On Saturday, my party went to Elturel to open the Companion (they had the adamantine rods), then went down to visit Zariel, who was trying to fight off the combined forces of Baphomet, Yeenoghu, and Kostchitche, who were out to kill her and had a plan.
The party had a flying infernal war machine, so they met Zariel in the air above the battle. She demanded the sword, the shield, and their immortal souls to break the contract. They balked at their souls and failed to redeem her. Battle was joined when a Marilith teleported next to Zariel and tried to grapple her (and failed). Poor Lulu.
The demons plan was to teleport to Zariel and grapple her, causing her to fall. Ideally to burn all of her legendary actions to teleport away, then they would dog pile her. Baphomet, Yeenoghu, and Kostchitchie all have STR of 29+, so they had a decent chance to grapple, and a couple of Mariliths and Balors would help. A couple of barbarians (one enlarged) got into the grapple fest too (I let the enlarged one toss the other barbarian. Plus the Twilight cleric had summoned a unicorn who could teleport the barbarians to Zariel's location, once. Plenty of ranged attacks from the Sorcerer, Shadar Kai Rogue archer, Warlock and the Twilight cleric (who had the sword of Zariel before she destroyed it, so had wings), who also cast some support spells and had her channel divinity running, giving people temp hit points.
The demons and the party typically got 2-3 successful grapples each round, but she teleported out of them (after falling). Still, the damage was piling up; a Narzugon flew past and healed her 100 hit points. Meanwhile, the Sorcerer used animate objects to get one half of the dimensional shackles (they had to put them into the adventure for a reason, right? Anyone else have their party use them to prevent Zariel's teleportation?) on her, but failed to shackle her other hand. . .well...stump. She was about to flee (not a very satisfying outcome) when she got grappled for the forth time in the round, they got the other half of the shackle on her, and she got dogpiled. They ended up giving her well over 700 points of damage in 6 rounds. One of the barbarians finished her, decapitating her with his axe. The party fled before the Demon Lords and their armies turned on them.
I gave the demon lords the ability to teleport once per turn; some demons have it, so it seemed reasonable. I gave Zariel the fly-by ability (which she used to kill Kostchitchie). She attacked the rogue twice (he crit on a bow attack and inflicted a ton of damage, pissing her off), but his gift of the shadow queen meant he had resistance, plus uncanny dodge meant he only took 82 points of damage instead of 328, which would have been enough to kill him more than two times over.
Meanwhile, Tiamat broke the chains, and a group of the party's allies (including Sylvira and Traxigor, Reya, and some high level characters who they had ties to in my home-brewed bits) plane shifted in and did a screening action, blowing through the demonic and infernal armies behind the action around Zariel and the party (the Twilight cleric did a sending to tell them when they were about to confront Zariel). A Tsunami is a great thing against an army when a wish is used to cast it. As are earthquakes, reverse gravity, etc. Plus they had a Marut and metallic dragons!
Lulu's a basket case, but there might be time for healing.
It took 9 months and about 18 sessions, averaging 4.5 hours each.

I’m from England but I have roots in the Baltic states, so naturally I’ve been following events in Ukraine closely.
It astounds me that so many people around the UK don’t understand the position of our country on the global stage and the role we play in keeping ourselves and our allies safe.
A lot of us seem to think Russia’s war in Ukraine isn’t that serious, that nothing will happen, that it isn’t our problem, and so on. There’s also a contingent of Scottish nationalists who want an independent Scotland to get rid of Britain’s nuclear deterrent for whilst also having an iScotland apply to join NATO - a nuclear alliance - and in the face of Russia conducting nuclear drills in Belarus just last week.
I’m worried for a nation that is clearly so out of touch with our own geopolitics.
The UK and other big country allies like America have played an important role in supporting the security efforts of our more vulnerable NATO allies, such as the Baltics: Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.
The Baltics have historically suffered similar trauma as Ukraine is suffering now, with their democratic systems dismantled, politicians and intellectuals purged, native culture suppressed, and hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians deported to labour camps in rural Russia during and after WW2.
Because of this history, these countries are some of the strongest supporters of Ukraine and are spending well above the 2% of GDP requirement for NATO. And they rely on us for support.
I see our young people arguing on TikTok, destroying art, and marching down the streets for P@lestine (and no, I do not support Isr@el’s war on Gaza), but Russia deporting Ukrainian kids, bombing cities and challenging European unity and democracy every day? Not a word is said.
Russia hasn’t posed an existential threat to us in Britain partially because: we have one of he world’s strongest militaries, we are active contributors to the NATO alliance, we are home to a nuclear deterrent, and we have the Special Relationship with America.
I believe that we need to double down on those successes, improve our defences, strengthen our commitment to our weaker allies, and stop taking our safety for granted. And while we’re marching for P@lestine, maybe we should march for Europe too.

The barrowlands were a vast expanse, unforgiving and empty. Hills undulated and rolled, carved by the winds and time and the hands of the First Men. Dust that had once been kings’ bones sat in the thousands of slopes that defined the landscape, their blatant artificiality only occasionally marred by collapses and uncontrolled treelines.
It was in one of these barrows that the Locke party had taken shelter. The edges of a spring storm had reached them, darkening the sky before its time and blanketing the land with misty rain.
The barrow was unmarked to their eyes, any runes long since worn away by time. Even Valena did not know to whom the tomb had belonged, and to Harwin’s mind, that meant nobody knew. Now, night had fallen in truth, and a small cookfire crackled fitfully, smoke curling out of the doorframe to be lost in the mist. Their meal was strips of salted venison, the finest gift of the Manderlys’ court, and a small celebration that they had set out on their way.
They had spent two weeks in White Harbour, in the end, and the memory left him glad to be free. Bella Woolfield was a busy woman, distracted and superior in equal measures. Harwin had felt exposed, especially when their hosts toasted the memory of Lord Barthogan and Marlon Locke.
Sylas sat against the far side of the dark barrow, eyes straining at that book he had brought from Oldcastle. He’d so far evaded any questions about it, and the well-worn leather binding gave little clue. The space was crowded by the rest of their retinue, quiet men intent on their food, tired from a day’s travel and disheartened by the weather. Only Valena seemed energised, scanning the roof of the barrow, a sketchbook open on her knees, charcoal staining her fingers as she scraped it across the pages.
“What are you drawing?” Harwin asked, finding her easiest to engage with. The question drew several pairs of eyes. Only three of their number weren’t present. Frenken was out checking on the horses, Jorah had insisted on standing guard, and Benjicot had not yet returned.
“Ceiling,” Valena said, pointing. “See how the way the stones are stacked makes an alternating pattern? Sort of back and forth here by the entrance? Spiralling in the burial chamber?”
Harwin nodded, though in truth it took him a moment to parse what she meant.
“That allows them to stack into an arch without mortar. The weight of the soil on top keeps everything tight, and it’ll more or less stand forever.”
“Why not build castles like that?”
“Because–” Valena flicked the stick of charcoal in that way that meant she had caught herself before giving an inadequate answer. She took a moment.
“They did build fortifications. I guess you wouldn’t call them castles, and honestly this all depends on which maester you read. In any case, though, it doesn’t scale. You couldn’t build something the size of the Wolf’s Den or Oldcastle like this.”
Harwin nodded. There was a fragility in expansion, he knew. He had seen some small glimpse of it in the pulls on Bella Woolfield’s time. So many things that could go wrong. It didn’t discourage him as much as it probably should have.
“Who goes there?” came a voice. In the muffling of the wind and the barrow, it took a moment for Harwin to identify Jorah. The voice that answered was too far away for Harwin to make out the words, but he knew its sound. He was on his feet before he knew it, striding out of the ancient tomb.
“Benji!” he called, grinning unexpectedly. The soaked knight smiled in return. One hand held the reins of his horse, the other rose in greeting. Harwin ran in, clasping a hand to Ser Benjicot’s shoulder.
“My lord, it’s good to see you again,” Benji said.
“And you - I was worried you would pass us by, in truth.” Harwin took the reins from him, and Benjicot hesitated only slightly at the unexpected courtesy.
“I did,” he admitted. “I passed by here, oh, four hours ago, when the storm was worse. I figured I must’ve missed you and turned back.”
“Glad you did, ser.” Harwin brought the horse over to the others, and thanked Frenken when he took a blanket from one of the carriages, throwing it over Benji’s steed and tying it down.
“How was your visit to White Harbour?” Benjicot asked, wiping the rain from his brow uselessly.
“Uneventful, in truth. We didn’t mean to stay so long, but the Woolfield-Manderlys were having a feast to celebrate a nameday. Insisted we stay.”
“Sounds luxurious, my lord.”
Harwin shrugged. “If I ever eat another lamprey pie, it will be too soon.”
Benjicot chuckled, and then made a little oh noise at the back of his throat, and fumbled for the saddlebags of his horse. “That reminds me, my lord. I have something you may enjoy, hold one moment-” Whatever he sought had been packed low, but eventually Benjicot pulled out a small satchel, opening it to reveal what initially seemed like so many mottled bones.
“King crab legs. Salted, from Sweetsister. Care to try one?”
He handed the leg over, and Harwin followed his lead as he split the shell with a press of his thumbs, pulling the pale meat out from within with his teeth. The meat was softer than he expected, sweetness mixing with the salt of its preservation. He made a satisfied grunt as he swallowed.
“Gods, that is good. Sweetsister, you said?”
“Aye, my lord.”
“I must visit some day. Is everything there that delicious?”
Benji chuckled. “I couldn’t say, honestly.”
“And this,” Harwin gestured to the food as Benjicot stowed it again, “should I take it as an indication your visit also went well?”
“I believe so, my lord.” Benjicot pulled a different, familiar satchel from the saddlebag, and gestured ahead of them in a question, shall we step out of earshot for this part? Harwin nodded, and they began walking in a wide orbit around the barrow. Harwin blinked into the mist, trying to clear the rain from his lashes to no avail. Benjicot took a moment before he spoke again.
“I wasn’t perfectly successful, my lord. The captains I spoke to were – I think understandably – mistrustful of an unproven town like Shackleton. Not to say there was no interest, mind. There was one captain from Widow’s Watch who seemed to take pleasure in the idea of undermining the Manderlys.”
Harwin couldn’t help but laugh a little. “Well, it’s one way to make an ally.”
“Indeed, my lord. Once I realised I should emphasise that Shackleton is a lumber town, I got some more interest. The Sisters have a great demand for wood these days, as I understand, and Braavos’ Arsenal is always hungry. In all, I think I convinced seven captains to make some trade, with another four or so on the fence.”
He handed over the satchel, and Harwin opened it. He didn’t bother counting the coins within, merely shifting them from side to side to get an impression. A bit over half remained from the allowance that Harwin had given.
“Thank you,” Harwin said. “I hope you didn’t run into any trouble?”
“Thankfully not. I met a man I had known as a squire, but he did not think to suspect me of anything.”
The near miss sent a small stab of fear through Harwin’s heart, but he tried to put it aside. It was days or weeks past now, and not worth worrying about, especially if Benjicot was discussing it so offhandedly.
“No other news from the New Castle?” Benji asked. “I know you had some concerns about the possibility of a marriage being suggested.”
Harwin laughed. “No, it never came up. Sylas tried to flirt with Bella’s cousin, but I don’t think it went well. He’s been unusually quiet since, though he was quite happy to spend my money to distract himself at the time.”
“My sympathies to him,” Benji grinned. “And your sister?”
“Oh, she spent much of the trip in the Wolf’s Den. I went with her a few times, stopped by the weirwood there. She took notes on the construction of the Den, I’m sure she’ll tell you everything you might want to know about Eyronic columns.”
“I have no doubt, my lord.”
Harwin stopped walking for a moment, looking out into the darkness of the barrowlands. The shadows were impenetrable, the rain oppressive. And yet he felt warmer than he had in weeks.
“I have missed you,” he said, turning to his knight. “More than I had expected to.”
Benjicot’s hair was windswept, auburn darkened to almost brown with the damp, and his beard was growing in stronger than he had let it before. It did not hide the smile that crept up his cheeks.
“And I you, my lord.”
“Thank you, again, for everything. We should probably go inside, get you warm.”
“I would appreciate that, my lord.”
They completed their lap of the barrow, returning to the small room with too many people, and the warmth of their greeting was greater than that of their fire. A plate of venison was pressed into Benjicot’s hands, and an energy filled the space anew as everyone asked after the knight’s health and of his news. Sylas retrieved wine from one of the carriages, and laughter rang through the tomb. The secrecy of Benjicot’s purpose in White Harbour was maintained, but gently mocked by all involved.
Harwin watched them all, trying not to focus too much on Benjicot. One would not think to look at the knight that he had risked his honour and freedom for Harwin. The merchants that he bribed would, Harwin hoped, prove profitable to Shackleton and Oldcastle for years to come. It was impossible to know just yet.
He was just glad to have Benjicot back amongst them. He had almost forgotten how close he had come to rely on the man in their weeks apart. Now, his household felt complete again. And it was his household, after all. The thought warmed him more than it once might have.
Sylas’ voice cut through the din of conversation. “Harwin, what’s our next stop?”
It took Harwin a moment to understand the context of the question, and so he barely avoided stammering when he answered, “Greywater Watch. Wanted to meet with the Reeds.”
Sylas nodded, curiosity satisfied, and returned to his conversation with Frenken. Their destination seemed to be helping him prove some point in a friendly argument. Benjicot was speaking with Jorah and his men, laughing over some dockside tale, pushing crab legs into the protesting guardsmen’s hands. Finally, Valena caught Harwin’s eye, smiling knowingly.
“Are we making friends all over the North?” she asked, half-mocking and half-sincere.
Harwin laughed, and didn’t answer.
Gods, he hoped so.

Discord/Reddit Name: Sol.re
Discord/Reddit Name: Sol.re u/SoltheBaneful
Name and House: Mace Blacktyde
Age: 32
Cultural Group: First Men (Westerosi)
Appearance: Standing at a solid 6'2" with the robust, broad-shouldered build characteristic of a man at sea. His physique, while muscular and powerful, has the beginnings of a slight paunch developing around his midsection. His hair is shoulder-length, oily, and black, hanging in thick, greasy strands that resemble seaweed. His skin is weathered and tanned from years at sea, and his dark eyes are deep-set, often reflecting a cold, calculating glint when focused, and a faraway stare when not.
Trait: Reaver
Skill(s): Axes, Footwork, Brute, First Man Warrior, Tactician
Talent(s): Cooking, Sketching, Fishing
Negative Trait: N/A
Starting Title(s): N/A
Starting Location: Opening Event
Alternate Characters: Red Denys

Biography

Mace Blacktyde was born into House Blacktyde, a once-proud lineage among the Ironborn, renowned for their seafaring prowess and fierce loyalty to the Drowned God. He grew up amidst the salty winds and crashing waves of the Iron Islands, surrounded by tales of conquest and glory. But told from the eaves of old, broken men. The dragonfire stole what true pride any Ironborn could fetter up from their abysmal depths. From a young age, Mace showed promise as a warrior, displaying a natural talent for swordplay and a keen mind for strategy. A promising yet hollow future for anyone born in the Islands during their sequestering. While many fled the Islands, he and his family remained. However, his life took a drastic turn when the Westerlands launched brutal assaults on the Iron Islands. House Blacktyde, like many others, suffered greatly. Mace, then in his late teens, witnessed his house's fortunes plummet from lofty heights of wealth and power to the depths of destitution and despair. The once formidable coffers and vaults of Castle Blacktyde were emptied, leaving behind a hollow shell of its former self. At the culmination of this dark hour; he drowned.
This period of upheaval and loss left an indelible mark on Mace's psyche. It ignited a fire within him—a fierce determination to reclaim what was lost and restore honor to his house. Empowered by his youth, Mace's resilience and resourcefulness became apparent as he navigated the chaos of total upheaval. Like many, his eyes focused on distant Essos. Once he could recover what ships and able bodies; and willing souls that the Drowned God had not yet claimed - he set out to reave. It was during these perilous journeys that Mace truly came into his own. He honed his skills as a captain and fighter, earning a fearsome reputation among both friend and foe. Each successful raid brought back spoils, wealth, and knowledge of distant lands and cultures. This ignition of such fervency drove him deeper into the mythos of his religion, his culture. He took a salt wife of a bested adversary. Then drowned again.
However, his newfound success did nothing for the man as an individual, Mace's heart remained tied to Blacktyde. With each return to his homeland, he brought with him treasures and stories of his exploits, with the hope to reignite the flames of prosperity of a bygone age. His efforts, ultimately, were met with greed and dissatisfaction. House Blacktyd's leadership, the main branch. Though not many they still possessed the maxim of what little social power that an Iron Islander could possess after what the West did to them; and of course they craved more. The stories of old, provoked within them the so-called Old Ways. And by that; Mace suffered. This time he would not drown. When met with conflict of greed, as unsustainable as it was, he took his wife and now child away from Blacktyde. Away from his home. Away from his identity.
A year passed on the water, independent, sailing, from port and jetty. A hard year. That is when he found the Blue Sails, and people who were at least familiar to him, welcoming to his kind. Though he is rough to fit in, he understands that this way means life, while the old way only lead to death.

Timeline

8 BC - Born

2 AC - Dragonfire & Ruin of the Iron Islands
Sometime before 7 AC - Westerlands Incursion, First Drowning
7 AC - Gather Allies & Sail for Essos
10 AC - Essosi Reaving, Second Drowning
16 AC - Salt Marriage to Red Denys
19 AC - Return to Castle Blacktyde & Unrest
20 AC - Alannys is born
21 AC : Exile till encounter Blue Sails
25 AC: Present day, with the Blue Sails

Supporting Characters

Auxiliary Character

Name and House: Red Denys
Age:33
Cultural Group: Essosi (Lyseni)
Appearance: Red Denys is an arresting figure, standing at a lithe and agile 5'9". Her skin has the alabaster tone typical of Lyseni, contrasting sharply with her shoulder-length, fiery red hair, which cascades in loose waves. Her eyes are a striking shade of emerald green, often described as piercing and unwavering. Denys also bears a faint scar across her left cheek, a testament to her countless duels and battles
Trait: Champion
Skill(s): Daggers, Dual Wielding , Essosi Blademaster,
Talent(s): Singing, Dancing,
Negative Trait: N/A
Starting Title(s): Red Denys of Lys

Family Tree

Current Lord Blacktyde - First Cousin (Unknown.) Balthazar Blacktyde - Father (deceased) Mycella Pyke - Mother (deceased)
Mace Blacktyde (b.8BC-present) - Denys "Red Denys" of Lys (b.9BC-Present) Alannys Blacktyde (b.20AC -present)

Archetyped/Notable NPCS

Leng (37) - Crewmate Mace met early in his time reaving. Once rivals, now fast allies. Leng lends his expertise with people and markets periodically. Trader Archetype
Yohn Pike (30) - Crewmate that has been with Mace the longest. Yohn pledged his sword to Mace's crew wherever that might be. He is proficient with the Longsword. Warrior Archetype

I'm sure everybody was taken aback by the sudden return of the Glorious King Gojo. Of course, there are so many explanations ranging from it being Gojo to a possible Yuuji domain. I love all of these explanations but wanted to explain one that I think is somewhat likely and very fun to consider:
Yuta returned and has inherited the Six Eyes
A key aspect as to why I do not believe the ghost is Gojo is due to my belief he should be dead. However, if he has returned, I ain't mad at it. Furthermore, the term 'ghost' is the same word Sukuna used to describe Kashimo - who is an incarnated player. The incarnation aspect suggests that this is not truly Gojo but a body that has taken his abilities - or even appearance like the granny's seance for Toji in Shibuya. Additionally, the editor's note placed special attention to the eyes rather than the overall appearance.
translated as 'revenant' here
EDIT: Though ofc this could just refer to someone who has "resurrected" like Gojo seemingly has.
This is assuming Yuta did not die following his first encounter with Sukuna. Considering he still had tricks up his sleeve like fully manifesting Rika, combined with Sukuna's decreased output, and Rika continuing to rescue Yuta - chances are high he comes back imo.
I will also be assuming that Yuta can inherit the Six Eyes due to his distance relation to Gojo via Sugiwara-no-Michizane. The Six Eyes is inherited via the Gojo clan; however, I do not believe this eliminates Yuta as a possible host. Furthermore, there seems to be an aspect of divination in choosing Six Eyes users which I will reference later.
Gojo and Yuta's relation confirmed
Stemming back to his reintroduction with Yuuji, Yuta has been described with similar energy and abilities as Gojo without the same skill set.
Chapter 143 when Yuta appears in front of Yuji, Choso, and Naoya
I believe discussion regarding this translation specified Yuta as second to Gojo in special abilities. Can't glaze him too hard as I am a Hakari enjoyer lol.
Either way there is a clear connection that Yuta is only a couple steps, give or take, behind Gojo. He has accumulated all sorts of techniques and may even have the limitless; however, the barrier separating them is the six eyes.
Sukuna noting that even if Yuta copied Limitless, the Six Eyes is essential for its use
Confirmation Sukuna's CE has dropped to Yuta's level
The comparison that Sukuna CE has fallen to Yuta's CE levels emphasizes to me that a revived Yuta, Yuuji, and Todo are necessary to seal the deal. Though Todo and Yuuji are of course putting in major work right now.
The final nail in the coffin is the six eyes.
Finally, I will be reviewing the seemingly intertwined destiny of the Six Eyes, Star Plasma Vessel + Tengen, and Kenjaku - as confirmed by Tengen.
Were they born again or awakened?
In the description, Kenjaku successfully killed the SPV and SE users as newborns. Despite this, both reemerged on the day of the merger to prevent Tengen's evolution. Similarly, a SPV was found shortly after Riko's death. Additionally, we learned that Yuuki was a SPV candidate for Tengen as well.
In parallel, I am suggesting that there are multiple Six Eyes candidates existing at once. This will allow the Six Eyes and SPV users to always facilitate Tengen's merger or counteract Kenjaku. These candidates could simply awaken since newly born users would be useless in helping Tengen.
Kenjaku transforming Tengen into a fetal form could be an indicator that the great merger is his evolution that fate has worked so hard to prevent. With Gojo dead and Tengen's ascension imminent, I believe destiny has awakened a new Six Eyes user - Yuta.
This ability will essentially raise Yuta to the level of Gojo - accompanied by a fully realized Yuuji and Optimized Todo. This trio could complete the fight against Sukuna while achieving Gojo's dream of allies on his level.
We'll see the embodiment of this panel. Insert Hakari and Megumi somewhere tho lol
Thank you all for viewing this post. I hope you enjoy and please share your thoughts. It would be greatly appreciated since this post hurt my soul a little as a Hakari stan. I do not doubt Gojo was right about Hakari reaching his level but his path there will be tough - especially when compared to a Yuta with the Six Eyes.
P.S.: I also recognized a Yuta with SE could be insanely broken which is a major factor why I consider this less likely.
Anyway, yall enjoy and have a good one!

To preface this is a narrative of the fallout lore both established in all the fallout games and many of the popular mods created for both new Vegas, fallout 3 and fallout 4 and a subsequent idea for a fallout 5 title that I wrote and wanted to get opinions on.
If you think this is cool lmk, if you think this sucks lmk. I’m just interested in sharing my own ideas with the wider fallout community.

 From Lone-wanderer to the courier (TTW tie in) 

After the events of Fallout 3, the Lone Wanderer, having no family and no place left to truly call home, gathered up his companions and headed west to start a new life. Over the next 4 years, the Lone Wanderer lived in the west with many of his former companions going their separate ways. The Lone Wanderer began working as a courier, known as Courier 6. There, he had a particularly bad run-in with a man named Benny, who introduced him to a bullet. The damage done to the Lone Wanderer caused him to lose his memories of his past. Thus, he became the courier.
After the events of Fallout: New Vegas, and the Second Battle of Hoover Dam, the NCR's military and infrastructure were severely weakened after destroying the Legion. Sensing an opportunity for mutual benefit the West Coast Brotherhood of Steel reached out to the Mojave chapter, where, under the leadership of Elder McNamera, the NCR and Brotherhood reached an agreement and official peace pact between the two groups, which culminated in the brotherhood becoming an official autonomous part of the NCR.
The West Coast Airship docks within the Strip, which was under the control of the Courier and member of the Mojave chapter. The West Coast reintegrated the Mojave chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel and uses the Strip as a base of operations. Leveraging their advanced technology and military prowess, they quickly gain the upper hand in engagements against the remaining enemies of the NCR.

 The Coming Storm (Dust tie in) 

Some time after the Second Battle of Hoover Dam and the BOS occupation of the strip joint expedition teams of the BOS AND NCR discovered the Sierra Madre Casino, as well as the mysterious and deadly cloud. The NCR and BOS scientists conducted experiments with the Cloud, bringing both massive samples of Cloud Residue and corpses of Ghost People back to the Mojave. Many of these experiments were conducted in a makeshift laboratory set up in the lobby of the Lucky 38 casino. Though the full nature of the experiments are unknown, it is implied that the participants involved were considered criminals to the NCR and the nature of the experiments were brutal, sadistic, and inhumane.
Around the same time, the BOS received reports that a massive sandstorm was approaching New Vegas. They did not share this information with the public, and instead began to outline evacuation procedures.
Five years after the expedition and experiments something went terribly wrong. It is implied that a disgruntled Vault 21 custodian may have intentionally sabotaged the Lucky 38 laboratory, causing a new Cloud to form over the Strip. This cloud was far more lethal and corrosive than the Cloud of the Sierra Madre. The corrosive capabilities even hindered the BOS power armor as the metal would be gradually eaten away by the cloud.
As the Cloud descended upon New Vegas, panic engulfed the Strip and Freeside. Riots and violence broke out. Miss communications between the directives of the BOS and NCR resulted in troopers executing innocent civilians in the streets. In response, the Kings rebelled against the NCR, while also aiding in an evacuation of Freeside, saving countless lives. The Followers of the Apocalypse were forced to abandon the Old Mormon Fort. The Airship of the Western Brotherhood attempted to evacuate all BOS personnel and any relevant technology from the strip before returning to Lost Hills. This resulted in some squads of the BOS being forced to take up residency within the casinos of the strip and vault 21. The NCR locked the gates to the Strip, with all civilians inside. The rebels led by the kings were forced out of and under the city, to the Sewers below. The BOS left in Vault 21 have been desperately trying to chisel away at the concrete within the vault in the hopes of tunneling back to Hidden valley.
NCR troops then dumped radioactive waste into the Sewers to kill any survivors, before fleeing the city themselves. Eventually, the situation became so bad that NCR General Lee Oliver ordered an evacuation of all NCR personnel from New Vegas via the Strip Monorail.
These events nullified the BOS and NCR treaty resulting in BOS forces seizing locations across the Mojave that had the capability to keep them safe from the cloud while also engaging in Guerilla warfare tactics against the NCR.
The city would ultimately fall to the Cloud and to the dust storms that blew in from the West. While some survivors attempted to take shelter in the Strip's casinos they were met with the business ends of BOS laser rifles. Those who did not head for the casinos were not so lucky, as anyone who wasn’t immediately killed by the Cloud became Ghosts and cloud victims, while others died slowly of radiation poisoning and exposure.
While New Vegas fell to the Cloud, a massive radioactive dust storm engulfed the rest of the Mojave Wasteland, causing widespread devastation. Whole settlements and towns were evacuated or otherwise destroyed. One settlement in particular, Goodsprings, was struck by an unknown form of plague, killing most of its residents and turning the once-prosperous community into a Ghost Towns.
Other areas, such as Boulder City, attempted to protect themselves with the same suits worn by Ghost people in Vegas and the Sierra Madre, ultimately becoming trapped themselves. To make matters worse, the Tunnelers from the Divide eventually burrowed through to the Mojave Wasteland, As predicted by Ulysses. causing even more death and destruction. The dust storms blotted out the Sun, allowing the Tunnelers to hunt by day, killing off most of the native animal population in the Mojave.
The effects of the Fall would spread as far out as Zion Valley, where spore carriers from Vault 22 ran wild, alongside another strange, terrible creature, dubbed the Wendigo by the tribals within the valley.
After the fall, little remained of the old Mojave Wasteland. Once-powerful factions such as, The Great Khans, and Powder Gangers were either wiped out or dissolved into roaming gangs of Tribals and Survivors. The Western Brotherhood which had resided in the strips cohesion collapsed as its members lost contact with the surrounding Casinos and vault 21.
Cannibalism became rampant, as people did whatever they could to survive. The NCR remained in control of various locations such as Camp Golf, Hoover Dam, Camp McCarran and Nellis AFB. Those fortunate enough to evacuate the Mojave mostly wound up at Camp Adytum, an NCFollowers refugee center in the Boneyard, however they were quickly drafted and sent to the now ongoing BOS and NCR conflict.
The NCR would eventually launch expeditions into the ruins of New Vegas, presumably to acquire materials left over from the Lucky 38 laboratories. However, none of these expeditions were successful, and the NCR soon abandoned all attempts to return to New Vegas, with only the Royst-Bernard Expedition consisting of rogue NCR scientific and military personnel returning in an attempt to succeed, where regular NCR failed.

 The Patriot at Heart (America Rising 2 tie-in) 

In the aftermath of the events of Fallout 3, the remnants of the Enclave fled north into the Commonwealth where they waited in hiding for 10 years. After the events of Fallout 4, the Lone Survivor helped revive the Enclave and ultimately forced the Institute into being folded into the Enclave, bringing their advanced technology and expertise in synth creation under one banner.
The Enclave embarked on a bold experiment, merging their iconic power armor technology with the synthetic advancements of the Institute. The result was the creation of a new breed of soldiers: Power Armored Synths or PAS.
These hybrid warriors combined the resilience and strength of power armor with the versatility and adaptability of synthetic intelligence. Clad in imposing power armor suits, these Synths were capable of executing complex military maneuvers, engaging enemies with precision and force.
Under the banner of the Enclave, this new army of PAS’s became the vanguard of their expansionist ambitions, striking fear into the hearts of any who knew of their existence. The Enclave took a page from the Institute by beginning to kidnap high-ranking members of the Railroad, Brotherhood of Steel, and Minutemen, replacing them with Synth sleeper agents who would corrupt the organization of the Commonwealth and East Coast Brotherhood to weaken them for an Enclave assault. This culminated in the Enclave assault on the Prydwen, forcing Elder Maxson to retreat back to the Capital Wasteland.

 Fallout 5: Tactics 

The year is 2300, 13 years after the events of Fallout 4.
A squad of the Chicago-based Midwest Brotherhood intercepts a transmission from the East Coast Brotherhood, calling for aid from the West Coast Brotherhood in a last-ditch effort to defend the Capital Wasteland from the Commonwealth-based Enclave assault.
Our character, a Midwest Brotherhood Paladin dubbed the Major, must traverse the Midwest, gaining new allies and attempting to mend the fractured Midwest Brotherhood to aid in the coming conflict. Our character must also fix up a convoy to traverse the wasteland of the Midwest in order to make it to the East Coast. Various quests and side quests will provide the character with allies and further supplies for the coming conflict and further cement the Midwest Brotherhood's position within the region.
Once the player believes they have gathered their small army sufficiently and created their convoy, they embark on a journey towards the East. Along the way, they are intercepted by Enclave and Super Mutant forces. Upon entering into the Capital Wasteland, the general's forces link up with what’s left of the East Coast Brotherhood who have been hiding out in Rockopolis after the Citadel was infiltrated and taken over by the Enclave. DC now acts as the front lines of a war yet again between the Enclave, Brotherhood, and a new faction in the wasteland called the Behemoths, an organized and somewhat intelligent super mutant group led by an intelligent mutant named Osiris, who was once a member of the Master's army. Osiris united the D.C. Mutants and launched his own series of attacks on the Brotherhood when the Enclave took hold of the Citadel.
Along the way, we meet a one-armed Three Dog who barely survived the Enclave bombing of the GNR building but has since set up shop in Broadcast Tower KTB with a small contingent of Brotherhood Paladins who aided against the Enclave, rescuing Three Dog.
As the Major and the elders plot out a plan to assault the Enclave at the Citadel.
Mid west Factions: 1. Brotherhood of Steel (Midwest Chapter): - The player's faction, focused on preserving pre-war technology and knowledge. - Known for their advanced technology and power armor. - Initially, they prioritize their interests but may assist others if it aligns with their goals.

1. Midwest Brotherhood Outcasts:
   
   • A splinter faction of the Brotherhood of Steel, formed due to disagreements over the main Brotherhood's leadership or ideologies.
   • They may possess similar technology and resources as the main Brotherhood but operate independently, sometimes in opposition to their parent faction.
2. Reavers:
   
   • A ruthless raider group terrorizing the Midwest wasteland.
   • Known for their brutality and willingness to pillage and plunder.
   • Considered a major threat to the stability of the region, often in conflict with other factions.
3. The Vikings:
   
   • A raider group modeled after the historical Vikings (with a mixture of the football Minnesota Vikings.)
4. Gammorin's Army Remnants:
   
   • A militant faction once led by the super mutant Gammorin.
   • Composed primarily of super mutants, they seek to establish dominance over the wasteland through force.
   • Viewed as a formidable enemy by other factions due to their strength and aggression.
5. Vault 0:
   
   • A vault inhabited by a powerful supercomputer known as the Calculator.
   • The Calculator once sought to expand its influence and control over the wasteland, posing a significant threat to other factions; however, it was reprogrammed by someone named the Warrior in the year 2197. This effectively deactivated and left the army of robots dormant and sealed away within Vault 0. Their advanced technology and military capabilities make them a formidable adversary and an equally valuable ally if they can only be reactivated and reprogrammed.
6. Tribal Communities:
   
   • Various tribes and communities scattered throughout the Midwest wasteland.
   • They may have their own customs, traditions, and conflicts.
   • Depending on the player's actions, they could become allies, enemies, or neutral parties.

As the player ventures further into the capital wasteland they find that it is now far greener than in the past and wild punga fruit now can be found around the wastes, if the player makes a detour to oasis they will find that Harold has rapidly grown and from the Potomac River (death law sanctuary) in the west to temple of the union in the east is now a lush paradise (that is if it weren’t for all the deathclaws and raiders who stalk the forest.) As Harold/Bob spread, the brotherhood eventually sent out missions to learn more about it, after encountering Linden, they made a formal treaty with the poplars, in which the poplars were given water in exchange for the fresh fruit from the oasis. The brotherhood also helped encourage the trade of Punga with the Poplars to be grown within the oasis to help aid soil development and remove radiation. The poplars now tend the forest and have become somewhat of a nature inspired farming/fire fighting force, having a couple of villages throughout the forest network. However raider gangs also set fire to the trees, (if the player investigates they’ll find out that the enclave is paying the raiders to burn the trees and fight their way in to help destabilize the brotherhoods food supply and trade routes)
If the player chooses to side with the poplars/ Brotherhood the trees will continue to spread at a rate of 1 mile for every 24 real world hours that pass in game.
If the player helps the enclave they will be tasked with infiltrating the original Oasis and burning Harold alive, and the trees will dwindle at the same rate until the oasis is fully gone.

I'm usually really good with fixing messy games on my own (with help of some online guides of course), but this one has me flabbergasted, so I feel the need to ask for some help.
So I'm trying to start a new character in Fallout 3, let's call him Bob. Every time I continue one of Bob's saves from the main menu, it'll take forever to load. After the loading screen with the little rotating wheel on the bottom, the screen goes completely black. However, the game does NOT crash: After approximately 30 seconds, loading successfully completes and everything works. From then on, I can load all save games within seconds and the long black screen no longer reappears until I close and reopen the game.
The weird thing is: This does not happen with all saves. I have an old backup save from another character I played on a different device, Shelly. Loading Shelly's save always finishes within seconds. No black screen. Also, when I try to load one of Bob's saves while playing as Shelly, it ALSO completes within seconds, no black screen. Only loading saves from any new character I create and only from the main menu takes forever.
I'm playing on an ROG Ally, which means I'm running on a Windows 11 system with an AMD Graphics card. I am aware of AMD's driver issues with Fallout 3 and New Vegas and have therefore already installed DXVK, D3D9Gen and/or the Fallout 3 Intel Bypass Package. They all allow me to play the game without crashing, but don't solve the long black screen during loading.
I have also tried playing with and without FOSE, MCTF, Command Extender, G4WL Disabler (which doesn't work as it tells me Games for Windows Live is already disabled), and a couple more.
Does anybody have any idea what is going on here? Why is there a slowdown when loading new saves but not the backups? Does the game corrupt the new save games in some way? The respective file sizes don't look bloated, so at least there's no immediate indication of that, but who knows? I'm genuinely stumped here...
EDIT: Seems to be an issue either with Vault 101 specifically or indoor locations in general. I just exited the vault and all outside saves load flawlessly... O.o

General

This subreddit is North American focused. If you would like to provide information from other countries, please leave it in a comment below or contact the moderators.
 
What is a perfusionist and what do they do?
A perfusionist’s central role is to operate a heart-lung machine during open heart surgeries or other surgeries where blood flow may be impaired or interrupted. Examples of surgeries or devices that may require perfusionists most commonly include:

• Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG)
• Heart Valve Repair or Replacement
• Congenital Heart Defect Repairs
• Organ Transplants
• Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO)
• Ventricular Assist Devices (VAD)
• Intra-Aortic Balloon Pumps (IABP)
• Chemoperfusion

 
What is the salary and job outlook?
Salaries for perfusionists are generally higher than $150,000 per year. There are a wide variety of pay structures that will affect total compensation packages.
The future of perfusion is unclear, mostly due to concerns of market saturation. A search through /Perfusion will reveal a wide variety of opinions on the matter. The American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion (ABCP) publishes an annual report listing the number of certifications gained and lost. Included in the most current report (2023) is a historical list going back to 2000. Included in the 2022 report is the number of students admitted and graduated in 2021 and 2022.
 
Professional Organizations and Resources:  

• American Society of ExtraCorporeal Technology  
  
• The American Academy of Cardiovascular Perfusion  
  
• The Canadian Society of Clinical Perfusion  
  
• The Tiny Perfusion Letter
  

 

Education and Credentialing

 
How do I become a perfusionist?
To become a practicing perfusionist in the United States, you must become a Certified Clinical Perfusionist (CCP). This credential is governed by the American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion (ABCP) and is awarded after passing two board examinations: the Perfusion Basic Science Examination (PBSE) and the Clinical Applications in Perfusion Examination (CAPE).
Qualification to sit for the board exams is achieved by completing a certified program. The accrediting body for programs is the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and a current list of programs may be found by going to this page, selecting “Profession” and choosing “Perfusion.” Unfortunately, this does not include programs that are defunct or programs that are undergoing the preliminary accreditation process. All schools require an undergraduate degree before entry regardless of outcome: degree or certificate.
The list of schools maintained at Perfusion.com and at SpecialtyCare are not current.
Programs currently undergoing preliminary certification include (alphabetical):

• Emory School of Nursing
• Lawrence Technological University
• Northern Kentucky University
• University of Southern California

Program lengths vary from 18 to 21 months and cost varies from approximately $30,000 to $140,000.
 

Common Questions About the Application Process

 
Is it competitive?
The application process is extremely competitive. Schools are typically receiving several hundred applications and most take 20 or fewer students.
When does the application cycle begin?
The application cycle is different for each school, but typically start as early as June 1 for start dates the following year.
That means that for the beginning of the 2025-2026 academic year, applications will begin opening on June 1, 2024.
When do applications close?
Again, each program will be different. Some programs close earlier than others. Some programs have processes that take awhile to complete, so it is advisable to complete your application before the process closes.
Which school should I apply to?
You should apply to every school you're qualified for.
What prerequisites are required for perfusion school?
Each of the programs have different requirements. Contacting each of the programs with program specific questions is going to result in much more accurate answers than asking here. Programs can and do change requirements on an ongoing basis.
Nearly all programs require at least a documented conversation with a perfusionist or shadowing a case as part of the application process.
How do I find a perfusionist to shadow?
LinkedIn is your best resource. You may also post a request for a specific geographical area using the flair “Shadow Request.” You can also try contacting hospitals that do open heart surgery and arranging to shadow a perfusionist.
What kind of work experience is useful when applying to perfusion school?
Perfusion assistant jobs are sometimes referred to as a “golden ticket” for admission to a school. Many schools seem to value healthcare experience, through what type varies from school to school. Traditionally, RNs with critical care or operating room experience and respiratory techs seem to have a high degree of success. Other perfusion / OR adjacent jobs like anesthesia techs also seem to correlate with higher acceptance rates. As the application process becomes more competitive, it may be worth reaching out to current students to see what class make ups look like or Program Directors to see what advice they may give. Unfortunately, the application process is a “black box” and each institution has different qualities, traits, and experience they seem to value.
What are my chances of getting into School X? / Should I apply this year or wait until I have more experience?
No one knows. Your chances of getting into a school that you haven't applied to are zero. Contact the program for specific questions and guidance about your situation. The application process is a "black box" process with only the Program Directors and Admissions Council Members knowing how they work and what they are looking for in the current cohort. If you have specific questions about feedback you have received, feel free to ask them. Generic "what if" questions have a low likelihood of being approved in this subreddit.
Social Media
Look over all your social media accounts. Clean them up. Present yourself well online.
Additional Resources
/prospective_perfusion - subreddit dedicated to the application process and questions
/perfusion_accepted - subreddit dedicated to accepted students
 
 
Thanks to ghansie10 for the original thread - if you see this, please DM me!
Please report broken links or incorrect information to the moderators.
Feel free to post questions or information below.

Hi, guys! I'm back. I've just finished reading Starset's new novel, A Brief History of the Future, and i really needed to share it.
Some of you may know me from my previous posts on the Starset lore:

• In "The Starset lore Part I: Transmissions", I covered the events told in The Prox Transmissions (Starset's first novel) and linked them to the album Transmissions.
• In "The Starset lore Part II: DivisionsThe Starset lore Part II: Divisions", I tried to gather the information we had on the new storyline, mainly based on Divisions content (Horizons hadn't released yet by then) and I shared my speculations about its meaning.

Now that I've read this book, I want to sum up what we have now. Keep in mind that, for obvious reasons, this post is all spoiler content. If you plan to read the book(s) I encourage you to do so, because I'm unveiling some of the main "plot-twists" in the second book. I won't be writing a literal summary of the book's plot (I will focus on the content more than in the "drama"), but key elements of it will appear. Also, I'm taking for granted you are already familiar with the contents in The Prox Transmissions -if not, I recommend you reading my post or just dropping this post altogether and go read the book!
If you have already read the books, don't plan to read them or don't care about the spoilers, stay with me along this long post because you will discover much about Divisions, Horizons... and what's coming next!!
Let's go then!
In a unknown year the novel starts in a world dominated by a state called the New East. it's not explicit in the book, but we have reasons to identify the New East with China: it is a current superpower and the powerful people in control have Chinese names. This state is governed by a Governing Committee, composed by Ministers that stay in charge for 5 years, with an exception: the Minister of Security, also known as MinSec. He is the head of the New East's secret police and he is to remain in charge for life.
Prior to 2024, Aston Wise (remember he was one of the protagonists of the previous novel!) is locked up by the US Government. They force him to create the BMI and its Architecture. In 2024, as I have said, the New East manages to obtain it and the big war starts. This part of the story is also explained deeper in a video (called "Initial Debriefing", available in Starset's YouTube channel since September 9th, 2021), with some minor incongruencies:

In the year 2010, the US Defense Advance Research Projects Agency -or DARPA- began work on a neural link system known as the "Brain Machine Interface" developed under the highest levels of secrecy. This technology was to be used in covert espionage campaigns with the goal of giving the US a major advantage in the ever-growing cyber warfare battlefield. The intention was to use the "BMI" on unsuspecting foreign agents, giving US Intelligence a remote line into their minds. Launched in 2020 to great success, the BMI provided a window into the intentions and secrets of numerous potential adversaries. Then, in 2021, a botched operation allowed this technology to fall into the hands of an undisclosed state who would then use it agains the US itself for over a decade. This state -which came to be known as the New East- used this technology to syphon intellectual property and assert control over the US, allowing it to rise swiftly as a global superpower. In the early 2030s, the crippled US launched an attack to the New East. This was quickly thwarted. However, as the New East was fully aware and prepared, in the end, the US and its allies capitulated and became known simply as the New West. Citizens of the New West, now mostly impoverished laborers, were offered BMI implantation -sold on the wonders of its amazing benefits. Eventually though, all were made to comply. Only then did the true goals of the New East become apparent.

The New West is a de facto and de iure protectorate. The New West has its own local police -that dealt with murder and robbery-, but the military and, most important, the Civil Authorities (CA), are controlled by MinSec -focused on thought crime.
Soon after the end of the war, some people were drafted for the reclamation in Virginia by the New East army. This was a forced-labor suicide mission because it was a fallout zone. The goal was the recovery of documents from the US, such as blueprints for advanced weapons and intel. Those who survived, developed NeuroTIDS (neural tissue interface degeneration syndrome) because of the radiation.
Once in control of the US (now New West), the New East implanted into all citizens the BMI. Now, people deal with three layers of reality: unaltered reality (UR), augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). Considering the BMI, there are three states:

• BMI glowing white (normal state: people are in UR with elements of AR).
• BMI glowing blue (also called frosting: people are in VR having some pleasant experience, while looking absent and apathetic in the outside). See an example of person frosting in the Diving Bell music video.
• BMI glowing red (also called supplication).

(There also exists the Everything Machine in this storyline. Indeed, people ate only printed food, as real food as reserved for the New East).
On top of this, there’s an intelligent algorythm or artificial intelligence in the Architecture, called the Overseer. It is capable of detecting thought crimes by accessing a person's sensory input and also altering their perceptions (for example, blurring texts from banned books). When a thought crime is detected, CAs intervene and turn the perpetrator into a supplicant. Supplicants are stuck in VR prisons while their bodies wander in the streets or are collected and put into "corrals". See an example of a supplication facility in Where the Skies Ends music video.
The protectorate of the New East upon the New West is mantained thanks to the Quantum Comunicator, which keeps both connected and also connected to the Architecture
On the other hand, there's a rebel network still in function. They manage to meet and develop their plans by modding their BMIs, so that they become undetectable under the eyes of the Overseer. Their plan is to trap the MinSec and use their credentials to get access to the Architecture and destroy it from the inside.
(In Manifest music video you can see examples of people frosting, people supplicated, the modding minor surgery, the rebels, the CAs using their "freezing" weapons and supplicating civilians and a bigwig from the New East, maybe the MinSec himself).
Also, it is said that the New East didn't manage to conquer all the Old West (US) territories. There's rumours about the socalled Western Territories, free land where some former rebels already live, though its real existence it's in never confirmed in book. In The Breach music video we can see how a family leaving in the New West takes the opportunity of escaping into the Western Territories during some sort of shutdown.
The New West capital is established in Philadelphia, where the events in A Brief History of the Future are set. Here's the Quantum Communication Center and the New West Center for Advanced Innovation (CAI), where the most brilliant programming students are sent to develop their skills and work for the New West/East. One of this students is one of the protagonists of this book, Thomas Bell (again, someone whose name we are already familiar...), who quickly proves to be the best one and gets to be chosen as the Director's assistant. Eventually we get to discover the Director is Aston Wise and later on we find out he is the Architect himself.
A feature or app of the BMI that will reveal crucial to the plot is the Shadowcast: one can frost but, instead of being conscious in a VR, "enters" inside a celebrity's mind for an hour and experiences all they are experiencing live (the user is passive and can only perceive, but not intervene or influence the shadowcast celebrity into doing anything). You can see an example of this in Symbiotic music video, where the user is finally able to successfully Occupy the body of the celebrity. In the book, when this happens, the person occupied has their BMI turned purple.
In the book, Occupation will be a tool used by Bell and Wise, but also by the government, in an attempt of using the supplicated bodies to their own purposes. The original project launched by the New East and commissioned to the Director of the CAI (Aston Wise), was called by Wise himself 'Project X'. New East wanted to present it to the citizens as a way of emancipating from work: while working, you can let yourself be occupied by the Overseer, who wil perform your job while you can be having fun in VR. In Icarus music video you can see an ad made by the New East to promote the "benefits" of this technology (called Werk here); the other ads are based on previous BMI technology (AR, VR and Shadowcast). (Fun fact: have you noticed that the actor in 3:12 is the same from the Ricochet music video?).
As I said in the beginning, it is not my goal to sum up the book's plot and even though I have already spoiled you much info and some plot-twists, I'm not telling you here how the story of the protagonists develops and how it ends. However, I can't refrain from telling you this: the last page of the book has a QR that redirects to a video that has me really excited.
In the video, we see a man. He tells us it is 2048. In spring 2026, the New East took over the US. But... guess who's back! Oh, yes, the Order! Or rather they were there all along. In fact, the man who's talking to us is Stephen Browning! On July 4th of 2026, after the New East invasion, the Order tried to launch a spacerocket to get to "a lonely planet" (Prox!), but it was intercepted by the New East and then the army destroyed their base, so they lost all hope in a future on another planet. However, they managed to hide a "time mechanism" (I guess the same they had in The Prox Transmissions) and, finally, sent a message to 2024, warning us about this future that awaits us. Then he sais:

Dear Order friends, the time has finally arrived. We're headed to space. We're going go Prox.

This announcement matches Starset's video from six months ago ("It begins. And it ends. Now."), where we see images of astronauts and spacerockets, evoking space travel. Wow! Did you miss that "space-y" aesthetic, plots and sound from Transmissions and Vessels? Because it sounds like we're getting them back! Note that at the end of this video, the three dots of the BMI are occupied by three symbols:

• The bottom one is the symbol of the Order, appears at the beginning of each chapter in The Prox Transmissions.
• The middle one is the symbol of Divisions album, I'd say it's a symbol of the rebels.
• The top one is... unknown? It is quite similar to me to the symbol in Faultline, but I guess it represents the "following chapter"? Who knows.

It also matches the music video for Starset's last single, Brave New Word! And there's more news: the end of the video linked in A Brief History Of the Future ends with a "to be continued in Spring 2025".
So... Again, there are some questions left unanswered (and I love that!): How are both books linked? Are they the same Aston Wise and Thomas Bell, but in an alternative timeline? From where will the story continue? (The Order in 2048 colonising Prox?). I'm soooo excited to learn what's coming next and to listen Starset's next album (I love Brave New World).
Let me know about your impressions, opinions, theories... feel free to add any info I could have missed, to correct any piece I could be mistaken about, etc. Thank you so much for your attention (I literally created this account only to write these Starset lore posts I feel very invested to and English isn't even my first or second language), I hope you enjoyed it and found it useful!!

For the purposes of this fanfic scenario assume the following:
Timeline - Season 4 ETA: Echo never ends up on the Ring. Roan survives instead and joins Spacekru. Roan is injured and doesn’t fight in the conclave. Ice Nation decides that Roan dishonored them so he’s not allowed in.
On the Ring/in the Bunker - Echo starts out as Octavia’s enemy/adversary and then becomes Octavia’s ally like Cooper did. -Emori breaks up with Murphy after 2 yrs on the Ring. Everyone tries to get Murphy out of his slump but only Raven is successful. Both Emori and Murphy move on. Emori sees that Raven and Murphy are good together and that there’s a spark between them so she encourages Raven to go for it. Emori dies on the Ring (she gets sick and there’s no medical equipment, medicine, or doctor to save her). Things slowed down between Raven and Murphy and were tense between, but they eventually got back to where things were before Emori died.
Season 5 -Shaw still has a crush on Raven but it’s one-sided. Raven and Murphy finally get together right around when she and Shaw got together in canon.
Season 6/Season 7 -Once they get to Sanctum, Clarke starts planting seeds that Bellamy should forgive Octavia. Bellamy still leaves her behind in the Sanctum forest after she killed the Children of Gabriel rebels who were withdrawing, but he goes back to get her. He and Diyoza team up to save Octavia and Rose together.
Here’s my question: What if Octavia is able to relate to Shaw when it comes to being an outsider of the group? What if Octavia and Shaw get teamed up during the overthrow of the Primes and she opens up more and more about what led her to becoming Blodreina (the girl under the floor, her mom getting floated, Lincoln dying, Skairipa, Illian dying, the conclave etc)? Octavia works on herself and all that and eventually she and Shaw develop feelings for each other and get together.

Ah shit, here we go again!
INTRO This time we going with PURE storm sorcerer, more of a glass cannon build than my previous two pretty unkillable no gear runs (cleric and druid) Also, this time we using zero summons (cause sorcs have none lol), so if you don't like using summons but still kick ass BUTT-NAKED!? Then this is for you!
REQUIREMENTS!
Persuade or intimidate allies into becoming half illithid, you can easily do this by respeccing to a bard . Put skill points into persuasion and intimidation, get enhance ability skill, get actor feat, make charisma 20, get another party member to bless you and this should be EZ PZ.
Get 8 tadpoles, there are plenty in act 3, make all 4 half illithid party members learn black hole. If you don't like the appearance you can put on clown make up in the circus, wear a helmet, or use a mod (what i did, "google no illithid veins nexus").
LEVELS 12 storm sorcerers, feats are alert, ability improvement +2 con, and warcaster
stats 16 con, 16 charisma, 14 dex, 12 wis.
KEY SPELLS
Cloud of daggers and black hole. The great thing about cloud of daggers is that there is no saving throw for this spell, meaning enemies will have ZERO chance to reduce its damage by half. Meanwhile black hole has int save, most enemies in the game have low int, so this spell will have high success! (some enemies cannot be sucked in by black hole, dragons, orin, titan)
Also get shield spell and magic missile
THE COMBO!!!

1. Turn on turn based mode,
2. Make 2 sorcs cast 2 semi-overlapping upcasted cloud of daggers (check vids for reference)
3. Make the remaining non concentrating sorcs twin caste haste to all four party members
4. End all turns to finish the round and regain actions
5. Start battle and spam BLACK HOOOOOOOLE!!
6. Use quickened spell metamagic and cast a spell with your bonus action

BOSSES
viconia - https://youtu.be/HIvVH1djh04 kill darkness casters first for an easier time
cazador - https://youtu.be/2-esKmiJJjg
raphael - https://youtu.be/eiBW51KubTM
ansur - https://youtu.be/5CxqRN48wSk unique strategy! HILARIOUS!
titan - https://youtu.be/Go7AwLHjLf4
gortash - https://youtu.be/iM-ZUgnX7H4
orin - https://youtu.be/xOtGzHOqBog unique strategy! tried to fight her upfront at first, NOT RECOMMENDED!
elder brain - https://youtu.be/yDQPMf4Y7Fg DANGER!
These fools CAST BLACK HOLES! so watch out and don't rely too much on globe of invulnerability cause they will BLACK HOLE you outta there! you also DO NOT want to concentrate of haste, use haste potions instead. for some reason saving throws for concentration is much higher depending on the enemy, red dragon will force you to do 25 dice check for concentration saving throws (normal is 10).
for long rest potions https://youtu.be/ztzSum8MtxQ,
Just follow what i do and you should be fine, but because the elder brain boss fight alone, I DO NOT recommend this line up for your first honor run, cause game over chances are HIGH especially when you make mistakes. I have two no gear line ups that will have a much easier time on the final boss, they rely on summons tho: 4 NAKED! Moon Druids putting honor mode on its knees! ZERO equipment, limited potion usage. :
4 clerics, no gear :
For my next no gear line up, I'm thinking of 4 abjuration wizards, you would think this would be the most obvious no gear party. The main reason i haven't done this line up yet is because the class is semi-bugged where some enemies will simply never attack (meaning you can skip 10 turns in a row and some enemies will just stare at you). Despite this bug, i still love the class as its the first class that made me feel like an unkillable GOD! (druid was the second, 3 owlbear hp bars in a single fight lmfao!). Most people in this sub love this class too, so i'll probably just do it anyway, should be fun.

Religion Name: Shrekism
Overview: Shrekism is a monotheistic religion that centers around the worship of Shrek, a beloved character from the animated movie franchise. Followers of Shrekism believe that Shrek is a divine being who created the world and all living things, and that he is the one true god.
Commandments:
Thou shalt love and respect Shrek above all else. Thou shalt treat others with kindness and compassion, just as Shrek does. Thou shalt strive to live a simple and humble life, free from greed and materialism. Thou shalt honor thy parents and family, for they are a gift from Shrek. Thou shalt not kill or harm any living creature, for all life is sacred to Shrek. Thou shalt not steal or covet that which belongs to others. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor or spread rumors and lies. Thou shalt keep the Sabbath day holy, and spend time in reflection and prayer. Thou shalt not engage in any form of sexual immorality or adultery. Thou shalt not worship any other gods or idols, for Shrek is the one true god.
Deadly Sins:
Pride: Believing oneself to be superior to others or placing oneself above Shrek. Greed: Excessive desire for wealth or material possessions. Envy: Jealousy of others' successes or possessions. Wrath: Uncontrolled anger or aggression towards others. Sloth: Laziness and apathy towards one's duties and responsibilities. Gluttony: Overindulgence in food or drink. Lust: Excessive or inappropriate sexual desire.
Practices:
Worship: Shrekists gather in their temples and offer prayers and offerings to Shrek. Pilgrimage: Shrekists may go on pilgrimage to the "Swamp of Serenity," where they believe Shrek first appeared to humanity. Fasting: Shrekists may fast on certain days to show their devotion and discipline. Charity: Shrekists are encouraged to be charitable and help those in need. Meditation: Shrekists may meditate on the teachings of Shrek and seek to deepen their understanding of his message. Communal Meals: Shrekists may share meals together as a symbol of unity and community.
Symbols:
The Green Flag: A green flag bearing the image of Shrek. The Onion: The onion is a symbol of humility and simplicity, which are important virtues in Shrekism. The Donkey: Donkey, Shrek's loyal companion, is seen as a symbol of friendship and loyalty in the Shrekist faith.
Holy Places:
The Swamp: In the Shrek bibles, Shrek's swamp is his sacred home and a symbol of his identity. A temple or shrine could be built in honor of the swamp, where followers could come to meditate and reflect.
The Castle: The castle where Princess Fiona lived in the first Shrek bible could be considered a holy place. Followers could come to pay their respects to the princess and learn more about her story.
The Windmill: The windmill where Shrek and Fiona first fell in love could also be considered a sacred site. Shrekists could come to pay their respects to the couple and learn more about the power of love.
Paradise:
The Swamp of Eternity: In this paradise, followers of shrekism could spend eternity living in their own version of Shrek's swamp. They would be surrounded by their loved ones, onions, donkeys, and the beauty of nature, and they could live in peace and happiness for all eternity.
Inferno:
The Pit of Isolation: This inferno would be a place where followers of the Shrek-based religion could be sent if they were deemed to have betrayed the values of the religion. In this pit, they would be cut off from all human interaction and forced to live in isolation for eternity, just like Fiona(the spouse of our holy diety) was.
Apostles:
Fiona, Shrek's wife and co-leader of the movement, who embodies the ideals of strength, courage, and compassion.
Donkey, Shrek's faithful and humorous companion, who represents the importance of loyalty and friendship.
Puss in Boots, a skilled and cunning warrior who symbolizes the virtues of agility and strategic thinking.
Dragon, a fierce and powerful ally who embodies the values of protection and loyalty.
Gingy, a tenacious and resilient gingerbread man who represents the importance of perseverance and determination.
Artie, a young and inexperienced prince who undergoes a transformation and represents the potential for growth and change.
Merlin, a wise and mystical advisor who provides guidance and spiritual insight.
Captain Hook, a former villain who has reformed and now serves as an example of redemption and forgiveness.
Doris, a former antagonist who has also reformed and represents the power of second chances.
Mama Bear, one of the Three Bears who represents the importance of family and community.
Thelonious, a henchman of Lord Farquaad who redeems himself and becomes a member of Shrek's inner circle, symbolizing the possibility of redemption and transformation for all.

Hello, in my opinion Eclipsa was a pretty bad queen for Mewni and i'm going to show you why this is the case.
Ever since i joined the fandom, Eclipsa seems to be a fan favorite in the show, where people and the show see her as a 'misunderstood bad girl with a good intentions' or that she did nothing wrong for the most part at least.
And while i agree she was misunderstood and that she at least doesn't have any evil intentions this doesn't excuse her awful performance as queen especially in the aftermath of Conquer during her short-lived second reign.
Eclipsa's First Reign (300+ years before the main events in the show)
During her first reign she almost caused the collapse of the Butterfly Dinasty by running away from her kingdom(and her duty as queen and legal husband) with a monster, and not any monsters but The King of Monsters, who was known to eat and terrorize mewmans, her subjects. Yes, i know Globgor sucessfully changed and became a vegetarian for his love of Eclipsa but the mewmans and the MHC weren't aware of this fact. You can imagine how mewmans would feel to have as their king someone nicknamed 'Plucker of Limbs' or 'Crusher of Skulls' and he would still be a possible threat as he could at any moment revert back into his old ways without Eclipsa's support, as we seen in the episode 'Doop-Doop' Globgor likey was the one with the idea to have a mewman-style cake hinting that he still has those instincts inside him but i digress.
For all his faults, King Shastacan remaining as the King-Regent after being cheated on and abandoned by the Queen of Mewni understandably wanted nothing to do with the bastard(in royal succession term) offspring of Eclipsa and Globgor and thus he choosed to disinheret her in subtle way possible by swapping Meteora with a peasant mewman baby, he was the one likely who ordered the MHC with finding the replacement heir to the throne which they did in Festivia who was adopted by King Shastacan and MHC into the Butterfly family, again as subtle as possible in order to maintain stability and give the impression of continuance of the royal bloodline.
And another argument to justify this action, in the hindsight, the MHC were vindicated and proven right about their fear of Meteora the hybrid mewman-monster of the most powerful magic Queen and king of Monsters, considering how powerful she became in the season 3 final episodes and especially the finale 'Conquer', she almost caused the destruction of mewmanity and the Butterfly kingdom.
Eclipsa's Second Reign (Post Season 3 Finale after Conquer)
And now getting to her 2nd reign, after Star decided(sadly and unwisely in my opinion) to give the throne back to Eclipsa as she saw Eclipsa being the rightful queen(despite she effectively abdicating when she fled the kingdom the run away with the Globgor but whatever)
One of her first acts as queen was to move the capital to the Monster Temple as the Butterfly Castle laid in ruins after the Star vs Meteora showdown, which is understandable but she decided to keep it as the permanent capital and leave the Butterfly Castle, with so much prestige and history behind it in ruins which probably wasn't taken lightly by the mewman population who felt like their new queen(they already distrust and dislike) snub them for monsters, especially after naming the new capital 'New Monster Town'
This change symbolizing a change of focus away from mewmans and towards the monsters which again likely infuriated alot of mewmans, fermenting an understandable resentment towards Eclipsa the queen who they traditionally depend for guidance and aid.
Another awful act was confiscating the houses of mewmans and "returning" them to the monsters.
This is my opinion was one if not the worst decree done by Eclipsa, not only she expropriating homes mewman family used to live for generations but she let many of them literally homeless and basically to their fate, and you wonder why so many mewmans grew to absolutely despise their "Queen" who had only done them harm so far.
Luckily for the homeless mewmans, their ex-queen Moon who's actually a competent manager and ruler managed to create a small town our of her initial Yurt for her unfortunate former subjects who finally found a place of refugee and belonging even if they had a bit of a rocky relation initially.
Not only that but Eclipsa left former once prosperous towns in ruins(likely caused by Meteora's rampage) and their inhabitants homeless and destitute in 'Ghost of Butterfly Castle' without any plan to repair either by dispatching teams or using her magic to help. Again you wonder why so many mewmans continued to despite their queen.
Yet in another reckless act of of Eclipsa, while understandable from her perspective but very irresponsible was trying to free her controversial husband Globgor.
Thus potentially putting her mewman subjects at risk in case Globgor had desires for (understandably) revenge and straining relations with the other kingdoms who were already (understandably) horrified by the return of the 300 year old 'Queen of Darkness' and her Mewman-eating Husband who they heard so many dark stories and myths about.
She was basically inviting a coup against her by the MHC who didn't trust her to begin with and especially didn't appreciate her efforts to free Globgor who they fought hard to defeat.
While she managed in the end specially in 'Cornonation' to win the hearts of the mewmans who decided to come to her coronation event, this wasn't enough to convince the rest of the disgruntled mewmans to return, and as that wasn't bad enough, many of them took interest and joined Mina's radical movement to remove Eclipsa by force, while partially motivated by genuine racism against monsters, i think their biggest reason to rebel was due to their hatred and disappointment of Eclipsa's rule, which can be understandable considering her decrees.
In the end, while this doesn't justify Moon's decision to ally with Mina (an extremist and insane monster hater) which eventually led to the destruction of magic, Eclipsa pretty much made these conditions possible due to her policies and decisions, from abandoning her people in favor of monsters to refusing to mend ties with the MHC and prove them wrong, the finale could've been avoided if she was to put it bluntly a better queen, Eclipsa wasn't a bad person from the beginning to the end but she just wasn't a good queen for Mewni, and perhaps the throne being returned to her was a mistake, all things considered.

can i just say, it's so counterproductive that you are to be a future allied health professional parading 'para sa bayan' if sa peer level pa lang ganito ka na ka-condescending. you obviously don't care whether this 'mediocre' person does well or not and see them as a mere potential anomaly to a passing rate. you don't care whether this person will be a good professional or not, at all. do you feel like your standards are being disrespected by people who underperform? how is it your business? so what is it to you kung ma-taint yung oh so immaculate 100% passing rate ng college niyo?
obviously it's not your responsibility to help this person aim higher or get better. it's valid and respectable that you value your future profession so much. so much that you are projecting on people who seemingly take things basta-basta. but it's people like you who make it harder to get better in an academically rigorous institution such as UP. i sincerely hope you all pass the boards, and if you were right about the mediocre person, i hope they never get surrounded by people who think like you anymore.
p.s. your post is successful ragebait i'll give you that <3