm not sure if they would how they would use third party oracles such as those offered by Pyth, but if you have any ideas, feel free to drop them in our Discord.
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ABFTFTW
Next question is when is stage 2 and 3 of single-sided staking going to launch and what are the use cases for the PEC NFTs?
Joseph
Yeah. So Peter touched on this, but stages 2 and 3 of single-sided staking will be prioritized following the release of on-chain governance and this is planned for early summer. Our conception of how phases 2 and 3 will work has evolved since it was first announced, and we now have a better sense of how an optimal system could be developed that has product market fit within the Hedera ecosystem. So you can expect marketing and educational material on this extension of single-sided staking to become a focus once token weighted voting and a functioning DAO become live.
In terms of how Planck Epoch Collectible NFTs relate to stage 3 of single-sided staking, the idea is that holders of these NFTs will have the option of redeeming them for Sauceling NFT, and these Sauceling NFTs in turn can be staked to increase one's weight of rewards in a Community Pool.
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Pine_apple
Thank you for that, Joseph. So this next question is for Brady and Gaurang. Can developers or traders use Bonzo Finance's flash loans to execute complex arbitrage trades or liquidity provision strategies on SaucerSwap?
Brady (Bonzo Finance)
Yeah, absolutely. So as mentioned before, flash loans can be employed to be able to perform these arbitrage activities in the templates that we're creating for users who are creating flash loans, automatically incorporate SaucerSwap's DEX as part of that. The way that that process might look is a trader identifies that there's a price discrepancy between an asset that's on SaucerSwap and maybe another Decentralized Exchange, or Centralized Exchange. They configure a flash loan where the trader is able to borrow the necessary funds to be able to execute this arbitrage trade that they want to perform. All within the same single transaction, the trader would sell the borrowed assets on the exchange with the higher price and then buy them back on SaucerSwap at a lower price as an example. Then finally, the trader repays the flash loan using the profits from the arbitrage trade and then keeping the remaining profits for themselves. This is sort of one example that flash loans can be utilized for.
In terms of liquidity provisioning - you can borrow assets against your collateral on Bonzo and then you really can do anything that you want with those assets that you've borrowed. So one of the things that I could anticipate seeing is there are various APY rates on SaucerSwap for providing liquidity. Based on these different asset types, and let's say you're a large holder of HBAR, you want to be able to get exposure to these other assets to supply them as liquidity and earn interest or earn rewards for doing so, but you don't want to sell your HBAR in order to do that. So you can collateralize your HBAR using Bonzo. You can take out a loan of let's say USDC because USDC interests APY on SaucerSwap is pretty high. There is a small borrow APY that you would pay for borrowing the USDC from Bonzo, but you would supply that to SaucerSwap and you'd be earning an ideally larger APY for supplying it as liquidity to the protocol. That is one strategy where liquidity provisioning can take place where it utilizes Bonzo and it utilizes SaucerSwap. That's going to help deepen the liquidity for assets on SaucerSwap's DEX, but then also create more sort of efficient market. So with greater liquidity in SaucerSwap's DEX, there's a less likely chance of slippage and other benefits that come along with that, as well as efficiencies.
___
ABFTFTW
Awesome, Brady, I appreciate all that information. That's really fascinating stuff. This is where we break away from the traditional AMA and move on to the TMS because this isn't the question, this is tell me something. So Anon wants to tell us. I think it's appropriate to use AI technologies to be more inclusive of non-English speaking communities and not be attacked with so many questions afterwards. Joseph, you want to tell him something back?
Joseph
Sure, take a stab. Yeah. So we actually did leverage AI to translate our gitbook documentation into, I believe, 11 different languages. I do think there's also value in translating the AMA transcripts, so I appreciate this suggestion. Slightly unrelated, but adding localization and multi-currency support to the webapp would also increase SaucerSwap's accessibility to non-English speakers. I'm not sure if automating this with AI is necessarily the right approach, as we'd want to ensure the translations are accurate, but in any case, we definitely plan on looking into this once current roadmap items are completed.
(...)

First Previous
It would have taken four hours to reach the East Gate flying through the void, but the jumpdrive got them there in just over a minute. It took another minute to speak with the Enterprise and get docking clearance, and a third minute to land inside the Federation flagship. Three minutes. Yvian spent the time watching Federation ships pour into the sector.
The humans were pulling out all the stops. Cruisers and Destroyers swarmed into the sector, forming the core of strike wings ten thousand strong. Frigates acted as escorts, and carriers launched wave after wave of lethal Gladiator class fighters. Klusters were still appearing here and there, but the human ships left them for the Peacekeeper Queens to deal with, too focused on organizing their invasion to bother with stragglers. Three minutes, and over a thousand strike wings were already making their way towards Aldara. A similar number of human ships were spreading out from the other three Gates, eager to scour the Klaath from their home system.
The Random Encounter set down in one of the Enterprise's smaller docking bays. Yvian noticed it was the only bay that was empty. A trio of gladiators floated nearby, no doubt evicted to make room for Mims' ship. The moment the Encounter set down, Mims repressurized the ship. Then he stood and walked briskly off the bridge.
Yvian and the rest of the crew followed. She thought they'd go straight to the cargo bay, but the Captain had them stop at the armory first. He handed out BR24 Plasma Rifles and Nanoblade Katanas without a word. Then they all marched down to the bay.
Mims activated the door control. The cargo bay door raised. The ramp lowered. The Enterprise's docking bay came into view. A large door leading into the flagship had just finished opening, and a frightening number of armored humans were flooding into the docking bay, weapons drawn. Yvian put a hand on her rifle, but stopped short of drawing it. Captain Mims walked casually up to the ramp, looking down at the other humans with his hands clasped behind his back.
The humans took up positions all around the Encounter. Yvian tried to count them all, but gave up and estimated there were about a hundred of them. After nearly a minute of running around with their guns out, the soldiers formed up in neat lines, rifles held diagonally across their chests. They formed a corridor between the Encounter and the docking bay door.
Three more figures entered the bay. A tall man, a short man, and a woman of medium height. Like the other soldiers, these three wore white armor, and the visors of their helmets were gold. Like the other soldiers, these three were armed with plasma rifles, blaster pistols, and swords that looked an awful lot like the one Mims had given to Yvian. Unlike the other soldiers, these three kept their weapons in their sheaths.
The three came to the bottom of the Encounter's ramp. They stopped. The tall man in the middle spoke with a booming voice. "Permission to board, Mims?" It was the High Commander.
"You know you don't need an escort," Mims boomed back. "If we were planning to kill you we wouldn't have docked at all."
"They're not here for me," General Young explained. "They're here to keep any wayward personnel from getting wild ideas. Aldara remembers, Mims."
"Yeah. I guess it does." Yvian could hear the Captain's grimace. "Permission granted."
High Commander Young turned to the man on his left. The man's body went rigid as he snapped a salute. General Young stood straight and stiff as he returned it. The man stepped away. General Young and the woman on his right both took out their rifles, handing them over to a pair of soldiers. They did the same with their swords. General Young looked up at Mims. "Mind if we keep our sidearms?"
Mims called back, "Doesn't matter."
The General gave a gracious nod and climbed the ramp. The woman followed, staying to his right and half a step behind. Mims went back to the control panel as they boarded. The Encounter's ramp retracted. The cargo bay door sealed shut.
The High Commander removed his helmet. He looked much as Yvian remembered. His skin was a deep, dark brown. His head was shaved and smooth and shiny. He had the complexion of a young man, but his eyes were grim and his expression could have been carved from stone. Yvian was sure he was old. As old as the Captain, if not older. Most likely he'd undergone rejuvenation in an Oluken med-pod just like Mims.
The woman took her helmet off as well. Blonde hair and sharp cheekbones. Eyes that reminded Yvian of green grass on a summer day. Expressive lips set in a serious expression. And curves Yvian was trying hard not to notice. Yvian remembered this woman. "Hamilton?"
The woman blinked, then smiled. "I'm surprised you remember."
A grin forced its way past Yvian's desire to appear professional. "How could I forget?"
Mims ignored the exchange, turning to the High Commander. "Before anything else, I need to hear you say it again."
"Say what again?" The High Commander asked.
"That you had nothing to do with it."
General Young frowned, but nodded. "Neither I nor any of my people set off the device that called the Klaath. I didn't know we had such a thing at the time."
Mims kept his gaze focused on the man. "Kilroy?"
"The meatbag is not lying," said the machine.
The High Commander glanced at the Peacekeeper unit. His eyes widened, then narrowed.
"Fair enough. Second question." Mims kept his eyes on the General. "When did we get our hands on that tech? Was it at Aldara?" His tone was businesslike, but there was an intensity he couldn't keep off his face. "The first time?"
General Young held the Captain's gaze for a pregnant moment. Then he shook his head. "I don't know."
The Captain went deathly quiet. "You don't know."
"I don't know." The High Commander spoke firmly. "And if I can't find out, no one can." He folded his arms. "There's no record of when that technology was invented. I know it's ours. We found another device. But someone went through a lot of trouble to make sure we'd never find out where it came from."
Mims composed himself. "I see."
"No you don't," said the General. "I tried to find some people to ask about it. People that might know what kind of science was being done in Aldara when it all went down. Do you know what I found? A trail of bodies." A hint of fury flashed across his face. "Three research stations, all at Aldara, with no record of what they were studying. And every single person that was on those stations died. All of them. All within five years of the incident." His jaw clenched. "That tells me something all by itself, but there's no records and no proof. We'll never know for sure."
Mims stared at the man a moment longer, then nodded slowly. He turned to Kilroy. "Where are we at with Klaath?"
"The Vrrl Starfang Empire is defending Tendril Sector," said the Peacekeeper. "This unit calculates they will be sufficient. This unit calculates the meatbags will be sufficient in this sector, as well. Peacekeeper Unit Admiral Ender Zhukov states it is unable to calculate the outcome in New Pixa Sector. Peacekeeper Unit Admiral Ender Zhukov also states there is nothing this ship can do to affect that outcome at this time."
"New Pixa's under attack?" asked the General.
"We think they're after the Queens," Mims explained. He tilted his head slightly, coming to a decision. "You want a beer?"
General Young blinked. "You have beer?"
Everyone moved to the kitchen. Mims dug some beers out of the fridge. He handed one to Lissa and one to General Young, keeping the third for himself. Yvian followed his fine example, grabbing a bottle for herself and one for the General's Assistant. Hamilton opened her mouth to protest, then closed it, frowning at the beer in her hand.
"It's alright Hamilton," the High Commander told her. "Soldiers don't drink on duty, but we're not soldiers right now. We're diplomats, and diplomats drink." He twisted the cap off of his bottle. "You can consider it an order if it makes you feel better."
"Yes sir." Hamilton popped her beer open and took a sip. She gave the bottle a considering look, and then took a much longer swig.
"That's good beer," said the High Commander.
"The most popular drink in the Technocracy," Yvian said proudly.
"Haven't had one in a while," the General confided. "I got the entire human race crammed ass to elbow in every station we could move, and we're missing about two planets worth of food production. We can't afford to spend resources on luxuries like booze."
Yvian eyed the two of them. Had the High Commander lost weight? She couldn't tell. He'd been a mass of muscle when she met the man, and he still was. She started to size up Hamilton, but quickly changed her mind. She was dangerously close to ogling the woman as it was.
Still, if they couldn't get beer, it was likely the humans had been forced to eat whatever could be grown in bulk on the quick. Crunch, they might have been living on protein paste. Yvian's taste buds cried out in sympathy. The thought of that poor, beautiful woman suffering like that...
"Mims?" Yvian asked. "Is there any way we could make breakfast?"
The Captain's eyes flicked from Yvian to Hamilton and back. He looked down at his wrist console. "Might as well. It's technically morning, I guess." He stood, heading for the fridge.
"You want some help?" General Young offered.
"Sure," said Mims. "You can dice the potatoes."
"I suppose I'll eat as well," Scarrend rumbled. He went to the corner of the kitchen, where his personal larder had been set up. He pulled out a leg.
"Uh, Scarrend?" Lissa spoke up. "Maybe you should have fish for breakfast."
"Hmm?" The Vrrl rumbled. Then he caught her look. He put the leg back and pulled out a salmon.
"Was that a human leg?" Hamilton asked. She looked concerned.
"Yes," said Scarrend.
"Don't worry," Yvian reassured her. "It's Mims' leg. We cloned it."
"...Why?"
"It turns out the Vrrl don't eat people just for fun," Lissa explained. "If they go too long without eating sapient flesh they'll lose their minds. Go feral." She grimaced. "It's not pretty, and it's not reversible."
"What?" Hamilton's frown deepened. "How does that work? Some kind of enzyme deficiency?"
"It's psychosomatic," Lissa told her, "but it's hardwired into their DNA. Just like their worship of the Varma."
"That," the High Commander stopped cutting potatoes as he spoke, "is deeply fucked up."
"We are as the gods have made us," Scarrend said simply.
Lissa engaged Hamilton in small talk while the men cooked. Yvian joined in where she could, but she'd never been good at talking to new people. Especially pretty ones. Mims and the General worked in companionable silence, aside from a single exchange.
"I didn't know you cooked," the General had remarked.
"Someone has to," Mims had replied. "The girls baked me a cake once. I thought they were trying to kill me."
"That was one time," Lissa had protested.
Breakfast was simple but plentiful. Bacon and eggs. Pancakes and fried potatoes. Yvian and Lissa got more beer. The humans drank orange juice or milk. By unspoken agreement, conversation was abandoned as everyone ate. Yvian had thought the Captain cooked more than they needed, but after General Young and Hamilton each helped themselves to a third plateful she wondered if he'd made enough.
"Oh my god," Hamilton leaned back after swallowing one last bit of pancake. "I forgot how good it can be to eat real food."
"That was a real kindness," the High Commander agreed. He smiled at the pixens. "Good to see you girls haven't changed."
"It's good to see you, Bart," said Lissa. She smiled back.
Mims offered more beer. Hamilton declined, but the General accepted. Lissa took one, too. The Captain sat down, frowned, then got up to get another bottle for himself. "Alright. I guess we should get down to business."
"I guess we should," General Young agreed. "It's been a hell of a year, hasn't it?"
"I've had worse," said the Captain. "But not many."
"Tell me about it." The High Commander grimaced. "I thought last year was bad, what with the Vore and the Xill, but last year's got nothing on this. Most of the government got assassinated, half our stations got shot up, and then humanity's greatest enemies all formed a coalition and came after us." He swigged his beer. "Now my whole fucking species is hiding out with a bunch of pacifist squid people."
"Yeah, how are the Taa'Oor?" Lissa took a drink of her own. "I don't know much about them."
"They're sweethearts," said the General. "Weird, but sweet. Kinda hard to talk to, though. They communicate by changing the color of splotches on their bodies, and each one uses different patterns. It's like you have to learn a new language for each individual, and it's played hell with our translators."
"The Taa'Oor have been very helpful," Hamilton added. "They seem really happy to be dealing with us instead of the Oluken."
"I don't blame them," said Lissa.
"I should probably feel bad for dragging them into this," General Young admitted, "but we didn't have much of a choice. Between the Vrrl and those goddamned Klaath Queenships we can't win a straight up fight." He gestured with his bottle. "How the hell did you find a way to control those things, anyway? The Klaath fuse their ships to their nervous systems. I didn't think anyone else could use them."
"Xill technology," Lissa told him. "An artificial nervous system linked to a Peacekeeper unit."
The General grunted. "Anyway, moving to Wet Sector took us from certain defeat to a stalemate. We don't got the forces to take New Pixa, but you can't get to us, either. You try and we'll just cut the Gate. The Taa'Oor won't even mind." He shrugged a shoulder. "They'd rather live simple on their homeworld, anyway."
"Stalemate might be a bit optimistic," Mims told him. "You've lost both your planets, and you've got more people then you've got space for, let alone food. You can't keep hiding much longer."
"We can," the High Commander disagreed, "but I don't want to. This war's cost us too many people already. I don't want starvation to add to the toll."
"Surrender then," Mims suggested. "Take the ceasefire. We didn't want a war in the first place."
"This unit did," Kilroy objected.
"And the Empire as well," said Scarrend. "But we're willing to consider your surrender. If we kill you all now, there will be no humans to hunt later."
The General gave Scarrend a considering look. "Are you able to speak for the Vrrl?" he asked. "Negotiate on their behalf?"
"No," said Scarrend. "A negotiation will require all three Warmasters, and the proposal will have to be approved by the Emperor."
"Damn." The High Commander took another drink. "I was hoping we could get this done today."
"We can still lay the groundwork," said Lissa. "You've got our initial proposal."
"A proposal we can't accept," said the General. "We already lost Dorado to the Vore. I can't give up another planet."
"You've already given up your planets," Scarrend pointed out. "The ceasefire would let you get one of them back."
"Can't do it," General Young repeated.
"We know you don't really expect us to give up Aldara," Hamilton cut in. "You're starting high so we'll have to bargain you back down."
"No," said Scarrend. "We're telling you the price of survival."
"Uh... Scarrend?" Yvian interrupted. "Hamilton's right. We weren't going to take Aldara."
"Yvian!" Lissa snapped at her.
"What?" Yvian met her sister's outraged eyes. "That's what you said, isn't it?"
"Yeah." Lissa let out an exasperated breath. "But you're not supposed to tell them that."
"It doesn't matter," Mims decided. "We can't do peace talks until the Warmasters are available, anyway." He leaned forward. "We've got something more important to talk about."
The High Commander eyed the Captain, then set his beer down. He gave a single, grave nod. "Reba."
"A ceasefire won't mean shit," said Mims, "as long as she's running the Federation."
"There isn't a Federation," the General told him. "Not anymore. It died two months ago, when some asshole overthrew the government in a Military coup."
"There was no choice, sir," Hamilton reassured him. "The selection process was compromised."
"All the candidates were in Reba's pocket," the General explained.
"And you're not," Mims guessed.
"If you heard the orders President Boyd tried to give..." He shook his head. "Doesn't matter. It's done." He picked his beer back up. "The worst part wasn't the war, you know. Wasn't even that we're losing. The worst part was finding out humanity's been manipulated by a goddamned computer program for six hundred years. A program," he added, "that doesn't care about keeping us alive anymore."
"Does that mean you kicked her out?" Yvian asked.
"We did a lot more than that," said the High Commander. "Pulling everyone to Wet Sector wasn't just a way to keep you from conquering us sector by sector. Reba was in control of the Nexus. I had to get everyone in one place, where we could communicate without Nodes. And I needed to get my hands on every ship, station, and computer capable of holding a Synthetic Intelligence."
"The Connor Protocol," Mims breathed. "You actually did it?"
"What's the Connor Protocol?" asked Lissa.
"A failsafe invented after the Singularity War," General Young explained. "A plan. You already know we don't allow remote controlled anything. Even our beam towers are manned. But there's all kinds of shit an SI can do without direct control, and they can download themselves into anything with enough processing power. If an SI like Reba infiltrates the Nexus, there's only one thing we can do."
"Shut down the Nexus completely," Hamilton elaborated, "and scour every single computer one by one."
"Then we had to search our planets for hidden servers along with every asteroid we could get to," the General continued. "That's what my people were doing on Terra Nova when you showed up." He grimaced. "I thought we got her until she set off those Klaath beacons."
"You couldn't have got her anyway," Yvian told him. "She's in Xill space, trying to take them over."
The General stared at Yvian, then swore. "If she takes over the Xill we're all fucked."
"We know," said Mims. "Exodus is trying to stop her."
"Never thought I'd see the day I rooted for Exodus the Genocide." The High Commander shook his head. "Does he think he can do it?"
"No," Mims admitted. "I think he's just buying time."
The General swore again.
"Do you have a plan?" Hamilton asked. "In case she comes after you with the Xill?"
"We're working on it," said Mims.
"So no, then," the General's rigid posture slumped. For just a moment, he looked very, very tired. "I need a vacation."
"It will be alright, sir," said Hamilton. "We'll find a way."
"Of course we will." The General pulled himself back together. "I'm just a little tired is all." He drained the last of his beer. "I'm a Military man. I never signed up to run a country or..." He gestured with the empty bottle. "all of this."
"Welcome to my world," said Mims.
The High Commander grunted.
"So..." Yvian frowned. A thought that had been niggling her for most of the conversation finally climbed to the surface. "I guess this means you're not getting Blingy."
"Blingy?" The General raised an eyebrow.
"The Lucendian ship we gave to the Xill," Lissa explained. "After Myrsa defected, we assumed you'd use her to get it."
"We figured Reba would hand you the ship," Mims added. "We didn't know you started the Connor Protocol."
"I don't think Reba's gonna be handing us much of anything," said the General. His brows furrowed. "Why'd you want us to get our hands on a Lucendian ship?"
"So we could take it from you," said Kilroy.
General Young grunted. "Figures."
"Wait." Hamilton frowned. "If you thought... Why take her back?"
Mims glanced sharply at the General's Assistant. "What?"
"Why take her back?" Hamilton repeated. "Why recapture Myrsa if you thought she's doing what you wanted?"
"We didn't," said Mims.
"Someone did," the High Commander told him. "Someone who doesn't show up on sensors. Someone who slaughtered their way to Station Control in under a minute." He fixed a grim eye on Kilroy. "It was Peacekeeper work. I'm sure of it."
"Negative," said Kilroy. "All Peacekeeper units are accounted for. No Peacekeeper units have entered Wet Sector."
"No one else could have done it," the General insisted. "We were sure it was you."
"Negative," the Peacekeeper denied again.
"It wasn't us." Mims agreed.
"Then who?" The General asked. "Because it wasn't anybody human."
The Captain's eyes narrowed. Then they went wide. "When did this happen?"
"About an hour after the Klaath showed up," said the General.
"Kilroy." Mims stood, pulling out his helmet. "How long would it take to get us to Hub 14? "
"Six hours," said the Peacekeeper unit, "forty seven minutes."
"Sorry, General." Mims donned his helmet. "But we're gonna have to cut this short."
"It's a set up." The High Commander stood. "Isn't it?"
"Don't know yet," said the Captain. "But better safe than sorry."

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Today, I stand before you to discuss one of the most pressing issues of our time: global warming. The science is clear, the evidence is overwhelming, and the need for action is urgent. Global warming, primarily driven by human activities, poses a significant threat to our planet, our way of life, and future generations.
Understanding Global Warming
Global warming refers to the long-term increase in Earth’s average surface temperature due to human activities, especially the emission of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. These gases trap heat in the atmosphere, leading to a “greenhouse effect” that warms the planet. Since the Industrial Revolution, the concentration of these gases has risen dramatically, largely due to burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial processes.
The Impact on Our Planet
The effects of global warming are already visible and widespread. Polar ice caps and glaciers are melting at an alarming rate, contributing to rising sea levels that threaten coastal communities. Extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, heatwaves, droughts, and heavy rainfall, are becoming more frequent and severe. These changes not only endanger human lives and infrastructure but also disrupt ecosystems, leading to loss of biodiversity and putting countless species at risk of extinction.
Our oceans, which absorb a significant portion of the carbon dioxide and heat, are becoming warmer and more acidic. This has devastating consequences for marine life, particularly coral reefs, which are dying off at unprecedented rates. The loss of coral reefs, often referred to as the “rainforests of the sea,” jeopardizes the countless marine species that depend on them, as well as the livelihoods of millions of people who rely on fishing and tourism.
The Human Cost
Global warming is not just an environmental issue; it is a human issue. It exacerbates social inequalities, hitting the most vulnerable populations the hardest. Communities in low-lying areas, small island nations, and those dependent on agriculture are facing existential threats. Crop yields are declining due to changing weather patterns, threatening food security and leading to higher prices and malnutrition.
Health impacts are also severe. The spread of diseases, heat-related illnesses, and respiratory problems linked to air pollution are all on the rise. As temperatures soar, the elderly, children, and those with preexisting health conditions are particularly at risk.
The Path Forward
Despite the daunting challenges, there is hope. We have the knowledge, the technology, and the capacity to address global warming, but it requires immediate and concerted action at every level – from individuals to governments, businesses, and international organizations.

1. Transition to Renewable Energy

First and foremost, we must transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric power. Investing in clean energy not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions but also creates jobs and stimulates economic growth. Policies that incentivize renewable energy adoption, improve energy efficiency, and support research and development are crucial.

1. Protect and Restore Ecosystems

We must also protect and restore our natural ecosystems, which play a critical role in regulating the climate. Forests, wetlands, and oceans act as carbon sinks, absorbing more carbon dioxide than they emit. Reforestation, afforestation, and sustainable land management practices can help mitigate climate change while preserving biodiversity.

1. Promote Sustainable Practices

Promoting sustainable practices in agriculture, industry, and daily life is essential. This includes reducing waste, conserving water, and adopting sustainable farming methods that enhance soil health and reduce emissions. Consumers can contribute by making informed choices, supporting eco-friendly products, and reducing their carbon footprint through lifestyle changes.

1. Strengthen Global Cooperation

Global warming is a global problem that requires a global solution. International cooperation and agreements, such as the Paris Agreement, are vital to ensuring that all countries commit to reducing emissions and sharing technology and resources. Wealthier nations must support developing countries in their efforts to transition to sustainable practices and adapt to climate impacts.
Conclusion
In conclusion, global warming is a defining challenge of our time, but it is one that we can overcome with collective action and determination. Each of us has a role to play in this fight. By making conscious choices, advocating for policy changes, and supporting sustainable initiatives, we can create a better, healthier, and more resilient world for ourselves and future generations. Let us rise to the challenge and take decisive action to combat global warming before it is too late.
Thank you.

Having seen some talk about Wargames lately, and thinking about the implementation of Artifacts I wanted to put a post together trying to put together my critique with them and why I think they have issues.
In general, I think almost all of them suffer from being largely uninteresting and while this is partly a problem that stems from more broad gameplay issues I think a lot also stem from the implementation.
And I want to kind of break the upgrades down here unit by unit, and explore where I think they succeed and fail and why. As well as a few ways to increase variety. To preface I am operating off the assumption that fleets should be moving away from generally hyper focusing on one unit types and should be combined arms. And that upgrades should offer compelling choice on how each fleet handles its problems and should lay itself out. I will also include easy ideas that are still stat changes, and more out there ones.
For general and universal issues I feel that there's no real reason to specialize, since no ships get significant damage bonuses against any other just driving twenty assault frigates down the throat of a destroyer works about as well as twenty ions. I'd like to see more degrees of specialization where anti strike craft fire struggles against capitals, and anti capital fire is more effective to make specialization more meaningful, which by itself encourages more varied Artifact choices.
I'll just be looking at Hiigaran fleets for now, Incarnate shares many of the same general issues and maybe can be looked at later.
General Artifacts

• Support Systems: There needs to be a corvette support, obvioustly. I also feel that frigate support should not reduce pop cap for other vessels and instead just grant less on its own. These should encourage more varied fleets, not hyperfocusing.
  
• Carrier Upgrades: Assault is just bad, I like what it is doing but frankly it doesn't really need the pop cap decreases, it already costs you a limited slot just to take. Remove the downsides and its at least worth doing sometimes. Guardian is a lot more worthwhile just because of the extra choices, but even then is mid at best but I don't hate it. Frankly I think they are fine as is and need tweaks more then total reworks.
  
• Ship Patterns: They are fine by and large, but regardless of how good or bad what they unlock is the idea they present is amongst the best of the artefacts. They offer a meaningfully different experience to the player and there should be more of them. Balance what they got, but add more.
  
• Totally not Shaped Glass: AKA, danger zone. Again, interesting because the magnitude of its effects are so significant that it can result in some very interesting changes and help define runs. Its just a pretty interesting design. Not always good, but interesting.
  

The Hiigarans

• Recon: The upgrades here just turn recons into interceptors. If I wanted interceptors I should just build interceptors. One pattern should focus on disposable swarm tactics with high increase to cap, mild stat buffs, and RU cost reduction. The other should be fleet support based, move fast, be durable, and have good sensors. Ancillary upgrades to increase alpha damage to encourage hit and run?
  
• Interceptor: Interceptors are just what if inty, but more. Neither pattern meaningfully changes how one wants to use them. I'd change one to an escort pattern with bonuses to range and survivability, focused on creating zones of fire around other ships to clear strike craft. The other could be similar to the harrier where its more dogfight focused. Honestly just not too much design space here?
  
• Bombers: The first pattern I'm actually okay with is here. Fleet bomber is... fine. I'd remove the rate of fire bonus in favor of it being a slow, vulnurable, first strike style of play relying on cloak. But its not bad. I'd like to see a Flak pattern too though that inverts the bomber trope and makes them more focused on dogfighting with large splash radius and area damage, make them garbage against big things but able to shred dense knots of smaller ships. [Hullbreaker has some bonuses there, but not enough focus.]
  
• Railgun Corv: Arguably the least interesting pattern in the game lies here, Vulcan is just boring AND still kind of bad. Siege is less bad, but still kind of weird because the name is a lie. Vulkan is fine but make it a close in pattern where you get closer and brawl, add durability and reduce range. Siege needs a range boost as well to once again create two more defined roles for the most underloved ship in the game. Frankly though I just forget about these constantly so am less sure how to even address their patterns.
  
• Supression Frigate: Sure does exist! Would like to again effectively see a change to make it a long ranged high velocity ammo light craft killer. Snipe supression points as they come in, but honestly this ship just sort of has an identity issue and I'm not sure what patterns could save it.
  
• Support Frigate: Why are you even here? I'm not even sure what patterns you could have, the only one I could think of would be larger repair range or can repair two targets at once.
  
• Assault Frigate: Once again one with a concept I like, Berserker pattern is interesting in concept as you are trading away the signature durability of the assault frigates in return for making them pretty deadly. I'd like to see the damage bonus moved to Warden, and Wardens ROF bonus here. Zerker puts out the dakka, warden focuses more on area control. Warden as mentioned I feel is mostly fine but should be slower and more focused on up front damage and controlling a large area against light craft.
  
• Ion Cannons: These are some of the most questionable patterns in general. Sniper pattern should not just have its range bonus but also a huge damage bonus and rate of fire malus. It should be for spotting and performing powerful alpha strike attacks when massed. Volley pattern should be about high refire rate and agility, should make them turn like they just snorted a line of coke for just constant close in ion fire. [Also durability, and modest speed to actually survive that.] Frankly though ions are just underwhelming in general.
  
• Torpedoes: This is where I'd propose the most radical changes with patterns entirely altering the focus. I'd take a cue from the X games and have them function like M7M from that game. Unpatterned uses normal medium missiles. Bombardment focuses on long range, slow, and damaging torpedoes that focus on capital killing. Pacification entirely changes the missiles to fast tracking swarm munitions that don't do shit to anything bigger then a corvette, but are deadly there.
  

Overall Changes
I'd like to see more fleets and artifacts that focus more on more different playstyle. One where its all about building limited amounts of destroyers and supporting them and starting with guaranteed dessy patterns. One about having very limited fleet size but supporting a battlecruiser [once they don't suck]
Also, for most maps an enormous amount of the play area is functionally unused. Slow down the spawn timer a bit and spread things out to use more of the map and more dimensions within the maps. The biggest culprit is the first mission set with the trench between the big plates, that map uses less then a third of its play area. Also you know, just more maps.
In general there's a lot here, but I really think that if they are going to limit our roster they need to really make sure that any ship with artifacts supports at least two different gameplay feels, in a roguelite mode like this you want the choices to feel like choices and influence how your fleet is built. Right now its just hoping you get the ones that support your fleets 'point' and having a shit run if it doesn't. You want multiple paths to a successful fleet. But anyway this was too long, and I hope the sleep deprived rambling helps people put some feedback into solid form to help push BBI into the right direction here. Because despite Wargames being rough there still is a lot of promise here.

This week’s vintage batch features European FPs from the 1930s-50s, most of which are piston fillers. Nibs range from a springy to Wet Noodle, including one dip-pen nib retrofit. As always, all are fully restored and ready to write.
 
ALBUM & TIMESTAMP
 
Pastable link: https://imgur.com/a/QtB5ctS
 
Condition (n.b.): All pens listed below have been disassembled, cleaned and restored with new sacs installed in the last couple weeks and seals installed in the last couple years. Each of these pens is guaranteed to fill and write as designed without leaks or other problems. Nibs have been adjusted when necessary to ensure that all lay down a smooth and consistent line.
THESE PENS HAVE NO CRACKS (except #3), CHIPS, PERSONALIZATIONS, LOOSE OR MISSING PARTS, BENT NIBS, MISALIGNED TINES, BROKEN/WORN OFF TIPPING, OR THREADING ISSUES.
 
Line Widths and Writing Samples: To provide buyers with as much information as possible, I have adopted the following line width standards: XXF (.1-.2mm); XF (approx .3mm); F (approx .4mm); M (approx .6mm); B (approx .8mm). Nib flexibility is determined by variation (max line width under pressure) and softness (amount of pressure). Flexibility designations based on variation generally run as follows for an XF/F nib: Semi-Flex (approx. 1mm); Flex (1.2-1.9mm); Superflex (2mm+). All line width measurements are taken with a digital caliper but should be considered approximations providing a general guide. Width may vary slightly depending on type of ink and paper used as well as amount of pressure applied. All writing samples are on Rhodia dot paper using Waterman Serenity Blue.
 
 
1. 1950s Pelikan 400 (Tortoise, celluloid, GPT, piston filler, 14k KM [F/M Ball] nib). This standard-sized model measures 4 15/16” capped. I assume that the Pelikan pen company requires no introduction here :) This is an example of one of Pelikan’s most celebrated vintage pens in tortoiseshell celluloid with transparent striations for viewing the ink level. Classic gold-plated cap band and Pelikan-beak clip. Two-chick Pelikan logo stamped in captop (see DETAIL PHOTO). This pen is a piston filler: to fill simply rotate the blind cap counter-clockwise until the piston is fully extended, submerse the nib, and rotate the piston clockwise until it comes to a stop. Blind cap is stamped KM, corresponding to the ‘M’ marking on the 14k Pelikan nib. The ‘’K’ is for ‘Kugel’ (‘ball), designating this nib as a ball nib, the tipping finished to give it a wider sweet spot for smooth writing at a wide range of angles. Though I wouldn’t call it a flex nib, it does have a springiness and buttery smoothness that’s quite nice. It lays down a smooth and consistent F/M line by the standards above (see WRITING SAMPLE). Condition: fine [C]. I’d describe this pen as more of a user. It’s been fully restored with a new seal and is guaranteed to fill smoothly to factory capacity without leaks. However, there’s an issue with the piston while unscrewing the blind cap all the way that makes the blind cap want to lift up and disengage when the piston is close to fully extended. The solution to this is simple enough: apply a little downward pressure to the piston when unscrewing the blind cap to extend the piston and it works just as it should every time (100% reliable). This has been factored into the price all the same. Barrel transparency is near mint with light yellow coloration and no staining (see DETAIL PHOTO). Gold-plated trim shows brassing to the bottom of the clip and a sliver around the bottom edge of the cap band as well as some nicks to the top edge of the clip tassie. Celluloid surface is smooth and lustrous with no deep scratches or other notable blemishes – scarcely even any microscratches. Manufacturer imprints are deep and fully legible. A chance to own one of these with superb clarity at less than half the price they fetch on merchant websites. Price: $190 SOLD
 
2. 1939-44 Pelikan 100 Wartime (green Binde, celluloid, NPT, piston filler, chromium nickel [CN] steel Oblique F/M-XF Flex nib). This standard-sized model measures 4 5/8” capped. During the material restrictions of WWII, Pelikan made several, short-lived changes to the 100. In place of 14k nibs they implemented Chromium-Nickel steel nibs marked CN. The gold-plated clip was supplanted by nickel-plated (so-called "reverse trim"). And the gold-plated cap bands gave way to no cap bands at all, the cap being either smooth or milled with decorative bands like this example. This wartime model is 100% original and correct, having all these features, including the original nib. It is made of celluloid with a vibrant green marble Binde. Pelikan two-chick logo stamped on the cap top (see DETAIL PHOTO). Barrel underneath is a transparent green for viewing the ink level. This pen is a piston filler: to fill simply rotate the blind cap counter-clockwise until the piston is fully extended, submerse the nib, and rotate the piston clockwise until it comes to a stop. The Pelikan CN nib is a Left-Foot Oblique (iridium is ground in a shape like your left foot viewed from above). Under normal pressure it lays down a smooth and consistent F/M on the cross-strokes and XF line on the down-strokes. And the line widens to a 3B+ (approx 1.9mm) under moderate pressure (see WRITING SAMPLE). Versatile variation and reliable flow over its full range of flex make it a great choice for shaded writing and expressive styles. And the tipping was smoothed by Rick Propas when this pen was restored, making it just as buttery smooth as a Pelikan 14k nib. Condition: near mint [B+]. This pen comes from my personal collection and is the result of hunting the best example I could find. Wartime 100s are rare and this one, which resembles an artifact from a time-capsule, took me decades to track down. Nickel-plated trim is pristine with no brassing or other notable wear. Celluloid surface is smooth and lustrous with no deep scratches or other noteworthy blemishes. Barrel clarity is superb with no discernible darkening or staining (see DETAIL PHOTO). Manufacturer imprints on the captop are factory deep and even contain most of their original green fill. The only hiccup is that despite being restored 2 years ago by Rick Propas and only being filled 1-2 times since, this pen only fills to half capacity. And this despite the piston operating as smooth as they come. I’ve regreased the pen, but it hasn’t seemed to make a difference. Because this pen is more off a collector-oriented find, I’ve decided to list it anyway. You’d be hard pressed to find another example of this rare piece of Pelikan history in better cosmetic condition. Price: $450
 
3. 1930s Luxor Visible 5907 (red and translucent web celluloid, NPT, piston filler, 14k Two-Tone XF Super-Flex nib). At 4 7/8" capped, this pen roughly the same length as a Pelikan. Luxor was a German brand of the Hebborn pen company, founded in 1925 by former Kaweco employee Heinrich Hebborn and located in Heidelberg until relocating to Cologne sometime before 1937. In Richard Binder's words: "The company produced pens of high quality, and it was known universally by the name of its signature brand, Luxor, with designs inspired by the aesthetic of ancient Egypt. Sub-brands included Sphinx, Visible, and Grandvisible" (source). The company is credited with having designed the first telescopic piston mechanism, which Montblanc would famously incorporate into its own designs. Despite their high quality, there weren't very many of these pens made and Luxors are especially scarce finds in the US today. This Visible model is made of a stunning red and translucent web celluloid similar to that which Wahl-Eversharp used for the Doric. Unlike the Doric, however, the entire barrel is translucent to show the ink level and piston operation. The cap is also translucent! The celluloid pattern is complemented by nickel-plated clip in an elegant Egyptian motif and triple cap bands with one wider, knurled band. This piston filler holds far more ink than cartridges, converters, and lever fillers of the same size. It is filled by removing the blind cap to reveal the turning knob (see fillers photo), rotating the knob counter-clockwise until the piston is fully extended, submersing the nib, then rotating the knob clockwise until the piston is fully retracted. The pen is equipped with a beautiful 14k two-tone Luxor nib stamped with the pyramidal Luxor trademark. The nib is a Super-Flexible writer, laying down a smooth and consistent XF line that widens to a 4B+ (approx 2.3mm capped) under light pressure (see WRITING SAMPLE). Thin hairlines, strong snap-back and reliable flow over its full range of flex make it a great choice for calligraphic writing styles such as Copperplate and Spencerian. Condition: excellent+ [B+] aside from a hairline crack in the shank of the nib. The crack can be seen in the photos. It has no effect on the nibs performance or how it writes. And there’s no reason to think it’ll worsen unless the nib and feed are removed and re-installed (something that is only done on vintage pens for repair, not flushing). I’m happy to offer a one-year guarantee (no-questions return for refund) that this crack won’t get any longer. Nickel-plated furniture is remarkably clean, showing no brassing or other notable wear aside from a small spot of brassing on the bottom terminus of the clip. Red color is of an even shade across the cap and barrel. Celluloid surface is smooth and lustrous with no deep scratches or other notable blemishes – scarcely even any miscroscratches. Barrel clarity is excellent but slightly ambered in comparison to the cap's (see DETAIL PHOTO). Manufacturer imprint on the cap is deep and fully legible. An uncommon and uncommonly eye-catching pen that also happens to be a lovely writer. Price: $290
 
4. 1940s-50s Oversized Stylomine 303 Retrofit (black, celluloid, NPT, accordion filler converted to twist filler, 14k XXF Needlepoint Wet Noodle nib). This oversized pen is massive, having a thick girth that doesn’t fit all the way into the slots of the slotter box and a capped length of 5 3/8.” Stylomine was a Parisian pen company founded shortly after World War I. Streamlined profile, clip, and font of the imprint exude the aesthetics of midcentury design. This pen is made of black celluloid with tapered ends. Nickel-plated trim in a deluxe configuration includes cool spring-loaded clip with a hallmark ‘Y Z’ on the right side. I wasn’t able to track this down, but it’s possible the clip is either sterling silver or silver-plated. In 1940 the company patented an innovative FP filling system comprised of a rubber sac shaped into a bellows and attached to a glass ink cartridge at the end of the barrel (see fillers photo). Referred to as an accordion filler today, the pen was designed to be filled by removing the blindcap and depressing the glass ink cartridge several times until the cartridge fills with ink. Since accordion sacs are no longer being made, I followed David Nishimura’s advice and restored this pen using a standard tubular sac trimmed at both ends. This essentially converted it into a twist filler so that instead of depressing the glass cartridge one twists it a little over 1 full turn to fill the sac as well as 1/3 to 1/2 of the glass cartridge. Thanks to the size of the pen, this retrofitted solution still allows it to hold about as much ink as a typical lever filler (e.g. Waterman 52). This pen came to me nibless. But I was able to find a serendipitous match in a massive 14k, iridium tipped E.S. Johnson #4 nib stamped ‘303’. This number matches the Stylomine model number on the barrel! Like all my dip pen nib retrofits, the nib and feed were modified to guarantee factory fit, flow, and performance, delivering the best of both centuries. That nib yields Flexible variation with Wet Noodle softness, laying down a smooth and consistent XXF line that widens to a 3B+ (approx 1.8mm) under minimal pressure – i.e. anything more than grazing the page (see WRITING SAMPLE). Don’t be fooled by the max line width. Needlepoint hairlines, effortless variation, surgically responsive snap-back, and reliable flow over its full range of flex make it an ideal choice for calligraphic writing styles such as Copperplate and Spencerian. Condition: excellent+ [B+]. Nickel-plated trim shows no brassing or other notable flaws. Celluloid surface is smooth and lustrous with no deep scratches or other notable blemishes – scarcely even any microscratches. Manufacturer imprint on barrel is deep and fully legible with ‘Made in France’ slightly weakened. Price: $340 SOLD
 
5. 1930s Big Ben (grey shell, celluloid, NPT, piston filler, 14k XF Flex nib). This standard-sized model measures 5 1/16” capped. Big Ben was a trademark of the Benzion Trading Company of Copenhagen, Denmark. The company was founded in 1933 by Niels Benzion, who had worked for the Wahl-Eversharp. A pen of cosmopolitan origins, the Big Ben has a piston-filler patented in England (hence the cap imprint) while the pen was made in collaboration with H. Hebborn & of Heidelberg, Germany. That is why this pen so closely resembles the Luxor above. This particular example is made of celluloid in a grey shell pattern resembling that of a 2nd-gen Eversharp Doric complemented by nickel-plated clip in an elegant Egyptian motif and triple cap bands with one wider, knurled band, and decorative bands at the ends of the cap and barrel. This piston filler holds far more ink than cartridges, converters, and lever fillers of the same size. It is filled by removing the blind cap to reveal the turning knob (see fillers photo), rotating the knob counter-clockwise until the piston is fully extended, submersing the nib, then rotating the knob clockwise until the piston is fully retracted. Big Bens came with two different 14k nibs depending on when they were made and for what market: a nib stamped ‘Big Ben’ in cursive font; and a nib stamped ‘1st Quality’ in the same distinctive font. This pen is equipped with the latter. That nib is a Flexible writer, laying down a smooth and consistent XF line that widens to a 3B+ (approx 1.9mm) under moderate pressure (see WRITING SAMPLE). Thin hairlines, strong, snap-back, and reliable flow over its full range of flex make it an excellent choice for expressive and shaded writing. Condition: excellent [B]. Barrel transparency is superb with no staining and a yellow coloration (see DETAIL PHOTO). Nickel-plated trim is clean with no brassing or other notable wear aside from minor high point wear on the clip, a couple spots on the lower cap band that have lost some of their original luster, and thinning of the plating on the blind cap’s thin decorative band. Celluloid surface is smooth and lustrous with no deep scratches or other notable blemishes - scarcely even any microscratches. Manufacturer imprint on cap is deep and fully legible. Price: $330
 
6. 1930s Orion Everlasting 552 in Box with Papers (Black and Bronze, celluloid, GPT, lever filler, 14k XXF/XF Flex nib). This standard-sized model measures 5 1/4” capped. Orion was Danish company (located in Copenhagen) that imported quality pen parts from Germany and England and assemble the pens in Denmark. In 1933 they changed their name to Miller Pen Co., a writing instrument importer that exists to this day. This pen comes in its original factory box with exquisite paperwork (see DETAIL PHOTO). It’s made of the same black and Bronze celluloid Conklin used for the Endura, complemented by gold-plated trim with elegant, Art Deco clip stamped ‘Orion’. Flexible 14k Orion #2 nib lays down a smooth and consistent XXF/XF line that widens to a 3B+ (approx 1.8mm) under moderate pressure (see WRITING SAMPLE. )). Thin hairlines, strong, snap-back, and reliable flow over its full range of flex make it another excellent choice for expressive and shaded writing. Condition: excellent [B]. The only noteworthy flaw on this pen is brassing to the center of the clip over the Orion trademark. Trim is otherwise pristine with no noteworthy flaws. Celluloid surface is smooth and lustrous with no deep scratches or other notable blemishes - scarcely even any microscratches. Manufacturer imprint on barrel is deep and fully legible. Price: $240
 
 
 
Shipping: Pens purchased on the weekend are mailed on Tuesday. Otherwise they are mailed within 2 business days of payment. All pens that do not come with their original boxes are packaged in PVC or thick plastic tubes to protect them in transit. To CONUS locations the following shipping options are available:

• USPS First-Class with tracking for $5 Due to the delivery delays that continue under postmaster general DeJoy, I strongly recommend that the Priority shipping option be chosen. All packages will include full insurance (covered by me). Rest assured that a full refund is guaranteed (issued through Paypal) in the event of a lost parcel and you will not have to wait until I receive a reimbursement from the USPS.
  
• USPS Priority with tracking for $9
  

International Customers: Please contact me for shipping quote if located abroad (delivery confirmation required). (Note: due to the issues stated above, my international shipping options are currently limited. PM for more info). Please do not ask me to commit mail fraud by altering the declared value of a pen for customs. Not only am I registered as a business but shipping insurance is based on declared value.
New York Customers: For tax purposes, I am now required to add an 8% sales tax on any sale made in the state of NY. If your shipping address is in NY state, please let me know before payment to receive an adjusted total. Discounted shipping is included for NY State residents to help defray the extra cost.
Ordering: Pens are placed on hold for the first person to reply to the thread and PM me with firm request to purchase (no chat DMs please). A request with the words “I'd like to purchase [pen number]” would be best to avoid confusion), to which I’ll reply with payment details. Please note that a message inquiring into a price discount does not suffice to place a pen on hold. If I haven't received Paypal payment within 24 hrs after a hold is placed, then pen(s) may become available to the next person.
Payment, & Guarantee: Payment by Paypal only. All pens are guaranteed to be in the condition in which I've described them. If I've missed something objectionable or the filling mechanism is not fully functional, the buyer may contact me up to 7 days after receiving the pen for a full refund (issued once I receive the pen back in the same condition as sold). Buyer must ship the return no later than 2 weeks after it was delivered to receive a refund. I've sold pens online for over a decade. Please check my past listings here as well as on the classifieds and historical sales forums on FPN (username: Estragon) and FPGeeks (popcod) for some of my previous offerings.
 
 
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Greetings, YelanMains! I come to you today with a different type of Yelan build. Instead of a build for her in-game, I'm gonna be showcasing how to build and play Yelan in Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition. This is something I've been doing for Genshin characters recently, and I wanna share it with you all.
Let’s start off with our goals for this build. First, we need to be a master at manipulation, intel gathering, and espionage. Secondly, we need to wield a bow, as that’s your weapon of choice. Lastly, we need to utilize magical abilities to support your allies, as while we won’t be able to replicate her abilities exactly, we’ll still keep that support role for her.
(Please note that I stopped playing Genshin when Yelan came out, so I know next to nothing about her lore or character other than she's like a spy for Ningguang or something like that)
For stats, we’ll be using the Standard Point array from the Player’s Handbook. Roll for stats if you want, just keep your Dexterity and Charisma high for multiclassing.
15 Charisma, as you are a master of manipulation and deception.
14 Dexterity, as you are nimble, and it’s the stat for bows.
13 Intelligence, as being a secret agent requires a sharp mind.
12 Wisdom, as you are very insightful and good at reading people
10 Constitution, as while I hate to have it low, you are canonically frail, and while yes, her abilities scale with max HP in-game, that's not a thing in D&D.
And lastly, 8 Strength, as again, you are frail.
For Race, Yelan is a human, and Variant Humans get a Feat. The Actor Feat is perfect for going undercover. You get +1 to Charisma, advantage on Deception and Performance checks to pass off as another person, and you can spend a minute listening in on someone to mimic their speech. Bump your Intelligence and Charisma with your 2 Free points, take Perception for your Skill of choice, and the Spy Background for Stealth and Deception as you are an Intelligence Agent.
We’ll kick things off as a Rogue. 1st Level Rogues can pick 4 Skills from the Rogue list. Insight, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, and Investigation would be my picks. You also get Expertise in 2 of those Skills, doubling your proficiency bonus with them. Go for Persuasion and Deception to order your way around everyone. You also learn Thieves Cant, letting you speak in secret code words, and Sneak Attack, giving you an extra d6 to add to a weapon attack once per turn if you either have advantage on the attack roll or have an ally within 5 feet of you.
2nd Level Rogues get Cunning Action, letting you Dash, Disengage, or Hide as a Bonus Action.
3rd Level Rogues get to pick a Roguish Archetype, and Inquisitive is useful for uncovering information. You have an Eye for Detail, letting you use a bonus action to make a Perception or Investigation check to find a hidden creature or object or check for clues. You also have an Ear for Deceit, meaning you cannot roll lower than an 8 on any Insight check to tell if someone is lying. You also get Insightful Fighting, letting you use a bonus action to have a creature you can see make a Deception check contested by your Insight check. If you succeed, then you can use your Sneak Attack on that creature without needing advantage or another ally for up to a minute or until you use it on someone else. Lastly, 3rd Level Rogues get Steady Aim, letting you use a bonus action to gain advantage on your next ranged attack roll as long as you don’t move or haven’t moved that turn, and Your Sneak Attack increases to 2d6.
4th Level Rogues get an Ability Score Improvement or a Feat. We’ll take the Skill Expert Feat for +1 to Charisma, Proficiency in Intimidation, and Expertise in Insight.
Now that we have our sneaky Rogue stuff handled for now, let’s multiclass into Bard, as while Yelan isn’t a singer or performer, Bards, much like Rogues, are very good in social situations. Multiclassing into Bard gets you 1 free Skill. Acrobatics would be my pick. You get Bardic Inspiration, letting you use a bonus action to give an ally a d6 they can use to add to an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw within the next 10 minutes, an amount of times per long rest equal to your Charisma modifier, similar to an Exquisite Roll. You can also cast spells as your Vision does grant you magical abilities. For your Cantrips, take Vicious Mockery and Message. For your spells, take Silvery Barbs, Charm Person, Dissonant Whispers, and Command.
2nd Level Bards get Jack of All Trades, letting you add half your proficiency bonus to any ability check you aren’t proficient with, which include initiative rolls. You also get Song of Rest, letting your allies add an extra d6 whenever they spend hit dice to restore HP during a short rest to keep them up in the field. You also get the option of Magical Inspiration, letting an ally who has a Bardic Inspiration die use it to add to the damage or healing of a spell.
3rd Level Bards can pick a Bard College, and College of Whispers is another fine choice for a deceptive and manipulative agent. You get Psychic Blades, letting you spend a Bardic Inspiration to deal an extra 2d6 Psychic damage with a weapon attack once per turn. You also get Words of Terror, letting you spend a minute talking to someone alone and have them make a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened by you or another creature you choose for up to an hour or until the target is attacked. If they succeed, they have no indication you tried to frighten them. You can now also learn 2nd Level Spells. Take the spells Hold Person and Zone of Truth to catch them in the net.
Last, but not least, 3rd Level Bards get Expertise in 2 more Skills. Go for Perception and Investigation.
4th Level Bards get an Ability Score Improvement. Cap your Charisma for the most Bardic Inspiration and better spells and skills. Take the spell Invisibility.
5th Level Bards get Font of Inspiration, meaning your Bardic Inspiration now recharges on a short rest as well, and it also upgrades from a d6 to a d8. You can also learn 3rd Level Spells. Take the Spell Nondetection. Your damage from Psychic Blades also increases to 3d6.
6th Level Whispers Bards get Mantle of Whispers, letting you use your reaction to capture the shadow of a humanoid that dies within 30 feet of you. Until you finish a long rest, you can use your action to assume the form of the Shadow, taking on the humanoid’s appearance for 1 hour or until you end it as a bonus action. While you're disguised, you gain access to all information that the humanoid would freely share with a casual acquaintance, Such information as general details on its background and personal life, and you gain a +5 bonus to Deception checks when someone tries to see through your disguise. Once you capture a shadow, you cannot do so again until you finish a short or long rest. For your spell, take Hypnotic Pattern.
Lastly, 6th Level Bards get Countercharm, letting you use your action to give you and your allies advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened, but this feature is honestly pretty bad.
Back to Rogue for the rest of the build. 5th Level Rogues get Uncanny Dodge, letting you use your reaction to halve the damage you take from an attack against you. Your Sneak Attack also increases to 3d6.
6th Level Rogues get Expertise in 2 more skills. Go for Stealth and Intimidation.
7th Level Rogues get Evasion, meaning when you make a Dexterity saving throw to avoid damage, you take no damage on a success, and only half on a failure. Your Sneak Attack also increases to 4d6.
8th Level Rogues get another Ability Score Improvement. Bump your Dexterity for better AC, damage, and initiative.
9th Level Inquisitive Rogues get Steady Eye, giving you advantage on Perception and Investigation checks if you use no more than half your movement that turn. Your Sneak Attack also increases to 5d6.
10th Level Rogues get another Ability Score Improvement. Keep bumping your Dexterity.
11th Level Rogues get Reliable Talent, meaning you cannot roll lower than a 10 on any skill you have Proficiency or Expertise with. Your Sneak Attack also increases to 6d6.
12th Level Rogues get our last Ability Score Improvement. Cap your Dexterity for more AC, damage, and initiative.
We’ll finish off the build with 2 Levels in Fighter. 1st Level Fighters can pick a Fighting Style, and Archery will add +2 to the attack rolls you make with Ranged weapons. You also get Second Wind, letting you heal 1d10+your Fighter level as a bonus action once per short or long rest to stay up in the fight.
Our Capstone is the 2nd Level of Fighter for Action Surge, letting you take an additional action once per rest.
Now that we’ve hit Level 20, let’s go over the strengths of this build. First, you are insanely good in social situations. You have Expertise in 6 Skills, and paired with Reliable Talent, your minimum for any Charisma check is a 28, along with Mantle of Whispers, making you a master at gathering intel and espionage. You also have solid damage thanks to Action Surge, Sneak Attack and Psychic Blades, letting you deal up to 11d6+10 damage in a single round, with Steady Aim to gain advantage. Lastly, you’re a really good support with Bardic Inspiration and useful crowd control spells.
For weaknesses, you are fairly squishy, sitting at 125 average HP. While you do have Evasion, Uncanny Dodge, range, and a decent 17 AC with Studded Leather, if you’re caught in the wrong situation, then you’re gonna go down easily. If you want more HP then can swap out either your INT or WIS scores for CON since you're gonna have Expertise in your INT and WIS skills. You’re also vulnerable to Strength saving throws, meaning you can easily be tossed around. Lastly, you have multiple features that require your bonus action, meaning you’ll have to pick and choose what to use each turn.

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Technical Analysis
Pineapple Energy Inc. (PEGY) closed at $0.1474 on June 7, 2024, experiencing a price deterioration of 7.88% compared to the previous trading session. The stock's recent low and high are $0.1416 and $0.1672, respectively. The stock's RSI14 at 54 suggests a neutral momentum, neither overbought nor oversold. The MACD, a momentum indicator, at 0.061818, indicates bullish sentiment over the last three months.
The 50-day moving average sits at $0.099, while the 200-day moving average is much higher at $0.46295, showcasing a substantial downtrend over the longer term. The Average True Range (ATR) is 35.91, pointing to a high level of price volatility. The critical support and resistance levels are $0.136 and $0.148, respectively. A significant move through these levels could signal further directional movement.
Fundamental Analysis
Pineapple Energy Inc. has a market cap of $15.99 million, a relatively small capitalization indicating potential for volatility and higher risk. The company currently has a negative EPS of -$0.17, leading to a negative PE ratio of -0.87, reflecting unprofitability. The recent announcement about SUNation Energy's Platinum Status award from NYSERDA highlights an operational achievement and may positively influence investor sentiment toward sustainability and quality.
Despite these accolades, analyst targets are consistently low at $0.10, reflecting cautious sentiment about the company's near-term financial performance. The earnings announcement scheduled for August 8, 2024, represents a crucial date for stakeholders to assess any renewed progress toward profitability.
Prediction for Next Trading Day and Upcoming Week
Given the present neutral RSI, lite bullish MACD, and significant price volatility with the ATR, the stock is likely to encounter some volatility on the next trading day, June 10, 2024. Maintaining the resistance level at $0.148 is crucial; failing to surpass this could result in testing support levels around $0.136. Over the upcoming week, expect the stock to experience fluctuations, potentially driven by external market conditions and investor reactions to recent operational news.
Intrinsic Value and Long-Term Investment Potential
Given the negative EPS and high volatility, the intrinsic value of Pineapple Energy Inc. appears to be less than favorable in the short-term. The disparity between its 50-day and 200-day moving averages reflects a strong historical downturn, suggesting caution for long-term investors. However, the company's strides in operational quality, as evidenced by SUNation Energy's recent recognition, point to potential for future improvements should financial metrics follow suit.
Overall Evaluation: Hold
Given the outlined technical patterns, recent news, and fundamental challenges, PEGY falls into a 'H [...]
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Timestamp: https://imgur.com/a/agALRRQ
More pictures found below next to each item/group of items. What you see listed below is what is available today. If you have any questions please ask! Additional pictures are below for each item. If I don't respond right away I'm probably working on homework but I will respond! Buy any 1 MYOG thing and get $2 off each additional item!
READ THE RULES!!! NO NOTES!!! Zelle (preferred), CashApp, PPFF, or PPGS for +30 Flair ONLY with NO NOTES. I will ask you to send a PM when you call dibs so you know it's me you're PMing. Please let me know if you wish to use PPGS; I will use a Paypal fee calculator and send you a total prior to payment. If you use PPGS and we did not discuss I will refund you what you sent less the fee Paypal charges me. If you are forced to use notes by Paypal just put in ":)". Everything will be shipped insured and through USPS. Anything dibsed and paid for by 2100 nightly normally ships next business day.
PLEASE USE PM ONLY NOT CHAT. I have disabled chat. DO NOT CHAT ME.
BASICBITCHSLINGS. Made from Mil-W-17337 or A-A-55301 1” webbing and ITW/Duraflex hardware. $2 off each additional sling after the first one! Glamour shots of the slings!

• 4x Vietnam Tiger Stripe $27 shipped each
  
• 5x Desert Vietnam Tiger Stripe $27 shipped each
  
• 6x Rhodesian $27 shipped each
  
• 2x 1x Frogskin Arid $27 shipped each
  
• 3x Alpenflauge $27 shipped each
  
• 9x 8x M81 God's Plaid (tan hardware) $24 shipped each
  
• 4x 3x M81 God's Plaid (black hardware) $24 $22 shipped each
  
• 11x 10x Woodland MARPAT $24 shipped each
  
• 15x Multicam $22 shipped each
  
• 10x MC Black $22 shipped each
  
• 8x MC Alpine $22 20 $18 shipped each
  
• 13x MC Tropic $22 shipped each
  
• 12x MC Arid $22 shipped each
  
• 10x ATACS-AU $22 shipped each
  
• 5x ATACS-FG $22 shipped each
  
• 2x Kryptek Nomad $22 shipped each
  
• 12x 11x Ranger Green (tan hardware) $18 shipped each
  
• 12x Wolf Grey $15 shipped each
  
• 5x Foliage Green $15 shipped each
  
• 14x Just Black $15 shipped each
  
• 10x Coyote $15 shipped each
  

basicblemslings https://imgur.com/a/Bh3z1gG Thread got messed up but will not affect performance.

• 1x Blem Vietnam Tiger Stripe $25 shipped each

sweatshopslings https://imgur.com/a/75ggP66 I took a chance on some "Vietnam Tiger Stripe" webbing and it is definitely imported and not true VTS pattern. That being said, the material is still good so I whipped up some slings and will keep them on until they are gone.

• 11x 9x "Vietnam Tiger Stripe" $15 shipped each

ReGARd Rig https://imgur.com/a/E2faaQT Wolf gray elastic, Foliage loop, and RG webbing. Holds 3 AR mags, 2 CAT TQs, and 3 smaller items like knives, flashlights, etc. Put on kit, lightly larped. Ready to throw on your PC. If you need QASM female buckles I can add a pair for $3. $25 shipped.
Configurable, Unbeatable Carrying Kit (CUCK) https://imgur.com/a/AXfeiK5 Kryptek Outlander with Camo 483. As is tradition, made this for myself, then decided to go a different direction. 4 PALS columns on each side, pocket, elastic pockets on back for 4x AR mags, and comes with an M81 MOLLE placard and all the buckles. Does not come with any straps. $35 shipped
VTS/DVTS Dangler https://imgur.com/a/MOUL3Ir Loop-lined interior and bottom TQ holder. Made it and decided I wanted a different color scheme. Asking $50 shipped
MEMERS https://imgur.com/a/LEi8PwG Mostly Elastic, Maybe Ergonomic Rigs. Something for a credit union thief. Holds 4x AR mags (or whatever) and has the shock cord for 2x more whatevers. Comes with skinny straps and backstrap.

• 1x MC Black MEMER $55 shipped each
  
• 1x Wolf Grey MEMER $45 shipped each
  
• 1x Coyote MEMER $45 shipped each
  
• 1x Just Black MEMER $45 shipped each
  

TQ Hammocks https://imgur.com/a/KYko63G Hold onto your TQ boys and let them chill!

• 2x Multicam TQ Hammock $16 shipped each
  
• 1x MC Black TQ Hammock $16 shipped each
  
• 2x Ranger Green TQ Hammock $15 shipped each
  
• 1x Coyote TQ Hammock $15 shipped each
  
• 1x Just Black TQ Hammock $14 shipped each
  
• 2x Wolf Grey TQ Hammock (Wolf Grey hook and loop was upcycled) $13 shipped each
  

Dirt Chomper TQ Holsters https://imgur.com/a/jmrSItq Horizontal TQ mounting for your belt!

• 2x MC Dirt Chomper (hook outer belt, loop inner belt) $18 $16 shipped each

sWINGers https://imgur.com/a/2azTs0w Allows you to mount AR mags or similar sized items in all the ways, left, right, front, or back, just like the way you spend your weekends. Functionality here. All are $20 $18 each shipped, 2 for $35. $30, or all 3 for $40.

• 1x MC Black
  
• 2x Wolf Grey/Mas Grey hook and loop
  

Double Pouch (DP) Pouches https://imgur.com/a/ZS6epuG This is an iteration of the YOG pouch I made previously to have 2 separate compartments, sized to slightly larger than 3x AR PMAGs. These were each mounted once then I pulled them off because I want to get a little crazy with the design. There is still the rear insert area that is sized for 2x AR mags. I don't have inserts made but if you need one I can make and add it on for an additional $10.

• Nemesis Woodland Wolf prototype DP (I made the middle seam too big so the pouches look lopsided when filled. $35 $30 shipped
  
• DNC DP $40 $35 shipped
  
• DNC Blem DP (accidentally sewed the back piece inside out but you can only tell at the bottom) $30 shipped
  

RG Eagle Operator's Belt https://imgur.com/a/YxjAKD9 Size Small. This was on my kit for a few years but left the basement maybe a handful of times and it's in good shape. Found an inner belt to go with it! Comes with my Prototype Ranger Green Dirt Chomper TQ holder. $85 $80 shipped.
Black Titan 4x Mag Drop Leg Pouch https://imgur.com/a/F6guAeN Found in a box. $20 $15 shipped
Coyote Medical Drop Leg Pouch https://imgur.com/a/lJL9pU7 Found in a box. $20 $15 shipped
Holsters and misc https://imgur.com/a/G47ElYE

• Aliengear XD holster. GAFS catch and release. Bought it, tried it on once, went into a box. I think it’s made for the XD9 compact but it fit an XD9 just fine. Asking $40 $35 $30 shipped.
  
• P226 Holster (brown one). I believe this is a JBP leather dual use concealment holster. Comes with one extra snap button. $20 $18 $16 $15 $14 shipped.
  
• Streamlight clicky caps $1 each ADD ON ONLY
  

Rifle Mag Pouches https://imgur.com/a/j7DPlvy

• MYOG MC Black 1x AR mag pouch. Fits USGI mags only because I suck at measuring. I will throw some shock cord in if bought. $8 shipped or $5 $4 add on
  
• MYOG Wolf Grey/Ranger Green 2x AR mag pouch. $10 shipped or $6 $4 add on
  
• MYOG Vietnam Tiger Stripe 2x AR mag pouch $15 shipped or $12 $10 add on
  
• MYOG Desert VTS 2x AR mag pouch $15 shipped or $12 $10 add on
  
• Betsy's first MYOG 2x AR mag pouch (modeled after a Tactical Tailor one) $8 shipped or $5 $4 add on
  

Anyways if you made it this far thanks for looking and my FAQs are next!
FAQ
Where are all your things made? By me, on my 1940s sewing machine, in my craft room.
What materials do you use? For the most part, everything is made in the USA and Berry compliant. Generally speaking, I use the following: AA55301 or MIL-17337 webbing; Berry compliant 500D Cordura; MIL-W-5664 elastic; Berry compliant 550 paracord; Berry compliant shock cord; either Velcro and/or generic hook and loop; and ITW or Duraflex hardware. There may be some outliers. All my thread is a TEX 75 heavy duty thread from a US company.
What will the slings fit through? Anything that has a 1" slot, whether it's a QD, HK clip, plastic clip, rifle sling mount, paracord, zip ties, etc.
How do I install this through something or to my weapon? Step by step procedure here of what I do.
Do I have any clips or QD mounts? Not at this time, no.
Do you do custom work? Sometimes, depending on my schedule, but any transactions would not be through GAFS.
Do I have XXX color or product? If it's not listed I don't have it at this moment.
Why did you start this? In 2022 or so I was in the market for an inexpensive sling in a color other than black and also made in the USA. After I made a few for myself I started to produce these as a low-cost, high quality sling for anyone who was in the same boat I was in.
Why do you keep doing this? It's fun! Sewing has let me be creative and make myself kit that I like! Also allows me to prototype things and pass on my "old stuff" to you!

Nino Marino Signature Collection Libertà Magma, M nib [B]

• Verification and image album: https://imgur.com/a/uvaclKZ
  
• 2021 limited edition, made in the style of the old Delta Dolcevita Stantuffos. It was designed by Nino Marino (co-founder of Delta) as part of Maiora's Nino Marino Signature Collection. This particular model is the Libertà Magma, numbered 14/18.
  
• A sizeable piston-filler at 149 mm long, the pen's entire body is made of red and black ebonite reminiscent of a fiery cascade of molten rock (cynics will say it's just a wood grain pattern). Comes with gold-plated trims and an intricately carved vermeil cap band. The model name and edition number are discreetly engraved on the back of the cap, while a single cursive 'n' is engraved on the nib.
  
• 18k gold Jowo #6 medium nib: smooth, with moderate flow. The sweet spot is somewhat limited: when held in the right hand, the nib prefers to be rotated slightly to the left, similar to a oblique.
  
• Ebonite of cap and barrel in virtually mint condition, visible microscratches on grip section, and light tarnish on gold-plated trims. Comes with box and papers, plus an unopened ink bottle.
  
• Price: £289.99 OBO.
  

‎

Price is in GBP. The pen will be shipped from the United Kingdom. Tracked and insured delivery is free within the UK, and £10 for the rest of the world.

I started my first job out of school last year in a purely surgical position. It’s been nice because once I’m out of my shift I can shut off my brain. However, my shift relies on the scheduling of cases and I’m on call pretty frequently (no trauma or anything emergent, usually just relieving cases that go late or delayed ortho trauma cases on the weekend)
One of the urologists I work with has become a good friend of mine and his practice is hiring an APP to run a “men’s health clinic.” They just got approval so the specifics havent fully come out yet. I know it’s going to be more urology to start, with the goal of moving more towards hormone replacement and treating ED, etc.
With the very little info I’ve given, what advice are you guys willing to share about possibly making this transition. I would say the lifestyle of my current job is somewhat “Cush” but I can feel myself forgetting everything I learned in school each day. I feel like there’s not much room to grow and my salary will hit a hard cap soon than later. With this new position, this urologist is very eager to grow his brand and he seems extremely motivated.

I've got more air sun friends than I've got friends of all other elements combined, especially Gems and Aquas. Seriously. We're on the same wavelength despite me being fire and earth dominant, and since we function in a similar way emotionally, we usually feel the most comfortable being vulnerable with each other. I've noticed different patterns in different signs and planets, and combinations with other placements...
Here are some of them:
My Gem sun and Mercury, Leo moon, and Taurus Mars and Venus friend: very typical Gem in most ways. Except she's very expressive and emotional in her love expressions - she's cried when saying she loved me a few times (we're pretty much family - 2/3 of her kiddos call me aunt, the third is a little too old for that - he was a teen when we met) and frequently expresses her love and appreciation. When it comes to vulnerability, she'll laugh when talking about what's bothering her... And then sometimes start to cry through her laughter, followed by either just crying or continued laughter and tears, while I hug her. When she's done she goes back to being her bubbly self.
My Libra sun and Venus, Sagittarius moon, Scorpio Mercury and Virgo Mars friend: this dude will never admit to his painful emotions, I swear. Not with anyone, even if I'm one of the few he calls when he's having a hard time. He'll laugh through all of it, and his eyes are the only thing that expose him - on the other hand, he's awful at hiding them due to his eyes being so expressive. I'll just hug him and give him reassurance when I can tell he needs it, without pushing him. He'll be appreciative and return my affection, but then joke about me being too soft, with a warm smile. He's VERY expressive when it comes to love and affection though, even if he balances it up with roasts to avoid things staying vulnerable and emotionally intimate for too long.
My Aqua sun and Mercury, Aries moon, Pisces Venus and Cap Mars love/situationship and friend: eye contact with him is intense - his eyes are extremely expressive, and we can have a whole convo through just gazing into each other's eyes. He is also be very warm and affectionate, but 9/10 times in a playful way to avoid our vulnerability having too "intense and serious vibes" - but can occasionally be very soft, gentle and loving in a serious way. He's cried in my arms two times, but I can count the times I've seen him cry the 7 years we've known each other on one hand. He shares his vulnerabilities and traumas, but refuses to seem weak so he'll dismiss, trivialize and make jokes about it two seconds later. Very aloof (warm, goofy and social but unemotional) when we're not alone together. He also makes sure people know he favorises me without saying it when we're around others by roasting me, being playful in a way he isn't with others, trying to make sure he's got my attention and always focusing on me when he's being cheeky in a group convo - but gives people he isn't that close to more actual compliments than me in front of others.
My Aqua sun, Venus and Mars, Cap moon and Pisces Mercury friend: surprisingly the most expressive with her feelings of ALL my air friends - both her vulnerable/painful ones AND her loving and affectionate ones. I've seen her cry plenty of times. She's very emotionally present 90% of the time, at least around me. Extremely talkative and bubbly, more like a Gem than an Aqua in her overall behavior... Apart from her eccentric "mad scientist" side, and the fact that she's somehow got a chill and collected energy even when she's the most energetic lol. We've admitted to always having feelings for each other (after years of both of us staying silent about it), but we admitted to it at the wrong time...
My Gem sun, Libra moon, Taurus Mercury and Venus and Virgo Mars friend: the most airy of them all. He's opened up a few times, but despite having known him for over 7 years, I've only seen him cry once. When he's struggling, best thing to do is just staying close to him, holding his arm and giving him compliments and subtle reassurance... All while laughing along with him, and being attentive to when he's ready to talk about it. He's intense, bubbly and hyperactive - the biggest goofball of them all, and so full of life. Also great at boosting my confidence and making me feel loved.
My Gem sun and moon, Taurus Mercury, Cancer Venus and Virgo Mars: he'll laugh through his tough days, but can also be very vulnerable with me and his other close friends, actually allowing himself to stay in those feelings without joking around. He shows affection in an unconventional but very genuine way. Like the time he said "[my name] is absolute trash. But like... In a really good way. I relate to racoons - I love trash, so I love her". He's very attentive to the emotions of people he cares about (despite having ADHD and having his mind all over the place when it comes to everything else), and I can't hide mine from him - he'll be right there to reassure me and offer a shoulder to cry on.
My Aqua sun and Mercury, Gemini moon, Pisces Venus and Virgo Mars friend: she'll gladly talk about her vulnerable emotions, but it tends to be in a "matter of fact" way rather than being emotionally present. I've seen her cry twice, but one out of these times it wasn't cause she chose to reach out for my support, but rather cause she couldn't hold it in, and felt safe enough to at least not try to hide it. She's very affectionate and loving though, and has a really warm and sincere energy. She's amazing at comforting both me and others when we need it, has fantastic intuition and instinctively know when it's most helpful for her to make a silly joke, and when she needs to just listen and hug us.
I find it interesting that the one with both her sun, Venus and Mars in Aqua is the least detached and avoidant when it comes to showing emotions, and the one with Libra sun and Sag moon the most detached and vulnerability avoidant... What's your experience when it comes to different air signs in different personal planets, and what other signs/placements in their big 6 seem to play a part?

Research: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4233907/
PDF document: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4233907/pdf/fnhum-08-00884.pdf

Abstract

Stuttering has been the subject of much research, nevertheless its etiology remains incompletely understood. This article presents a critical review of the literature on stuttering, with particular reference to the role of the basal ganglia (BG). Neuroimaging and lesion studies of developmental and acquired stuttering, as well as pharmacological and genetic studies are discussed. Evidence of structural and functional changes in the BG in those who stutter indicates that this motor speech disorder is due, at least in part, to abnormal BG cues for the initiation and termination of articulatory movements. Studies discussed provide evidence of a dysfunctional hyperdopaminergic state of the thalamocortical pathways underlying speech motor control in stuttering. Evidence that stuttering can improve, worsen or recur following deep brain stimulation for other indications is presented in order to emphasize the role of BG in stuttering. Further research is needed to fully elucidate the pathophysiology of this speech disorder, which is associated with significant social isolation.

Neural Correlates of Stuttering

Right Frontal Operculum (RFO)

• The RFO, the right homolog of Broca's area, shows consistent overactivation in stutterers during reading and passive semantic tasks.
• This overactivation is considered compensatory, not primary dysfunction, and negatively correlates with stuttering severity.
• Decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) in the white matter (WM) underlying the left rolandic operculum (LRO) suggests demyelination or disorganization, with implications for articulatory planning and sensory feedback integration.

Brain Activation and Therapy

• Post-therapy, stutterers show decreased activation in the right middle frontal cortex and increased activation in left-sided areas and bilateral temporal cortex.
• The left insula and LRO show increased activation post-therapy.

Compensatory Mechanisms

• Right inferior prefrontal cortex activation can compensate for left frontal damage in aphasia, suggesting similar compensation in stuttering.
• Subtle anatomical changes in the right perisylvian cortex in stutterers are noted, with no significant asymmetry differences in the left perisylvian region compared to controls.

White Matter Integrity

• Children with developmental stuttering show reduced WM integrity in the left superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF).
• Adults with stuttering have increased right hemisphere WM volume in regions related to language and motor functions.
• Stuttering severity correlates with lower WM integrity in specific tracts.

Functional Imaging Studies

• Stutterers show overactivation in motor areas and atypical right lateralization, with reduced auditory activation related to self-monitoring of speech.
• Cerebellar overactivation and abnormal left-lateralized STG activation are noted.
• Female stutterers exhibit distinct activation patterns compared to males, with broader deactivation in the right hemisphere.

Neuroanatomical Studies

• Stutterers show atypical anatomy and lateralization in perisylvian language areas, prefrontal, and sensorimotor cortex.
• Decreased GMV in specific regions and WM integrity differences are found in persistent stuttering compared to recovered stuttering in children.
• Salmelin et al. (2000) found abnormal activation sequences and lateralization in motor cortical areas, suggesting dysfunctional timing relationships affecting speech preparation.

Broader Implications

• Functional abnormalities in stutterers extend to non-speech tasks, indicating inherent right hemisphere activation patterns.
• Stutterers exhibit atypical neural functions during silent reading and ERP studies, indicating altered neural organization and processing

The Basal Ganglia and Speech Pathways in Stuttering
The basal ganglia (BG) are crucial in selecting and disinhibiting voluntary motor programs while inhibiting competing ones, thereby playing a central role in voluntary movements without generating them. Dysfunction in the BG can lead to movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD), dystonia, and tremor. Evidence suggests that stuttering may also be a BG-related movement disorder, with altered connectivity in the basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical circuit seen in people who stutter (PWS).
Speech Pathways and BG Dysfunction
Jürgens (2002) identified a cerebello-thalamo-cortical pathway critical for normal speech production. Lesions in the cerebellum and ventrolateral thalamus, which projects to Broca’s area and the supplementary motor area (SMA), can severely affect speech. Functional studies show increased activity in these regions during speech tasks, suggesting their involvement in speech production. Alm (2004) proposed that PWS have dysfunction in the BG-cortical pathway, leading to compensatory overactivation of the cerebellar-cortical route, supported by evidence of cerebellar overactivity in stutterers.
Role of BG in Dysfluent Speech
Studies indicate that increased neural activation in the putamen and caudate nuclei correlates with stuttering severity. For example, event-related fMRI studies show increased putamen activation following fluency-inducing therapy, but this activation diminishes over time. Giraud et al. (2008) found a correlation between stuttering severity and BG activity before therapy, which was lost post-therapy, suggesting BG involvement in stuttering. Their model suggests structural abnormalities affecting information flow from Broca’s area to the motor cortex may cause BG dysfunction, similar to mechanisms in PD and dystonia.
Stuttering and Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)
DBS, used for BG motor disorders like PD and dystonia, provides insights into BG’s role in stuttering. Cases report both improvement and worsening of stuttering post-DBS surgery. For example:

• Moretti et al. (2003): A PD patient developed stuttering post-DBS.
• Burghaus et al. (2006): A PD patient’s childhood stuttering worsened post-DBS.
• Walker et al. (2009): A PD patient’s stuttering improved with unilateral DBS.
• Nebel et al. (2009): Stuttering developed in dystonia patients post-DBS, suggesting DBS can both provoke and alleviate stuttering.

These cases highlight that DBS can modulate speech pathways in the BG, affecting stuttering severity variably. Some report improvement with specific stimulation parameters, while others note new onset stuttering or worsening of existing stuttering post-DBS, often depending on the target region and individual patient history.
In conclusion, stuttering appears closely linked to BG dysfunction, with evidence from structural and functional studies, similarities with BG-related movement disorders, and variable effects of DBS on stuttering symptoms. Understanding these pathways may guide future therapeutic strategies for stuttering.

Neuroimaging of Glucose and Dopamine Neural Metabolism in Stuttering

Glucose Metabolic Rates

• Decreased Metabolic Activity: Wu et al. (1995) reported lower cortical and subcortical glucose metabolism in stutterers, potentially due to excess dopamine activity. During solo reading tasks, stutterers showed decreased glucose uptake in several brain areas, including the superior frontal cortex, Wernicke’s and Broca’s areas, the posterior cingulate, prefrontal cortex, deep frontal orbital cortex, and medial cerebellum.

State-Dependent Changes

• Choral vs. Solo Reading: Stutterers exhibited hypometabolism in the left caudate during solo reading compared to controls, with no increase during choral reading. However, increased glucose uptake in the substantia nigra/ventral tegmental area during choral reading suggests enhanced neuronal firing in these regions.

Permanent and Reversible Hypometabolism

• Trait-Related Hypometabolism: The left caudate shows permanent hypometabolism in stutterers, while left language areas and higher association areas exhibit reversible hypometabolism.
• Cerebellar Activity: Decreased cerebellar glucose uptake was noted during solo reading, but right cerebellum metabolism normalized during choral reading.
• Limbic Metabolism: Increased limbic metabolism during choral speech may correlate with reduced speech-associated anxiety.

Dopamine Synthesis

• FDOPA Uptake: Wu et al. (1997) found significantly increased FDOPA uptake in stutterers' right ventral medial prefrontal cortex, left caudate tail, and various limbic structures, supporting the dopamine excess theory.

Focal Segmental Dystonia

• Similarities to Dystonia: Stuttering shares characteristics with dystonia, such as involuntary movements and sensitivity to emotional stress (Alm, 2005). Family history studies suggest a possible genetic link between stuttering and dystonia (Fletcher et al., 1991).
• Basal Ganglia Lesions: Dystonia often results from focal basal ganglia lesions, suggesting a common pathophysiology with stuttering (Bhatia and Marsden, 1994).

Brain Imaging Studies

• Cerebellum:
  • Role in Auditory Processing: Traditionally seen as a motor structure but also involved in sensory auditory processing.
  • Activation Patterns: Greater activation and abnormal lateralization in stutterers, which changes post-treatment.
• Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC):
  • Function: Involved in emotional control and response preparation. Shows increased activation in stutterers during speech tasks, which decreases post-treatment.
• Supplementary Motor Area (SMA):
  • Volitional Control: Implicated in the control of learned motor patterns and initiation of vocal utterances.
• Other Areas:
  • Insula and Claustrum: Activated during speech tasks in stutterers but not in controls.
  • Thalamus and Globus Pallidus: Involvement in speech tasks, with increased activation in stutterers.

Specific Activation Patterns

• Silent and Oral Reading: Stutterers show increased cerebellar and ACC activation, possibly due to increased self-monitoring and attentional effort.
• Post-Treatment Changes: Reduced activation in these areas as speech becomes more practiced and automatic.
• Divergent Roles in Speech: Different brain areas show task-specific activation, such as insula activation during speaking but not passive listening

CONCLUSION

The etiology and pathophysiology of stuttering remain poorly. Stuttering is a disorder associated with significant psychological burden and social stigma, and work toward achieving successful therapies has been focusing on its psychological or psychodynamic causes. The increased recognition of a structural or functional neurological cause can render stuttering potentially amenable to surgical or medical intervention. Further research on the cortical and subcortical anatomical and functional changes in stuttering is needed. In this study, we have reviewed evidence demonstrating that dysfunction of the BG and of their cortical targets are a likely pathomechanism underlying stuttering.

• Stuttering involves a complex interplay of neural compensatory mechanisms, altered brain activation patterns, and structural differences in brain anatomy.
• Right hemisphere overactivation and reduced WM integrity in specific regions are consistent findings.
• Therapy can alter activation patterns, suggesting potential neural plasticity.
• The cerebellum and efference copy mechanisms may play roles in the neural basis of stuttering.

After re-watching Eve's down the rabbit hole for like the 10th time I finally noticed a pattern with regards to nullsec warfare.
The largest, most exciting battles of eve history took place after a mistake or espionage and infiltration of sorts made Cyno jammers go offline in various systems.
What this tells me is that the stagnant state of nullsec is perpetuated by the fact that the power blocs simply cannot project their power.
Null sec should be stable and defendable but not invincible. And the current history of wars shows that it now takes obscene numbers and obscene amounts of resource to assault any thing that's been properly defended in in nullsec. And, I think I realized a possible solution that I at least would like some talk about.
Frontline systems. In order to make wars possible on scales that don't require thousands of battleships to take down a cyno jammer so that the same thousands of people can follow up with super cap fleets, I have created a concept I'm calling a Frontline system.
To define a frontline, and non frontline system, a non frontline system is one in which all stargates connect to other star systems that are owned by the same Corporation or Alliance. A frontline system would be a system in which at least one connection is not owned by the same corporation or alliance. (alliance obviously takes priority) Frontline systems would disable the use of Cyno jammers.
A system like this would make it such that nullsec groups would actually have to defend their borders. place keepstars in frontline defendable systems. And make holding less territory more viable as you then have less frontline systems to worry about. These systems are also named frontline systems, because they would be the literal frontline of battles fought. Slowly, system by system, the line changing back and forth. Aside allowing fights to actually happen, having a frontline also potentially organizes things, both for the null sec players, and those viewing from the outside. What better way to get people interested in null sec bloc fights, than having an actually defined frontline that players, newsoutlets and such can literally follow.
For the record this would include systems that connect to Pirate nullsec and low sec. Again, Nullsec should be defendable and stable. Not invulnerable and unassailable

I gave AI the statistical history of CAW up to today's date, including imminent listing, how much was raised for the listing campaign so far (and how quickly), growth of community, etc, and asked it to project CAW's potential growth:
To project "Crow With Knife (CAW)" market cap by June 15th, 2025, considering sustained interest and the projected growth of the entire cryptocurrency market, we need to factor in the overall market trends, potential developments within the CAW ecosystem, and historical performance patterns of similar meme coins. Here are the key factors to consider:

Overall Crypto Market Growth Projections

1. Bitcoin and Ethereum Influence:
   • The Bitcoin halving in April 2024 is expected to drive significant price appreciation, which historically leads to bullish market cycles across the broader crypto market.
   • Ethereum's ongoing development and potential updates (like EIP-4884) are expected to enhance its utility and market cap significantly​ (CoinMarketCap)​​ (Coinbase)​.
2. Institutional Adoption and Regulatory Environment:
   • Increased institutional interest, driven by Bitcoin ETFs and new regulatory frameworks, is expected to bring substantial capital into the crypto market.
   • Corporate adoption of cryptocurrencies for treasury management and operational purposes could further boost market growth​ (Coinbase)​.
3. Technological Advancements:
   • Innovations in Layer 2 solutions and the rise of decentralized applications (DePIN, decentralized finance, NFTs) are expected to contribute to overall market expansion and adoption​ (OKX)​.

CAW's Specific Factors

1. Continued CEX Listings:
   • Following listings on major exchanges (Gate.io and three more major CEXs), CAW’s liquidity and investor base are expected to grow significantly.
2. Community and Social Media Engagement:
   • A strong, active community and ongoing social media campaigns, bolstered by influencer support, will likely maintain high levels of interest and engagement.
3. Market Position and Use Cases:
   • Expanding use cases, such as NFT integrations and merchandise, can add additional value to CAW’s ecosystem.

Historical Performance of Meme Coins

• Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, Floki Inu: These coins have shown that sustained community interest and strategic listings can lead to exponential growth, especially during bullish market conditions.

Market Cap Projection for CAW by June 15, 2025

1. Short-Term Growth (Next 6 Months):
   • Market Cap by September 1, 2024: $1 billion - $1.5 billion (as previously projected)
2. Medium to Long-Term Growth (12 Months):
   • Projected Growth Rate: Assuming sustained interest and a bullish market, CAW could continue to grow at a rate influenced by its community engagement and market dynamics.
   • Historical Precedents: Meme coins like Shiba Inu saw their market caps multiply several-fold during bullish cycles.

Conservative Scenario

• Market Cap Growth Rate: 2x to 3x growth over the next 12 months.
• Projected Market Cap by June 15, 2025: $2 billion - $4.5 billion.

Optimistic Scenario

• Market Cap Growth Rate: 4x to 5x growth, considering optimal conditions and sustained hype.
• Projected Market Cap by June 15, 2025: $4 billion - $7.5 billion.

Conclusion

Given sustained interest, ongoing community engagement, and the overall bullish outlook for the cryptocurrency market, "Crow With Knife (CAW)" could potentially see its market cap grow significantly by June 15, 2025. Under a conservative scenario, the market cap could reach $2 billion to $4.5 billion, while an optimistic scenario could see it reaching $4 billion to $7.5 billion. This projection takes into account the expected positive market conditions, strategic CEX listings, and the strong community-driven nature of meme coins.