My God, i want ro marry you. Everybody here understand, is it too much to ask for?

I tested these out in Skirmishes after researching them in my current campaign. As well as the Delta V and acceleration buffs from the previous patch, there were a few others changes more recently.
https://www.pavonisinteractive.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=29923

Poseidon missiles: High-DV Nuclear-Powered Penetrator with a smaller warhead. Python missiles: a 50kt nuclear missile that can be used defensively.

and
https://www.pavonisinteractive.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=29947

AOE weapons will now detonate when shot down by all PD (this represents them detecting the threat and detonating to cause damage before destruction, not the nuke going off in an uncontrolled fashion);

To test, I lined up 6 Monitors with 4x Missile bays vs 3 alien cruisers(the ones with 2x PD). Targeting Computer seems mandatory, otherwise bad RNG on alien ECM will lead to staggered missile firing and alien PD will intercept a lot more. (Sidenote, is there any visual indicator in the UI for when a weapon is stalled by ECM?)
The main deciding factors seem to be Ammo count and Delta V.
The Keelback and Harlequin missiles from the Hypergolic Penetrator group have base ammo counts of 12 and 16 respectively, so they fired enough missiles to overcome alien PD. However their damage is quite weak and their Delta V is low(4.1 and 4.5) so they take longer to arrive and longer to get a kill, leaving more return fire and more dead Monitors.
Acceleration just doesn't seem to be a useful stat for missiles/torps, even the Harlequins and Keelbacks couldn't retarget onto the other ship flying right beside the 1st target And you're generally launching so far away that higher Delta V will win over the early acceleration
The nuclear propulsion torpedoes, Athena, Ares and Poseidon are all excellent, with huge Delta v in the 9 to 18 range, and big enough warheads to kill very quickly with a few hits.
The nuclear missiles(Python) and torpedoes(Hades, Cerberus) failed to land a single hit. Even with the higher ammo count of the Python nuclear missiles(10), the triggered AoE causes them to chain detonate each other.
I've seen Poseidon named as the top T2 choice and I can see why.
I haven't unlocked the Shaped charge nukes yet for testing. Their early detonation would appear to be a benefit and not a drawback in theory.
Other thing I've been wondering is whether to swap a missile slot for 1 laser PD to stop some of the return fire. Even the most successful tests led to 4-5 Monitors dead from return torpedo fire

It's common to hear the "AmeriKKKa the evil imperialist" rhetoric over the Internet. While yes, I don't deny those blunders were shameful. Yes, they deserve to be remembered so we may never repeat them again,
But also, when studying history, I tend to look things from a balanced perspective. What good things did America do that also deserve to be remembered and taught?
I'll start:

1. Helped rebuild Japan. They could have invaded the country or invited businessmen to take over important land ala Hawaii, but you guys didn't do that and helped it rebounce its economy.
   
2. No matter what you think about the Afghan rule, one good thing America did was at least it let girls and women go to school again. After the Taliban took over in 2020, girls were back into being forced to stay at home again.
   
3. Helped take down Al-Shabab in Somalia.
   
4. Freed South Korea from a potentially dictatorial rule under the Kim regime. Yes, South Korea would then have their own autocratic presidents after the Korean war but at least they weren't on the same level as the Kims who instituted cultish devotion towards them.
   
5. I know this is controversial to you guys, but I genuinely thought that outsourcing your industries to foreign countries helped create more opportunites for developing countries. Yes, I know it did lead to the deterioration of local industries, but at least it helpee China grow its economy, allowed Mexicans a stable income through the maquilladoras, as well as to other third world nations.
   

NOTE: I'm talking about foreign policy, not necessarily inventions like the Internet, Hollywood etc. But you're free to talk about them if you like.
P.S: This isn't a thread to justify America's own past shames, please be civil and keep the vibes good y'all.

Story

It has been 200 years since the demons broke out of their prison of Sheogh. An eclipse came and darkened the skies above, during which the demons made their attempt to break their chains, and succeeded. They ravaged and tore at the lands of Ashan sending the world spiraling into turmoil and destruction. It took great risks, the breaking of laws and rituals many would rather forget for the people of Ashan to rally together and beat back the demonic scourge. The scars would always remain but we can rebuild that which has been torn down.
Now stories are coming from the mountaintop monasteries and observatories. Men who interpret signs and the glow of the stars above and speak of another such eclipse coming. Some including the lords of the lands offer only an ear to such rumors. Many more decry such doomsaying as foolish portents of those too far gone in their self isolation.
Still there are those that ponder... what if what the old seers and scholars say is true? What if the chains of Sheogh grow weaker once more?

About me

Hi I'm Aqua, I'm 27 and have been playing various ttrpgs for around 6 ish years on and off and have been coming back to DnD recently and restarting DMing as well. I am someone that enjoys the small things that become important over the course of the game such as food, adequate shelter, securing camps and planning out expeditions and paths to take. I tend to sometimes rule against the players favour but overall give the players enough opportunities and options to do things not included in the rules.

About the campaign

As for the campaign, the players are villagers of a small settlement of Woodtop in the Wolf Dutchy. The players are all inhabitants or passers by who took a liking to the place or, in rare cases, seek to hide for one reason or another. You will start off with little to nothing to your name and slowly grow to become part of the world and what shapes it. The further key notes for the campaign:

• Players will start level 1
• Stats can be either rolled with a bot set with a floor and ceiling for stats or take the standard array
• Certain rules have been slightly changed and certain new rules have been added
• A choice of a free feat from a list
• The campaign will use the piety system but it is not required to partake in
• Starting equipment will be replaced with a select list of equipment with some changes based off of class and background
• The campaign will make use of several homebrew books and materials
• Races are restricted to a select amount of options along with new options
• Tone is set to be serious when its apparent ( no jokes if a village is set ablaze )
• No joke characters
• OOC communication about in game things and events will be treated as spoken by your characters
• Turns will be timed ( newer or less experienced players will have more time ) to bring up tension and emphasize that time does not stop for your character.
• There will be more reliance on survival rules ( foraging and such )
• There will be some banned spells
• Played on Roll20

If interested

We are currently looking for one person to join.
Feel free to contact my discord: aqua9764. I will ask for a short interview for players to see for myself if youre a right fit.

[LIVESTREAMs​]​*​* 2024 Toyota 200 Live events in 1 June 2024. The Toyota 200, a highly anticipated event in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, took place at the legendary Darlington Raceway, often referred to as "The Track Too Tough to Tame."
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Toyota 200
LandCruiser 200
The race drew a large crowd of enthusiastic fans, eager to witness the thrilling competition on the track known for its unique, egg-shaped design and challenging turns.
As the sun began to set, casting a golden hue over the historic raceway, the drivers lined up on the starting grid, their cars gleaming under the track lights. The roar of the engines filled the air, a symphony of power and speed that sent chills down the spines of everyone in attendance. The atmosphere was electric with anticipation.
The green flag waved, and the Toyota 200 was underway. Drivers jostled for position, skillfully navigating the track's tight corners and narrow straightaways. The early laps saw fierce competition, with several lead changes as drivers tested their limits and those of their cars. The high speeds and close racing kept the fans on the edge of their seats.
Midway through the race, a caution flag flew as a multi-car incident unfolded in Turn 3. The cars involved skidded across the track, sending up clouds of smoke and debris. The safety crews quickly responded, ensuring that all drivers were unharmed and clearing the track for the restart. This pause in the action allowed teams to strategize and make crucial adjustments.
As the race resumed, it became clear that this would be a battle of endurance and skill. Veteran drivers used their experience to navigate the tricky track, while young up-and-comers showcased their raw talent and fearless driving. The interplay between strategy and raw speed was evident as pit stops became a key factor in maintaining position and managing tire wear.
In the final laps, the tension reached its peak. Two drivers emerged as the frontrunners, their cars almost mirroring each other as they sped around the track. The lead changed hands multiple times, each driver pushing their car to the limit in a bid for victory. The crowd's excitement was palpable, with fans standing and cheering as their favorite drivers fought for the lead.
With just a few laps to go, a bold move in Turn 4 gave one driver a slight edge. He managed to maintain his lead, expertly defending his position against relentless pressure from his rival. As the checkered flag waved, the driver crossed the finish line, securing a hard-fought and well-deserved victory. The crowd erupted in applause, celebrating the thrilling conclusion to an unforgettable race.
In Victory Lane, the winning driver emerged from his car to a shower of confetti and the roar of the crowd. He was met with congratulations from his team and fellow competitors, all acknowledging the skill and determination that had led to his triumph. The winner's joy was evident as he held up the trophy, a symbol of his achievement at one of NASCAR's most iconic tracks.
The Toyota 200 at Darlington Raceway was more than just a race; it was a showcase of skill, strategy, and the enduring spirit of competition that defines NASCAR. For the fans, drivers, and teams, it was a night to remember, filled with the high-octane excitement that only the world of motorsports can deliver.

How to watch Toyota 200 NASCAR Live streams Free TV Channel. The Toyota 200, a highly anticipated event in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, took place at the legendary Darlington Raceway, often referred to as "The Track Too Tough to Tame."
🔴Watch Now▶ Toyota 200 Live streams
🔴Watch HD▶ Toyota 200 Live streams
Toyota 200
LandCruiser 200
The race drew a large crowd of enthusiastic fans, eager to witness the thrilling competition on the track known for its unique, egg-shaped design and challenging turns.
As the sun began to set, casting a golden hue over the historic raceway, the drivers lined up on the starting grid, their cars gleaming under the track lights. The roar of the engines filled the air, a symphony of power and speed that sent chills down the spines of everyone in attendance. The atmosphere was electric with anticipation.
The green flag waved, and the Toyota 200 was underway. Drivers jostled for position, skillfully navigating the track's tight corners and narrow straightaways. The early laps saw fierce competition, with several lead changes as drivers tested their limits and those of their cars. The high speeds and close racing kept the fans on the edge of their seats.
Midway through the race, a caution flag flew as a multi-car incident unfolded in Turn 3. The cars involved skidded across the track, sending up clouds of smoke and debris. The safety crews quickly responded, ensuring that all drivers were unharmed and clearing the track for the restart. This pause in the action allowed teams to strategize and make crucial adjustments.
As the race resumed, it became clear that this would be a battle of endurance and skill. Veteran drivers used their experience to navigate the tricky track, while young up-and-comers showcased their raw talent and fearless driving. The interplay between strategy and raw speed was evident as pit stops became a key factor in maintaining position and managing tire wear.
In the final laps, the tension reached its peak. Two drivers emerged as the frontrunners, their cars almost mirroring each other as they sped around the track. The lead changed hands multiple times, each driver pushing their car to the limit in a bid for victory. The crowd's excitement was palpable, with fans standing and cheering as their favorite drivers fought for the lead.
With just a few laps to go, a bold move in Turn 4 gave one driver a slight edge. He managed to maintain his lead, expertly defending his position against relentless pressure from his rival. As the checkered flag waved, the driver crossed the finish line, securing a hard-fought and well-deserved victory. The crowd erupted in applause, celebrating the thrilling conclusion to an unforgettable race.
In Victory Lane, the winning driver emerged from his car to a shower of confetti and the roar of the crowd. He was met with congratulations from his team and fellow competitors, all acknowledging the skill and determination that had led to his triumph. The winner's joy was evident as he held up the trophy, a symbol of his achievement at one of NASCAR's most iconic tracks.
The Toyota 200 at Darlington Raceway was more than just a race; it was a showcase of skill, strategy, and the enduring spirit of competition that defines NASCAR. For the fans, drivers, and teams, it was a night to remember, filled with the high-octane excitement that only the world of motorsports can deliver.

I just recently started getting into SM64 speedrunning. Initially I started learning 16 star, as it feels like the most approachable for beginners. But I’ve been drawn to 70 star over any other category. This category has a lot more fun strats and stars that aren’t in 16 star. Plus, it’s fun to figure out a good route, which stars are faster, which strategies to use, etc.
So I’ve been learning all the stars from the 70 star route on Ukikipedia. As a complete noob, I figured I’d rank my top 10 most difficult stars in the run. This could serve as useful info for anyone looking to get into the category.
Also, this list only counts the EASIEST strat for each star, not necessarily quickest. So you won’t see Pillarless, Breezeless, etc on this list.

1. Behind Chain Chomps Gate (Bomb clip)

Idk how this is considered a beginner trick. It took me several tutorials and hours of practice to even land once. I recently got an Usamune practice ROM, and the first thing I did was dedicate 2 hours straight to just this one trick. Despite all my grinding, I’m only up to a success rate of 1 out of every 5 or so attempts.

1. Stomp on Thwomp

This star is very long and movement heavy. It’s difficult to memorize the movement, and there are lots of easy places to mess up, resulting in death 90% of the time.

1. Cruiser Crossing Rainbow (no lakitu bounce)

I find this star so difficult, even with the beginner strat. The triple jump right at the beginning is a super hard trick right off the bat. The wall kick to get on top of the maze feels insanely precise. And it’s easy to miss a wall kick on the blocks leading up to the ship, and fall to your death.

1. Tricky Triangles

Another RR star. This one is mainly on the list because of the long jump to the falling blocks. I miss it 9/10 times in practice. Then you have the triangles, with a very tight timer.

1. Slip Sliding Away

The slide in CCM. I’ve been trying to learn the skip that goes straight to the bottom of the slide, but I haven’t managed to land it even once. The one thing keeping me from ranking it higher is that I’ve come close several times. So I know with a bit more practice, I’ll probably be able to get it.

1. Swingin In The Breeze

I came into this star thinking it would be an easier one. And I was right for the most part. It’s not too bad until the triple jump off the flame thrower. It’s so hard to get the right angle, land on the right spot, and get the timing right. To add to the challenge, you’re on one of those falling blocks, so you have no time to set up your angle and distance for the jump.

1. Bully the Bullies

The movement to reach the bullies platform gives me so much grief. I keep messing up the long jump by the volcano and getting burned. And once you get to the bullies platform, you have to find an extremely precise spot and time your jump perfectly to get all three bullies into the lava at once. Then another extremely precise jump to get the boss bully into the lava. If you mess up, you have to fight the bullies the normal way, and if they gang up on you, it’s run over.

1. Bowser in the Fire Sea Reds (beginner cycle)

Idk why, but the movement on this star feels much more advanced, even with the most beginner strats. Perfectly executed roll-outs, speed kicks, managing distance and angle, it’s going to be hours of grinding on the Usamune before I can even begin to worry about a “cycle”. For now, I just go slowly and use “let’s play” strats.

1. CCM 100 + Big Penguin Race

Maybe I just suck at slides, but I can’t seem to not miss coins. I always end up missing between 5-10, ruining the entire star. And that’s without taking the race into consideration. Having to go fast makes me miss even more coins. The penguin keeps bumping me off. I take corners too fast and fly off. This star gives me so much trouble that I actually don’t do it on my route. I instead do a modified version of Slip Slidin Away with 100 coins, but I do the slide first, then get the rest of the coins after spawning the slide star.

1. Hot Foot it into the Volcano (lava boost)

This trick will be the death of me. I haven’t even managed to come close to getting a successful lava boost, even after putting in hours of practice. For my money, it’s the hardest level in 70-star.

Tenth Moon, 25AC

Pentos
Twenty-three, Twenty-four, Twenty-five.
“You are certain?” Probed Dynohr, but Orys waved him off.
Twenty-six, Twenty-seven, twenty-eight.
“The lord Protector does not need to remind you of your commitments, master Dynohr,” Aeran mercifully answered before he needed to. He had come down to the docks with a splitting headache, and from the moment he saw them, he had to count. He was promised two-hundred and twenty, he would count them, he would be certain.
Thirty-four, thirty-five, thirty-six.
“Even so, surely you have more time, we need not depart so swiftly. The storms… they will be quite terrible this time of year, the sea is not merciful to the hasty,” said the sellsword legate. He was an excellent commander by all accounts, but Orys was earning a second pain in the back of his ear listening to him. He refused to lose his count too. For all he cared, all that mattered, the aged warrior did not need this right now.
Fifty-two, fifty-three, fifty-four.
“And as agreed, we had to depart in the coming days. The timeline does not allow for dalliance, nor does it allow for you to dither,” Raymont snapped, though Orys could hear the stress in his voice. Of all his family, of his sons, of his wife, Raymont was the one to caution him against coming here. He was the one to say that leaving at such a time would be a detriment, that departing just before the feast, the hunt, before the prince’s name day would only lead to a greater divide between who should wear the crown. He was a good lad for it, a smart one. Someone worth being his heir, someone who cared.
Eighty-five, eight-six, eighty-seven.
Their path led them on an incline up the docks, following towards the enormous walls that surrounded the grand old city. He needed a better view, sails were easier to count from so high. And he had already counted those that numbered among the closest to the wharfs.
“I understand your haste, and your needs, young lord, but the tides care little for what we wish to do. Righteousness means nothing to the waves,” protested another, but the Lord protector ignored him. He was a slight fellow, much less present than the rest of the entourage following him. In fact, a glance back barely revealed him from the overpowering shadow of Vyronno. The behemoth of a man gave only a grunt at being glanced at, though the grunt seemed more to be about the leg of chicken he was currently feasting upon.
Ninety-three.
“The haste is well-founded,” Aeran cut in again, his sharp Myrish accent cutting through the conversation like a knife. If there was anger or annoyance in it however, Orys did not register. His only focus were the ships. What a strange figure he must have cast with a band of Essosi at his back, from the free cities, from further East, he was trailed by a dozen figures, all bickering over the course and all the head of the group cared for, were boats.
“And yet if we act too fast, what happens then? If the waves claim half of the ships? What of the cargo then? Of the contents? We’ll be ruined because you simply wished to return while the Queens remained in king’s Landing!” The slight man said, and finally his name came to Orys. Horo Hartion, one of the ship captains from Braavos.
One hundred and thirty-three.
The man was an expert on the waves certainly, but Orys was not able to heed him. Not now. Perhaps a year ago he might have, but not now. Not when ideas came late and solutions later. He had gathered what he needed, he had visited the triarchs, the magisters, the princes and Sealords, and only now had he his ships, his supposed two-hundred and twenty.
“How long before we should leave then? Hm?” Pried his son, blessed Raymot with his well-directed displeasure.
“At least until the winter, the cool air will help keep the sea calm. And perhaps it would make it easier on your home,” said the captain, but Aeran hissed a condescending laugh.
“Winter? If we do that, then we will be arriving in winter, and then having to rebuild in winter and solve the kingdom’s woes in winter. You think it is bad normally? Try it when there’s no food growing,” the man snapped, and the captain audibly shrunk away, his voice growing smaller.
“But…”
One hundred and seventy-five.
He was coming so close to the remaining few sails. He had segmented them by their respective groups, moored together and kept locked side by side to fit the harbour better. It made it far easier to count them, that much was certain. Though he couldn’t help but wonder if there were other dangers to it.
So close, so much wood.
One hundred and ninety-six.
“If not later, perhaps at least a faster route?” Asked the captain, earning a scoff from Aeran and Raymont in unison. And within seconds they were back to bickering. Orys shook his head, the imposing lord rubbing at his temple as he walked to the edge of the wall, trying to rid himself of the headache, and failing terribly at it.
Their bickering picked up, moving from quick-spoken words to shouts and he closed his eyes.
Two hundred and five.
More of the band of followers were joining in, blessedly except for Vyronno. The man’s bellows were simply too heavy for his ears to handle amid the headache.
Orys shook his head, but the voices grew louder, and soon enough he was conscious of the markets below, the sounds of the tides. With a breath, hie attempted to focus on the counting, opening his eyes to the harbour, but finding the world below a blur.
Two hundred… two-hundred and what?
He sucked on his gums… he was close. So fucking close to the end of it. What was that number? He clenched his fists, digging his fingers into the hard stone of the wall, but the elusive numerals refused him. And as his headache grew and the shouting overpowered him. He grit his teeth and slammed a fist against the stone.
“Enough!” He bellowed, and the entourage fell silent immediately.
Anger flooded through him, annoyance in turn and finally, dismay. He was so fucking close to finishing his count, spoiled by his interminable headache and further agitated by the sounds surrounding.
“We sail on schedule, on the course plotted, with all…” he glanced to the captain and then to Dynohr, both men lightly bowing their heads, both averting their gazes slightly. The Lord Protector rubbed a thick hand across hie forehead and leaned into the wall. Gods what he would have given for all the strength of his youth, for the power of the man who bested Argillac. For the strength of the man who helped dragons conquer kingdoms.
“Fuck,” he said quietly, drawing the eyes of his son.
“I do this for it is better to do something than to let it be left a mystery. Better to try to do something right than to hope the alternatives simply work out,” he said and looked over the assembly. At Vyronno, his trusted friend whose enormous, folded arms might have warded off some, but not him. He looked to Raymont, his son as tall as him, a mirror of Aegon’s hand in his younger years. To Aeran, the golden haired Myrish warrior, to the captain Hartion with his wildly styled moustache and elegant hat and to Dynohr, the flamboyantly dressed sellsword.
“Bad weather will waylay us, if it comes, but that is all. We will not be subjects to the fear of the rain or the waves. Not now.”
With a hard look at each of the squabbling men, he finally sighed.
“Go. Leave me,” he finished and the men looked between themselves before silently dissipating. Only Raymont and Vyronno remaining. The behemoth never abandoning his side unless told to by name. And Raymont, for the young Baratheon’s brows remained furrowed. Down there, in the city was the boy’s wife, the Dayne. Orys pondered for a moment, what did she think of this endeavour? Certainly she was of the mind of his son at first, foolhardy and confused. Perhaps directly opposed. But she had yet to raise a word of it.
Subterfuge had gotten them this far, care and caution had kept their plans in place and free of the eyes of others. Syrella’s spies did not reach so far, and the Westerosi were not concerned with what lay beyond their own coasts. Essos was a wild and untamed land to them, just as Westeros was to the inhabitants of the Free cities and beyond. Perhaps it would work against them, perhaps he would be seen as something terrible and unknown. But he had kept the Kingdom running for years, he had conceded to the queens instead of battling them at each turn. He had killed his ego so that the land would heal from the conquest, so that it would recover from massacres in the woods, so that burnt bridges in the Reach and Dragons in the North would not be enough to break Aegon’s dream apart.
But now…
“You haven’t taken the medication they gave you, have you?” Asked Raymont.
“No,” his heavy voice rang plain, and his weary eyes lifted to meet his sons. So full of worry, so full of youth, wasted here, wasted contending with his father’s woes.
“And the headaches have gotten worse, have they not?” He asked.
Orys shook his head, “only here, only where it’s loud,” he sighed, his lean growing heavier against the wall. What he would have given now for his comfortable chair in his office in the tower of the hand. Where he was too high for the city to bother him, where none came to find him lest there was an emergency.
Here… here it was just too loud.
“Here,” Raymont said with a sigh, handing over a small tincture, and holding up his flask. Orys eyed the tincture suspiciously, but he knew its contents. He would not win this battle, however. Orys Baratheon knew when he was beaten, the Lord Protector took the vial from his son, uncorked it and downed the contents. He clicked his tongue and he washed down the awful taste with he offered flask, blessedly it was just water. He had grown sick of the amount of wine in this place.
“Vyronno, how fare the captains?” he asked, the headache already numbing, giving him blessed few moments of clarity.
The large man shifted, and even that motion seemed to be a great effort for the giant.
“They are tired, they are wary. They are afraid. I fear many do not wish to cast off come the day,” the thick-bellied and deep-voiced man grumbled. He had no love for the ship captains, many of which were sellswords themselves, a group in which the behemoth held little regard for.
“How many?” Orys probed.
“Perhaps a quarter,” mused the man, and Orys grimaced. Enough to hamper them.
“Then…” he looked to the harbour now, eyes narrowing on the locked together ships.
“Uncouple all but twenty of the ships,” he said quickly, and Raymont frowned.
“Why?” he asked.
“Because I will motivate them if they will not do it themselves.”
Raymont’s frown held, and Orys sighed, “take Aeren and his men, do it at night.”
His son finally nodded, and then he too finally left as Orys’ headache finally faded.
“I fear he should not come with us,” Vyronno said.
The Lord Protector huffed, but he eventually nodded. Raymont was not destined to be a victim of his father’s sins. At least he would not see it happen.
“Tell Shovi and Salaela what to do,” Orys said, leaving the comment unanswered. Vyronno gave a nod and reluctantly left Orys atop the battlements, watching the harbour, and finally, he was allowed to be alone and count again.
One, two, three…
From the blessed view of the extensive balcony of Orys' manse, he was given a grand perspective of the sea, and from there, he watched the brilliant roar of flames billowing upwards. Though as he watched, he tapped, counting the seconds by as the flames billowed. If they could not control it within the next five minutes, his plan would be a deathblow to his goals, but he had faith. Faith sometimes was enough o quell the burning in his chest, to overtake the distress at a failed idea.
But… he had faith.
And faith was rewarded at times. As his ears itched from the ringing of bells, finally, someone burst into the room. Orys did not look back, but found the voice of Isembard Stassanar addressing him.
“My lord… the fleet… sabotage,” he huffed breathily, but Orys held a hand to him.
“Calm, I know,” he said and he motioned to the window and his view of the docks, where he was given a perfectly adequate view of the slowly dimming flames. They were pretty against the night, but he could not deny how it reminded him of the conquest… though those flames would not have been doused by such attempts. Buckets would not carry enough water to fight dragonflame.
“Thank you for telling me, Isembard… you may go,” he mused and with what was probably the sound of a salute, the man slinked from the room, doors rocking closed quietly after him.
One, two, three.
The halls of his manse were filled today. Three or four hundred men, all as colourful as they were varied. From every free city, from as far as the great grass sea. They were plentiful, and they all looked to him as he entered, raised up on a balcony overlooking the assembled crowd. His headache was back and the tincture did little to help it. But he persevered.
“The fleet’s damage was minimal,” he said plainly, earning some grumbles from one portion of the crowd and sighs of relief from another.
“Our plans however have been put in place, there are those who clearly know of my intentions, which means we may not act with such sloth. Time has come for us to make our final preparations. It is time we set sail,” he spoke plainly, voice bellowing and the crowd’s silence was a surprise. But eventually, from within it came the voice of Aeran.
“Well out you fuckers go!” he shouted and with grumbling voices, the men began to filter out.
“So the die Is cast,” Orys sighed, earning a chuckle from Vyronno.
“So it is…” sighed the behemoth.
“So it is.”
"Oh, and one thing," Vyronno added, earning a raised brow from Orys.
"There was an error on the part of the clerk, there were more than two hundred and twenty," he reported and the raised brow lowered as Orys grinned.
"Thank the gods for small mercies it seems."
May we pray for more

Idk Lexus as much as other cars i bought before. I have hear about the reputation. I tested GXs before and loved them.
I amm looking to buy a well maintained (according to the carfax history) 2016 Lexus LX570 with 115k miles for $43k. My wife really wants a 7 passenger vehicle but we both dont want Mazdas, Subarus and or american cars. We like the legacy with the Land Cruiser but somehow it seems crazy to me to consider a car with 115k miles. The car us super nice and I have heard these cars are phenomenal.
Thoughts?

The Story Breakdown
Prologue
1) From days of long ago, from uncharted regions of the Universe, comes a legend. The legend of the Voltrons: Defenders of the Universe. Three mighty robots, loved by good, feared by evil. As the Voltrons' legend grew, peace settled across the galaxies. On Planet Earth, a Galaxy Alliance had been formed. Together with the good planets of our Solar System, they maintained peace throughout the known Universe until a new, horrible set of menaces threatened the galaxies. The Voltrons are needed to save innocent worlds of the galaxies once more. This is the story of the super force of space explorers. Specially trained, entrusted and sent by the Alliance with the ancient secrets of how to assemble and bring back, Vehicle Voltron: Defender of the Near Universe (Milky Way Galaxy).
Act I
2) We open on scenes of the Vehicle Voltron Force before they even applied to the Galaxy Alliance Academy. Cinda and Krik watch out for each other as childhood friends growing up on the strife-laden planet Dulcinea. Marvin cheers on his friend Hutch at the 2976 Olympics in weightlifting while Lisa swims her way to a victory. Young little Tangor entertains friends and family at a birthday party on planet Galileo by playing a virtuoso lounge piano repertoire. And Cliff was a professional racing driver racing his way to the winner's circle in Australian championship touring car races until he builds and launches an unsafe rocket which crashes outside the University he is studying at. A young James Hawkins comforts Cliff and invites him to join the Alliance.
3) At the Galaxy Alliance Fleet Headquarters in Tokyo Bay, Jeff and Chip are saying goodbye to their families as they prepare to board the docked heavy exploration and battle cruiser the Explorer/Rugger Guard. Hurrying aboard, Jeff hurries to meet with his old classmates Krik and Cliff who are now his shipmates and partners as they meet with their Commanding Officer, Captain Newley; and Executive Officer, Commander Hawkins. From the nearby docks, well-wishers and family members give the Explorer a well-deserved sendoff on its mission to chart the Milky Way Galaxy's unknown sectors and to find new planets to colonize and or terraform to solve problems of overpopulation and resource scarcity. As he does so, Jeff cannot help but think of his older sister.
4) It is the year 2981, and the Explorer lifts off out of the waters of Tokyo Bay and rises into the sky to meet up with a required fleet of support ships for both fuel, food, water, waste management, munitions and even their escorts of offense and defense. Captain Newley comes to the Crew Lounge before his science officer Professor Page arrives to hand out assignments. It will be some time between going to hyperskip upon exiting the Solar System and exiting hyperskip in their first potential port of call - the Likon system. While they wait, the Captain chooses to pass the time by telling the crew the story from his childhood of Vehicle Voltron, and his hopes of maybe recovering it to protect the Alliance. Cliff and Krik can tell their is tension between Newley and Jeff.
5) Professor Page then hands out assignments courtesy of both Newley and Hawkins. Jeff Aki Manabu #1 is assigned to lead the AiStrato Fighters Team with Rockford "Rocky" Kai Shinobu #2, Shota Wolo "Wolo" Kreutz #3, young Chipley Yasuo Mutsu "Chip" Stoker #4 and Patricia Ginger "Ginger" Ellington #5. Krik Miranda Keats #6 takes charge of the Sea/Aqua Fighters Team with Lisa Haruka Kaga #7, Saluta Tangor "Tangor" Katz #8, one Shannon Tatsuo Izumo Cochrane #9 and Zandee Barros Carateja #10. Finally, Walter Clifford "Cliff" Jack #11 is given command of the Land/Turbo Terrain Fighters Team with Cinda Moya Qiligasz #12, Modok Mack Chucker #13, Marvin Tasuku Izu #14 and his best friend Kazuto Hutch "Hutch" Nagato #15 rounding the teams all out.
6) The Explorer and her fleet soon arrive in the Likon system, when they sight an imposing-looking starship orbiting the planet. Curious as to its intentions, Newley and Hawkins attempt to open a channel to hail the vessel and make contact. The ship turns to face the fleet and gives an identification as the Skull Ship cruiser (space battleship that can carry Stinger fighters) of Fleet Commander Zabar Gramont who then declares the Explorer and its fleet intruders in the territorial annex of the Drule Empire. The Skull Ship opens fire on the Explorer, forcing down towards the hostile surface of Likon. Jeff, Krik and Cliff help crew and passengers brace for impact as Hawkins and Newley fight to regain flight control near where Janet had been reported missing.
Act II
7) Zabar reports the intruders and actions taken against them to his first superior, Chief Commander Hazar Dorita Teles of the Galvestonian Drules back on the planet of Galveston - which has been christened the Drule Homeworld by its first emperor, Drule I. Hazar arrives at the palace of the current Emperor, Zeppo Corsair, and delivers his report to the Emperor's Viceroy, Throk Al Caponero. From a first glance, it is clear that Throk and Hazar are not the best of friends nor do they seem to get along for the sake of the Empire. Zeppo is definitely concerned about the Alliance-launched space expedition, but he wants Hazar to use what he deems necessary to remove the Explorer quickly but quietly. Some of the rank and file share a look of concern with fellow Hazar.
8) Having managed to safely land the Explorer in a lagoon near a beach, Hawkins and Newley address the crew as they set up camp for the night. Noticing the lowered moods of the crew, Tangor decides to break out his lounge keyboard and play some acoustic lounge tunes to keep the atmosphere high and hopes up. Noticing a strange figure carved in the stones of a cliff near their camp site; Jeff, Cliff and Krik scurry over to check it out. Bringing Newley, Hawkins and Page over to analyze it, Newley is ecstatic that they may actually have found the resting place of the fifteen fighters that form the Vehicle Voltron (known in the ancient texts as Dairugger XV). Hawkins is skeptical, but is willing to organize search parties to determine if it will turn out to indeed be true.
9) A very conflicted Hazar leaves the Imperial Palace for his Skull Ship as one of his Centurions walks alongside him. Unlike the top brass who see the Drule Military as mere numbers to send against their enemies, Hazar has made it a point to know every one of his officers and soldiers' own individual names by heart and on sight. He confers his feelings about the top brass to the Centurion, as they walk back to the dry dock where the Skull Ship is parked. The Centurion worries that they may have awoken and provoked an innocent creature, namely the Galaxy Alliance, into becoming a greater threat than any they have ever faced. Hazar, surprisingly, shares the sentiment as he walks in step with the Centurion. They should have tried negotiating to be left in peace.
10) Back on Likon, the Air Team is to conduct a wingsuit search of the skies to find the cliff that the five buried fighters of Strato Fighter will be found. Wolo and Rocky take time to analyze the air and humidity ratio for the climatology results until Chip reports that the cliff that the five Strato Fighter ships are buried in has just been sighted. Jeff unearths the Command Jet Explorer as #1, Rocky locates the Strato Weapons Module to deem it #2, Wolo finds the red Advanced Recon Helicopter making it #3, Chip comes up to the blue Advanced Recon Helicopter for #4, and Ginger takes the Falcon Jet Fighter as #5 returning to the skies. Powering them up, they fly their fighters back and form Strato Fighter for Captain Newley, Professor Page and Commander Hawkins.
11) In the meantime, Zabar is plotting with a cabal of his own officers to eliminate or at least humiliate Hazar enough so that he himself will become Chief Commander of the Galvestonian Drules instead and maybe even ingratiate himself to Throk and Zeppo. But first, he will have to find a way to draw the Explorer and her support fleet into a trap and destroy them. Zabar locates his opportunity on the habitable garden world of Galateia - if he were to destroy its capital city and the humanoid Galateians' leadership, he could exploit the planet's vast resources for his own as carve out a seat of power there. He orders his Skull Ship and support fleet to lay in a course for the nearest Earth colony planet near the system of Likon as a distraction from the Galateia assault.
Act III
12) Since Lisa and Shannon are the best Terrans in experience with water-based situations, they are the main advisors to Krik as they soon conduct a scuba diving sweep of the water for the sunken fighters that will form the Aqua Fighter. They soon find them and begin preparing to board a fighter to claim as their very own. Krik names the Communications Module #6, Lisa manages to access the red Space Prober to become #7, Tangor stakes his claim on the blue Space Prober for #8, Shannon claims dibs on the blue and red Multi-Wheeled Explorer as #9, and Zandee finishes it with the blue and yellow Multi-Wheeled Explorer as #10. They power their ships up and fly back to the Explorer as the Aqua Fighter whilst at the same time impressing Air Team.
13) En route through hyperskip towards the Alliance world of Galileo, Zabar stands above the hangar of his Skull Ship to address his mass of Centurion soldiers and Stinger fighter pilots. He declares that they will all have the support of thirteen Robeasts to help devastate the Alliance defense forces to draw their attention from their real target in the Galateia system. The thirteen Robeasts platoon consist of Crush Crab, Titanic Tick, Dragonoid, Neo Crush Crab, Antropoda, Cannon Mantis, Cyan Commando, Necro-Thresher, Cyberbug, Spy Crawler, Electrobeast, Mutant Sphere, and the Dread Sinistar piloted by Zabar himself. The laser tanks and Stinger fighters will follow Robeasts in to attack the outer defense posts of Galileo as merely the distractions.
14) It will be a very tough hike as the Land Team sets off for the canyon where the caved in fighters that will combine into the Turbo Terrain Fighter. When it seems as though Hutch cannot carry on, it is in fact Marvin who carries him over his shoulder to keep moving to survive the desert. Modok soon sights the canyon and they make a run for the five Turbo Terrain Fighter component ships. Cliff takes the Jet Radar Station as #11, the black and yellow Rotating Personnel Carrier is nabbed by Cinda for #12, Modok calls dibs on the black and red Armored Equipment Carrier as #13, the yellow All-Terrain Space Vehicle is made #14 by Marvin, and Hutch finishes it with #15 being the black All-Terrain Space Vehicle to take off and make the Turbo Terrain Fighter.
15) Zabar and his Robeasts are already leading squadrons of Stinger fighters on attack runs against the Galaxy Alliance's outer defense posts in the orbit of planet Galileo. The Alliance scrambles every fighter and or capital ship they can to destroy the Stingers and laser tank transports before they can reach the surface of Galileo, and they succeed, but are all cut to pieces by the Robeasts before Zabar orders a retreat and to set a course for the Dulcinea system. The Alliance Planetary Governor overseeing Galileo relays word to the Dulcinea and Earth systems of this attack, and request that aid be sent from the Explorer and her fleet. Hawkins and Newley both receive the distress calls as their three teams return in triumph with Strato, Aqua and Turbo Terrain Fighters.
16) The AiStrato, Sea/Aqua and Land/Turbo Terrain Teams hurry to the bridge of the Explorer to await all the news. Essential repairs made to the Explorer have been completed and they are able to get airborne again, but they have just received distress calls from Wolo's and Tangor's planet Galileo, and both Krik and Cinda's planet of Dulcinea; both of them major member worlds of the Galaxy Alliance's Milky Way Jurisdiction. Modok is now curious as to why the Drules are making passes at well-armed Alliance worlds, but Zandee is correct in a well-educated guess that this is just a test of their strength so to distract from a real target. Doctor Page asks Chip to help him pinpoint habitable planets near the Likon system as they scan nearby planets with atmospheres.
Act IV
17) They detect the habitable and inhabited world of Galateia just one hyperskip jump away from their current location, and it is certainly not under Drule control. Ginger tells Jeff and Captain Newley they will have to move if they are to have any chance of driving the Drules from this part of space, but Commander Hawkins does not want to get all hasty. He wonders if he could maybe contact like-minded Drules on the other side and maybe work out a deal for peace. In response, Ginger points out the complete destruction of the defense outposts surrounding the Dulcinea and Galileo systems that the Drule forces have wrought - they have the Drules' words and actions to go on for the prospect of war. They feel the duty to protect every people possible.
18) Hawkins make another pass to try and make peace with the Drules as he sends via subspace a hyperskip communique to Zabar and his forces. If Zabar and his forces were to stop their needless and fruitless attacks on the Galaxy Alliance and its worlds, both the Empire and the Alliance may be able to formulate a mutually beneficial peace treaty and armistice. Zabar is incensed by the audacity of this infidel human trying to make peace with him, and he responds by sending a video message of Emperor Zeppo via hyperskip communique to the Explorer. As long as there are just 1% chances that any civilization could rise up against and threaten their vast empire, the Drules must take it as the absolute certainties to wipe them out so the empire is safe.
19) This gesture finally puts Hawkins' hopes for peace with the Drules on the back burner for now as he defers to his commanding officer Newley. Jeff, Krik and Cliff report that all fifteen of their three five-member five-ship teams are ready to go. With the Strato, Aqua and Turbo Terrain Fighters capable of splitting and recombining into the Vehicle Voltron, the legend that Newley was told once as a bedtime story may finally be coming true at long last - and there may yet be a chance to bring peace to the galaxies by Voltron. Newley and Hawkins order a course laid in for the Galateia system and that all teams - Air, Land and Sea - scramble to their fighters and prepare for battle with the Drule attack forces. The hangar deck teams are assisted in this by their pilots.
20) Skull Ships and support craft of Zabar's fleet are led by the Robeasts as they close on the Galateia system. Hazar is aboard one of the Skull Ships trailing behind Zabar's to monitor his underling's progress. The thirteen Robeasts then fire salvos of laser fire towards the outer defenses of the planet. As their planet is starting to be rocked by the Drules' attack on their mostly peaceful world, the people of Galateia appeal to their Chieftain to send out a distress signal - for their defenses are adequate for taking down Drule starships such as the Stinger fighters and support craft, but not so many and not against the Robeasts. With that, the Galateian Chieftain decides to call forth the aid of any nearby ships. Galateians rush to find cover from the attacking Drule forces.
21) Reception of the Galateians' distress signal reaches the Explorer and Captain Newley who has good news for the Chieftain. He and his crew have with them the force that can beat back this assault - Dairugger XV (Fifteen), also known as Vehicle Voltron. Aid for the people of Galateia is on the way as of that moment. The Explorer and her vast support fleet prepare to exit hyperskip upon entry to the Galateia system, and the Vehicle Voltron Force rushes via people moving chair conveyor systems to their docked vehicle fighters. Launching out from the triple hangar bay of the Explorer, the fifteen vehicle fighters of the Vehicle Voltron Force begin their planetary entry to assess what Zabar's attack plan is and feeding targeting data to the Explorer's main guns.
Act V
22) Ginger, Lisa and Cinda soon pinpoint the Robeasts' intended target - the capital city of Galateia, its ground perimeter and its sea-based defenses. They will have to hurry in order to stop Zabar and his attack. Jeff and the Air Team bring their fighters together to form the Strato Fighter, Krik and the Sea Team combine their fighters to form the Aqua Fighter, and finally Cliff and the Land Team unite their fighters to form the Turbo Terrain Fighter. Strato Fighter scours the air to find a way through the Robeasts' air blockade as Wolo and Chip start performing calculations and continue feeding targeting data. Turbo Terrain Fighter zooms across the ground to bolster turrets, and Aqua Fighter goes on silent running to lure the air superiority Robeasts into the open.
23) Jeff and his Air Team move in to take on Crush Crab and Titanic Tick. Krik and his Sea Team begin their attack runs on Dragonoid and Neo Crush Crab. Antropoda and Cannon Mantis soon find their mandibles full of fire from Cliff and his Land Team. They all make short work of the monsters. Seven Robeasts which include Zabar's remain, but laser and missile blasts from the Strato, Aqua and Turbo Terrain fighters cannot making a dent in their armor. This is the signal Jeff, Krik and Cliff take so to call for forming Voltron. Activating interlocks, connecting their dynotherms, bringing up their infracells, and setting their mega-thrusters to go; the Vehicle Voltron Force is go to form and battle. A heavenly chorus sounds through the energy (with the Voltron theme).
24) With that signal, the AiStrato, Sea/Aqua and Land/Turbo Terrain teams begin to form Vehicle Voltron for the first time in millennia. Strato Fighter splits to form the Head #1 (Jeff), Upper Torso #2 (Rocky), Right Upper Arm #3 (Wolo), Left Upper Arm #4 (Chip) and Chest Plate #5 (Ginger). Aqua Fighter splits to form the Torso Midriff #6 (Krik), Left Thigh #7 (Lisa), Right Thigh #8 (Tangor), Right Shin #9 (Shannon) and the Left Shin #10 (Zandee). Finally, the Turbo Terrain Fighter splits to form the Lower Torso/Hips #11 (Cliff), Right Forearm #12 (Cinda), Left Forearm #13 (Modok), Right Foot #14 (Marvin) and Left Foot #15 (Hutch). The team cheers as the remaining Robeasts shudder and gasp with fright upon seeing Vehicle Voltron: Defender of the Near Universe.
25) Vehicle Voltron then joins the big battle for Galateia. Cyan Commando, Necro-Thresher, Cyberbug, Spy Crawler, Electrobeast and Mutant Sphere are cut down in that exact order by the Solar Combat Spears, Energy Beam Whip, Eye and Wing Beams, Solar Wind Blast and finally the Spinning Laser Blades. With only the Dread Sinistar being piloted by Zabar left to contend with, the time has come to turn the Spinning Laser Blades into the long-awaited Blazing Sword. Jeff gives the order to charge as Voltron surges forward sword first and makes a powerful slash right through Zabar. Voltron then pumps its fists as Zabar and his Robeast explode off in the distance behind them. With Zabar soundly defeated with shouting curses, Hazar reluctantly orders a retreat.
26) When the signal is given to be clear, the Alliance exploration fleet is given some coordinates to touch down from both Vehicle Voltron Force and the people below. The grateful people of Galateia rally around the Galaxy Alliance Starship Explorer and her support ships to thank the Vehicle Voltron Force for saving their planet. Jeff, Krik and Cliff thank each and every member of their team as they engage in a sharing culture and history with the Galateians meeting with them. The Galaxy Alliance has a new member world as all fifteen members of the Vehicle Voltron Force and its three teams of five people - AiStrato, Sea/Aqua and Land/Turbo Terrain - raise their right hands and jump for joy alongside Vehicle Voltron doing likewise as the camera freezes mid-jump.
Epilogue (Preview Summary for Vehicle Voltron II: The Fall of Hazar)
27) And with the defeat of Commander Zabar; the names of Voltron, Vehicle Voltron and Earth would once again strike fear in the hearts of the Drule Empire and its Milky Way Galaxy vassals the Galvestonians. Even so, Hazar and friend Captain Mongo Drake carry the grim knowledge of the Drule Homeworld -their Planet Galveston - to be doomed to destroy itself by mysterious circumstances within one to three Earth years. Seeing how valiantly the Vehicle Voltron Force fought to protect innocents, this sparks something in Hazar that he will only tell his sister Dorma Sirk and father Mozak Socrat Teles. As Hazar and Commander Hawkins attempt to seek a peace, Throk and Zeppo plot to threaten Hazar's family which is only foiled by a renegade Drule Skull Ship rescuing P.O.W.s...

Could one of you fortunate owners of the new Land Cruiser do me a favor? I'd like to know the height of the highest parts of the vehicle: roof, antenna, roof rails.
I want to confirm that the LC will fit into my garage and underground work parking space.
We have not been getting LandCruiser shipments into Western Canada yet, so I can't just go look at a dealership.
I put down a deposit at Christmas, patiently waiting.

I'm Apurva. I live in Baddi HP. I'm currently in class 12 but I realised that I'm bi when I realised that I'm thinking about my male friend as much as my female crush. I have 3 crushes till date in which One of them is a guy. Although I Never got opportunity to date any one of them. This is due to the fact that my parents have very large connection with education industry over here. In every school, coaching centre, people know my mom. She's a principal of a large school chain here (kinda like DPS).
I started my JEE prep from 11th mid at PW Chandigarh. At that time, I started liking a girl over there but I soon got to know that she has a guy. Well, I just said to myself that I didn't come here for all this.
Later I shifted to PW Pune because of the terrible quality of education at PW Chandigarh. Over there I had a friend of mine. I never felt too attracted to him because he is kind of homophobic but he's still my good friend because we have same vision for future.
Anyways, for 12th i returned to Baddi to study at my mom's school because I was inspired by Nishant Jindal. Here I got to know about Grindr. I thought that it will have people like me. People on it were only talking about sex. That was exciting for a day but I realised that these people aren't like me. Most of them are middle aged dudes and none of them was a bottom. I felt sus.
At school I started liking a guy. infact, I had crush on him. I was about to ask him out but I got to know he wasn't gay at all. I felt really bad. Add that with JEE preparation. It was stressful. I also stopped exercising and I gained weight. Now I felt more bad about my body.
All this stopped when I again re-watched Nishant Jindal.i felt motivated towards jee and I came 2nd in jee mock test and 4th in cbse pts.
Well, I haven't told anyone about my feelings because I know that nobody gives a f about me. Moreover the society here has a lot of money to buy fortuner, land cruiser. But they don't even have the will to send girls to school or care for environment around them. (Thanks to pharma companies. Especially torrent and cipla)
But still I feel lonely. Whenever I have lunch at school, thoughts like "you're such a burden", "tu chutiya tha aur rahega" and "tu mar kyun nhi jata bsdk" comes to my mind. That's because my friends value their other friends more than me. (Btw, I'm not going to sooicyde because I feel that it's for losers. And I don't want to be one). I will remain looking like straight till I'm 24/25 because at that time I will have financial security too. That's it. I would appreciate if any teen shares his/her story.
Also: is it normal to like a girl then starting to like boys next month? Pls: my English is kind of in the drain because since 15 months I haven't opened my English books because of jee 😅

Hola a todos, espero que esto no le llegue a suceder a nadie más. Hay 4 maes en 2 grúas que se paran a la par del Juan pablo segundo y son de Cartago. Jaf-Et Ro-Jas y Kev-In Mau ricio Del gado Mon tes ced 304 880181, 28 años. Los demás ni se identificaron, son de Oriental Central Cartago. Y al parecer tienen un chorizo con alguien adentro del INS y con uno o varios tránsitos....
Tuvimos un accidente y ayudaron a mover el carro, todo iba bien hasta que empezaron con la novela de que disque estaban hablando con el transito y que siempre cobraba XXX mil colones y lo de ellos eran xxx mil colones más y + lo del INS XXX mil. Básicamente fraude y parece que lo han hecoh varias veces o van a seguir haciendo.
Mintiendo sobre causas penales por disque andar manejando alcoholizado, lo cual no es cierto. Fue un accidente y no una colisión con nadie más... Aunque trataron de agarrarse del alcohol poniendo presión para dar el servicio... Un tránsito va a venir a poner una boleta? Ya tenemos el seguro listo...
Andan grúas tipo land cruiser y parece que si están bien desesperados. Evítense aceptar servicio de estos maes y si los conocen pues probablement también uds sean unas ratillas, creo. Sin ánimos de ofender por que eso no es trabajo duro es aprovecharse de la gente. Al rato hasta le han robado el reloj a algún muerto en la calle, no tengo idea, posibilidades.
Si alguien del OIJ ve esto, de fijo terminan agarrando una red de ratas que sobran, como es la costumbre de CR.
Y de hecho hoy mismo estaban con que si todavía "queríamos la ayuda del amigo en INS y ayuda con el tránsito". Solo par tratar de aprovecharse en un momento de intensidad. Péguenles hueco y ojalá no le suceda a ninguno de sus familiares estas cochinadas...

-WORLD:
Setting post-apocalypse. Nuclear war devastated the entire world, destroying all major cities and plunging the world into chaos and anarchy. Everything became an inhospitable wasteland, a dry and infertile land. Most of the world is radioactive and toxic, most of it is low radiation, there are parts (like craters and lakes) where radiation is extremely high called death zones. Most of humanity was extinguished by war and bombing, some mutated, others took refuge in shelters for hundreds of years until they ran out of resources and were forced out by the failure of the ventilation, water purification and electricity systems of the shelters. Now there are small nomadic groups, wandering loners, looting gangs, scavengers and factions of all kinds. The wilderness is in total chaos with no law and order, much danger. Mutated flora and fauna, ruthless lunatics, no one has morals, everyone survives or plunges into madness and sadism.
More details. All that is left is desert and ruined cities, remnants of civilisation long forgotten. All technology is extremely valuable and scarce, most use rustic weapons and tools to save bullets and guns. General low radiation has little effect on people other than physical wear and tear, high radiation is deadly and brutal and there are known ways to enter the death zones. Factions vary from idealists seeking to rebuild civilisation with hope and brutal sadistic hedonists who love this lawless world and spend their days terrorising wasteland and its inhabitants (savages and barbarians), and also groups who only join together to survive without a long term plan. One of the biggest problems is food and lack of drinking water. There are only rumours and legends of fertile and peaceful lands but they are all false hopes. The story takes place on America. so they all speak english, the currency is either trade or they use food, water and bullets, some trade with their bodies, offering their "services" (mostly healthy people since most are scarred or deformed by radiation to different degrees, from light rashes to melting flesh), people more physically attractive are more valuable as treasure and as a currency. Another really valuable asset is cars and gasoline. Despite all the different types of characters and factions that exist, they all share one characteristic, a grey morality (in some cases more noble, in others absolute degenerates with no ethics or morals).
-MUTANTS:
Now onto the juicy part. The mutants. For now I came up with only three main classes, of course they are all different and varied but they can be classified in one of these three groups. Let's go one by one, building them up.
----GOBLINS:
First, the Goblins. Mutated humans, with messy DNA, including parts of rat, pig and so on, but mostly human. Named for their similarity to the fantasy race. Nasty little humanoid creatures, completely disgusting, full of warts and bumps, long noses and crooked yellow teeth. About the size of an 8 year old child, but with the appearance described above. They have below average intelligence, can communicate with each other and with humans and other mutants, but are not capable of complex societies or goals beyond survival, they are only interested in procreating and eating. They are capable of eating anything thanks to their powerful digestive systems, but prefer meat, especially human meat for its tenderness, although it is not uncommon to see them eating their own excrement (not because it has nutritional value, but simply for the fact that they are constantly hungry). Goblins are always male, there is no such thing as a female goblin. For this reason, their mutations allow them to breed with female humans. A goblin pregnancy lasts between a week and a month (depending on the goblin's virility) and mothers usually give birth to a litter of 4 to 6 goblins, goblin dna is so strong that all offsprings between human and goblin are always pure goblins. In very rare cases a human woman can become pregnant with a human when bred by goblins, one in every 100 pregnancies on average. This causes goblins to capture humans as food, keeping females as bredingstock and livestock, turning them into baby factories until they become barren and are used as horses (ridden or beasts of burden) or eaten.
Goblins treat humans as animals. They live in disorganised societies of around 500 members, they have no hierarchy or any kind of government, they live freely and there are no disputes between them, they share food and breeding mates as a free use society, bonding over these acts. When ambushing, attacking or raiding enemies they have great coordination and teamwork, on their own they are extremely weak but together they are a serious threat. They are usually rough and aggresive but prefer their victims to surrender over forcing them, for this reason any humans who surrender and cooperate are not unnecessarily harmed, but they have no problem hurting or killing anyone who resists.
To further expand on goblins. Goblins eat their own excrement mainly because they like to chew on something, but also in goblin societies it is valued that the breath is stinky (a mixture of everything they eat) a goblin with horrible breath means a goblin that eats a lot, hence a healthy and strong goblin. Goblins kill any creature they find when hunting, forming large piles of carcasses and carcasses inside their caves, they don't care if it spoils as it doesn't affect them at all, although they prefer fresh meat. The only creature they don't kill when hunting are human females, in fact when in their raids they accidentally kill one that goblin is banished as a traitor (since their most valuable resource is their breedingstock since it keeps the horde with more members). Despite their roughness they take care of their breedingstock, keeping them on farms, so that they last as long as they can and have as many children as possible, although once the females become infertile they are treated as just another beast, abused as beasts of burden or just butchered to eat them. Female humans are fed a slop, a filthy mixture of goblin excrement and meat of all kinds crushed and mashed, when a goblin breeds a female human it alters their genetic material so that their digestive systems are goblin-like, though the taste is still dreadful and horrifying to them. Goblins do not need nurturing or care from their mothers, they are completely disconnected from them, no relationship, they just see their mother as cattle. Human female breast milk is one of the goblins' favourite thing, they love the taste and texture of it, for this reason the captured females are constantly lactating and milked. Goblins on their own are weak due to their inferiority in intelligence and strength. Though they are immune to radiation and disease, a goblin bite carries hundreds of infections and diseases, sometimes goblins threaten their captured breeding stock with biting them to keep them controlled.
Well, to expand some more on goblins. When they breed a human female they inject hormones along with their genetic code that makes them lactate constantly as well as increasing their fertility. It is a hormone so powerful that the captured female needs to be constantly milked or their breasts swell indefinitely with milk which hurts them. Goblins brand their breeding stock with burning irons to mark them as the breeders of the horde. Goblins sometimes give some of their breeding stock nicknames to remember them and further dominate them (these nicknames are based on traits of the female. "Squealer" to one that constantly screams and cries. "Big Tits" to one that produces a lot of milk. "Pig" to one that eats a lot of slop. And so on, you get the idea). The goblins are well are that their bites are deadly to other creatures. The captured females' mental health usually ends one of these ways: most of them break and accept their new life and fate, surrendering to the goblins with loss; very few of them resist until the very end, showing defiance as they are being used, goblins are particularly rough with these ones; or they just lose their mind and become like animals, some even get to the point where they love their goblins masters and are happy to serve them, desperate to be bred and give birth to many goblins.
---ORCS:
The orcs. These types of mutants are called orcs due to their similarity to the fantasy race. They are humans mutated by radiation and bombs, their genetic material is a mixture of absolutely everything, a broth of characteristics and traits of hundreds of species, with the human gene being predominant. Therefore, they are also called super mutants. They are huge humanoid creatures, over 2.5 meters tall, broad shoulders and strong backs, excessive musculature and a burly and firm build. They usually have reddish to greenish skin and some have horns. They are thick-boned and have fangs and claws on their huge hands. They are the apex predator of wasteland, creatures of immense strength, stamina and agility, able to lift cars over their heads with ease, run long distances in a matter of seconds without tiring, and with a tough, rough skin that prevents bullets from penetrating past that layer. They are unrivalled and almost invincible against any other creature. They have below average intelligence, though they are smarter and more complex than goblins, and can communicate with each other and with humans and other mutants. They are savage, brutish, aggressive and violent, living in barbaric tribes of no more than 5 members, led by the largest, strongest, meanest and with the highest virility. Their camps are rustic, with tents and prehistoric structures, they usually decorate their bodies and their camps with bones and skins of all kinds of creatures. They are voracious and brutal, constantly fighting among themselves for control and kills and fighting with other tribes for food and territory. They are ruthless and merciless, finding tremendous pleasure in fighting and killing, living to conquer, eat and reproduce, slaughtering whoever they find. They worship radiation as a supreme deity, and believe that they are the ultimate life form worthy of rule over this world, thanking the bombs for giving them this power.
They are immune to radiation and disease. The leader is called a Warchief or Shaman and is considered a direct messenger of the will of the sadistic deity that is radiation. Orcs detest old world technology and destroy as much as they can find, this is because they consider it pathetic and an excuse for the weak to use against the strong, they use their bodies or crude and rustic weapons to fight (sledgehammers, hammers, and so on). They can be deceived anc tricked by smells since that is their most powerful sense, usually fall for baits with dead bodies. Their only weakness and way to actually defeat them is laser guns, this technology can burn through their skin and flesh, making it invaluable when facing the mighty orc threat. All tribes are similar in attitude, seeking conquest and pleasure. Shamans besides being the strongest orc of the tribe can grow in size up to twice their original size (this is due to the radiation in them being more intense), they are also more intelligent than the rest which also makes them more barbaric and savage. Orcs see absolutely all creatures on the planet as weak and inferior. When an orc gets older and weaker he is executed by the tribe to prevent him from having weak offspring like him, then he is buchered and eaten, his bones are thrown into a radioactive lake as a sacrifice to the deity of radiation. Although some manage to escape this fate and become solitary wanderers, they eventually lose their aggressiveness and retreat to isolate themselves in the death zones.
A bit more into Orcs. They are always male, there is no such thing as a female orc. Their genetic makeup is so powerful and their genetic material so varied and messy that they can breed absolutely anything, any race, any gender, anything, even each other (although this is extremely rare as an orc would rather die than mother another orc's offspring. An orc sees being bred as the ultimate form of defeat). Their sperm is so powerful and radioactive that it alters the body of the creature being bred by them, the most notorious changes being that it feminises the males, transforming them into females after several sessions, and causes whatever is being bred to get broader hips, swollen breasts, fatter bottoms, and so on. This transformation, which makes them more appealing to orcs, is known as ascension. The sperm is also a potent aphrodisiac that completely takes over the body of the one being bred, making then suffer extreme pleasure and high sensitivity for a while. Despite being able to breed anything, orcs prefer human females because their bodies are the tightest and most attractive, and because they give birth to stronger orcs. Pregnancies always give birth to a pure orc thanks to the powerful orc DNA. The gestation period is one month and is brutal on the mother, agonising and heavy. Orcs hunt for food and for breeding mates. Orcs, unlike goblins, are possessive of their breeding mates; when an orc claims one, he owns it and does not share it. Orcs eat whatever they capture and don't breed (either because they don't like them or because they are weak and their bodies would not support pregnancy) although some are kept as toys for stress relief.
-BEASTS:
---PIGS:
Let's start with the pigs. A horrible combination of pig, bull and human, intensified by radiation. They are mostly pigs, but they are larger than a bull, being huge and massive, and have human-like intelligence with below average intelligence. They are robust and powerful beasts, tough and strong, almost no one hunts them because they are formidable enemies, they have coarse and tough skin. They are also hideous and disgusting beasts, constantly covered in dirt and filth. They roam solitary, seeking food and companionship. They often interact with other pigs but do not form relationships or stay together for long. They are capable of eating anything because of their evolved digestive systems that require them to eat absurd amounts of food, although they prefer sweet snacks. They are aggressive towards any creature that is not another pig, attacking and tearing them apart, often eating them. They are not hunters because they do not go around looking for prey but they do not waste the opportunity to attack other creatures. They are immune to radiation and disease, they tend to roam the world and often gather in radioactive lakes to drink water and socialise.
More onto the Rad-Boars, the mutant pigs. They are practically invulnerable, and have no clear weakness, other than their beast-like behaviour, most choose to avoid them as, although killing one would mean a lot of food, their flesh is radioactive and they are almost impossible to defeat. Sometimes the orcs engage in combat against the pigs, always ending in a draw with both parties exhausted and barely damaged, it is more of a recreational activity for the orcs rather than a hunt, the pigs treat the orcs like all other creatures. Rad-Boars are cooperative and friendly with others of their kind, grooming each other and sharing experiences, they enjoy each other's company for a time before parting ways. Radioactive lake water does not affect them at all, as their radiation is so high that they simply absorb the radiation (the beast mutant types are the most radioactive of all, they are practically immortal as well). Pigs have their flesh constantly being melted and devoured by radiation but at the same time being regenerated by their powers, being in constant balance, this contributes to their disgusting and creepy appearance, with flesh falling off in chunks and skin sweating like sweat. Their genetic code was from all types of pigs and bulls but only the strongest genes were left to ensure their evolution. There are different sizes for the Rad-Boars, all huge and imposing. Although they can only emit pig and bull noises, they are capable of communicating with each other and of certain displays of intelligence, operating tools or solving puzzles.
So, more onto these pigs. Rad-boars can only be males, there are no female pigs. Most humans are terrified of pigs and they act accordingly, humans running away in fear and the boars chasing them aggressively, seeking to kill them. Pigs are aggressive creatures to all non-pigs, but there is a way to calm them down and tame them. If instead of panicking you keep a calm head you can try to communicate with them. The best way to calm a Rad-Boar is to appeal to its need for companionship and breeding. The woman should undress completely and approach the pig carefully, then she has to become seductive and sexy, grinding herself on him and complimenting him (calling him a stud, appeal to his virility, tell them they need him, they have an urge to be their mate). If they succeed, the pig won't attack them and instead will breed them, getting closer to them. The pigs are so radioactive that they cannot have offspring, the act of breeding is purely sexual and pleasurable, as well as a form of bond with a human female. The result of the breeding between a human female and a Rad-Boar is that the female will swell her belly as if she were heavily pregnant (at least 10 kilos of liquid inside her) and then expel all that slop, a glowing green goo, down her birth canal, giving birth to that slime. Then both the human and the pig would eat that slop, it is really sweet and tastes very good. The pig would be relaxed now and the human can escape. The act of breeding with a Rad-Boar, his sexual and bodily fluids as well as that goo, are extremely addictive for a human, making it a powerful drug for humans, the danger of the taming strategy is growing addicted to it quickly.
It's a dark and mature story. Onto more pigs. The addiction is brutal, in a couple of weeks of withdrawal it makes the human desperately need another dose, there is no cure and it only gets worse with time and more consumption of this drug, entering a loop that is doomed. Most humans either kill themselves or crave the sensation so much that they crawl back to the pig and beg for more. After a couple breeding sessions and when the addiction worsened the pig claims the human female as its mate, she accepts this as she is already addicted to him and his fluids. The pig then makes a nosehook, a collar and a leash with his own fur, leather, flesh and skin, and puts them onto his human, starting a relationship of dominance and control, between similar to marriage and a pet/owner dynamic. The pig mark his human mate by covering her on his filth so the other pigs know she is with him. The slop they eat after breeding makes the human immune to radiation and capable of eating anything, so they can travel together and drink from the lake. Over time the human accepts this position of submission and obedience to the pig, becoming his breeding mate and companion, living and travelling together. Some settlemens manage to get pigs as warhorses and vehicles by luring them with females and offering them to the pig as breeding mates so he cooperates, effectively making stables with these pigs and female sacrifices.
---Wolves:
A mutation, combination of dog, wolf, bear and human. Predominantly wolf and dog, but the size of a bear with the appearance of a grizzly wolf, with the intelligence of a human with below average intelligence (like rad-boars). They have the power, size and strength of a grizzly bear with the speed, agility and ferocity of a wolf, along the resilience and will of a hunt or guard dog. The best of each specie combined in an apex predator. Like wolves, they live in packs of several members, they work together and cooperate when hunting or fighting, while they are lead by an alpha and have a social structure and hierarchy similar to that of wolves, with all that implies. They travel the wasteland looking for good hunting spots as well as a place to establish a base (usually not deep caves on forests), once they settled they rarely leave too far and don't migrate unless food becomes really scarce. They are carnivorous but can eat other things to survive if they get too hungry. They are highly territorial and aggressive, violent and ruthless, very protective of their packs and their bases. They don't even get along with other wolves of different packs, easily recognising the members of each pack by their unique and characterstic smell. They have long and shiny fur, varying from white to black. Their behaviour is very similar to wolves and dogs.
To add more details. The warhounds are formidable beasts. They don't get too much weakness but can be intimidated sometimes if they consider the prey or foe too much of a hassle or not an immediate threat. They ignore rad-boars because they won't attack something if they consider or fear a member of the pack could get hurt or killed, they evaluate the possible outcomes of an encounter and won't fight a hard battle or one that could mean casualties for the pack. Packs have designated roles, from trackers who track down prey, to chasers who chase down wounded prey if they try to escape, there are the distracters, the main attackers, the secondary attackers, the rearguard (wolf cubs and very old), and the alpha who coordinates the attacks and hunts and decides if they should continue or retreat. The alpha is always the smartest and strongest warhound, the pack respects him but may challenge his position in a fight. The warhounds mark their territory by peeing on trees and zones to delimit the territory, as well as scratching and biting pieces of nature (wood, stone, walls, and so on). There is only one breed of warhounds, with individuals barely varying on size. Warhounds communicate mainly with scent, but also have a clear body language that is easy to identify, and can communicate primitively with growls, barks and howls (the latter being the most commonly used). The best way for a human to communicate with a warhound is to keep calm, don't show themselves as a threat and use clear body language.
A bit more details. The warhounds are always male, there are no female wolves/dogs. For this reason, they evolved to be able to breed human females. They are proud beasts that do not interact with members outside the pack, so they do not capture or force human females (even though they are their only way to breed and ensure the pack's prosperity). Therefore, as soon as they see a human, male or female, they attack to kill and eat. A human female can avoid this, she has to keep calm and not attack the warhounds, instead she has to communicate with them on their level, with clear body language. She has to get on all fours and adopt a wolf mating position as well as whimper and bark, this lets the wolves know that she does not want to hurt them and that she is looking to join their pack as a breeder and that she is interested in becoming a wolf and learning about them. The pack would then send a scout (a tracker) to check her out, they sniff each other out and lick each other faces to establish trust. If the scout approves she leads the human female into the pack, if not the pack just leaves her unharmed. This process makes breeders and mothers in a pack rare, with a ratio of one human female to every 5 warhounds on a pack. A pack is normally around 30 wolves, so an optimal pack would have at least 5 or 6 breeders, with the most efficient packs having up to 10 human females enlisted. The pregnancy is similar to those of wolves, a gestation period of two to three months and a birth of a litter with 3 to 5 cubs. This makes it so wolves compete for breeding mates, ranging from physical attributes of the warhound to the preference of the human female, or course the alpha always has a breeding mate secured. The offspring are always pure warhounds and never humans or a mix.
To further expand. Human females join warhound packs for various reasons, some are frightened when assaulted by wolves and take this strategy to survive, others are more willing, seeking protection in the wasteland, or even purpose or belonging in a world that lost it all, and others have no other way to survive and choose this life in order to eat something. Anyway, once a human female joins a pack of warhounds, the wolves teach them about their culture and society, showing them their bases, their usual routes, teaching them body language and verbal communication (within a few months, most human females know how to communicate with wolves better than how to communicate with humans, knowing the meaning of each growl, bark, howl, whimper and movement or gesture). Once the human female learns how to integrate onto the pack is time for her to breed, this process can take up to two months where the wolves compete for her attention, wrestling each other (without serious injuries) and courting her with flirtatious demonstrations of affection or breeding prowess (virility, size, confidence, assertiveness, and other desirable traits on a breeding partner). Of course, this whole process of competition is skipped when the alpha claims his breeding mate, but he still has to woo the human female so she willingly takes him, though she is in no position to refuse him and choose some other wolf. Until the human female is bred she has to pull her own weight in the pack, taking a special role on the hunting expeditions, the distractors, they lure prey with their helpless and vulnerable aspect so the pack can jump on the prey, they can also act as secondary attackers if the pack is lacking numbers. They also are the primary attackers when ambushing a human, they have to act innocent to make the human foe lower their guard and then strike mercilessly, surprisingly by the time they are active on hunting expeditions human females prefer and value more warhounds than humans.
Once the human female is pregnant with a litter of wolf cubs she goes from breeder to mother, staying on the rear when hunting or staying at the base along the cubs and the guard wolves. She takes a nurturing position, having to take care of the cubs along the other pregnant human females, they all share this responsibility and the babies are considered of the whole pack instead of an individual wolf, a collective society. Once a human female gives birth to her first pack her motherly instincts go intense and she feels profound love and devotion for any cub, really accepting and cherishing her role and purpose as a mother for the pack, she feeds them and teaches them everything they need to know to become good warhounds and productive members of the pack. To welcome a human female into the pack, all the warhounds pee on her to get her marked with the scent of the pack. The further a human female lives on a wolf pack the more she adapts and becomes like them on behaviour, loyalty and mentality.

/uw A long one today. Special thanks to u/Lilith_Anorthosite who co-wrote this with me. Previous post here.
Vashric rips through the City of Dis like a jagged knife. Having been discovered by the horde of demons, stealth is no longer an option. Disintegration rays fly wildly through the air. War devils are broken down and blown apart. Walls and frames are atomized, several buildings collapse around them. He wants to fly out of the chaos but his telekinesis is still focused on stabilizing his body, a constant effort even now. He extends his wings to take off but the war devils dog him down. The fight devolves into a grapple as the horde piles onto Vashric, stabbing, slashing, tearing.
A violet light emanates from the pile, then a massive flash. The closest devils are vaporized immediately, the rest are blinded and stunned. With his psychomantic power severely hindered for the moment, Vashric resorts to hand-to-hand combat. Punches, kicks, claw slashes, tail whips, even in his weakened state Vashric is a force to be reckoned with. As strikes land, the fiends are reduced to bloody mists and fileted corpses.
Hundreds of the demons are felled before an opening presents itself. He throws his wings out, knocking multiple fiends away, and takes to the sky. The smoke-laden clouds of Dis parts ways before him as he reaches hypersonic speeds. The leftover war devils make chase, but quickly disappear behind the horizon, unable to keep up with Vashric’s sheer velocity. The eyes on his wings open again, scanning the ground below for any hell gates. He soars over the city, on and on. His frustration nearly rises to a boiling point, before he finally notices a gate on the outskirts, guarded by four large devils. He lands immediately, the force shakes the ground around him. He approaches the enforcers.
The largest, a massive, scarred pit fiend, calls to him, “Hark, grey devil, what business do you have-”
“I don’t have time for this, get out of my way.”
The pit fiend only smirks, “Your insubordination offends, whelp. Your skull will make a fine addition to my collection.”
The fiend motions to the other three demons, they draw their weapons and move in on Vashric. One to his left readies to bring down its cleaver but freezes, “I really don’t have time for this,” in a blur, Vashric had buried his hand in the demon’s chest, gripping around its spine, crushing it. He lets go and the demon slumps onto the dirt. The other two are dazed. “Kill him!” the pit fiend snarls at his soldiers. They regain some resolve and move in for the attack. The exchange is short lived, however. Vashric grasps the forearm of one demon, tearing it off, then thrusts their blade through the eye socket of the other. The first demon clinches its bloody stump before Vashric removes its head.
The pit fiend growls at him as he approaches, “Perhaps you’re a little more than just a whelp,” the massive hellspawn lunges at Vashric, letting loose with a flurry of practiced cuts. They miss, though, Vashric weaves through each attack. An opportunity presents itself, one punch shatters ribs, the other causes skull fractures. The fiend falls to the ground with a low thud. It tries to curse him, but can’t form words as it fades into unconsciousness. Without a word, Vashric steps through the hell gate.
He’s brought to the next layer through a tunnel of fire. He gets that same, fleeting sense of nostalgia. The portal opens up to a mountainside overlooking the outskirts of another city, this one gothic in appearance. Tortured souls adorn the buildings, their bodies melded into the stone, whispering pleads. From his position, Vashric can barely see a group of sinners and demons. He uses his ESP to get a closer look, and it reveals an enslaved workforce of the damned. They’re being whipped and abused by their infernal masters as they’re forced to pull around large stones. They haul the masonry to a large monument under construction. A statue to some sort of leonide figure it seems.
“So, this is Pri-”
He keels over, hugging his chest. The pressure returns, he can feel the changes again, somehow spurred on by his traveling to another circle of Hell. His rematerialization kicks into overdrive trying to fight back the demonic transformation. He falls to the ground, totally immobile. After a few moments of pure agony, he finds the strength to send out a telepathic signal, hoping Lilith is close enough to hear him, hoping this too isn’t jammed.
“Rghhh, gods d-damn, that’s going to h-hurt in the- RGGHH- in the morning. An assist would be really nice right about now.”
Meanwhile, Lilith is roaming the streets of Pride in search of her friend. Having arrived not long ago after receiving Vashric’s nebulous message. Midstep she’s struck by his psychic call and responds immediately after catching herself, “I got your message. I came as fast as I could, but, from what I saw on the news, I don't know if I can help. Where are you right now? The city is huge.”
Vashric is confused for a moment, “The news? RGGHH! O-Okay, n-not important. I could use some h-help getting this demon magic un-under control. H-Hang on,” Vashric expends just enough energy to send out a psychic ping to Lilith, “There, did-did you f-feel that? That’s me.”
A silver cloud appears in front of Vashric, it quickly dissipates to reveal Lilith still in her work attire, “I'm here! Vashric, what's happening?!”
Vashric is spasming on the ground, his body ripping itself apart and desperately trying to put itself back together. Muscles tearing out of skin, bones contorting into unnatural shapes, a horrible sight. His voice grates past his teeth, “The ch-changes are b-back. They won’t s-stop.”
“This isn't normal! This is too much demonic energy for most demons to handle. That includes me.”
“L-Lilith, ple-ease. Anything w-will help. I’ve had t-t-to shatter a-nd rebuild my skel-skeleton like three times n-now,” Vashric motions to the bones jutting out of his arm.
Lilith’s mind races with potential solutions. She flips through years of magical knowledge in her mind but almost every solution she can think of requires time. Time she doesn't have. Only one seems feasible at the moment.
“I'm going to get in trouble for this but it's the only thing I can think of. I’m going to use some of your energy for a summon spell.”
“T-Trouble? Summon who?- No, it d-doesn’t matter. I’ll take the blame, I-I don’t care. How f-f-fast can you s-summon them?”
“The summoning should be quick. The main issue is that what I'm doing is illegal and may cause some issues,” Lilith begins preparing the spell.
Vashric gets to his hands and knees with a growl of pain, small fissures form across his skin as magenta hellfire streams out from the wounds. He tries to stand, “I’m n-n-ot very m-mobile at the moment, sor-sorry, you’ll h-have to for-forgive me.”
Lilith scans the area for a moment. She sees nothing, but decides to set a silence spell around the two, just in case. “I can't have others hear this chant.” She then starts to speak in Infernal tongue. As she does, the energy streams from Vashric into a singular spot. A deep red rift forms in the air. A clawed hand grips the edge, enlarging the tear. The massive and broad figure of a warrior demoness walks out.
Vashric growls in pain as the magenta flames burn ever brighter. His skin chars as he does his best to hold back further demonic transformation. Totally unconcerned with the she-devil exiting the portal.
The demoness speaks, her voice not of brimstone and fire but of care and worry, “Lilith why are you trying to summon me? You know you can just call me?
Fully stepping out of the rift Asmodian General, Liliana Obsidiantail finally gets a proper look at the mutating grey devil, “Lilith, what's going on?”
Lilith addresses her mother in a panic,“I'm sorry mama, but it’s my friend, Vashric. The one that absorbed all of that demonic energy. He’s changing again! It was manageable the first few times but something is different now!”
Vashric struggles to address Lilith’s mother, “H-H-ello, I’m Vash-ric. F-Friends call me Vash. It’s n-nice to finally m-meet you.” Vashric waves with a flame wreathed hand, “I c-c-could use some help.”
Liliana’s voice becomes rougher once talking to him, “We can leave introductions for later.”
She turns to the rift she came through and with a wave of her hand the destination changes to a military base. Her voice becomes a deep demonic growl as she yells orders. Lesser demons run about grabbing brimstone pylons from what look like weapons. The demons swiftly and efficiently set the equipment up.
“This should contain the excess energy. This isn't going to be pretty, though.”
Vashric lets out an otherworldly snarl as his jaws and teeth begin to extend past his lips, splitting the skin of his mouth, “Do it!”
“Lilith, make sure none of this magic is discharged into the surrounding area. The equipment isn’t made for this. If the energy doesn’t flow directly from him to the pylons something could explode. Either the pylons or your friend.” Her mother's command shocks Lilith out of her nervous panic as she prepares herself.
Liliana then turns to Vashric with a sharpened spike connected to the pylons by metal chains and stabs it into his chest. He barely winces at the stabbing, initially, but forms a low, rumbling grow as the siphoning begins.
The energy emanating from Vashric is continually guided into the pylons but it starts to affect everyone in the area. Lilith attempts to form a barrier to seal in the surge, increasing the intensity for everyone inside. Shadowy tendrils rise up from the ground, writhing and pulsing. The pylons begin to glow with the same searing magenta. If all present weren’t fiends, they would surely burn alive inside the barrier. Faint, infernal whispers become audible.
The lesser demons that set up the pylons grip their heads as they topple over. Lilith’s eyes go wide as she recognizes the voices from her dreams. Her mother's eyes become fiercer as she forces the spike deeper into Vashric’s chest. He howls as his eyes become pits of fire, the burning continues but the bodily changes seem to slow. The whispers rise in volume, now. They assault Lilith and Liliana. Only they can hear its message, “The black waters rise. Rejoice in His work.”
Liliana yells to Lilith, “Who or what did you get involved with? What in the Nine Hells is speaking to us?”
“Liliana, soldier of Hell. His kingdom is imminent. Join Him in the black waters, where the blood collects. Rejoice in His work.”
Her response is quick,“I’m loyal to Asmodeus and to my family. Burn your heinous tongue in the eternal fires.”
Their minds are filled with insidious laughter, “The black waters rise. Rejoice in His work,” With that, the voice fades away. Vashric comes back to consciousness, spasming slightly. The pylons are burning like suns, but his transformation seems to stabilize for now.
Lilith releases the barrier, exhausted. Liliana pulls the spike out of Vashric and drops it to the ground. She grabs him by the collar and her voice becomes like brimstone, “You have some explaining to do.”
Vashric turns his head, taking a moment to spit a black, tar-like substance onto the ground. It writhes like the shadows from earlier. His voice is raspy and haggard, “I appreciate your assistance, truly, but I don’t know what you’re talking about.” This was a half-truth, Vashric had a good idea as to what she meant.
“Now, could you put me down? I’ll repay you when I can, but I have to continue my journey.”
“You’re not going anywhere that isn't a holding cell.”
“...I think we got off on the wrong foot. I’m sorry, I know this probably isn’t how you wanted to spend your day. Why don’t we talk things out before someone does something they regret,” Vashric gestures to Lilith, “We shouldn’t fight in front of your daughter, my friend.”
Lilith speaks up, “Mama, could you put him down?”
Liliana’s voice softens a bit, “Lilith, your ‘friend’ has caused major destruction in Dis. Multiple laws have already been broken. I'm not even supposed to be in this circle. So, no, I'm not going to put him down.”
She yells at the demons under her command to get up and take the pylons back to base as she chains Vashric.
He struggles against her hold, “Hey! Excuse me, I’m going to meet Astaroth, grand duke of the 9th. I’m sure he’ll clear everything up when I get there,” Vashric grips Liliana’s arm, then speaks to her, both verbally and telepathically, “Now. Put. Me. Down. Please.”
His telepathy collides with Liliana’s warded mind, “We’ll send a message to the grand duke when we get to your cell. If what you say is true, you should have no worries waiting for his response.”
Vashric glares at her, but doesn’t want to make a scene in front of Lilith, and doesn’t have enough strength to fight back anyway, “Fine. I’m not going to move rings yet, though. Not until I have time to meditate and replenish some of my psychomancy. Every time I’ve traveled between layers so far, this has only gotten worse.”
“I wasn't planning to. Now, where is the enforcement in this city?”
Liliana looks to the horizon and eventually sees the group of sinners in the distance, still lugging around large stones, headed by their demonic overseers. She spreads her massive wings and turns to her daughter, “Lilith, hold on.” She scoops her up and flies towards the demons, Vashric dangling in her other hand.
Liliana flies low enough to speak to the overseers, hovering just above them, she calls out, “I am Liliana, Guardian of Debauchery. I need to know where the nearest prison is.”
One of the demons motions for the sinners to halt and looks to Liliana, “What’cha be doing in Pride? We’re a long ways away from your circle.”
“Doing the job of whoever’s guarding this entrance.”
The demon gives her a defiant look, but doesn’t argue, too busy with its tasks. It points towards a large black spire in the center of the city. “Most prisoners are taken to the citadel, Sabnock will want a word, but he ain’t here at the moment. The lieutenant can see you for now.”
“Thank you,” Liliana turns and starts to fly in the spire's direction, Lilith and Vashric in tow.
Vashric chimes in, “This is really quite unnecessary, I can fly myself,” But Liliana ignores him. He turns to Lilith and speaks telepathically, “Lilith, I was expecting your mother to be a lot kinder, like you…”
Lilith, in a slightly quivering voice, “Well, if this introduction had been over some tea she’d likely be much nicer. She’s supposed to be on the job right now.” As the mental conversation continues, Lilith’s appearance starts to change.
“Why didn’t you say anything? I could have conjured tea-” Vashric stops, “Were your antlers always that long?”
“My antlers shouldn't be your concern at the moment! What happened back there? This wasn't like your other transformations.”
“It’s been getting worse the deeper into Hell I’ve traveled. I don’t know why. What’s more, the-” He pauses, contemplating how much he should divulge, “I never told you, but there have been…whispers, voices. This isn’t the first I’ve dealt with them, but they’ve been getting worse ever since I turned. Don’t worry about me, though, I’ll be fine. It’ll take more than hell magic to put me down.”
“Whispers? We heard whispers when we were siphoning your magic. They spoke exactly like a figure in the dream I had last night.”
“You’re serious? They talked to you? They talked to you in a dream? What did they say? Lilith, I need you to tell me exactly what they said.”
“They just said a lot about a ‘Herald’ and ‘black waters rising.’ That ‘He’ will make things start anew. Also, they repeated ‘rejoice in His work’ a lot.”
“They mentioned black waters?... Shit. Lilith, you need to leave, you can’t be around me. If it’s spreading, you won’t be safe near me.”
“Is this a disease? What is going on? This is clearly a threat and I can’t just turn my back. I won't let more people I care about get hurt because I'm too weak to help.”
“This isn’t a discussion, Lilith, this isn’t a suggestion. I’m telling you, when we get to this spire and your mother so graciously locks me up, you leave and go back to the Prime. I’ll meet Atsaroth as soon as I can and get this sorted out.”
“Ok, fine, but can you at least tell me what’s happening? I prefer to be informed of danger.”
“Lilith I-” he takes a moment to compose himself, “I’m not sure. It’s something I’ve been dealing with for a long time. Well before all this devil transformation nonsense. Just let me handle it.”
“You were literally tearing apart from the inside! Vashric, what would have happened if you hadn't called me?”
“I would’ve figured out something else…”
The trio breaks through a thick layer of smog, the Citadel of Pride reveals itself. A massive spire, made of dread iron and twisted souls, overlooks the ring. A beacon of hellfire lights the top, everburning, its flames shriek with the voices of the damned. The tower is surrounded by a fort, walled off from the city. Soldiers and guards can be seen beyond the bulwarks, some training, some prodding sinners and prisoners along. Liliana lands just outside the main gate. A large, imposing devil stands before them.
“You there, what is your business?”
“I am Lilliana Asmodi Obsidiantail, Asmodean General and Guardian of Debauchery. I come with a prisoner and I need to meet with the lieutenant.”
The demon eyes her, “Highly irregular. You’re not supposed to be in Pride, general. I’ll call the lieutenant, he’ll surely want to speak. So will Lord Sabnock when he returns.” It activates a sigil on the wall behind it, sending a message inside.
“I didn’t expect to be here, but it appears that someone has been failing to do their job.”
The fiend snorts, “We do not fail, blame the other rings for dumping their trash in our layer. And I suggest you hold your tongue. This isn’t your territory, and we don’t take kindly to such accusations. Especially not Lord Sabnock. Now, the lieutenant will meet you inside, mind your damn manners.” The demon gestures towards the guard house at the top of the wall, the gate creaks open. It then motions for the group to head inside, scowling at them all the while.
Liliana resists the urge to reduce the demon to a stain and drags Vashric in as Lilith follows behind her, “I now remember why I don't visit Pride.”
Lilith attempts to soothe her, “Mama, you're about to be in a meeting. The calmer you are, the faster you can get back to Debauchery and, in turn, the faster you can see Mother again.”
“Yes, I’d like to see her soon. This day has been… less-than-joyous,” she seems to grip Vashric a bit harder.
Vashric scoffs at Liliana, “Don’t be upset with me, I’ve been pretty cordial considering the circumstances.”
Their bickering is cut short, however. A portly Amnizu robed in fine clothes approaches the trio. Its rich adornments stand in stark contrast to its grotesque figure. It addresses Liliana alone, paying no mind to Vashric or Lilith, “General Obsidiantail, what a pleasure to meet you, I’m Lieutenant Tg’grax. I understand you have a prisoner you wish to deposit in our fine citadel?”
“Yes.” Liliana holds Vashric out, “This was just outside the city. The smell of blood lingers on it. I believe it’s the fugitive that tore through Dis.”
“I won’t ask what you were doing on our layer, I’m sure you had your reasons… Hmm, a grey skinned devil. Yes, perhaps this is the one that cut swathes through Dispater’s realm, Lord Sabnock will want to see for himself. Very well,” Tg’grax motions to Vashric and a pit fiend tears him out of Liliana’s hold. “This one will be kept in a holding cell, as for the two of you, you’ll have to wait until Lord Sabnock arrives.”
Liltih sighs, “At least I’m already off work.”
Liliana's face turns sour, “Well, I'm not. Asmodeus isn't going to be happy that I'm gone from my post for so long.”
Vashric is hauled off to a warded cell, “What a fine fucking predicament you’ve gotten yourself into this time, Vashric... Oh well, not much I can do until I recharge,” he thinks to himself, before assuming a meditative stance. He begins to gather psychic energy from his surroundings, unbeknownst to the guards, “And now we wait.”

Hello! Our free company The Night Brew is currently welcoming new members!   New and looking for friends? Or perhaps a veteran still looking for the right place to land? Whatever reason has you out looking at free companies, we appreciate you giving us some consideration!   Night Brew is a smaller company with an emphasis on fun and community. We're in the process of rebuilding after losing some people to life responsibilities and *gasp* other interests (kidding, please pursue your interests!). It might be quiet for a bit while we continue to attract some new friends, but if you're willing to bear with us we're hoping to make ourselves lively and goofy once again and would love for you to be a part of that! We're happy to play with people of any job, any level -- sprout and veteran players are equally welcome! Our member interests span the spectrum, from assembling killer glams to chill nights of crafting/gathering to progging endgame raiding.
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  We lean toward EST for planning, but any timezone is welcome. As our name suggests, our active hours are more in the evening. We maintain an open door policy on asking for events to be arranged; if there's something you want to do as a group, just ask!   Contact: If you feel this might be a good fit, then The Night Brew would welcome a chance to talk to you! Come inquire with us at our discord or apply through our estate placard, and we look forward to meeting you! Lodestone Recruitment: link   **Please be mindful that this is a recruitment post for a Free Company. While we support the seeking and making of individual friends, please respect our efforts and refrain from reaching out to us if you're not actually interested in joining.

Alien 3 is a prime example of a "mixed bag". Alien: Resurrection is said to have killed the series, but in the long term, I think Alien 3 is more responsible since it stifled the series' potential. With Alien 3 killing pretty much everyone in the cast, it led to Ressurection... literally resurrecting the dead characters by cloning... Not that there was nowhere to go after 3, but it certainly didn't help.
The filmmakers have been trying to turn the Alien series into a legacy franchise for decades, even by Ridley Scott and James Cameron themselves, and it has not worked because, retrospectively, 3 put the franchise into a corner. The legacy sequel would have been much easier had the series still retained the characters. An adult Newt could have taken Ripley's torch trying to prevent the future generation from going through what she did, and someone like Hicks acting as an experienced mentor.
On the other hand... I kind of like Alien 3. Not great, but I like some of the experimental concepts they were going for that are unthinkable for the franchises today to do. It goes out of its way to have the balls to make crazy creative choices and even disservice the fans, straying away from what the fans would have liked after Aliens. I like the return to the claustrophobic horror, relentlessly oppressive vibe, the prison settings, the theme of terminal illness inspired by the AIDS crisis, a religious theme of redemption, and even Ripley being impregnated with a xenomorph and ultimately sacrificing herself.
The problem ultimately lies in the balance. Risky decisions can be good only if they don't make the audience turn against the film from the beginning of the movie. The bleak atmosphere is good, but there is really no counterbalance of levity to compliment. Even the first Alien movie had some levity and fun, so when the dread hits, the audience feels it. In contrast, Alien 3 is just so overtly dark and depressing from the beginning that it becomes numb. The film tries to be artsy and "deep", but it is not artsy enough to take itself to be an art movie. It still is a summer horror action blockbuster. If they actually wanted to go for the religious character study, they would have gone for Vincent Ward's script, but they didn't because the producers recognized it still has to be an Alien movie.
So it ultimately becomes a movie that appeals to only a few. The Alien fans don't like it because it kills the characters off-screen in the beginning. It's not a character study arthouse fans would like because it's still a plot-driven narrative. Alien 3 treats characters like pieces on a chessboard that need to be moved around dramatically as the plot dictates, not so many individual characters making organic and consistent decisions and actions. Aliens began with Ripley's relationship with Newt and Hicks, which is where the narrative shined. Not their individual characters but when they share the screen time together. It used its pacing as well as the relationships in a way to disguise what could have been a schlocky Starship Troopers narrative. Alien 3 didn't understand this and instead killed them off-screen because they thought it was clever.
I am curious if it is possible to incorporate all these concepts and themes from the movie, while also having Hicks and Newt alive at the beginning of the movie, so that we get the character chemistry and relationships, both in a way to make the characters shine and give a narrative some sense of levity.
Let's say, similar to Vincent Ward's script, there is an overlooked alien egg hatching aboard the Sulaco, resulting in the Sulaco being under siege by Xenomorphs. We see a frantic sequence of the survivors awakened from hypersleep. Bishop is killed off. As the Xenomorphs are infesting the cruiser, Ripley, Newt, and Hicks take an escape pod and flee.
With them crash-landing at the prison planet, how would the story change? How would Ripley's bond with Newt and Hicks grow in the face of the oppressive prison system, where the inmates are hostile toward them? Ripley would have to protect Newt in addition to fighting off the Xenomorph.
This way, you have three sides to the story: the "average" people represented by Ripley, Newt, and Hicks--the perspective we can view the strange world from--the prison people who have created the harsh conditions and society we cannot understand, and the Xenomorphs, the outer destructive forces that are infiltrating the settings. This balances the tone out between the more humane side with Ripley, Newt, and Hicks, and the oppressive side with the prison. It makes sense in the religious biblical theme the movie was going for, with Ripley as Mario, Newt as the Holy Spirit, and Hicks as Michael.
Hicks would be protective of Ripley from the convicts, but he eventually gets killed off, leaving Ripley to defend herself and Newt. Ripley then finds out about the Xenomorph impregnation. Newt takes a role in the battle, where she can grow from a helpless screaming child to someone like Ripley. Ripley eventually sacrifices herself to the molten pit, and instead of Morse, it is Newt who is the sole survivor of the colony.
Another idea is this post on LV426, which suggests having Newt and Hicks left on the Sulaco while Ripley's cryotube gets infiltrated by the facehugger and gets jettisoned off to Fury 161. This is more of a purist approach to Alien 3. This way, the plot is the same, but without Newt, Hicks, and Bishop's deaths and autopsies. This allows for the series to continue with Newt, Hicks, and Bishop alive separate from Ripley, who had her own arc throughout the trilogy.
Potentially, Alien 4 could have been William Gibson's Alien 3 script. Newt's character should have been headed the series instead of the fanfic-y "cloning" concept, which effectively doomed the series.