How to draw realistic braid
HowToDraw: Post step by step guides, your drawing and sketches.
2011.09.10 09:24 patrickaaron HowToDraw: Post step by step guides, your drawing and sketches.
2019.04.11 03:41 howtodrawcomics How To Draw Comics
The HTDC subreddit is a place for aspiring comic book, manga and concept artists to improve their dynamic drawing abilities. We welcome artists of all skill levels - from emerging artists to working professionals to comic art veterans.
2013.02.14 00:40 Fuzzy_Pickles How To Draw Really Good.
Youtube Celebrity giving advice and pro tips on how to draw things to a very professional level.
2024.06.01 02:36 LateBloomer1357 Does this sound like bipolar or something else from your experience?
Since I can remember I’ve had these grandiose goals or dreams that I fantasize and imagine about but then never follow through. When I have tried to follow through I’ll get panicky or anxious so I stop. Like physically anxious. l wanted to go to medical school and followed through to attend. When I started I couldn’t complete the courses not because it was hard but being got physically anxious and scared. I Fantasized about it. Would dream about it, imagine a reality where I’d do it. Visualized a life. Then I tried and my mind blocked me. Got physically anxious and self sabotaged. Similarly after dropping out I fixated on my other dreams wanted to write and draw children’s books and start a clothing company. I had a similar path where I started planning the company but never followed through, I’ve written and drawn the books but haven’t finished them. With both I had the same imagination and fantasies but I can’t finish them. I still would like to do all three things but my mind just stops it with an anxious block so intense it’s almost a panic attack.
Similarly romantically I will fall for someone quick, sometimes not. I’ll fall totally for them and fantasize and imagine our lives and imagine experiences etc. but again I usually never do anything but have tried sometimes. But when won dates or making a move I get the same anxiety again in the box. I still feel things for past crushes and have found out they did too which makes it worse. It gives me pause that these aren’t fleeting, but the intense feelings do.
In both relationships and career goals I have both grandiose and romantic fantasies about how things can go, some realistic some not. But, I never follow through due to intense anxiety. My mind would rather keep the fantasy going long term than risk trying and failing. Again, these are still goals (not MD due to age).
With clothes and physical items I’ll do the same and obsess over things for a while, fantasize about how I’ll look and how it’ll make me feel and do research. I usually never pull the trigger due to price. I will buy some clothes and make dumb purchases (all clothes are) but I don’t go spend thousands at once or anything. I will just obsess and fantasize over things for weeks or
I drank quite a bit late teens early 20s due to anxiety. I stopped all together years ago. I’ve done a lot of amazing things somehow and gotten past some anxiety.
Does this sound Bipolar or more anxiety related?
submitted by LateBloomer1357 to BipolarReddit [link] [comments]
Similarly romantically I will fall for someone quick, sometimes not. I’ll fall totally for them and fantasize and imagine our lives and imagine experiences etc. but again I usually never do anything but have tried sometimes. But when won dates or making a move I get the same anxiety again in the box. I still feel things for past crushes and have found out they did too which makes it worse. It gives me pause that these aren’t fleeting, but the intense feelings do.
In both relationships and career goals I have both grandiose and romantic fantasies about how things can go, some realistic some not. But, I never follow through due to intense anxiety. My mind would rather keep the fantasy going long term than risk trying and failing. Again, these are still goals (not MD due to age).
With clothes and physical items I’ll do the same and obsess over things for a while, fantasize about how I’ll look and how it’ll make me feel and do research. I usually never pull the trigger due to price. I will buy some clothes and make dumb purchases (all clothes are) but I don’t go spend thousands at once or anything. I will just obsess and fantasize over things for weeks or
I drank quite a bit late teens early 20s due to anxiety. I stopped all together years ago. I’ve done a lot of amazing things somehow and gotten past some anxiety.
Does this sound Bipolar or more anxiety related?
2024.06.01 00:26 Joshh170 Manor Lords Releases Big New Update
 | Manor Lords developer Slavic Magic has released a major new update, addressing several technical issues that have been affecting the early access city-building game. The new Manor Lords update also adds a slew of new items and features, and the developers recommend players begin a new save to see all the changes. submitted by Joshh170 to GameGeeks [link] [comments] Similar to the Civilization franchise, Manor Lords offers compelling strategy and city-building elements. The game launched in early access this past April on PC, quickly becoming one of the most highly rated games on Steam with a Very Positive rating after more than 39,000 user reviews. Despite some of the game's technical issues in early access, the game's sales continue to flourish as the developers maintain an open line of communication with its player base. Slavic Magic released Manor Lords update 0.7.972 and revealed a lengthy list of changes in the patch notes. Firstly, the developers note that players should begin a new save and remove their favorite Manor Lords mods to ensure all the changes and additions in update 0.7.972 are applied to their playthrough. Update 0.7.972's new features include inter-region trading via Trading Posts, a mourning period for deceased residents, and a King's Tax mechanic. What's more, the update adds new armor variations, a Large Granary building rework, a new St. Maurice patron saint, an "allow market stall setup" toggle, and a construction reserve. Manor Lords update 0.7.972 also applies numerous changes involving gameplay and balance, including adjustments to resources and agriculture, the in-game economy and trading/market systems, and infrastructure. A number of quality-of-life improvements were implemented as well, such as a 75% reduction in ale consumption, an increased carrying capacity for on-foot trading post workers, and a doubled fertility regeneration rate for crops. All of these changes mean that players should have a much easier time exporting and trading the best items in Manor Lords. On PC, the latest Manor Lords update applies various fixes and tweaks to anti-aliasing and upscaling selection upon the game's first-time launch with specific GPUs, including Nvidia's RTX 40 series graphics cards. Alongside minor adjustments to the in-game market, the update implements fixes and changes to the user interface to aid in visibility and accessibility for all users. Since the game is going to be in early access for the next year, Slavic Magic has plenty of time to gauge player feedback and introduce new features that could enhance the Manor Lords experience. The Manor Lords developers encourage Steam users to submit a review since the team often checks the Steam page to read up on players' thoughts. Manor Lords Update 0.7.972 Patch Notes Major Changes The King's Tax (or Annual Royal Tax, name undecided): The tax is collected annually from all players (main player and AI) and goes to the liege. It is calculated per population, serving as a counterbalance for players hoarding huge wealth despite non-optimized economies. Currently, players can incur debt without consequence. In the future, failure to pay will result in losing the king's favor and eventually facing the king's army as enemies. Global/Local Trade Switch for Trading Posts: Players can now switch trade to "local only" in the trading post for each type of good, allowing them to exchange goods between their own regions while ignoring free merchants. Two trading posts (one in each region) are still required to make this function work. Employed traders will prioritize traveling to the location with the best prices to commence trade, potentially including regions owned by other Lords. The transport distance factor is reduced to make it more predictable for players where traders will go (to the place with the best price). Regional wealth is still required to exchange goods between regions with a trading post to maintain regions as independent economic units, simulating a more realistic economy. Gameplay & Balance Resource Management & Agricultural Adjustments Food Consumption: People now pick a random food resource instead of eating food in a specific order. Crop Fertility: Fertility is no longer drained after crop growth reaches 100%, making early harvest micromanagement less necessary. Yield may still increase over 100% growth if max yield is not reached. Yield Cap: will now never increase past 100% growth to avoid confusion about exceeding 100%. Even when fertility reaches 0%, there will still be a small possible yield. Harvesting Efficiency: When harvesting, crops are directly added to the field inventory instead of the villager inventory to reduce bottlenecks from harvesting walk times, especially for large fields. Oxen Prioritization: Prioritized oxen plowing over transporting resources to the granary and warehouse to reduce oxen walking back and forth from the plowed field every time new resources are available for transport. Plowing Shed: Plowing shed now adds 2 livestock worker slots. Food Distribution: Food-producing residential plots no longer stock up on their produce before sharing with the marketplace. Sawpit Log Storage: Increased sawpit log storage space to 5. Economic & Trade Developments Baron Region Claims: Lowered the rate of the Baron claiming regions and adjusted it to better reflect game settings. Worker Camp Upgrade: Removed the worker camp upgrade intended for colony regions; it will be re-added when properly implemented. Trade Route Establishment: When establishing a trade route, merchants no longer all spawn at the nearest trade point but are distributed to circle between various trade points. Archer Damage: Archer damage increased from 4 to 13. Trade Logistics Development: The "Trade Logistics" development branch now lowers the cost of new trade routes by 50% instead of clamping it at 25. Trade Route Costs: Increased the base cost of opening a trade route from 12 to 20 (before the good value multiplier). Reverted the cost of opening new trade routes to linear scaling. Market Oversupply: When the market is oversupplied, players can still export goods at a lower price. The price multiplier for oversupplied goods is now 0.75x for oversupplied and 0.5x for critically oversupplied. Market Oversupply Rate: The rate at which the market becomes oversupplied no longer depends on the value of goods, ensuring equal rates for all good types. Better Deals Development: The "Better Deals" development branch reduces the foreign import tariff by 50% instead of removing it completely. Global Market Supply: Tuned global market supply to rebalance itself faster, aiming for a closer to one-year cycle if not trading. Quality of Life & Infrastructure Ale Consumption: Reduced ale consumption by 75% (approximately 1/3 per family per month). Building Placement: Made building placement steepness limits harsher to prevent trading posts and churches from looking awkward on sharp slopes. Soldier Approval Factor: Soldiers no longer trigger the "unburied bodies" approval factor when corpses are in their proximity. Hitching Post: Hitching post is free again to reduce the chances of players getting stuck without an ox, hitching post, or the ability to order an ox. Sheep Breeding: Capped sheep breeding to a maximum of 1 new lamb every 10 days. Water Fetching: Villagers are now only allowed to fetch water from the well nearest to their home, except in case of a fire. Maximum Yield per Plant: Increased the maximum yield per plant from 2 to 4 (Hunting Grounds policy still reduces it by half). Plant Yield Rate: Plant yield rate reduced by half to encourage early harvest only in emergency mode. Militia Squad Limit: The militia squad limit is now 6, regardless of whether the player has a retinue or mercenaries. This will be connected to a rank system in the future. Fertility Regeneration: Doubled the fertility regeneration rate effect on fallow fields and from fertilization. Plant Growth Rate: Adjusted crop growth to match crop rotation (to hit 100% at harvest as often as it can on auto). Tree Growth Rate: Slowed down tree growth rate by around 30% to enhance forest management impact. Trading Post Workers: Increased the carrying capacity of on-foot trading post workers from 1 to 5. Royal Tax Calculation: Royal tax is calculated as follows: No tax for the first 5 years, 1 Treasury per citizen after 5 years, 2 Treasury per citizen after 10 years, 3 Treasury per citizen after 15 years. Granary and Storehouse Worker Slots: Adjusted Granary and Storehouse Worker Slots: unified to 3 families for level 1 and 6 families for level 2. Minor Fixes Trade and Market Adjustments Mindfulness System: Applied the "mindfulness" system to free merchants to reduce clumps and traffic jams. Trade Location: Moved the location of trades further off the map to ensure space for all trade wagons, even if the trading post is placed on the map edge. Trader Transactions: Allowed traders to make transactions without entering the shed if the trading post is clogged, as long as they are within the general building bounds. Marketplace Logistics: Improved marketplace logistics efficiency and optimization. Market Supply Reset: Reset market supply on loading old saves (from builds 0.7.954-0.7.956) due to mismatched global market supply stock values. Market Stall Workers: Capped the number of workers supplying a single market stall to 2 to reduce market clogs with the increased market supply frequency. The number of stalls is now reduced back to the number of families divided by 5, with a minimum of 1 to ensure functionality in towns with fewer than 5 families. Market Supply Optimization: Further optimized market supply functions for smoother late-game town performance. Trading Post Thumbnail: Added the missing trading post building thumbnail. Trading Post Price Range: Trading posts now display a price range for imports, indicating whether they can buy from other regions or foreign trade sources. Optimization and Performance Default AA: Changed default AA under DX11 to TAA. Spatialization Update: Added a spatialization update call for recruits teleported home when rallied to ensure proper collision calculations. Follow Mode Optimization: Updated "is close to camera" value in follow mode to prevent optimization of animations or sound effects for characters near the camera. Firefighting Behavior: Made firefighting villagers ignore anti-clogging behavior at narrow pathfinding points. Pathfinding Updates: Minor unit in-town pathfinding updates. Destructible System: Swapped the old UE4 destructible system for a new UE5-friendly chaos-based debris system currently used for chopped firewood cutter logs. AA/Upscaler Selection: Tweaked default AA/upscaler selection during first-time launch for specific GPUs (e.g., RTX properly defaulting to DLSS). Pathfinding Thread: Added another pathfinding thread for handling multiple end-game cities. Harvest Prediction Optimization: Optimized harvest prediction and fertility changes to reduce stutter. Log Display: Limited the log display to store only the last 100 entries to improve UI optimization. Idle Task Optimization: Optimized the function for finding friends to do idle tasks like conversations. Door Opening Animations: Optimized door opening animations. User Interface and Accessibility Mourning Period UI: The residential panel now has a "mourning period left" UI element that displays the number of days of mourning until the burgage plot can bring in more family members. Mourning Icon: Added mourning icon to the building floater. Save Restrictions: Disabled the ability to quick save during the game ovevictory cinematic. Disabled manual save after being defeated and added a tooltip explaining why saves are disabled. Disabled quick save and autosave if the game was lost. King's Tax Rate Multiplier: Added king's tax rate multiplier to the game setup settings. Victory Camera: After continuing the game after a victory, the camera returns to the player's main region instead of levitating over the map edge. Currency Icon: Unified the currency icon in the mercenary company panel to clarify payment with the treasury, not regional wealth. Accommodation for Homeless: Added an accommodation call for homeless people after a fire, ensuring they are quickly re-assigned to available burgage plots. Family List UI: Aligned "workplace/reassign" buttons vertically in the family list due to most families having more than one member. Font Fix: Fixed old fonts being used in the family entry widgets. Fertility Overlay: Made fertility overlay colors and colorblind symbols more accurate with the percentages displayed in the field's building panel. Building Panel UI: Tweaked building panel header buttons/toggles to improve readability and distinguish buttons from toggles. Market Stalls: Set "Allow market stalls" to ON by default for all workplaces and artisan workshops to aid new players in setting up stalls without confusion. Popup Queue: To avoid popups like "royal tax increase" from interrupting visit mode, they are now queued and triggered after the player returns from visit mode, after around 1-2 seconds. Transaction Popup: When trading between regions, the transaction popup will now display over both trade buildings, depending on which is closer to the camera. Region Borders: Region borders will show under the cursor even if the camera is low, clarifying where region territory ends. Region Calculation for UI: Tuned how "current region" is calculated for the UI to make it more comfortable to build on the edge between two player-owned regions. Crash Fixes Fixed a crash when doing a sequence of livestock import, export, and import because "home" wasn't cleared properly during export, and the same animal was reimported. Fixed a rare crash if a handcart fails to spawn, likely if the trading post was built so that part of it crosses the map edge. Fixed crash on startup if OpenXr SDK is installed. Fixed a crash when deleting a building if there are pathfinding obstacles being verified (for instance, soon after loading a game). Fixed the player being able to reassign a family to another Region, which could crash the game. Bug Fixes Gameplay Mechanics Fixed victory status not resetting after starting a new game, leading to a game over screen not appearing if the player lost/won multiple games without turning the game off. Fixed crops dying in the winter instead of actually increasing yield by absorbing nutrients from the snow as intended for winter crops. Fixed oxen sometimes "ghost plowing" a field when they are waiting for their guide. Fixed plow and ox sometimes misaligned on 12x game speed. Fixed farm workers not accounting for oxen plowing the farms in some situations, leading to a lot of unnecessary collisions on the field. Fixed crop rotation unplowing the fields. Fixed disbanded mercenary group becoming immediately available again after save/load cycle. Fixed the trading post export transactions not moving regional wealth between the regions correctly if owned by the same lord. Fixed paused taverns fulfilling the entertainment requirement. Fixed attempt for never-ending fires if a fire was triggered after the building was already on fire. Fixed livestock sometimes being unaccommodated after order even though there is stable or pasture space due to being transferred to the region twice (once when buying and once when livestock merchant brings it to the building). Fixed livestock traders traded between on-map regions, possibly sometimes paying twice because the ownership changing function was called both on pickup of livestock and on dropoff. Fixed the game getting stuck on the game summary screen infinitely after winning or losing the game. Fixed "none" people populating the town after a raid sometimes who just stand around waiting forever and possibly crash the game while reloading. Fixed the employed traders going to trade points even though the trade route for the traded good is not opened yet. Fixed the farm workers moving to transport tasks early even though there is still plenty of crops to harvest. Fixed predicted yield not showing correctly in the field building panel. Fixed people not resetting rotation after dismounting. Fixed farming oxen not respecting work area limits. Fixed bandit camps respawning on loading because "lastBanditCampSpawnedDay" didn't save properly. Fixed villagers not setting up market stalls to sell their home produce like vegetables if they are unassigned. Fixed granary workers stealing ale from the tavern. Fixed livestock exports getting interrupted by sheep herd behavior. Fixed livestock trader job not triggering an import task when buying livestock from another region. Visual and Interface Fixes Fixed the blurry desktop icon. Fixed the save/load menu header not translating after changing the language. Fixed the front lighting not being visible in the retinue editor if bounced light approximation is turned to low or off. Fixed floating feedback text spawning during the cinematic mode. Fixed autosave triggering during the cinematic mode. Fixed the gilded aventail hounskull helmet appearing blurry in the retinue editor. Fixed the forest mask not drawing. Fixed the wrong yarn basket carrying animation. Fixed the wrong apple basket carry animation. Economic and Resource Management Fixed "storage full" triggering for wrong buildings sometimes (for example, sawpit having 1/1 logs). Fixed attempt for oxen bringing too many logs to the sawpit and crossing the storage limit. Fixed free merchants sometimes got stuck if a trading post was built so close to the edge that a portion of it was outside of any region bounds. Fixed horse wagon rotations getting a bit too wonky on slopes. Fixed a bug where a unit could no longer move due to being forever stuck in "waiting for pathfinding to finish" if another unit with a lower squadID got completely destroyed. Fixed traders not importing from on-map regions even though the price is better than buying from trade points. Fixed farm workers & farm oxen stealing planks from fields which are getting "fenced up." Fixed "homeless" problem banner not disappearing after upgrading homeless camp to a worker camp. Fixed animals not getting removed from stable space / pasture space after death. Fixed animal corpses not disappearing over time. Fixed a dirty fix for families moving into homes but not registering correctly and not displaying in the UI, leading to a "secret" family living in one of the burgage plots. The reason is still unknown and being investigated. Fixed wealth getting transferred when doing barter. Fixed bartering traders always return 1 item regardless of the barter value and carrying capacity. Fixed bartering traders packing too much stuff in their origin region when barter value is more than 1x. Fixed trading post exports not proceeding with transactions once the trader reaches the destination. Fixed multiple markets sometimes distributing multiple instances of the same good type to a plot, for instance, a single plot would "eat" 2 leather, leaving houses on the outskirts forever undersupplied. Fixed crop rotation to fallow causing farmers to harvest itemID_0, which was invisible in the UI and stopped supply dumps from being cleared because they were never considered as fully empty. Fixed farmers getting stuck in pickup-putdown handcart loop when multiple farms are used. Fixed unnecessary harvest data recalculations triggering in the winters. Fixed a bug with trading between regions where during selling items the wrong region would pay for the transaction. Fixed free merchants not applying the foreign import tariff when selling their goods to trading posts if another region was exporting the traded good for a lower price. Fixed trade wagons sometimes traveling with empty inventory. Fixed traders doing "major trades" even without an established trade route. Fixed workers ignoring storage filter settings. Fixed the "current year" always incrementing in January, regardless of the month the game was started in, also leading to the tax being calculated inconsistently [fix for new saves only]. Fixed market supply percentages not displaying correctly because it still accounted for uninhabited homes. Fixed a bug with workers not setting up market stalls if there are less than 5 families in the settlement. Fixed squad icons disappearing/flickering when disbanding certain squads. Fixed export price showing even though trade is locked because there's no trade route established and no interregional trade available. Fixed foreign market supply incrementing instead of decrementing when off-map trade was being done by trading post workers. Fixed disband/remove squad sometimes affecting wrong squads if multiple squads are selected when pressing "disband" or "remove". Fixed "Not enough funds for import" warning displaying even though there is enough. Fixed apiaries leaving invisible items in supply dumps after demolition. Cosmetics Updates and Fixes New Additions and Visual Upgrades Added a new patron saint banner graphics: St Maurice. Added a carried dead body visualization. New upgraded retinue helmet variation: Pointy bascinet. New upgraded retinue body variation: Coat of plates. New upgraded retinue helmet variation: Hounskull bascinet with a gilded cover. New militia helmet variation - banded bascinet with a mail aventail. Reworked LV2 granary model with proper animated doors. Added new 6 "short" attack animations to reduce animation repetitiveness during combat. Added new "inch forward" battle locomotion animations which should greatly reduce the weird "wiggling" effect when groups push each other. Lady visit mode: If you pick the green lady portrait, the visit mode character should now be female. Animation and Model Adjustments Combat animation clean up. Made debris piles align to ground slope. Fixed the throw torch animation ending abruptly. Increased location precision for animals standing in the stables. Fixed the praying animation. Adjusted the two-handed weapon default idle pose to give it a more natural stance. Improved the precision for snapping terraforming meshes (like mines or sawpits) to ground. Made leaf clumps smaller and disabled the parallax mapping since it caused distortions and wasn't very visible anyway. Tuned field dirt UV wiggle to make those huge vegetable gardens players were making less wavy. Fixes and Adjustments Fixed the armor clipping through the leg of the upgraded retinue puffy sleeve upon body variation. Fixed some mail armor variants clipping with helmets on T3 militia units (militia mail will get their own unique variations soon). Fixed the wrong door orientation for LV2 cottage variation B (with a planked gable). Fixed the TAB building floater residential data not showing in 0.7.969. Fixed a potential bug when a family assigned to a smithy is unassigned while a family member is rallied, and the function that unequips their smithing aprons may, by mistake, unequip their body armor oand helmet. Fixed player army UI not getting updated after squad array changes because of non-player commanded units getting removed. Fixed recruit distribution sometimes assigning new militia recruits to an invalid unit |
2024.05.31 22:33 Grace_Omega My gameplay observations, with timestamps
For your reading pleasure, and because I didn't want to make a dozen different threads, here is a list of all of my observations and thoughts from the gameplay video, with timestamps. Add your own in the comments!
1:24 The thing that immediately stands out to me: these environments are insane. The character models may not be up there with contemporary big-budget AAA games, but I think these are the best video game environments I’ve ever seen. The fog looks so good.
1:31 Location names appear in the lower-right, presumably to help the player navigate. This also happens in interior locations.
1:51 James audibly comments on things. I believe it was already stated that this would be the case, but we’re seeing it in action for the first time.
2:48 The first encounter with the lying figure has been substantially altered, now taking place inside an abandoned house instead of the closed-off tunnel. Bloober are clearly not afraid to make big changes. Personally, this is what I want from a remake.
3:13 Still don’t like the green goop effect on the screen. This is one of those things developers have been putting in games for multiple generations now, and I don’t think they’ve ever stopped to ask themselves if it’s actually needed.
3:20 James can now dodge attacks. As we see here it’s a very small dodge, our boi isn’t going to be doing combat rolls or anything.
3:41 A red outline on the screen indicates low health. Other than this, we don’t see any sort of on-screen health indicator.
3:55 Smashing the back window of a car to get at the tasty health drink inside. This is new to the remake, and I look forward to seeing how else the mechanic is used.
3:59 It appears that the item inspection mechanic has been switched to a real-time process of James physically holding the object.
4:05 A UI element shows the number and types of health pick-ups you have. It also appears that they can be used with a single button press.
4:20 A corpse on the street, which appears to be James in a call-back to the dead apartment guy. The gore here is pretty gnarly.
4:27 James physically takes out his map and makes notes in real-time. Bloober are obviously going heavy on everything happening real-time and being physically present in the game, a trend for Silent Hill that started with Shattered Memories.
4:33 This note is a new addition. I wonder if Bloober are adding in new material to convey the idea that there’s something wrong with Silent Hill, which is context that people playing the original game would have had from SH1 but which is much less likely to be the case today. Also this note, uh, doesn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense, and not in a spooky way (“hidden behind a rest”?). Please get someone to proof-read these, guys.
5:05 The Brookhaven section takes place during sunset, with strong twilight lighting. The original game also had a mechanic whereby time of day would advance as the game progressed, but it was much more subtle, so much so that many people (myself included) never noticed it when playing. This is a lot more obvious and will presumably give the entire town a very different vibe depending on the time of day.
5:15 Flashlight gameplay. I love a good horror game flashlight, and I think this is a very good effort. It looks realistic, it's bright enough to make immediate surroundings fully visible while keeping more distant locations in darkness.
5:17 Interestingly, Maria’s clothes are the only ones that have been substantially altered compared to the original game. Her OG outfit was copied directly from one that Christina Aguilera once wore in public, so maybe someone in Konami’s legal department was worried about including it.
5:27 Real-time map checking. I wonder if you can turn off the location indicator to make it more Immersive. If you compare this to the original Brookhaven map, it’s pretty substantially altered, so we will be seeing familiar locations get remixed.
5:37 Maria has some ambient dialogue. I like the snippet of writing here, it’s eerie and feels like it fits in with the classic Silent Hill tone. Bloober’s dialogue in prior games has been…let’s say “mixed” in quality, so this is very encouraging.
5:47 Everyone's favourite save square can be seen on the desk. It looks a lot bigger than the original ones, presumably to stand out more against the more cluttered environments.
6:11 Maria seems to go off and investigate locations rather than sticking close by James, at least in safe areas. Light and dark seem to be employed much more heavily to draw a distinction between safe and dangerous locations. I’m curious if this will happen more throughout the game, or if it’s just here.
6:15 The creepy nurse picture is interesting. It’s a very “Bloober-esque” touch and not the sort of thing that would have been in the original game. In my opinion this is coming right up to the edge of the sort of un-subtle horror imagery that’s turned me away from their previous games, but it’s just restrained enough that it doesn’t cross that line.
7:23 Sneaking past enemies is still a viable strategy.
7:47 I might be reading too much into this, but it kind of seems like this flickering light is reacting to the nurse’s presence. If so, it would be an interesting extension of enemies causing the radio to emit static.
8:01 Enemies (or at least nurses) can block attacks and shove James back, presumably to avoid the player stunlocking them. In this part we also see that the player can instantly switch from melee weapons to guns. I wonder how this works–do we have a melee and a firearm slot? Is the pipe now an upgrade that replaces the plank?
8:08 Shooting enemies in the legs will stagger them, Resident Evil 4 style. Presumably no sick spin-kicks from James though.
8:35 I’ve been very curious about how the game will handle doors, as making the player check every door they encounter only to have 85% of them be purely cosmetic is not going to fly in the year of our lord twenty twenty four. We see multiple rooms you can enter simply have their doors ajar already, which could be an easy way to distinguish between them.
9:30 The Jacob’s Ladder shaky-head effect shows up in gameplay!
10:22 This is the closest thing we see to an inventory screen, I’m curious if the game still has one. It appears that examining objects doesn’t pause, so enemies can come and getcha while you’re solving puzzles. It also appears that the game will use this to fuck with you.
11:09 This dialogue scene between James and Laura is absolutely phenomenal. A lot of that is down to great voice acting and facial animation, but the dialogue has also been rewritten to sound more natural and have better pacing. I know some people like the weird stilted conversations from the original game, but you have to admit they would have stood out like a sore thumb compared to otherwse modern production values.
13:17 Love the way the Flesh Lip crashes through the ceiling here
submitted by Grace_Omega to silenthill [link] [comments]
1:24 The thing that immediately stands out to me: these environments are insane. The character models may not be up there with contemporary big-budget AAA games, but I think these are the best video game environments I’ve ever seen. The fog looks so good.
1:31 Location names appear in the lower-right, presumably to help the player navigate. This also happens in interior locations.
1:51 James audibly comments on things. I believe it was already stated that this would be the case, but we’re seeing it in action for the first time.
2:48 The first encounter with the lying figure has been substantially altered, now taking place inside an abandoned house instead of the closed-off tunnel. Bloober are clearly not afraid to make big changes. Personally, this is what I want from a remake.
3:13 Still don’t like the green goop effect on the screen. This is one of those things developers have been putting in games for multiple generations now, and I don’t think they’ve ever stopped to ask themselves if it’s actually needed.
3:20 James can now dodge attacks. As we see here it’s a very small dodge, our boi isn’t going to be doing combat rolls or anything.
3:41 A red outline on the screen indicates low health. Other than this, we don’t see any sort of on-screen health indicator.
3:55 Smashing the back window of a car to get at the tasty health drink inside. This is new to the remake, and I look forward to seeing how else the mechanic is used.
3:59 It appears that the item inspection mechanic has been switched to a real-time process of James physically holding the object.
4:05 A UI element shows the number and types of health pick-ups you have. It also appears that they can be used with a single button press.
4:20 A corpse on the street, which appears to be James in a call-back to the dead apartment guy. The gore here is pretty gnarly.
4:27 James physically takes out his map and makes notes in real-time. Bloober are obviously going heavy on everything happening real-time and being physically present in the game, a trend for Silent Hill that started with Shattered Memories.
4:33 This note is a new addition. I wonder if Bloober are adding in new material to convey the idea that there’s something wrong with Silent Hill, which is context that people playing the original game would have had from SH1 but which is much less likely to be the case today. Also this note, uh, doesn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense, and not in a spooky way (“hidden behind a rest”?). Please get someone to proof-read these, guys.
5:05 The Brookhaven section takes place during sunset, with strong twilight lighting. The original game also had a mechanic whereby time of day would advance as the game progressed, but it was much more subtle, so much so that many people (myself included) never noticed it when playing. This is a lot more obvious and will presumably give the entire town a very different vibe depending on the time of day.
5:15 Flashlight gameplay. I love a good horror game flashlight, and I think this is a very good effort. It looks realistic, it's bright enough to make immediate surroundings fully visible while keeping more distant locations in darkness.
5:17 Interestingly, Maria’s clothes are the only ones that have been substantially altered compared to the original game. Her OG outfit was copied directly from one that Christina Aguilera once wore in public, so maybe someone in Konami’s legal department was worried about including it.
5:27 Real-time map checking. I wonder if you can turn off the location indicator to make it more Immersive. If you compare this to the original Brookhaven map, it’s pretty substantially altered, so we will be seeing familiar locations get remixed.
5:37 Maria has some ambient dialogue. I like the snippet of writing here, it’s eerie and feels like it fits in with the classic Silent Hill tone. Bloober’s dialogue in prior games has been…let’s say “mixed” in quality, so this is very encouraging.
5:47 Everyone's favourite save square can be seen on the desk. It looks a lot bigger than the original ones, presumably to stand out more against the more cluttered environments.
6:11 Maria seems to go off and investigate locations rather than sticking close by James, at least in safe areas. Light and dark seem to be employed much more heavily to draw a distinction between safe and dangerous locations. I’m curious if this will happen more throughout the game, or if it’s just here.
6:15 The creepy nurse picture is interesting. It’s a very “Bloober-esque” touch and not the sort of thing that would have been in the original game. In my opinion this is coming right up to the edge of the sort of un-subtle horror imagery that’s turned me away from their previous games, but it’s just restrained enough that it doesn’t cross that line.
7:23 Sneaking past enemies is still a viable strategy.
7:47 I might be reading too much into this, but it kind of seems like this flickering light is reacting to the nurse’s presence. If so, it would be an interesting extension of enemies causing the radio to emit static.
8:01 Enemies (or at least nurses) can block attacks and shove James back, presumably to avoid the player stunlocking them. In this part we also see that the player can instantly switch from melee weapons to guns. I wonder how this works–do we have a melee and a firearm slot? Is the pipe now an upgrade that replaces the plank?
8:08 Shooting enemies in the legs will stagger them, Resident Evil 4 style. Presumably no sick spin-kicks from James though.
8:35 I’ve been very curious about how the game will handle doors, as making the player check every door they encounter only to have 85% of them be purely cosmetic is not going to fly in the year of our lord twenty twenty four. We see multiple rooms you can enter simply have their doors ajar already, which could be an easy way to distinguish between them.
9:30 The Jacob’s Ladder shaky-head effect shows up in gameplay!
10:22 This is the closest thing we see to an inventory screen, I’m curious if the game still has one. It appears that examining objects doesn’t pause, so enemies can come and getcha while you’re solving puzzles. It also appears that the game will use this to fuck with you.
11:09 This dialogue scene between James and Laura is absolutely phenomenal. A lot of that is down to great voice acting and facial animation, but the dialogue has also been rewritten to sound more natural and have better pacing. I know some people like the weird stilted conversations from the original game, but you have to admit they would have stood out like a sore thumb compared to otherwse modern production values.
13:17 Love the way the Flesh Lip crashes through the ceiling here
2024.05.31 21:10 byxis505 I am writing a novel and must reach out to black individuals to portray black characters with dignity and respect without stereotyping and using troupes. Could anyone help me?
I have not yet written the story but let me give you some context before we start.
Dilemma:
I would love to have black characters for diversity, but I fear I may not write them in a way that does them justice or it may come across wrong, therefore, it worries me to write one completely. I am not afraid to admit this to my readers but I believe that should I try as a writer to understand how to portray one with dignity to show my dedication and openmindfulness to my craft, and as a researched cultured human. I want to develop my skills in portraying diverse characters authentically and respectfully. This may involve conducting research, seeking out diverse perspectives, consulting with sensitivity readers, and engaging in ongoing learning about cultural sensitivity and representation in literature.
I have 3 books already and in not only did a black character appear for the reasons I have mentioned but also because the setting and location didn't require one in this Young-Adult fantasy novel. I have had Asian Japanese characters in the novel from the start and multiple nationalities including French, Italian, Russian, German, English etc, though as different races go, only Asians appear other than Caucasians. I worry that introducing one in book 4 may come across as only using a black character for diversity though this is technically not incorrect (because I want to keep my novels diverse as to appeal to everyone and to make my world more realistic.
I asked and did my research and I have come to the conclusion that it may be fine if I avoid the following troupes:
The "Magical Negro": This stereotype portrays Black characters as possessing mystical or supernatural abilities and often existing solely to aid white protagonists in their journeys or quests. Ensure that Jalé's character is not reduced to a mystical or magical figure whose only purpose is to serve the needs of others.
The "Savage" or "Primitive": Avoid depicting Jalé and his family as primitive or uncivilized compared to other characters. Instead, portray them as individuals with their own culture, traditions, and complexities.
The "Noble Savage": This stereotype romanticizes the simplicity and purity of Indigenous or African cultures while overlooking their diversity and complexity. Ensure that Jalé's character is not idealized or exoticized but rather presented as a fully realized individual with strengths, flaws, and aspirations.
The "Angry Black Man": Be cautious of portraying Jalé as excessively aggressive, hostile, or confrontational, as this can reinforce harmful stereotypes about Black individuals as inherently violent or threatening. Show him as a character who experiences a range of emotions and responses, like any other person.
The "Token" or "Exotic Other": Ensure that Jalé's presence in the story goes beyond tokenism or exoticism. Avoid using him as a mere symbol of diversity or as a plot device to add colour or flavour to the narrative without giving him depth, agency, and autonomy.
I told Chatgpt that my story will be as follows:
In conclusion, Jalé will be a powerful water wielder that comes from Western Africa and is aware of the current state of the world and me, using real research and feedback from people, will use that to make Jalé a more realistic human character whilst raising awareness to people about not only the world, but problems in Africa but without using him as a 'Token' or depicting him as 'An angry black man' or 'the noble savage' or 'the primitive' or just a simple 'magical negro.'
But still, Chatgpt told me:
You've put thought into how you plan to portray Jalé and have made efforts to avoid common stereotypes. Your intentions to depict him as a multidimensional character with agency, complexity, and depth are commendable. However, there are still some potential risks and considerations to keep in mind:
Supernatural Abilities: Be cautious about portraying Jalé as possessing supernatural abilities, as this can still potentially fall into the trope of the "Magical Negro." Ensure that his abilities are integrated into the narrative in a way that feels organic and serves to enhance his character rather than define it.
Cultural Sensitivity: While it's important to incorporate Jalé's cultural background into his character, be mindful of avoiding essentialism or reducing his identity to stereotypes about Africa or African cultures. Ensure that his cultural heritage is depicted authentically and respectfully, drawing on real research and consultation with individuals from African backgrounds.
Complexity and Humanity: Continue to develop Jalé as a fully realized character with his own motivations, goals, strengths, weaknesses, and complexities. Show that he is capable of growth, introspection, and change throughout the narrative, just like any other character.
Avoiding Tokenism: Reiterate your commitment to avoiding tokenism and using Jalé solely for the sake of diversity or as a plot device. Ensure that his presence in the story is meaningful and integral to the themes and plot, rather than superficial or tokenistic.
Feedback and Sensitivity Readers: Consider seeking feedback from sensitivity readers, particularly those from African backgrounds, to ensure that Jalé's portrayal is respectful, accurate, and free from harmful stereotypes. Listen to their insights and suggestions for improvement to refine your characterization.
Therefore, I still worry and asked where I could find sensitivity readers and he suggested Reddit, so here it goes.
My blurb:
My book is a young-adult mystery fantasy novel that explores themes of environmentalism, family bonds, and the power of determination in the face of adversity. Join Kai and his family on an epic underwater adventure where the fate of the world hangs in the balance. The Wells family search for an ancient artefact under the sea alongside two other powerful water families to find an artefact that can purify the world's ocean. If they fail, the King will go ahead with the war against humanity and use his powers to reshape it in his image with the Wells family being a part of it happily, though they would prefer to find this artefact. The King, however, has sent a betrayer to one of the three families. One family is Russian, one family is the Wells (who we know are innocent) and the other is a black family from Western Africa.
The betrayer I wanted to be from Africa but then Chatgpt made me realise that since I had no black characters in books 1,2,3 and now they appear in book 4 but as the antagonist at the end of the novel it might not be a good idea. I thought, well, the character named Jale' has motivations for what he is doing, he knows about the famine, poverty, and chaos in Africa since he comes from there (I will research deeply into this from real people of course,) and his motivation is to ruin the expedition resulting in the world being rebuilt by the king so that Africans living in this problem will be of equal fairness in the world regarding wealth, food, land etc. Then, I thought it would sound risky if I didn't handle this situation with care (since it is very real and it may upset people) The reason I chose this is simply to tie into my 3 novels' Theme of 'Environmentalism' with Africa being realistic to use.
Then Chatgpt gave me the idea of maybe using the black family from Africa as the other family, the Wells being the Wells family and the Russian family as the one who contains the betrayer to not outright make the black character as the villain though he might have good reason to do so.
I just wondered what you thought? If you think it was ok? A good idea? A bad idea? Any questions? Comments? Ideas? Warnings? I would greatly appreciate it guys, thanks in advance!
submitted by byxis505 to writingcirclejerk [link] [comments]
Dilemma:
I would love to have black characters for diversity, but I fear I may not write them in a way that does them justice or it may come across wrong, therefore, it worries me to write one completely. I am not afraid to admit this to my readers but I believe that should I try as a writer to understand how to portray one with dignity to show my dedication and openmindfulness to my craft, and as a researched cultured human. I want to develop my skills in portraying diverse characters authentically and respectfully. This may involve conducting research, seeking out diverse perspectives, consulting with sensitivity readers, and engaging in ongoing learning about cultural sensitivity and representation in literature.
I have 3 books already and in not only did a black character appear for the reasons I have mentioned but also because the setting and location didn't require one in this Young-Adult fantasy novel. I have had Asian Japanese characters in the novel from the start and multiple nationalities including French, Italian, Russian, German, English etc, though as different races go, only Asians appear other than Caucasians. I worry that introducing one in book 4 may come across as only using a black character for diversity though this is technically not incorrect (because I want to keep my novels diverse as to appeal to everyone and to make my world more realistic.
I asked and did my research and I have come to the conclusion that it may be fine if I avoid the following troupes:
The "Magical Negro": This stereotype portrays Black characters as possessing mystical or supernatural abilities and often existing solely to aid white protagonists in their journeys or quests. Ensure that Jalé's character is not reduced to a mystical or magical figure whose only purpose is to serve the needs of others.
The "Savage" or "Primitive": Avoid depicting Jalé and his family as primitive or uncivilized compared to other characters. Instead, portray them as individuals with their own culture, traditions, and complexities.
The "Noble Savage": This stereotype romanticizes the simplicity and purity of Indigenous or African cultures while overlooking their diversity and complexity. Ensure that Jalé's character is not idealized or exoticized but rather presented as a fully realized individual with strengths, flaws, and aspirations.
The "Angry Black Man": Be cautious of portraying Jalé as excessively aggressive, hostile, or confrontational, as this can reinforce harmful stereotypes about Black individuals as inherently violent or threatening. Show him as a character who experiences a range of emotions and responses, like any other person.
The "Token" or "Exotic Other": Ensure that Jalé's presence in the story goes beyond tokenism or exoticism. Avoid using him as a mere symbol of diversity or as a plot device to add colour or flavour to the narrative without giving him depth, agency, and autonomy.
I told Chatgpt that my story will be as follows:
In conclusion, Jalé will be a powerful water wielder that comes from Western Africa and is aware of the current state of the world and me, using real research and feedback from people, will use that to make Jalé a more realistic human character whilst raising awareness to people about not only the world, but problems in Africa but without using him as a 'Token' or depicting him as 'An angry black man' or 'the noble savage' or 'the primitive' or just a simple 'magical negro.'
But still, Chatgpt told me:
You've put thought into how you plan to portray Jalé and have made efforts to avoid common stereotypes. Your intentions to depict him as a multidimensional character with agency, complexity, and depth are commendable. However, there are still some potential risks and considerations to keep in mind:
Supernatural Abilities: Be cautious about portraying Jalé as possessing supernatural abilities, as this can still potentially fall into the trope of the "Magical Negro." Ensure that his abilities are integrated into the narrative in a way that feels organic and serves to enhance his character rather than define it.
Cultural Sensitivity: While it's important to incorporate Jalé's cultural background into his character, be mindful of avoiding essentialism or reducing his identity to stereotypes about Africa or African cultures. Ensure that his cultural heritage is depicted authentically and respectfully, drawing on real research and consultation with individuals from African backgrounds.
Complexity and Humanity: Continue to develop Jalé as a fully realized character with his own motivations, goals, strengths, weaknesses, and complexities. Show that he is capable of growth, introspection, and change throughout the narrative, just like any other character.
Avoiding Tokenism: Reiterate your commitment to avoiding tokenism and using Jalé solely for the sake of diversity or as a plot device. Ensure that his presence in the story is meaningful and integral to the themes and plot, rather than superficial or tokenistic.
Feedback and Sensitivity Readers: Consider seeking feedback from sensitivity readers, particularly those from African backgrounds, to ensure that Jalé's portrayal is respectful, accurate, and free from harmful stereotypes. Listen to their insights and suggestions for improvement to refine your characterization.
Therefore, I still worry and asked where I could find sensitivity readers and he suggested Reddit, so here it goes.
My blurb:
My book is a young-adult mystery fantasy novel that explores themes of environmentalism, family bonds, and the power of determination in the face of adversity. Join Kai and his family on an epic underwater adventure where the fate of the world hangs in the balance. The Wells family search for an ancient artefact under the sea alongside two other powerful water families to find an artefact that can purify the world's ocean. If they fail, the King will go ahead with the war against humanity and use his powers to reshape it in his image with the Wells family being a part of it happily, though they would prefer to find this artefact. The King, however, has sent a betrayer to one of the three families. One family is Russian, one family is the Wells (who we know are innocent) and the other is a black family from Western Africa.
The betrayer I wanted to be from Africa but then Chatgpt made me realise that since I had no black characters in books 1,2,3 and now they appear in book 4 but as the antagonist at the end of the novel it might not be a good idea. I thought, well, the character named Jale' has motivations for what he is doing, he knows about the famine, poverty, and chaos in Africa since he comes from there (I will research deeply into this from real people of course,) and his motivation is to ruin the expedition resulting in the world being rebuilt by the king so that Africans living in this problem will be of equal fairness in the world regarding wealth, food, land etc. Then, I thought it would sound risky if I didn't handle this situation with care (since it is very real and it may upset people) The reason I chose this is simply to tie into my 3 novels' Theme of 'Environmentalism' with Africa being realistic to use.
Then Chatgpt gave me the idea of maybe using the black family from Africa as the other family, the Wells being the Wells family and the Russian family as the one who contains the betrayer to not outright make the black character as the villain though he might have good reason to do so.
I just wondered what you thought? If you think it was ok? A good idea? A bad idea? Any questions? Comments? Ideas? Warnings? I would greatly appreciate it guys, thanks in advance!
2024.05.31 19:45 trumpetpunk I come bearing a small assortment of ship art featuring Death and my self-insert Shrek OC Sidhela, please join me in fawning over how ridiculously adorable they are together 🥺🥺🥺💕
2024.05.31 19:35 writerboy123 I am writing a novel and must reach out to black individuals to portray black characters with dignity and respect without stereotyping and using troupes. Could anyone help me?
I have not yet written the story but let me give you some context before we start.
Dilemma:
I would love to have black characters for diversity, but I fear I may not write them in a way that does them justice or it may come across wrong, therefore, it worries me to write one completely. I am not afraid to admit this to my readers but I believe that should I try as a writer to understand how to portray one with dignity to show my dedication and openmindfulness to my craft, and as a researched cultured human. I want to develop my skills in portraying diverse characters authentically and respectfully. This may involve conducting research, seeking out diverse perspectives, consulting with sensitivity readers, and engaging in ongoing learning about cultural sensitivity and representation in literature.
I have 3 books already and in not only did a black character appear for the reasons I have mentioned but also because the setting and location didn't require one in this Young-Adult fantasy novel. I have had Asian Japanese characters in the novel from the start and multiple nationalities including French, Italian, Russian, German, English etc, though as different races go, only Asians appear other than Caucasians. I worry that introducing one in book 4 may come across as only using a black character for diversity though this is technically not incorrect (because I want to keep my novels diverse as to appeal to everyone and to make my world more realistic.
I asked and did my research and I have come to the conclusion that it may be fine if I avoid the following troupes:
The "Magical Negro": This stereotype portrays Black characters as possessing mystical or supernatural abilities and often existing solely to aid white protagonists in their journeys or quests. Ensure that Jalé's character is not reduced to a mystical or magical figure whose only purpose is to serve the needs of others.
The "Savage" or "Primitive": Avoid depicting Jalé and his family as primitive or uncivilized compared to other characters. Instead, portray them as individuals with their own culture, traditions, and complexities.
The "Noble Savage": This stereotype romanticizes the simplicity and purity of Indigenous or African cultures while overlooking their diversity and complexity. Ensure that Jalé's character is not idealized or exoticized but rather presented as a fully realized individual with strengths, flaws, and aspirations.
The "Angry Black Man": Be cautious of portraying Jalé as excessively aggressive, hostile, or confrontational, as this can reinforce harmful stereotypes about Black individuals as inherently violent or threatening. Show him as a character who experiences a range of emotions and responses, like any other person.
The "Token" or "Exotic Other": Ensure that Jalé's presence in the story goes beyond tokenism or exoticism. Avoid using him as a mere symbol of diversity or as a plot device to add colour or flavour to the narrative without giving him depth, agency, and autonomy.
I told Chatgpt that my story will be as follows:
In conclusion, Jalé will be a powerful water wielder that comes from Western Africa and is aware of the current state of the world and me, using real research and feedback from people, will use that to make Jalé a more realistic human character whilst raising awareness to people about not only the world, but problems in Africa but without using him as a 'Token' or depicting him as 'An angry black man' or 'the noble savage' or 'the primitive' or just a simple 'magical negro.'
But still, Chatgpt told me:
You've put thought into how you plan to portray Jalé and have made efforts to avoid common stereotypes. Your intentions to depict him as a multidimensional character with agency, complexity, and depth are commendable. However, there are still some potential risks and considerations to keep in mind:
Supernatural Abilities: Be cautious about portraying Jalé as possessing supernatural abilities, as this can still potentially fall into the trope of the "Magical Negro." Ensure that his abilities are integrated into the narrative in a way that feels organic and serves to enhance his character rather than define it.
Cultural Sensitivity: While it's important to incorporate Jalé's cultural background into his character, be mindful of avoiding essentialism or reducing his identity to stereotypes about Africa or African cultures. Ensure that his cultural heritage is depicted authentically and respectfully, drawing on real research and consultation with individuals from African backgrounds.
Complexity and Humanity: Continue to develop Jalé as a fully realized character with his own motivations, goals, strengths, weaknesses, and complexities. Show that he is capable of growth, introspection, and change throughout the narrative, just like any other character.
Avoiding Tokenism: Reiterate your commitment to avoiding tokenism and using Jalé solely for the sake of diversity or as a plot device. Ensure that his presence in the story is meaningful and integral to the themes and plot, rather than superficial or tokenistic.
Feedback and Sensitivity Readers: Consider seeking feedback from sensitivity readers, particularly those from African backgrounds, to ensure that Jalé's portrayal is respectful, accurate, and free from harmful stereotypes. Listen to their insights and suggestions for improvement to refine your characterization.
Therefore, I still worry and asked where I could find sensitivity readers and he suggested Reddit, so here it goes.
My blurb:
My book is a young-adult mystery fantasy novel that explores themes of environmentalism, family bonds, and the power of determination in the face of adversity. Join Kai and his family on an epic underwater adventure where the fate of the world hangs in the balance. The Wells family search for an ancient artefact under the sea alongside two other powerful water families to find an artefact that can purify the world's ocean. If they fail, the King will go ahead with the war against humanity and use his powers to reshape it in his image with the Wells family being a part of it happily, though they would prefer to find this artefact. The King, however, has sent a betrayer to one of the three families. One family is Russian, one family is the Wells (who we know are innocent) and the other is a black family from Western Africa.
The betrayer I wanted to be from Africa but then Chatgpt made me realise that since I had no black characters in books 1,2,3 and now they appear in book 4 but as the antagonist at the end of the novel it might not be a good idea. I thought, well, the character named Jale' has motivations for what he is doing, he knows about the famine, poverty, and chaos in Africa since he comes from there (I will research deeply into this from real people of course,) and his motivation is to ruin the expedition resulting in the world being rebuilt by the king so that Africans living in this problem will be of equal fairness in the world regarding wealth, food, land etc. Then, I thought it would sound risky if I didn't handle this situation with care (since it is very real and it may upset people) The reason I chose this is simply to tie into my 3 novels' Theme of 'Environmentalism' with Africa being realistic to use.
Then Chatgpt gave me the idea of maybe using the black family from Africa as the other family, the Wells being the Wells family and the Russian family as the one who contains the betrayer to not outright make the black character as the villain though he might have good reason to do so.
I just wondered what you thought? If you think it was ok? A good idea? A bad idea? Any questions? Comments? Ideas? Warnings? I would greatly appreciate it guys, thanks in advance!
submitted by writerboy123 to fantasywriters [link] [comments]
Dilemma:
I would love to have black characters for diversity, but I fear I may not write them in a way that does them justice or it may come across wrong, therefore, it worries me to write one completely. I am not afraid to admit this to my readers but I believe that should I try as a writer to understand how to portray one with dignity to show my dedication and openmindfulness to my craft, and as a researched cultured human. I want to develop my skills in portraying diverse characters authentically and respectfully. This may involve conducting research, seeking out diverse perspectives, consulting with sensitivity readers, and engaging in ongoing learning about cultural sensitivity and representation in literature.
I have 3 books already and in not only did a black character appear for the reasons I have mentioned but also because the setting and location didn't require one in this Young-Adult fantasy novel. I have had Asian Japanese characters in the novel from the start and multiple nationalities including French, Italian, Russian, German, English etc, though as different races go, only Asians appear other than Caucasians. I worry that introducing one in book 4 may come across as only using a black character for diversity though this is technically not incorrect (because I want to keep my novels diverse as to appeal to everyone and to make my world more realistic.
I asked and did my research and I have come to the conclusion that it may be fine if I avoid the following troupes:
The "Magical Negro": This stereotype portrays Black characters as possessing mystical or supernatural abilities and often existing solely to aid white protagonists in their journeys or quests. Ensure that Jalé's character is not reduced to a mystical or magical figure whose only purpose is to serve the needs of others.
The "Savage" or "Primitive": Avoid depicting Jalé and his family as primitive or uncivilized compared to other characters. Instead, portray them as individuals with their own culture, traditions, and complexities.
The "Noble Savage": This stereotype romanticizes the simplicity and purity of Indigenous or African cultures while overlooking their diversity and complexity. Ensure that Jalé's character is not idealized or exoticized but rather presented as a fully realized individual with strengths, flaws, and aspirations.
The "Angry Black Man": Be cautious of portraying Jalé as excessively aggressive, hostile, or confrontational, as this can reinforce harmful stereotypes about Black individuals as inherently violent or threatening. Show him as a character who experiences a range of emotions and responses, like any other person.
The "Token" or "Exotic Other": Ensure that Jalé's presence in the story goes beyond tokenism or exoticism. Avoid using him as a mere symbol of diversity or as a plot device to add colour or flavour to the narrative without giving him depth, agency, and autonomy.
I told Chatgpt that my story will be as follows:
In conclusion, Jalé will be a powerful water wielder that comes from Western Africa and is aware of the current state of the world and me, using real research and feedback from people, will use that to make Jalé a more realistic human character whilst raising awareness to people about not only the world, but problems in Africa but without using him as a 'Token' or depicting him as 'An angry black man' or 'the noble savage' or 'the primitive' or just a simple 'magical negro.'
But still, Chatgpt told me:
You've put thought into how you plan to portray Jalé and have made efforts to avoid common stereotypes. Your intentions to depict him as a multidimensional character with agency, complexity, and depth are commendable. However, there are still some potential risks and considerations to keep in mind:
Supernatural Abilities: Be cautious about portraying Jalé as possessing supernatural abilities, as this can still potentially fall into the trope of the "Magical Negro." Ensure that his abilities are integrated into the narrative in a way that feels organic and serves to enhance his character rather than define it.
Cultural Sensitivity: While it's important to incorporate Jalé's cultural background into his character, be mindful of avoiding essentialism or reducing his identity to stereotypes about Africa or African cultures. Ensure that his cultural heritage is depicted authentically and respectfully, drawing on real research and consultation with individuals from African backgrounds.
Complexity and Humanity: Continue to develop Jalé as a fully realized character with his own motivations, goals, strengths, weaknesses, and complexities. Show that he is capable of growth, introspection, and change throughout the narrative, just like any other character.
Avoiding Tokenism: Reiterate your commitment to avoiding tokenism and using Jalé solely for the sake of diversity or as a plot device. Ensure that his presence in the story is meaningful and integral to the themes and plot, rather than superficial or tokenistic.
Feedback and Sensitivity Readers: Consider seeking feedback from sensitivity readers, particularly those from African backgrounds, to ensure that Jalé's portrayal is respectful, accurate, and free from harmful stereotypes. Listen to their insights and suggestions for improvement to refine your characterization.
Therefore, I still worry and asked where I could find sensitivity readers and he suggested Reddit, so here it goes.
My blurb:
My book is a young-adult mystery fantasy novel that explores themes of environmentalism, family bonds, and the power of determination in the face of adversity. Join Kai and his family on an epic underwater adventure where the fate of the world hangs in the balance. The Wells family search for an ancient artefact under the sea alongside two other powerful water families to find an artefact that can purify the world's ocean. If they fail, the King will go ahead with the war against humanity and use his powers to reshape it in his image with the Wells family being a part of it happily, though they would prefer to find this artefact. The King, however, has sent a betrayer to one of the three families. One family is Russian, one family is the Wells (who we know are innocent) and the other is a black family from Western Africa.
The betrayer I wanted to be from Africa but then Chatgpt made me realise that since I had no black characters in books 1,2,3 and now they appear in book 4 but as the antagonist at the end of the novel it might not be a good idea. I thought, well, the character named Jale' has motivations for what he is doing, he knows about the famine, poverty, and chaos in Africa since he comes from there (I will research deeply into this from real people of course,) and his motivation is to ruin the expedition resulting in the world being rebuilt by the king so that Africans living in this problem will be of equal fairness in the world regarding wealth, food, land etc. Then, I thought it would sound risky if I didn't handle this situation with care (since it is very real and it may upset people) The reason I chose this is simply to tie into my 3 novels' Theme of 'Environmentalism' with Africa being realistic to use.
Then Chatgpt gave me the idea of maybe using the black family from Africa as the other family, the Wells being the Wells family and the Russian family as the one who contains the betrayer to not outright make the black character as the villain though he might have good reason to do so.
I just wondered what you thought? If you think it was ok? A good idea? A bad idea? Any questions? Comments? Ideas? Warnings? I would greatly appreciate it guys, thanks in advance!
2024.05.31 19:34 writerboy123 I am writing a novel and must reach out to black individuals to portray black characters with dignity and respect without stereotyping and using troupes. Could anyone help me?
I have not yet written the story but let me give you some context before we start.
Dilemma:
I would love to have black characters for diversity, but I fear I may not write them in a way that does them justice or it may come across wrong, therefore, it worries me to write one completely. I am not afraid to admit this to my readers but I believe that should I try as a writer to understand how to portray one with dignity to show my dedication and openmindfulness to my craft, and as a researched cultured human. I want to develop my skills in portraying diverse characters authentically and respectfully. This may involve conducting research, seeking out diverse perspectives, consulting with sensitivity readers, and engaging in ongoing learning about cultural sensitivity and representation in literature.
I have 3 books already and in not only did a black character appear for the reasons I have mentioned but also because the setting and location didn't require one in this Young-Adult fantasy novel. I have had Asian Japanese characters in the novel from the start and multiple nationalities including French, Italian, Russian, German, English etc, though as different races go, only Asians appear other than Caucasians. I worry that introducing one in book 4 may come across as only using a black character for diversity though this is technically not incorrect (because I want to keep my novels diverse as to appeal to everyone and to make my world more realistic.
I asked and did my research and I have come to the conclusion that it may be fine if I avoid the following troupes:
The "Magical Negro": This stereotype portrays Black characters as possessing mystical or supernatural abilities and often existing solely to aid white protagonists in their journeys or quests. Ensure that Jalé's character is not reduced to a mystical or magical figure whose only purpose is to serve the needs of others.
The "Savage" or "Primitive": Avoid depicting Jalé and his family as primitive or uncivilized compared to other characters. Instead, portray them as individuals with their own culture, traditions, and complexities.
The "Noble Savage": This stereotype romanticizes the simplicity and purity of Indigenous or African cultures while overlooking their diversity and complexity. Ensure that Jalé's character is not idealized or exoticized but rather presented as a fully realized individual with strengths, flaws, and aspirations.
The "Angry Black Man": Be cautious of portraying Jalé as excessively aggressive, hostile, or confrontational, as this can reinforce harmful stereotypes about Black individuals as inherently violent or threatening. Show him as a character who experiences a range of emotions and responses, like any other person.
The "Token" or "Exotic Other": Ensure that Jalé's presence in the story goes beyond tokenism or exoticism. Avoid using him as a mere symbol of diversity or as a plot device to add colour or flavour to the narrative without giving him depth, agency, and autonomy.
I told Chatgpt that my story will be as follows:
In conclusion, Jalé will be a powerful water wielder that comes from Western Africa and is aware of the current state of the world and me, using real research and feedback from people, will use that to make Jalé a more realistic human character whilst raising awareness to people about not only the world, but problems in Africa but without using him as a 'Token' or depicting him as 'An angry black man' or 'the noble savage' or 'the primitive' or just a simple 'magical negro.'
But still, Chatgpt told me:
You've put thought into how you plan to portray Jalé and have made efforts to avoid common stereotypes. Your intentions to depict him as a multidimensional character with agency, complexity, and depth are commendable. However, there are still some potential risks and considerations to keep in mind:
Supernatural Abilities: Be cautious about portraying Jalé as possessing supernatural abilities, as this can still potentially fall into the trope of the "Magical Negro." Ensure that his abilities are integrated into the narrative in a way that feels organic and serves to enhance his character rather than define it.
Cultural Sensitivity: While it's important to incorporate Jalé's cultural background into his character, be mindful of avoiding essentialism or reducing his identity to stereotypes about Africa or African cultures. Ensure that his cultural heritage is depicted authentically and respectfully, drawing on real research and consultation with individuals from African backgrounds.
Complexity and Humanity: Continue to develop Jalé as a fully realized character with his own motivations, goals, strengths, weaknesses, and complexities. Show that he is capable of growth, introspection, and change throughout the narrative, just like any other character.
Avoiding Tokenism: Reiterate your commitment to avoiding tokenism and using Jalé solely for the sake of diversity or as a plot device. Ensure that his presence in the story is meaningful and integral to the themes and plot, rather than superficial or tokenistic.
Feedback and Sensitivity Readers: Consider seeking feedback from sensitivity readers, particularly those from African backgrounds, to ensure that Jalé's portrayal is respectful, accurate, and free from harmful stereotypes. Listen to their insights and suggestions for improvement to refine your characterization.
Therefore, I still worry and asked where I could find sensitivity readers and he suggested Reddit, so here it goes.
My blurb:
My book is a young-adult mystery fantasy novel that explores themes of environmentalism, family bonds, and the power of determination in the face of adversity. Join Kai and his family on an epic underwater adventure where the fate of the world hangs in the balance. The Wells family search for an ancient artefact under the sea alongside two other powerful water families to find an artefact that can purify the world's ocean. If they fail, the King will go ahead with the war against humanity and use his powers to reshape it in his image with the Wells family being a part of it happily, though they would prefer to find this artefact. The King, however, has sent a betrayer to one of the three families. One family is Russian, one family is the Wells (who we know are innocent) and the other is a black family from Western Africa.
The betrayer I wanted to be from Africa but then Chatgpt made me realise that since I had no black characters in books 1,2,3 and now they appear in book 4 but as the antagonist at the end of the novel it might not be a good idea. I thought, well, the character named Jale' has motivations for what he is doing, he knows about the famine, poverty, and chaos in Africa since he comes from there (I will research deeply into this from real people of course,) and his motivation is to ruin the expedition resulting in the world being rebuilt by the king so that Africans living in this problem will be of equal fairness in the world regarding wealth, food, land etc. Then, I thought it would sound risky if I didn't handle this situation with care (since it is very real and it may upset people) The reason I chose this is simply to tie into my 3 novels' Theme of 'Environmentalism' with Africa being realistic to use.
Then Chatgpt gave me the idea of maybe using the black family from Africa as the other family, the Wells being the Wells family and the Russian family as the one who contains the betrayer to not outright make the black character as the villain though he might have good reason to do so.
I just wondered what you thought? If you think it was ok? A good idea? A bad idea? Any questions? Comments? Ideas? Warnings? I would greatly appreciate it guys, thanks in advance!
submitted by writerboy123 to WritingHub [link] [comments]
Dilemma:
I would love to have black characters for diversity, but I fear I may not write them in a way that does them justice or it may come across wrong, therefore, it worries me to write one completely. I am not afraid to admit this to my readers but I believe that should I try as a writer to understand how to portray one with dignity to show my dedication and openmindfulness to my craft, and as a researched cultured human. I want to develop my skills in portraying diverse characters authentically and respectfully. This may involve conducting research, seeking out diverse perspectives, consulting with sensitivity readers, and engaging in ongoing learning about cultural sensitivity and representation in literature.
I have 3 books already and in not only did a black character appear for the reasons I have mentioned but also because the setting and location didn't require one in this Young-Adult fantasy novel. I have had Asian Japanese characters in the novel from the start and multiple nationalities including French, Italian, Russian, German, English etc, though as different races go, only Asians appear other than Caucasians. I worry that introducing one in book 4 may come across as only using a black character for diversity though this is technically not incorrect (because I want to keep my novels diverse as to appeal to everyone and to make my world more realistic.
I asked and did my research and I have come to the conclusion that it may be fine if I avoid the following troupes:
The "Magical Negro": This stereotype portrays Black characters as possessing mystical or supernatural abilities and often existing solely to aid white protagonists in their journeys or quests. Ensure that Jalé's character is not reduced to a mystical or magical figure whose only purpose is to serve the needs of others.
The "Savage" or "Primitive": Avoid depicting Jalé and his family as primitive or uncivilized compared to other characters. Instead, portray them as individuals with their own culture, traditions, and complexities.
The "Noble Savage": This stereotype romanticizes the simplicity and purity of Indigenous or African cultures while overlooking their diversity and complexity. Ensure that Jalé's character is not idealized or exoticized but rather presented as a fully realized individual with strengths, flaws, and aspirations.
The "Angry Black Man": Be cautious of portraying Jalé as excessively aggressive, hostile, or confrontational, as this can reinforce harmful stereotypes about Black individuals as inherently violent or threatening. Show him as a character who experiences a range of emotions and responses, like any other person.
The "Token" or "Exotic Other": Ensure that Jalé's presence in the story goes beyond tokenism or exoticism. Avoid using him as a mere symbol of diversity or as a plot device to add colour or flavour to the narrative without giving him depth, agency, and autonomy.
I told Chatgpt that my story will be as follows:
In conclusion, Jalé will be a powerful water wielder that comes from Western Africa and is aware of the current state of the world and me, using real research and feedback from people, will use that to make Jalé a more realistic human character whilst raising awareness to people about not only the world, but problems in Africa but without using him as a 'Token' or depicting him as 'An angry black man' or 'the noble savage' or 'the primitive' or just a simple 'magical negro.'
But still, Chatgpt told me:
You've put thought into how you plan to portray Jalé and have made efforts to avoid common stereotypes. Your intentions to depict him as a multidimensional character with agency, complexity, and depth are commendable. However, there are still some potential risks and considerations to keep in mind:
Supernatural Abilities: Be cautious about portraying Jalé as possessing supernatural abilities, as this can still potentially fall into the trope of the "Magical Negro." Ensure that his abilities are integrated into the narrative in a way that feels organic and serves to enhance his character rather than define it.
Cultural Sensitivity: While it's important to incorporate Jalé's cultural background into his character, be mindful of avoiding essentialism or reducing his identity to stereotypes about Africa or African cultures. Ensure that his cultural heritage is depicted authentically and respectfully, drawing on real research and consultation with individuals from African backgrounds.
Complexity and Humanity: Continue to develop Jalé as a fully realized character with his own motivations, goals, strengths, weaknesses, and complexities. Show that he is capable of growth, introspection, and change throughout the narrative, just like any other character.
Avoiding Tokenism: Reiterate your commitment to avoiding tokenism and using Jalé solely for the sake of diversity or as a plot device. Ensure that his presence in the story is meaningful and integral to the themes and plot, rather than superficial or tokenistic.
Feedback and Sensitivity Readers: Consider seeking feedback from sensitivity readers, particularly those from African backgrounds, to ensure that Jalé's portrayal is respectful, accurate, and free from harmful stereotypes. Listen to their insights and suggestions for improvement to refine your characterization.
Therefore, I still worry and asked where I could find sensitivity readers and he suggested Reddit, so here it goes.
My blurb:
My book is a young-adult mystery fantasy novel that explores themes of environmentalism, family bonds, and the power of determination in the face of adversity. Join Kai and his family on an epic underwater adventure where the fate of the world hangs in the balance. The Wells family search for an ancient artefact under the sea alongside two other powerful water families to find an artefact that can purify the world's ocean. If they fail, the King will go ahead with the war against humanity and use his powers to reshape it in his image with the Wells family being a part of it happily, though they would prefer to find this artefact. The King, however, has sent a betrayer to one of the three families. One family is Russian, one family is the Wells (who we know are innocent) and the other is a black family from Western Africa.
The betrayer I wanted to be from Africa but then Chatgpt made me realise that since I had no black characters in books 1,2,3 and now they appear in book 4 but as the antagonist at the end of the novel it might not be a good idea. I thought, well, the character named Jale' has motivations for what he is doing, he knows about the famine, poverty, and chaos in Africa since he comes from there (I will research deeply into this from real people of course,) and his motivation is to ruin the expedition resulting in the world being rebuilt by the king so that Africans living in this problem will be of equal fairness in the world regarding wealth, food, land etc. Then, I thought it would sound risky if I didn't handle this situation with care (since it is very real and it may upset people) The reason I chose this is simply to tie into my 3 novels' Theme of 'Environmentalism' with Africa being realistic to use.
Then Chatgpt gave me the idea of maybe using the black family from Africa as the other family, the Wells being the Wells family and the Russian family as the one who contains the betrayer to not outright make the black character as the villain though he might have good reason to do so.
I just wondered what you thought? If you think it was ok? A good idea? A bad idea? Any questions? Comments? Ideas? Warnings? I would greatly appreciate it guys, thanks in advance!
2024.05.31 19:31 writerboy123 I am writing a novel and must reach out to black individuals to portray black characters with dignity and respect without stereotyping and using troupes. Could anyone help me?
I have not yet written the story but let me give you some context before we start.
Dilemma:
I would love to have black characters for diversity, but I fear I may not write them in a way that does them justice or it may come across wrong, therefore, it worries me to write one completely. I am not afraid to admit this to my readers but I believe that should I try as a writer to understand how to portray one with dignity to show my dedication and openmindfulness to my craft, and as a researched cultured human. I want to develop my skills in portraying diverse characters authentically and respectfully. This may involve conducting research, seeking out diverse perspectives, consulting with sensitivity readers, and engaging in ongoing learning about cultural sensitivity and representation in literature.
I have 3 books already and in not only did a black character appear for the reasons I have mentioned but also because the setting and location didn't require one in this Young-Adult fantasy novel. I have had Asian Japanese characters in the novel from the start and multiple nationalities including French, Italian, Russian, German, English etc, though as different races go, only Asians appear other than Caucasians. I worry that introducing one in book 4 may come across as only using a black character for diversity though this is technically not incorrect (because I want to keep my novels diverse as to appeal to everyone and to make my world more realistic.
I asked and did my research and I have come to the conclusion that it may be fine if I avoid the following troupes:
The "Magical Negro": This stereotype portrays Black characters as possessing mystical or supernatural abilities and often existing solely to aid white protagonists in their journeys or quests. Ensure that Jalé's character is not reduced to a mystical or magical figure whose only purpose is to serve the needs of others. The "Savage" or "Primitive": Avoid depicting Jalé and his family as primitive or uncivilized compared to other characters. Instead, portray them as individuals with their own culture, traditions, and complexities. The "Noble Savage": This stereotype romanticizes the simplicity and purity of Indigenous or African cultures while overlooking their diversity and complexity. Ensure that Jalé's character is not idealized or exoticized but rather presented as a fully realized individual with strengths, flaws, and aspirations. The "Angry Black Man": Be cautious of portraying Jalé as excessively aggressive, hostile, or confrontational, as this can reinforce harmful stereotypes about Black individuals as inherently violent or threatening. Show him as a character who experiences a range of emotions and responses, like any other person. The "Token" or "Exotic Other": Ensure that Jalé's presence in the story goes beyond tokenism or exoticism. Avoid using him as a mere symbol of diversity or as a plot device to add colour or flavour to the narrative without giving him depth, agency, and autonomy.
I told Chatgpt that my story will be as follows:
In conclusion, Jalé will be a powerful water wielder that comes from Western Africa and is aware of the current state of the world and me, using real research and feedback from people, will use that to make Jalé a more realistic human character whilst raising awareness to people about not only the world, but problems in Africa but without using him as a 'Token' or depicting him as 'An angry black man' or 'the noble savage' or 'the primitive' or just a simple 'magical negro.'
But still, Chatgpt told me:
You've put thought into how you plan to portray Jalé and have made efforts to avoid common stereotypes. Your intentions to depict him as a multidimensional character with agency, complexity, and depth are commendable. However, there are still some potential risks and considerations to keep in mind: Supernatural Abilities: Be cautious about portraying Jalé as possessing supernatural abilities, as this can still potentially fall into the trope of the "Magical Negro." Ensure that his abilities are integrated into the narrative in a way that feels organic and serves to enhance his character rather than define it. Cultural Sensitivity: While it's important to incorporate Jalé's cultural background into his character, be mindful of avoiding essentialism or reducing his identity to stereotypes about Africa or African cultures. Ensure that his cultural heritage is depicted authentically and respectfully, drawing on real research and consultation with individuals from African backgrounds. Complexity and Humanity: Continue to develop Jalé as a fully realized character with his own motivations, goals, strengths, weaknesses, and complexities. Show that he is capable of growth, introspection, and change throughout the narrative, just like any other character. Avoiding Tokenism: Reiterate your commitment to avoiding tokenism and using Jalé solely for the sake of diversity or as a plot device. Ensure that his presence in the story is meaningful and integral to the themes and plot, rather than superficial or tokenistic. Feedback and Sensitivity Readers: Consider seeking feedback from sensitivity readers, particularly those from African backgrounds, to ensure that Jalé's portrayal is respectful, accurate, and free from harmful stereotypes. Listen to their insights and suggestions for improvement to refine your characterization.
Therefore, I still worry and asked where I could find sensitivity readers and he suggested Reddit, so here it goes.
My blurb:
My book is a young-adult mystery fantasy novel that explores themes of environmentalism, family bonds, and the power of determination in the face of adversity. Join Kai and his family on an epic underwater adventure where the fate of the world hangs in the balance. The Wells family search for an ancient artefact under the sea alongside two other powerful water families to find an artefact that can purify the world's ocean. If they fail, the King will go ahead with the war against humanity and use his powers to reshape it in his image with the Wells family being a part of it happily, though they would prefer to find this artefact. The King, however, has sent a betrayer to one of the three families. One family is Russian, one family is the Wells (who we know are innocent) and the other is a black family from Western Africa.
The betrayer I wanted to be from Africa but then Chatgpt made me realise that since I had no black characters in books 1,2,3 and now they appear in book 4 but as the antagonist at the end of the novel it might not be a good idea. I thought, well, the character named Jale' has motivations for what he is doing, he knows about the famine, poverty, and chaos in Africa since he comes from there (I will research deeply into this from real people of course,) and his motivation is to ruin the expedition resulting in the world being rebuilt by the king so that Africans living in this problem will be of equal fairness in the world regarding wealth, food, land etc. Then, I thought it would sound risky if I didn't handle this situation with care (since it is very real and it may upset people) The reason I chose this is simply to tie into my 3 novels' Theme of 'Environmentalism' with Africa being realistic to use.
Then Chatgpt gave me the idea of maybe using the black family from Africa as the other family, the Wells being the Wells family and the Russian family as the one who contains the betrayer to not outright make the black character as the villain though he might have good reason to do so.
I just wondered what you thought? If you think it was ok? A good idea? A bad idea? Any questions? Comments? Ideas? Warnings? I would greatly appreciate it guys, thanks in advance!
submitted by writerboy123 to SensitivityReaders [link] [comments]
Dilemma:
I would love to have black characters for diversity, but I fear I may not write them in a way that does them justice or it may come across wrong, therefore, it worries me to write one completely. I am not afraid to admit this to my readers but I believe that should I try as a writer to understand how to portray one with dignity to show my dedication and openmindfulness to my craft, and as a researched cultured human. I want to develop my skills in portraying diverse characters authentically and respectfully. This may involve conducting research, seeking out diverse perspectives, consulting with sensitivity readers, and engaging in ongoing learning about cultural sensitivity and representation in literature.
I have 3 books already and in not only did a black character appear for the reasons I have mentioned but also because the setting and location didn't require one in this Young-Adult fantasy novel. I have had Asian Japanese characters in the novel from the start and multiple nationalities including French, Italian, Russian, German, English etc, though as different races go, only Asians appear other than Caucasians. I worry that introducing one in book 4 may come across as only using a black character for diversity though this is technically not incorrect (because I want to keep my novels diverse as to appeal to everyone and to make my world more realistic.
I asked and did my research and I have come to the conclusion that it may be fine if I avoid the following troupes:
The "Magical Negro": This stereotype portrays Black characters as possessing mystical or supernatural abilities and often existing solely to aid white protagonists in their journeys or quests. Ensure that Jalé's character is not reduced to a mystical or magical figure whose only purpose is to serve the needs of others. The "Savage" or "Primitive": Avoid depicting Jalé and his family as primitive or uncivilized compared to other characters. Instead, portray them as individuals with their own culture, traditions, and complexities. The "Noble Savage": This stereotype romanticizes the simplicity and purity of Indigenous or African cultures while overlooking their diversity and complexity. Ensure that Jalé's character is not idealized or exoticized but rather presented as a fully realized individual with strengths, flaws, and aspirations. The "Angry Black Man": Be cautious of portraying Jalé as excessively aggressive, hostile, or confrontational, as this can reinforce harmful stereotypes about Black individuals as inherently violent or threatening. Show him as a character who experiences a range of emotions and responses, like any other person. The "Token" or "Exotic Other": Ensure that Jalé's presence in the story goes beyond tokenism or exoticism. Avoid using him as a mere symbol of diversity or as a plot device to add colour or flavour to the narrative without giving him depth, agency, and autonomy.
I told Chatgpt that my story will be as follows:
In conclusion, Jalé will be a powerful water wielder that comes from Western Africa and is aware of the current state of the world and me, using real research and feedback from people, will use that to make Jalé a more realistic human character whilst raising awareness to people about not only the world, but problems in Africa but without using him as a 'Token' or depicting him as 'An angry black man' or 'the noble savage' or 'the primitive' or just a simple 'magical negro.'
But still, Chatgpt told me:
You've put thought into how you plan to portray Jalé and have made efforts to avoid common stereotypes. Your intentions to depict him as a multidimensional character with agency, complexity, and depth are commendable. However, there are still some potential risks and considerations to keep in mind: Supernatural Abilities: Be cautious about portraying Jalé as possessing supernatural abilities, as this can still potentially fall into the trope of the "Magical Negro." Ensure that his abilities are integrated into the narrative in a way that feels organic and serves to enhance his character rather than define it. Cultural Sensitivity: While it's important to incorporate Jalé's cultural background into his character, be mindful of avoiding essentialism or reducing his identity to stereotypes about Africa or African cultures. Ensure that his cultural heritage is depicted authentically and respectfully, drawing on real research and consultation with individuals from African backgrounds. Complexity and Humanity: Continue to develop Jalé as a fully realized character with his own motivations, goals, strengths, weaknesses, and complexities. Show that he is capable of growth, introspection, and change throughout the narrative, just like any other character. Avoiding Tokenism: Reiterate your commitment to avoiding tokenism and using Jalé solely for the sake of diversity or as a plot device. Ensure that his presence in the story is meaningful and integral to the themes and plot, rather than superficial or tokenistic. Feedback and Sensitivity Readers: Consider seeking feedback from sensitivity readers, particularly those from African backgrounds, to ensure that Jalé's portrayal is respectful, accurate, and free from harmful stereotypes. Listen to their insights and suggestions for improvement to refine your characterization.
Therefore, I still worry and asked where I could find sensitivity readers and he suggested Reddit, so here it goes.
My blurb:
My book is a young-adult mystery fantasy novel that explores themes of environmentalism, family bonds, and the power of determination in the face of adversity. Join Kai and his family on an epic underwater adventure where the fate of the world hangs in the balance. The Wells family search for an ancient artefact under the sea alongside two other powerful water families to find an artefact that can purify the world's ocean. If they fail, the King will go ahead with the war against humanity and use his powers to reshape it in his image with the Wells family being a part of it happily, though they would prefer to find this artefact. The King, however, has sent a betrayer to one of the three families. One family is Russian, one family is the Wells (who we know are innocent) and the other is a black family from Western Africa.
The betrayer I wanted to be from Africa but then Chatgpt made me realise that since I had no black characters in books 1,2,3 and now they appear in book 4 but as the antagonist at the end of the novel it might not be a good idea. I thought, well, the character named Jale' has motivations for what he is doing, he knows about the famine, poverty, and chaos in Africa since he comes from there (I will research deeply into this from real people of course,) and his motivation is to ruin the expedition resulting in the world being rebuilt by the king so that Africans living in this problem will be of equal fairness in the world regarding wealth, food, land etc. Then, I thought it would sound risky if I didn't handle this situation with care (since it is very real and it may upset people) The reason I chose this is simply to tie into my 3 novels' Theme of 'Environmentalism' with Africa being realistic to use.
Then Chatgpt gave me the idea of maybe using the black family from Africa as the other family, the Wells being the Wells family and the Russian family as the one who contains the betrayer to not outright make the black character as the villain though he might have good reason to do so.
I just wondered what you thought? If you think it was ok? A good idea? A bad idea? Any questions? Comments? Ideas? Warnings? I would greatly appreciate it guys, thanks in advance!
2024.05.31 18:26 Obvious_Ad4159 Sand & Steel: Chapter 8 - High Elves & High Treason
The elven war room was, once more, entirely shrouded in silence. Lymlok, his sister and general Eirlys sat at the side of the table, heads down. They avoided her gaze.
"So, this is how the elves of Vatur display their capabilities at defending the Silver Forest?" She spoke.
"Throwing bodies at the invaders, hoping they run out of ammunition before you run out of soldiers? Last I checked, before me stand elves, not orcs."
"Lady Aurelia, we-"
"Tie your tongue Lymlok, while you still have it." The High Elf looked at him. Her voice never raised in tonality, but the weight of her words was crushing.
To regular elves, High Elves were like demigods. Their power was beyond anything even the most gifted elven mages could dream of attaining. True immortality, blessed by the Gods themselves. No title, no crown, no status could measure to a High Elf in the hierarchy of the species. Their words were law, their orders absolute.
"Permission to speak?" Princess Claudia spoke, her voice soft and timid.
"No. I have no use of your mouths, nor anything that might come from them." Aurelia waved her off.
"Eirlys already informed on everything I should know about these apes."
The radiant woman stood up from her seat at the head of the table and walked over to the balcony. Her eyes peered at the horizon, seeing farther than even the best Vatur scouts could.
"So, that is the Rail cannon? The Iron Fortress that shot a hole through the Home Tree?"
"Yes, Lady Aurelia." Claudia responded.
"What an ugly contraption. And I believed the dwarven machinery was unsightly." She scoffed.
"Not surprising that Eothen died trying to stop it though."
For the first time since Aurelia entered the war room, the royal siblings dared to look up. A still fresh rage simmered inside them, at the mention of their brother's death at the hands of the invading humans.
That feeling was fleeting however, Aurelia's golden eyes meeting theirs. Lymlok and Claudia quickly averted their gaze, hanging their heads down again as a cold chill washed over them.
"Glad to see that your determination to avenge him has no diminished, in spite of your string of failures." The High Elf smirked for a moment, before regaining her neutral facial expression.
Aurelia sat back down; a pondering look on her face. Vatur kingdom truly was caught in an inopportune time. Their king deathly ill, his heir dead. The remaining two siblings were handling running the kingdom as well as one could hope. With Lymlock dealing with internal affairs and foreign relations, while Claudia, despite her crippled state, commanded the military.
Of the various elven kingdoms on the continent, Vatur had the least mages. General Eirlys was the best magic user the kingdom had, and that made their chances of victory everything but promising. Arrows and swords really couldn't match up against the invading humans and their weapons, no matters how hard they tried. The only solution would have been a to raise and army and attempt a full-on assault, but after humans made their show of force with the rail cannon, the kingdom was hesitant to send more troops into the meat grinder.
"No." Aurelia thought to herself. The kingdom was not hesitant, it was terrified. Despite their attempts at small skirmishes here and there, mainly to defend the borders of the Silver Forest and the second portal gate, the elven soldiers seemed more than happy at the stalemate. Though they knew that the situation could change on a dime and it was entirely up to the humans to decide on that.
She recalled the machinery she had taken down a few nights prior, saving the lives of general Eirlys and her troops. No doubt, with such weapons at their disposal, the invading force would eventually take over the kingdom.
"What's the situation of the liberated portal gate?" The High Elf mage finally broke the uneasy silence with her question.
"We've sent our best troops to guard the gate, My Lady. Even hired various platinum tier adventurers from neighboring kingdoms as back up. Also, several mages as well from Queen Vitora's court." Lymlok responded.
Aurelia nodded, before turning to the general.
"Any new reports from the dungeon?"
"No, My Lady. Our guard is still holding strong, the human advance seemed to have slower to a halt." Eirlys said.
***
Morning came fast, but the camp disassembly and packing was even faster. Where once stood several tents, fences, and a few parked Humvees was now just a field. A field with 3 soldiers in the middle of it.
"Good morning." came a chirping voice from behind them.
The three men turned around, coming face to face with a short woman. She was dressed like a typical village girl, high boots, dress and a sweater west. Her long, blond hair was tied in a braid, almost reaching her lower back. Blue eyes that exuded overwhelming "morning person" energy.
"I am Layla. Ambassador from the court of Her Majesty, currently in service of Duke Perriman." Spoke the woman.
"Any questions?"
Clyde, Marcel and Jeremy simply shook their heads. The cheerful woman clasped her hands, leading them over to a cart, guarded by two soldiers from the Dutchy.
"As you are surely aware, the Duke made this request in secrecy, so I have here prepared clothes that will help you blend in with the locals." She eyes the men up and down, her eyes lingering on Clyde and Marcel.
"Though we may have some issues regarding sizes."
Clyde wasn't a big fan of the whole ordeal, mainly due to the fact that traveling in secrecy meant he couldn't bring any of his main weapons along, especially his combat suit, as it would draw obvious attention.
All 3 of them still wore moderate body armor, which would keep them safe from arrows and bladed weapons, under their new costumes. Minimal weapons too, mostly handguns and an SMG each. Anything they could hide under cloaks. After all, the plan was to hear the Duke out on his request, not try to overthrow the Dutchy.
"Tell ya what, these clothes are starting to grow on me." The tallest of the three men said, once Layla had managed to find clothes that actually fit him.
Even outside the combat suit, Clyde did not appear any smaller, easily towering over everyone else present, two guards included.
"No one's big like Gaston! Incredibly thick like Gaston." He sang while flexing and checking out how the clothes fit his frame. They were obviously on the looser side, to account for the body armor they wore underneath.
"More like the Beast." Jeremy added.
"The human version."
"How dare you?" Clyde gasped, placing a hand on his chest theatrically, acting offended at the comparison, while Marcel chuckled.
"Well, if you gentlemen are all prepared, I would like us to start moving. If we manage to catch the morning trade caravan heading to the Dutchy, we will be able to get in even more unseen." Layla said, hopping on into the cart.
The soldiers nodded and joined her inside, while the guards drove the cart. A large, black and white cat appeared from under the remaining clothes that were piled in the corner, and snuggled up to the woman.
To the surprise of the three men, the feline appeared to be wearing overalls.
Jeremy opened his mouth to ask about the cat, but thinking back, this was far from the weirdest thing they've seen in this world, so he decided against it.
"So, how come you understand us? And vice versa?" Marcel asked Layla, who was petting the pat that curled up on her lap.
"Oh, that's easy. Ambassadors are usually low tier mages, who possess spells that allow understanding and talking to various species, often in their native language." The blonde woman responded, pointing to a necklace she wore.
"The makes understanding you even easier."
"But others, like the guards, have no clue what we are saying?" Jeremy interjected.
"Correct." She replied, before continuing.
"If you are worried that speaking your language to one another or me, will blow your cover, worry not. The town is a mixture of various people, from different regions. Some speak different dialects, others different languages entirely. You will blend right in."
***
Everybody kept their heads down as the cart merged with the incoming caravan and made it through the gates of the small town. It was a busy place, no doubt, with townsfolk all over the streets. Various shops and stores lined both sides of the main street, leading to the town center. Layla was no lying when she said the town has great diversity of people. Everything from humans and elves, to dwarves and kobold could be seen amongst the crowd, rushing to the center of the town where the marketplace was, to set up their booths as the trade caravan approached.
The town had a circular layout, as a portal gate stood in the center of it, the buildings seemingly built around it. By the looks of it, the gate was not used in quite some time, but the invading soldiers now understood the position Duke Perriman was in, and his offer most likely would be.
Below the soil, Marcel's pets followed the cart, ready to jump out at the first sign of trouble.
Once they arrived at the market, the group continued on foot, blending into the crowd, as Layla, cat riding on her shoulders, lead them to the Duke's manor. A lavish estate, situated atop a hill, looking over the entirety of the Dutchy.
For how chatty the men were before the start of the journey, all 3 of them were no silent. Not a word was uttered by either of them since the group entered the town. The ambassador felt a bit uneasy due to this, she was used to adventurers, and even mercenaries, being quite chatty, especially before a mission. The soldiers behind her seemed to be observing the town, studying the layout of it and mapping it out.
Once they passed through the estate gates, Layla told the group they can relax and remove their hoods, as the hardest part of the journey was behind them. The soldiers did as told, with no change in attitude. Finally, the giant of a man, broke the awkwardness.
"Y'know, I hope they feed us. I never had fantasy food before." Clyde grinned.
"Oh, yeah. We did not have breakfast yet. I will let the Duke know. Don't worry, he knows how to treat important guests." She replied, as the cat hopped off her shoulder and ran off somewhere.
The term "fantasy", that Clyde used, confused Layla a bit, but she decided not to think much of it. These humans were from a different world entirely, so perhaps this truly was fantasy to them.
Inside the manor, the group was welcomed by butlers and maids, making sure that they soldiers are refreshed and seated before the Duke arrived.
Perriman was an older gentleman, pushing 50 by the looks of it, grey hair and beard. He had a youthful glow about him however, and his eyes were that of a cunning man. It was evident that he was not the type of noble to just sit and indulge in doing nothing every day.
"Greetings, dear friends. Welcome to my humble home. I hope the trip here was not too much of a hassle." He gave the soldiers a half bow, once he arrived at the bottom of the stairs.
"Thank you for having us." Replied Jeremy, giving an awkward bow back.
Perriman stopped for a moment, looking at the men and then at the door.
"I thought there was supposed to be more of you?"
"Yeah. But we decided to reduce the numbers to the bare minimum, for easier travel and keeping a low profile." Jeremy answered.
The Duke took a step back, looking over the huge Warhound soldier that was Clyde, finding it a bit ironic that they mention keeping a low profile with him being as big as he was.
Clyde and Marcel could smell the fear that gripped the noble, his posh mannerisms could not hide his true feelings. The man was scared stiff, both of them and of unwanted guests, evident by the number of guards placed around doors and windows.
***
The dining hall was set, food and drinks were brought out, the Duke clearly spared no expense on the presentation of hospitality, for the sake of making a good first impression of the invaders. Once done with the preparations, the room was vacated by all the staff, safe for the Duke himself and his best guard, Layla and her cat, and the 3 soldiers.
For an unknown reason, Clyde and Marcel had request the cat be kicked out of the room as well, and not be allowed entry until the dinner was concluded. Layla protested a bit, but eventually caved in, leaving the cat outside in the hallway.
As dinner began, the two Warhounds engrossed themselves in the delicious food in front of them, leaving Jeremy to hold the majority of the conversation with the Duke.
"As you see, I believe we could help one another. You are locked in conflict with the Vatur elves, and I would very much like be rid of their grip on my town as well." Spoke Perriman.
"I see. And in return?" Asked Jeremy, taking a sip of wine from his cup.
"I will allow you to use the portal gate at the center of town to deploy your troops. Isn't that what you are fighting with the elves over?"
"My Lord, I doubt the Queen would allow such an offer." Layla interrupted the noble, a worried look on her face.
It was clear that despite being the one tasked with getting the soldiers to the Dutchy, she was kept in the dark about the deal Perriman had planned to strike with them.
"Silence Layla. Eat your food and let men discuss such issues." He gave her a dirty look before turning his gaze back to Jeremy.
"Queen, eh?" Marcel spoke, still chewing on his food.
"She has no clue you've invited us here."
"She doesn't need to bother herself with everything that goes on in a small town such as this." Perriman responded a bit nervously.
"Last I checked, Vatur kingdom and the Kingdom of her Majesty were on good terms with one another. You are a vassal to the Queen, right? I don't know how the elves would feel when their enemies suddenly start coming out from friendly territory." Jeremy continued.
"Yes, It might start a declaration of war." Marcel added.
"At the very least, it will cause the Queen to send troops or even appear herself, to see what the fuck is going on here, if he gives us the portal gate." Added the other soldier, agreeing with his friend.
"Perhaps. But I am sure we can cross that bridge when we get to it, right?" Asked the Duke, getting more panicked by the minute.
"I like an ambitious man, Perriman." Clyde said, taking a break from destroying the food in front of him to catch his breath.
"It's all over your face. You've probably seen what type of stuff the elves are dealing with and how hard they're being hammered by forces much smaller than their kingdom. You invited us here, hoping that by offering the portal gate to us, you would rid yourself of the ironclad grip that the elves have on your balls."
The tall man laughed, downing a cup of wine and pouring himself another.
"And!" He raised his finger, stopping anyone else before they could say a word.
"You hope that if you ally with us, if... well "If"... WHEN the Queen finally comes here to see what the fuck is going on, we help you get the crown off of her head and on to yours. Am I in the ball park with that assumption?"
Duke Perriman was speechless. He wiped his forehead with a handkerchief, sweating bullets at this point.
"No point in denying it. Yes, those were my hopes, for this conversation."
"HAH! I read you like a book Perriman." Laughed Clyde, the other two soldier also grinning.
Layla sat there, stunned to her core. She thought about just running out, fleeing the manor and rushing to inform the queen. Her eyes darted from door to door, before a metal clang snapped her back to reality.
She looked at the source of the sound. The tallest of the three soldiers had pulled out his revolver and placed it on the table, the barrel pointed at her. Ambassador locked eyes with Clyde, feeling the fear twist her insides.
"You move. I blow a golf ball sized hole in you." The man said, his look not hiding his murderous intent.
"Okay..." She gulped and nodded.
Their cheerful demeanor had her mistaken about their intentions. They were soldiers, but they were also mercenaries. They do not need permission from superiors to agree or disagree on deals, especially in a world that's not their own. Here, they were exempt from laws that they would have to otherwise abide.
"Let's talk about the reality of your plan Duke." Said Jeremy.
"You've seen Outpost one? The one with the big cannon?"
The Duke nodded.
"Alright. Well, the good news is, the town square has just enough room for us to actually bring in what the elves had prevented us from bringing in at Outpost two." He produced his tabled, typing something in it before the device produced a three-dimensional image of a four-legged machine.
"We can fit two, maybe three Spiders, if we squeeze them in the town square. So that's your luck, as it's just what we need. But!" He paused.
The Duke watched with bated breath as the man typed something else on the device, before showing a lay out of Outpost 2, before the High Elf destroyed it.
"The entire setting needs to look a bit like this. Meaning, we need to get engineers here and get generators placed, get them up and running, triangulate the position and establish coordinates of the gate here in relation to the one on the other side."
"Which, all in all, should take us about two weeks, a week at best of we work really, really fast. But think of it as two weeks, just to be on the safe side." Said Clyde.
"That will also raise alarms. You've got eyes Duke, all over your town. Watching you, your people and everything else going on. Elven eyes." Marcel added, pointing behind himself to the window, who's view pointed directly at the town.
"So, the elves will definitely not like something like that. The Dutchy is right on the border with Vatur, if we activate the gate, it will practically be delivering enemy troops to their doorstep. Big retaliation." Jeremy put his tablet away.
"On top of that, her Majesty the Queen, will probably send people come and run a spike through your ass, because the kingdom of Marbella is allies, or at least friends with the Vatur elves." Added Clyde.
"The million-dollar question, baby, is can YOU, keep both sides off our backs until we set the portal gate up? If you can, well whoop tee do! You just might get what you are looking for. But if you can't and shit hits the fan, believe me, we will be the first to high tail it out of this town." The three men laughed.
Perriman rubbed his forehead. The cards were all laid out for him, the risks and rewards. He knew what type of power these humans held, what their weapons did to the Home Tree. With something like that, he could be crowned King of Marbella come spring, even sooner. No longer a petty vasal, bowing his head both to the Queen and the Elves. But if he failed, he'd face the gallows or worse. No! Failing was not an option. He would make sure whatever these invaders needed to succeed is given to them.
"Alright. I see this will not be an easy task. But the benefits to reap from this do not befit an easy task anyways. So, whatever you need, I shall provide." Perriman took a deep breath, steeling himself as he made the decision.
Layla sat in her chair, mortified at the events unfolding right in front of her. She knew Perriman was a man of ambitions, but she never expected him to be treasonous scum too.
"Just make sure to keep as many watchful eyes away from the town square and the rest portal gate. No double, elf informants and the kingdoms informants will eventually catch with of it. But you must do whatever it takes to keep us a few steps ahead of them." Jeremy told the Duke.
The Duke turned to Layla, as the door to the hall opened and guards walked in.
"Throw her in the basement, and make sure she stays there. We cannot risk her informing anyone of this."
"NO! How dare- GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME." Layla protested, as the guards dragged her out of the room.
Duke Perriman nodded at the men sitting across him, as they all looked at each other. As one, they all took a big swig from their wine cups.
"Make the call." Clyde said to Jeremy.
***
"My Lady. We have trouble." A scout said, bursting through the door of the war hall, trying to catch his breath.
Aurelia did not say a word, her face holding a "this better be important" expression.
"What in the name of Gods is so important that you interrupt us?" Princess Claudia hissed.
"The Perriman Dutchy. It closed off the entire town square. No one is allowed to enter or even get close. Duke Perriman seems to have hired a ton of mercenaries and adventurers to keep every vantage point guarded. Our spies cannot even get close enough to see what's going on. He's invited some strange figures earlier to his manor, for business dealings or something." The scout said.
"What are you cooking Perriman?" Lymlok mumbled to himself.
"Also, the dungeon defense squad reports that as of two nights ago, the humans had abandoned the dungeon in its entirety. They just packed up and left. No trace of them. Even their camp above ground is gone." He continued.
Eirlys exchanged a panicked look with the royal siblings. "The gate at the Dutchy. No way. He wouldn't dare..."
"Send all available scouts to the border, keep an eye on the Iron Tower outpost, keep an eye on the town, keep an eye any movement from the outpost to the Dutchy. And tell every scout and spy in the Dutchy to not stop trying to find out what's going on in there, by any means necessary." Lymlok ordered the scout, as the elf ran back out of the room.
"Seems our allies are not so loyal as we thought." Aurelia spoke, before walking over to the balcony. "What are you plotting, scum?"
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"So, this is how the elves of Vatur display their capabilities at defending the Silver Forest?" She spoke.
"Throwing bodies at the invaders, hoping they run out of ammunition before you run out of soldiers? Last I checked, before me stand elves, not orcs."
"Lady Aurelia, we-"
"Tie your tongue Lymlok, while you still have it." The High Elf looked at him. Her voice never raised in tonality, but the weight of her words was crushing.
To regular elves, High Elves were like demigods. Their power was beyond anything even the most gifted elven mages could dream of attaining. True immortality, blessed by the Gods themselves. No title, no crown, no status could measure to a High Elf in the hierarchy of the species. Their words were law, their orders absolute.
"Permission to speak?" Princess Claudia spoke, her voice soft and timid.
"No. I have no use of your mouths, nor anything that might come from them." Aurelia waved her off.
"Eirlys already informed on everything I should know about these apes."
The radiant woman stood up from her seat at the head of the table and walked over to the balcony. Her eyes peered at the horizon, seeing farther than even the best Vatur scouts could.
"So, that is the Rail cannon? The Iron Fortress that shot a hole through the Home Tree?"
"Yes, Lady Aurelia." Claudia responded.
"What an ugly contraption. And I believed the dwarven machinery was unsightly." She scoffed.
"Not surprising that Eothen died trying to stop it though."
For the first time since Aurelia entered the war room, the royal siblings dared to look up. A still fresh rage simmered inside them, at the mention of their brother's death at the hands of the invading humans.
That feeling was fleeting however, Aurelia's golden eyes meeting theirs. Lymlok and Claudia quickly averted their gaze, hanging their heads down again as a cold chill washed over them.
"Glad to see that your determination to avenge him has no diminished, in spite of your string of failures." The High Elf smirked for a moment, before regaining her neutral facial expression.
Aurelia sat back down; a pondering look on her face. Vatur kingdom truly was caught in an inopportune time. Their king deathly ill, his heir dead. The remaining two siblings were handling running the kingdom as well as one could hope. With Lymlock dealing with internal affairs and foreign relations, while Claudia, despite her crippled state, commanded the military.
Of the various elven kingdoms on the continent, Vatur had the least mages. General Eirlys was the best magic user the kingdom had, and that made their chances of victory everything but promising. Arrows and swords really couldn't match up against the invading humans and their weapons, no matters how hard they tried. The only solution would have been a to raise and army and attempt a full-on assault, but after humans made their show of force with the rail cannon, the kingdom was hesitant to send more troops into the meat grinder.
"No." Aurelia thought to herself. The kingdom was not hesitant, it was terrified. Despite their attempts at small skirmishes here and there, mainly to defend the borders of the Silver Forest and the second portal gate, the elven soldiers seemed more than happy at the stalemate. Though they knew that the situation could change on a dime and it was entirely up to the humans to decide on that.
She recalled the machinery she had taken down a few nights prior, saving the lives of general Eirlys and her troops. No doubt, with such weapons at their disposal, the invading force would eventually take over the kingdom.
"What's the situation of the liberated portal gate?" The High Elf mage finally broke the uneasy silence with her question.
"We've sent our best troops to guard the gate, My Lady. Even hired various platinum tier adventurers from neighboring kingdoms as back up. Also, several mages as well from Queen Vitora's court." Lymlok responded.
Aurelia nodded, before turning to the general.
"Any new reports from the dungeon?"
"No, My Lady. Our guard is still holding strong, the human advance seemed to have slower to a halt." Eirlys said.
***
Morning came fast, but the camp disassembly and packing was even faster. Where once stood several tents, fences, and a few parked Humvees was now just a field. A field with 3 soldiers in the middle of it.
"Good morning." came a chirping voice from behind them.
The three men turned around, coming face to face with a short woman. She was dressed like a typical village girl, high boots, dress and a sweater west. Her long, blond hair was tied in a braid, almost reaching her lower back. Blue eyes that exuded overwhelming "morning person" energy.
"I am Layla. Ambassador from the court of Her Majesty, currently in service of Duke Perriman." Spoke the woman.
"Any questions?"
Clyde, Marcel and Jeremy simply shook their heads. The cheerful woman clasped her hands, leading them over to a cart, guarded by two soldiers from the Dutchy.
"As you are surely aware, the Duke made this request in secrecy, so I have here prepared clothes that will help you blend in with the locals." She eyes the men up and down, her eyes lingering on Clyde and Marcel.
"Though we may have some issues regarding sizes."
Clyde wasn't a big fan of the whole ordeal, mainly due to the fact that traveling in secrecy meant he couldn't bring any of his main weapons along, especially his combat suit, as it would draw obvious attention.
All 3 of them still wore moderate body armor, which would keep them safe from arrows and bladed weapons, under their new costumes. Minimal weapons too, mostly handguns and an SMG each. Anything they could hide under cloaks. After all, the plan was to hear the Duke out on his request, not try to overthrow the Dutchy.
"Tell ya what, these clothes are starting to grow on me." The tallest of the three men said, once Layla had managed to find clothes that actually fit him.
Even outside the combat suit, Clyde did not appear any smaller, easily towering over everyone else present, two guards included.
"No one's big like Gaston! Incredibly thick like Gaston." He sang while flexing and checking out how the clothes fit his frame. They were obviously on the looser side, to account for the body armor they wore underneath.
"More like the Beast." Jeremy added.
"The human version."
"How dare you?" Clyde gasped, placing a hand on his chest theatrically, acting offended at the comparison, while Marcel chuckled.
"Well, if you gentlemen are all prepared, I would like us to start moving. If we manage to catch the morning trade caravan heading to the Dutchy, we will be able to get in even more unseen." Layla said, hopping on into the cart.
The soldiers nodded and joined her inside, while the guards drove the cart. A large, black and white cat appeared from under the remaining clothes that were piled in the corner, and snuggled up to the woman.
To the surprise of the three men, the feline appeared to be wearing overalls.
Jeremy opened his mouth to ask about the cat, but thinking back, this was far from the weirdest thing they've seen in this world, so he decided against it.
"So, how come you understand us? And vice versa?" Marcel asked Layla, who was petting the pat that curled up on her lap.
"Oh, that's easy. Ambassadors are usually low tier mages, who possess spells that allow understanding and talking to various species, often in their native language." The blonde woman responded, pointing to a necklace she wore.
"The makes understanding you even easier."
"But others, like the guards, have no clue what we are saying?" Jeremy interjected.
"Correct." She replied, before continuing.
"If you are worried that speaking your language to one another or me, will blow your cover, worry not. The town is a mixture of various people, from different regions. Some speak different dialects, others different languages entirely. You will blend right in."
***
Everybody kept their heads down as the cart merged with the incoming caravan and made it through the gates of the small town. It was a busy place, no doubt, with townsfolk all over the streets. Various shops and stores lined both sides of the main street, leading to the town center. Layla was no lying when she said the town has great diversity of people. Everything from humans and elves, to dwarves and kobold could be seen amongst the crowd, rushing to the center of the town where the marketplace was, to set up their booths as the trade caravan approached.
The town had a circular layout, as a portal gate stood in the center of it, the buildings seemingly built around it. By the looks of it, the gate was not used in quite some time, but the invading soldiers now understood the position Duke Perriman was in, and his offer most likely would be.
Below the soil, Marcel's pets followed the cart, ready to jump out at the first sign of trouble.
Once they arrived at the market, the group continued on foot, blending into the crowd, as Layla, cat riding on her shoulders, lead them to the Duke's manor. A lavish estate, situated atop a hill, looking over the entirety of the Dutchy.
For how chatty the men were before the start of the journey, all 3 of them were no silent. Not a word was uttered by either of them since the group entered the town. The ambassador felt a bit uneasy due to this, she was used to adventurers, and even mercenaries, being quite chatty, especially before a mission. The soldiers behind her seemed to be observing the town, studying the layout of it and mapping it out.
Once they passed through the estate gates, Layla told the group they can relax and remove their hoods, as the hardest part of the journey was behind them. The soldiers did as told, with no change in attitude. Finally, the giant of a man, broke the awkwardness.
"Y'know, I hope they feed us. I never had fantasy food before." Clyde grinned.
"Oh, yeah. We did not have breakfast yet. I will let the Duke know. Don't worry, he knows how to treat important guests." She replied, as the cat hopped off her shoulder and ran off somewhere.
The term "fantasy", that Clyde used, confused Layla a bit, but she decided not to think much of it. These humans were from a different world entirely, so perhaps this truly was fantasy to them.
Inside the manor, the group was welcomed by butlers and maids, making sure that they soldiers are refreshed and seated before the Duke arrived.
Perriman was an older gentleman, pushing 50 by the looks of it, grey hair and beard. He had a youthful glow about him however, and his eyes were that of a cunning man. It was evident that he was not the type of noble to just sit and indulge in doing nothing every day.
"Greetings, dear friends. Welcome to my humble home. I hope the trip here was not too much of a hassle." He gave the soldiers a half bow, once he arrived at the bottom of the stairs.
"Thank you for having us." Replied Jeremy, giving an awkward bow back.
Perriman stopped for a moment, looking at the men and then at the door.
"I thought there was supposed to be more of you?"
"Yeah. But we decided to reduce the numbers to the bare minimum, for easier travel and keeping a low profile." Jeremy answered.
The Duke took a step back, looking over the huge Warhound soldier that was Clyde, finding it a bit ironic that they mention keeping a low profile with him being as big as he was.
Clyde and Marcel could smell the fear that gripped the noble, his posh mannerisms could not hide his true feelings. The man was scared stiff, both of them and of unwanted guests, evident by the number of guards placed around doors and windows.
***
The dining hall was set, food and drinks were brought out, the Duke clearly spared no expense on the presentation of hospitality, for the sake of making a good first impression of the invaders. Once done with the preparations, the room was vacated by all the staff, safe for the Duke himself and his best guard, Layla and her cat, and the 3 soldiers.
For an unknown reason, Clyde and Marcel had request the cat be kicked out of the room as well, and not be allowed entry until the dinner was concluded. Layla protested a bit, but eventually caved in, leaving the cat outside in the hallway.
As dinner began, the two Warhounds engrossed themselves in the delicious food in front of them, leaving Jeremy to hold the majority of the conversation with the Duke.
"As you see, I believe we could help one another. You are locked in conflict with the Vatur elves, and I would very much like be rid of their grip on my town as well." Spoke Perriman.
"I see. And in return?" Asked Jeremy, taking a sip of wine from his cup.
"I will allow you to use the portal gate at the center of town to deploy your troops. Isn't that what you are fighting with the elves over?"
"My Lord, I doubt the Queen would allow such an offer." Layla interrupted the noble, a worried look on her face.
It was clear that despite being the one tasked with getting the soldiers to the Dutchy, she was kept in the dark about the deal Perriman had planned to strike with them.
"Silence Layla. Eat your food and let men discuss such issues." He gave her a dirty look before turning his gaze back to Jeremy.
"Queen, eh?" Marcel spoke, still chewing on his food.
"She has no clue you've invited us here."
"She doesn't need to bother herself with everything that goes on in a small town such as this." Perriman responded a bit nervously.
"Last I checked, Vatur kingdom and the Kingdom of her Majesty were on good terms with one another. You are a vassal to the Queen, right? I don't know how the elves would feel when their enemies suddenly start coming out from friendly territory." Jeremy continued.
"Yes, It might start a declaration of war." Marcel added.
"At the very least, it will cause the Queen to send troops or even appear herself, to see what the fuck is going on here, if he gives us the portal gate." Added the other soldier, agreeing with his friend.
"Perhaps. But I am sure we can cross that bridge when we get to it, right?" Asked the Duke, getting more panicked by the minute.
"I like an ambitious man, Perriman." Clyde said, taking a break from destroying the food in front of him to catch his breath.
"It's all over your face. You've probably seen what type of stuff the elves are dealing with and how hard they're being hammered by forces much smaller than their kingdom. You invited us here, hoping that by offering the portal gate to us, you would rid yourself of the ironclad grip that the elves have on your balls."
The tall man laughed, downing a cup of wine and pouring himself another.
"And!" He raised his finger, stopping anyone else before they could say a word.
"You hope that if you ally with us, if... well "If"... WHEN the Queen finally comes here to see what the fuck is going on, we help you get the crown off of her head and on to yours. Am I in the ball park with that assumption?"
Duke Perriman was speechless. He wiped his forehead with a handkerchief, sweating bullets at this point.
"No point in denying it. Yes, those were my hopes, for this conversation."
"HAH! I read you like a book Perriman." Laughed Clyde, the other two soldier also grinning.
Layla sat there, stunned to her core. She thought about just running out, fleeing the manor and rushing to inform the queen. Her eyes darted from door to door, before a metal clang snapped her back to reality.
She looked at the source of the sound. The tallest of the three soldiers had pulled out his revolver and placed it on the table, the barrel pointed at her. Ambassador locked eyes with Clyde, feeling the fear twist her insides.
"You move. I blow a golf ball sized hole in you." The man said, his look not hiding his murderous intent.
"Okay..." She gulped and nodded.
Their cheerful demeanor had her mistaken about their intentions. They were soldiers, but they were also mercenaries. They do not need permission from superiors to agree or disagree on deals, especially in a world that's not their own. Here, they were exempt from laws that they would have to otherwise abide.
"Let's talk about the reality of your plan Duke." Said Jeremy.
"You've seen Outpost one? The one with the big cannon?"
The Duke nodded.
"Alright. Well, the good news is, the town square has just enough room for us to actually bring in what the elves had prevented us from bringing in at Outpost two." He produced his tabled, typing something in it before the device produced a three-dimensional image of a four-legged machine.
"We can fit two, maybe three Spiders, if we squeeze them in the town square. So that's your luck, as it's just what we need. But!" He paused.
The Duke watched with bated breath as the man typed something else on the device, before showing a lay out of Outpost 2, before the High Elf destroyed it.
"The entire setting needs to look a bit like this. Meaning, we need to get engineers here and get generators placed, get them up and running, triangulate the position and establish coordinates of the gate here in relation to the one on the other side."
"Which, all in all, should take us about two weeks, a week at best of we work really, really fast. But think of it as two weeks, just to be on the safe side." Said Clyde.
"That will also raise alarms. You've got eyes Duke, all over your town. Watching you, your people and everything else going on. Elven eyes." Marcel added, pointing behind himself to the window, who's view pointed directly at the town.
"So, the elves will definitely not like something like that. The Dutchy is right on the border with Vatur, if we activate the gate, it will practically be delivering enemy troops to their doorstep. Big retaliation." Jeremy put his tablet away.
"On top of that, her Majesty the Queen, will probably send people come and run a spike through your ass, because the kingdom of Marbella is allies, or at least friends with the Vatur elves." Added Clyde.
"The million-dollar question, baby, is can YOU, keep both sides off our backs until we set the portal gate up? If you can, well whoop tee do! You just might get what you are looking for. But if you can't and shit hits the fan, believe me, we will be the first to high tail it out of this town." The three men laughed.
Perriman rubbed his forehead. The cards were all laid out for him, the risks and rewards. He knew what type of power these humans held, what their weapons did to the Home Tree. With something like that, he could be crowned King of Marbella come spring, even sooner. No longer a petty vasal, bowing his head both to the Queen and the Elves. But if he failed, he'd face the gallows or worse. No! Failing was not an option. He would make sure whatever these invaders needed to succeed is given to them.
"Alright. I see this will not be an easy task. But the benefits to reap from this do not befit an easy task anyways. So, whatever you need, I shall provide." Perriman took a deep breath, steeling himself as he made the decision.
Layla sat in her chair, mortified at the events unfolding right in front of her. She knew Perriman was a man of ambitions, but she never expected him to be treasonous scum too.
"Just make sure to keep as many watchful eyes away from the town square and the rest portal gate. No double, elf informants and the kingdoms informants will eventually catch with of it. But you must do whatever it takes to keep us a few steps ahead of them." Jeremy told the Duke.
The Duke turned to Layla, as the door to the hall opened and guards walked in.
"Throw her in the basement, and make sure she stays there. We cannot risk her informing anyone of this."
"NO! How dare- GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME." Layla protested, as the guards dragged her out of the room.
Duke Perriman nodded at the men sitting across him, as they all looked at each other. As one, they all took a big swig from their wine cups.
"Make the call." Clyde said to Jeremy.
***
"My Lady. We have trouble." A scout said, bursting through the door of the war hall, trying to catch his breath.
Aurelia did not say a word, her face holding a "this better be important" expression.
"What in the name of Gods is so important that you interrupt us?" Princess Claudia hissed.
"The Perriman Dutchy. It closed off the entire town square. No one is allowed to enter or even get close. Duke Perriman seems to have hired a ton of mercenaries and adventurers to keep every vantage point guarded. Our spies cannot even get close enough to see what's going on. He's invited some strange figures earlier to his manor, for business dealings or something." The scout said.
"What are you cooking Perriman?" Lymlok mumbled to himself.
"Also, the dungeon defense squad reports that as of two nights ago, the humans had abandoned the dungeon in its entirety. They just packed up and left. No trace of them. Even their camp above ground is gone." He continued.
Eirlys exchanged a panicked look with the royal siblings. "The gate at the Dutchy. No way. He wouldn't dare..."
"Send all available scouts to the border, keep an eye on the Iron Tower outpost, keep an eye on the town, keep an eye any movement from the outpost to the Dutchy. And tell every scout and spy in the Dutchy to not stop trying to find out what's going on in there, by any means necessary." Lymlok ordered the scout, as the elf ran back out of the room.
"Seems our allies are not so loyal as we thought." Aurelia spoke, before walking over to the balcony. "What are you plotting, scum?"
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2024.05.31 15:54 WaveInternational524 Clancy Cover yellow color theory.
 | I was really confused by the Clancy album cover at first since it looked kinda off, and considering how much effort and care these guys put into their imagery and meaning, i started to wonder why would they use the yellow fire coming of the black and white noisy cropped pictures of Tyler and Josh. The thing is, i had a realization, not a fully fleshed out idea about what this could mean, but considering the lore fact that the bishops arent able to see yellow, i made a black and white version of the cover as well as a version with the red color but without the yellow (how bishops would see the cover). It really looks more realistic in a way, the noisiness and brightness of the silouettes and the fire matches, as if it was originally made like this and then re-colored. submitted by WaveInternational524 to twentyonepilots [link] [comments] https://preview.redd.it/twecuxdgor3d1.jpg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=83d91a949a2932fdc55ef2b4c046f7e557dc6dbd https://preview.redd.it/9ty12ydgor3d1.jpg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ce15dcef25352eca1a639acf7c1f067c27f5b64f However as i mentioned before i really didn't draw a conclusion as to what this could mean but my initial thoughts are: Under the perspective of the bishops, he is burning, Clancy is dead Under the perspective of the Banditos/Dema inhabitants, Clancy is bursting yellow flames, he is alive and with the banditos once again. i may be wrong about this and maybe im reaching a little bit but considering how confusing the cover art looked to me i kinda hope it has some underlying meaning to it. |
2024.05.31 15:49 Mythos_Industries Illyria 2
I wake up the next morning. I think I will let Snowflake sleep in. I get dressed and as I walk out of my bedroom I say. “Morning, Chompy.”
As I walk to the kitchen I hit speed dial on my freshly charged phone. “Hey uncle Helsing. You haven’t called me back yet. I need to know where mom is. I’m starting to worry. Call me back, please?”
As I walk into the kitchen, I hit speed dial again. Like before I get voicemail. “Mom…where are you? What the fuck? Why aren’t you here? Where are you? What’s going on? Call me back.”
I hang up and start making breakfast. I’ve decided to treat myself and make steak and eggs. The eggs are of the cheesy variety. Uncle Helsing taught me how to make them. Yeah…this will help my mood. I throw on a second steak. When the first is done, I take it to the conservatory. Patunia starts shaking her leaves when I enter. “Hey, girl. I’m home. Missed you.”
Patunia wraps her vines around me.
“Thank you. Here. I brought you some breakfast. Here.”
I give Patunia the steak and say. “I’ll be back. I’ll tell you all about my trip.”
Patunia hugs me again and I go and finish cooking my breakfast before it burns. Before I sit down to eat, my phone rings. I smile when I see the name. “Hey, Mercy.”
She won’t let me call her aunt.
“Hey, bitch. How was your trip?”
“It was awesome. I’ll tell you all about it. Speaking of which, do you know where mom is? She wasn’t here when I got home.”
“No. She hasn’t said anything to me. I got just the thing to take your mind off of it.”
“What?” I ask.
“Holden will be back today. In a couple of hours, we are throwing him a welcome home party.”
Holden will be back today? I thought he wasn’t going to be back for another couple of weeks.” I say.
“No, he’s coming back early. He’s trying to throw us off, so we won’t throw him a party but he’s getting one. You coming?”
“Hell yeah I’ll be there. What time?” I ask.
“He should be here around noon. So party at three.”
“Done. I can’t wait.”
“Cool. Later.”
I put the phone down with a little whoop. Holden is coming back today. He’s more than my best friend. He’s the closest thing I have to a brother. We’ve known each other since we were babies. This is exciting, I can’t wait. I should get ready. I finish my breakfast and walk out to the fairy colony. “Betty!” Many of the fairies exclaim.
“I’m home. I thought maybe we could catch up while you braid my hair. That ok?”
“More than ok. Sit down.” A fairy says.
I sit down and tell of my trip as the fairies braid my hair. Like usual, they do an amazing job. “As always, perfection.” I say.
Matilda smiles at me. “Will you come back and tell us more stories?”
“Of course. I’m home for good now.”
There is a cheer from the fairies as they fly around my head. I thank them again and go back inside and get dressed. I’m so excited to see Holden again. We haven’t seen each other in a year. I mean we’ve talked and sent texts but it’s not the same. I still have time to kill. So I roll a blunt using more of my mom’s pot. I make an iced coffee and sit down at the patio table. When I do, Ace flies down and lands on the table.
“How’s our new roommate?” I ask.
Ace whispers.
“He’ll warm up to us. He just needs some time. His adjustment period is going to take longer than usual it seems.”
I take a hit as Ace whispers. “Have you been able to talk to him?”
Ace whispers.
“Time. He just needs more time.”
I lean back in my chair. “Let’s not worry about that now. Today Holden is coming home. Let’s just enjoy the day. You and I.”
I smoke my blunt as I sip my coffee. After awhile Ace starts fanning me with his wings. “It is kinda warm today. Thank you. You are such a gentleman.”
I finish my blunt and close my eyes for a few minutes. “About time for me to go. Thank you for the fan, good sir.”
I go inside and grab my keys as I call out. “Going out, boys. See ya later.”
I walk to the garage. I small wave of dread hits me when I think I may see Lily. Lily scares me. She’s too fast and too loud. When I enter i see Lily is gone. I put my hands on my hips and whisper. “Where did you go, mom?”
Jolene is the car I drive. She is almost as fast as Lily but a bit smaller and nowhere near as loud. I put my hands on Jolene’s roof and say. “Hey girl. Missed you. Let’s take a small drive.”
I get in Jolene and stat her up. Her engine sounds strong not overwhelming like Lily. I pull out and head to the party. I get there soon enough and it looks like the party is in the connected backyards of many houses. Holden is not going to like this. That thought makes me smile. I get out of Jolene and walk to the backyards. As I come around a corner, I bump into someone. “Sorry.” I say.
It’s Cythina. Mercy’s daughter. Full disclosure. I dated her twin brother William. We broke up before I went on my trip.
“Well. Look who crawled out of the sewers.” She says.
“Hi Cythina. How are you?”
She grabs me by the throat and slams me against a house. “Oh so good since you broke my brother’s heart. Forcing him to leave.”
I break her grip. I’m unusually strong for a human. I can go toe to toe with a werewolf. “Our breakup had nothing to do with hm leaving.”
Cythina leans in closer and whispers in my ear. “The second you turn your back. I’m fucking you up.”
“Your mom will have a problem with that.” I respond.
“She won’t be alpha forever. Besides, fucking you up for breaking her son’s heart. I doubt I’ll get into too much trouble.”
“She respects our decision. She knows it’s none of her business.”
“My brother is gone so it’s my business now.”
I grab her, spin and slam her into the house. “It’s none of your business either. Enjoy Holden’s homecoming.”
Cythina breaks my grip. “You as well. Don’t turn your back.” She says this as she drags a finger across her throat.
“Is then a problem here?” Someone says. I turn and see it’s Mercy.
Cythina gives a fake smile. “No mom. Just telling Betty I hope she has fun today. I know how excited she is to see Holden.”
“Can you bring the ice outside and put it in the coolers?” Mercy asks Cythina.
“Sure, mom.” Says before taking off.
When we are alone. Mercy says. “I overheard all of it.”
“She blames me for William leaving.”
Mercy steps and hugs me. “I know. It has taken her anger to a whole other level.”
“You don’t blame me do you?”
“No. Artemis made the call and he answered. I couldn’t blame you if I tried.”
In short. Artemis created a new pack called the Shadow Moon pack. Like the Blood Fang, they are shock troops. Except no one knows where it is and what Artemis is having them do. There are rumors they are hunting basically monsters. But no one really knows. Mercy breaks the hug and holds my face. “Glad you came in time. Holden will be thrilled. You will tell me all about your trip, yes?”
“I will.”
“Come on back.”
We enter the backyard. I grew up with the Blood Fang. So it’s a bunch of friends to catch up with. As I walk up to a group of werewolves. Out of the corner of my eye I see Cynthia scowl at me. After some conversation I excuse myself to go to the bathroom. When I come back out I stand against a tree to collect my thoughts.
“There you are, bitch.”
I turn and lean against the tree. “Not now, Cythina.”
Cythina give me a sinister smile. “Yes, now bitch.”
Now she is standing in front of me.
“Leave me alone, Cythina. It’s not my fault that William joined the Shadow Moon pack.”
“It sure the fuck is and I will take my pound of flesh now.”
An arm shoots between us and a hand slams into the tree and stays there. It’s Holden. He leans towards Cythina. “We got a problem, bitch?”
She sneers at Holden. “Welcome back, packmate. See you’re picking up where you left off. Protecting your human.”
“Protecting a friend. Now give your packmate a welcome home hug before you fuck off.”
Cythina hesitates. “Sure.”
They hug and Holden whispers something in her ear but I don’t know what. Holden let’s go and Cythina leaves. He then turns to me. “Not back for thirty seconds and I find you knee deep in shit.”
“Holden!” I cry as I jump into his arms. “I’ve missed you.”
He lets me down and I ask. “So where did you end up?”
Holden gives me a slight smile. “Your boy ended up hanging with The Pack in Mexico for a bit.”
“No shit? Cool.”
Holden turns his head to the party in the backyard. “Mercy throwing me a party? Goddamn it.”
I slap his arm. “Don’t be a dick. Your pack missed you.”
“A party is a bit much.”
“Consider it an excuse to get fucked up.”
Holden looks at me. “Yeah. Ok. Sure. Got weed? You’ve been home longer than me.”
“You were just in Mexico. Where’s your weed?” I tease.
Holden shrugs. “I brought back a motorcycle.”
I put an arm around Holden’s waist as I guide him to the backyard. “Oh. You’re telling me that story.”
We walk into the backyard and Holden is surrounded by his pack. It was like a spontaneous mosh pit. I wiggle my way out of it before I’m crushed. I find a small fire with empty chairs around it so I sit down. I watch the happy reunion from a safe distance. Eventually they stop mobbing Holden and now the party kicks into high gear. Holden finds his way and sits down next to me by the fire. “How long is this supposed to last?” He asks.
I light a blunt, take a hit and hand it over.
“You know this will last all night.” I answer as I exhale.
“I know. Damn it.” Holden says before taking a hit.
I smile at him. “This is a good thing. They love you.”
“Wish they loved me a bit less.” Holden says before taking another hit.
“So how was Mexico?” I ask before taking the blunt.
“It was cool. I was on my best behavior when I was with The Pack.”
“I’m sure.” I say, teasing.
Holden doesn’t react. I lean forward. “Dude. You’re not thinking of joining are you?”
Holden sighs. “I might. I don’t know.”
5he thing about Holden is…there’s is an underlying sense of searching. What for? He doesn’t even know.”
“Leave your pack? That’s crazy Holden.”
“I just got back. You trying to push me out the door?” He asks.
I take a hit and hand the blunt back. “Shut your ass up. You know I’m not.”
As we talk, a young boy around twelve walks up and sits down. His name is Kurt. He’s a nice kid. “Hey, Holden. Glad you’re back.”
Holden exhales. “Sup, Kurt. How you been?”
“Well…ok.”
Holden is of the age where the youngest members of the Blood Fang ask him for guidance.
“What?” Holden asks.
Kurt shifts in his seat. “It’s just….i like somebody.”
“Good for you. Go talk to them.” Holden instructs.
“I can’t. It’s complicated.”
Holden hands over the blunt and narrows his eyes. “Why?”
“It’s another boy.”
Ok. For any humans reading this. This is a bit tricky in the werewolf world. Werewolves have sex for population. Pleasure is a far, far and smaller secondary reason. Same sex relations aren’t really addressed but they’re not exactly frowned upon either. They just turn a blind eye to it. Holden looks at Kurt for a second. “Well. Look at the balls on you. Planning on being alpha?”
This takes Kurt aback. “What? No. I don’t really have plans on being an alpha.”
“Right. So the chances are slim, which means you don’t have to worry about it. You do know that in the grand scheme of things, with humans and us. Being with somebody for love is relatively new concept. Right?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Kurt asks.
“If you become alpha. You got responsibilities that do not care about your feelings or wants. Look, little man. If by some chance you do become alpha. Fulfill your responsibilities but make it clear with your breeding mate what’s going on. It’s when mates keep secrets that shit goes sideways. Just be honest and upfront with your breeding mate. No sketchy shit. Anyway, why you worried? Chances are that you will never have to deal with that shit.”
Kurt stays silent.
“What? Not what you wanted to hear? Came out maybe so you want a parade? Tough shit. Nobody cares. Not a single fuck.”
Holden tilts his head. “You’re not telling me something.”
“Yeah…well…maybe.”
“Well. Which is it?” Holden asks.
“I don’t know.”
Holden leans towards him and speaks in a lower voice. “Are you telling me that you don’t know for sure? Are you yelling me you haven’t even kissed him? You little shit, you think so little of me that you would waste my time by dropping this bullshit on me and you don’t even know for sure? Hum?”
Kurt shifts in his seat. He is very uncomfortable right now. “I’ve never had a boyfriend or girlfriend. I don’t know what to do.”
“Do you know what the difference is between hunting and love?” Holden asks.
“No.” Kurt answers.
“There is none.” Holden says as he draws even closer to Kurt. “Let me make this easier for you. You kiss him and find out for sure. Either way, or you and I are going to have some serious problems. Understand?”
“Yeah…yeah.” Kurt stammers.
Holden looks at him for a moment. “What are you waiting for? What did I just say?”
“I don’t know. You said a lot.”
“There’s no difference between love and hunting. Both have a small window of opportunity. Go.”
Kurt scrambles and awkwardly gets out of his chair. “Ok. Yes, sir.”
When he is gone, I look at Holden. “Bit harsh. Don’tcha think?”
Holden leans back in his chair and smiles. “Nah. He’s a good kid. He just needed my particular brand of aggressive encouragement.”
“That’s one way of putting it.” I say as I light another blunt. Take a hit and hand it over. “I may need some of your aggressive encouragement.”
“What do you mean?” Holden asks.
“Mom is gone. Don’t know where she went. Just that she took Lily.”
“What the fuck do you mean gone? She’s leaves all the time but she always comes back after a couple days. What do you mean gone?”
“Gone. She wasn’t there when I returned. Nobody is answering my calls, Lily is gone. I don’t know.what to do. This just feels different.” As I was talking, I had the sudden urge to cry. I had to really try and hold back the tears.
“So you don’t know where she went?”
“No. She just left and I can’t reach her.”
Holden slumps in his chair. “That’s a shame. I was hoping to see her fine milfy ass. Your mom can get it.”
I snort despite myself. “Holden, gross. Shut up.”
Holden chuckles and says. “For real though. I know you got your gremlins but do you want me to crash on your couch?”
“Leave your party? I couldn’t ask you to do that.” I answer.
“That’s not what I asked and you know it. Besides, we are past my part of this party.”
“It would be nice. Sure you don’t mind?”
“Nope.” Holden says as he gets up.
“We don’t have to leave now.” I say.
“It’s cool. I rode up here without stopping. I’m exhausted. Let’s go.”
“If you’re sure…”
Holden cuts me off. “Bitch, let’s go.”
I get up and Holden puts an arm around my shoulders as we walk. “Look. We will figure out where your mom went. Then you can read her the riot act.”
“I want nothing more. Hey, can we make a quick stop on the way?”
“Where?” Holden asks.
“The garrison. I still haven’t checked in with Micah.”
“Yeah, sure. I’m serious Betty. I’m fucking exhausted. The clock is ticking.”
“Just take a minute.”
I hop in Jolene and Holden rides his new motorcycle. It’s a chopper and I’m not the least bit surprised. We go to the garrison and I talk to Micah. I missed the gargoyle so much. It was a happy reunion. We get home and Holden is surrounded by the gremlins. Snowflake especially. He has always like Holden very much.
“Sup, dudes. Good to see you.” Holden says.
I clap ,u hands and say. “Ok. We are tired and need some sleep. You can pester Holden tomorrow.”
The gremlins disperse as I grab a couple of blankets. When I come back Holden is already on one of the couches in the office. I toss a blanket on him. “Here.”
“Thanks.”
I lay down on the other couch.
“What are you doing?” Holden asks.
I pull the blanket over me as I answer. “I’ll sleep down here too. It will be like those sleepovers we had when we were kids.”
“We going to watch My Neighbor Is a werewolf?”
“I wish. Maybe tomorrow.”
“Hey, I’m serious. We will find your mom.”
“I hope so.” I say as I close my eyes.
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As I walk to the kitchen I hit speed dial on my freshly charged phone. “Hey uncle Helsing. You haven’t called me back yet. I need to know where mom is. I’m starting to worry. Call me back, please?”
As I walk into the kitchen, I hit speed dial again. Like before I get voicemail. “Mom…where are you? What the fuck? Why aren’t you here? Where are you? What’s going on? Call me back.”
I hang up and start making breakfast. I’ve decided to treat myself and make steak and eggs. The eggs are of the cheesy variety. Uncle Helsing taught me how to make them. Yeah…this will help my mood. I throw on a second steak. When the first is done, I take it to the conservatory. Patunia starts shaking her leaves when I enter. “Hey, girl. I’m home. Missed you.”
Patunia wraps her vines around me.
“Thank you. Here. I brought you some breakfast. Here.”
I give Patunia the steak and say. “I’ll be back. I’ll tell you all about my trip.”
Patunia hugs me again and I go and finish cooking my breakfast before it burns. Before I sit down to eat, my phone rings. I smile when I see the name. “Hey, Mercy.”
She won’t let me call her aunt.
“Hey, bitch. How was your trip?”
“It was awesome. I’ll tell you all about it. Speaking of which, do you know where mom is? She wasn’t here when I got home.”
“No. She hasn’t said anything to me. I got just the thing to take your mind off of it.”
“What?” I ask.
“Holden will be back today. In a couple of hours, we are throwing him a welcome home party.”
Holden will be back today? I thought he wasn’t going to be back for another couple of weeks.” I say.
“No, he’s coming back early. He’s trying to throw us off, so we won’t throw him a party but he’s getting one. You coming?”
“Hell yeah I’ll be there. What time?” I ask.
“He should be here around noon. So party at three.”
“Done. I can’t wait.”
“Cool. Later.”
I put the phone down with a little whoop. Holden is coming back today. He’s more than my best friend. He’s the closest thing I have to a brother. We’ve known each other since we were babies. This is exciting, I can’t wait. I should get ready. I finish my breakfast and walk out to the fairy colony. “Betty!” Many of the fairies exclaim.
“I’m home. I thought maybe we could catch up while you braid my hair. That ok?”
“More than ok. Sit down.” A fairy says.
I sit down and tell of my trip as the fairies braid my hair. Like usual, they do an amazing job. “As always, perfection.” I say.
Matilda smiles at me. “Will you come back and tell us more stories?”
“Of course. I’m home for good now.”
There is a cheer from the fairies as they fly around my head. I thank them again and go back inside and get dressed. I’m so excited to see Holden again. We haven’t seen each other in a year. I mean we’ve talked and sent texts but it’s not the same. I still have time to kill. So I roll a blunt using more of my mom’s pot. I make an iced coffee and sit down at the patio table. When I do, Ace flies down and lands on the table.
“How’s our new roommate?” I ask.
Ace whispers.
“He’ll warm up to us. He just needs some time. His adjustment period is going to take longer than usual it seems.”
I take a hit as Ace whispers. “Have you been able to talk to him?”
Ace whispers.
“Time. He just needs more time.”
I lean back in my chair. “Let’s not worry about that now. Today Holden is coming home. Let’s just enjoy the day. You and I.”
I smoke my blunt as I sip my coffee. After awhile Ace starts fanning me with his wings. “It is kinda warm today. Thank you. You are such a gentleman.”
I finish my blunt and close my eyes for a few minutes. “About time for me to go. Thank you for the fan, good sir.”
I go inside and grab my keys as I call out. “Going out, boys. See ya later.”
I walk to the garage. I small wave of dread hits me when I think I may see Lily. Lily scares me. She’s too fast and too loud. When I enter i see Lily is gone. I put my hands on my hips and whisper. “Where did you go, mom?”
Jolene is the car I drive. She is almost as fast as Lily but a bit smaller and nowhere near as loud. I put my hands on Jolene’s roof and say. “Hey girl. Missed you. Let’s take a small drive.”
I get in Jolene and stat her up. Her engine sounds strong not overwhelming like Lily. I pull out and head to the party. I get there soon enough and it looks like the party is in the connected backyards of many houses. Holden is not going to like this. That thought makes me smile. I get out of Jolene and walk to the backyards. As I come around a corner, I bump into someone. “Sorry.” I say.
It’s Cythina. Mercy’s daughter. Full disclosure. I dated her twin brother William. We broke up before I went on my trip.
“Well. Look who crawled out of the sewers.” She says.
“Hi Cythina. How are you?”
She grabs me by the throat and slams me against a house. “Oh so good since you broke my brother’s heart. Forcing him to leave.”
I break her grip. I’m unusually strong for a human. I can go toe to toe with a werewolf. “Our breakup had nothing to do with hm leaving.”
Cythina leans in closer and whispers in my ear. “The second you turn your back. I’m fucking you up.”
“Your mom will have a problem with that.” I respond.
“She won’t be alpha forever. Besides, fucking you up for breaking her son’s heart. I doubt I’ll get into too much trouble.”
“She respects our decision. She knows it’s none of her business.”
“My brother is gone so it’s my business now.”
I grab her, spin and slam her into the house. “It’s none of your business either. Enjoy Holden’s homecoming.”
Cythina breaks my grip. “You as well. Don’t turn your back.” She says this as she drags a finger across her throat.
“Is then a problem here?” Someone says. I turn and see it’s Mercy.
Cythina gives a fake smile. “No mom. Just telling Betty I hope she has fun today. I know how excited she is to see Holden.”
“Can you bring the ice outside and put it in the coolers?” Mercy asks Cythina.
“Sure, mom.” Says before taking off.
When we are alone. Mercy says. “I overheard all of it.”
“She blames me for William leaving.”
Mercy steps and hugs me. “I know. It has taken her anger to a whole other level.”
“You don’t blame me do you?”
“No. Artemis made the call and he answered. I couldn’t blame you if I tried.”
In short. Artemis created a new pack called the Shadow Moon pack. Like the Blood Fang, they are shock troops. Except no one knows where it is and what Artemis is having them do. There are rumors they are hunting basically monsters. But no one really knows. Mercy breaks the hug and holds my face. “Glad you came in time. Holden will be thrilled. You will tell me all about your trip, yes?”
“I will.”
“Come on back.”
We enter the backyard. I grew up with the Blood Fang. So it’s a bunch of friends to catch up with. As I walk up to a group of werewolves. Out of the corner of my eye I see Cynthia scowl at me. After some conversation I excuse myself to go to the bathroom. When I come back out I stand against a tree to collect my thoughts.
“There you are, bitch.”
I turn and lean against the tree. “Not now, Cythina.”
Cythina give me a sinister smile. “Yes, now bitch.”
Now she is standing in front of me.
“Leave me alone, Cythina. It’s not my fault that William joined the Shadow Moon pack.”
“It sure the fuck is and I will take my pound of flesh now.”
An arm shoots between us and a hand slams into the tree and stays there. It’s Holden. He leans towards Cythina. “We got a problem, bitch?”
She sneers at Holden. “Welcome back, packmate. See you’re picking up where you left off. Protecting your human.”
“Protecting a friend. Now give your packmate a welcome home hug before you fuck off.”
Cythina hesitates. “Sure.”
They hug and Holden whispers something in her ear but I don’t know what. Holden let’s go and Cythina leaves. He then turns to me. “Not back for thirty seconds and I find you knee deep in shit.”
“Holden!” I cry as I jump into his arms. “I’ve missed you.”
He lets me down and I ask. “So where did you end up?”
Holden gives me a slight smile. “Your boy ended up hanging with The Pack in Mexico for a bit.”
“No shit? Cool.”
Holden turns his head to the party in the backyard. “Mercy throwing me a party? Goddamn it.”
I slap his arm. “Don’t be a dick. Your pack missed you.”
“A party is a bit much.”
“Consider it an excuse to get fucked up.”
Holden looks at me. “Yeah. Ok. Sure. Got weed? You’ve been home longer than me.”
“You were just in Mexico. Where’s your weed?” I tease.
Holden shrugs. “I brought back a motorcycle.”
I put an arm around Holden’s waist as I guide him to the backyard. “Oh. You’re telling me that story.”
We walk into the backyard and Holden is surrounded by his pack. It was like a spontaneous mosh pit. I wiggle my way out of it before I’m crushed. I find a small fire with empty chairs around it so I sit down. I watch the happy reunion from a safe distance. Eventually they stop mobbing Holden and now the party kicks into high gear. Holden finds his way and sits down next to me by the fire. “How long is this supposed to last?” He asks.
I light a blunt, take a hit and hand it over.
“You know this will last all night.” I answer as I exhale.
“I know. Damn it.” Holden says before taking a hit.
I smile at him. “This is a good thing. They love you.”
“Wish they loved me a bit less.” Holden says before taking another hit.
“So how was Mexico?” I ask before taking the blunt.
“It was cool. I was on my best behavior when I was with The Pack.”
“I’m sure.” I say, teasing.
Holden doesn’t react. I lean forward. “Dude. You’re not thinking of joining are you?”
Holden sighs. “I might. I don’t know.”
5he thing about Holden is…there’s is an underlying sense of searching. What for? He doesn’t even know.”
“Leave your pack? That’s crazy Holden.”
“I just got back. You trying to push me out the door?” He asks.
I take a hit and hand the blunt back. “Shut your ass up. You know I’m not.”
As we talk, a young boy around twelve walks up and sits down. His name is Kurt. He’s a nice kid. “Hey, Holden. Glad you’re back.”
Holden exhales. “Sup, Kurt. How you been?”
“Well…ok.”
Holden is of the age where the youngest members of the Blood Fang ask him for guidance.
“What?” Holden asks.
Kurt shifts in his seat. “It’s just….i like somebody.”
“Good for you. Go talk to them.” Holden instructs.
“I can’t. It’s complicated.”
Holden hands over the blunt and narrows his eyes. “Why?”
“It’s another boy.”
Ok. For any humans reading this. This is a bit tricky in the werewolf world. Werewolves have sex for population. Pleasure is a far, far and smaller secondary reason. Same sex relations aren’t really addressed but they’re not exactly frowned upon either. They just turn a blind eye to it. Holden looks at Kurt for a second. “Well. Look at the balls on you. Planning on being alpha?”
This takes Kurt aback. “What? No. I don’t really have plans on being an alpha.”
“Right. So the chances are slim, which means you don’t have to worry about it. You do know that in the grand scheme of things, with humans and us. Being with somebody for love is relatively new concept. Right?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Kurt asks.
“If you become alpha. You got responsibilities that do not care about your feelings or wants. Look, little man. If by some chance you do become alpha. Fulfill your responsibilities but make it clear with your breeding mate what’s going on. It’s when mates keep secrets that shit goes sideways. Just be honest and upfront with your breeding mate. No sketchy shit. Anyway, why you worried? Chances are that you will never have to deal with that shit.”
Kurt stays silent.
“What? Not what you wanted to hear? Came out maybe so you want a parade? Tough shit. Nobody cares. Not a single fuck.”
Holden tilts his head. “You’re not telling me something.”
“Yeah…well…maybe.”
“Well. Which is it?” Holden asks.
“I don’t know.”
Holden leans towards him and speaks in a lower voice. “Are you telling me that you don’t know for sure? Are you yelling me you haven’t even kissed him? You little shit, you think so little of me that you would waste my time by dropping this bullshit on me and you don’t even know for sure? Hum?”
Kurt shifts in his seat. He is very uncomfortable right now. “I’ve never had a boyfriend or girlfriend. I don’t know what to do.”
“Do you know what the difference is between hunting and love?” Holden asks.
“No.” Kurt answers.
“There is none.” Holden says as he draws even closer to Kurt. “Let me make this easier for you. You kiss him and find out for sure. Either way, or you and I are going to have some serious problems. Understand?”
“Yeah…yeah.” Kurt stammers.
Holden looks at him for a moment. “What are you waiting for? What did I just say?”
“I don’t know. You said a lot.”
“There’s no difference between love and hunting. Both have a small window of opportunity. Go.”
Kurt scrambles and awkwardly gets out of his chair. “Ok. Yes, sir.”
When he is gone, I look at Holden. “Bit harsh. Don’tcha think?”
Holden leans back in his chair and smiles. “Nah. He’s a good kid. He just needed my particular brand of aggressive encouragement.”
“That’s one way of putting it.” I say as I light another blunt. Take a hit and hand it over. “I may need some of your aggressive encouragement.”
“What do you mean?” Holden asks.
“Mom is gone. Don’t know where she went. Just that she took Lily.”
“What the fuck do you mean gone? She’s leaves all the time but she always comes back after a couple days. What do you mean gone?”
“Gone. She wasn’t there when I returned. Nobody is answering my calls, Lily is gone. I don’t know.what to do. This just feels different.” As I was talking, I had the sudden urge to cry. I had to really try and hold back the tears.
“So you don’t know where she went?”
“No. She just left and I can’t reach her.”
Holden slumps in his chair. “That’s a shame. I was hoping to see her fine milfy ass. Your mom can get it.”
I snort despite myself. “Holden, gross. Shut up.”
Holden chuckles and says. “For real though. I know you got your gremlins but do you want me to crash on your couch?”
“Leave your party? I couldn’t ask you to do that.” I answer.
“That’s not what I asked and you know it. Besides, we are past my part of this party.”
“It would be nice. Sure you don’t mind?”
“Nope.” Holden says as he gets up.
“We don’t have to leave now.” I say.
“It’s cool. I rode up here without stopping. I’m exhausted. Let’s go.”
“If you’re sure…”
Holden cuts me off. “Bitch, let’s go.”
I get up and Holden puts an arm around my shoulders as we walk. “Look. We will figure out where your mom went. Then you can read her the riot act.”
“I want nothing more. Hey, can we make a quick stop on the way?”
“Where?” Holden asks.
“The garrison. I still haven’t checked in with Micah.”
“Yeah, sure. I’m serious Betty. I’m fucking exhausted. The clock is ticking.”
“Just take a minute.”
I hop in Jolene and Holden rides his new motorcycle. It’s a chopper and I’m not the least bit surprised. We go to the garrison and I talk to Micah. I missed the gargoyle so much. It was a happy reunion. We get home and Holden is surrounded by the gremlins. Snowflake especially. He has always like Holden very much.
“Sup, dudes. Good to see you.” Holden says.
I clap ,u hands and say. “Ok. We are tired and need some sleep. You can pester Holden tomorrow.”
The gremlins disperse as I grab a couple of blankets. When I come back Holden is already on one of the couches in the office. I toss a blanket on him. “Here.”
“Thanks.”
I lay down on the other couch.
“What are you doing?” Holden asks.
I pull the blanket over me as I answer. “I’ll sleep down here too. It will be like those sleepovers we had when we were kids.”
“We going to watch My Neighbor Is a werewolf?”
“I wish. Maybe tomorrow.”
“Hey, I’m serious. We will find your mom.”
“I hope so.” I say as I close my eyes.
2024.05.31 13:35 SlavicSoul- My proto-language : the Elder Tongue #1 Phonology and small lexicon
Hey Reddit! I decided to create a proto-language for my dark fantasy world, Ravenflight, which serves as a backdrop for my conlangs. I was about to invent the languages spoken by humans in the East of the continent, Common Oriental and Helosian, when I thought that these two languages must surely be linked. So I thought at first just trying to create words that were similar between the two languages to show their relationship but that didn't satisfy me. So I decided to create a proto-language, ancestor of oriental languages and Helosian (and perhaps other languages) which I simply called: the Elder Tongue...
Presentation
The Elder Tongue, also called Alegabàd or AalegabaaÞ which means “noble language”, is a dead language once spoken by an ancient human civilization in a territory which covers a good part of Eastern Khoras and which is the mother language of Common Oriental and all its variants and Helosian language. The Elder Tongue is still studied and learned by scholars and priests because the holy books are written in this language, nobles sometimes learn it as a mark of prestige. The spells and magical words needed to cast a spell are sometimes spoken in Alegabàd, although they can also be spoken in modern Helosian. Even if the language is dead because it no longer has native speakers, like Latin in the Middle Ages it continues to be used in certain areas. The origins of the Old Language are unknown, however, it came with the first humans on the continent of Khoras and no one really knows where they came from. The Old Language has three forms: high, middle and low, Oriental descending from the low and Helosian from the High Old Language. Traces of the Old Language today are found in names, toponymy and of course etymology.
Thoughts on the origin of the Elder Tongue
I decided to create the Edler Language first, before all the other languages of Khoras, so that I could use it as a proto-language to create Oriental and its dialects and Helosian. Having a proto-language brings many benefits and makes many things realistic while adding depth to the world. A proto-language is created exactly like a normal language, you just have to keep in mind that this language is dead and that it will be used to give birth to other languages. I have many inspirations for the Alegàbad. Firstly, its history and its role come straight from Latin, I would also imprint several grammatical cases from this language. For the phonology, I want something antique and ancient that seems difficult to learn but pretty to hear with deep sounds perfect for a demon incantation, to obtain this effect I will draw my sounds from Gothic and ancient Greek but not Latin because that's not what I want it to look like. Finally, for the words, I cannot find an etymology for them myself because the Old Language is the oldest known human language in the East of the continent (I would later develop a sort of Indo-European that I would have reconstituted from the Elder Tongue, Dargolese and Pelorian and Nordic). However, some words will sound familiar to us. My idea is that from words that seem to come from an ancient language of our world, for example: zylf means forest (looks like Latin sylvus but sounds more Germanic) but evolved into: sèlf in Oriental and zilva in Helosian which sounds much less close to an Earth language. In fact, I was inspired by Indo-European roots and words from many languages of our world (especially German, ancient Greek and Russian) which I modified a lot to constitute the lexicon of the Elder Tongue.
Phonology
I opted for a phonology that was more Gothic than Greek, the two languages have many sounds in common anyway. For the romanization, I first thought aesthetics before practicality because as the place names will be derived from this language I wanted them to be pleasant to read on a map for example. I wanted to find the right balance between too strange with unusual letters and lots of diacritics and too normal with only letters of our alphabet that sound almost the same. For writing I imagined a script quite close to our European alphabets (Gothic and ancient Greek reference once again but also Glagolic) but it is never my priority and I will invent it once my language is almost finished.
Below, the consonants of the Elder Tongue. The romanization is indicated in parentheses.
Sorry, I wrote the table in my native language, French
The vowels are shown below:
https://preview.redd.it/fjb1kye8rq3d1.png?width=1196&format=png&auto=webp&s=524ad6ac156687771e257ada88402e478abcb590
The i before a vowel is pronounced [j] and a u after a vowel is pronounced [ʊ]. Stress normally falls on the last vowel of the word if it has more than two syllables. Otherwise, the accent is on the first vowel.
The High and Low dialects
There are three forms of the Elder Tongue, the High Alegabàd, the Middle Alegabàd and the Low Alegabàd also called Vulgar Alegabàd. There are two differences between the High and Vulgar Elder Tongue, the High had both long and short vowels. Long vowels were written by doubling the letter, example: aa [aː] uu [uː]. The Low Elder Tongue replaced long vowels with open vowels (aa become à). High Alegabàd does not have the [ø] sound that appeared in Middle Elder Tongue. The most important change is the replacement of Þ in High Elder Tongue with d in Low Elder Tongue. For example: Alegabàd is in Lower Elder Tongue, and AalegabaaÞ is in High Elder Tongue. Middle Elder Tongue already no longer has long vowels but still retains the letter Þ.
List of words derived from the Alegabàd
Below is a list of words in the Elder Tongue. I wrote this lexicon before creating the grammar because I wanted above all to know what the language looked like before knowing how it worked. Words are sometimes written in both high dialect and low dialect when there is a difference.
Aale/àle - adjective. High and noble, from the Latin altus "high"
Alegabàd/AalegabaaÞ - feminine noun. Elder Tongue, composed of àle/aale which means "noble, high" and gabaaÞ/gabàd which means "language".
GabaaÞ/Gabàd - feminine noun. Language, from the Russian gavarit' which means "to speak"
Jeleeva/Jelèva - feminine noun. the Life, means the living world/biosphere in general
Keelaz/Kèlaz - masculine noun. Sky, comes from Latin caelum
Koresce - neutral noun. Heart, comes from Indo-European
Kalaavekh/Kalàvekh - masculine noun. Horse, from vulgar Latin and French
Ludeeva/Ludèva - feminine noun. Moon
Melova - feminine noun. Flower
NaaemaÞa/Nàemada - feminine noun. Mother, from Indo-European, mutation of the initial [m] into [n]
NotceeÞausa/Notcèdausa - feminine noun. Night, from Indo-European
SaaÞejila/Sàdejila - feminine noun. Star
Scanmida - feminine noun. Dream
TaateÞ/Tàted - masculine noun (exception). Father, from Russia otets
Taudena - feminine noun. House
Þaadàr - masculine noun. Land, country
VijleeÞe/Vijlède - feminine noun. Daughter
Volose/Vølose - feminine noun. Wolf
Vraatec/Vràtec - masculine noun. Brother, from Indo-European
Zoleez/Zølèz - masculine noun. Gold, from Russian Zolotoy
Zoelakh - masculine noun. Sun, from Indo-European
Zorsaaza/Zorsàza - feminine noun. Sister, from Indo-European
Zylf - masculone noun. Foret, from Latin sylvus
I will write a dictionary later. Please tell me what you thought of it, I'm quite new to conlanging and the opinions help me to progress. I will do another post on the grammar of Edler Tongue if you are interested!
submitted by SlavicSoul- to conlangs [link] [comments]
Presentation
The Elder Tongue, also called Alegabàd or AalegabaaÞ which means “noble language”, is a dead language once spoken by an ancient human civilization in a territory which covers a good part of Eastern Khoras and which is the mother language of Common Oriental and all its variants and Helosian language. The Elder Tongue is still studied and learned by scholars and priests because the holy books are written in this language, nobles sometimes learn it as a mark of prestige. The spells and magical words needed to cast a spell are sometimes spoken in Alegabàd, although they can also be spoken in modern Helosian. Even if the language is dead because it no longer has native speakers, like Latin in the Middle Ages it continues to be used in certain areas. The origins of the Old Language are unknown, however, it came with the first humans on the continent of Khoras and no one really knows where they came from. The Old Language has three forms: high, middle and low, Oriental descending from the low and Helosian from the High Old Language. Traces of the Old Language today are found in names, toponymy and of course etymology.
Thoughts on the origin of the Elder Tongue
I decided to create the Edler Language first, before all the other languages of Khoras, so that I could use it as a proto-language to create Oriental and its dialects and Helosian. Having a proto-language brings many benefits and makes many things realistic while adding depth to the world. A proto-language is created exactly like a normal language, you just have to keep in mind that this language is dead and that it will be used to give birth to other languages. I have many inspirations for the Alegàbad. Firstly, its history and its role come straight from Latin, I would also imprint several grammatical cases from this language. For the phonology, I want something antique and ancient that seems difficult to learn but pretty to hear with deep sounds perfect for a demon incantation, to obtain this effect I will draw my sounds from Gothic and ancient Greek but not Latin because that's not what I want it to look like. Finally, for the words, I cannot find an etymology for them myself because the Old Language is the oldest known human language in the East of the continent (I would later develop a sort of Indo-European that I would have reconstituted from the Elder Tongue, Dargolese and Pelorian and Nordic). However, some words will sound familiar to us. My idea is that from words that seem to come from an ancient language of our world, for example: zylf means forest (looks like Latin sylvus but sounds more Germanic) but evolved into: sèlf in Oriental and zilva in Helosian which sounds much less close to an Earth language. In fact, I was inspired by Indo-European roots and words from many languages of our world (especially German, ancient Greek and Russian) which I modified a lot to constitute the lexicon of the Elder Tongue.
Phonology
I opted for a phonology that was more Gothic than Greek, the two languages have many sounds in common anyway. For the romanization, I first thought aesthetics before practicality because as the place names will be derived from this language I wanted them to be pleasant to read on a map for example. I wanted to find the right balance between too strange with unusual letters and lots of diacritics and too normal with only letters of our alphabet that sound almost the same. For writing I imagined a script quite close to our European alphabets (Gothic and ancient Greek reference once again but also Glagolic) but it is never my priority and I will invent it once my language is almost finished.
Below, the consonants of the Elder Tongue. The romanization is indicated in parentheses.
Sorry, I wrote the table in my native language, French
The vowels are shown below:
https://preview.redd.it/fjb1kye8rq3d1.png?width=1196&format=png&auto=webp&s=524ad6ac156687771e257ada88402e478abcb590
The i before a vowel is pronounced [j] and a u after a vowel is pronounced [ʊ]. Stress normally falls on the last vowel of the word if it has more than two syllables. Otherwise, the accent is on the first vowel.
The High and Low dialects
There are three forms of the Elder Tongue, the High Alegabàd, the Middle Alegabàd and the Low Alegabàd also called Vulgar Alegabàd. There are two differences between the High and Vulgar Elder Tongue, the High had both long and short vowels. Long vowels were written by doubling the letter, example: aa [aː] uu [uː]. The Low Elder Tongue replaced long vowels with open vowels (aa become à). High Alegabàd does not have the [ø] sound that appeared in Middle Elder Tongue. The most important change is the replacement of Þ in High Elder Tongue with d in Low Elder Tongue. For example: Alegabàd is in Lower Elder Tongue, and AalegabaaÞ is in High Elder Tongue. Middle Elder Tongue already no longer has long vowels but still retains the letter Þ.
List of words derived from the Alegabàd
Below is a list of words in the Elder Tongue. I wrote this lexicon before creating the grammar because I wanted above all to know what the language looked like before knowing how it worked. Words are sometimes written in both high dialect and low dialect when there is a difference.
Aale/àle - adjective. High and noble, from the Latin altus "high"
Alegabàd/AalegabaaÞ - feminine noun. Elder Tongue, composed of àle/aale which means "noble, high" and gabaaÞ/gabàd which means "language".
GabaaÞ/Gabàd - feminine noun. Language, from the Russian gavarit' which means "to speak"
Jeleeva/Jelèva - feminine noun. the Life, means the living world/biosphere in general
Keelaz/Kèlaz - masculine noun. Sky, comes from Latin caelum
Koresce - neutral noun. Heart, comes from Indo-European
Kalaavekh/Kalàvekh - masculine noun. Horse, from vulgar Latin and French
Ludeeva/Ludèva - feminine noun. Moon
Melova - feminine noun. Flower
NaaemaÞa/Nàemada - feminine noun. Mother, from Indo-European, mutation of the initial [m] into [n]
NotceeÞausa/Notcèdausa - feminine noun. Night, from Indo-European
SaaÞejila/Sàdejila - feminine noun. Star
Scanmida - feminine noun. Dream
TaateÞ/Tàted - masculine noun (exception). Father, from Russia otets
Taudena - feminine noun. House
Þaadàr - masculine noun. Land, country
VijleeÞe/Vijlède - feminine noun. Daughter
Volose/Vølose - feminine noun. Wolf
Vraatec/Vràtec - masculine noun. Brother, from Indo-European
Zoleez/Zølèz - masculine noun. Gold, from Russian Zolotoy
Zoelakh - masculine noun. Sun, from Indo-European
Zorsaaza/Zorsàza - feminine noun. Sister, from Indo-European
Zylf - masculone noun. Foret, from Latin sylvus
I will write a dictionary later. Please tell me what you thought of it, I'm quite new to conlanging and the opinions help me to progress. I will do another post on the grammar of Edler Tongue if you are interested!
2024.05.31 13:28 Matt_HoodedHorse [Patch Notes] Manor Lords Update 0.7.972
Howdy Folks,
I come bearing good news!
We're excited to announce the release of a new patch for Manor Lords, version 0.7.972. This patch is for all versions of Manor Lords: Steam, GamePass, Epic Game Store, and GOG.
Saves: We recommend you begin a new save to enjoy all the fixes and changes.
Mods: Please remove any mods you have before beginning a new save to ensure you can play without interference from an outdated mod.
Beta Users: If you have participated in the beta, remember to turn "betas" to "none" to access it.
To discuss this build, please join the official Discord server https://discord.gg/manorlords. You'll find a channel for discussing the ongoing pre_release branch.
Here is a link to Slavic Magic's Steam post for the update.
Full Changelog 0.7.972 Major Changes The King's Tax (or Annual Royal Tax, name undecided): No tax for the first 5 years, 1 Treasury per citizen after 5 years, 2 Treasury per citizen after 10 years, 3 Treasury per citizen after 15 years. In theory, it should slightly punish bad workplace optimization and make hoarding huge amounts of cash more difficult.
Currently, players can incur debt without consequence. In the future, failure to pay will result in losing the king's favor and eventually facing the king's army as enemies.
Global/Local Trade Switch for Trading Posts: Players can now switch trade to "local only" in the trading post for each type of good, allowing them to exchange goods between their own regions while ignoring free merchants. Two trading posts (one in each region) are still required to make this function work. Employed traders will prioritize traveling to the location with the best prices to commence trade, potentially including regions owned by other Lords. The transport distance factor is reduced to make it more predictable for players where traders will go (to the place with the best price). Regional wealth is still required to exchange goods between regions with a trading post to maintain regions as independent economic units, simulating a more realistic economy.
Gameplay & Balance Resource Management & Agricultural Adjustments
Thank you for playing!
Greg Styczeń,
Lead developer, Slavic Magic
submitted by Matt_HoodedHorse to ManorLords [link] [comments]
I come bearing good news!
We're excited to announce the release of a new patch for Manor Lords, version 0.7.972. This patch is for all versions of Manor Lords: Steam, GamePass, Epic Game Store, and GOG.
Saves: We recommend you begin a new save to enjoy all the fixes and changes.
Mods: Please remove any mods you have before beginning a new save to ensure you can play without interference from an outdated mod.
Beta Users: If you have participated in the beta, remember to turn "betas" to "none" to access it.
To discuss this build, please join the official Discord server https://discord.gg/manorlords. You'll find a channel for discussing the ongoing pre_release branch.
Here is a link to Slavic Magic's Steam post for the update.
Full Changelog 0.7.972 Major Changes The King's Tax (or Annual Royal Tax, name undecided): No tax for the first 5 years, 1 Treasury per citizen after 5 years, 2 Treasury per citizen after 10 years, 3 Treasury per citizen after 15 years. In theory, it should slightly punish bad workplace optimization and make hoarding huge amounts of cash more difficult.
Currently, players can incur debt without consequence. In the future, failure to pay will result in losing the king's favor and eventually facing the king's army as enemies.
Global/Local Trade Switch for Trading Posts: Players can now switch trade to "local only" in the trading post for each type of good, allowing them to exchange goods between their own regions while ignoring free merchants. Two trading posts (one in each region) are still required to make this function work. Employed traders will prioritize traveling to the location with the best prices to commence trade, potentially including regions owned by other Lords. The transport distance factor is reduced to make it more predictable for players where traders will go (to the place with the best price). Regional wealth is still required to exchange goods between regions with a trading post to maintain regions as independent economic units, simulating a more realistic economy.
Gameplay & Balance Resource Management & Agricultural Adjustments
- Food Consumption: People now pick a random food resource instead of eating food in a specific order.
- Crop Fertility: Fertility is no longer drained after crop growth reaches 100%, making early harvest micromanagement less necessary. Yield may still increase over 100% growth if max yield is not reached.
- Yield Cap: will now never increase past 100% growth to avoid confusion about exceeding 100%. Even when fertility reaches 0%, there will still be a small possible yield.
- Harvesting Efficiency: When harvesting, crops are directly added to the field inventory instead of the villager inventory to reduce bottlenecks from harvesting walk times, especially for large fields.
- Oxen Prioritization: Prioritized oxen plowing over transporting resources to the granary and warehouse to reduce oxen walking back and forth from the plowed field every time new resources are available for transport.
- Plowing Shed: Plowing shed now adds 2 livestock worker slots.
- Food Distribution: Food-producing residential plots no longer stock up on their produce before sharing with the marketplace.
- Sawpit Log Storage: Increased sawpit log storage space to 5.
- Baron Region Claims: Lowered the rate of the Baron claiming regions and adjusted it to better reflect game settings.
- Worker Camp Upgrade: Removed the worker camp upgrade intended for colony regions; it will be re-added when properly implemented.
- Trade Route Establishment: When establishing a trade route, merchants no longer all spawn at the nearest trade point but are distributed to circle between various trade points.
- Archer Damage: Archer damage increased from 4 to 13.
- Trade Logistics Development: The "Trade Logistics" development branch now lowers the cost of new trade routes by 50% instead of clamping it at 25.
- Trade Route Costs: Increased the base cost of opening a trade route from 12 to 20 (before the good value multiplier). Reverted the cost of opening new trade routes to linear scaling.
- Market Oversupply: When the market is oversupplied, players can still export goods at a lower price. The price multiplier for oversupplied goods is now 0.75x for oversupplied and 0.5x for critically oversupplied.
- Market Oversupply Rate: The rate at which the market becomes oversupplied no longer depends on the value of goods, ensuring equal rates for all good types.
- Better Deals Development: The "Better Deals" development branch reduces the foreign import tariff by 50% instead of removing it completely.
- Global Market Supply: Tuned global market supply to rebalance itself faster, aiming for a closer to one-year cycle if not trading.
- Ale Consumption: Reduced ale consumption by 75% (approximately 1/3 per family per month).
- Building Placement: Made building placement steepness limits harsher to prevent trading posts and churches from looking awkward on sharp slopes.
- Soldier Approval Factor: Soldiers no longer trigger the "unburied bodies" approval factor when corpses are in their proximity.
- Hitching Post: Hitching post is free again to reduce the chances of players getting stuck without an ox, hitching post, or the ability to order an ox.
- Sheep Breeding: Capped sheep breeding to a maximum of 1 new lamb every 10 days.
- Water Fetching: Villagers are now only allowed to fetch water from the well nearest to their home, except in case of a fire.
- Maximum Yield per Plant: Increased the maximum yield per plant from 2 to 4 (Hunting Grounds policy still reduces it by half).
- Plant Yield Rate: Plant yield rate reduced by half to encourage early harvest only in emergency mode.
- Militia Squad Limit: The militia squad limit is now 6, regardless of whether the player has a retinue or mercenaries. This will be connected to a rank system in the future.
- Fertility Regeneration: Doubled the fertility regeneration rate effect on fallow fields and from fertilization.
- Plant Growth Rate: Adjusted crop growth to match crop rotation (to hit 100% at harvest as often as it can on auto).
- Tree Growth Rate: Slowed down tree growth rate by around 30% to enhance forest management impact.
- Trading Post Workers: Increased the carrying capacity of on-foot trading post workers from 1 to 5.
- Royal Tax Calculation: Royal tax is now calculated as follows: No tax for the first 5 years, 1 Treasury per citizen after 5 years, 2 Treasury per citizen after 10 years, 3 Treasury per citizen after 15 years.
- Granary and Storehouse Worker Slots: Adjusted Granary and Storehouse Worker Slots: unified to 3 families for level 1 and 6 families for level 2.
- Mindfulness System: Applied the "mindfulness" system to free merchants to reduce clumps and traffic jams.
- Trade Location: Moved the location of trades further off the map to ensure space for all trade wagons, even if the trading post is placed on the map edge.
- Trader Transactions: Allowed traders to make transactions without entering the shed if the trading post is clogged, as long as they are within the general building bounds.
- Marketplace Logistics: Improved marketplace logistics efficiency and optimization.
- Market Supply Reset: Reset market supply on loading old saves (from builds 0.7.954-0.7.956) due to mismatched global market supply stock values.
- Market Stall Workers: Capped the number of workers supplying a single market stall to 2 to reduce market clogs with the increased market supply frequency. The number of stalls is now reduced back to the number of families divided by 5, with a minimum of 1 to ensure functionality in towns with fewer than 5 families.
- Market Supply Optimization: Further optimized market supply functions for smoother late-game town performance.
- Trading Post Thumbnail: Added the missing trading post building thumbnail.
- Trading Post Price Range: Trading posts now display a price range for imports, indicating whether they can buy from other regions or foreign trade sources.
- Default AA: Changed default AA under DX11 to TAA.
- Spatialization Update: Added a spatialization update call for recruits teleported home when rallied to ensure proper collision calculations.
- Follow Mode Optimization: Updated "is close to camera" value in follow mode to prevent optimization of animations or sound effects for characters near the camera.
- Firefighting Behavior: Made firefighting villagers ignore anti-clogging behavior at narrow pathfinding points.
- Pathfinding Updates: Minor unit in-town pathfinding updates.
- Destructible System: Swapped the old UE4 destructible system for a new UE5-friendly chaos-based debris system currently used for chopped firewood cutter logs.
- AA/Upscaler Selection: Tweaked default AA/upscaler selection during first-time launch for specific GPUs (e.g., RTX properly defaulting to DLSS).
- Pathfinding Thread: Added another pathfinding thread for handling multiple end-game cities.
- Harvest Prediction Optimization: Optimized harvest prediction and fertility changes to reduce stutter.
- Log Display: Limited the log display to store only the last 100 entries to improve UI optimization.
- Idle Task Optimization: Optimized the function for finding friends to do idle tasks like conversations.
- Door Opening Animations: Optimized door opening animations.
- Mourning Period UI: The residential panel now has a "mourning period left" UI element that displays the number of days of mourning until the burgage plot can bring in more family members.
- Mourning Icon: Added mourning icon to the building floater.
- Save Restrictions: Disabled the ability to quick save during the game ovevictory cinematic. Disabled manual save after being defeated and added a tooltip explaining why saves are disabled. Disabled quick save and autosave if the game was lost.
- King's Tax Rate Multiplier: Added king's tax rate multiplier to the game setup settings.
- Victory Camera: After continuing the game after a victory, the camera returns to the player's main region instead of levitating over the map edge.
- Currency Icon: Unified the currency icon in the mercenary company panel to clarify payment with the treasury, not regional wealth.
- Accommodation for Homeless: Added an accommodation call for homeless people after a fire, ensuring they are quickly re-assigned to available burgage plots.
- Family List UI: Aligned "workplace/reassign" buttons vertically in the family list due to most families having more than one member.
- Font Fix: Fixed old fonts being used in the family entry widgets.
- Fertility Overlay: Made fertility overlay colors and colorblind symbols more accurate with the percentages displayed in the field's building panel.
- Building Panel UI: Tweaked building panel header buttons/toggles to improve readability and distinguish buttons from toggles.
- Market Stalls: Set "Allow market stalls" to ON by default for all workplaces and artisan workshops to aid new players in setting up stalls without confusion.
- Popup Queue: To avoid popups like "royal tax increase" from interrupting visit mode, they are now queued and triggered after the player returns from visit mode, after around 1-2 seconds.
- Transaction Popup: When trading between regions, the transaction popup will now display over both trade buildings, depending on which is closer to the camera.
- Region Borders: Region borders will show under the cursor even if the camera is low, clarifying where region territory ends.
- Region Calculation for UI: Tuned how "current region" is calculated for the UI to make it more comfortable to build on the edge between two player-owned regions.
- Fixed a crash when doing a sequence of livestock import, export, and import because "home" wasn't cleared properly during export, and the same animal was reimported.
- Fixed a rare crash if a handcart fails to spawn, likely if the trading post was built so that part of it crosses the map edge.
- Fixed crash on startup if OpenXr SDK is installed.
- Fixed a crash when deleting a building if there are pathfinding obstacles being verified (for instance, soon after loading a game).
- Fixed the player being able to reassign a family to another Region, which could crash the game.
- Fixed victory status not resetting after starting a new game, leading to a game over screen not appearing if the player lost/won multiple games without turning the game off.
- Fixed crops dying in the winter instead of actually increasing yield by absorbing nutrients from the snow as intended for winter crops.
- Fixed oxen sometimes "ghost plowing" a field when they are waiting for their guide.
- Fixed plow and ox sometimes misaligned on 12x game speed.
- Fixed farm workers not accounting for oxen plowing the farms in some situations, leading to a lot of unnecessary collisions on the field.
- Fixed crop rotation unplowing the fields.
- Fixed disbanded mercenary group becoming immediately available again after save/load cycle.
- Fixed the trading post export transactions not moving regional wealth between the regions correctly if owned by the same lord.
- Fixed paused taverns fulfilling the entertainment requirement.
- Fixed attempt for never-ending fires if a fire was triggered after the building was already on fire.
- Fixed livestock sometimes being unaccommodated after order even though there is stable or pasture space due to being transferred to the region twice (once when buying and once when livestock merchant brings it to the building).
- Fixed livestock traders traded between on-map regions, possibly sometimes paying twice because the ownership changing function was called both on pickup of livestock and on dropoff.
- Fixed the game getting stuck on the game summary screen infinitely after winning or losing the game.
- Fixed "none" people populating the town after a raid sometimes who just stand around waiting forever and possibly crash the game while reloading.
- Fixed the employed traders going to trade points even though the trade route for the traded good is not opened yet.
- Fixed the farm workers moving to transport tasks early even though there is still plenty of crops to harvest.
- Fixed predicted yield not showing correctly in the field building panel.
- Fixed people not resetting rotation after dismounting.
- Fixed farming oxen not respecting work area limits.
- Fixed bandit camps respawning on loading because "lastBanditCampSpawnedDay" didn't save properly.
- Fixed villagers not setting up market stalls to sell their home produce like vegetables if they are unassigned.
- Fixed granary workers stealing ale from the tavern.
- Fixed livestock exports getting interrupted by sheep herd behavior.
- Fixed livestock trader job not triggering an import task when buying livestock from another region.
- Fixed the blurry desktop icon.
- Fixed the save/load menu header not translating after changing the language.
- Fixed the front lighting not being visible in the retinue editor if bounced light approximation is turned to low or off.
- Fixed floating feedback text spawning during the cinematic mode.
- Fixed autosave triggering during the cinematic mode.
- Fixed the gilded aventail hounskull helmet appearing blurry in the retinue editor.
- Fixed the forest mask not drawing.
- Fixed the wrong yarn basket carrying animation.
- Fixed the wrong apple basket carry animation.
- Fixed "storage full" triggering for wrong buildings sometimes (for example, sawpit having 1/1 logs).
- Fixed attempt for oxen bringing too many logs to the sawpit and crossing the storage limit.
- Fixed free merchants sometimes got stuck if a trading post was built so close to the edge that a portion of it was outside of any region bounds.
- Fixed horse wagon rotations getting a bit too wonky on slopes.
- Fixed a bug where a unit could no longer move due to being forever stuck in "waiting for pathfinding to finish" if another unit with a lower squadID got completely destroyed.
- Fixed traders not importing from on-map regions even though the price is better than buying from trade points.
- Fixed farm workers & farm oxen stealing planks from fields which are getting "fenced up."
- Fixed "homeless" problem banner not disappearing after upgrading homeless camp to a worker camp.
- Fixed animals not getting removed from stable space / pasture space after death.
- Fixed animal corpses not disappearing over time.
- Fixed a dirty fix for families moving into homes but not registering correctly and not displaying in the UI, leading to a "secret" family living in one of the burgage plots. The reason is still unknown and being investigated.
- Fixed wealth getting transferred when doing barter.
- Fixed bartering traders always return 1 item regardless of the barter value and carrying capacity.
- Fixed bartering traders packing too much stuff in their origin region when barter value is more than 1x.
- Fixed trading post exports not proceeding with transactions once the trader reaches the destination.
- Fixed multiple markets sometimes distributing multiple instances of the same good type to a plot, for instance, a single plot would "eat" 2 leather, leaving houses on the outskirts forever undersupplied.
- Fixed crop rotation to fallow causing farmers to harvest itemID_0, which was invisible in the UI and stopped supply dumps from being cleared because they were never considered as fully empty.
- Fixed farmers getting stuck in pickup-putdown handcart loop when multiple farms are used.
- Fixed unnecessary harvest data recalculations triggering in the winters.
- Fixed a bug with trading between regions where during selling items the wrong region would pay for the transaction.
- Fixed free merchants not applying the foreign import tariff when selling their goods to trading posts if another region was exporting the traded good for a lower price.
- Fixed trade wagons sometimes traveling with empty inventory.
- Fixed traders doing "major trades" even without an established trade route.
- Fixed workers ignoring storage filter settings.
- Fixed the "current year" always incrementing in January, regardless of the month the game was started in, also leading to the tax being calculated inconsistently [fix for new saves only].
- Fixed market supply percentages not displaying correctly because it still accounted for uninhabited homes.
- Fixed a bug with workers not setting up market stalls if there are less than 5 families in the settlement.
- Fixed squad icons disappearing/flickering when disbanding certain squads.
- Fixed export price showing even though trade is locked because there's no trade route established and no interregional trade available.
- Fixed foreign market supply incrementing instead of decrementing when off-map trade was being done by trading post workers.
- Fixed disband/remove squad sometimes affecting wrong squads if multiple squads are selected when pressing "disband" or "remove".
- Fixed "Not enough funds for import" warning displaying even though there is enough.
- Fixed apiaries leaving invisible items in supply dumps after demolition.
- Added a new patron saint banner graphics: St Maurice.
- Added a carried dead body visualization.
- New upgraded retinue helmet variation: Pointy bascinet.
- New upgraded retinue body variation: Coat of plates.
- New upgraded retinue helmet variation: Hounskull bascinet with a gilded cover.
- New militia helmet variation - banded bascinet with a mail aventail.
- Reworked LV2 granary model with proper animated doors.
- Added new 6 "short" attack animations to reduce animation repetitiveness during combat.
- Added new "inch forward" battle locomotion animations which should greatly reduce the weird "wiggling" effect when groups push each other.
- Lady visit mode: If you pick the green lady portrait, the visit mode character should now be female.
- Combat animation clean up.
- Made debris piles align to ground slope.
- Fixed the throw torch animation ending abruptly.
- Increased location precision for animals standing in the stables.
- Fixed the praying animation.
- Adjusted the two-handed weapon default idle pose to give it a more natural stance.
- Improved the precision for snapping terraforming meshes (like mines or sawpits) to ground.
- Made leaf clumps smaller and disabled the parallax mapping since it caused distortions and wasn't very visible anyway.
- Tuned field dirt UV wiggle to make those huge vegetable gardens players were making less wavy.
- Fixed the armor clipping through the leg of the upgraded retinue puffy sleeve upon body variation.
- Fixed some mail armor variants clipping with helmets on T3 militia units (militia mail will get their own unique variations soon).
- Fixed the wrong door orientation for LV2 cottage variation B (with a planked gable).
- Fixed the TAB building floater residential data not showing in 0.7.969.
- Fixed a potential bug when a family assigned to a smithy is unassigned while a family member is rallied, and the function that unequips their smithing aprons may, by mistake, unequip their body armor oand helmet.
- Fixed player army UI not getting updated after squad array changes because of non-player commanded units getting removed.
- Fixed recruit distribution sometimes assigning new militia recruits to an invalid unit
Thank you for playing!
Greg Styczeń,
Lead developer, Slavic Magic
2024.05.31 11:13 anibele I’m 17 and I have no idea how to start my life. Please help me.
This is honestly a final cry because I have nobody near me to speak to, I’m at such a loss for what to do. To sum things up, I applied to uni under a deferred entry but I hate all the unis I chose and my parents are unsupportive in me going at all, wanting me to pursue work full time instead to move out / support myself, I don’t know what career I want and my life feels over before it’s even began.
Right now, I’m taking a gap year as I received a full scholarship under the Asia Kakehashi program to study in Japan for four months. My friends all think I’m thinking too far ahead, but what the hell am I gonna do after those four months? I know that makes me sound dumb, but please hear me out, I’m desperate.
I’m 17 years old and I want to pursue further education, but my parents are incredibly unsupportive due to the money aspect of it. My mother and father never went to University, nobody in my family have ever gone, and nobody in my family wants to go nor wants me to go— they’re actively against it.
When I told my mother I was pursuing further education to get my A levels it was awful, I’ve never seen her so angry. I’ve still gone off to do my A levels and have, so far, received 5 A grades at AS level and 2 As at A2 level (still waiting for my results for the other three, but I’m thinking I’ll get A’s overall). I got 14 As and 2 A’s at GCSE.
I feel like it’s all such a waste. I feel like I’m wasting my potential. I’ve got all of this going for me, I’ve got a scholarship to JAPAN ffs, and absolutely nowhere to place it. I feel like no place is going to want to take me on because I have no idea what I want to do and when I tell people they just tell me to ‘do anything’ and I really don’t think people realise how difficult that is without any parental support or money. Realistically, grades mean nothing, and I never realised how much money would hold me back in life.
I’ve spent the past two years working on my university application and applying to Uni’s and I received unconditional offers from 3/5 of them, but after going to see them I just hate what they had to offer. I went through some stupid phase of wanting to go to city universities, and it’s just not me at all. I applied to Manchester and Birmingham and Royal Holloway but again, after seeing them, I just hated it. I need to make a decision by the end of this week and it makes me physically sick thinking about it, as I have exams too. I also physically can’t afford to go. Yes, I can get student loans and grants, but my parents are offering no help and I’m doing my absolute best working part time to obtain money but it’s not enough.
If I’m gonna be in debt, I want to go to the perfect place, I can’t afford to waste this opportunity, and I think that’s why I’m struggling so much. This is THE opportunity, it’s defying my parents wishes, if I’m going to go all out I need to make sure I love the place I’m going to, or else what am I gonna do as a backup? But at the same time I feel like I can’t go somewhere local because, again, what a waste. All these grades just to stay at home. Idk.
I’m creative, so I want to go into film, set design, media or art of any kind. I cant work in a job that isn’t around people, which is why I’ve opted out of animation. Cant stand the idea of being on my own and drawing all day. My only shot is to get a scholarship somewhere and I think I have the potential for it with my personality, experience and grades, but I just don’t know where or how or who to reach out to and it’s killing me inside. I feel like if I do an apprenticeship I’ll miss out on so much, because everyone talks about how uni is the best time of your life.
Honestly I’m tempted to just drop out entirely and study business in college and open up a shop or some shit. It’s so cliche, but that’s my ACTUAL dream, just owning my own place and having my own rules. A couple months back I wrote up a massive document detailing the brand, potential names, I designed potential logos, did research into legal and what I would need to get started but it would be so much more expensive than just biting the bullet and going to school again. Renting a place or buying a property, renovating, getting a permit and training staff, etc. I know school is kind of an easy way out but i feel like I NEED to put my grades to use, otherwise what was the point in it all?
I just want to reject all my offers, crawl into a hole and give up. I have nobody to help me figure things out or help me apply and I’ve tried doing so much research but I just can’t find anywhere. All my friends are going away and I feel so lonely and tired and isolated and stupid and useless. It doesn’t matter what I have going for me if I can’t use it.
I don’t really know what I expect from posting this but I was just hoping someone out there would be able to relate and she’d some light on how they pulled themselves out of this rabbit hole. I just want to settle, but my mind won’t let me. Please help.
submitted by anibele to LifeAdvice [link] [comments]
Right now, I’m taking a gap year as I received a full scholarship under the Asia Kakehashi program to study in Japan for four months. My friends all think I’m thinking too far ahead, but what the hell am I gonna do after those four months? I know that makes me sound dumb, but please hear me out, I’m desperate.
I’m 17 years old and I want to pursue further education, but my parents are incredibly unsupportive due to the money aspect of it. My mother and father never went to University, nobody in my family have ever gone, and nobody in my family wants to go nor wants me to go— they’re actively against it.
When I told my mother I was pursuing further education to get my A levels it was awful, I’ve never seen her so angry. I’ve still gone off to do my A levels and have, so far, received 5 A grades at AS level and 2 As at A2 level (still waiting for my results for the other three, but I’m thinking I’ll get A’s overall). I got 14 As and 2 A’s at GCSE.
I feel like it’s all such a waste. I feel like I’m wasting my potential. I’ve got all of this going for me, I’ve got a scholarship to JAPAN ffs, and absolutely nowhere to place it. I feel like no place is going to want to take me on because I have no idea what I want to do and when I tell people they just tell me to ‘do anything’ and I really don’t think people realise how difficult that is without any parental support or money. Realistically, grades mean nothing, and I never realised how much money would hold me back in life.
I’ve spent the past two years working on my university application and applying to Uni’s and I received unconditional offers from 3/5 of them, but after going to see them I just hate what they had to offer. I went through some stupid phase of wanting to go to city universities, and it’s just not me at all. I applied to Manchester and Birmingham and Royal Holloway but again, after seeing them, I just hated it. I need to make a decision by the end of this week and it makes me physically sick thinking about it, as I have exams too. I also physically can’t afford to go. Yes, I can get student loans and grants, but my parents are offering no help and I’m doing my absolute best working part time to obtain money but it’s not enough.
If I’m gonna be in debt, I want to go to the perfect place, I can’t afford to waste this opportunity, and I think that’s why I’m struggling so much. This is THE opportunity, it’s defying my parents wishes, if I’m going to go all out I need to make sure I love the place I’m going to, or else what am I gonna do as a backup? But at the same time I feel like I can’t go somewhere local because, again, what a waste. All these grades just to stay at home. Idk.
I’m creative, so I want to go into film, set design, media or art of any kind. I cant work in a job that isn’t around people, which is why I’ve opted out of animation. Cant stand the idea of being on my own and drawing all day. My only shot is to get a scholarship somewhere and I think I have the potential for it with my personality, experience and grades, but I just don’t know where or how or who to reach out to and it’s killing me inside. I feel like if I do an apprenticeship I’ll miss out on so much, because everyone talks about how uni is the best time of your life.
Honestly I’m tempted to just drop out entirely and study business in college and open up a shop or some shit. It’s so cliche, but that’s my ACTUAL dream, just owning my own place and having my own rules. A couple months back I wrote up a massive document detailing the brand, potential names, I designed potential logos, did research into legal and what I would need to get started but it would be so much more expensive than just biting the bullet and going to school again. Renting a place or buying a property, renovating, getting a permit and training staff, etc. I know school is kind of an easy way out but i feel like I NEED to put my grades to use, otherwise what was the point in it all?
I just want to reject all my offers, crawl into a hole and give up. I have nobody to help me figure things out or help me apply and I’ve tried doing so much research but I just can’t find anywhere. All my friends are going away and I feel so lonely and tired and isolated and stupid and useless. It doesn’t matter what I have going for me if I can’t use it.
I don’t really know what I expect from posting this but I was just hoping someone out there would be able to relate and she’d some light on how they pulled themselves out of this rabbit hole. I just want to settle, but my mind won’t let me. Please help.
2024.05.31 07:25 UltraUsurper Fabiano Caruana was wrong (open events and FIDE Circuit)
 | Caruana, Aronian, and Giri, among others, have recently criticised the 2025 FIDE Circuit because of the boosted weightage of open events. The top GMs claim that it's wrong for FIDE to incentivize players to play opens, not because of the rating risk but because of prize funds. Well, let's tackle this first claim that apparently the top guys can easily win opens if they really want to do so (at least this is what he's supposedly implying). I will also later tackle the point that opens are supposedly better than closed events in the circuit. submitted by UltraUsurper to chess [link] [comments] He sites the example of Arjun Erigaisi, who is currently rated no.6 in the world, and who has famously achieved this status primarily from playing in open events. So let's take a look at some of Arjun's recent rating progress:
So while opens certainly helped him get to the 2700+ level, they didn't single-handedly carry him to top 10 in the world. He generally does exceptionally well in opens, winning Menorca (which only earned him 4 points) and last year's Sharjah, however it is misleading to suggest that he got to 2760+ only playing in opens. It takes a lot of effort for him to gain even a few rating points in those events, and he's mostly doing it for the Circuit. Now, that's enough about Arjun. Let's take a look at some other players. The strongest open tournament last year with participation from several top players was the Qatar Open. Here's how the top four seeds fared in that event: Magnus Carlsen lost 17.2 rating points, Hikaru Nakamura lost 2.4 rating points, Anish Giri lost 8.2 and Gukesh Dommaraju lost 6.1 points. The 10th seed Vladimir Fedoseev lost 12.1 rating points, 9th seed Nihal Sarin lost 10.2, and 8th seed Jorden van Foreest lost 8.2 points. Oh, and Hikaru and Gukesh got the second highest score, 6.5/9, and Magnus and Anish scored 6/9, so I haven't like nitpicked some exceptionally poor performance from these guys (well, Magnus did perform very poorly, but according to Fabiano, he shouldn't have). Let's also take look at some results of 2700 players from opens this month. All of these players, just like Fabiano, got to 2700 from playing opens. However, this fact doesn't correspond to 2700s performing up to par in opens. In fact, it's quite the contrary. Yu Yangyi, 5.5/9 and 6/9 Teimour Radjabov, 5/10; withdrew from Dubai Andrey Esipenko, 4/9 in Sharjah Vladimir Fedoseev, 6.5/9 and 4.5/9; Munich in progress Vladislav Artemiev, 6/9 and 5/9 (notably he went undefeated, draws proved costly) This one is just painful to see. 40 points is something I'd lose in a late night bullet session when I'm tilted. I guess opens can both make and break a 2700. If Fabiano Caruana really thinks it's not difficult for a top player to gain points in/win opens, then he should try playing a couple himself. I'm sure he's financially secure enough to not have to worry about prizes. And anyway, the grand prize here is the Candidates after all. I believe it's a good idea to push the relevance of open events as it gives great opportunities to young players like Bardiya Daneshvar, V Pranav and Ediz Gurel (just to name a few). It seems the young underrated folk always seem to outperform the super GMs in these open events. While Arjun Erigaisi may not have significantly gained rating points in recent opens, his participation has helped put him at the top of the FIDE Circuit. Here's the current standings: https://preview.redd.it/hx2wskgtto3d1.png?width=967&format=png&auto=webp&s=73487f2dbdb2feb3a94849eb271e1e0b88b92bb8 There's also a case to be made that although open events give out a lot of FIDE Circuit points, they're not as powerful as Fabiano and others claim. Current 2nd place Nodirbek Abdusattorov is only 2 points behind Arjun and he has also played 2 less events, meaning he still has 4 events to go versus Arjun's two. And all of Nodirbek's three events have been closed invitationals (Tata Steel, Prague and Sigeman). He likely has a better chance to win the Circuit than Arjun, especially because of the Grand Chess Tour, without even playing in open events at all. Arjun has already played 5 out of his 7 circuit events, three of them opens. Nodirbek, only two points behind, has played three closed events (and will play the Grand Chess Tour). This also shows that the Grand Chess Tour, a closed circuit of events, still gives players a big advantage over open dwellers, who are quite significantly behind in the rankings with the exception of Arjun, who has also played two closed events which totally constitute more points (29.18) than the three opens (28.42). Nodirbek and Gukesh are second and third from playing closed events, and guys like Niemann and Tabatabaei who are relying on opens have less than 40 points from three events (Niemann also played one closed event), and most of their points come from one single top performance in an open, which is not something that is regularly reproduceable considering the strength of these underrated kids who're getting opportunities to shine in these events. Hans and Amin are both on the leaderboard with one great open performance, and as Amin's successive results indicate, that is not reproduceable. So the overall affect of opens on the FIDE Circuit isn't very great, while the created incentive for top players to play opens***** greatly benefits young players who rely on opens to breakout, which is a fantastic initiative by FIDE. I think the increase in participation of top players in opens is only good for chess, and it isn't jeopardizing the world championship cycle as some have claimed. And once again, Fabi isn't financially struggling or anything, and qualifying to the Candidates is the bigger prize, so if he really thinks it's so easy for him to win opens then he should perhaps give it a shot and show us. Or, maybe, maybe there's a chance that these top guys are pushing back against the prominence of opens in order to protect their precious rating points... P.S. *****I realize this statement kinda sounds contradictory, but what I'm trying to say is while opens aren't good enough to replace closed events on the circuit; for a top player, one good open result coupled with a few good closed results could make all the difference in the race, so it still creates incentive for players to play opens. However, players can't realistically rely on only opens, and it needs to be a combination of both like Arjun. A player who plays seven opens might do well in one or two and finish top ten in the other 5, which would roughly equate like this: let's say 18 + 15 for two good results and 7*5 for five decent results, that would give a score of ~68, while five good closed events with an average result of 15 circuit points alone is ~75 points with two spots left, one of which can be a decent open result to further boost the score. |
2024.05.31 07:24 XaiverVanderwell Artists who are not new but also not pros either.
How do you guys manage yourselves in the art community? What are your experiences in a group that mainly favours the high and low mediums (as in newer and pros), what are some responses from the general public due to this?
I want to know because I've noticed that I've managed to finally break through that "newer" artist barrier, yet I'm not a pro either, but I'm at the level where I no longer draw heads with just circles but with boxes, know well enough anatomy to draw a full body, and I've gotten good enough at shading where I'm able to draw a realistic looking face.
Yet I'm not at the pro level yet, I still have trouble drawing heads from different angles, shading and cross hatching is something I'm not advanced fully in, and drawing poses and anatomy I still need to work on.
For me, I mainly do art challenges like drawing 100 heads or 50 figures, only drawing in a certain art style for a week, learning anatomy in 12 weeks(keep safe before anyone says you never stop learning anatomy I know, I'm still practicing)
Curious to read your thoughts and opinions!
submitted by XaiverVanderwell to ArtistLounge [link] [comments]
I want to know because I've noticed that I've managed to finally break through that "newer" artist barrier, yet I'm not a pro either, but I'm at the level where I no longer draw heads with just circles but with boxes, know well enough anatomy to draw a full body, and I've gotten good enough at shading where I'm able to draw a realistic looking face.
Yet I'm not at the pro level yet, I still have trouble drawing heads from different angles, shading and cross hatching is something I'm not advanced fully in, and drawing poses and anatomy I still need to work on.
For me, I mainly do art challenges like drawing 100 heads or 50 figures, only drawing in a certain art style for a week, learning anatomy in 12 weeks(keep safe before anyone says you never stop learning anatomy I know, I'm still practicing)
Curious to read your thoughts and opinions!
2024.05.31 06:22 sircorneilous People on this app are SO BORING! and mutual is greedy.
I would swap swap and swap. And would find the most boring bios I've ever seen.
And most of the people on there are either far right or far left in the political spectrum.
And I can't change that because mutual is being REALLY greedy asking a lot of money for simple features.
Instead of innovating on features that aren't simple to add to their premium subscription.
The prices are WAY to high.
And I will check the pricing later sense I haven't checked before hand.
But I remember being too much money.
I understand on a business stand point that you need money I get that. But there are other ways on making money that isn't scummy.
And no I'm not talking about donations that doesn't really work or a company that much.
You can come up with other ways.
I can't think of one at the moment. But yeah. For an app that has a Mormon background.
It sure isn't following the Lord's commandments.
I know maintaining an app like this cost a lot.
But why not make it to where you can use a certain feature on only a few swaps.
(The filter features. ) Like watch an add to use certain filters for only a few amount of scrolls. Or something idk. But anyways. Other then the greed of this corporation. It's hard to find anyone who is looking for a relationship to be interesting .
I only met one cool and interesting person on that app. (We're only a platonic relationship.) But when it's searching for a potential romantic partner.
Most people on there feel like they have no personalities. "OMG 😱😱😱 I LIKE GOING TO THE GYM. AND IM ONLY INTERESTED IN SPORTS. AND NOTHING ELSE YAH " zzzzzz 😴😴😴😴😴 boring.
Come on. At least have a hobby other then on thing.
"I LiKe GoInG To ThE BeAcH!!" WHO DOESN'T! I BET EVEN SOMEONE WITH THALASOPHOBIA WOULD EVEN STILL LIKE GOING TO THE BEACH. And I hate it when they say their interest is basic human functions.
Like. "I LiKe FoOd!! " Oh so you like cooking exotic food and tasting crazy stuff around the world and like tasting cool things? Maybe even gardening or cooking or something creative like creating realistic cakes? "No I just like food. Doi duhhh 🤪🤪🤪 " or like. "I like sleeping" WAIT? that's not a hobby.
I would be surprised if someone said breathing was there hobby. Like come on people. Get a life.
Do something cool. Learn a new skill get out of your comfort zone. Like dude! I love making animation even though I'm not good at it.
and and drawing even though I'm not terrible at it and is pretty ok at it. I'm not good enough to be hired by someone. There are so many interests I have. And I bet other people do to.
But every person other than one cool person that I still talk to. Other then her. Everyone else. Are so. Simple minded.
Like how do you live your life making one thing your personality. Look I don't hate sports a kind of like it.
And I don't mind if someone likes sports even if they're a big fan of sports and working out.
But even super sport fans like other things then just that. Like don't you like music? Everyone likes music.
Don't you like watching things other then sports? Maybe video games?
Some sort of other interests? Iean yeah it's ok if sports is your main interest. Although it shouldn't be your only interest.
If my only interest was animation and not storytelling game development. Writing.
Playing videogames voice acting music composing.
Etc. I think I would go insane. Look I kinda like sports but not really.
Cuz I don't know who to root for. Basketball is pretty interesting.
And disc golf is kinda cool. The thing is. I'm just a bit frustrated with that.
Like why isn't there an option to have people in your feed that only matches your interest flairs.
I don't think they even have that sort of thing on premium.
Either. And mostly everyone(except one person she's chill) on there are a bit too uptight Like chill.
And most of the people are either redneck yee haw closed minded fascist conservatives.
Or woke. Communist "CaPiTaLiZm BaD! CoMmUnIsM GoOd uhhh ah doinduuh" as well as closed minded even though they say they are open minded.
Same with the conservatives. EVERY POLITICAL SYSTEM HAS CORRUPTION.
THERE IS CURRENTLY NO SYSTEM THAT WORKS AT THE MOMENT! well other than the political rant. Maybe it's a me problem idk.
But if this app is supposed to help people find people similar to you then it's doing a bad job.
Either give them your money while they twerll there cartoonishly mustache with evil laughter or have to deal with a crappy algorithm.
submitted by sircorneilous to mutualapp [link] [comments]
And most of the people on there are either far right or far left in the political spectrum.
And I can't change that because mutual is being REALLY greedy asking a lot of money for simple features.
Instead of innovating on features that aren't simple to add to their premium subscription.
The prices are WAY to high.
And I will check the pricing later sense I haven't checked before hand.
But I remember being too much money.
I understand on a business stand point that you need money I get that. But there are other ways on making money that isn't scummy.
And no I'm not talking about donations that doesn't really work or a company that much.
You can come up with other ways.
I can't think of one at the moment. But yeah. For an app that has a Mormon background.
It sure isn't following the Lord's commandments.
I know maintaining an app like this cost a lot.
But why not make it to where you can use a certain feature on only a few swaps.
(The filter features. ) Like watch an add to use certain filters for only a few amount of scrolls. Or something idk. But anyways. Other then the greed of this corporation. It's hard to find anyone who is looking for a relationship to be interesting .
I only met one cool and interesting person on that app. (We're only a platonic relationship.) But when it's searching for a potential romantic partner.
Most people on there feel like they have no personalities. "OMG 😱😱😱 I LIKE GOING TO THE GYM. AND IM ONLY INTERESTED IN SPORTS. AND NOTHING ELSE YAH " zzzzzz 😴😴😴😴😴 boring.
Come on. At least have a hobby other then on thing.
"I LiKe GoInG To ThE BeAcH!!" WHO DOESN'T! I BET EVEN SOMEONE WITH THALASOPHOBIA WOULD EVEN STILL LIKE GOING TO THE BEACH. And I hate it when they say their interest is basic human functions.
Like. "I LiKe FoOd!! " Oh so you like cooking exotic food and tasting crazy stuff around the world and like tasting cool things? Maybe even gardening or cooking or something creative like creating realistic cakes? "No I just like food. Doi duhhh 🤪🤪🤪 " or like. "I like sleeping" WAIT? that's not a hobby.
I would be surprised if someone said breathing was there hobby. Like come on people. Get a life.
Do something cool. Learn a new skill get out of your comfort zone. Like dude! I love making animation even though I'm not good at it.
and and drawing even though I'm not terrible at it and is pretty ok at it. I'm not good enough to be hired by someone. There are so many interests I have. And I bet other people do to.
But every person other than one cool person that I still talk to. Other then her. Everyone else. Are so. Simple minded.
Like how do you live your life making one thing your personality. Look I don't hate sports a kind of like it.
And I don't mind if someone likes sports even if they're a big fan of sports and working out.
But even super sport fans like other things then just that. Like don't you like music? Everyone likes music.
Don't you like watching things other then sports? Maybe video games?
Some sort of other interests? Iean yeah it's ok if sports is your main interest. Although it shouldn't be your only interest.
If my only interest was animation and not storytelling game development. Writing.
Playing videogames voice acting music composing.
Etc. I think I would go insane. Look I kinda like sports but not really.
Cuz I don't know who to root for. Basketball is pretty interesting.
And disc golf is kinda cool. The thing is. I'm just a bit frustrated with that.
Like why isn't there an option to have people in your feed that only matches your interest flairs.
I don't think they even have that sort of thing on premium.
Either. And mostly everyone(except one person she's chill) on there are a bit too uptight Like chill.
And most of the people are either redneck yee haw closed minded fascist conservatives.
Or woke. Communist "CaPiTaLiZm BaD! CoMmUnIsM GoOd uhhh ah doinduuh" as well as closed minded even though they say they are open minded.
Same with the conservatives. EVERY POLITICAL SYSTEM HAS CORRUPTION.
THERE IS CURRENTLY NO SYSTEM THAT WORKS AT THE MOMENT! well other than the political rant. Maybe it's a me problem idk.
But if this app is supposed to help people find people similar to you then it's doing a bad job.
Either give them your money while they twerll there cartoonishly mustache with evil laughter or have to deal with a crappy algorithm.
2024.05.31 06:12 Itchy-Commercial1850 What Commander Precon Should I Get?
I’m fairly new to mtg since I’m only getting into it again now after about 10 years and didn’t remember how anything works and lost my entire collection during that decade.
So far the decks I have are: upgraded merfolk precon deck, boros War DoctoRyan Sinclair, and unchanged quick draw Stella Lee precon which I personally don’t like that much. I’m currently also in the process of buying cards to build a werewolf deck which I don’t care much if it’s viable or not since it looks fun to play.
That said, I do want to get a new deck. I’m not sure what to buy though. I’m mostly debating between Blame Game because goading and politics seems like a fun and different way to play, or the Ixalan pirate deck because stealing cards is cool…
Assuming my budget for upgrades is minimal, which deck do you recommend I buy first? (Realistically I’ll likely end up getting both eventually)
Or do you recommend I get a different deck entirely that could be stronger and just as fun?
For context, my pod usually plays pretty strong stuff that can go infinite but I wouldn’t say cedh level per se, and both my merfolk and war doctor decks can hold their own quite well, and have decent winning chances sometimes although are arguably weaker than what others play.
submitted by Itchy-Commercial1850 to mtg [link] [comments]
So far the decks I have are: upgraded merfolk precon deck, boros War DoctoRyan Sinclair, and unchanged quick draw Stella Lee precon which I personally don’t like that much. I’m currently also in the process of buying cards to build a werewolf deck which I don’t care much if it’s viable or not since it looks fun to play.
That said, I do want to get a new deck. I’m not sure what to buy though. I’m mostly debating between Blame Game because goading and politics seems like a fun and different way to play, or the Ixalan pirate deck because stealing cards is cool…
Assuming my budget for upgrades is minimal, which deck do you recommend I buy first? (Realistically I’ll likely end up getting both eventually)
Or do you recommend I get a different deck entirely that could be stronger and just as fun?
For context, my pod usually plays pretty strong stuff that can go infinite but I wouldn’t say cedh level per se, and both my merfolk and war doctor decks can hold their own quite well, and have decent winning chances sometimes although are arguably weaker than what others play.
2024.05.31 06:11 Itchy-Commercial1850 What Precon Should I Buy?
I’m fairly new to mtg since I’m only getting into it again now after about 10 years and didn’t remember how anything works and lost my entire collection during that decade.
So far the decks I have are: upgraded merfolk precon deck, boros War DoctoRyan Sinclair, and unchanged quick draw Stella Lee precon which I personally don’t like that much. I’m currently also in the process of buying cards to build a werewolf deck which I don’t care much if it’s viable or not since it looks fun to play.
That said, I do want to get a new deck. I’m not sure what to buy though. I’m mostly debating between Blame Game because goading and politics seems like a fun and different way to play, or the Ixalan pirate deck because stealing cards is cool…
Assuming my budget for upgrades is minimal, which deck do you recommend I buy first? (Realistically I’ll likely end up getting both eventually)
Or do you recommend I get a different deck entirely that could be stronger and just as fun?
For context, my pod usually plays pretty strong stuff that can go infinite but I wouldn’t say cedh level per se, and both my merfolk and war doctor decks can hold their own quite well, and have decent winning chances sometimes although are arguably weaker than what others play.
submitted by Itchy-Commercial1850 to EDH [link] [comments]
So far the decks I have are: upgraded merfolk precon deck, boros War DoctoRyan Sinclair, and unchanged quick draw Stella Lee precon which I personally don’t like that much. I’m currently also in the process of buying cards to build a werewolf deck which I don’t care much if it’s viable or not since it looks fun to play.
That said, I do want to get a new deck. I’m not sure what to buy though. I’m mostly debating between Blame Game because goading and politics seems like a fun and different way to play, or the Ixalan pirate deck because stealing cards is cool…
Assuming my budget for upgrades is minimal, which deck do you recommend I buy first? (Realistically I’ll likely end up getting both eventually)
Or do you recommend I get a different deck entirely that could be stronger and just as fun?
For context, my pod usually plays pretty strong stuff that can go infinite but I wouldn’t say cedh level per se, and both my merfolk and war doctor decks can hold their own quite well, and have decent winning chances sometimes although are arguably weaker than what others play.
2024.05.31 04:20 ClearBag8615 Healthy/objective way to draw the line between flirting and normal banter? (cheating ROCD)
Hi all! I have fought and defeated ROCD themes so many times in the past, but it looks like another one has crept up on me.
My thoughts keep being haunted by a coworker I worked with 2 summers ago. He was one of those people who is constantly laughing and making jokes, can't take anything seriously, always goofing off, and I am someone who is easily amused, so I had a lot of fun working shifts with him because he would always say funny things that made me laugh.
He was definitely my closest coworker during the 6 weeks that I worked there. He flipped burgers and I made milkshakes, so sometimes he would make me a free burger and I'd make him a free shake whenever the manager wasn't around. One time I was talking about my culture and he expressed interest in our cuisine so the next day I brought him some of a dish that my mom made so that he could try it. He invited me to smoke with him during lunch break once, but I declined. I remember dealing with cheating OCD at the time too, and I remember not wanting to cross a boundary or anything, and declining because of that (but of course false-memory OCD is telling me I probably accepted his invite).
For some reason, my thoughts even now keep circling back to him and I keep thinking I need to confess to my partner that I cheated on him with that coworker 2 summers ago. I want to clarify that I NEVER EVER had literally any physical contact with this coworker, I don't even think we ever hugged or even fist-bumped. There were never any flirtatious compliments, no sexual talk of any kind EVER, and no comments on one another's appearances at all. We never saw each other outside of work, and I just looked through all of our old text messages and there is nothing suspicious there. Just small talk about the job, a few times where he messaged me and asked what I was up to, but the conversations died very very quickly (I never ever messaged him first and my responses were always kind of short, but still friendly and engaging).
However, one time a group of my friends came into work to visit me and he was definitely flirting with one of them (she noticed it and pointed it out to me). He mentioned her to me later out of the blue and I teased him about it and at some point someone described her personality as being "bold." Later that night he texted me and abruptly said "I don't think I like bold personalities the most" and I said "haha still thinking about her huh" and he said "Well I'm texting you." I don't know what that was supposed to imply, but the rest of the conversation went normally and I completely ignored that in case it was some sort of implication that he liked me.
After my last shift, he texted me "have a great semester" because I was leaving to go back to college, and I remember I specifically chose not to reply because I didn't want to give the wrong idea or cross boundaries, so I just reacted to the message and that was it, we never spoke again.
I know from all of this it seems obvious that no cheating occurred, but one thing worries me to this day: the fact that I probably subconsciously thought he was cute to some degree.
The thing is, realistically, I know that I did NOT cheat. I had cheating ROCD at the time, and I had it a few months after too, and I know it would have made me go crazy if I actually did cheat with him. There's no way I wouldn't remember. It sucks that there is no concrete way to prove it to myself, but I've been telling myself: "If you actually cheated with him, wouldn't there be some evidence of it in your messages with him?" which has been calming me down.
However, here is my biggest question: How do I draw the line (in the future) between normal banter and flirting? I keep feeling guilty for talking and laughing with this guy, giving him free milkshakes and accepting free burgers, and bringing him some of my mom's food, but at the same time, I know I would have done those things to anyone, whether they were female or male, attractive or unattractive, as long as they were engaging me in conversations and being friendly, just like he was.
Is there anywhere where I went wrong? Should I have drawn the line at the burgers and shakes? Should I not have brought some of my mom's dish (it was a small yogurt drink, just a few sips in a cup)? I do remember I drew the line at smoking with him because I worried that that would be considered intimate or cheating, and I remember I said no to that for that reason. But of course the doubt is creeping in again making me wonder if maybe I actually did smoke with him? Even though I'm fairly certain I said no.
Is there anything I need to confess to my partner at this point? The guilt is eating me alive even though it's almost been 2 years since I've even seen this dude.
submitted by ClearBag8615 to ROCD [link] [comments]
My thoughts keep being haunted by a coworker I worked with 2 summers ago. He was one of those people who is constantly laughing and making jokes, can't take anything seriously, always goofing off, and I am someone who is easily amused, so I had a lot of fun working shifts with him because he would always say funny things that made me laugh.
He was definitely my closest coworker during the 6 weeks that I worked there. He flipped burgers and I made milkshakes, so sometimes he would make me a free burger and I'd make him a free shake whenever the manager wasn't around. One time I was talking about my culture and he expressed interest in our cuisine so the next day I brought him some of a dish that my mom made so that he could try it. He invited me to smoke with him during lunch break once, but I declined. I remember dealing with cheating OCD at the time too, and I remember not wanting to cross a boundary or anything, and declining because of that (but of course false-memory OCD is telling me I probably accepted his invite).
For some reason, my thoughts even now keep circling back to him and I keep thinking I need to confess to my partner that I cheated on him with that coworker 2 summers ago. I want to clarify that I NEVER EVER had literally any physical contact with this coworker, I don't even think we ever hugged or even fist-bumped. There were never any flirtatious compliments, no sexual talk of any kind EVER, and no comments on one another's appearances at all. We never saw each other outside of work, and I just looked through all of our old text messages and there is nothing suspicious there. Just small talk about the job, a few times where he messaged me and asked what I was up to, but the conversations died very very quickly (I never ever messaged him first and my responses were always kind of short, but still friendly and engaging).
However, one time a group of my friends came into work to visit me and he was definitely flirting with one of them (she noticed it and pointed it out to me). He mentioned her to me later out of the blue and I teased him about it and at some point someone described her personality as being "bold." Later that night he texted me and abruptly said "I don't think I like bold personalities the most" and I said "haha still thinking about her huh" and he said "Well I'm texting you." I don't know what that was supposed to imply, but the rest of the conversation went normally and I completely ignored that in case it was some sort of implication that he liked me.
After my last shift, he texted me "have a great semester" because I was leaving to go back to college, and I remember I specifically chose not to reply because I didn't want to give the wrong idea or cross boundaries, so I just reacted to the message and that was it, we never spoke again.
I know from all of this it seems obvious that no cheating occurred, but one thing worries me to this day: the fact that I probably subconsciously thought he was cute to some degree.
The thing is, realistically, I know that I did NOT cheat. I had cheating ROCD at the time, and I had it a few months after too, and I know it would have made me go crazy if I actually did cheat with him. There's no way I wouldn't remember. It sucks that there is no concrete way to prove it to myself, but I've been telling myself: "If you actually cheated with him, wouldn't there be some evidence of it in your messages with him?" which has been calming me down.
However, here is my biggest question: How do I draw the line (in the future) between normal banter and flirting? I keep feeling guilty for talking and laughing with this guy, giving him free milkshakes and accepting free burgers, and bringing him some of my mom's food, but at the same time, I know I would have done those things to anyone, whether they were female or male, attractive or unattractive, as long as they were engaging me in conversations and being friendly, just like he was.
Is there anywhere where I went wrong? Should I have drawn the line at the burgers and shakes? Should I not have brought some of my mom's dish (it was a small yogurt drink, just a few sips in a cup)? I do remember I drew the line at smoking with him because I worried that that would be considered intimate or cheating, and I remember I said no to that for that reason. But of course the doubt is creeping in again making me wonder if maybe I actually did smoke with him? Even though I'm fairly certain I said no.
Is there anything I need to confess to my partner at this point? The guilt is eating me alive even though it's almost been 2 years since I've even seen this dude.
2024.05.31 04:16 Fit-Interaction7876 Any tips on realistic drawing?
I've been drawing cartoon style or even anime style for the last two years and they actually turned out amazing (thanks to my very talented friend for teaching me) and I'd like to learn how to draw a realistic drawing. Anyone who can give me some tips, please do
submitted by Fit-Interaction7876 to learntodraw [link] [comments]
2024.05.31 00:22 NivekRkain Floating braziers in Whiterun. LUX EMBERSXD JKSKYRIM
https://imgur.com/a/lcaNGlt
that printscreen is at the skyforge.
I'm having problems with compatibility between JK Skyrim, Lux, or EmbersXD maybe. I've already installed and reinstalled all the mods and patches, with no results. Does anyone know how to solve this problem? Here is my mod list...sorry about that.
submitted by NivekRkain to skyrimmods [link] [comments]
that printscreen is at the skyforge.
I'm having problems with compatibility between JK Skyrim, Lux, or EmbersXD maybe. I've already installed and reinstalled all the mods and patches, with no results. Does anyone know how to solve this problem? Here is my mod list...sorry about that.
"0001","+","DLC: HearthFires"thx
"0002","+","DLC: Dragonborn"
"0003","+","DLC: Dawnguard"
"0004","+","Creation Club: ccvsvsse003-necroarts"
"0005","+","Creation Club: ccqdrsse002-firewood"
"0006","+","Creation Club: ccQDRSSE001-SurvivalMode"
"0007","+","Creation Club: ccfsvsse001-backpacks"
"0008","+","Creation Club: cccbhsse001-gaunt"
"0009","+","Creation Club: ccbgssse064-ba\elven")
"0010","+","Creation Club: ccbgssse063-ba\ebony")
"0011","+","Creation Club: ccbgssse062-ba\dwarvenmail")
"0012","+","Creation Club: ccbgssse060-ba\dragonscale")
"0013","+","Creation Club: ccbgssse058-ba\steel")
"0014","+","Creation Club: ccbgssse057-ba\stalhrim")
"0015","+","Creation Club: ccbgssse056-ba\silver")
"0016","+","Creation Club: ccbgssse051-ba\daedricmail")
"0017","+","Creation Club: ccbgssse050-ba\daedric")
"0018","+","Creation Club: ccBGSSSE037-Curios"
"0019","+","Creation Club: ccbgssse035-petnhound"
"0020","+","Creation Club: ccBGSSSE025-AdvDSGS"
"0021","+","Creation Club: ccbgssse020-graycowl"
"0022","+","Creation Club: ccbgssse018-shadowrend"
"0023","+","Creation Club: ccbgssse012-hrsarmrstl"
"0024","+","Creation Club: ccbgssse011-hrsarmrelvn"
"0025","+","Creation Club: ccbgssse010-petdwarvenarmoredmudcrab"
"0026","+","Creation Club: ccbgssse001-fish"
"0027","+","Creation Club: \ResourcePack")
"0028","-","1. Bug Fixes & Game Patches\separator")
"0029","+","Crash Logger SSE AE VR - PDB support"
"0030","+","Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch - USSEP"
"0031","+","Address Library for SKSE Plugins"
"0032","+","BodySlide and Outfit Studio -"
"0033","+","NVIDIA Reflex Support"
"0034","+","Skyrim Priority SE AE - CPU Performance FPS Optimizer"
"0035","+","SSE Display Tweaks"
"0036","+","High performance configuration SSE Display Tweaks"
"0037","+","SSE Engine Fixes (skse64 plugin")
"0038","+","Spell Perk Item Distributor"
"0039","-","2. Overhaul & UI Mods\separator")
"0040","+","Achievements Mods Enabler"
"0041","+","SkyUI"
"0042","+","MCM Helper"
"0043","+","RaceMenu"
"0044","+","A Matter of Time - A HUD clock widget"
"0045","+","Dramatic Main Menu"
"0046","+","SkyUI SE - Difficulty Persistence Fix"
"0047","+","SkyUI - Survival Mode Integration"
"0048","-","3. Mission & Quest Mods\separator")
"0049","+","Alternate Start - Live Another Life - SSE"
"0050","-","4. Environmental Mods\separator")
"0051","+","Mythical Ages - weathers and lighting overhaul"
"0052","+","Morning Fogs SSE"
"0053","+","Improved Camera SE"
"0054","+","Skyrim Is Windy"
"0055","+","Wet and Cold SE"
"0056","+","Wet and Cold SE - PTBR"
"0057","+","R.A.S.S. - Rain Ash And Snow Shaders"
"0058","-","5. Cities, Towns & Other Land Add-ons\separator")
"0059","-","6. Buildings Add-ons (Within Existing Cities_separator")
"0060","+","JK's Skyrim"
"0061","-","7. Plants & Foliage Mods (Whole Map_separator")
"0062","+","Blubbos PineTreeReplacer V3"
"0063","+","Folkvangr - Grass and Landscape Overhaul"
"0064","-","8. Gameplay Changes, Tweaks & Add-ons\separator")
"0065","+","Auto Move"
"0066","+","Auto Move NG"
"0067","+","True Directional Movement - Modernized Third Person Gameplay"
"0068","+","Summermyst - Enchantments of Skyrim"
"0069","+","Conner's Survival Mode"
"0070","+","Singularity"
"0071","+","Elemental Destruction Magic Redux"
"0072","+","Apocalypse - Magic of Skyrim"
"0073","+","Vibrant weapons - Fire Frost Shock"
"0074","+","Vibrant weapons - Fire Frost Shock Summermyst addon"
"0075","-","9. Changes & Add-ons to NPCs inc. Follower Mods\separator")
"0076","+","Immersive Citizens - AI Overhaul"
"0077","+","AI Overhaul SSE"
"0078","+","JKs Skyrim - AI Overhaul SSE Patch"
"0079","+","RS Children Overhaul"
"0080","+","Orc Overhaul SE - Orc body morphs height and Berserker strength"
"0081","+","Fluffworks (Fluffy Animals")
"0082","-","10. Visual, Textural & Atmospheric Changes\separator")
"0083","+","ENB Light"
"0084","+","Static Mesh Improvement Mod"
"0085","+","RUSTIC CLOTHING - Special Edition"
"0086","+","Skyland AIO"
"0087","+","Pfuscher's mods - AIO"
"0088","+","Pfuscher's mods - AIO 1k"
"0089","+","High Poly Project"
"0090","+","Static Mesh improvement Mod - SMIM - Quality Addon"
"0091","+","Grindstone Mesh Replacements"
"0092","+","Grass Collision"
"0093","+","Skyrim 3D Rocks"
"0094","+","Water for ENB"
"0095","+","Footprints"
"0096","+","Footprints - ENB"
"0097","+","Moons And Stars - Sky Overhaul SKSE"
"0098","-","10a. Lights and shadows\separator")
"0099","+","Lux"
"0100","+","Lux - Via"
"0101","+","Lux - Via Optional Lux Resource Pack (ENB light")
"0102","+","Lux Orbis"
"0103","+","Lux Variants"
"0104","+","Embers XD"
"0105","+","Enhanced Volumetric Lighting and Shadows (EVLaS")
"0106","+","Grass Lighting"
"0107","+","Particle Patch for ENB"
"0108","+","Soft Shadows"
"0109","+","Lux (patch hub")
"0110","+","Embers XD - Lux Orbis Patch"
"0111","+","Bright Waterfall Fix for ENB"
"0112","-","11. Sound, Audio & FX Mods\separator")
"0113","+","Reverb and Ambiance Overhaul"
"0114","-","12. Menu, Sorting, Player & NPC Inventory Mods\separator")
"0115","-","13. Cheat Mods\separator")
"0116","-","14. Character Overhaul\separator")
"0117","+","Caliente's Beautiful Bodies Enhancer -CBBE-"
"0118","+","CBBE 3BA"
"0119","+","(3BBB 3BA high poly vanilla underwear (with physics) (Optimal CBBE Ver available)")
"0120","+","Eye Normal Map Fix SSE"
"0121","+","High Poly Vanilla Hair"
"0122","+","Vanilla hair remake SMP"
"0123","+","Vanilla hair remake SMP - NPCs"
"0124","+","KS Hairdos SSE"
"0125","+","KS Hairdos - HDT SMP (Physics")
"0126","+","Beards of Power - BSA version"
"0127","+","Beards of Power - 3D Real beards"
"0128","+","Expressive Facegen Morphs SE"
"0129","-","14a. Character textures\separator")
"0130","+","Fair Skin Complexion"
"0131","+","Salt and Wind - Rough Hair for KS Hairdos SE"
"0132","+","Tempered Skins for Males - Dressed Version"
"0133","+","Soaking Wet - Character Wetness Effect"
"0134","-","Wet Function Redux SE"
"0135","+","VHR - Vanilla Hair Replacer - Females Only Version"
"0136","-","14b. Animation Framework\separator")
"0137","+","Project New Reign - Nemesis Unlimited Behavior Engine"
"0138","+","Behavior Data Injector"
"0139","+","Behavior Data Injector AEUpdate"
"0140","+","Open Animation Replacer"
"0141","+","Open Animation Replacer - IED Conditions"
"0142","+","Simple Dual Sheath"
"0143","+","Immersive Equipment Displays (IED - Mura Presets")
"0144","+","IED - Weapons Repositioner"
"0145","+","Paired Animation Improvements"
"0146","+","Weapon Styles - DrawSheathe Animations"
"0147","+","Weapon Styles - DrawSheathe Animations for IED"
"0148","+","NPC Animation Remix (OAR")
"0149","-","Immersive folded hands (OAR")
"0150","+","Lively Children Animations (OAR")
"0151","+","Gesture Animation Remix (OAR")
"0152","+","Organic Player Animations (OAR")
"0153","+","EVG Conditional Idles"
"0154","+","Expressive Facial Animation -Female Edition-"
"0155","+","Expressive Facial Animation -Male Edition-"
"0156","+","CBPC - Physics with Collisions"
"0157","+","Faster HDT-SMP"
"0158","+","Conditional Expressions Extended"
"0159","+","Pipe Smoking SE"
"0160","+","Positive Undressed Reactions"
"0161","+","Positive Undressed Reactions PT-BR"
"0162","-","15. Weapons, Armour & Clothing Add-ons\separator")
"0163","+","Immersive Equipment Displays"
"0164","+","Left Hand Rings Modified SE"
"0165","+","Cathedral - Armory"
"0166","+","Fur Shader Armors"
"0167","+","Cathedral Armory - Fur Shader"
"0168","+","Iron Armors and Weapons Retexture SE"
"0169","+","Vanilla SMP Clothing"
"0170","+","Vanilla SMP Clothing Prisioner robes fix"
"0171","+","FurArmorSetSE(FrostFall Aware")
"0172","+","Blanket Scarf Earth Tones Edition - 20 styles"
"0173","+","Keeping Warm - Scarves and Mufflers"
"0174","+","Better Fur - fine patch"
"0175","+","Better fur - Fine clothes"
"0176","+","Better fur - Fineclothes hat"
"0177","+","Better fur - Wedding outfit"
"0178","+","CBBE AE-CC Outfits"
"0179","+","Odin Eyepatch"
"0180","-","16. Crafting Related Mods\separator")
"0181","-","17. Miscellaneous Items & Small Scale Foliage\separator")
"0182","+","Additional Hearthfire Dolls"
"0183","+","Skyrim 3D Furniture"
"0184","+","Skyrim 3D Furniture SMIM patch"
"0185","+","Rudy HQ - Miscellaneous SE"
"0186","+","Fluffy Beds and Bedrolls"
"0187","-","18. Weapons, Armour & Clothing Adjustments\separator")
"0188","+","Realistic HD Woodcutter's Axe Remastered"
"0189","+","Simple Dual Sheath - Left Hand Vanilla Scabbards"
"0190","+","Scabbard with No strap"
"0191","+","Wet and Cold - Additional Warm Clothes"
"0192","-","19. Mods with Specific Load Order Requirements\separator")
"0193","+","Survival Mode Wet and Cold Patch"
"0194","+","XP32 Maximum Skeleton Special Extended"
"0195","+","PapyrusUtil SE - Modders Scripting Utility Functions"
"0196","+","ENB Helper SE"
"0197","+","ENB Helper Plus"
"0198","+","Skyrim - Uma Tradução Completa"
"0199","+","eFPS - Exterior FPS boost"
"0200","-","eFPS - Anniversary Edition"
"0201","+","eFPS - Official Patch Hub"
"0202","-","20. Performance Mods that Remove Effects\separator")
"0203","+","Animation Queue Fix"
"0204","+","powerofthree's Tweaks"
"0205","+","Grass FPS Booster"
"0206","+","Landscape Fixes For Grass Mods"
"0207","+","Landscape Fixes For Grass Mods JK's Skyrim - Towns"
"0208","+","Landscape Fixes For Grass Mods Immersive Citizens Patch"
"0209","+","Skyrim Landscape and Water Fixes"
"0210","+","Face Discoloration Fix"
"0211","+","DFNF - Default Face NPCs Fixed"
"0212","+","Bright Waterfall Fix for ENB Fix - Purple wind"
"0213","+","Lightened Skyrim"
"0214","+","SMP-NPC crash fix"
"0215","+","Mfg Fix"
"0216","+","MfgFix NG"
"0217","+","FYX - Nordic Doors and Traps Collisions"
"0218","+","FYX - Imperial Doors Collisions"
"0219","+","Bug Fixes SSE"