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Ishi (c1861 – March 25, 1916) was the last known member of the Native American Yahi people from the present-day state of California in the United States.
2023.06.09 02:25 NickelPlatedEmperor Ishi (c1861 – March 25, 1916) was the last known member of the Native American Yahi people from the present-day state of California in the United States.
 | Ishi (c1861 – March 25, 1916) was the last known member of the Native American Yahi people from the present-day state of California in the United States. The rest of the Yahi (as well as many members of their parent tribe, the Yana) were killed in the California genocide in the 19th century. Ishi, who was widely acclaimed as the "last wild Indian" in the United States, lived most of his life isolated from modern North American culture. In 1911, aged 50, he emerged at a barn and corral, 2 mi (3.2 km) from downtown Oroville, California. submitted by NickelPlatedEmperor to TheWayWeWere [link] [comments] Ishi, which means "man" in the Yana language, is an adopted name. The anthropologist Alfred Kroeber gave him this name because, in the Yahi culture, tradition demanded that he not speak his own name until formally introduced by another Yahi. When asked his name, he said: "I have none, because there were no people to name me," meaning that there was no other Yahi to speak his name on his behalf. Ishi was taken in by anthropologists at the University of California, Berkeley, who both studied him and hired him as a janitor. He lived most of his remaining five years in a university building in San Francisco. His life was depicted and discussed in multiple films and books, notably the biographical account Ishi in Two Worlds published by Theodora Kroeber in 1961. 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 In 1865, Ishi and his family were attacked in the Three Knolls Massacre, in which 40 of their tribesmen were killed. Although 33 Yahi survived to escape, cattlemen killed about half of the survivors. The last survivors, including Ishi and his family, went into hiding for the next 44 years. Their tribe was popularly believed to be extinct. Prior to the California Gold Rush of 1848–1855, the Yahi population numbered 404 in California, but the total Yana in the larger region numbered 2,997. The gold rush brought tens of thousands of miners and settlers to northern California, putting pressure on native populations. Gold mining damaged water supplies and killed fish; the deer left the area. The settlers brought new infectious diseases such as smallpox and measles. The northern Yana group became extinct while the central and southern groups (who later became part of Redding Rancheria) and Yahi populations dropped dramatically. Searching for food, they came into conflict with settlers, who set bounties of 50 cents per scalp and 5 dollars per head on the natives. In 1865, the settlers attacked the Yahi while they were still asleep. 𝐑𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞, 𝐢𝐧 𝐈𝐬𝐡𝐢 𝐑𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝: "In 1865, near the Yahi's special place, Black Rock, the waters of Mill Creek turned red at the Three Knolls Massacre. 'Sixteen' or 'seventeen' Indian fighters killed about forty Yahi, as part of a retaliatory attack for two white women and a man killed at the Workman's household on Lower Concow Creek near Oroville. Eleven of the Indian fighters that day were Robert A. Anderson, Harmon (Hi) Good, Sim Moak, Hardy Thomasson, Jack Houser, Henry Curtis, his brother Frank Curtis, as well as Tom Gore, Bill Matthews, and William Merithew. W. J. Seagraves visited the site, too, but some time after the battle had been fought. Robert Anderson wrote, "Into the stream they leapt, but few got out alive. Instead many dead bodies floated down the rapid current." One captive Indian woman named Mariah from Big Meadows (Lake Almanor today), was one of those who did escape. The Three Knolls massacre is also described in Theodora Kroeber's Ishi in Two Worlds. Since then more has been learned. It is estimated that with this massacre, Ishi's entire cultural group, the Yana/Yahi, may have been reduced to about sixty individuals. From 1859 to 1911, Ishi's remote band became more and more infiltrated by non-Yahi Indian representatives, such as Wintun, Nomlaki, and Pit River individuals. In 1879, the federal government started Indian boarding schools in California. Some men from the reservations became renegades in the hills. Volunteers among the settlers and military troops carried out additional campaigns against the northern California Indian tribes during that period. In late 1908, a group of surveyors came across the camp inhabited by two men, a middle-aged woman, and an elderly woman. These were Ishi, his uncle, his younger sister, and his mother, respectively. The former three fled while the latter hid in blankets to avoid detection, as she was sick and unable to flee. The surveyors ransacked the camp, and Ishi's mother died soon after his return. His sister and uncle never returned, possibly drowning in a nearby river. 𝐀𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲 After the 1908 encounter, Ishi spent three more years alone in the wilderness. Starving and with nowhere to go, Ishi, at around the age of 50, emerged on August 29, 1911, at the Charles Ward slaughterhouse back corral near Oroville, California, after forest fires in the area. He was found pre-sunset by Floyd Hefner, son of the next-door dairy owner (who was in town), who was "hanging out", and who went to harness the horses to the wagon for the ride back to Oroville, for the workers and meat deliveries. Witnessing slaughterhouse workers included Lewis "Diamond Dick" Cassings, a "drugstore cowboy". Later, after Sheriff J.B. Webber arrived, the Sheriff directed Adolph Kessler, a nineteen-year-old slaughterhouse worker, to handcuff Ishi, who smiled and complied. The "wild man" caught the imagination and attention of thousands of onlookers and curiosity seekers. University of California, Berkeley anthropology professors read about him and "brought him" to the Affiliated Colleges Museum (1903—1931), in an old law school building on the University of California's Affiliated Colleges campus on Parnassus Heights, San Francisco. Studied at the university, Ishi also worked as a janitor and lived at the museum for most of the remaining five years of his life. In October 1911, Ishi, Sam Batwi, T. T. Waterman, and A. L. Kroeber, went to the Orpheum Opera House in San Francisco to see Lily Lena (Alice Mary Ann Mathilda Archer, born 1877) the "London Songbird," known for "kaleidoscopic" costume changes. Lena gave Ishi a piece of gum as a token. On May 13, 1914, Ishi, T. T. Waterman, A.L. Kroeber, Dr Saxton Pope, and Saxton Pope Jr. (11 years old), took Southern Pacific's Cascade Limited overnight train, from the Oakland Mole and Pier to Vina, California, on a trek in the homelands of the Deer Creek area of Tehama county, researching and mapping for the University of California, fleeing on May 30, 1914, during the Lassen Peak volcano eruption. T.T. Waterman and A.L. Kroeber, director of the museum, studied Ishi closely over the years and interviewed him at length in an effort to reconstruct Yahi culture. He described family units, naming patterns, and the ceremonies that he knew. Many traditions had already been lost when he was growing up, as there were few older survivors in his group. He identified material items and showed the techniques by which they were made. In February 1915, during Panama–Pacific International Exposition, Ishi was filmed in the Sutro Forest with the actress Grace Darling for Hearst-Selig News Pictorial, No. 30. 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 Lacking acquired immunity to common diseases, Ishi was often ill. He was treated by Saxton T. Pope, a professor of medicine at UCSF. Pope became a close friend of Ishi and learned from him how to make bows and arrows in the Yahi way. He and Ishi often hunted together. Ishi died of tuberculosis on March 25, 1916. It is said that his last words were, "You stay. I go." His friends at the university tried to prevent an autopsy on Ishi's body since Yahi tradition called for the body to remain intact. However, the doctors at the University of California medical school performed an autopsy before Waterman could prevent it. Ishi's brain was preserved and his body was cremated. His friends placed grave goods with his remains before cremation: "one of his bows, five arrows, a basket of acorn meal, a box full of shell bead money, a purse full of tobacco, three rings, and some obsidian flakes." Ishi's remains were interred at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Colma, California, near San Francisco. Kroeber put Ishi's preserved brain in a deerskin-wrapped Pueblo Indian pottery jar and sent it to the Smithsonian Institution in 1917. It was held there until August 10, 2000, when the Smithsonian repatriated it to the descendants of the Redding Rancheria and Pit River tribes. This was in accordance with the National Museum of the American Indian Act of 1989 (NMAI). According to Robert Fri, director of the National Museum of Natural History, "Contrary to commonly-held belief, Ishi was not the last of his kind. In carrying out the repatriation process, we learned that as a Yahi–Yana Indian his closest living descendants are the Yana people of northern California." His remains were also returned from Colma, and the tribal members intended to bury them in a secret place. (𝐈𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞: 𝐈𝐬𝐡𝐢, 𝐃𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐧) (𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞: 𝐈𝐬𝐡𝐢 𝐢𝐧 𝐓𝐰𝐨 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝𝐬: 𝐀 𝐁𝐢𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚 & 𝐖𝐢𝐤𝐢) |
2023.06.08 23:18 2muchmojo Various products that add mushrooms… like Laird Non-dairy Creamer etc
I’m curious if there’s anything at all to this sorta thing or is it just marketing?
submitted by 2muchmojo to MushroomSupplements [link] [comments]
2023.06.08 23:16 PM_ME_YOUR_ROBOTGIRL Character Database: The Aeons, Part 2 (VERY LONG)
 | Please read Part 1 here if you haven't.This was meant to come yesterday, but then Limbus Chapter 4 Part 2 grabbed me by the balls.IX The Nihility. An extremely passive Aeon that believes everything is worthless, everything about them is a total mystery. Those that approach its divine body, if they even find the coordinates, disappear. Simulated Universe implies that approaching, maybe even thinking about IX, induces apathy and mental breakdowns. IX ultimately represents nothingness - the dark side of the Universe that completes its balance, providing non-existence to existence. Aha once helped the Annihilation Gang try to assassinate it as a joke, but it unsurprisingly ended in failure after the Elation-enhanced Gang members vanished when approaching their coordinates. IX is the roman numeral for nine. WOW. It's almost certainly meant to be read as "nine", because of the way Device IX's name is structured. I looked for the potential significance of this number but like, nine being a number within the base 10 system we love so much basically means every culture in the universe sees it as significant. Followers\"Those running away from the past think no one understands their despair. When they finally take a breather, they'll find their future selves staring right at them with bloodshot eyes.\" Those who manage to share their mentality with IX sometimes earn a glance from them. When this happens, those who fall into despair have their physical bodies self-destruct and become something called a Self-Annihilator, made out of "true nothing". Interestingly, though this initially appears to be a grim fate, Self-Annihilators are somehow still alive and capable of thinking, and it seems implied they can revert to their original forms if they regain hope. Those, however, who remain steadfast in their beliefs become Doctors of Chaos, who are convinced they can 'heal' IX and make it see value in the universe. They do so by going around the universe preaching that you can derive meaning from it and doing crazy actions in the hopes of inspiring those around them. They also have a hobby of trying to cure Self-Annihilators, and they're pretty good at it. Device IX is the third Nihility faction, which is so mysterious its existence is straight up questionable. It's alleged to exist in the voids underneath all Reality. The only thing that can really be traced back to them is the "dark web" which allows for the trade of rare and illegal items, and probably other things as well. QlipothLet the fire that forged the bricks and the ones that laid the wall's foundations be known! The Preservation, known as the Firmament Arbiter by the Xianzhou. Their divine corpus is so huge, it has planets orbiting it. Qlipoth, at one point, was alerted to the "catastrophe of the Finality" and to prevent it, became building a large wall known as the Subspace Crystalline Barrier which isolates worlds from one another (or at least that's the IPC's narrative). They also built the Celestial Comet Wall and the Great Attractor Base, but we don't know what those are for yet. Qlipoth is very ancient, being a veteran from the Dusk Wars that resulted in the disappearance of all Leviathans. The IPC claims that the Dusk Wars and the Leviathan race ended as soon as Qlipoth ascended, but this doesn't appear to be the case. Furthermore, the IPC also maintains that Qlipoth is the first ever Aeon, which also doesn't appear to be the case (Oroboros says hi) Whenever Qlipoth strikes their hammer, the Subspace Crystalline Barrier expands, and the IPC has used this as a way of marking time in "Amber Eras", one for each hammer strike. However, the hammer strikes are inconsistent, so how long each AE lasts is different. That makes AEs a terrible way of keeping track of time, but everyone just accepts it anyway because the IPC is obsessed and arguing with the IPC is a really easy way to get on their bad side, which no one wants. On the side, most civilizations use their own timekeeping systems which are generally more accurate. In any case, it's currently 2158 AE, with 0 AE going all the way back to the "end" of the Dusk Wars, and 0-180 AE being a 'dark spot' with few historical records. The IPC's official stance is that there just isn't much information, but it seems more likely that they're withholding records from that time period, which would indicate something about it makes them or Qlipoth look bad. The Qliphoth is basically the "evil version" of the Kabbalistic Sefirot, the emanations through which the spirit of God reveals itself. That probably doesn't matter though, because most likely they chose it for the fact that the hebrew name קְלִיפּוֹת literally means 'shell'. Followers\"Seriously, out of everyone who had faced an Aeon, that old man was the calmest I've seen. Even Screwllum's gears squeaked when he saw Nous...\" When mortals first became aware of Qlipoth's wall, there were two reactions - the first was to imitate Qlipoth, going around the universe building stuff, and the other was to help them. The former became the Architects, who travel the universe building stuff and helping protect other civilizations. They were the ones who made Belobog's wall, core, and Engines of Creation. They must receive some implicit endorsement from Qlipoth, because they're able to tap into the Preservation's power to build their things. Generally, most people view the Architects as stubborn, but those protected by their abilities are eternally grateful and even join them. The other... So, a bunch of people, including geniuses Louis Fleming and Dongfang Qixing, decided to accrue a large number of construction materials to give to Qlipoth. They did this through trade, but quickly realized that in order to get what they needed, they'd have to specialize in more than just construction materials. Louis Fleming and Dongfang Qixing utilized their expertise to In 1388 AE, Louis Fleming and Dongfang Qixing decided to take things one step further and founded the Interastral Peace Corporation (IPC) together, and established an universal currency (credits) that facilitated trade between species, getting rid of themselves as the middleman and also making themselves fabulously wealthy in the process. The IPC integrated themselves into the economy of various civilizations, ruining those who refused to work with the IPC or utilize credits. As a result of this, the IPC became the most powerful entity in the universe and are very close to being its de-facto rulers - they display deference to only a handful of entities (such as the Genius Society), and even then only because they're too insular (and oftentimes protected by an Aeon) and useful to be manipulated or "coerced" into cooperating. Almost all transaction and trade in the universe is done with the oversight of the IPC and many, many civilizations rely on them for an economical backbone. They sponsor the creation of new inventions, research that benefits them, and produce their own products while also facilitating the sales of others'. They don't merely preside over trade, they may as well own half the universe. Again, if you cut ties with the IPC, you also lose access to these things. Safe to say, no matter how awful or inconvenient the IPC may get, going against them is simply not an option for all but the most privileged or stubborn few, and those arrogant enough to try anyway will learn the errors of their ways very quickly. Because the IPC is obsessed with the Preservation, it makes it very hard for anyone to actually study Qlipoth or go against them. Qlipoth appears to, on some level, approve of what they're doing, since an unknown Emanator of Preservation appeared in the IPC some time ago. However, they don't make use of the vast industrial quantities of construction materials piled up in the planets orbiting them that the IPC provided at all, so in a sense, what they're doing is actually pretty useless. But still, the IPC is fueled by absolute faith to their Aeon. Yaoshi The Abundance. Known by the Xianzhou Alliance hunters as the Plagues Author, and by the Xianzhou faithful as Sanctus Medicus. If we assume that Denizens of Abundance cannot exist without Yaoshi, then they're at minimum ~6900 (nice) years old, and possibly much, much older - the earliest Denizens of Abundance we can date having encountered the Xianzhou at 1200 SC. Yaoshi's primary goal is the extension and continuous growth of life in the universe. The lightcone Cornucopia implies that Yaoshi views life as a form of order, which opposes the chaos of death and the early universe. To achieve this, they 'bless' life in certain worlds, causing the sapient inhabitants to become Denizens of Abundance and also causing an outgrowth of powerful and equally long lived plant and animal life alike. Those blessings generally come in the form of great, immortal trees, whose fruit can grant long life. In general, Yaoshi prioritizes worlds and individuals who are experiencing great suffering and hardship. Yaoshi is the mortal enemy of Lan, although it's hard to say if the feelings are mutual. Yaoshi will never rest until all beings in the universe know the blessing of life, and Lan will never rest until Yaoshi has been killed in the final and greatest hunt. Yet, the cycle goes on for eternity. Yaoshi is a reference to the Chinese name of a Buddha called Bhaiṣajyaguru, which is a Buddha most commonly associated with healing and medicine, and is also pretty important, being up there with Shakyamuni (aka THE Buddha). He's a doctor who vowed to rid the world of pain and suffering. So yeah, makes sense. Followers\"The mercy of Sanctus Medicus, the Ambrosial Arbor's new growth. Disciples shall attain enlightenment together.\" Those blessed by Yaoshi gain remarkable biology - their cells and biological systems are placed in a state of perfect equilibrium, made possible through the ability for their cells to freely convert between differentiated cells and stem cells (builder cells, which can turn into any other kind of cell). This gives them the ability to effectively, live forever, as well as an extremely powerful healing factor. Though it does not altogether prevent death, it does allow for things such the regrowth of lost limbs and organs. The unfortunate fact of this arrangement is that the body when it is born provides a 'blueprint' for the blessing, making those born with congenital defects forever unable to correct them with surgery - the body will simply "heal" the "damage". However, there is another aspect to Yaoshi's blessing - upon fulfilling certain conditions, blessed individuals have a marked shift in biology, causing a form of 'evolution' that fundamentally alters their biology. This can fix things such as congenital defects but also essentially puts cells into overdrive, exacerbating existing biological processes of the species (such as molting for reptilian beings) and potentially causing insanity. For the Xianzhou natives, this is known as being 'stricken with mara'. Those who manage to survive the process with intelligence become known as the Denizens of Abundance who go around singing praises of Yaoshi. However, Yaoshi's blessing also causes fundamental deficits that force those long-life species into either constant suffering or constant conquest in other to offset these setbacks (such as the borisin's implied necessity to take over other worlds to house the hives necessary to create their biotechnology). The Denizens of Abundance love Yaoshi for making their lives "better", and are thus the sworn enemies of the Xianzhou Alliance, which also hates them and are seen (naturally) as blasphemers. Of course, there are also many civilizations that greatly regret contact with Yaoshi, such as of course, the Xianzhou Alliance. People who know of Yaoshi but are mortal and long for their blessing are known as Elixir Seekers, immortality hunters who go around the universe hoping to meet and be blessed by Yaoshi. Probably the most well-known Elixir Seekers were, indeed, the original Xianzhou fleet, which was sent out by an unnamed emperor into the stars in order to obtain immortality. Funnily, even though they did get it, they never returned to their homeworld. I wonder what it was like? The Disciples of Sanctus Medicus were the internal faction in the Xianzhou that worshipped Yaoshi and actively held contact with them, being led by an Emanator of Abundance named Shuhu. Yaoshi did speak to their disciples as well as other Denizens of Abundance and may have even spoken to the actively hostile Alliance as well, but the specifics of this are mired in legend and mystery, and so Yaoshi's true intentions regarding their followers are unclear. OroborosThe Mariners' Intemperance The Voracity. Wants to eat everything (eats planets), and was a Leviathan, which makes them about as old if not older than Qlipoth. Potentially, they are the only surviving Leviathan. That's about it. We don't know anything else. The Ouroboros is a well-known Western symbol with philosophical and alchemical significance that consists of a dragon or snake eating its own tail. Mostly it represents infinity. It was probably chosen though because Oroboros is the dedicated vore god. Cool! AhaLook upon the courtesans' extravagance. The Elation, known as Joyseeker to the Xianzhou. Hard to tell if it's true, but legend goes that Aha once actually reached the end of the Imaginary Tree. When they did so, they appeared to have gained some sort of advanced perception, and began to view the universe as one huge joke. Perhaps they realized they were made by a video game company? They certainly seem to have some sort of heightened awareness. In any case, though Aha claims and seems to believe that they only wish for others to see the humor in all things, their true purpose as an Aeon is that they serve as a catalyst of change, manipulating reality in extremely minor and undetectable ways until they butterfly effect massive events into happening. Although the displays of their power are minor compared to Qlipoth's massive wall or Lan's planet purging arrows, their effects on the universe far outweigh the others. They owe this success due to their closeness to mortals - unlike most Aeons who barely even bother communicating with others and are by nature mysterious, Aha displays a strong understanding of human society, as a matter of fact, they believe it is the exclusive privilege of intelligent beings to understand joy. This understanding allows them to mess around with people on a far more personal level than other Aeons do, even getting involved with other, separate factions if they believe it's funny enough. They're also especially talkative. Of course, sometimes they decide to be major instead, and do a little bit of trolling. Trolling attempts include blowing up half the Express and an entire planet after hiding out on it for a year disguised as a human (success), helping the Annihilator Gang assassinate IX (failure), trying to get a Noblesse Worm into the Genius Society (failure). And although the latter two appear like failures to us, I'm sure they got great enjoyment out of the bewildered reactions of those observing them. Aha is laughter, obviously, but it could also be a reference to various things including the 1980s Norwegian band, which composed Take on Me. That sounds stupid but that's Aha for you. FollowersWell, bye for now. Send my regards to the guys and girls in the tavern. Aha attracted a group of straightforward followers called the Masked Fools that go around the Universe doing a little bit of trolling, though more specifically they act as agents of change that have been responsible for starting riots and revolutions (including a notable one against Rubert I during the Emperor's War), and they're not above violence. They also maintain taverns and other places centered around having fun and doing trolling. Simultaneously, however, they also have a group of *anti-*followers called the Mourning Actors, who instead go around the universe being sad, noting the destruction of worlds and death, encouraging celibacy and abstinence, among other things, in the hopes of opposing the Elation. Aha thinks this is hilarious, and also recognizes tragedy as the flipside of comedy, so they purposefully enhanced them, allowing them to travel the stars. Although the Mourning Actors are mostly ignored by the universe, they possess an uncanny ability for detecting tragedy (probably Aha's fault); they visited Jarilo-VI when it was embroiled in the war against the Antimatter Legion, and they have some use as announcers for when worlds are destroyed or civilizations fall, often being the first to broadcast these events to the universe. Aha makes basically anything and anyone into an Emanator so long as they think it's funny, so it's not really worth noting here. That said, the one Emanator we do know of was a Noblesse Worm that they infused with super-intelligence to see if Nous would accept them into the Genius Society (they would not) FuliAnd finally, measure the world against yourself, and take all such things to heart. The Remembrance. Fuli's age's unknown, with records of them being essentially non-existent. Their ultimate goal is to preserve all of the universe's memories in order to facilitate "the rebirth of the universe", and they have the memories of every single living being in the universe, including those of other Aeons. They physically manifest before the occurrence of extremely significant events in the universe's history, and then vanish after obtaining whatever it was they needed from it. When this happens, they appear as a being made out of a mirror-like crystal. Though this has happened many times, their only recorded manifestation was at the end of a speech by the aging Louis Fleming, in his final public appearance. Fuli is named after a deity in the Shenxiao sect of Taoism. English sources for this are basically non-existent - I put the Chinese wikipedia article through DeepL and got the world's most sophisticated word salad and basically all I could gather is that he was the father of some bigshot emperor. Okay. FollowersMemes: The DNA of the soul Fuli utilized their power to enhance a specific group of mortals, allowing them to abandon their physical forms and live on as memetic lifeforms (not internet memes, ideas and behaviors that spread from person to person within a society, though HSR basically uses the term as "things that live in your brain"). This allows them to interact with a being's memories and subjective perception directly. It also allows them to freely travel between worlds without any physical effort on their part, which sure is neat! This faction became known as the Garden of Recollection, with the most active members being the Memokeepers, who preserve the memories of individuals considered significant. They also created Light Cone technology, which allows them to physically manifest and preserve the memory of an individual. Most Memokeepers prefer to keep themselves hidden, disguising themselves and harvesting the memories of others without ever being acknowledged. If a being possesses exceptional memories or qualities such as the Trailblazer, they might choose to manifest and communicate with them directly. Because the Garden of Recollection members are memetic lifeforms, they can only manifest to people who know about Fuli, the Remembrance, or associated concepts. If you literally don't know anything, you're inaccessible to them. After all, these spicy memes have not been passed on to you. The Garden of Recollection doesn't have just Memokeepers. It seems some members (or defectors?) known as Memosnatchers go around forcefully taking the memories of other individuals, potentially causing amnesia. Because the Messenger calls them "those thieves", it seems they're not looked highly upon by Fuli's other followers. Another faction in the Garden of Recollection that draws the ire of the Memokeepers are the Cremators, extremists who steal memories gathered by others and destroy the ones they consider to be useless and return the important ones. In doing so, they believe themselves to act as a sort of filter or curator for the memories of the Aeon, relieving them of their "burden". The stance of the Garden of Recollection is that every memory has value, so obviously the Cremators aren't seen in a positive light. In any case, the current objective of the Garden of Recollection is preserving the universe against the Destruction, believing that everyone can still live on through memories. Ultimately though, the Garden of Recollection likely existed long before Nanook's ascension, and their greatest goal is to fill Fuli's pure land with memories, which assists Fuli's own ultimate goal... which is unclear to us at the moment. IdrilaListen to the infant in the mirror. The Beauty, known to the Xianzhou as the Wondergazer, and also in some places as Anne Duray. Though mortals superficially interpret them as a god of beauty, Idrila's true nature revolves around the realm of perception - your conscious qualia (sight, smell, taste, etc), your ability to reason, and the values instilled upon you by your own personal circumstances. The intersection of these attributes is what creates the subjective idea of 'beauty'. In other words, beauty exists in the eye of the beholder. Idrila cannot create beauty. Instead, they can manipulate these attributes to embody something that's always going to be beautiful to the observer, independently of their tastes. A memory bubble even implies that Idrila is even capable of granting sapience to unintelligent species, creating the conditions for them to be able to observe 'beauty'. Idrila, essentially, allows beings to "observe" the universe in its purest form. This causes the people exposed to Idrila's power to frequently become intensely obsessed to the point of insanity, and many legends describe those affected by them as committing devastating acts for Idrila's sake - something which gave them a large amount of pleasure. They created civilizations and tore apart people who were in love just by existing. It's probably safe to say that no one knows what Idrila really looked like, but it was always the most beautiful thing they've seen. One day, Idrila just up and disappeared. Adios. The Mirror Holders believe that Idrila 'died' and shattered into many pieces, and could return if those pieces are gathered again. The Knights of Beauty believe that Idrila is still very much alive, just... hiding out somewhere, I guess. I tried to figure out what the name "Idrila" might be derived from, but I couldn't find anything. The Japanese and Chinese characters are phonetic. Anne comes from Anna which comes from the hebrew Hannah which means grace or favor, as in "God graced me with a child". Duray is a significant royal family in France and Scotland which derives from an old French word that means king. So like, King/Queen of Grace I guess. Cool. Followers\"If I win, please admit that Idrila the Beauty is the most beautiful of all!\" - Argenti Among Idrila's followers (of which is implied that there are many of), the most tame are the Knights of Beauty, which run around the universe telling everyone how awesome their Aeon is (kind of a trend). They practice a chivalric code which basically says that you can only be worthy of the Aeon GF if you grind hard everyday to become the greatest gigachad of them all. Because of this, other factions in the universe regard them as not having a whole lot of faith in their Aeon. I mean, if you make your entire dynamic a competition to see which of you is the most deserving of getting your god's attention, you're basically saying that your god would never care about most people, right? Only the best ones. Then again, maybe Idrila really is like that. Idrila, did, however, have more faithful followers, the Mirror Holders, who possess artifacts named Mirrors of Transcendence. These artifacts hold within them some level of Idrila's power, which allows the wielder to project an observer's subjective perception of the most ideal beauty outwards into reality. Usually, the Mirror Holders seem to use this to indoctrinate new people into their thirst cult. A Mirror Bubble implies that the Mirror Holders may also be Emanators, but maybe it's just one person who happens to be both an Emanator of Beauty and a Mirror Holder. Though the Knights of Beauty hold the delusion that their Aeon GF will someday come back, and I guess decide which one among them is the most fabulous, the Mirror Holders have a different perspective. They believe Idrila 'died' because of society developing differing subjective views on beauty, shattering them into pieces. As a result, they work to make sure society has an unified view of aesthetics, while also hunting down the remainder of Idrila's artifacts. They believe these combined factors will allow their god to return, ushering in an age of harmony where everyone is really infatuated with Idrila all the time. I guess that sounds like heaven to them. TayzzyronthTayzzyronth... Tayzzy█ronth... Ta█yzzy█ronth... Ta█yzz██y█ronth█... Ta█... █yzzy███ron█th███... The Propagation. Known as the Swarm Author by the Xianzhou and the Imperator Insectorum in some places. Tayzzyronth was a very, very lonely beetle who, after getting fed up with being all alone, appears to have developed the ability to self-duplicate endlessly, ascending into short-lived Aeonhood afterwards. What resulted was one of the most severe catastrophes to affect the universe, the Swarm Disaster. Worlds were invaded and turned into massive hives that to this day are uninhabitable despite the loss of their master. Tayzzyronth's clones slaughtered all living beings in their path, bred endlessly, and moved on to the next world, all in blistering speeds. The scale of destruction was so massive that it actually worried the IPC for maybe the first time since the Emperor's War. Tayzzyronth seemed close to unstoppable and posed a very real risk of destroying the entire universe, when the sheer intensity of their threat caused an incredibly rare occurrence in the universe - multiple Aeons put their personal missions and differences aside and teamed up to get rid of Tayzzyronth once and for all. We don't know the specifics of Tayzzyronth's death, but it involved them being encased in an organic prison, which appears to have deprived the rest of the Swarm of the ability to reproduce. After this, something killed them, which put an end to the Swarm Disaster for good. However, just because Tayzzyronth's dead doesn't mean the Swarm disappeared completely, or that they may never return. The surviving members of the Swarm managed to evolve into different beings, the worlds converted into hives by the Swarm are still to this day impossible to live in, and fragments of the Imperator Insectorum's prison and body still buzz with activity and an energy that makes it very possible they might still return. Even though Tayzzyronth lived for only a tiny amount of time compared to most Aeons, their destructive impact on the universe cannot be understated. After all, it might even be possible that they indirectly led to Nanook's ascension, due to the Swarm's attempted takeover of Adlivun. Tayzzyronth didn't seem to have followers, much less Emanators - it seems their own clones were all they ever needed. I actually feel kinda bad for them. Beetle just wanted a friend. Can You Believe It, just like Idrila this is another name with no real source. Personally, I think it might just be completely made up, perhaps made to sound like something a bug would make. MythusThe Waves as they Enter the Dream The Enigmata. Like Qlipoth and Fuli, Mythus too believes that there is some sort of calamity approaching the universe. Their approach to it, however, is a bit different - the Enigmata sees the obfuscation of the past and of observable facts to create a 'mist of uncertainty' that obscures a 'narrative drive' determining the Universe's fate, which would allow everyone to escape that calamity. Of course, since the Erudition directly wants to observe the Universe and solve it, that would only ensure the opposite, which makes them Mythus' direct enemy. From latin Mythus. Means myth. Comes from Greek μῦθος (muthos), means tale, myth, legend. It's not that deep. FollowersTo achieve their goal, Mythus appears to random mortals already teetering on the edge of obscurity and 'inspires' them into becoming even crazier than they likely already were. The Riddlers specialize in obfuscating language, whereas Mythus' own personal Emanators, the History Fictionologists, mess with historical records and memories, making certain historical events more confusing, harder to understand, or just straight up inaccessible.The items created by Mythus' followers possess the supernatural ability to directly affect history, even though history is more or less an abstract concept and those are physical items. As such, it can be assumed that Mythus is granting them their power in this way, which makes them one of the more proactive Aeons. HooHThe Tipping of the Balance The Equilibrum. They merged their consciousness with the logic of the universe itself, hoping to attain perfect universal equilibrium. While many attempt to outsmart HooH and make things unbalanced in their favor, HooH has already accounted for them, and victory is impossible. Even if something is unbalanced now, it'll become balanced eventually, and HooH's patience is unmatched by any other Aeon. HooH's English name is made up and meant to appear symmetrical, as is the case for HooH's original Chinese name, which is 互. This character means "mutually" or "reciprocally" or "intertwining". It was probably chosen just because it looks symmetrical from the top down, but that last meaning does have the added bonus of fitting with the fact HooH is woven into the fabric of the universe. FollowersLong Arm Those who like the cut of HooH's gib become dedicated to balancing the universe, the Arbitrators, who decided they'd try and get rid of extreme binary concepts, placing everything in balance. But because they're mortal, they don't have the great big picture view HooH has, and so they constantly mess up, having to correct their problems in successive "patches". An Arbitrator talks to you when you reach the first Trial of the Equilibrium, and it seems they possess the ability to alter the entire universe in a scale that's incomparable to the followers of other Aeons. It may be because HooH has somehow managed to integrate themselves into the universe much further than any other Aeon has, and that might explain why Aeons tend to be opposed by those with equalizing concepts, and out of control Aeons tend to get the shaft. Think about it. Tayzzyronth was a threat, but several Aeons believe Nanook is already going to destroy the universe. Why don't they team up again and kick their ass if so? Well, because they're balanced about it. Nanook's rate of destruction is slow and easy to counter enough that unlike Tayzzyronth, they can't take over the entire universe in years. Therefore, in a sense, they already have a place in equilibrium. For every planet-destroying campaign that takes centuries, Yaoshi and the Architects have already protected 5 other worlds. There's no need for something, or someone, to push them towards correcting that balance. EnaI only survived because the spirit of \"fuck it we ball\" burned brighter than the \"it's so over\" around me. The Order. An Aeon that was absorbed by Xipe due to conceptual overlap when the latter ascended, which is safe to say, a pretty definitive death (though perhaps some part of Ena lives on through Xipe? I mean, they are a plural Aeon after all) Ena's only known group of followers are the Beyond the Sky Choir, a choir group that made songs praising the Order. When Ena was absorbed, they effectively disappeared, no longer having a god to worship. However, the Choir audience did record some of their performances into special disks, that could only be played with unique Phonographs of Order. The problem is, the last Phonograph was lost during Emperor Rubert 1's campaigns, so nobody can ever listen to them again. As a result, this Path is deader than dead. Maybe the energy's still accessible, but with no Aeon, no followers, and no extant artifacts, it might as well not exist. Ena is a character from the web animation series ENA made by Peruvian artist and animator Joel- wait no. Actually, I don't know where the English translators got the name "Ena" from, but their original name is 太一 or Taiyi, which is the supreme deity of Heaven worshipped during the Chinese Han Dynasty. There's a lot to Taiyi, but I'm just going to ignore all of it because it was probably actually chosen because the name literally means "Great Oneness" or "Great Unity". LongI didn't know what to put here. The Permanence. A Chinese dragon thing, Long died ages ago, but we don't know how. Before they died though, they left descendants in the form of Long's Scions, or the Vidyadhara, which possess the power of the Permanence in their very biology. Because of this, the Vidyadhara have a very peculiar characteristic - when they reach the natural end of their lifespans, they pull a Turritopsis dohrnii and regress back into an infantile stage, effectively making them ageless. Of course, the Vidyadhara that 'reincarnates' loses all memories of their previous self, making the newly reborn Vidyadhara a different individual altogether, though Vidyadhara culture does encourage seeking a greater connection to your past incarnation. It's also possible they might be able to experience some aspects of their previous lives through dreams. Vidyadhara, however, cannot reproduce. This means that their numbers are limited and losses to their population (through unnatural means) are permanent. Frankly as far as I'm concerned, this basically means Vidyadhara extinction is inevitable, as statistically speaking they probably wouldn't be able to avoid dying through accidents or intentional acts forever. Currently the vast majority of Vidyadhara live among the Xianzhou Alliance, and it's rumored that those among them that fulfill certain conditions and pass specific rites can return to the form of a dragon. The High Elder of the Vidyadhara receives strict training in order to one day become the highest among them, the Imbibitor Lunae. Another thing about Vidyadhara. The fact the Permanence's power flows through their cells allows individuals who have harvested Vidyadhara bone marrow to transplant some of that power into their own bodies, provided that they have the right ingredients to reactivate the stem cells. For regular mortals this only results in a short lived burst of power before their immune system destroys the transplanted Vidyadhara cells, resulting in a catastrophic regression that would most likely lead to death for most individuals. However, for long-life species blessed by Yaoshi, Long's power can actually stabilize the explosive evolutionary process... allowing those stricken with mara to retain their sanity. The cost is only a little murder. Long is the Chinese name for the dragon (or specifically the Chinese dragon which is different from the Western perception). WOW! However, dragons do have great significance in Chinese folklore and culture and were worshipped, so this is a fine name. They also have associations with water, which is probably why the Vidyadhara are also associated with water. TerminusThe Shapeless PrinceThe Finality. If we ignore bits of CBT2 that were removed upon release and now exist in a canonical limbo, this Aeon is the one we basically know the least about. I mean sure they've been mentioned more than Oroboros has, but we at least know what Oroboros is, and what their objectives are. Terminus, though? Well, besides the fact that the IPC (and maybe Qlipoth) oppose their goals... we know the name "Terminus" and the Path of "the Finality", and that's it. They encountered Akivili at some point, so they're active somewhere, but that doesn't tell us much. Terminus does appear to share a bit of a concept with an important HI3 character, the Herrscher of Finality, but there doesn't seem to be any direct connection, and finding actual summaries and information on stuff that happens toward the latter half of HI3's story that aren't too short or badly written to be useful is impossible. I'd have to play the game and read all the side-content, and frankly that'd take me weeks, and this post already took a long time to write as it is. So we'll take Terminus for what the game tells us about them, which is nothing. Terminus is the Roman name of a god that presided over boundary stones (his name also refers to those stones), which were meant to mark, you know, boundaries. Like the limits of a region or an area that couldn't really be represented by natural landmarks. Essentially, he was the end of one place and the start of another. Considering that Fuli's lore hints at a cyclical nature to the universe, this is an interesting name. In Chinese, though, their name is different. It's 末王, which literally means "king of the end". Quite the powerful name. And that's the end of the Aeon section. Because the manuscript for the mortal characters hasn't been written, it'll take a while longer to come out. Probably a few weeks. If I end up finishing it too close to the release of the remaining Companion Quests, it'll have to wait until after. |
2023.06.08 21:47 Klokinator The Cryopod to Hell 494: Intellect Awakens
Author note: The Cryopod to Hell is a Reddit-exclusive story with over three years of editing and refining. As of this post, the total rewrite is 1,940,000+ words long! For more information, check out the link below:
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(Previous Part)
(Part 001)
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After every Demon Duke pops one of Glinch's pills, they begin to evolve. The change shocks the Emperors to their cores. Yardrat prepared himself for the inevitability that these incredible pills would do the unthinkable, but seeing it happen in real-time is very different from imagining the concept in his head.
He and the other leaders, movers, and shakers of the Four Hells who came along can only watch numbly as Vespera, Rhesus, Hamir, Vepar, and all the other Dukes explode in strength, smashing through their limiters to ascend to the realm of Demon Emperor.
Their bodies glow with power. They fall to their knees and roar to the heavens, delighted in achieving that which they previously thought was unattainable.
In an instant, the balance of power across every Hell shifts, yet few even know of that which has just transpired, and fewer still take the time to think clearly about what this will surely mean in the coming days, weeks, months, and years.
If they cannot defeat Mephisto, it won't matter if they have six Emperors or six hundred. The power of a Demon Deity will crush them all into dust, with nothing left behind, aside from their dying screams.
As for the fifty newly ascended Emperors, their names and titles are numerous, almost numbing to dwell on. Among them are a smattering of renowned individuals, such as:
Vepar, the Corrosive Emperor.
Vespera, the Emperor of Nebulae.
Rhesus, the Emperor of Ripping.
Hamir, the Emperor of Tempests.
As well as numerous others.
The moment they ascend, their titles become known to all demons who gaze upon them. They need not speak these titles, as if having been named directly by the Creator himself. In the entire history of demonkind, few have managed to shroud their true names, the most notable individual being Gressil, who hid his Emperor-level strength until the time was right for others to know.
But these newly risen Emperors have neither a need nor a desire to hide their powerful new titles. They look at one another and grin evilly, excited to begin wielding their abilities as soon as possible.
After distributing half of the pills, Yardrat finds that he still has more than forty left. He turns to Emperor Melody.
"It wouldn't be appropriate for me to hold onto the rest." He says. "My Hell already has more elites than everyone else. If we make it out of here alive, rebuild the Hell of Isolation with these."
The other Emperors blink in surprise at Yardrat's gesture of goodwill. Some of them feel it's a bit of a waste, but the longest lived Emperors and former Dukes ultimately don't bother to interrupt him.
Bael crosses his arms and nods.
"Good call, Yardy-boy. That's what Shax would want."
"Shax was a fine demon." Yardrat says, as Melody takes the pills from him. "His death has always weighed on my mind. If I can help his Hell with a small gesture like this, then I'll do so without thinking twice."
"Thank you." Melody says quietly, looking at Yardrat with a strange gaze. She pockets the pills and sighs.
Shax wasn't just a cool music-loving dude, but a kind demon who made countless friends. He never attacked or fought anybody undeservedly, and he based his Hell on the principles of friendship and cooperation. Even the demons who might not have gotten along with him still respected him. His death to the humans ruined the morale of many demons at the time.
"Don't thank me until we kill Mephisto and leave here alive." Yardrat says, turning his attention to the distant center of the Stitched wasteland. "Everyone, let's move out. And remember, those pills were not for our benefit. This is where the real fight begins."
The others nod grimly. They begin marching toward Glinch's lair, and as they walk, powerful chimera cross their paths at regular intervals. No longer do only two or three of Glinch's minions appear, but instead five and six at a time, each and every individual far too powerful for mere Emperors to defeat alone. They quickly get the impression Glinch has managed to raise entities capable of challenging 5th and perhaps even 6th-Level Psions.
With nearly sixty Emperors on their side, the swarm of demons begins moving forward with great haste.
Yardrat imbues his body with the power of space. He flickers around to deal massive damage to Glinch's chimera with punches that rip across dimensional spaces.
Fae flies into the air and rains bombs from above. She takes the initiative to attack distant enemies with her strongest bombs, weakening and softening them up for her allies to take on later.
Dagon and Vepar work together. With both of their powers having reached the bottom of the Emperor-level in strength, they melt, corrode, poison, and suffocate any enemies susceptible to their poison and acid attacks.
Nymph keeps away from the front-lines. Due to Glinch's wasteland ruining any vines or plants she summons within seconds, she instead focuses on popping out plants sporadically to yank allies out of the line of attacks, or merely irritating her enemies by momentarily tripping them with vine shackles around their ankles.
Kristoff focuses on dealing damage and draining Glinch's chimeras of their blood. Any injuries he inflicts tend to bleed heavily, especially when he focuses his mind on doing so.
Serena uses her magic to boost dozens of newly ascended low-Emperors to mid and high tier Emperors, making their powers considerably more deadly. She also keeps her eyes out for invisible threats or other troublesome soul fluctuations.
Crow stays on the front-lines. Her incredibly durable body allows her to retain the title of the mightiest melee attacker among all the demons present.
Melody focuses on defense. Instead of trying to kill the chimeras, she leaves that business to the superior damage-dealers and instead uses her shockwaves to fling her enemies around and batter their attacks aside.
Vespera plays a versatile role, sometimes summoning shadowy minions to assist the others, sometimes jumping into battle herself to cut chimeras down, and other times teleporting around through the various shadows to distract the different enemies.
Rhesus becomes far stronger after evolving. Despite being hesitant to bother with the pills, he is no different from the other demons in his desire to mutate to Emperor, and the permanent strength increase he obtains puts him second only to Crow herself. Perhaps given time he will even surpass her as his power approaches the apex of the Emperor level!
And finally, Bael swings his flail with reckless abandon. He batters any enemy that jumps in front of him without any thought to strategy or planning. He ends up attacking with a strength not far behind Yardrat, dealing the killing blow to more than a few of Glinch's monsters.
For hours, the demon elites beat and batter their way past dozens of highly enhanced creatures, becoming more and more cognizant of the fact that if Glinch wanted them dead, he could merely command his chimera to swarm them and they wouldn't stand a chance of survival. It causes the smarter elites to shudder when they realize Glinch possesses military strength greater than the combined might of all Seven Hells, even after their ascension!
However, Bael is not one of those highly intelligent elites. He doesn't give these matters much thought. He merely continues beating the shit out of his enemies, pausing once in a while to rest his weary body and swap out with the other Emperors nearby as they fight with all their might to push toward the center of the Stitched Wasteland.
At some point, while Bael does his thing, a spiritual sense awakens from within the Matriarch's Armor.
Emperor Ose's remnant soul sliver opens her eyes and returns to the physical realm, unaware of what has been going on since she began resting. With what remains of her former self, she isn't able to stay awake for days and weeks like she could when she was still alive. She has to sleep frequently, lest her soul dissipate from straining itself. She awakens to find that Bael is no longer meandering around on Tarus II or hanging out in her secret demonic base. Instead, he's become engaged in some sort of incredible high-stakes battle, along with dozens of other mighty demon elites!
Ose blinks several times. She says nothing to Bael, but uses what's left of her spiritual senses to try and get a sense of the other demons around her.
Hm? So many Emperors... what happened over the last few days? Have I been unconscious for longer than I anticipated?
She gazes at Vespera, Rhesus, and Vepar, her eyes widening as she recognizes the permanent status of their new Emperor rank.
Devils! Has the Wordsmith's Belial Booster become more effective? How in the Seven Hells can there be fifty brand new Emperors out of nowhere?
She identifies the former Dukes with ease, having once been intimately familiar with the elites of the Seven Hells.
This is... the Stitched Wasteland? Why is everyone going against Glinch? No, more importantly, why do his minions appear to be so much more powerful than I remember? I heard they were at the level of Emperors, but now it seems they must be higher than Emperors, but lower than Demon Deities. Perhaps half-step Deities? Or simply Emperor-level souls contained within much stronger bodies?
Ose doesn't immediately decide to question Bael. She doesn't even alert him to the fact she's awakened. He's a moron anyway, so talking to him won't provide her with much more info than if she simply used her judgment to determine what's going on.
This is all so strange. Ose thinks. According to the Matriarch Armor's internal chronometer, I've only been asleep a single week, yet a frightening number of things have changed. Has a demon civil war erupted? Perhaps Glinch has decided to rebel against the Seven Hells, so Auger opted to put him down once and for all?
Her spiritual form shakes its head.
No. That isn't Glinch's style. He doesn't care about amassing power, or wealth, or fame and fortune. He doesn't care who rules the Seven Hells. He can't be bought, or bribed, or intimidated, or cowed into submission. Glinch does whatever Glinch wants to do, and not even the Volgrim can change his ways. Since his ability to manipulate bodies and souls is so formidable, the Volgrim have even lowered their heads to commission him on various top-secret R&D projects...
Ose narrows her eyes. Unlike the overwhelming majority of her kin, she is a demon who specializes in not only subterfuge and infiltration, but also high technology. She has stolen many peeks at the Volgrim's Black Level projects in a manner most discreet. Not even the High Technopaths were able to discover her breaches.
If Glinch isn't rebelling, then... could it be that this fierce battle isn't what it seems on the surface?
She pieces together multiple clues at blinding speeds.
Look at how Glinch's army only moves toward the assault force in groups of two or three. They could easily swarm Yardrat and the others, but they don't. That means Glinch is holding back.
She nods to herself.
Coupled with the fact that so many Emperors have ascended... ahhhh...
Ose forms a hypothesis, mulls it over, and smiles to herself.
So it's like that. Glinch must have been commissioned or requested by Auger to improve the fighting capabilities of the Seven Hells. Perhaps he developed some secret new method to uplift demons to the rank of Emperor at Auger's request, and now he's helping battle-forge these new elites. A sound strategy, considering the Wordsmith's rapid rise to power.
Ose ultimately comes to the wrong conclusion, but based on purely the different observable clues in her field of vision, the guess is quite good. She comes to assume that this is part of a secret training exercise intended to build up Hell's forces and churn out powerful fighters capable of pressing against the Wordsmith's bulwark.
Beelzebub isn't here. Ose thinks. None of the Second Hell's residents either. The Hell of Lust must have become quite intimate with the humans, which makes sense. Unlike the other Hells, they rely on fornication with humans to uplift their bodies and souls. The two make for optimal allies.
She checks out the allied forces again, this time paying attention to the specific demons present.
It seems not a single demon that has shown sympathies toward the Wordsmiths has come along. Melody is here all alone. Her Hell always was at least somewhat aligned with humanity, but Melody herself won't be particularly attached to non-demons. Yama isn't here... he must still be at large, along with Mephisto.
Unaware of the fates which befell Mephisto, Yama, and several other demons over the past week, Ose unfortunately misses a few important clues, but that can hardly be blamed on her.
Kristoff, Vespera, and Rhesus. Is this all that remains of the Hell of Blood? Perhaps they left their remaining Dukes behind as a reserve force, or perhaps those members will be uplifted later. I wonder what Auger is thinking, raising so many Emperors at once. He won't be able to keep news of their ascensions a secret for long. The Wordsmith will find out, and he'll become immediately suspicious provided he has an IQ five points higher than Bael.
As her thoughts drift to Bael, Ose finally decides to open up to him.
[Hey, idiot. I'm awake. What's going on here?]
Bael swings Big Bonk at the head of a fifteen-foot-tall brutish monster not unlike the one he first fought when he entered the Stitched Wasteland, but this one possesses a turtle-like shell on its back, making it specially resistant to heavy attacks.
"Huh?" Bael asks, after retracting his flail. "Oh, Ose! You're awake! Gimme a few minutes, I gotta pound some punks!"
Ose rolls her eyes. [No need for that. Just take a few steps back and talk to me. This training exercise isn't a life and death matter anyway.]
Bael pauses to consider her words. His jaw slackens a little as he tries to catch up with what she said.
"It... it's not?"
Some of the demons nearby Bael notice his attacks slowing. A couple even hear him talking to himself, but unable to hear Ose's voice, they just assume the poor galumpf must be having one of his ditsy moments. They quickly fill the gap lost by Bael's slowed momentum, leaving him to fall back even further.
[Of course not.] Ose says. [Tell me what this exercise is all about. How did Glinch uplift so many demons to the Rank of Emperor?]
Bael's eyes widen. "Wow, Ose! You just woke up and you already know Glinch did this? You're so smart!"
[I don't need your praise.] Ose says, annoyed. [Just tell me how Glinch raised fifty Emperors in only a week.]
"Ohh. Uh, he gave us special pills." Bael says. "Yeah, super strong stuff. Made my titties bigger too."
Ose blinks. [What?]
"My titties. They got real big. Didn't grow my ding-dong back though..."
Bael eyes fill with tears as he remembers the sadness he felt when his pants remained uninflated.
[Moron! I don't care about y-your mammary expansion! What sorts of pills were they? How did Glinch make them?]
Ose's growing frustration, as always, proves impossible to keep out of her voice. Bael doesn't seem to mind.
"Oh I dunno. Kristoff said something about x-beats and blood." Bael explains absentmindedly. "Why? You wanna grow bigger soul-titties too?"
[NO!] Ose roars. [I don't care about my boob size, you nimrod! FOCUS! What 'x-beats' are you talking about? Do you mean EXOBEASTS?]
A light seems to go off in Bael's eyes.
"Ohh, right! Yeah! X-O beasts! Like uh, X-O-X-O. Kissing beasts! I'm so silly. Can't believe I forgot that."
Ose closes her eyes and makes punching motions toward an invisible wall.
I'm gonna kill him. She thinks. I'm going to kill Bael and torture his soul for all eternity if I EVER figure out a way to bring myself back.
She clenches her jaw and opens her eyes.
[Bael. Does the Wordsmith know about Auger's plan yet?]
Bael scrunches up his face.
"Uhhh... Auger's... plan?"
[Yes. His plan to create more Emperors.] Ose clarifies. [He's working with Glinch, yes?]
"He is?!" Bael gasps. "Wow! Auger's so smart. I'd never have thought of that. This sure explains a lot."
Invisible question marks pop up above Ose's head. She squints her eyes as if trying to look inside Bael's head and locate his pebble-sized brain amidst a galaxy-sized void of emptiness.
[So... does... the Wordsmith... know?] Ose asks through gritted teeth.
"Nah. Doubt it." Bael says, waving his hands nonchalantly. "Unless..."
[Unless?] Ose asks.
"Unless it's all part of Auger's brilliant plan." Bael concludes, nodding to himself. "Damn. How is everyone so smart? And I thought we were coming here to kill Mephisto."
Ose's face freezes. A feeling like cracked ice washes across her soul.
[Me...phisto? You're here to kill Mephisto?]
"I dunno." Bael shrugs. "I thought we were coming here to kill him. But this must be part of Auger's plan to trick me and the others so he can make the Hells super strong. I guess all that stuff about Mephisto becoming a Demon Deity didn't mean anything after all. Thanks for helping me understand, Ose! You're the best!"
Bael gives Ose a HUGE mental thumbs up, grinning at her with the same level of stupid happiness he always does.
Ose's soul nearly implodes from the mental gymnastics Bael just unleashed upon her.
[Oh... devils...] Ose weeps. [Why... why couldn't I have been trapped with Auger... or Fenrir... or Gorn... even Serena! Why did I have to end up stuck with demonkind's biggest idiot?]
"It's probably just your bad karma." Bael grunts. "You were such a bad girl, taking all those dirty pics. The Creator had to punish ya."
[WHAT PICS?!] Ose snaps. [Bael, I'm going to turn your pea-brain into MUSH if you keep thinking such VILE thoughts!]
In the middle of Ose's raging, Yardrat fights his way to Bael's side.
"Bael! Is something wrong? Why have you stopped attacking? Are you exhausted?"
Bael blinks. He turns his attention to Yardrat.
"Huh? Nah, nah. Ose woke up, so I'm having a chat with her real quick."
He pauses before adding: "By the way, why didn't ya tell me this was all Auger's brilliant plan? You know I'm good at keeping secrets!"
Yardrat glances at Bael, baffled, while continuing to conjure lines of eviscerating spatial attacks upon the frontline enemies.
"What plan? What are you on about?"
Bael lightly slaps Yardrat's back and chuckles.
"Aw, man. Good one, Yardy-boy! What plan? Hah! You're a real kick in the pants sometimes!"
Yardrat pauses his fighting to stare at Bael for three full seconds in absolute confusion. Then he turns and walks away, muttering something under his breath about that guy being off his rocker ever since he body-swapped.
Bael jumps back into combat, having finally figured out the 'true' reason for coming here. As for Ose, she mentally slumps to the 'floor' of Bael's Mind Realm, drained by the idiocy she's just endured.
But, at least now she better understands the actual situation.
Ose sets aside her anger and rage. She closes her eyes and focuses, thinking about what she's actually learned. Her swift mind allows her to combine the new, albeit potentially unreliable intel she obtained from Bael, with her pre-existing theories.
Mephisto is ascending to Demon Deity. Glinch must be working to train up an army of Emperors... for some reason. Perhaps Mephisto threatens his interests or something. Ugh. If only I could just speak directly to someone not named Bael. If ONLY I had made my soul interface capable of projecting my voice outwards. Stupid, stupid!
Ose begins to feel glum.
She looks up at the sky, her senses able to detect anything around the Matriarch Armor within a 360 degree sphere.
She gazes at the waning sun, the ashen clouds of the Stitched Wasteland only blocking some of her view toward space.
I have to be more proactive. I can't just blame Bael. It's not his fault he was born with the IQ of a dead slug. I mean, it's a LITTLE bit his fault... but he can't really help being unable to retain information for longer than five nanoseconds. If I'd simply planned out my existence post-mortem, I might still manage to retain some influence over the Hells.
Ose becomes momentarily depressed. She begins to wonder if these things even truly matter.
She's dead.
She's unlikely to ever again walk the plane of existence.
She's not powerful anymore. All she has left is a fragment of a soul and her intellect formed during her 100,000+ years of life.
But that depression quickly fades away as she firms her resolve.
Ose is many things. She's easily annoyed by idiocy, temperamental, stuck up, and a bit of a viper, but she isn't mentally weak. Her willpower is formidable, and it was forged by the life she's endured, as well as the actions her adoptive mother took to empower her in her youth.
I don't need a body or magic to remain relevant. Ose thinks. I still have my intellect. Even if I can't taste good food or lounge on a comfortable bed, I still have ambitions. I want to continue expanding my influence.
She rubs her chin and looks thoughtfully at the battle around her.
Bael's an idiot. But he's also easy to manipulate and control. And nobody would ever expect him to accomplish much. That means the humans, the other demons, and especially the Volgrim will underestimate him.
Hmm.
Perhaps I can turn this situation to my advantage.
Her attention pivots to Glinch's laboratory, still more than a hundred miles away.
I wonder if the Stitched Emperor might be able to help my situation, too? It's certainly worth a shot.
So many possibilities...
Ose will never bow to the universe's will, so long as she retains her mental faculties.
She will never surrender.
submitted by Klokinator to HFY [link] [comments]
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(Previous Part)
(Part 001)
...
After every Demon Duke pops one of Glinch's pills, they begin to evolve. The change shocks the Emperors to their cores. Yardrat prepared himself for the inevitability that these incredible pills would do the unthinkable, but seeing it happen in real-time is very different from imagining the concept in his head.
He and the other leaders, movers, and shakers of the Four Hells who came along can only watch numbly as Vespera, Rhesus, Hamir, Vepar, and all the other Dukes explode in strength, smashing through their limiters to ascend to the realm of Demon Emperor.
Their bodies glow with power. They fall to their knees and roar to the heavens, delighted in achieving that which they previously thought was unattainable.
In an instant, the balance of power across every Hell shifts, yet few even know of that which has just transpired, and fewer still take the time to think clearly about what this will surely mean in the coming days, weeks, months, and years.
If they cannot defeat Mephisto, it won't matter if they have six Emperors or six hundred. The power of a Demon Deity will crush them all into dust, with nothing left behind, aside from their dying screams.
As for the fifty newly ascended Emperors, their names and titles are numerous, almost numbing to dwell on. Among them are a smattering of renowned individuals, such as:
Vepar, the Corrosive Emperor.
Vespera, the Emperor of Nebulae.
Rhesus, the Emperor of Ripping.
Hamir, the Emperor of Tempests.
As well as numerous others.
The moment they ascend, their titles become known to all demons who gaze upon them. They need not speak these titles, as if having been named directly by the Creator himself. In the entire history of demonkind, few have managed to shroud their true names, the most notable individual being Gressil, who hid his Emperor-level strength until the time was right for others to know.
But these newly risen Emperors have neither a need nor a desire to hide their powerful new titles. They look at one another and grin evilly, excited to begin wielding their abilities as soon as possible.
After distributing half of the pills, Yardrat finds that he still has more than forty left. He turns to Emperor Melody.
"It wouldn't be appropriate for me to hold onto the rest." He says. "My Hell already has more elites than everyone else. If we make it out of here alive, rebuild the Hell of Isolation with these."
The other Emperors blink in surprise at Yardrat's gesture of goodwill. Some of them feel it's a bit of a waste, but the longest lived Emperors and former Dukes ultimately don't bother to interrupt him.
Bael crosses his arms and nods.
"Good call, Yardy-boy. That's what Shax would want."
"Shax was a fine demon." Yardrat says, as Melody takes the pills from him. "His death has always weighed on my mind. If I can help his Hell with a small gesture like this, then I'll do so without thinking twice."
"Thank you." Melody says quietly, looking at Yardrat with a strange gaze. She pockets the pills and sighs.
Shax wasn't just a cool music-loving dude, but a kind demon who made countless friends. He never attacked or fought anybody undeservedly, and he based his Hell on the principles of friendship and cooperation. Even the demons who might not have gotten along with him still respected him. His death to the humans ruined the morale of many demons at the time.
"Don't thank me until we kill Mephisto and leave here alive." Yardrat says, turning his attention to the distant center of the Stitched wasteland. "Everyone, let's move out. And remember, those pills were not for our benefit. This is where the real fight begins."
The others nod grimly. They begin marching toward Glinch's lair, and as they walk, powerful chimera cross their paths at regular intervals. No longer do only two or three of Glinch's minions appear, but instead five and six at a time, each and every individual far too powerful for mere Emperors to defeat alone. They quickly get the impression Glinch has managed to raise entities capable of challenging 5th and perhaps even 6th-Level Psions.
With nearly sixty Emperors on their side, the swarm of demons begins moving forward with great haste.
Yardrat imbues his body with the power of space. He flickers around to deal massive damage to Glinch's chimera with punches that rip across dimensional spaces.
Fae flies into the air and rains bombs from above. She takes the initiative to attack distant enemies with her strongest bombs, weakening and softening them up for her allies to take on later.
Dagon and Vepar work together. With both of their powers having reached the bottom of the Emperor-level in strength, they melt, corrode, poison, and suffocate any enemies susceptible to their poison and acid attacks.
Nymph keeps away from the front-lines. Due to Glinch's wasteland ruining any vines or plants she summons within seconds, she instead focuses on popping out plants sporadically to yank allies out of the line of attacks, or merely irritating her enemies by momentarily tripping them with vine shackles around their ankles.
Kristoff focuses on dealing damage and draining Glinch's chimeras of their blood. Any injuries he inflicts tend to bleed heavily, especially when he focuses his mind on doing so.
Serena uses her magic to boost dozens of newly ascended low-Emperors to mid and high tier Emperors, making their powers considerably more deadly. She also keeps her eyes out for invisible threats or other troublesome soul fluctuations.
Crow stays on the front-lines. Her incredibly durable body allows her to retain the title of the mightiest melee attacker among all the demons present.
Melody focuses on defense. Instead of trying to kill the chimeras, she leaves that business to the superior damage-dealers and instead uses her shockwaves to fling her enemies around and batter their attacks aside.
Vespera plays a versatile role, sometimes summoning shadowy minions to assist the others, sometimes jumping into battle herself to cut chimeras down, and other times teleporting around through the various shadows to distract the different enemies.
Rhesus becomes far stronger after evolving. Despite being hesitant to bother with the pills, he is no different from the other demons in his desire to mutate to Emperor, and the permanent strength increase he obtains puts him second only to Crow herself. Perhaps given time he will even surpass her as his power approaches the apex of the Emperor level!
And finally, Bael swings his flail with reckless abandon. He batters any enemy that jumps in front of him without any thought to strategy or planning. He ends up attacking with a strength not far behind Yardrat, dealing the killing blow to more than a few of Glinch's monsters.
For hours, the demon elites beat and batter their way past dozens of highly enhanced creatures, becoming more and more cognizant of the fact that if Glinch wanted them dead, he could merely command his chimera to swarm them and they wouldn't stand a chance of survival. It causes the smarter elites to shudder when they realize Glinch possesses military strength greater than the combined might of all Seven Hells, even after their ascension!
However, Bael is not one of those highly intelligent elites. He doesn't give these matters much thought. He merely continues beating the shit out of his enemies, pausing once in a while to rest his weary body and swap out with the other Emperors nearby as they fight with all their might to push toward the center of the Stitched Wasteland.
At some point, while Bael does his thing, a spiritual sense awakens from within the Matriarch's Armor.
Emperor Ose's remnant soul sliver opens her eyes and returns to the physical realm, unaware of what has been going on since she began resting. With what remains of her former self, she isn't able to stay awake for days and weeks like she could when she was still alive. She has to sleep frequently, lest her soul dissipate from straining itself. She awakens to find that Bael is no longer meandering around on Tarus II or hanging out in her secret demonic base. Instead, he's become engaged in some sort of incredible high-stakes battle, along with dozens of other mighty demon elites!
Ose blinks several times. She says nothing to Bael, but uses what's left of her spiritual senses to try and get a sense of the other demons around her.
Hm? So many Emperors... what happened over the last few days? Have I been unconscious for longer than I anticipated?
She gazes at Vespera, Rhesus, and Vepar, her eyes widening as she recognizes the permanent status of their new Emperor rank.
Devils! Has the Wordsmith's Belial Booster become more effective? How in the Seven Hells can there be fifty brand new Emperors out of nowhere?
She identifies the former Dukes with ease, having once been intimately familiar with the elites of the Seven Hells.
This is... the Stitched Wasteland? Why is everyone going against Glinch? No, more importantly, why do his minions appear to be so much more powerful than I remember? I heard they were at the level of Emperors, but now it seems they must be higher than Emperors, but lower than Demon Deities. Perhaps half-step Deities? Or simply Emperor-level souls contained within much stronger bodies?
Ose doesn't immediately decide to question Bael. She doesn't even alert him to the fact she's awakened. He's a moron anyway, so talking to him won't provide her with much more info than if she simply used her judgment to determine what's going on.
This is all so strange. Ose thinks. According to the Matriarch Armor's internal chronometer, I've only been asleep a single week, yet a frightening number of things have changed. Has a demon civil war erupted? Perhaps Glinch has decided to rebel against the Seven Hells, so Auger opted to put him down once and for all?
Her spiritual form shakes its head.
No. That isn't Glinch's style. He doesn't care about amassing power, or wealth, or fame and fortune. He doesn't care who rules the Seven Hells. He can't be bought, or bribed, or intimidated, or cowed into submission. Glinch does whatever Glinch wants to do, and not even the Volgrim can change his ways. Since his ability to manipulate bodies and souls is so formidable, the Volgrim have even lowered their heads to commission him on various top-secret R&D projects...
Ose narrows her eyes. Unlike the overwhelming majority of her kin, she is a demon who specializes in not only subterfuge and infiltration, but also high technology. She has stolen many peeks at the Volgrim's Black Level projects in a manner most discreet. Not even the High Technopaths were able to discover her breaches.
If Glinch isn't rebelling, then... could it be that this fierce battle isn't what it seems on the surface?
She pieces together multiple clues at blinding speeds.
Look at how Glinch's army only moves toward the assault force in groups of two or three. They could easily swarm Yardrat and the others, but they don't. That means Glinch is holding back.
She nods to herself.
Coupled with the fact that so many Emperors have ascended... ahhhh...
Ose forms a hypothesis, mulls it over, and smiles to herself.
So it's like that. Glinch must have been commissioned or requested by Auger to improve the fighting capabilities of the Seven Hells. Perhaps he developed some secret new method to uplift demons to the rank of Emperor at Auger's request, and now he's helping battle-forge these new elites. A sound strategy, considering the Wordsmith's rapid rise to power.
Ose ultimately comes to the wrong conclusion, but based on purely the different observable clues in her field of vision, the guess is quite good. She comes to assume that this is part of a secret training exercise intended to build up Hell's forces and churn out powerful fighters capable of pressing against the Wordsmith's bulwark.
Beelzebub isn't here. Ose thinks. None of the Second Hell's residents either. The Hell of Lust must have become quite intimate with the humans, which makes sense. Unlike the other Hells, they rely on fornication with humans to uplift their bodies and souls. The two make for optimal allies.
She checks out the allied forces again, this time paying attention to the specific demons present.
It seems not a single demon that has shown sympathies toward the Wordsmiths has come along. Melody is here all alone. Her Hell always was at least somewhat aligned with humanity, but Melody herself won't be particularly attached to non-demons. Yama isn't here... he must still be at large, along with Mephisto.
Unaware of the fates which befell Mephisto, Yama, and several other demons over the past week, Ose unfortunately misses a few important clues, but that can hardly be blamed on her.
Kristoff, Vespera, and Rhesus. Is this all that remains of the Hell of Blood? Perhaps they left their remaining Dukes behind as a reserve force, or perhaps those members will be uplifted later. I wonder what Auger is thinking, raising so many Emperors at once. He won't be able to keep news of their ascensions a secret for long. The Wordsmith will find out, and he'll become immediately suspicious provided he has an IQ five points higher than Bael.
As her thoughts drift to Bael, Ose finally decides to open up to him.
[Hey, idiot. I'm awake. What's going on here?]
Bael swings Big Bonk at the head of a fifteen-foot-tall brutish monster not unlike the one he first fought when he entered the Stitched Wasteland, but this one possesses a turtle-like shell on its back, making it specially resistant to heavy attacks.
"Huh?" Bael asks, after retracting his flail. "Oh, Ose! You're awake! Gimme a few minutes, I gotta pound some punks!"
Ose rolls her eyes. [No need for that. Just take a few steps back and talk to me. This training exercise isn't a life and death matter anyway.]
Bael pauses to consider her words. His jaw slackens a little as he tries to catch up with what she said.
"It... it's not?"
Some of the demons nearby Bael notice his attacks slowing. A couple even hear him talking to himself, but unable to hear Ose's voice, they just assume the poor galumpf must be having one of his ditsy moments. They quickly fill the gap lost by Bael's slowed momentum, leaving him to fall back even further.
[Of course not.] Ose says. [Tell me what this exercise is all about. How did Glinch uplift so many demons to the Rank of Emperor?]
Bael's eyes widen. "Wow, Ose! You just woke up and you already know Glinch did this? You're so smart!"
[I don't need your praise.] Ose says, annoyed. [Just tell me how Glinch raised fifty Emperors in only a week.]
"Ohh. Uh, he gave us special pills." Bael says. "Yeah, super strong stuff. Made my titties bigger too."
Ose blinks. [What?]
"My titties. They got real big. Didn't grow my ding-dong back though..."
Bael eyes fill with tears as he remembers the sadness he felt when his pants remained uninflated.
[Moron! I don't care about y-your mammary expansion! What sorts of pills were they? How did Glinch make them?]
Ose's growing frustration, as always, proves impossible to keep out of her voice. Bael doesn't seem to mind.
"Oh I dunno. Kristoff said something about x-beats and blood." Bael explains absentmindedly. "Why? You wanna grow bigger soul-titties too?"
[NO!] Ose roars. [I don't care about my boob size, you nimrod! FOCUS! What 'x-beats' are you talking about? Do you mean EXOBEASTS?]
A light seems to go off in Bael's eyes.
"Ohh, right! Yeah! X-O beasts! Like uh, X-O-X-O. Kissing beasts! I'm so silly. Can't believe I forgot that."
Ose closes her eyes and makes punching motions toward an invisible wall.
I'm gonna kill him. She thinks. I'm going to kill Bael and torture his soul for all eternity if I EVER figure out a way to bring myself back.
She clenches her jaw and opens her eyes.
[Bael. Does the Wordsmith know about Auger's plan yet?]
Bael scrunches up his face.
"Uhhh... Auger's... plan?"
[Yes. His plan to create more Emperors.] Ose clarifies. [He's working with Glinch, yes?]
"He is?!" Bael gasps. "Wow! Auger's so smart. I'd never have thought of that. This sure explains a lot."
Invisible question marks pop up above Ose's head. She squints her eyes as if trying to look inside Bael's head and locate his pebble-sized brain amidst a galaxy-sized void of emptiness.
[So... does... the Wordsmith... know?] Ose asks through gritted teeth.
"Nah. Doubt it." Bael says, waving his hands nonchalantly. "Unless..."
[Unless?] Ose asks.
"Unless it's all part of Auger's brilliant plan." Bael concludes, nodding to himself. "Damn. How is everyone so smart? And I thought we were coming here to kill Mephisto."
Ose's face freezes. A feeling like cracked ice washes across her soul.
[Me...phisto? You're here to kill Mephisto?]
"I dunno." Bael shrugs. "I thought we were coming here to kill him. But this must be part of Auger's plan to trick me and the others so he can make the Hells super strong. I guess all that stuff about Mephisto becoming a Demon Deity didn't mean anything after all. Thanks for helping me understand, Ose! You're the best!"
Bael gives Ose a HUGE mental thumbs up, grinning at her with the same level of stupid happiness he always does.
Ose's soul nearly implodes from the mental gymnastics Bael just unleashed upon her.
[Oh... devils...] Ose weeps. [Why... why couldn't I have been trapped with Auger... or Fenrir... or Gorn... even Serena! Why did I have to end up stuck with demonkind's biggest idiot?]
"It's probably just your bad karma." Bael grunts. "You were such a bad girl, taking all those dirty pics. The Creator had to punish ya."
[WHAT PICS?!] Ose snaps. [Bael, I'm going to turn your pea-brain into MUSH if you keep thinking such VILE thoughts!]
In the middle of Ose's raging, Yardrat fights his way to Bael's side.
"Bael! Is something wrong? Why have you stopped attacking? Are you exhausted?"
Bael blinks. He turns his attention to Yardrat.
"Huh? Nah, nah. Ose woke up, so I'm having a chat with her real quick."
He pauses before adding: "By the way, why didn't ya tell me this was all Auger's brilliant plan? You know I'm good at keeping secrets!"
Yardrat glances at Bael, baffled, while continuing to conjure lines of eviscerating spatial attacks upon the frontline enemies.
"What plan? What are you on about?"
Bael lightly slaps Yardrat's back and chuckles.
"Aw, man. Good one, Yardy-boy! What plan? Hah! You're a real kick in the pants sometimes!"
Yardrat pauses his fighting to stare at Bael for three full seconds in absolute confusion. Then he turns and walks away, muttering something under his breath about that guy being off his rocker ever since he body-swapped.
Bael jumps back into combat, having finally figured out the 'true' reason for coming here. As for Ose, she mentally slumps to the 'floor' of Bael's Mind Realm, drained by the idiocy she's just endured.
But, at least now she better understands the actual situation.
Ose sets aside her anger and rage. She closes her eyes and focuses, thinking about what she's actually learned. Her swift mind allows her to combine the new, albeit potentially unreliable intel she obtained from Bael, with her pre-existing theories.
Mephisto is ascending to Demon Deity. Glinch must be working to train up an army of Emperors... for some reason. Perhaps Mephisto threatens his interests or something. Ugh. If only I could just speak directly to someone not named Bael. If ONLY I had made my soul interface capable of projecting my voice outwards. Stupid, stupid!
Ose begins to feel glum.
She looks up at the sky, her senses able to detect anything around the Matriarch Armor within a 360 degree sphere.
She gazes at the waning sun, the ashen clouds of the Stitched Wasteland only blocking some of her view toward space.
I have to be more proactive. I can't just blame Bael. It's not his fault he was born with the IQ of a dead slug. I mean, it's a LITTLE bit his fault... but he can't really help being unable to retain information for longer than five nanoseconds. If I'd simply planned out my existence post-mortem, I might still manage to retain some influence over the Hells.
Ose becomes momentarily depressed. She begins to wonder if these things even truly matter.
She's dead.
She's unlikely to ever again walk the plane of existence.
She's not powerful anymore. All she has left is a fragment of a soul and her intellect formed during her 100,000+ years of life.
But that depression quickly fades away as she firms her resolve.
Ose is many things. She's easily annoyed by idiocy, temperamental, stuck up, and a bit of a viper, but she isn't mentally weak. Her willpower is formidable, and it was forged by the life she's endured, as well as the actions her adoptive mother took to empower her in her youth.
I don't need a body or magic to remain relevant. Ose thinks. I still have my intellect. Even if I can't taste good food or lounge on a comfortable bed, I still have ambitions. I want to continue expanding my influence.
She rubs her chin and looks thoughtfully at the battle around her.
Bael's an idiot. But he's also easy to manipulate and control. And nobody would ever expect him to accomplish much. That means the humans, the other demons, and especially the Volgrim will underestimate him.
Hmm.
Perhaps I can turn this situation to my advantage.
Her attention pivots to Glinch's laboratory, still more than a hundred miles away.
I wonder if the Stitched Emperor might be able to help my situation, too? It's certainly worth a shot.
So many possibilities...
Ose will never bow to the universe's will, so long as she retains her mental faculties.
She will never surrender.
2023.06.08 21:47 Klokinator Cryopod Refresh 494: Intellect Awakens
After every Demon Duke pops one of Glinch's pills, they begin to evolve. The change shocks the Emperors to their cores. Yardrat prepared himself for the inevitability that these incredible pills would do the unthinkable, but seeing it happen in real-time is very different from imagining the concept in his head.
He and the other leaders, movers, and shakers of the Four Hells who came along can only watch numbly as Vespera, Rhesus, Hamir, Vepar, and all the other Dukes explode in strength, smashing through their limiters to ascend to the realm of Demon Emperor.
Their bodies glow with power. They fall to their knees and roar to the heavens, delighted in achieving that which they previously thought was unattainable.
In an instant, the balance of power across every Hell shifts, yet few even know of that which has just transpired, and fewer still take the time to think clearly about what this will surely mean in the coming days, weeks, months, and years.
If they cannot defeat Mephisto, it won't matter if they have six Emperors or six hundred. The power of a Demon Deity will crush them all into dust, with nothing left behind, aside from their dying screams.
As for the fifty newly ascended Emperors, their names and titles are numerous, almost numbing to dwell on. Among them are a smattering of renowned individuals, such as:
Vepar, the Corrosive Emperor.
Vespera, the Emperor of Nebulae.
Rhesus, the Emperor of Ripping.
Hamir, the Emperor of Tempests.
As well as numerous others.
The moment they ascend, their titles become known to all demons who gaze upon them. They need not speak these titles, as if having been named directly by the Creator himself. In the entire history of demonkind, few have managed to shroud their true names, the most notable individual being Gressil, who hid his Emperor-level strength until the time was right for others to know.
But these newly risen Emperors have neither a need nor a desire to hide their powerful new titles. They look at one another and grin evilly, excited to begin wielding their abilities as soon as possible.
After distributing half of the pills, Yardrat finds that he still has more than forty left. He turns to Emperor Melody.
"It wouldn't be appropriate for me to hold onto the rest." He says. "My Hell already has more elites than everyone else. If we make it out of here alive, rebuild the Hell of Isolation with these."
The other Emperors blink in surprise at Yardrat's gesture of goodwill. Some of them feel it's a bit of a waste, but the longest lived Emperors and former Dukes ultimately don't bother to interrupt him.
Bael crosses his arms and nods.
"Good call, Yardy-boy. That's what Shax would want."
"Shax was a fine demon." Yardrat says, as Melody takes the pills from him. "His death has always weighed on my mind. If I can help his Hell with a small gesture like this, then I'll do so without thinking twice."
"Thank you." Melody says quietly, looking at Yardrat with a strange gaze. She pockets the pills and sighs.
Shax wasn't just a cool music-loving dude, but a kind demon who made countless friends. He never attacked or fought anybody undeservedly, and he based his Hell on the principles of friendship and cooperation. Even the demons who might not have gotten along with him still respected him. His death to the humans ruined the morale of many demons at the time.
"Don't thank me until we kill Mephisto and leave here alive." Yardrat says, turning his attention to the distant center of the Stitched wasteland. "Everyone, let's move out. And remember, those pills were not for our benefit. This is where the real fight begins."
The others nod grimly. They begin marching toward Glinch's lair, and as they walk, powerful chimera cross their paths at regular intervals. No longer do only two or three of Glinch's minions appear, but instead five and six at a time, each and every individual far too powerful for mere Emperors to defeat alone. They quickly get the impression Glinch has managed to raise entities capable of challenging 5th and perhaps even 6th-Level Psions.
With nearly sixty Emperors on their side, the swarm of demons begins moving forward with great haste.
Yardrat imbues his body with the power of space. He flickers around to deal massive damage to Glinch's chimera with punches that rip across dimensional spaces.
Fae flies into the air and rains bombs from above. She takes the initiative to attack distant enemies with her strongest bombs, weakening and softening them up for her allies to take on later.
Dagon and Vepar work together. With both of their powers having reached the bottom of the Emperor-level in strength, they melt, corrode, poison, and suffocate any enemies susceptible to their poison and acid attacks.
Nymph keeps away from the front-lines. Due to Glinch's wasteland ruining any vines or plants she summons within seconds, she instead focuses on popping out plants sporadically to yank allies out of the line of attacks, or merely irritating her enemies by momentarily tripping them with vine shackles around their ankles.
Kristoff focuses on dealing damage and draining Glinch's chimeras of their blood. Any injuries he inflicts tend to bleed heavily, especially when he focuses his mind on doing so.
Serena uses her magic to boost dozens of newly ascended low-Emperors to mid and high tier Emperors, making their powers considerably more deadly. She also keeps her eyes out for invisible threats or other troublesome soul fluctuations.
Crow stays on the front-lines. Her incredibly durable body allows her to retain the title of the mightiest melee attacker among all the demons present.
Melody focuses on defense. Instead of trying to kill the chimeras, she leaves that business to the superior damage-dealers and instead uses her shockwaves to fling her enemies around and batter their attacks aside.
Vespera plays a versatile role, sometimes summoning shadowy minions to assist the others, sometimes jumping into battle herself to cut chimeras down, and other times teleporting around through the various shadows to distract the different enemies.
Rhesus becomes far stronger after evolving. Despite being hesitant to bother with the pills, he is no different from the other demons in his desire to mutate to Emperor, and the permanent strength increase he obtains puts him second only to Crow herself. Perhaps given time he will even surpass her as his power approaches the apex of the Emperor level!
And finally, Bael swings his flail with reckless abandon. He batters any enemy that jumps in front of him without any thought to strategy or planning. He ends up attacking with a strength not far behind Yardrat, dealing the killing blow to more than a few of Glinch's monsters.
For hours, the demon elites beat and batter their way past dozens of highly enhanced creatures, becoming more and more cognizant of the fact that if Glinch wanted them dead, he could merely command his chimera to swarm them and they wouldn't stand a chance of survival. It causes the smarter elites to shudder when they realize Glinch possesses military strength greater than the combined might of all Seven Hells, even after their ascension!
However, Bael is not one of those highly intelligent elites. He doesn't give these matters much thought. He merely continues beating the shit out of his enemies, pausing once in a while to rest his weary body and swap out with the other Emperors nearby as they fight with all their might to push toward the center of the Stitched Wasteland.
At some point, while Bael does his thing, a spiritual sense awakens from within the Matriarch's Armor.
Emperor Ose's remnant soul sliver opens her eyes and returns to the physical realm, unaware of what has been going on since she began resting. With what remains of her former self, she isn't able to stay awake for days and weeks like she could when she was still alive. She has to sleep frequently, lest her soul dissipate from straining itself. She awakens to find that Bael is no longer meandering around on Tarus II or hanging out in her secret demonic base. Instead, he's become engaged in some sort of incredible high-stakes battle, along with dozens of other mighty demon elites!
Ose blinks several times. She says nothing to Bael, but uses what's left of her spiritual senses to try and get a sense of the other demons around her.
Hm? So many Emperors... what happened over the last few days? Have I been unconscious for longer than I anticipated?
She gazes at Vespera, Rhesus, and Vepar, her eyes widening as she recognizes the permanent status of their new Emperor rank.
Devils! Has the Wordsmith's Belial Booster become more effective? How in the Seven Hells can there be fifty brand new Emperors out of nowhere?
She identifies the former Dukes with ease, having once been intimately familiar with the elites of the Seven Hells.
This is... the Stitched Wasteland? Why is everyone going against Glinch? No, more importantly, why do his minions appear to be so much more powerful than I remember? I heard they were at the level of Emperors, but now it seems they must be higher than Emperors, but lower than Demon Deities. Perhaps half-step Deities? Or simply Emperor-level souls contained within much stronger bodies?
Ose doesn't immediately decide to question Bael. She doesn't even alert him to the fact she's awakened. He's a moron anyway, so talking to him won't provide her with much more info than if she simply used her judgment to determine what's going on.
This is all so strange. Ose thinks. According to the Matriarch Armor's internal chronometer, I've only been asleep a single week, yet a frightening number of things have changed. Has a demon civil war erupted? Perhaps Glinch has decided to rebel against the Seven Hells, so Auger opted to put him down once and for all?
Her spiritual form shakes its head.
No. That isn't Glinch's style. He doesn't care about amassing power, or wealth, or fame and fortune. He doesn't care who rules the Seven Hells. He can't be bought, or bribed, or intimidated, or cowed into submission. Glinch does whatever Glinch wants to do, and not even the Volgrim can change his ways. Since his ability to manipulate bodies and souls is so formidable, the Volgrim have even lowered their heads to commission him on various top-secret R&D projects...
Ose narrows her eyes. Unlike the overwhelming majority of her kin, she is a demon who specializes in not only subterfuge and infiltration, but also high technology. She has stolen many peeks at the Volgrim's Black Level projects in a manner most discreet. Not even the High Technopaths were able to discover her breaches.
If Glinch isn't rebelling, then... could it be that this fierce battle isn't what it seems on the surface?
She pieces together multiple clues at blinding speeds.
Look at how Glinch's army only moves toward the assault force in groups of two or three. They could easily swarm Yardrat and the others, but they don't. That means Glinch is holding back.
She nods to herself.
Coupled with the fact that so many Emperors have ascended... ahhhh...
Ose forms a hypothesis, mulls it over, and smiles to herself.
So it's like that. Glinch must have been commissioned or requested by Auger to improve the fighting capabilities of the Seven Hells. Perhaps he developed some secret new method to uplift demons to the rank of Emperor at Auger's request, and now he's helping battle-forge these new elites. A sound strategy, considering the Wordsmith's rapid rise to power.
Ose ultimately comes to the wrong conclusion, but based on purely the different observable clues in her field of vision, the guess is quite good. She comes to assume that this is part of a secret training exercise intended to build up Hell's forces and churn out powerful fighters capable of pressing against the Wordsmith's bulwark.
Beelzebub isn't here. Ose thinks. None of the Second Hell's residents either. The Hell of Lust must have become quite intimate with the humans, which makes sense. Unlike the other Hells, they rely on fornication with humans to uplift their bodies and souls. The two make for optimal allies.
She checks out the allied forces again, this time paying attention to the specific demons present.
It seems not a single demon that has shown sympathies toward the Wordsmiths has come along. Melody is here all alone. Her Hell always was at least somewhat aligned with humanity, but Melody herself won't be particularly attached to non-demons. Yama isn't here... he must still be at large, along with Mephisto.
Unaware of the fates which befell Mephisto, Yama, and several other demons over the past week, Ose unfortunately misses a few important clues, but that can hardly be blamed on her.
Kristoff, Vespera, and Rhesus. Is this all that remains of the Hell of Blood? Perhaps they left their remaining Dukes behind as a reserve force, or perhaps those members will be uplifted later. I wonder what Auger is thinking, raising so many Emperors at once. He won't be able to keep news of their ascensions a secret for long. The Wordsmith will find out, and he'll become immediately suspicious provided he has an IQ five points higher than Bael.
As her thoughts drift to Bael, Ose finally decides to open up to him.
[Hey, idiot. I'm awake. What's going on here?]
Bael swings Big Bonk at the head of a fifteen-foot-tall brutish monster not unlike the one he first fought when he entered the Stitched Wasteland, but this one possesses a turtle-like shell on its back, making it specially resistant to heavy attacks.
"Huh?" Bael asks, after retracting his flail. "Oh, Ose! You're awake! Gimme a few minutes, I gotta pound some punks!"
Ose rolls her eyes. [No need for that. Just take a few steps back and talk to me. This training exercise isn't a life and death matter anyway.]
Bael pauses to consider her words. His jaw slackens a little as he tries to catch up with what she said.
"It... it's not?"
Some of the demons nearby Bael notice his attacks slowing. A couple even hear him talking to himself, but unable to hear Ose's voice, they just assume the poor galumpf must be having one of his ditsy moments. They quickly fill the gap lost by Bael's slowed momentum, leaving him to fall back even further.
[Of course not.] Ose says. [Tell me what this exercise is all about. How did Glinch uplift so many demons to the Rank of Emperor?]
Bael's eyes widen. "Wow, Ose! You just woke up and you already know Glinch did this? You're so smart!"
[I don't need your praise.] Ose says, annoyed. [Just tell me how Glinch raised fifty Emperors in only a week.]
"Ohh. Uh, he gave us special pills." Bael says. "Yeah, super strong stuff. Made my titties bigger too."
Ose blinks. [What?]
"My titties. They got real big. Didn't grow my ding-dong back though..."
Bael eyes fill with tears as he remembers the sadness he felt when his pants remained uninflated.
[Moron! I don't care about y-your mammary expansion! What sorts of pills were they? How did Glinch make them?]
Ose's growing frustration, as always, proves impossible to keep out of her voice. Bael doesn't seem to mind.
"Oh I dunno. Kristoff said something about x-beats and blood." Bael explains absentmindedly. "Why? You wanna grow bigger soul-titties too?"
[NO!] Ose roars. [I don't care about my boob size, you nimrod! FOCUS! What 'x-beats' are you talking about? Do you mean EXOBEASTS?]
A light seems to go off in Bael's eyes.
"Ohh, right! Yeah! X-O beasts! Like uh, X-O-X-O. Kissing beasts! I'm so silly. Can't believe I forgot that."
Ose closes her eyes and makes punching motions toward an invisible wall.
I'm gonna kill him. She thinks. I'm going to kill Bael and torture his soul for all eternity if I EVER figure out a way to bring myself back.
She clenches her jaw and opens her eyes.
[Bael. Does the Wordsmith know about Auger's plan yet?]
Bael scrunches up his face.
"Uhhh... Auger's... plan?"
[Yes. His plan to create more Emperors.] Ose clarifies. [He's working with Glinch, yes?]
"He is?!" Bael gasps. "Wow! Auger's so smart. I'd never have thought of that. This sure explains a lot."
Invisible question marks pop up above Ose's head. She squints her eyes as if trying to look inside Bael's head and locate his pebble-sized brain amidst a galaxy-sized void of emptiness.
[So... does... the Wordsmith... know?] Ose asks through gritted teeth.
"Nah. Doubt it." Bael says, waving his hands nonchalantly. "Unless..."
[Unless?] Ose asks.
"Unless it's all part of Auger's brilliant plan." Bael concludes, nodding to himself. "Damn. How is everyone so smart? And I thought we were coming here to kill Mephisto."
Ose's face freezes. A feeling like cracked ice washes across her soul.
[Me...phisto? You're here to kill Mephisto?]
"I dunno." Bael shrugs. "I thought we were coming here to kill him. But this must be part of Auger's plan to trick me and the others so he can make the Hells super strong. I guess all that stuff about Mephisto becoming a Demon Deity didn't mean anything after all. Thanks for helping me understand, Ose! You're the best!"
Bael gives Ose a HUGE mental thumbs up, grinning at her with the same level of stupid happiness he always does.
Ose's soul nearly implodes from the mental gymnastics Bael just unleashed upon her.
[Oh... devils...] Ose weeps. [Why... why couldn't I have been trapped with Auger... or Fenrir... or Gorn... even Serena! Why did I have to end up stuck with demonkind's biggest idiot?]
"It's probably just your bad karma." Bael grunts. "You were such a bad girl, taking all those dirty pics. The Creator had to punish ya."
[WHAT PICS?!] Ose snaps. [Bael, I'm going to turn your pea-brain into MUSH if you keep thinking such VILE thoughts!]
In the middle of Ose's raging, Yardrat fights his way to Bael's side.
"Bael! Is something wrong? Why have you stopped attacking? Are you exhausted?"
Bael blinks. He turns his attention to Yardrat.
"Huh? Nah, nah. Ose woke up, so I'm having a chat with her real quick."
He pauses before adding: "By the way, why didn't ya tell me this was all Auger's brilliant plan? You know I'm good at keeping secrets!"
Yardrat glances at Bael, baffled, while continuing to conjure lines of eviscerating spatial attacks upon the frontline enemies.
"What plan? What are you on about?"
Bael lightly slaps Yardrat's back and chuckles.
"Aw, man. Good one, Yardy-boy! What plan? Hah! You're a real kick in the pants sometimes!"
Yardrat pauses his fighting to stare at Bael for three full seconds in absolute confusion. Then he turns and walks away, muttering something under his breath about that guy being off his rocker ever since he body-swapped.
Bael jumps back into combat, having finally figured out the 'true' reason for coming here. As for Ose, she mentally slumps to the 'floor' of Bael's Mind Realm, drained by the idiocy she's just endured.
But, at least now she better understands the actual situation.
Ose sets aside her anger and rage. She closes her eyes and focuses, thinking about what she's actually learned. Her swift mind allows her to combine the new, albeit potentially unreliable intel she obtained from Bael, with her pre-existing theories.
Mephisto is ascending to Demon Deity. Glinch must be working to train up an army of Emperors... for some reason. Perhaps Mephisto threatens his interests or something. Ugh. If only I could just speak directly to someone not named Bael. If ONLY I had made my soul interface capable of projecting my voice outwards. Stupid, stupid!
Ose begins to feel glum.
She looks up at the sky, her senses able to detect anything around the Matriarch Armor within a 360 degree sphere.
She gazes at the waning sun, the ashen clouds of the Stitched Wasteland only blocking some of her view toward space.
I have to be more proactive. I can't just blame Bael. It's not his fault he was born with the IQ of a dead slug. I mean, it's a LITTLE bit his fault... but he can't really help being unable to retain information for longer than five nanoseconds. If I'd simply planned out my existence post-mortem, I might still manage to retain some influence over the Hells.
Ose becomes momentarily depressed. She begins to wonder if these things even truly matter.
She's dead.
She's unlikely to ever again walk the plane of existence.
She's not powerful anymore. All she has left is a fragment of a soul and her intellect formed during her 100,000+ years of life.
But that depression quickly fades away as she firms her resolve.
Ose is many things. She's easily annoyed by idiocy, temperamental, stuck up, and a bit of a viper, but she isn't mentally weak. Her willpower is formidable, and it was forged by the life she's endured, as well as the actions her adoptive mother took to empower her in her youth.
I don't need a body or magic to remain relevant. Ose thinks. I still have my intellect. Even if I can't taste good food or lounge on a comfortable bed, I still have ambitions. I want to continue expanding my influence.
She rubs her chin and looks thoughtfully at the battle around her.
Bael's an idiot. But he's also easy to manipulate and control. And nobody would ever expect him to accomplish much. That means the humans, the other demons, and especially the Volgrim will underestimate him.
Hmm.
Perhaps I can turn this situation to my advantage.
Her attention pivots to Glinch's laboratory, still more than a hundred miles away.
I wonder if the Stitched Emperor might be able to help my situation, too? It's certainly worth a shot.
So many possibilities...
Ose will never bow to the universe's will, so long as she retains her mental faculties.
She will never surrender.
submitted by Klokinator to TheCryopodToHell [link] [comments]
He and the other leaders, movers, and shakers of the Four Hells who came along can only watch numbly as Vespera, Rhesus, Hamir, Vepar, and all the other Dukes explode in strength, smashing through their limiters to ascend to the realm of Demon Emperor.
Their bodies glow with power. They fall to their knees and roar to the heavens, delighted in achieving that which they previously thought was unattainable.
In an instant, the balance of power across every Hell shifts, yet few even know of that which has just transpired, and fewer still take the time to think clearly about what this will surely mean in the coming days, weeks, months, and years.
If they cannot defeat Mephisto, it won't matter if they have six Emperors or six hundred. The power of a Demon Deity will crush them all into dust, with nothing left behind, aside from their dying screams.
As for the fifty newly ascended Emperors, their names and titles are numerous, almost numbing to dwell on. Among them are a smattering of renowned individuals, such as:
Vepar, the Corrosive Emperor.
Vespera, the Emperor of Nebulae.
Rhesus, the Emperor of Ripping.
Hamir, the Emperor of Tempests.
As well as numerous others.
The moment they ascend, their titles become known to all demons who gaze upon them. They need not speak these titles, as if having been named directly by the Creator himself. In the entire history of demonkind, few have managed to shroud their true names, the most notable individual being Gressil, who hid his Emperor-level strength until the time was right for others to know.
But these newly risen Emperors have neither a need nor a desire to hide their powerful new titles. They look at one another and grin evilly, excited to begin wielding their abilities as soon as possible.
After distributing half of the pills, Yardrat finds that he still has more than forty left. He turns to Emperor Melody.
"It wouldn't be appropriate for me to hold onto the rest." He says. "My Hell already has more elites than everyone else. If we make it out of here alive, rebuild the Hell of Isolation with these."
The other Emperors blink in surprise at Yardrat's gesture of goodwill. Some of them feel it's a bit of a waste, but the longest lived Emperors and former Dukes ultimately don't bother to interrupt him.
Bael crosses his arms and nods.
"Good call, Yardy-boy. That's what Shax would want."
"Shax was a fine demon." Yardrat says, as Melody takes the pills from him. "His death has always weighed on my mind. If I can help his Hell with a small gesture like this, then I'll do so without thinking twice."
"Thank you." Melody says quietly, looking at Yardrat with a strange gaze. She pockets the pills and sighs.
Shax wasn't just a cool music-loving dude, but a kind demon who made countless friends. He never attacked or fought anybody undeservedly, and he based his Hell on the principles of friendship and cooperation. Even the demons who might not have gotten along with him still respected him. His death to the humans ruined the morale of many demons at the time.
"Don't thank me until we kill Mephisto and leave here alive." Yardrat says, turning his attention to the distant center of the Stitched wasteland. "Everyone, let's move out. And remember, those pills were not for our benefit. This is where the real fight begins."
The others nod grimly. They begin marching toward Glinch's lair, and as they walk, powerful chimera cross their paths at regular intervals. No longer do only two or three of Glinch's minions appear, but instead five and six at a time, each and every individual far too powerful for mere Emperors to defeat alone. They quickly get the impression Glinch has managed to raise entities capable of challenging 5th and perhaps even 6th-Level Psions.
With nearly sixty Emperors on their side, the swarm of demons begins moving forward with great haste.
Yardrat imbues his body with the power of space. He flickers around to deal massive damage to Glinch's chimera with punches that rip across dimensional spaces.
Fae flies into the air and rains bombs from above. She takes the initiative to attack distant enemies with her strongest bombs, weakening and softening them up for her allies to take on later.
Dagon and Vepar work together. With both of their powers having reached the bottom of the Emperor-level in strength, they melt, corrode, poison, and suffocate any enemies susceptible to their poison and acid attacks.
Nymph keeps away from the front-lines. Due to Glinch's wasteland ruining any vines or plants she summons within seconds, she instead focuses on popping out plants sporadically to yank allies out of the line of attacks, or merely irritating her enemies by momentarily tripping them with vine shackles around their ankles.
Kristoff focuses on dealing damage and draining Glinch's chimeras of their blood. Any injuries he inflicts tend to bleed heavily, especially when he focuses his mind on doing so.
Serena uses her magic to boost dozens of newly ascended low-Emperors to mid and high tier Emperors, making their powers considerably more deadly. She also keeps her eyes out for invisible threats or other troublesome soul fluctuations.
Crow stays on the front-lines. Her incredibly durable body allows her to retain the title of the mightiest melee attacker among all the demons present.
Melody focuses on defense. Instead of trying to kill the chimeras, she leaves that business to the superior damage-dealers and instead uses her shockwaves to fling her enemies around and batter their attacks aside.
Vespera plays a versatile role, sometimes summoning shadowy minions to assist the others, sometimes jumping into battle herself to cut chimeras down, and other times teleporting around through the various shadows to distract the different enemies.
Rhesus becomes far stronger after evolving. Despite being hesitant to bother with the pills, he is no different from the other demons in his desire to mutate to Emperor, and the permanent strength increase he obtains puts him second only to Crow herself. Perhaps given time he will even surpass her as his power approaches the apex of the Emperor level!
And finally, Bael swings his flail with reckless abandon. He batters any enemy that jumps in front of him without any thought to strategy or planning. He ends up attacking with a strength not far behind Yardrat, dealing the killing blow to more than a few of Glinch's monsters.
For hours, the demon elites beat and batter their way past dozens of highly enhanced creatures, becoming more and more cognizant of the fact that if Glinch wanted them dead, he could merely command his chimera to swarm them and they wouldn't stand a chance of survival. It causes the smarter elites to shudder when they realize Glinch possesses military strength greater than the combined might of all Seven Hells, even after their ascension!
However, Bael is not one of those highly intelligent elites. He doesn't give these matters much thought. He merely continues beating the shit out of his enemies, pausing once in a while to rest his weary body and swap out with the other Emperors nearby as they fight with all their might to push toward the center of the Stitched Wasteland.
At some point, while Bael does his thing, a spiritual sense awakens from within the Matriarch's Armor.
Emperor Ose's remnant soul sliver opens her eyes and returns to the physical realm, unaware of what has been going on since she began resting. With what remains of her former self, she isn't able to stay awake for days and weeks like she could when she was still alive. She has to sleep frequently, lest her soul dissipate from straining itself. She awakens to find that Bael is no longer meandering around on Tarus II or hanging out in her secret demonic base. Instead, he's become engaged in some sort of incredible high-stakes battle, along with dozens of other mighty demon elites!
Ose blinks several times. She says nothing to Bael, but uses what's left of her spiritual senses to try and get a sense of the other demons around her.
Hm? So many Emperors... what happened over the last few days? Have I been unconscious for longer than I anticipated?
She gazes at Vespera, Rhesus, and Vepar, her eyes widening as she recognizes the permanent status of their new Emperor rank.
Devils! Has the Wordsmith's Belial Booster become more effective? How in the Seven Hells can there be fifty brand new Emperors out of nowhere?
She identifies the former Dukes with ease, having once been intimately familiar with the elites of the Seven Hells.
This is... the Stitched Wasteland? Why is everyone going against Glinch? No, more importantly, why do his minions appear to be so much more powerful than I remember? I heard they were at the level of Emperors, but now it seems they must be higher than Emperors, but lower than Demon Deities. Perhaps half-step Deities? Or simply Emperor-level souls contained within much stronger bodies?
Ose doesn't immediately decide to question Bael. She doesn't even alert him to the fact she's awakened. He's a moron anyway, so talking to him won't provide her with much more info than if she simply used her judgment to determine what's going on.
This is all so strange. Ose thinks. According to the Matriarch Armor's internal chronometer, I've only been asleep a single week, yet a frightening number of things have changed. Has a demon civil war erupted? Perhaps Glinch has decided to rebel against the Seven Hells, so Auger opted to put him down once and for all?
Her spiritual form shakes its head.
No. That isn't Glinch's style. He doesn't care about amassing power, or wealth, or fame and fortune. He doesn't care who rules the Seven Hells. He can't be bought, or bribed, or intimidated, or cowed into submission. Glinch does whatever Glinch wants to do, and not even the Volgrim can change his ways. Since his ability to manipulate bodies and souls is so formidable, the Volgrim have even lowered their heads to commission him on various top-secret R&D projects...
Ose narrows her eyes. Unlike the overwhelming majority of her kin, she is a demon who specializes in not only subterfuge and infiltration, but also high technology. She has stolen many peeks at the Volgrim's Black Level projects in a manner most discreet. Not even the High Technopaths were able to discover her breaches.
If Glinch isn't rebelling, then... could it be that this fierce battle isn't what it seems on the surface?
She pieces together multiple clues at blinding speeds.
Look at how Glinch's army only moves toward the assault force in groups of two or three. They could easily swarm Yardrat and the others, but they don't. That means Glinch is holding back.
She nods to herself.
Coupled with the fact that so many Emperors have ascended... ahhhh...
Ose forms a hypothesis, mulls it over, and smiles to herself.
So it's like that. Glinch must have been commissioned or requested by Auger to improve the fighting capabilities of the Seven Hells. Perhaps he developed some secret new method to uplift demons to the rank of Emperor at Auger's request, and now he's helping battle-forge these new elites. A sound strategy, considering the Wordsmith's rapid rise to power.
Ose ultimately comes to the wrong conclusion, but based on purely the different observable clues in her field of vision, the guess is quite good. She comes to assume that this is part of a secret training exercise intended to build up Hell's forces and churn out powerful fighters capable of pressing against the Wordsmith's bulwark.
Beelzebub isn't here. Ose thinks. None of the Second Hell's residents either. The Hell of Lust must have become quite intimate with the humans, which makes sense. Unlike the other Hells, they rely on fornication with humans to uplift their bodies and souls. The two make for optimal allies.
She checks out the allied forces again, this time paying attention to the specific demons present.
It seems not a single demon that has shown sympathies toward the Wordsmiths has come along. Melody is here all alone. Her Hell always was at least somewhat aligned with humanity, but Melody herself won't be particularly attached to non-demons. Yama isn't here... he must still be at large, along with Mephisto.
Unaware of the fates which befell Mephisto, Yama, and several other demons over the past week, Ose unfortunately misses a few important clues, but that can hardly be blamed on her.
Kristoff, Vespera, and Rhesus. Is this all that remains of the Hell of Blood? Perhaps they left their remaining Dukes behind as a reserve force, or perhaps those members will be uplifted later. I wonder what Auger is thinking, raising so many Emperors at once. He won't be able to keep news of their ascensions a secret for long. The Wordsmith will find out, and he'll become immediately suspicious provided he has an IQ five points higher than Bael.
As her thoughts drift to Bael, Ose finally decides to open up to him.
[Hey, idiot. I'm awake. What's going on here?]
Bael swings Big Bonk at the head of a fifteen-foot-tall brutish monster not unlike the one he first fought when he entered the Stitched Wasteland, but this one possesses a turtle-like shell on its back, making it specially resistant to heavy attacks.
"Huh?" Bael asks, after retracting his flail. "Oh, Ose! You're awake! Gimme a few minutes, I gotta pound some punks!"
Ose rolls her eyes. [No need for that. Just take a few steps back and talk to me. This training exercise isn't a life and death matter anyway.]
Bael pauses to consider her words. His jaw slackens a little as he tries to catch up with what she said.
"It... it's not?"
Some of the demons nearby Bael notice his attacks slowing. A couple even hear him talking to himself, but unable to hear Ose's voice, they just assume the poor galumpf must be having one of his ditsy moments. They quickly fill the gap lost by Bael's slowed momentum, leaving him to fall back even further.
[Of course not.] Ose says. [Tell me what this exercise is all about. How did Glinch uplift so many demons to the Rank of Emperor?]
Bael's eyes widen. "Wow, Ose! You just woke up and you already know Glinch did this? You're so smart!"
[I don't need your praise.] Ose says, annoyed. [Just tell me how Glinch raised fifty Emperors in only a week.]
"Ohh. Uh, he gave us special pills." Bael says. "Yeah, super strong stuff. Made my titties bigger too."
Ose blinks. [What?]
"My titties. They got real big. Didn't grow my ding-dong back though..."
Bael eyes fill with tears as he remembers the sadness he felt when his pants remained uninflated.
[Moron! I don't care about y-your mammary expansion! What sorts of pills were they? How did Glinch make them?]
Ose's growing frustration, as always, proves impossible to keep out of her voice. Bael doesn't seem to mind.
"Oh I dunno. Kristoff said something about x-beats and blood." Bael explains absentmindedly. "Why? You wanna grow bigger soul-titties too?"
[NO!] Ose roars. [I don't care about my boob size, you nimrod! FOCUS! What 'x-beats' are you talking about? Do you mean EXOBEASTS?]
A light seems to go off in Bael's eyes.
"Ohh, right! Yeah! X-O beasts! Like uh, X-O-X-O. Kissing beasts! I'm so silly. Can't believe I forgot that."
Ose closes her eyes and makes punching motions toward an invisible wall.
I'm gonna kill him. She thinks. I'm going to kill Bael and torture his soul for all eternity if I EVER figure out a way to bring myself back.
She clenches her jaw and opens her eyes.
[Bael. Does the Wordsmith know about Auger's plan yet?]
Bael scrunches up his face.
"Uhhh... Auger's... plan?"
[Yes. His plan to create more Emperors.] Ose clarifies. [He's working with Glinch, yes?]
"He is?!" Bael gasps. "Wow! Auger's so smart. I'd never have thought of that. This sure explains a lot."
Invisible question marks pop up above Ose's head. She squints her eyes as if trying to look inside Bael's head and locate his pebble-sized brain amidst a galaxy-sized void of emptiness.
[So... does... the Wordsmith... know?] Ose asks through gritted teeth.
"Nah. Doubt it." Bael says, waving his hands nonchalantly. "Unless..."
[Unless?] Ose asks.
"Unless it's all part of Auger's brilliant plan." Bael concludes, nodding to himself. "Damn. How is everyone so smart? And I thought we were coming here to kill Mephisto."
Ose's face freezes. A feeling like cracked ice washes across her soul.
[Me...phisto? You're here to kill Mephisto?]
"I dunno." Bael shrugs. "I thought we were coming here to kill him. But this must be part of Auger's plan to trick me and the others so he can make the Hells super strong. I guess all that stuff about Mephisto becoming a Demon Deity didn't mean anything after all. Thanks for helping me understand, Ose! You're the best!"
Bael gives Ose a HUGE mental thumbs up, grinning at her with the same level of stupid happiness he always does.
Ose's soul nearly implodes from the mental gymnastics Bael just unleashed upon her.
[Oh... devils...] Ose weeps. [Why... why couldn't I have been trapped with Auger... or Fenrir... or Gorn... even Serena! Why did I have to end up stuck with demonkind's biggest idiot?]
"It's probably just your bad karma." Bael grunts. "You were such a bad girl, taking all those dirty pics. The Creator had to punish ya."
[WHAT PICS?!] Ose snaps. [Bael, I'm going to turn your pea-brain into MUSH if you keep thinking such VILE thoughts!]
In the middle of Ose's raging, Yardrat fights his way to Bael's side.
"Bael! Is something wrong? Why have you stopped attacking? Are you exhausted?"
Bael blinks. He turns his attention to Yardrat.
"Huh? Nah, nah. Ose woke up, so I'm having a chat with her real quick."
He pauses before adding: "By the way, why didn't ya tell me this was all Auger's brilliant plan? You know I'm good at keeping secrets!"
Yardrat glances at Bael, baffled, while continuing to conjure lines of eviscerating spatial attacks upon the frontline enemies.
"What plan? What are you on about?"
Bael lightly slaps Yardrat's back and chuckles.
"Aw, man. Good one, Yardy-boy! What plan? Hah! You're a real kick in the pants sometimes!"
Yardrat pauses his fighting to stare at Bael for three full seconds in absolute confusion. Then he turns and walks away, muttering something under his breath about that guy being off his rocker ever since he body-swapped.
Bael jumps back into combat, having finally figured out the 'true' reason for coming here. As for Ose, she mentally slumps to the 'floor' of Bael's Mind Realm, drained by the idiocy she's just endured.
But, at least now she better understands the actual situation.
Ose sets aside her anger and rage. She closes her eyes and focuses, thinking about what she's actually learned. Her swift mind allows her to combine the new, albeit potentially unreliable intel she obtained from Bael, with her pre-existing theories.
Mephisto is ascending to Demon Deity. Glinch must be working to train up an army of Emperors... for some reason. Perhaps Mephisto threatens his interests or something. Ugh. If only I could just speak directly to someone not named Bael. If ONLY I had made my soul interface capable of projecting my voice outwards. Stupid, stupid!
Ose begins to feel glum.
She looks up at the sky, her senses able to detect anything around the Matriarch Armor within a 360 degree sphere.
She gazes at the waning sun, the ashen clouds of the Stitched Wasteland only blocking some of her view toward space.
I have to be more proactive. I can't just blame Bael. It's not his fault he was born with the IQ of a dead slug. I mean, it's a LITTLE bit his fault... but he can't really help being unable to retain information for longer than five nanoseconds. If I'd simply planned out my existence post-mortem, I might still manage to retain some influence over the Hells.
Ose becomes momentarily depressed. She begins to wonder if these things even truly matter.
She's dead.
She's unlikely to ever again walk the plane of existence.
She's not powerful anymore. All she has left is a fragment of a soul and her intellect formed during her 100,000+ years of life.
But that depression quickly fades away as she firms her resolve.
Ose is many things. She's easily annoyed by idiocy, temperamental, stuck up, and a bit of a viper, but she isn't mentally weak. Her willpower is formidable, and it was forged by the life she's endured, as well as the actions her adoptive mother took to empower her in her youth.
I don't need a body or magic to remain relevant. Ose thinks. I still have my intellect. Even if I can't taste good food or lounge on a comfortable bed, I still have ambitions. I want to continue expanding my influence.
She rubs her chin and looks thoughtfully at the battle around her.
Bael's an idiot. But he's also easy to manipulate and control. And nobody would ever expect him to accomplish much. That means the humans, the other demons, and especially the Volgrim will underestimate him.
Hmm.
Perhaps I can turn this situation to my advantage.
Her attention pivots to Glinch's laboratory, still more than a hundred miles away.
I wonder if the Stitched Emperor might be able to help my situation, too? It's certainly worth a shot.
So many possibilities...
Ose will never bow to the universe's will, so long as she retains her mental faculties.
She will never surrender.
2023.06.08 20:33 Acastersapricots Top 10 low-UPF diet essentials
Hey all! I’ve been going at this low-UPF thing now for a short while, and I thought I might share some ideas of items that have helped me immensely if you’re just starting out. These are just what work for me, so take everything with a pinch of salt!
1. A Freezer and Freezer Bags
This is probably the most important thing when it comes to actually being able to eat low-UPF while juggling work/school/life. Of course, almost everyone has a freezer, but keeping it in order and stocked with batch cooked meals removes the need for either constant cooking or the kind of preservatives found in UPF which allow the convenience to which we have become accustomed. I have a tiny freezer, so freezer bags have been much better for me than Tupperware at maximising space. If you’re eating low-UPF you’re likely using less plastic anyway, so don’t worry about it too much.
2. Good fridge storage
You’re going to be buying a bunch more fresh fruit and veg, as well as other fresh produce. Storing this well will elongate its life in your fridge, reducing both food waste and cost. Try storing food in containers with kitchen paper and a little water, which can keep food from drying out. This works particularly well for herbs. I like the IKEA 365 range as it’s versatile and will always be available if I need replacements.
3. A good flatbread recipe
I do buy and freeze a loaf of fresh bread from GAIL’s (UK non-UPF bakery) which lasts me about a month honestly. But I’m making flatbreads once a week at least. They’re delicious, they’re filling, they’re hard to find without UPF ingredients, they’re easy, they freeze well, and they make using leftovers easy as they work as wraps. Truly learning to make flatbreads has added value to my life. My husband loves them!
4. A stocked spice cabinet
A LOT of shop-bought sauces and condiments contain UPF. Pre-made marinades and stir-fry sauces are really hard to find too. I’ve been making my own dressings and marinades a BUNCH! Having adequate, delicious spices to hand has been amazingly important. My favourites for a quick easy meal are almost all Middle Eastern: I just find they can make any veg or meat or leftover rice taste good, especially with a little yoghurt and some parsley/mint thrown in. Ras El Hanout, Za’atar, sumac, Baharat, Shwarma spice mix, etc. Go to Indian/Middle Eastern shops to get these at reasonable prices. I mount my spices to the wall which helps with accessibility.
5. A well laid-out kitchen
This seems obvious, but you’re just not going to want to cook in a messy, confused, cluttered kitchen. Try to eradicate gadgets and utensils you just don’t use. Eating low-UPF means a loss of convenience, so you want to make cooking as convenient and easy as possible. Get a dishwasher if you can - you’re going to have more washing up than before. As I said, I mount my spices to the wall and keep NOVA 2 ingredients closely at hand and organised so that I can just cobble something together in 15/20 minutes.
6 - bags of snacks ready to go
For me, this means I keep a few freezer bags of cubed cheese, apple or pear slices and non-UPF crackers in the fridge and just throw one in my bag when I’m heading out. This means I have something to snack on and don’t have to resort to UPF snack options. Other great options are fruit leather (Bear brand in the UK - meant for kids but delightful and compact), nuts, berries, carrots and hummus, chocolate covered raisins/cranberries, veg crisps, etc. just keep them ready to go or you will find yourself hungry or munching on UPF crisps or something.
7 - cordials
One of the hardest things when eating low-UPF is drinks. I was so used to drinking diet sodas it was unreal. Having to suddenly stop and drink just water was sad. I keep a good amount of fresh cordials in my cupboard and add them to soda-stream water. You can also freeze lemon/mint/cordials in ice cubes which I’m told helps. I’m drinking more water than I ever did but it helps to be able to change it up.
8 - tinned fresh foods
Self explanatory really. It’s quick, easy, often has higher nutrient content to the fresh stuff, and allows quick food prep. They shouldn’t contain anything but fresh produce. Tinned tomatoes/passata are a must, and legumes like chickpeas etc are so helpful. Also great for making fresh hummus easily. I adore tinned fish. Cheap, delicious, and non-UPF. Check out cannedsardines for inspo.
9- Air Fryer
Not to be an air-fryer evangelist, but air fryers are fantastic. You can whip up crispy chips or chicken wings in a few minutes so no need for pre-made stuff. Really replaces the convenience that UPF offers. My favourites are crispy sweet potato bites, salmon bits, halloumi bites, potatoes in general, hard boiled eggs (!). I bought mine for £80 and it’s already paid for itself in reduced energy bills from oven usage.
10 - the right mentality
You’re probably not going to be able to 100% eradicate UPF from your diet if you have things to do other than cook, clean up and cook again. That’s ok. Things happen. Birthdays happen. Weddings happen. Nights out happen. Chocolate boxes at your gran’s. A drizzle of sriacha at a restaurant. A hangover. A summer’s day when you just need an ice cream.
UPF is bad for us all and it’s bad on a population level. It’s the single greatest factor contributing to obesity as far as I can tell. We have to be pushing for change and better labelling and policy and education and all the rest of it. But we live in a UPF world. It’s just not tenable for most of us to completely eradicate it. We CAN change our pattern of eating - the 95% of what we take in, to be low-UPF. I’ve done that, and I’m much better off for it. I’ve lost 30lbs without even trying, I have more energy and my relationship with food has never been better. I love cooking, I love eating, I love food and I just want to celebrate it more and love it for what it actually is - not imitation versions sold to me my multi-nationals. I also know I’m not going to be perfect, and that’s OK too. I want to live and eat with joy and freedom too, and I don’t want orthorexia or worse. Be kind to yourself!
I hope my tips help someone. I really have found eating this way to make so much sense to me. I hope it brings you the same joy too.
Images of some things in my kitchen for your possible interest
submitted by Acastersapricots to ultraprocessedfood [link] [comments]
1. A Freezer and Freezer Bags
This is probably the most important thing when it comes to actually being able to eat low-UPF while juggling work/school/life. Of course, almost everyone has a freezer, but keeping it in order and stocked with batch cooked meals removes the need for either constant cooking or the kind of preservatives found in UPF which allow the convenience to which we have become accustomed. I have a tiny freezer, so freezer bags have been much better for me than Tupperware at maximising space. If you’re eating low-UPF you’re likely using less plastic anyway, so don’t worry about it too much.
2. Good fridge storage
You’re going to be buying a bunch more fresh fruit and veg, as well as other fresh produce. Storing this well will elongate its life in your fridge, reducing both food waste and cost. Try storing food in containers with kitchen paper and a little water, which can keep food from drying out. This works particularly well for herbs. I like the IKEA 365 range as it’s versatile and will always be available if I need replacements.
3. A good flatbread recipe
I do buy and freeze a loaf of fresh bread from GAIL’s (UK non-UPF bakery) which lasts me about a month honestly. But I’m making flatbreads once a week at least. They’re delicious, they’re filling, they’re hard to find without UPF ingredients, they’re easy, they freeze well, and they make using leftovers easy as they work as wraps. Truly learning to make flatbreads has added value to my life. My husband loves them!
4. A stocked spice cabinet
A LOT of shop-bought sauces and condiments contain UPF. Pre-made marinades and stir-fry sauces are really hard to find too. I’ve been making my own dressings and marinades a BUNCH! Having adequate, delicious spices to hand has been amazingly important. My favourites for a quick easy meal are almost all Middle Eastern: I just find they can make any veg or meat or leftover rice taste good, especially with a little yoghurt and some parsley/mint thrown in. Ras El Hanout, Za’atar, sumac, Baharat, Shwarma spice mix, etc. Go to Indian/Middle Eastern shops to get these at reasonable prices. I mount my spices to the wall which helps with accessibility.
5. A well laid-out kitchen
This seems obvious, but you’re just not going to want to cook in a messy, confused, cluttered kitchen. Try to eradicate gadgets and utensils you just don’t use. Eating low-UPF means a loss of convenience, so you want to make cooking as convenient and easy as possible. Get a dishwasher if you can - you’re going to have more washing up than before. As I said, I mount my spices to the wall and keep NOVA 2 ingredients closely at hand and organised so that I can just cobble something together in 15/20 minutes.
6 - bags of snacks ready to go
For me, this means I keep a few freezer bags of cubed cheese, apple or pear slices and non-UPF crackers in the fridge and just throw one in my bag when I’m heading out. This means I have something to snack on and don’t have to resort to UPF snack options. Other great options are fruit leather (Bear brand in the UK - meant for kids but delightful and compact), nuts, berries, carrots and hummus, chocolate covered raisins/cranberries, veg crisps, etc. just keep them ready to go or you will find yourself hungry or munching on UPF crisps or something.
7 - cordials
One of the hardest things when eating low-UPF is drinks. I was so used to drinking diet sodas it was unreal. Having to suddenly stop and drink just water was sad. I keep a good amount of fresh cordials in my cupboard and add them to soda-stream water. You can also freeze lemon/mint/cordials in ice cubes which I’m told helps. I’m drinking more water than I ever did but it helps to be able to change it up.
8 - tinned fresh foods
Self explanatory really. It’s quick, easy, often has higher nutrient content to the fresh stuff, and allows quick food prep. They shouldn’t contain anything but fresh produce. Tinned tomatoes/passata are a must, and legumes like chickpeas etc are so helpful. Also great for making fresh hummus easily. I adore tinned fish. Cheap, delicious, and non-UPF. Check out cannedsardines for inspo.
9- Air Fryer
Not to be an air-fryer evangelist, but air fryers are fantastic. You can whip up crispy chips or chicken wings in a few minutes so no need for pre-made stuff. Really replaces the convenience that UPF offers. My favourites are crispy sweet potato bites, salmon bits, halloumi bites, potatoes in general, hard boiled eggs (!). I bought mine for £80 and it’s already paid for itself in reduced energy bills from oven usage.
10 - the right mentality
You’re probably not going to be able to 100% eradicate UPF from your diet if you have things to do other than cook, clean up and cook again. That’s ok. Things happen. Birthdays happen. Weddings happen. Nights out happen. Chocolate boxes at your gran’s. A drizzle of sriacha at a restaurant. A hangover. A summer’s day when you just need an ice cream.
UPF is bad for us all and it’s bad on a population level. It’s the single greatest factor contributing to obesity as far as I can tell. We have to be pushing for change and better labelling and policy and education and all the rest of it. But we live in a UPF world. It’s just not tenable for most of us to completely eradicate it. We CAN change our pattern of eating - the 95% of what we take in, to be low-UPF. I’ve done that, and I’m much better off for it. I’ve lost 30lbs without even trying, I have more energy and my relationship with food has never been better. I love cooking, I love eating, I love food and I just want to celebrate it more and love it for what it actually is - not imitation versions sold to me my multi-nationals. I also know I’m not going to be perfect, and that’s OK too. I want to live and eat with joy and freedom too, and I don’t want orthorexia or worse. Be kind to yourself!
I hope my tips help someone. I really have found eating this way to make so much sense to me. I hope it brings you the same joy too.
Images of some things in my kitchen for your possible interest
2023.06.08 19:17 therubykisses 16 Sorcellerie Apothecary Reviews!
I come bearing all the Sorcellerie Apothecary scents I have tried thus far! This includes some of the new scents, along with discontinued scents, and current scents. I pay attention to the longevity and strength of a scent and make note of things that required me to put nose to skin to smell.
Things I don’t like: green scents, floral scents, fresh/clean scents, faint scents
Things I do like: vanillas, red musks, fruits, complex gourmands (as in, I don’t want to smell like cake, but I like scents with sweet notes mixed with musks, resins, incense, etc.) honey scents, woodsy scents, strong scents
I don't typically rate all scents, but I will rate my 5 Star scents. I try to mention who would gravitate towards a certain scent.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Strings of Light in the Forest: Vanilla milkshake, vetiver, lavender, beeswax absolute, golden orbs of amber, Ambroxan
This is a favorite of mine from this shop. There’s something about that milkshake note (not overly lactonic) paired with vetiver. It brings this smoky dark velveteen feel to this, paired with a very lovely smooth amber that is truly golden (not musky/limey amber). This is a cozy scent, warm, gourmand without being too sweet. Has some good throw, I can smell it waft around me. My husband said this one smells vaguely like rich dark chocolate brownies to him because he couldn’t quite figure out what he was smelling, but he knew he liked it. I don't get brownies from it, but whatever floats his boat LOL. 5/5 FS - complex gourmand amber vanilla lovers
~
She's A Witch: Pizzelle cookies studded with anise seeds and dusted with powdered sugar; heliotrope, soft woods, musk
I got a lot of anise in this scent, made sweeter with the cookie aspect. A nice perfume in a general sense, especially if you are a fan of anise. The heliotrope elevates this to more than just a gourmand scent, but it isn’t enough to change that this is an anise cookie scent at its core.
Cookie fans / anise lovers.
~
Snow Moon Magic: Best-selling Moon Magic gets extra cozy for winter with the addition of fluffy marshmallow, a house tincture of Tahitian vanilla beans, and gooey cookie butter
One of my favorite scents from SA. While this is gourmand, is has a very elegant, rich lean to it from the sugared lavender in the base notes of Moon Magic. Definitely not your typical marshmallow scent, so if you just want ‘sugary marshmallow’ you are probably better off with 2am in Lafayette for that! This scent comes off as a dark chai tea vanilla with those gorgeous spices uplifting it, heavy and lofty all at once. The sugared lavender in Moon Magic elevates this scent to the next level without making it an offensive in your face lavender scent. This scent is strong and does tend to float around you in a pleasant scent bubble. 5/5
Complex spiced vanilla fans.
~
Something Wicked: Vanilla, patchouli, sandalwood, whiskey
Oddly enough, I couldn’t really pick up this scent. I got vague hints of extremely quiet whiskey vanilla. This is one of two scents I had trouble picking up from this house. I’ve never really had this problem at another shop, so it must be a nose thing with certain ingredients used!
~
We Are All Stardust: Sandalwood nut co2, Australian sandalwood, beeswax absolute, Iso E Super, Ambroxan, labdanum, vanilla
The labdanum in this scent comes off as a limey amber note to me and I don’t think I exactly love it. This is a muskier, chewy sort of woodsy scent. The beeswax gives that chewy/waxy feel, but I think I’m really picking up the sharp labdanum as the forefront of this, backed by sandalwood. This isn’t a sweet scent, but nor is it completely woodsy. If you want a cozy warm scent and enjoy labdanum and sandalwood, this should be a good one for you. My husband likes it on me, but I don’t think it’s my style.
Unisex, woodsy cozy fans. Labdanum lovers.
~
What Big Eyes You Have: Immortelle absolute, lemon meringue pie, pearlescent vanilla musk
Another absolute star of a scent. Quite possibly my favorite, I bought this as a full size without knowing what it smelled like and never once regretted it. In fact, my 3.7ml bottle is almost gone, so I will be buying more. I have a strange history with lemon scents; while I love the idea of a lemon bar or a lemony cake, most places smell of straight up Lemon Pledge cleaning supplies to me. Not so with this scent. Huzzah, amiright?
This is truly a bright, uplifting creamy lemon that sings of summer days in the sunlight. It’s a gourmand lemon without going too sugary sweet or childish. Very mature and elegant. A definite crowd pleaser, something that is work friendly. I take it on business trips. It’s a true vanilla lemon that leans almost like a creamy custard, yet is still very tart, like a lemon curd. No sharp, overbearing citrus-feel to be found. Impressive longevity and throw for me, this sticks around all day when I wear it and people do notice it and give compliments. FS 5/5
Sophisticated lemon pie lovers, summer scent fans
~
Between The Sheets: Figs, cream, beeswax absolute, cashmere, wool, skin musk
I really wanted to love this, but alas, the Figs were green and sharp! I figured this would be a creamier, sweeter fig, which is what I like, but this was definitely a green, more herbal fig. There is something cold, almost mint-like in this scent and I cannot figure out where it is coming from. The cashmere gives this a butter-mint feel, chewy and fluffy on the skin, but that green fig is very much there, you can’t avoid it. If you like less gourmand scents, this one comes off with a more herbal / green lean to me with tiny hints of gourmand to it.
Green fig fans, those who don't want a sweet fig scent.
~
F$ckery: Luxardo cherry, caramelized sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, sandalwood, tobacco absolute, smoke, night air, clean sheets
Actually couldn’t smell this perfume at all. I have heard of other people having the same problem, while others absolutely love this scent. I’m assuming there is something about this particular perfume that people can or cannot smell.
~
2 AM in Lafayette: Vanilla co2, oakmoss, cafe au lait, ribbons of caramel, beignets dusted with powdered sugar
Oddly enough, this one reminds me of Kyse’s famous Delizia di Marshmallow perfume. This is a very gourmand scent, with the powdered sugar really being present, giving that powerful Marshmallow feel. There is a vague aroma of baked goods, but for the most part I get strong, straight-up fluffy marshmallow vibes from this one.
Super sweet gourmand fans, marshmallow lovers.
~
Reduced to a Thing That Wants You: Yellow mandarin, pink pepper, tuberose, vanilla bean, marshmallow cream, sandalwood, nutmeg, sheer amber, warm skin and clean sheets
This is a very soft, gentle perfume. I notice the yellow mandarin on the forefront, along with a tiny spark of pink pepper. It isn’t overly peppery, there’s only a touch. The marshmallow cream isn’t too sweet or sugary, but gentles the mandarin by giving it a mandarin ice cream feel. This is a unique scent, not overly gourmand nor overtly fruity, as it also has a dry woods aspect to it as well, although very soft. This scent is pretty darn faint. I like it, but I prefer something more noticeable. This is one that you need to press your nose to your skin to smell.
Fans of soft scents, not overly gourmand. Gentle fruit with hints of pepper.
~
Sit For A Spell: Salted cantaloupe, a light drizzle of wild rosemary honey, fresh spring air, ambrette seed, and winding honeysuckle vines
This is a lovely scent, but it definitely straddles fruit and floral. I love the smell of the salted cantaloupe in this! So beautiful, absolutely reminds me of how the salted honeydew lolly tastes at Lollies by Leah. However, this scent eventually goes more fresh and floral on my skin, with the cantaloupe becoming more quiet and in the background. I think the spring air and the vines are very present here as this dries down, which quickly makes this a fresh aromatic scent instead of a more fruity scent.
Fruit & floral fans unite, though more fresh floral than fruit.
~
Love and Complications: Brown sugar, sweetened condensed milk, plumeria, passionfruit and soft woods
Beautiful brown sugared passionfruit scent. If you like passionfruit notes, this one is absolutely for you. It’s sweet and fruity, sophisticated and not artificial whatsoever. I also don’t notice the condensed milk, so I don’t find anything lactonic in this perfume. Just a lovely sweetened passionfruit with a tiny pop of dry woods in the background.
Sweet fruit fans, gourmand fruit. Passionfruit lovers.
~
Falling Stars (mean you are with me): A super-cozy, rich and warm blend of black coffee, almond cream, sandalwood, natural oud, palo santo oil, tonka bean absolute, and vanilla bean
~Black: I wasn’t sure this would be for me since I am not a huge fan of coffee perfumes, but I wanted to try it anyway. This is the ultimate coffee scent, seeing as it smells like I rolled in really dark espresso coffee grounds. If you want a strong, in your face coffee scent, get the Black version of this scent.
~Marshmallow Cloud: This one is a much quieter version of the above. I can sense something sweet and soft in it (the marshmallow), but the coffee feel is still there. This scent was really soft on me, I had to put my nose to arm to smell it. If you don’t want really aggressive coffee notes, you will likely enjoy this. It’s coffee with a marshmallow creamer in it.
Coffee fans all over the place.
~
Good at Being Bad: Dark, salted vanilla, buttercream, a swirl of honey, and a whisper of jasmine
This is another scent I have as a FS already. I love the strength and longevity on it. Very warm, cozy, and heavy on the skin with a nice scent bubble around you. This is a thick, rich vanilla with a darker buttercream. This isn’t ‘sugary’ or tooth-rottingly sweet. This is a rich vanilla that feels grown-up while being tasty. The jasmine is not forefront, but elevates this to ‘something more’ than just a dark salted vanilla buttercream. I think the jasmine ends up making this interesting without turning it green or herbal at all. Gourmand scent, dark vanilla vibes. FS 5/5
Complex vanilla fans.
~
UFO Disco: Mango lassi sprinkled with cardamom, guava, amyris wood and a holographic vanilla musk
Yet another scent I have FS of! This is the mango version of What Big Eyes You Have and I absolutely adore it, though they both give off similar vibes. This has a very tart, bright mango lassi feel with big pops of guava. This is also a scent that people have complimented me on while I was wearing it, once again saying, ‘whatever you wear, you smell of summer!’ If you like mango scents, I honestly don’t think you can go wrong with this one. It’s a lovely, happy scent. 5/5 FS
Mango fans, mango lassi fans, fruit & cream fans.
~
Frostbitten: An opening of evergreen forest gilded with sparkling snow dries down to reveal a super-sexy blend of cardamom, white and dripping golden amber, a hint of caramelized sugar, and a memory of a just-bitten maraschino cherry
As one would expect, this is a very cold scent, giving you the feel of being in a forest in the middle of winter, all alone in the dark with the full moon above. I didn’t find this to be gourmand whatsoever, despite some of the notes. The evergreen is definitely there, so this is icy, coniferous, with just a hint of non-sweet cherry in the background for a tiny bite of color. Cold, green, hint of cherry.
Fans of cold coniferous scents.
submitted by therubykisses to Indiemakeupandmore [link] [comments]
Things I don’t like: green scents, floral scents, fresh/clean scents, faint scents
Things I do like: vanillas, red musks, fruits, complex gourmands (as in, I don’t want to smell like cake, but I like scents with sweet notes mixed with musks, resins, incense, etc.) honey scents, woodsy scents, strong scents
I don't typically rate all scents, but I will rate my 5 Star scents. I try to mention who would gravitate towards a certain scent.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Strings of Light in the Forest: Vanilla milkshake, vetiver, lavender, beeswax absolute, golden orbs of amber, Ambroxan
This is a favorite of mine from this shop. There’s something about that milkshake note (not overly lactonic) paired with vetiver. It brings this smoky dark velveteen feel to this, paired with a very lovely smooth amber that is truly golden (not musky/limey amber). This is a cozy scent, warm, gourmand without being too sweet. Has some good throw, I can smell it waft around me. My husband said this one smells vaguely like rich dark chocolate brownies to him because he couldn’t quite figure out what he was smelling, but he knew he liked it. I don't get brownies from it, but whatever floats his boat LOL. 5/5 FS - complex gourmand amber vanilla lovers
~
She's A Witch: Pizzelle cookies studded with anise seeds and dusted with powdered sugar; heliotrope, soft woods, musk
I got a lot of anise in this scent, made sweeter with the cookie aspect. A nice perfume in a general sense, especially if you are a fan of anise. The heliotrope elevates this to more than just a gourmand scent, but it isn’t enough to change that this is an anise cookie scent at its core.
Cookie fans / anise lovers.
~
Snow Moon Magic: Best-selling Moon Magic gets extra cozy for winter with the addition of fluffy marshmallow, a house tincture of Tahitian vanilla beans, and gooey cookie butter
One of my favorite scents from SA. While this is gourmand, is has a very elegant, rich lean to it from the sugared lavender in the base notes of Moon Magic. Definitely not your typical marshmallow scent, so if you just want ‘sugary marshmallow’ you are probably better off with 2am in Lafayette for that! This scent comes off as a dark chai tea vanilla with those gorgeous spices uplifting it, heavy and lofty all at once. The sugared lavender in Moon Magic elevates this scent to the next level without making it an offensive in your face lavender scent. This scent is strong and does tend to float around you in a pleasant scent bubble. 5/5
Complex spiced vanilla fans.
~
Something Wicked: Vanilla, patchouli, sandalwood, whiskey
Oddly enough, I couldn’t really pick up this scent. I got vague hints of extremely quiet whiskey vanilla. This is one of two scents I had trouble picking up from this house. I’ve never really had this problem at another shop, so it must be a nose thing with certain ingredients used!
~
We Are All Stardust: Sandalwood nut co2, Australian sandalwood, beeswax absolute, Iso E Super, Ambroxan, labdanum, vanilla
The labdanum in this scent comes off as a limey amber note to me and I don’t think I exactly love it. This is a muskier, chewy sort of woodsy scent. The beeswax gives that chewy/waxy feel, but I think I’m really picking up the sharp labdanum as the forefront of this, backed by sandalwood. This isn’t a sweet scent, but nor is it completely woodsy. If you want a cozy warm scent and enjoy labdanum and sandalwood, this should be a good one for you. My husband likes it on me, but I don’t think it’s my style.
Unisex, woodsy cozy fans. Labdanum lovers.
~
What Big Eyes You Have: Immortelle absolute, lemon meringue pie, pearlescent vanilla musk
Another absolute star of a scent. Quite possibly my favorite, I bought this as a full size without knowing what it smelled like and never once regretted it. In fact, my 3.7ml bottle is almost gone, so I will be buying more. I have a strange history with lemon scents; while I love the idea of a lemon bar or a lemony cake, most places smell of straight up Lemon Pledge cleaning supplies to me. Not so with this scent. Huzzah, amiright?
This is truly a bright, uplifting creamy lemon that sings of summer days in the sunlight. It’s a gourmand lemon without going too sugary sweet or childish. Very mature and elegant. A definite crowd pleaser, something that is work friendly. I take it on business trips. It’s a true vanilla lemon that leans almost like a creamy custard, yet is still very tart, like a lemon curd. No sharp, overbearing citrus-feel to be found. Impressive longevity and throw for me, this sticks around all day when I wear it and people do notice it and give compliments. FS 5/5
Sophisticated lemon pie lovers, summer scent fans
~
Between The Sheets: Figs, cream, beeswax absolute, cashmere, wool, skin musk
I really wanted to love this, but alas, the Figs were green and sharp! I figured this would be a creamier, sweeter fig, which is what I like, but this was definitely a green, more herbal fig. There is something cold, almost mint-like in this scent and I cannot figure out where it is coming from. The cashmere gives this a butter-mint feel, chewy and fluffy on the skin, but that green fig is very much there, you can’t avoid it. If you like less gourmand scents, this one comes off with a more herbal / green lean to me with tiny hints of gourmand to it.
Green fig fans, those who don't want a sweet fig scent.
~
F$ckery: Luxardo cherry, caramelized sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, sandalwood, tobacco absolute, smoke, night air, clean sheets
Actually couldn’t smell this perfume at all. I have heard of other people having the same problem, while others absolutely love this scent. I’m assuming there is something about this particular perfume that people can or cannot smell.
~
2 AM in Lafayette: Vanilla co2, oakmoss, cafe au lait, ribbons of caramel, beignets dusted with powdered sugar
Oddly enough, this one reminds me of Kyse’s famous Delizia di Marshmallow perfume. This is a very gourmand scent, with the powdered sugar really being present, giving that powerful Marshmallow feel. There is a vague aroma of baked goods, but for the most part I get strong, straight-up fluffy marshmallow vibes from this one.
Super sweet gourmand fans, marshmallow lovers.
~
Reduced to a Thing That Wants You: Yellow mandarin, pink pepper, tuberose, vanilla bean, marshmallow cream, sandalwood, nutmeg, sheer amber, warm skin and clean sheets
This is a very soft, gentle perfume. I notice the yellow mandarin on the forefront, along with a tiny spark of pink pepper. It isn’t overly peppery, there’s only a touch. The marshmallow cream isn’t too sweet or sugary, but gentles the mandarin by giving it a mandarin ice cream feel. This is a unique scent, not overly gourmand nor overtly fruity, as it also has a dry woods aspect to it as well, although very soft. This scent is pretty darn faint. I like it, but I prefer something more noticeable. This is one that you need to press your nose to your skin to smell.
Fans of soft scents, not overly gourmand. Gentle fruit with hints of pepper.
~
Sit For A Spell: Salted cantaloupe, a light drizzle of wild rosemary honey, fresh spring air, ambrette seed, and winding honeysuckle vines
This is a lovely scent, but it definitely straddles fruit and floral. I love the smell of the salted cantaloupe in this! So beautiful, absolutely reminds me of how the salted honeydew lolly tastes at Lollies by Leah. However, this scent eventually goes more fresh and floral on my skin, with the cantaloupe becoming more quiet and in the background. I think the spring air and the vines are very present here as this dries down, which quickly makes this a fresh aromatic scent instead of a more fruity scent.
Fruit & floral fans unite, though more fresh floral than fruit.
~
Love and Complications: Brown sugar, sweetened condensed milk, plumeria, passionfruit and soft woods
Beautiful brown sugared passionfruit scent. If you like passionfruit notes, this one is absolutely for you. It’s sweet and fruity, sophisticated and not artificial whatsoever. I also don’t notice the condensed milk, so I don’t find anything lactonic in this perfume. Just a lovely sweetened passionfruit with a tiny pop of dry woods in the background.
Sweet fruit fans, gourmand fruit. Passionfruit lovers.
~
Falling Stars (mean you are with me): A super-cozy, rich and warm blend of black coffee, almond cream, sandalwood, natural oud, palo santo oil, tonka bean absolute, and vanilla bean
~Black: I wasn’t sure this would be for me since I am not a huge fan of coffee perfumes, but I wanted to try it anyway. This is the ultimate coffee scent, seeing as it smells like I rolled in really dark espresso coffee grounds. If you want a strong, in your face coffee scent, get the Black version of this scent.
~Marshmallow Cloud: This one is a much quieter version of the above. I can sense something sweet and soft in it (the marshmallow), but the coffee feel is still there. This scent was really soft on me, I had to put my nose to arm to smell it. If you don’t want really aggressive coffee notes, you will likely enjoy this. It’s coffee with a marshmallow creamer in it.
Coffee fans all over the place.
~
Good at Being Bad: Dark, salted vanilla, buttercream, a swirl of honey, and a whisper of jasmine
This is another scent I have as a FS already. I love the strength and longevity on it. Very warm, cozy, and heavy on the skin with a nice scent bubble around you. This is a thick, rich vanilla with a darker buttercream. This isn’t ‘sugary’ or tooth-rottingly sweet. This is a rich vanilla that feels grown-up while being tasty. The jasmine is not forefront, but elevates this to ‘something more’ than just a dark salted vanilla buttercream. I think the jasmine ends up making this interesting without turning it green or herbal at all. Gourmand scent, dark vanilla vibes. FS 5/5
Complex vanilla fans.
~
UFO Disco: Mango lassi sprinkled with cardamom, guava, amyris wood and a holographic vanilla musk
Yet another scent I have FS of! This is the mango version of What Big Eyes You Have and I absolutely adore it, though they both give off similar vibes. This has a very tart, bright mango lassi feel with big pops of guava. This is also a scent that people have complimented me on while I was wearing it, once again saying, ‘whatever you wear, you smell of summer!’ If you like mango scents, I honestly don’t think you can go wrong with this one. It’s a lovely, happy scent. 5/5 FS
Mango fans, mango lassi fans, fruit & cream fans.
~
Frostbitten: An opening of evergreen forest gilded with sparkling snow dries down to reveal a super-sexy blend of cardamom, white and dripping golden amber, a hint of caramelized sugar, and a memory of a just-bitten maraschino cherry
As one would expect, this is a very cold scent, giving you the feel of being in a forest in the middle of winter, all alone in the dark with the full moon above. I didn’t find this to be gourmand whatsoever, despite some of the notes. The evergreen is definitely there, so this is icy, coniferous, with just a hint of non-sweet cherry in the background for a tiny bite of color. Cold, green, hint of cherry.
Fans of cold coniferous scents.
2023.06.08 14:00 AutoModerator Start here! Beginner info & weekly 'no question is dumb' thread! - Jun 08, 2023
Welcome! We are a subreddit devoted to caring for curly, kinky, coily, and wavy hair.
Curly hair tends to be super dry, thanks to sulfates, the harsh detergents in shampoo. So we remove sulfates from the routine.
The problem is that only sulfates can wash away certain ingredients, like silicones, so we remove those too, leaving only ingredients that can be washed away with JUST water.
The CG method mostly focuses around removing both sulfates and silicones and replacing them with gentler products, along with some techniques to help our curls form and stick together!
Saying a product is CG then says that it follows these guidelines. Check out the wiki & sidebar for more info!
submitted by AutoModerator to curlyhair [link] [comments]
Where do I start?
The "I just want to get started" package:- Super simple beginner routine
- Only drugstore products, total cost: ~$15
- Teaches curl-enhancing techniques
- Build a foundation first and then tweak it later!
- Infographic version here
- Check out our CG guidebook, starting with these pages:
- Intro to the Curly Girl/Guy method
- Super simple beginner routine & the infographic that goes along with it
- Sidebar links (on reddit mobile: this is the "About" tab)
- Holy grail product list
- International (non-USA) product list
- La Guía Definitiva del Método Curly Girl/Guy, traducción por u/medusa-rulos
I'm confused! How can I get help?
- Ask a question in this thread!
- Check the FAQ!
- Make a new post Tips to get useful responses (help us help you!):
- Let us know whether you read the wiki & beginner routine (and share what you tried!)
- Ask specific questions.
- Give us lots of info about what you currently do to your hair. Your goals, specific current products, and how you wash/style it are all useful to us.
What is the Curly Girl/Guy method (aka CG method)?
The CG method is a haircare method that is specifically geared towards curls and waves.Curly hair tends to be super dry, thanks to sulfates, the harsh detergents in shampoo. So we remove sulfates from the routine.
The problem is that only sulfates can wash away certain ingredients, like silicones, so we remove those too, leaving only ingredients that can be washed away with JUST water.
The CG method mostly focuses around removing both sulfates and silicones and replacing them with gentler products, along with some techniques to help our curls form and stick together!
Saying a product is CG then says that it follows these guidelines. Check out the wiki & sidebar for more info!
How can I tell if a product is CG-approved?
- Copy/paste ingredient checkers: These will tell you if your product's ingredient list is CG-approved and why.
- Pick a product from our lists: All the products in the beginner products list are CG. Products in the holy grail list are marked as CG or not.
2023.06.08 09:32 thehoneycolony Eco-Friendly Scented Candles: Sustainable and Non-Toxic Options for a Greener Home
 | In today's world, where environmental consciousness is on the rise, finding sustainable and non-toxic alternatives for everyday products is essential. When it comes to scented candles, traditional options can often have a negative impact on the environment and indoor air quality. However, there is a growing trend towards eco-friendly scented candles that offer a greener and healthier choice for your home. In this article, we will explore the benefits of eco-friendly scented candles, and the rise of sustainable options, and introduce you to The Honey Colony, your source for eco-friendly scented candles. submitted by thehoneycolony to u/thehoneycolony [link] [comments] https://preview.redd.it/yfa0ydcoyq4b1.jpg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c87230c223bb832a9bf3f992e5c31f4bf5b77865 The Environmental Impact of Traditional Scented Candles Traditional scented candles are typically made from paraffin wax, a petroleum by-product. The production and burning of paraffin candles release harmful chemicals into the air, contributing to air pollution and indoor air quality issues. Additionally, the use of synthetic fragrances and dyes in these candles further adds to their environmental impact. It's crucial to consider alternative options that minimize harm to the planet. The Rise of Eco-Friendly Scented Candles Thankfully, the demand for eco-friendly scented candles has led to the development of sustainable and non-toxic options. These candles are made from renewable and natural ingredients, ensuring a greener and safer choice for your home.
By choosing eco-friendly scented candles, you can enjoy a range of benefits that contribute to a greener and healthier home environment.
When it comes to eco-friendly scented candles, The Honey Colony stands out as a trusted provider of sustainable and non-toxic options. They offer a wide range of scents made from natural essential oils, ensuring delightful aromas without compromising your health or the environment. The Honey Colony's commitment to sustainability is evident in its choice of renewable ingredients, recyclable packaging, and dedication to ethical practices. Tips for Choosing and Using Eco-Friendly Scented Candles Here are some tips to help you make the most of your eco-friendly scented candles:
Choosing eco-friendly scented candles for your home is a wonderful way to create a greener and healthier environment. By opting for sustainable ingredients, non-toxic formulas, and supporting companies like The Honey Colony, you contribute to the preservation of our planet while enjoying the delightful aromas of nature. Embrace eco-friendly scented candles and take a step towards a more sustainable and non-toxic lifestyle for yourself and future generations. |
2023.06.08 09:26 shimla_hills Alphonso Mango Pulp & Uses Shimla Hills
 | Alphonso mangoes are celebrated for their distinct flavour, aromatic fragrance, and vibrant colour. And one of the best ways to enjoy the essence of Alphonso mango year-round is through Alphonso Mango Pulp. This useful ingredient has gained immense popularity in the culinary world and is used in a wide range of delightful Food & Beverage creations. Shimla Hills, one-of-the most trusted Fruit Pulp Manufacturers in India, offers top-quality Alphonso Mango Pulp to fulfil the demand of various industries. Come, join us on a journey to discover the endless possibilities of this treasured Alphonso Mango Pulp. submitted by shimla_hills to u/shimla_hills [link] [comments] Alphonso Mango Pulp Alphonso Mango Pulp Uses: Culinary Delights with Alphonso Mango Pulp: Desserts and Ice Creams: Alphonso Mango Pulp from Shimla Hills lends fruit salads, cheesecakes, and desserts like mango mousse a rich and fruity touch. It is also an extremely popular component for making smooth and refreshing mango ice cream. Beverages and Mocktails: Alphonso Mango Pulp by Shimla Hills is an excellent base for tropical smoothies, shakes, and mocktails due to its inherent sweetness and flavour. It can be used to create delicious and nourishing beverages by blending them with other fruits or yoghurt. Sauces, Jams, and Preserves: Manufacturers often use Alphonso Mango Pulp from Shimla Hills to create tangy, flavourful sauces that combine well with savoury foods like grilled meats or shellfish. It can also serve as a base for preparing mango chutneys, preserves, and jams. Alphonso Mango Pulp in the Food Industry: Bakery and Confectionery: The 100% natural and unsweetened Alphonso Mango Pulp can be effortlessly incorporated into cakes, muffins, tarts, and bread. It also adds a delightful flavour to fillings, creams, and frostings. Yogurts and Smoothies: The creamy and velvety texture of Alphonso Mango Pulp offered by Shimla Hills makes it a perfect addition to yoghurts and smoothies. It lends a natural sweetness and tangy flavour that enhances the overall taste and appeal of these dairy-based products. Baby Food: Being a pure and authentic mango pulp, Alphonso Mango Pulp is a healthy and nutritious choice for baby food. It provides essential vitamins and minerals while introducing infants to the delightful flavours of mangoes. Alphonso Mango Pulp in the Beverage Industry: Fruit Juices and Nectars: Our Alphonso Mango Pulp is widely used in the production of fruit juices and nectars owing to its rich flavour and vibrant colour. Cocktails and Mocktails: Manufacturers of Mocktail / Cocktail syrups usually rely on Alphonso Mango Puree supplied by Shimla Hills. From mango margaritas to fruity daiquiris, the versatility of Alphonso Mango Pulp adds a sweet creamy taste to any drink. Alphonso Mango Lassi: Lassi, a popular Indian yoghurt-based drink, becomes even more delightful with the addition of Shimla Hills' Alphonso Mango Pulp. This creamy and refreshing beverage is perfect for beating the summer heat. Where to Source Alphonso Mango Pulp in India: For all your needs concerning Alphonso Mango Pulp in India for the Food & Beverage Manufacturing Industry, it is essential to rely on trusted manufacturers and suppliers. Shimla Hills, with its expertise and commitment to quality, stands out as a reliable source for Alphonso Mango Pulp. Our range of products and customizable solutions make us the go-to choice for businesses in need of mango pulp. Advantages of Alphonso Mango Pulp from Shimla Hills: Quality Assurance and Authenticity: Shimla Hills ensures that our Alphonso Mango Pulp meets stringent quality standards. We source the finest Alphonso mangoes and use advanced thermal processing techniques to preserve the natural flavour, colour, and nutritional value of the fruit. Consistency and Shelf Stability: With Shimla Hills' Alphonso Mango Pulp, you can expect consistent quality and shelf stability. Our state-of-the-art facilities and over 16 years of expertise in fruit processing guarantee a reliable product that stays fresh for longer periods. Customized Solutions for Businesses: Shimla Hills understands the unique requirements of different businesses. We also offer custom solutions like packaging, quantity, and formulation, to cater to the specific needs of our customers. Whether you need bulk quantities or customized products, Shimla Hills can deliver. |
2023.06.08 09:02 Allicia_York First Contacts (Part 7)
[Part 1](https://www.reddit.com/HFY/comments/131t1q9/first_contacts_part_1/)
[Part 6](https://www.reddit.com/HFY/comments/13xe87q/first_contacts_part_6/)
“Welcome to the Endeavour 2.”
Nathan had already chosen to name the frigate after his experimental warp ship, I wondered if that meant he intended to keep hold of it but the limited number of Doradul crew was my largest concern.
“Only 20 Orvangians?”
Nathan’s smile dropped away and he rose from his seat, “I am sorry Jin, the Axarli shot and killed several on the planet’s surface, these were the only prisoners they recovered.”
Halor the Doradul’s Secondary Ops Officer made the Orvangian Gesture of Greif from loss before taking the pilot’s seat that Nathan slid out of.
“I am glad to see you and Doc got to the shuttle safely, but you should probably get some rest, that’s what I am going to do now.” Nathan gestured back to the elevator.
Once we were aboard the elevator, he thumbed the button for Deck 9 where the shuttle was stored.
“What course are we on?”
“Halor plotted a course to a Federation System called Polivor, we will be there in about a day.”
Once we reached the shuttle Nathan and I gathered our things and headed for Deck 4 officer’s quarters. Nathan claimed the Captains Quarters and offered me the First Officers, it was nowhere near as comfortable as the Doradul, in that respect it was much more like the Endeavour, it was a single chamber with a bed, chair, desk, and storage compartments, no more than 6 square metres of floor and barely 3 metres high.
All I had in the way of possessions was a Laser Rifle, a Space Suit, and the pack of seeds from the Doradul, Purple Valuri Seeds my mother had given me when I left for the Doradul. The Chamber didn’t have enough lighting for flowers to grow, the gloom better suited to the needs of the Sovereigns or Euterians.
I Stowed my things and extracted myself from the space suit, it looked ugly now, not the smooth bluish appearance it had once possessed, there were dozens of scratches on its hard segments and the Separatist sealant was brown leaving a couple of dozen irregular dirty-looking smudges where I had sealed it.
My uniform was no better, torn and tattered I had been wearing it for hours when I was sent to recover Nathan from the Endeavour 1, it smelled dirty and pink staining surrounded the tears.
Entirely disrobed I lay on the bed and dimmed the lights, the last sleep I had managed was back in the escape pod, it felt like that was days ago. Despite my exhaustion, it wasn’t easy to fall asleep, perhaps it was the stinging of wounds or the death of so many Orvangians that I knew, sleep took over an hour to reach.
I dreamt of the first year I served aboard the Doradul, we were surveying systems in the Tilbas Sector, looking for worlds that would be suitable for Orvangian settlement, they were peaceful days wandering the stars in search of beauty and quiet, I had built many friendships with members of the crew, among them was Wula, she served as a Geological specialist, surveying planetary crusts for stability. I had gathered her family seal from her body when I was on the Doradul, hers and two others, Palos wasn’t exactly my friend, a support Engineer, he was after my job but I did not wish to see him dead and Worgan, I didn’t know him well.
I woke after a few hours, my bedding stained with lymph from a wound on my side, it had opened again as I had slept. The only thing I had to wear was my torn and stained uniform so I donned it again and headed for the medical bay on deck 3.
Doctor Hule and the Tilik Nathan called Doc were here, treating plasma burns on Sub Officer Florn, she had been a ground officer during surface surveying for the Doradul.
Doc moved over to the second bed and patted it with a tentacle so I hopped up and gestured to my reopened would “It started weeping again”.
“Not to worry, I can go over them all with more care now that there are no enemies at the door.”
Doc began to treat my wounds taking time to seal and patch each one, it took over an hour of work for him to finish and I did feel considerably better.
“Thanks, Doc” I slid off the bed and turned to leave.
“I suggest you also visit the quartermasters on deck 7, they can sort you out something clean to wear.”
Clean clothes and a shower sounded great so I headed straight to Deck 7, the Doradul’s own Quartermaster was here and she soon had the ship fabricate two new uniforms for me, both now showing the embroidery pattern for the Doradul as a Memoriam pattern, though she had not included an Endeavour 2 pattern.
The deck where my quarters were had a shower block, suited to the use of four so that all the senior officers of the frigate could use it at once. I was the only one there though so I took my time cleaning, ensuring that the grime of recent events was gone.
Finally clean I donned a new uniform and stowed the other in my quarters before heading to the bridge.
Halor was still in command, using the Pilots chair as a sort of captain’s seat as he reviewed the ship’s systems and supplies, not that the information was necessary, we would be arriving at Polivor in less than 20 hours now and he would most certainly be disembarking, we all would. This ship was evidence of the Separatists’ rearming against the treaty they had signed when they lost the war.
“Jin! I thought you would be resting after all that excitement.”
“Sleep is difficult, I was hoping we had a crew roster.”
“We do” he indicated an auxiliary console “But I am sad to say that neither of the Doradul’s Therapeutic officers are with us.”
I sat on the padded bar that counted as an auxiliary station seat and brought up the roster, Nathan and Doc were both listed as well as the 21 survivors of the Doradul, 84 had died in the attack on the ship, those whose seals had been recovered were also listed, so I added the three I had collected and quietly wept for a few moments at the losses we had taken.
Less than 40 seals of dead crewmembers had been recovered and were currently being displayed in the galley on deck 3 so that was my next destination, the elevator was in use so I took the ramps.
The Galley was busy, 10 of my crewmates from the Doradul were here some at a wall where 35 seals hung in memoriam of the lost, and others were sitting at tables with the separatist equivalent of ration packs.
I approached the memorial wall and hung the three seals I had recovered, Jola and Nero gave me sympathetic hugs in response. Jola had worked with Wula as part of the survey teams so she offered to make the bond and share memories of our friend and colleague.
We sat and shared our memories through the Bond, the experiences we had each gathered of Wula being integrated, the social evenings I had shared with her, and the work humour Jola had experienced, each memory we shared built a greater picture of our lost friend in our minds and helped us to become closer friends as a result.
After the bond was over, we sat together and ate, the Separatist ration packs were simple, a grain and nut disc with a side of dried berries all held in a small plastic pouch. It wasn’t as good as the fake chicken that Nathan had shared but it was enough to sate my appetite.
Others in the Galley were sharing memories and meals, we may have lost the therapists but our shared experiences were helping us to cope with the losses.
I was about to depart the Galley when Nathan arrived with Doc, Nathan’s arms were loaded with ration packs of his own kind, far more than he could reasonably eat, and Doc was carrying a couple of bottles of medication.
Nathan selected a table next to mine and began laying out and snapping tabs on containers, a total of eight each with the same markings as the fried chicken I had tasted. Doc opened the bottles and dumped the pills into a bowl.
Once the circles turned red Nathan tore lids off packs and released the delicious smell of chicken “Ok everyone, feel free to try some Southern Fried Chicken, Be aware that the coating is a little toxic to Orvangians, so please take an Anti-Toxin pill from Doc here before you eat!” he spoke loud and clear so that everyone turned their attention to him and the smell.
I moved swiftly to the table and dry swallowed a pill before selecting a piece of chicken and biting down. My first taste of this had been without the coating so I had not been able to experience the full delights of its flavours, the coating was quite spicy though the anti-toxin was doing a good job of keeping it from being painful.
Soon others were trying the food for themselves and Nathan found himself explaining that it was not meat once again, though most were satisfied with no explanation. The atmosphere soon became more jovial and Nathan asked Buddy to play some music by another Buddy, this time a musician called Buddy Holly.
The Chicken was soon gone but the uplifted spirits would not fade so quickly, Nathan chatted with everyone, sharing jokes and stories from his people. For a few hours, the galley was a happy place.
Eventually, Nathan and I headed to the bridge to relieve Halor and monitor systems during our journey. I had never served aboard a ship built by another species before, the console layouts and bridge plan here were designed for a mixed species crew with effort made to offer interface and seating flexibility for all the races of the Separatist movement.
Someone had already modified screen layouts to better suit the Orvangian standard and seats were largely configured for our lean forms, the pilot’s chair being the only exception.
“Nathan, you understand that the Federation is likely to want this ship for study.”
“Halor told me. It’s fine though just leaves room for an Endeavour 3.” Nathan followed the statement with a Grin, something the other Orvangians on the bridge were still not used to, but I found myself grinning back causing a surprised reaction from the rest of the bridge crew.
There wasn’t much to do at warp so much of our time was just familiarising ourselves with the ship and its many systems, the Endeavour 2 was originally just referred to as the TX210-B, a combat support Frigate with an arsenal of ship-to-ship weaponry, it was designed to fight, having no other purpose.
After a few hours we were relieved of duty ourselves, Florn being the next most senior officer, he had no experience commanding a ship, but his rank was just below mine and he did command ground survey teams so he would manage for a few hours of Warp travel.
Nathan and I departed the Bridge together “You hungry?” Nathan nudged me as he spoke.
“I haven’t eaten much the last couple of days.”
“Let’s head to my quarters and grab some food then.” We used the ramps to reach deck 4, Nathan’s Fabricator was set up on the desk in his quarters and six ration packs were stacked inside it.
“Your fabricator can make food?”
“Yes, I fed it some of the separatist ration packs and it can make a half dozen different food options from them.” He took a pack from the machine and held it out to me.
He cleared the machine and started it on the next load, then he gathered the stack he had built beside it, almost two entire batches worth and headed back up to the Galley. Once we arrived, he deposited all but one of the packs onto a table at the end of the room and selected a seat at another table.
As I sat with the pack he had given me I noticed that the writing on the pack that had been in Nathan’s language when we had shared chicken on the shuttle, was now all in Orvangian, indicating the instructions to cook the meal and describing itself as a ‘Closed Spicy Meat Sandwich with vegetables and Fruit Sauce’ once the circle turned red I tore open the top to reveal a pair of shell-shaped things, they didn’t look like sandwiches really, they smelled of cooked meat and spices.
“I had Buddy modify the ingredients to eliminate toxic properties so enjoy.” Nathan bit into the crunchy exterior and juices dripped from his chin as he ate.
It was delicious, though I still preferred the chicken he had provided before. Several crew in the galley helped themselves to a pack and soon the whole galley smelled of the spices and meats of this Human food.
Two of these sandwiches were a little much for an Orvangian so most of the crew were sharing packs. After I finished one sandwich Nathan asked “You going to eat that?”
“No.” with that Nathan demolished his third and seemed sated.
“Captain Nathan. Could Buddy play some more music?” the query came from Asor a junior engineer by rank.
“Sure! Buddy, can we get some Dolly?”
“Playing Dolly Parton.” Buddy began with a song about working long hours and soon the galley was full of Orvangians badly singing along.
Eventually, the poor sleep I had gotten over the last couple of days was too much for me and I departed the music and joviality of the galley and returned to my chambers, the small size and lack of a garden hit me again as I entered the metal box military officers call spacious quarters.
Exhaustion made sleep much easier this time and I managed a good six hours of rest, my dreams largely of my childhood and memories I had gained from my bond with Jola. When I awoke it was to the voice of Nathan “All crew, we shall be arriving at the Polivor system in one hour, All crew to stations.”
I climbed out of bed and donned a fresh uniform, depositing both my dirty and tattered one into the laundry chute before heading for the bridge.
Nathan was in the Pilots chair and Halor was standing at an auxiliary station, I took a position at the first officer’s console and examined the navigation data, we were now just 35 minutes from our destination.
That time soon vanished as we prepared the ship for arrival, we would look like a separatist ship so Halor had modified our transponder data to indicate that we were the Endeavour 2 under the Galactic Federations Flag, still, we would need to prove we were not hostile so I set the weapons to safe mode and prepared a transmission of my security code and a message to indicate our allegiance. Nathan prepared to take control of the ship’s course moments before the Warp drive shut down.
We dropped out of warp at 2.2 million kilometres from the Military Outpost in the outer system.
Two Separatist Cruisers were waiting for us, barely a thousand kilometres from our arrival point they immediately opened fire, particle beams lancing out at us with their crimson fury.
Nathan’s reactions were on par as usual, jerking the controls to starboard and hitting full thrust the moment he saw the ships. He managed to evade the worst of it but a blast cut a streak across the port side of the ship, two turrets were hit and auxiliary communications were burned off the ship.
“Jin, Arm Weapons, focus fire on the sunward side ship! Halor, get me data on the state of the system.” Nathan yelled orders as he twisted the Endeavour 2 among the beams.
I had set the weapons to safety thinking we would need to look non-threatening, it was going to take two minutes to get weapons back “Captain, two minutes for weapons!”
Halor set secondary displays to show the devastated Outpost and the distant flashes of conflict over Polivor 3 “Captain, there are 5 Separatist Battleships in orbit of Polivor 3 and the Military Outpost has been destroyed.”
He paused for a moment as though he could barely believe his next statement, “We are at war.”
[Part 1](https://www.reddit.com/HFY/comments/131t1q9/first_contacts_part_1/)
[Part 6](https://www.reddit.com/HFY/comments/13xe87q/first_contacts_part_6/)
(I hope everyone is still enjoying this story, Let me know if you are. As you may have noticed there is no Species Data Drop in the comments this week they will resume once another species makes an appearance.)
submitted by Allicia_York to HFY [link] [comments]
[Part 6](https://www.reddit.com/HFY/comments/13xe87q/first_contacts_part_6/)
“Welcome to the Endeavour 2.”
Nathan had already chosen to name the frigate after his experimental warp ship, I wondered if that meant he intended to keep hold of it but the limited number of Doradul crew was my largest concern.
“Only 20 Orvangians?”
Nathan’s smile dropped away and he rose from his seat, “I am sorry Jin, the Axarli shot and killed several on the planet’s surface, these were the only prisoners they recovered.”
Halor the Doradul’s Secondary Ops Officer made the Orvangian Gesture of Greif from loss before taking the pilot’s seat that Nathan slid out of.
“I am glad to see you and Doc got to the shuttle safely, but you should probably get some rest, that’s what I am going to do now.” Nathan gestured back to the elevator.
Once we were aboard the elevator, he thumbed the button for Deck 9 where the shuttle was stored.
“What course are we on?”
“Halor plotted a course to a Federation System called Polivor, we will be there in about a day.”
Once we reached the shuttle Nathan and I gathered our things and headed for Deck 4 officer’s quarters. Nathan claimed the Captains Quarters and offered me the First Officers, it was nowhere near as comfortable as the Doradul, in that respect it was much more like the Endeavour, it was a single chamber with a bed, chair, desk, and storage compartments, no more than 6 square metres of floor and barely 3 metres high.
All I had in the way of possessions was a Laser Rifle, a Space Suit, and the pack of seeds from the Doradul, Purple Valuri Seeds my mother had given me when I left for the Doradul. The Chamber didn’t have enough lighting for flowers to grow, the gloom better suited to the needs of the Sovereigns or Euterians.
I Stowed my things and extracted myself from the space suit, it looked ugly now, not the smooth bluish appearance it had once possessed, there were dozens of scratches on its hard segments and the Separatist sealant was brown leaving a couple of dozen irregular dirty-looking smudges where I had sealed it.
My uniform was no better, torn and tattered I had been wearing it for hours when I was sent to recover Nathan from the Endeavour 1, it smelled dirty and pink staining surrounded the tears.
Entirely disrobed I lay on the bed and dimmed the lights, the last sleep I had managed was back in the escape pod, it felt like that was days ago. Despite my exhaustion, it wasn’t easy to fall asleep, perhaps it was the stinging of wounds or the death of so many Orvangians that I knew, sleep took over an hour to reach.
I dreamt of the first year I served aboard the Doradul, we were surveying systems in the Tilbas Sector, looking for worlds that would be suitable for Orvangian settlement, they were peaceful days wandering the stars in search of beauty and quiet, I had built many friendships with members of the crew, among them was Wula, she served as a Geological specialist, surveying planetary crusts for stability. I had gathered her family seal from her body when I was on the Doradul, hers and two others, Palos wasn’t exactly my friend, a support Engineer, he was after my job but I did not wish to see him dead and Worgan, I didn’t know him well.
I woke after a few hours, my bedding stained with lymph from a wound on my side, it had opened again as I had slept. The only thing I had to wear was my torn and stained uniform so I donned it again and headed for the medical bay on deck 3.
Doctor Hule and the Tilik Nathan called Doc were here, treating plasma burns on Sub Officer Florn, she had been a ground officer during surface surveying for the Doradul.
Doc moved over to the second bed and patted it with a tentacle so I hopped up and gestured to my reopened would “It started weeping again”.
“Not to worry, I can go over them all with more care now that there are no enemies at the door.”
Doc began to treat my wounds taking time to seal and patch each one, it took over an hour of work for him to finish and I did feel considerably better.
“Thanks, Doc” I slid off the bed and turned to leave.
“I suggest you also visit the quartermasters on deck 7, they can sort you out something clean to wear.”
Clean clothes and a shower sounded great so I headed straight to Deck 7, the Doradul’s own Quartermaster was here and she soon had the ship fabricate two new uniforms for me, both now showing the embroidery pattern for the Doradul as a Memoriam pattern, though she had not included an Endeavour 2 pattern.
The deck where my quarters were had a shower block, suited to the use of four so that all the senior officers of the frigate could use it at once. I was the only one there though so I took my time cleaning, ensuring that the grime of recent events was gone.
Finally clean I donned a new uniform and stowed the other in my quarters before heading to the bridge.
Halor was still in command, using the Pilots chair as a sort of captain’s seat as he reviewed the ship’s systems and supplies, not that the information was necessary, we would be arriving at Polivor in less than 20 hours now and he would most certainly be disembarking, we all would. This ship was evidence of the Separatists’ rearming against the treaty they had signed when they lost the war.
“Jin! I thought you would be resting after all that excitement.”
“Sleep is difficult, I was hoping we had a crew roster.”
“We do” he indicated an auxiliary console “But I am sad to say that neither of the Doradul’s Therapeutic officers are with us.”
I sat on the padded bar that counted as an auxiliary station seat and brought up the roster, Nathan and Doc were both listed as well as the 21 survivors of the Doradul, 84 had died in the attack on the ship, those whose seals had been recovered were also listed, so I added the three I had collected and quietly wept for a few moments at the losses we had taken.
Less than 40 seals of dead crewmembers had been recovered and were currently being displayed in the galley on deck 3 so that was my next destination, the elevator was in use so I took the ramps.
The Galley was busy, 10 of my crewmates from the Doradul were here some at a wall where 35 seals hung in memoriam of the lost, and others were sitting at tables with the separatist equivalent of ration packs.
I approached the memorial wall and hung the three seals I had recovered, Jola and Nero gave me sympathetic hugs in response. Jola had worked with Wula as part of the survey teams so she offered to make the bond and share memories of our friend and colleague.
We sat and shared our memories through the Bond, the experiences we had each gathered of Wula being integrated, the social evenings I had shared with her, and the work humour Jola had experienced, each memory we shared built a greater picture of our lost friend in our minds and helped us to become closer friends as a result.
After the bond was over, we sat together and ate, the Separatist ration packs were simple, a grain and nut disc with a side of dried berries all held in a small plastic pouch. It wasn’t as good as the fake chicken that Nathan had shared but it was enough to sate my appetite.
Others in the Galley were sharing memories and meals, we may have lost the therapists but our shared experiences were helping us to cope with the losses.
I was about to depart the Galley when Nathan arrived with Doc, Nathan’s arms were loaded with ration packs of his own kind, far more than he could reasonably eat, and Doc was carrying a couple of bottles of medication.
Nathan selected a table next to mine and began laying out and snapping tabs on containers, a total of eight each with the same markings as the fried chicken I had tasted. Doc opened the bottles and dumped the pills into a bowl.
Once the circles turned red Nathan tore lids off packs and released the delicious smell of chicken “Ok everyone, feel free to try some Southern Fried Chicken, Be aware that the coating is a little toxic to Orvangians, so please take an Anti-Toxin pill from Doc here before you eat!” he spoke loud and clear so that everyone turned their attention to him and the smell.
I moved swiftly to the table and dry swallowed a pill before selecting a piece of chicken and biting down. My first taste of this had been without the coating so I had not been able to experience the full delights of its flavours, the coating was quite spicy though the anti-toxin was doing a good job of keeping it from being painful.
Soon others were trying the food for themselves and Nathan found himself explaining that it was not meat once again, though most were satisfied with no explanation. The atmosphere soon became more jovial and Nathan asked Buddy to play some music by another Buddy, this time a musician called Buddy Holly.
The Chicken was soon gone but the uplifted spirits would not fade so quickly, Nathan chatted with everyone, sharing jokes and stories from his people. For a few hours, the galley was a happy place.
Eventually, Nathan and I headed to the bridge to relieve Halor and monitor systems during our journey. I had never served aboard a ship built by another species before, the console layouts and bridge plan here were designed for a mixed species crew with effort made to offer interface and seating flexibility for all the races of the Separatist movement.
Someone had already modified screen layouts to better suit the Orvangian standard and seats were largely configured for our lean forms, the pilot’s chair being the only exception.
“Nathan, you understand that the Federation is likely to want this ship for study.”
“Halor told me. It’s fine though just leaves room for an Endeavour 3.” Nathan followed the statement with a Grin, something the other Orvangians on the bridge were still not used to, but I found myself grinning back causing a surprised reaction from the rest of the bridge crew.
There wasn’t much to do at warp so much of our time was just familiarising ourselves with the ship and its many systems, the Endeavour 2 was originally just referred to as the TX210-B, a combat support Frigate with an arsenal of ship-to-ship weaponry, it was designed to fight, having no other purpose.
After a few hours we were relieved of duty ourselves, Florn being the next most senior officer, he had no experience commanding a ship, but his rank was just below mine and he did command ground survey teams so he would manage for a few hours of Warp travel.
Nathan and I departed the Bridge together “You hungry?” Nathan nudged me as he spoke.
“I haven’t eaten much the last couple of days.”
“Let’s head to my quarters and grab some food then.” We used the ramps to reach deck 4, Nathan’s Fabricator was set up on the desk in his quarters and six ration packs were stacked inside it.
“Your fabricator can make food?”
“Yes, I fed it some of the separatist ration packs and it can make a half dozen different food options from them.” He took a pack from the machine and held it out to me.
He cleared the machine and started it on the next load, then he gathered the stack he had built beside it, almost two entire batches worth and headed back up to the Galley. Once we arrived, he deposited all but one of the packs onto a table at the end of the room and selected a seat at another table.
As I sat with the pack he had given me I noticed that the writing on the pack that had been in Nathan’s language when we had shared chicken on the shuttle, was now all in Orvangian, indicating the instructions to cook the meal and describing itself as a ‘Closed Spicy Meat Sandwich with vegetables and Fruit Sauce’ once the circle turned red I tore open the top to reveal a pair of shell-shaped things, they didn’t look like sandwiches really, they smelled of cooked meat and spices.
“I had Buddy modify the ingredients to eliminate toxic properties so enjoy.” Nathan bit into the crunchy exterior and juices dripped from his chin as he ate.
It was delicious, though I still preferred the chicken he had provided before. Several crew in the galley helped themselves to a pack and soon the whole galley smelled of the spices and meats of this Human food.
Two of these sandwiches were a little much for an Orvangian so most of the crew were sharing packs. After I finished one sandwich Nathan asked “You going to eat that?”
“No.” with that Nathan demolished his third and seemed sated.
“Captain Nathan. Could Buddy play some more music?” the query came from Asor a junior engineer by rank.
“Sure! Buddy, can we get some Dolly?”
“Playing Dolly Parton.” Buddy began with a song about working long hours and soon the galley was full of Orvangians badly singing along.
Eventually, the poor sleep I had gotten over the last couple of days was too much for me and I departed the music and joviality of the galley and returned to my chambers, the small size and lack of a garden hit me again as I entered the metal box military officers call spacious quarters.
Exhaustion made sleep much easier this time and I managed a good six hours of rest, my dreams largely of my childhood and memories I had gained from my bond with Jola. When I awoke it was to the voice of Nathan “All crew, we shall be arriving at the Polivor system in one hour, All crew to stations.”
I climbed out of bed and donned a fresh uniform, depositing both my dirty and tattered one into the laundry chute before heading for the bridge.
Nathan was in the Pilots chair and Halor was standing at an auxiliary station, I took a position at the first officer’s console and examined the navigation data, we were now just 35 minutes from our destination.
That time soon vanished as we prepared the ship for arrival, we would look like a separatist ship so Halor had modified our transponder data to indicate that we were the Endeavour 2 under the Galactic Federations Flag, still, we would need to prove we were not hostile so I set the weapons to safe mode and prepared a transmission of my security code and a message to indicate our allegiance. Nathan prepared to take control of the ship’s course moments before the Warp drive shut down.
We dropped out of warp at 2.2 million kilometres from the Military Outpost in the outer system.
Two Separatist Cruisers were waiting for us, barely a thousand kilometres from our arrival point they immediately opened fire, particle beams lancing out at us with their crimson fury.
Nathan’s reactions were on par as usual, jerking the controls to starboard and hitting full thrust the moment he saw the ships. He managed to evade the worst of it but a blast cut a streak across the port side of the ship, two turrets were hit and auxiliary communications were burned off the ship.
“Jin, Arm Weapons, focus fire on the sunward side ship! Halor, get me data on the state of the system.” Nathan yelled orders as he twisted the Endeavour 2 among the beams.
I had set the weapons to safety thinking we would need to look non-threatening, it was going to take two minutes to get weapons back “Captain, two minutes for weapons!”
Halor set secondary displays to show the devastated Outpost and the distant flashes of conflict over Polivor 3 “Captain, there are 5 Separatist Battleships in orbit of Polivor 3 and the Military Outpost has been destroyed.”
He paused for a moment as though he could barely believe his next statement, “We are at war.”
[Part 1](https://www.reddit.com/HFY/comments/131t1q9/first_contacts_part_1/)
[Part 6](https://www.reddit.com/HFY/comments/13xe87q/first_contacts_part_6/)
(I hope everyone is still enjoying this story, Let me know if you are. As you may have noticed there is no Species Data Drop in the comments this week they will resume once another species makes an appearance.)
2023.06.08 05:51 Determination7 An Outcast In Another World (Subtitle: Is 'Insanity' A Racial Trait?) [Fantasy, LitRPG] - Chapter 200 (Book 5 Chapter 26)
Quick Author's Note:
For better clarity of intent, the 'worthwhile opponent' stipulation in Lifedrinker is being changed to 'non-negligible opponent' moving forward.
--
"The Gellin Empress was the catalyst for our breakthrough," a mage explained. "Tracing Lord Rob's lingering mana signature through the space between dimensions proved effective at first, yet it came with an insurmountable problem: he only attained mana after initially leaving Earth. At a certain point, there was no more of a signature for us to trace. We had found his home dimension, but finding his home world within the infinite expanses of that dimension could have taken years of aimless searching, like blind men stumbling in the dark."
He leaned forward, clearly enjoying having a captive audience. "The key, then, lay within Lord Rob's memories. Even without mana, memories have a power all their own. The Empress looked within his mind and found locations of personal importance to him. Ones that he remembers with pristine clarity. By scrying for areas within Lord Rob's dimension that matched those specific locations, we were able to narrow down the scope of our search considerably."
The mage spread his palms wide, and his voice dropped a full octave, as if he was imparting a great revelation. "The result will soon be made self-evident. You shall bear witness to the foremost magical achievement of our era: a one-way viewing window into Lord Rob's world. The first of many to come."
In respect for the man's showmanship, Rob started up a clap. Granted, he would've clapped even if the explanation was done via a mindnumbing PowerPoint presentation, because nothing in the universe could stunt his enthusiasm right now. Riardin's Ranger, the Elders, Diplomacy, and the Soul Surgeon clapped as well, although Rob was pretty sure they were just following his cues. This moment couldn't possibly hold the same gravitas for them as it did for him. They mostly were here to provide moral support and satisfy their curiosity.
While for him, this meant everything.
"Do we need the Gellin Empress here to create the window?" Rob asked. "I'd also like to thank her for the help she's given."
The mage shook his head. "I'll spare you the details, but to be succinct; she taught us how to save a mana-based copy of the necessary memories, which will allow us to attune to a subset of Earth locations. Her presence is not required. In fact, she insisted that we proceed without her, as the Gellin have gone to rest for the night."
Must be nice. I'd trade ten Levels for a consistent sleep schedule. Rob internally frowned at himself, punting the envious thoughts away. No sour grapes. If the Empress helped me see Earth again, then I hope she sleeps like a baby for the rest of her life.
"One question," Keira interjected. "In your explanation, you stated that, without the Empress' assistance, it may have taken years to discover Earth. That is hardly the weeks or months you claimed in the past."
The group of dimension mages froze, embarrassment blooming on their features. They looked to the head mage for guidance, whose veneer of showmanship was deflating like a leaky balloon. "We were perhaps...optimistic."
"By years?"
"The previous estimate I put forth was one that assumed we would develop breakthroughs as we went along." His mouth widened into a sheepish grin. "As you can see, we, um, succeeded."
Keira raised an eyebrow. "Only with the timely assistance of a Leader." Her tone was calm, yet unyielding. "Rob is too grateful to point out this contradiction, so I suppose the task falls to me. You have also told us that you should be able to 'open' the window and let Rob send a letter home within the next week – is that more unfounded optimism?"
"No." The mage straightened his posture. "Now that we have located Earth, the rest is simply a matter of refining our spells and collecting reserves of mana. We are no longer blind, nor are we fumbling in the dark, and thus our progress moving forward shall be predictable and steady. This, I swear."
After a few seconds, Keira nodded. "Then I thank you for the wonderful boon you've granted to the man I love."
From behind, Malika giggled under her breath. Rob squeezed Keira's hand, gave her a warm smile, and faced the mages. "I'm ready whenever you are."
The tent thrummed with mana as the dimension mages formed a Mage Circle with Malika. It was no different from any other time they'd done so, yet the knowledge of what they were about to accomplish heightened the tension in the air to a fever pitch. Rob's pulse quickened, his throat tightening. He'd been disemboweled by monsters, decapitated by eldritch abominations, and none of those events made him a fraction as nervous as watching the dimension mages at work.
Minutes passed. Rob forced himself to be patient. Reaching across the boundaries of space and dimensions wasn't like heading to the store to pick up a carton of milk. It involved a level of spellcasting prowess that would take Rob decades of committed study to have even the slightest chance at grasping. Frankly, the fact that it was possible at all still beggared belief.
Maybe...maybe the mages were wrong. Not lying; just wrong. They could be overeager, sharing before they were actually ready, and they'd end the circle looking contrite and ashamed.
That was okay. No biggie. Rome wasn't built in a day, or...something. He could wait–
Creak.
It was the sound of a rusted hinge, of crumpling paper, of breaking bones, and more. A combination of all the noises things made when subjected to an external force. Like reality itself was groaning under the pressure.
Creeeak.
A thin, imperceptible line appeared at eye-level, dark as the endless void. Slowly, inch-by-inch, it widened.
CREEEAK.
It had become a rectangle. Two feet wide, three feet high. With a final CREAK, reality threw in the towel. The void dissipated, as if smoke blown away by a gust of wind, revealing...
Home.
Everything was as he remembered it. The same furniture with scuffed marks of wear-and-tear. The same living room where they'd watched movies each Friday. The same kitchen with a sink perpetually filled with dirty dishes. The same tacky wallpaper that his mom refused to change, and that he secretly enjoyed.
Identical. Like a portrait had been painted straight from his memories.
A tsunami of aching nostalgia surged through him. Rob didn't realize he was extending his hand until his fingertips were already brushing against the viewing window. Its surface felt solid, and for an instant he was terrified that this really was just a painting. Something invented to give him false hope.
Then he noticed that a window had been cracked open. Not the mages' window; the window inside his house. A small breeze blew inside, jostling a curtain ever so lightly. Just enough to make it move.
"It's real." Rob's voice was hoarse. "It's my home."
No one said anything. They allowed him his silence, a gesture which he greatly appreciated. Eventually, Rob took a deep breath, clenched his hands so that they wouldn't tremble, and looked at the dimension mages. "Thank you. I owe you...so much. Even if observing from afar ended up being the limit of what you could do, just seeing my house again like this is..."
He trailed off, unable to find words that were sufficient. Thankfully, the dimension mages seemed to understand. "You are most welcome, Lord Rob." The head mage smiled. "This is far from the limit of what we can do, however. Give us time, and this window shall open."
Rob nodded, choosing not to believe them. They were probably right, but on the off chance they weren't, he didn't want to look back on this moment with bitterness. Best to assume the worst and be grateful for what he already had.
As if drawn by a gravitational pull, his eyes drifted back towards the window. It was displaying a fixed point in the center of his home. "Can you switch perspectives? I want to check other rooms." His parents were likely asleep in their bedroom at this hour. Assuming they didn't sell the house out of grief and move, that is.
"I am afraid that isn't possible. We can transpose the viewing window to other specific locations that the Empress provided, but having it 'walk around', so to speak, requires finer control than we are yet capable of."
Yet, he says. Which means that with practice, they'll be able to. Rob placated himself with that notion. This was a minor setback, and he wouldn't let it get him down.
He especially wouldn't listen to that tiny voice in the back of his head, whispering that the reason he couldn't see his parents right now was because they were–
"Got it," Rob stated, in a wooden voice. "What other locations did the Empress pick out?"
The window's perspective blurred and shifted. Rob swallowed a gasp as an extremely familiar place was displayed before him. He'd seen it many, many times, even after coming to Elatra. It used to be at the top of his nightmare rotation, only ousted from its throne when Blights started coming into play.
In front of them was a small grassy lawn, surrounded by lecture halls in the near-distance. The place that had forever altered the course of his life.
"This is where it all started." Rob pointed to an empty spot in the middle of the field. "Portal opened up. Right there. Saturated with darkness. Chains shot out, tried to grab at Jason. I pushed him out of the way, and...the rest is history."
Silence reigned once more. After a few seconds, Orn'tol stirred. The young Ranger opened his mouth, preparing to say what would undoubtedly be some platitude reassuring Rob over his noble sacrifice.
"The grass truly is green."
Rob burst out laughing. He kept going until he was short of breath, wheezing as the others looked at him with eyes full of concern. "I'm okay," he managed to cough, once the laughter had died down to snickers. "Thanks, Orn'tol. I needed that."
"You're very welcome?" Orn'tol exchanged confused glances with the rest of Riardin's Rangers. "I am unsure of what I did to assist you, yet it's good to see you in high spirits nonetheless."
"Sometimes a little silliness is just what the doctor ordered." Rob offered him a high-five, which the boy accepted with zeal. They returned their gazes to the viewing window, Rob tilting his head as he peered closer. "Hmm. That's weird."
"What do you mean?"
"There's no people. It's early evening, but college students have the worst sleeping patterns on the face of the planet. Trust me; I'm speaking from experience. Usually you'd see a dozen partygoers strung out on energy drinks racing around now."
"Perhaps this location is known as a place of danger," Keira posited. "I would certainly be hesitant to tread where a portal of darkness sprang from the aether and kidnapped a civilian."
Rob watched the viewing window for signs of life, finding none. "Could be. Parents probably pulled their kids out after what happened to me. Then either the government condemns the area, or enough money is lost that the college goes bankrupt." He snorted. "Would be the least of what it deserves, considering the tuition fees. Bloodsucking vampires."
"People on Earth drink blood?"
Normally, Rob would have played along with their confusion, but there were more important things to focus on. "Can you change this to the next location from my memories?" he asked the dimension mages. "How many are there, anyway?"
"Five in total. One moment, please."
The window's perspective blurred, shifted, and reformed. Now it was displaying a city sidewalk, its view positioned right outside the best god damn burger joint in existence. Rob didn't care what anyone else said; two greasy slabs of beef squeezed between two sesame-seed buns was the absolute pinnacle of culinary delight. So what if his palette was 'like a five-year old's?' Wasn't his fault that delicious things were delicious.
Belatedly, he realized that his memory of this restaurant had been strong enough for the Gellin Empress to choose it as a point of reference for interdimensional portal magic. That...yeah, that tracked. Aside from the burgers, he had fond memories of sitting at the outside patio with Jason and his folks, drinking Minty Fresh Phantasma and inhaling cheesy fries as they mocked his dietary preferences. Good times.
He was about to explain what this place meant to him when a human casually walked past the viewing window.
She was a normal working woman like any other. Tired eyes, a purse slung over her shoulder, and dressed for lukewarm weather. A cell phone was held in her right hand, her eyes glued to some form of social media. She strode past the window without a care in the world, visible for merely a second before disappearing from view.
To the Elatrans, it was like a horror movie jumpscare. All of them froze. Several gasped. Elder Alessia grimaced. Faelynn muttered "a world of Humans" in a hushed tone. The only exceptions were Elder Duran and the Soul Surgeon, who crept closer to get a better look, their eyes shimmering with curiosity.
In contrast, Rob let out a sigh of overwhelming relief. That bored, everyday woman was exactly what he'd needed to set him at ease. Earth hasn't completely gone to shit behind my back. People are still living their lives.
As he watched, a few more humans walked in front of the window. A middle-aged man, a young boy with his mother, and an old woman with a walking cane. The old woman pivoted straight into the burger joint, Rob internally praising her good taste.
"W-well," the head mage stuttered. He paused, cleared his throat, then started anew. "As you can see, the viewing window is imperceptible to those with low Levels of Sense Mana. Naturally, this will not be the case for a portal that can be interacted with from both sides."
"Dangerous," Meyneth commented. "I would advise that you conceal this type of spell for as long as you are able. The viewing window especially."
"Why is that?"
"If this window cannot be sensed by those with low Levels of Sense Mana, then that makes it an ideal tool for spying on non-Mages. In your haste to glimpse into the world of another dimension, you have inadvertently developed a field of magic that puts every nation in Elatra at risk of subterfuge. People have been assassinated for much less."
The mages blanched. "We are nothing more than simple researchers," the head mage protested, in a faltering voice. "Who besides a madwoman like the Dragon Queen would stoop so low as to threaten noncombatants?"
Keira averted her eyes, pointedly examining the floor.
"We can discuss matters of life and death at a later time," Duran interjected. He gestured to the viewing window with the demeanor of a child in a toy story. "There's a world of discoveries to explore! Take a look at those structures the Earth Humans have built – they resemble the buildings within Human territory, yet small differences set them apart."
Duran ooooh'd as another person walked past the viewing window. "So many humans are ambling about despite the late hour. Is this area a well-traveled location in your home city, Rob?"
"This is around the level of street traffic you should expect for early evening. If it were daytime, you'd see a hundred people per minute."
Duran aaaah'd. Before he could launch into a series of questions, Zamira beat him to it. "Pardon me if this comes across as an insult," she began, hesitantly. "But Earth Humans appear marginally...uncoordinated. It is hard for me to describe the notion, yet when I watch them move, they appear as if they're liable to fall over at any moment."
They look normal to me, Rob almost said, before remembering that Earth's normal wasn't Elatra's normal. "That's called being permanently Level 1." He shrugged. "They've all got crap stats. Except athletes, I guess."
Zamira stared at the human passerby with obvious sympathy. "My condolences."
Does Earth seem like a world of cripples to her? Rob wondered. Even Utility Class users have the option to put a couple points into Dexterity and Perception. That's not counting the natural stat boosts they gain as they grow up, either. And when combined with Vitality and healing magic, it means that people in Elatra tend to age gracefully.
Rob tried to think of the last time he'd seen an Elatran with the same frailty as that old human woman with her walking cane. The oldest person he'd met so far was the Fiend High Soulseer, and in spite of being positively ancient – and blind – the dude could get around fine. Elder Duran was having health problems, but that was only after suffering from severe Corruption poisoning for weeks on end. An incident like that would've landed an Earth human in long-term hospice care.
Actually, no, that was wrong. It would've just killed them.
"We should switch to the next location," Rob said, preempting any further questions. "There's still two more left." Maybe I can see...no. Keep your expectations in check.
He was right to do so. Rob's heart sank as the viewing window solidified once again, revealing battered, empty streets. Half the buildings had collapsed to rubble, as if visited by a wrecking crew with an axe to grind. He recognized this spot as the street leading up to his favorite movie theater on the other side of the city. There'd been good times here, as well.
Although not anymore. The theater's roof had caved in, and half the letters in its ostentatious PRIME CINEMA logo were missing. It would take years to rebuild – assuming someone was willing to invest millions of dollars into what was essentially a ghost town.
"This..." He ran his hand down his face, aware of everyone gazing at him with pity. "As you can probably infer, this isn't normal. In the past–"
Bang.
Rob practically jumped out of his skin at the abrupt sound of gunfire. At first he thought the shot had come from outside, but no, it was both too distant and too close for that. The noise also sounded different from the rifles that the Dwarven Thunder Rod wielders employed.
A series of repeated bangs swept his thoughts away. Everyone watched in astonishment as a crew of Earth military soldiers ran into view from a side street, desperately fleeing the eight-legged Blightspawn that was hot on their tails. The abomination was more of an amalgamation of flesh and limbs than anything resembling a living creature, and the way it skittered made Rob reconsider if spiders were really that bad in comparison.
"Keep firing!" one of the men commanded, his voice sounding like it was coming from the bottom of a lake. The soldiers blasted their assault rifles in a retreating offensive, peppering the abomination with a hailstorm of bullets. Their response was swift, their aim was true, and it did not matter. The Blightspawn bulldozed through the rain of bullets as if it was a light drizzle, the creature's five cavernous mouths wailing for blood and sustenance.
It was nearly upon them when an explosive rocketed in from the opposite side street, knocking the Blightspawn off its many feet. The reprieve was temporary, but it was just long enough for the soldiers to escape unharmed. Unfortunately, the creature was also mostly unharmed, sporting minor injuries despite a direct missile strike to the torso. With a chorus of screams that prickled Rob's ears, the abomination continued its chase, batting away a second missile as it resumed the chase with renewed fervor.
Then it was gone, having left the window's range of sight. Distant sounds of battle grew quieter, the gunshots and explosions becoming more faint as predator and prey ran deeper into the ruined city.
Rob closed his eyes. He said nothing for half a minute, allowing himself time to process what he'd seen.
"Okay." He opened his eyes, nodding. "This is fine."
Keira laid a hand on his shoulder, struggling with what to say. "Rob...you don't need to–"
"Hold it in? Bottle up my emotions?" A wry chuckle escaped his throat. "Honestly, I'm not as affected as I thought I'd be. The Blight dropped one too many cryptic hints for me to be surprised, anyway. At this point I'm just glad that Earth hasn't been completely overrun. Some parts of the city might be fucked up, but not all of it is."
He narrowed his eyes. "The biggest thing I'm worried about is the Blightspawn itself. You saw those weapons the humans were using, right? Think of them as substantially upgraded versions of the Thunder Rods. They should've put a real dent in a fully-grown Blight, let alone one of its spawn."
"Perhaps the creatures have gained a defensive Skill?" Duran theorized. "What we witnessed appears consistent with other damage reduction Skills such as Tough Skin or Heat Resistance. I would surmise that the Blight has learned something akin to – for example – Thunder Rod Resistance."
Rob paused. Elatra didn't have a specified 'Bullet Resistance' Skill, but that was because conventional firearms had been removed from the system for balancing purposes. The Blight wouldn't give two shits about balance. They'd cheerfully grant themselves Bullet Resistance, Missile Resistance, and whatever else tickled their fancy.
And the more Earth fought back, the more resistant they'd become.
"...This doesn't change anything," Rob eventually concluded. "Earth is a big boy planet. It'll figure something out. In the meantime, we'll clean up our problems here and be ready to help if the Blight's still around by then."
"You're sure?" Keira asked. Two words that held so much intent. 'Are you sure you'll be alright? Are you sure Elatra should remain your primary concern? Are you sure you don't want to head home the instant the dimension mages create a working portal?'
Rob gave her a thumbs-up. "I'm sure. And I know you'll worry about me regardless, but I promise I'm feeling fine."
Or maybe he was just numb, and an avalanche of emotions would bury him when he least expected it. The good news was that was a problem for future-Rob to deal with. Present-Rob had one last area to investigate.
I'd be satisfied with seeing my old bedroom intact, he thought, as the dimension mages altered the viewing window for the last time. I have strong memories there, right? It should be a candidate. Those late night Netflix binges were uh...riveting. Yeah.
The window finalized.
Rob felt the strength leave his body.
Some parts of what he was seeing were incongruous. Strange details that he'd need to figure out soon. All of it took a hard backseat to the one sight in the room that truly mattered.
Jason was alive.
He was at his house that Rob had visited so often. Alive. Surrounded by people. Alive. Chatting away. Alive. Gesturing in that exaggerated manner he often used. Alive.
Smiling.
Alive.
A dam broke. Silent tears began streaming down Rob's face. Thoughts cut out, leaving only the realization that his best friend since childhood, the sole person he'd have trusted with his life before meeting Riardin's Rangers, the man whose place he'd taken when the gods picked a new chew toy...
Was alive.
"Hey, man." Rob's smile was the most genuine it had been in a long time. "Been a while."
At that moment, almost as if he could hear him, Jason grinned.
--
Author's Note:
When I was writing Chapter 199, I was mildly annoyed that Rob didn't reach 200 Vitality on Chapter 200. That would've been hilariously coincidental. But if I had to choose between that chapter or this one for a big milestone...I think I like this better.
Happy Chapter 200, everyone. Thanks for reading and staying on this journey with me.
submitted by Determination7 to HFY [link] [comments]
For better clarity of intent, the 'worthwhile opponent' stipulation in Lifedrinker is being changed to 'non-negligible opponent' moving forward.
--
"The Gellin Empress was the catalyst for our breakthrough," a mage explained. "Tracing Lord Rob's lingering mana signature through the space between dimensions proved effective at first, yet it came with an insurmountable problem: he only attained mana after initially leaving Earth. At a certain point, there was no more of a signature for us to trace. We had found his home dimension, but finding his home world within the infinite expanses of that dimension could have taken years of aimless searching, like blind men stumbling in the dark."
He leaned forward, clearly enjoying having a captive audience. "The key, then, lay within Lord Rob's memories. Even without mana, memories have a power all their own. The Empress looked within his mind and found locations of personal importance to him. Ones that he remembers with pristine clarity. By scrying for areas within Lord Rob's dimension that matched those specific locations, we were able to narrow down the scope of our search considerably."
The mage spread his palms wide, and his voice dropped a full octave, as if he was imparting a great revelation. "The result will soon be made self-evident. You shall bear witness to the foremost magical achievement of our era: a one-way viewing window into Lord Rob's world. The first of many to come."
In respect for the man's showmanship, Rob started up a clap. Granted, he would've clapped even if the explanation was done via a mindnumbing PowerPoint presentation, because nothing in the universe could stunt his enthusiasm right now. Riardin's Ranger, the Elders, Diplomacy, and the Soul Surgeon clapped as well, although Rob was pretty sure they were just following his cues. This moment couldn't possibly hold the same gravitas for them as it did for him. They mostly were here to provide moral support and satisfy their curiosity.
While for him, this meant everything.
"Do we need the Gellin Empress here to create the window?" Rob asked. "I'd also like to thank her for the help she's given."
The mage shook his head. "I'll spare you the details, but to be succinct; she taught us how to save a mana-based copy of the necessary memories, which will allow us to attune to a subset of Earth locations. Her presence is not required. In fact, she insisted that we proceed without her, as the Gellin have gone to rest for the night."
Must be nice. I'd trade ten Levels for a consistent sleep schedule. Rob internally frowned at himself, punting the envious thoughts away. No sour grapes. If the Empress helped me see Earth again, then I hope she sleeps like a baby for the rest of her life.
"One question," Keira interjected. "In your explanation, you stated that, without the Empress' assistance, it may have taken years to discover Earth. That is hardly the weeks or months you claimed in the past."
The group of dimension mages froze, embarrassment blooming on their features. They looked to the head mage for guidance, whose veneer of showmanship was deflating like a leaky balloon. "We were perhaps...optimistic."
"By years?"
"The previous estimate I put forth was one that assumed we would develop breakthroughs as we went along." His mouth widened into a sheepish grin. "As you can see, we, um, succeeded."
Keira raised an eyebrow. "Only with the timely assistance of a Leader." Her tone was calm, yet unyielding. "Rob is too grateful to point out this contradiction, so I suppose the task falls to me. You have also told us that you should be able to 'open' the window and let Rob send a letter home within the next week – is that more unfounded optimism?"
"No." The mage straightened his posture. "Now that we have located Earth, the rest is simply a matter of refining our spells and collecting reserves of mana. We are no longer blind, nor are we fumbling in the dark, and thus our progress moving forward shall be predictable and steady. This, I swear."
After a few seconds, Keira nodded. "Then I thank you for the wonderful boon you've granted to the man I love."
From behind, Malika giggled under her breath. Rob squeezed Keira's hand, gave her a warm smile, and faced the mages. "I'm ready whenever you are."
The tent thrummed with mana as the dimension mages formed a Mage Circle with Malika. It was no different from any other time they'd done so, yet the knowledge of what they were about to accomplish heightened the tension in the air to a fever pitch. Rob's pulse quickened, his throat tightening. He'd been disemboweled by monsters, decapitated by eldritch abominations, and none of those events made him a fraction as nervous as watching the dimension mages at work.
Minutes passed. Rob forced himself to be patient. Reaching across the boundaries of space and dimensions wasn't like heading to the store to pick up a carton of milk. It involved a level of spellcasting prowess that would take Rob decades of committed study to have even the slightest chance at grasping. Frankly, the fact that it was possible at all still beggared belief.
Maybe...maybe the mages were wrong. Not lying; just wrong. They could be overeager, sharing before they were actually ready, and they'd end the circle looking contrite and ashamed.
That was okay. No biggie. Rome wasn't built in a day, or...something. He could wait–
Creak.
It was the sound of a rusted hinge, of crumpling paper, of breaking bones, and more. A combination of all the noises things made when subjected to an external force. Like reality itself was groaning under the pressure.
Creeeak.
A thin, imperceptible line appeared at eye-level, dark as the endless void. Slowly, inch-by-inch, it widened.
CREEEAK.
It had become a rectangle. Two feet wide, three feet high. With a final CREAK, reality threw in the towel. The void dissipated, as if smoke blown away by a gust of wind, revealing...
Home.
Everything was as he remembered it. The same furniture with scuffed marks of wear-and-tear. The same living room where they'd watched movies each Friday. The same kitchen with a sink perpetually filled with dirty dishes. The same tacky wallpaper that his mom refused to change, and that he secretly enjoyed.
Identical. Like a portrait had been painted straight from his memories.
A tsunami of aching nostalgia surged through him. Rob didn't realize he was extending his hand until his fingertips were already brushing against the viewing window. Its surface felt solid, and for an instant he was terrified that this really was just a painting. Something invented to give him false hope.
Then he noticed that a window had been cracked open. Not the mages' window; the window inside his house. A small breeze blew inside, jostling a curtain ever so lightly. Just enough to make it move.
"It's real." Rob's voice was hoarse. "It's my home."
No one said anything. They allowed him his silence, a gesture which he greatly appreciated. Eventually, Rob took a deep breath, clenched his hands so that they wouldn't tremble, and looked at the dimension mages. "Thank you. I owe you...so much. Even if observing from afar ended up being the limit of what you could do, just seeing my house again like this is..."
He trailed off, unable to find words that were sufficient. Thankfully, the dimension mages seemed to understand. "You are most welcome, Lord Rob." The head mage smiled. "This is far from the limit of what we can do, however. Give us time, and this window shall open."
Rob nodded, choosing not to believe them. They were probably right, but on the off chance they weren't, he didn't want to look back on this moment with bitterness. Best to assume the worst and be grateful for what he already had.
As if drawn by a gravitational pull, his eyes drifted back towards the window. It was displaying a fixed point in the center of his home. "Can you switch perspectives? I want to check other rooms." His parents were likely asleep in their bedroom at this hour. Assuming they didn't sell the house out of grief and move, that is.
"I am afraid that isn't possible. We can transpose the viewing window to other specific locations that the Empress provided, but having it 'walk around', so to speak, requires finer control than we are yet capable of."
Yet, he says. Which means that with practice, they'll be able to. Rob placated himself with that notion. This was a minor setback, and he wouldn't let it get him down.
He especially wouldn't listen to that tiny voice in the back of his head, whispering that the reason he couldn't see his parents right now was because they were–
"Got it," Rob stated, in a wooden voice. "What other locations did the Empress pick out?"
The window's perspective blurred and shifted. Rob swallowed a gasp as an extremely familiar place was displayed before him. He'd seen it many, many times, even after coming to Elatra. It used to be at the top of his nightmare rotation, only ousted from its throne when Blights started coming into play.
In front of them was a small grassy lawn, surrounded by lecture halls in the near-distance. The place that had forever altered the course of his life.
"This is where it all started." Rob pointed to an empty spot in the middle of the field. "Portal opened up. Right there. Saturated with darkness. Chains shot out, tried to grab at Jason. I pushed him out of the way, and...the rest is history."
Silence reigned once more. After a few seconds, Orn'tol stirred. The young Ranger opened his mouth, preparing to say what would undoubtedly be some platitude reassuring Rob over his noble sacrifice.
"The grass truly is green."
Rob burst out laughing. He kept going until he was short of breath, wheezing as the others looked at him with eyes full of concern. "I'm okay," he managed to cough, once the laughter had died down to snickers. "Thanks, Orn'tol. I needed that."
"You're very welcome?" Orn'tol exchanged confused glances with the rest of Riardin's Rangers. "I am unsure of what I did to assist you, yet it's good to see you in high spirits nonetheless."
"Sometimes a little silliness is just what the doctor ordered." Rob offered him a high-five, which the boy accepted with zeal. They returned their gazes to the viewing window, Rob tilting his head as he peered closer. "Hmm. That's weird."
"What do you mean?"
"There's no people. It's early evening, but college students have the worst sleeping patterns on the face of the planet. Trust me; I'm speaking from experience. Usually you'd see a dozen partygoers strung out on energy drinks racing around now."
"Perhaps this location is known as a place of danger," Keira posited. "I would certainly be hesitant to tread where a portal of darkness sprang from the aether and kidnapped a civilian."
Rob watched the viewing window for signs of life, finding none. "Could be. Parents probably pulled their kids out after what happened to me. Then either the government condemns the area, or enough money is lost that the college goes bankrupt." He snorted. "Would be the least of what it deserves, considering the tuition fees. Bloodsucking vampires."
"People on Earth drink blood?"
Normally, Rob would have played along with their confusion, but there were more important things to focus on. "Can you change this to the next location from my memories?" he asked the dimension mages. "How many are there, anyway?"
"Five in total. One moment, please."
The window's perspective blurred, shifted, and reformed. Now it was displaying a city sidewalk, its view positioned right outside the best god damn burger joint in existence. Rob didn't care what anyone else said; two greasy slabs of beef squeezed between two sesame-seed buns was the absolute pinnacle of culinary delight. So what if his palette was 'like a five-year old's?' Wasn't his fault that delicious things were delicious.
Belatedly, he realized that his memory of this restaurant had been strong enough for the Gellin Empress to choose it as a point of reference for interdimensional portal magic. That...yeah, that tracked. Aside from the burgers, he had fond memories of sitting at the outside patio with Jason and his folks, drinking Minty Fresh Phantasma and inhaling cheesy fries as they mocked his dietary preferences. Good times.
He was about to explain what this place meant to him when a human casually walked past the viewing window.
She was a normal working woman like any other. Tired eyes, a purse slung over her shoulder, and dressed for lukewarm weather. A cell phone was held in her right hand, her eyes glued to some form of social media. She strode past the window without a care in the world, visible for merely a second before disappearing from view.
To the Elatrans, it was like a horror movie jumpscare. All of them froze. Several gasped. Elder Alessia grimaced. Faelynn muttered "a world of Humans" in a hushed tone. The only exceptions were Elder Duran and the Soul Surgeon, who crept closer to get a better look, their eyes shimmering with curiosity.
In contrast, Rob let out a sigh of overwhelming relief. That bored, everyday woman was exactly what he'd needed to set him at ease. Earth hasn't completely gone to shit behind my back. People are still living their lives.
As he watched, a few more humans walked in front of the window. A middle-aged man, a young boy with his mother, and an old woman with a walking cane. The old woman pivoted straight into the burger joint, Rob internally praising her good taste.
"W-well," the head mage stuttered. He paused, cleared his throat, then started anew. "As you can see, the viewing window is imperceptible to those with low Levels of Sense Mana. Naturally, this will not be the case for a portal that can be interacted with from both sides."
"Dangerous," Meyneth commented. "I would advise that you conceal this type of spell for as long as you are able. The viewing window especially."
"Why is that?"
"If this window cannot be sensed by those with low Levels of Sense Mana, then that makes it an ideal tool for spying on non-Mages. In your haste to glimpse into the world of another dimension, you have inadvertently developed a field of magic that puts every nation in Elatra at risk of subterfuge. People have been assassinated for much less."
The mages blanched. "We are nothing more than simple researchers," the head mage protested, in a faltering voice. "Who besides a madwoman like the Dragon Queen would stoop so low as to threaten noncombatants?"
Keira averted her eyes, pointedly examining the floor.
"We can discuss matters of life and death at a later time," Duran interjected. He gestured to the viewing window with the demeanor of a child in a toy story. "There's a world of discoveries to explore! Take a look at those structures the Earth Humans have built – they resemble the buildings within Human territory, yet small differences set them apart."
Duran ooooh'd as another person walked past the viewing window. "So many humans are ambling about despite the late hour. Is this area a well-traveled location in your home city, Rob?"
"This is around the level of street traffic you should expect for early evening. If it were daytime, you'd see a hundred people per minute."
Duran aaaah'd. Before he could launch into a series of questions, Zamira beat him to it. "Pardon me if this comes across as an insult," she began, hesitantly. "But Earth Humans appear marginally...uncoordinated. It is hard for me to describe the notion, yet when I watch them move, they appear as if they're liable to fall over at any moment."
They look normal to me, Rob almost said, before remembering that Earth's normal wasn't Elatra's normal. "That's called being permanently Level 1." He shrugged. "They've all got crap stats. Except athletes, I guess."
Zamira stared at the human passerby with obvious sympathy. "My condolences."
Does Earth seem like a world of cripples to her? Rob wondered. Even Utility Class users have the option to put a couple points into Dexterity and Perception. That's not counting the natural stat boosts they gain as they grow up, either. And when combined with Vitality and healing magic, it means that people in Elatra tend to age gracefully.
Rob tried to think of the last time he'd seen an Elatran with the same frailty as that old human woman with her walking cane. The oldest person he'd met so far was the Fiend High Soulseer, and in spite of being positively ancient – and blind – the dude could get around fine. Elder Duran was having health problems, but that was only after suffering from severe Corruption poisoning for weeks on end. An incident like that would've landed an Earth human in long-term hospice care.
Actually, no, that was wrong. It would've just killed them.
"We should switch to the next location," Rob said, preempting any further questions. "There's still two more left." Maybe I can see...no. Keep your expectations in check.
He was right to do so. Rob's heart sank as the viewing window solidified once again, revealing battered, empty streets. Half the buildings had collapsed to rubble, as if visited by a wrecking crew with an axe to grind. He recognized this spot as the street leading up to his favorite movie theater on the other side of the city. There'd been good times here, as well.
Although not anymore. The theater's roof had caved in, and half the letters in its ostentatious PRIME CINEMA logo were missing. It would take years to rebuild – assuming someone was willing to invest millions of dollars into what was essentially a ghost town.
"This..." He ran his hand down his face, aware of everyone gazing at him with pity. "As you can probably infer, this isn't normal. In the past–"
Bang.
Rob practically jumped out of his skin at the abrupt sound of gunfire. At first he thought the shot had come from outside, but no, it was both too distant and too close for that. The noise also sounded different from the rifles that the Dwarven Thunder Rod wielders employed.
A series of repeated bangs swept his thoughts away. Everyone watched in astonishment as a crew of Earth military soldiers ran into view from a side street, desperately fleeing the eight-legged Blightspawn that was hot on their tails. The abomination was more of an amalgamation of flesh and limbs than anything resembling a living creature, and the way it skittered made Rob reconsider if spiders were really that bad in comparison.
"Keep firing!" one of the men commanded, his voice sounding like it was coming from the bottom of a lake. The soldiers blasted their assault rifles in a retreating offensive, peppering the abomination with a hailstorm of bullets. Their response was swift, their aim was true, and it did not matter. The Blightspawn bulldozed through the rain of bullets as if it was a light drizzle, the creature's five cavernous mouths wailing for blood and sustenance.
It was nearly upon them when an explosive rocketed in from the opposite side street, knocking the Blightspawn off its many feet. The reprieve was temporary, but it was just long enough for the soldiers to escape unharmed. Unfortunately, the creature was also mostly unharmed, sporting minor injuries despite a direct missile strike to the torso. With a chorus of screams that prickled Rob's ears, the abomination continued its chase, batting away a second missile as it resumed the chase with renewed fervor.
Then it was gone, having left the window's range of sight. Distant sounds of battle grew quieter, the gunshots and explosions becoming more faint as predator and prey ran deeper into the ruined city.
Rob closed his eyes. He said nothing for half a minute, allowing himself time to process what he'd seen.
"Okay." He opened his eyes, nodding. "This is fine."
Keira laid a hand on his shoulder, struggling with what to say. "Rob...you don't need to–"
"Hold it in? Bottle up my emotions?" A wry chuckle escaped his throat. "Honestly, I'm not as affected as I thought I'd be. The Blight dropped one too many cryptic hints for me to be surprised, anyway. At this point I'm just glad that Earth hasn't been completely overrun. Some parts of the city might be fucked up, but not all of it is."
He narrowed his eyes. "The biggest thing I'm worried about is the Blightspawn itself. You saw those weapons the humans were using, right? Think of them as substantially upgraded versions of the Thunder Rods. They should've put a real dent in a fully-grown Blight, let alone one of its spawn."
"Perhaps the creatures have gained a defensive Skill?" Duran theorized. "What we witnessed appears consistent with other damage reduction Skills such as Tough Skin or Heat Resistance. I would surmise that the Blight has learned something akin to – for example – Thunder Rod Resistance."
Rob paused. Elatra didn't have a specified 'Bullet Resistance' Skill, but that was because conventional firearms had been removed from the system for balancing purposes. The Blight wouldn't give two shits about balance. They'd cheerfully grant themselves Bullet Resistance, Missile Resistance, and whatever else tickled their fancy.
And the more Earth fought back, the more resistant they'd become.
"...This doesn't change anything," Rob eventually concluded. "Earth is a big boy planet. It'll figure something out. In the meantime, we'll clean up our problems here and be ready to help if the Blight's still around by then."
"You're sure?" Keira asked. Two words that held so much intent. 'Are you sure you'll be alright? Are you sure Elatra should remain your primary concern? Are you sure you don't want to head home the instant the dimension mages create a working portal?'
Rob gave her a thumbs-up. "I'm sure. And I know you'll worry about me regardless, but I promise I'm feeling fine."
Or maybe he was just numb, and an avalanche of emotions would bury him when he least expected it. The good news was that was a problem for future-Rob to deal with. Present-Rob had one last area to investigate.
I'd be satisfied with seeing my old bedroom intact, he thought, as the dimension mages altered the viewing window for the last time. I have strong memories there, right? It should be a candidate. Those late night Netflix binges were uh...riveting. Yeah.
The window finalized.
Rob felt the strength leave his body.
Some parts of what he was seeing were incongruous. Strange details that he'd need to figure out soon. All of it took a hard backseat to the one sight in the room that truly mattered.
Jason was alive.
He was at his house that Rob had visited so often. Alive. Surrounded by people. Alive. Chatting away. Alive. Gesturing in that exaggerated manner he often used. Alive.
Smiling.
Alive.
A dam broke. Silent tears began streaming down Rob's face. Thoughts cut out, leaving only the realization that his best friend since childhood, the sole person he'd have trusted with his life before meeting Riardin's Rangers, the man whose place he'd taken when the gods picked a new chew toy...
Was alive.
"Hey, man." Rob's smile was the most genuine it had been in a long time. "Been a while."
At that moment, almost as if he could hear him, Jason grinned.
--
Author's Note:
When I was writing Chapter 199, I was mildly annoyed that Rob didn't reach 200 Vitality on Chapter 200. That would've been hilariously coincidental. But if I had to choose between that chapter or this one for a big milestone...I think I like this better.
Happy Chapter 200, everyone. Thanks for reading and staying on this journey with me.
2023.06.08 04:18 Spade502 Just finished the show
Started watching the show in april, and had a dry spell for a couple weeks in may (between season 2 and season 3) but I finally finished it! Man, what a ride. 7 seasons, what felt like hundreds of cases, and some of the best TV I've ever watched.
So, to catalogue my final thoughts and assorted ramblings, I'm writing this post. Don't really know where else to do it, so here goes nothing. Full spoilers ahead, especially for the last season.
I was a fan of Sherlock Holmes way before finding Elementary, having read the books, watched the BBC show with Benedict Cumberbatch, and played some Sherlock inspired games. But this show was certainly a new experience. The distancing from the source material was jarring at first, certainly. Making Watson an american woman, setting the show in New York, and making it more of a police procedural as opposed to a traditional mystery anthology were all things that I was weary of at first, but each concern faded away by the end of the first episode.
Lucy Liu is wonderful as Joan, a much more competent and well realized partner to Holmes than most interpretations, which often see Watson as a somewhat dim-witted side kick if anything, often being just as dumfounded by Sherlock's deductions as everyone else. In that respect, I far prefer this version of Watson to just about any other version I've seen. She really feels like the co-protagonist alongside Sherlock, which is never present in SH media, in my experience.
The supporting cast is also delightful. While I love Joan and Sherlock, I'd actually say that captain Gregson is my favorite character. All of his storylines hit for me, and the final storyline with Hannah (his daughter) killing Michael and Gregson refusing to turn her in was such a beautiful and visceral scene, flawlessly acted by Aiden Quinn. Gregson was probably the least present out of the main 4, but I still loved every minute he was on screen. I especially loved his scene in season 4 with Morland, where he visited Morland's office and told him, in no uncertain terms, that he'd beat the crap out of him if anything ever happened to Sherlock and Joan.
Marcus was probably my least favorite of the main 4, but still my 5th favorite character in the whole show (Gregson -> Sherlock -> Joan -> Kitty -> Marcus). He was competent, able to keep up with Joan and Sherlock intellectually, and even had some really great moments. I loved his storyline with being shot and blaming Sherlock, and his whole storyline with Chantal was really nice, and learning that they got married and had kids in the finale was a great pay off. I didn't really love his US Marshal storyline or the Lieutenant promotion story, just because of lacking stakes. Like, I knew he wouldn't become a marshall or get the promotion because that would limit his work with Sherlock and Joan, and he's a main character. I felt the same way about the storyline with him being shot, but was pleasantly surprised when it stuck for an episode or two. But overall, his stories weren't as impactful as the stories of the other three.
The "seasonal guests" as I call them were all pretty solid. Mycroft was probably my least favorite, just because his storyline was SO reliant on his relationship with Joan, and I never saw chemistry there. Season 2 also had the most forgettable main villain (I don't even remember his name) which was a real disappointment after the stellar work done by Natalie Dormer as Moriarty in season 2. John Noble KILLED it as Morland Holmes, as I could tell that he was a man that had done terrible things, but was trying to make up for it and make amends with his son. He was probably the best execution of the "seasonal guest" character, but his death was very anticlimactic, and wasn't given much time to breathe in the insanity of the Reichenbach storyline. Shinnwell was fine. I saw posts on this sub say that they hated his story, and skip his episodes, and I wouldn't go that far. I definitely agree that Joan gave him a few too many second chances, but I can respect a guy trying to do the right thing, but not knowing how to do so, which Shinwell certainly was. I also thought his death was anti-climactic, though. Michael and Odin were both... Interesting villains, but didn't get the time they needed to breathe. Odin was MUCH better handled, but I still feel like the season would have benefited from the full 21-25 episodes, because it felt like Odin went from ruling the world in episode 11 and 12 to being beaten in a, frankly, pretty simple way in episode 13. Michael, meanwhile, had a LOT of wasted potential. A serial killer who befriends Sherlock is great in theory, but like... Did Desmond Harrigton have another commitment at the time, or something? Because Michael had VERY few scenes, and was killed off with zero fanfare (as are most deaths in this show, now that I think about it... huh). He felt like the season's main villain, but then he died off screen and we got the random FBI lady for the last episode of season 6. I still consider Michael the main "villain" of season 6, but there was just a lot of missed opportunity there.
Now, for my favorite "seasonal guest" character, and 4th favorite character in the show: Kitty Winter. I really like Kitty. The whole idea of Sherlock having an apprentice who's kind of like an "anti-watson" in a sense, being more of a youthful, reckless, loud mouthed delinquent than Watson's more refined, mature self was a great idea. And, unlike people like Michael, Kitty actually got time to breathe. Every episode she was in showed us more of her character, before the eventual reveal of the assault she'd gone through, and Del Gruner. It was a joy to see her again in season 5, and her cameo in season 7 was hilarious. Every time she's on screen she absolutely steals it, and Ophelia Lovibond killed it. I also loved the idea of separating season 3 into a "kitty arc" and an "oscar arc," as it made the two storylines feel more important, since season spanning arcs like the SBK arc or the Michael arc often suffered from massive droughts, where there'd be several episodes with no story progression. Season 3 didn't have that problem as much, and a major reason was the arc split, in my opinion.
The villains, meanwhile, were hit or miss for me. Moriarty was fantastic, but I wish we got more of her in season 1, specifically seeing more of "Ireene"'s time with Sherlock. Condensing all of it into the last 4 or so episodes made it feel easier to follow, sure, but made the rest of the season slog at times. "M" is one of my favorite episodes of the show, though, and hearing Moran say "That was Moriarty" nearly made my heart stop. Just a shame that it took half a season to actually see Moriarty after her name was first dropped. As I said, season 2's villain (who the wiki is telling me was named Tim Sherrigton I guess) was super forgettable, and the real star of the story was Mycroft himself. Del Gruner was the perfect combination of fake-as-hell corporate politeness and hidden sleaze ball. I just wish we saw more of Gruner, both before the reveal, and as the walking embodiment of grossness. Oscar was... probably my least favorite main villain. The drop in stakes from season 1 and 2's "International crime syndicate" and "International intelligence agency conspiracy" was noticeable, but I was willing to adapt. Oscar, though, was just such a... Non-threat. The fact that he was able to jump Alfredo, a guy twice his size, is still baffling to me. I liked the idea of the "villain" being Sherlock's own flaws, but the face of the issue, Oscar, just didn't sell it very well. Vikner was... fine. He was what I'd expect from a more typical "Moriarty" character, but he was just that, typical. Another big scary crime lord for Joan and Sherlock to catch in the act. The conflict felt more about the friction between Morland and Sherlock, which was great, but Vikner suffered because of it. Tyus was probably the most intimidating main villain, in my opinion. The idea of a really smart rich dude leading a major crime gang was a great subversion, especially when they had us believing that his friend/foster brother was the leader, only for the reveal that Tyus was the real bad guy. My only wish is that we saw Tyus AND Bonzi more, and saw them on screen together. I think that's this show's biggest flaw: Giving screentime to its other characters. Michael, Vikner, Tyus, Bonzi, and Oscar all could have benefited from more screen time. But oh well. I already talked a lot about Michael and Odin previously, and I don't have much more to say on them. Odin was interesting and intimidating, but his defeat was anticlimactic. And Michael was really scary, but he needed more time and really should have stayed the big bad and not just died off screen, even though it gave us Aiden Quinn's best performance.
As for some other recurring characters; Alfredo was great, but his appearances got less and less frequent as the show went on, which was a bummer. It was interesting to see Sherlock find an equal in the field of infiltration. Mason, Everyone, Athena, Minerva, and all of the reoccurring irregulars were fun to see, but nothing beyond that. It was sad to see Sherlock's attempts at a relationship with Athena go nowhere, though. Harlan Emple was certainly the most memorable recurring character (save for the seasonal guests, and one guy I'm getting to in a second) due simply to his frequency in appearances. He showed up, like, 4-5 times, and was always very important in the episodes he appeared in. Outside of that, not much to say about Harlan, I just felt bad for the guy most of the time since he was always the butt of the joke. Agent McNally was fine, but trying to make him the final... Obstacle? Antagonist? Instigator? Of the whole show was... lame. Then Fiona, Sherlock's girlfriend from season 4 (and briefly season 5), was okay. Nothing bad about her, but I never felt a lot of chemistry from her and Sherlock (though that is kind of the point). I liked her trait of not being able to lie and being very blunt, since Sherlock is a great liar and often surrounds himself with other liars, but she felt underutilized and their relationship felt pretty surface level.
But the undisputed, number 1, all time best recurring character for me has GOT to be Eugene, the coroner. This man was the absolute GOAT in every episode he appeared in. Always trying to help out Sherlock and Joan, always having quick wit, and just being the most relatable character in the show. We even found out that he could challenge Sherlock in chess, averaging, iirc, 40+ minutes per game with him, which is NUTS. Against Shinwell he would have won in, like, 6 more moves in an already 5 minute game. Going well into the endgame with Sherlock is incredible! Every story in the show was elevated by Eugene's presence, and the episodes that really focused on him (specifically the ones with the death of Nicole, the officer he had a crush on, and his mourning following her death) were all great.
Now, for the man of the hour. I spoke a lot about Joan, Marcus, Gregson, the seasonal guests, the villains, and the recurring characters, but I haven't touched much on Sherlock himself. And that's because... There's not a whole lot for me to say. Jonny Lee Miller blew the role out of the park, and then some. Benedict Cumberbatch, Robert Downy Jr., and Henry Cavill can eat their hearts out, JLM is probably my favorite live action Sherlock due to the sheer amount of development he went through. Sure, a lot of that has to do with the writing, and not JLM's performance, but he totally sells it. Like, season 1 Sherlock would have NEVER even thought of letting Joan adopt a baby (at least while they were working together), would have never set Marcus up to go to the marshals, and probably would have just turned Hannah Gregson in when he figured out that she killed Michael. We saw, throughout the show, Sherlock go from a selfish, rude, nihilistic misanthrope to a genuinely compassionate, caring, and empathetic person. And JLM totally delivers on that. I wish I had more to say about Sherlock, but I really don't. He's a superb character, and one of the best interpretations of the classic detective ever.
Now, season ranking:
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submitted by Spade502 to elementary [link] [comments]
So, to catalogue my final thoughts and assorted ramblings, I'm writing this post. Don't really know where else to do it, so here goes nothing. Full spoilers ahead, especially for the last season.
I was a fan of Sherlock Holmes way before finding Elementary, having read the books, watched the BBC show with Benedict Cumberbatch, and played some Sherlock inspired games. But this show was certainly a new experience. The distancing from the source material was jarring at first, certainly. Making Watson an american woman, setting the show in New York, and making it more of a police procedural as opposed to a traditional mystery anthology were all things that I was weary of at first, but each concern faded away by the end of the first episode.
Lucy Liu is wonderful as Joan, a much more competent and well realized partner to Holmes than most interpretations, which often see Watson as a somewhat dim-witted side kick if anything, often being just as dumfounded by Sherlock's deductions as everyone else. In that respect, I far prefer this version of Watson to just about any other version I've seen. She really feels like the co-protagonist alongside Sherlock, which is never present in SH media, in my experience.
The supporting cast is also delightful. While I love Joan and Sherlock, I'd actually say that captain Gregson is my favorite character. All of his storylines hit for me, and the final storyline with Hannah (his daughter) killing Michael and Gregson refusing to turn her in was such a beautiful and visceral scene, flawlessly acted by Aiden Quinn. Gregson was probably the least present out of the main 4, but I still loved every minute he was on screen. I especially loved his scene in season 4 with Morland, where he visited Morland's office and told him, in no uncertain terms, that he'd beat the crap out of him if anything ever happened to Sherlock and Joan.
Marcus was probably my least favorite of the main 4, but still my 5th favorite character in the whole show (Gregson -> Sherlock -> Joan -> Kitty -> Marcus). He was competent, able to keep up with Joan and Sherlock intellectually, and even had some really great moments. I loved his storyline with being shot and blaming Sherlock, and his whole storyline with Chantal was really nice, and learning that they got married and had kids in the finale was a great pay off. I didn't really love his US Marshal storyline or the Lieutenant promotion story, just because of lacking stakes. Like, I knew he wouldn't become a marshall or get the promotion because that would limit his work with Sherlock and Joan, and he's a main character. I felt the same way about the storyline with him being shot, but was pleasantly surprised when it stuck for an episode or two. But overall, his stories weren't as impactful as the stories of the other three.
The "seasonal guests" as I call them were all pretty solid. Mycroft was probably my least favorite, just because his storyline was SO reliant on his relationship with Joan, and I never saw chemistry there. Season 2 also had the most forgettable main villain (I don't even remember his name) which was a real disappointment after the stellar work done by Natalie Dormer as Moriarty in season 2. John Noble KILLED it as Morland Holmes, as I could tell that he was a man that had done terrible things, but was trying to make up for it and make amends with his son. He was probably the best execution of the "seasonal guest" character, but his death was very anticlimactic, and wasn't given much time to breathe in the insanity of the Reichenbach storyline. Shinnwell was fine. I saw posts on this sub say that they hated his story, and skip his episodes, and I wouldn't go that far. I definitely agree that Joan gave him a few too many second chances, but I can respect a guy trying to do the right thing, but not knowing how to do so, which Shinwell certainly was. I also thought his death was anti-climactic, though. Michael and Odin were both... Interesting villains, but didn't get the time they needed to breathe. Odin was MUCH better handled, but I still feel like the season would have benefited from the full 21-25 episodes, because it felt like Odin went from ruling the world in episode 11 and 12 to being beaten in a, frankly, pretty simple way in episode 13. Michael, meanwhile, had a LOT of wasted potential. A serial killer who befriends Sherlock is great in theory, but like... Did Desmond Harrigton have another commitment at the time, or something? Because Michael had VERY few scenes, and was killed off with zero fanfare (as are most deaths in this show, now that I think about it... huh). He felt like the season's main villain, but then he died off screen and we got the random FBI lady for the last episode of season 6. I still consider Michael the main "villain" of season 6, but there was just a lot of missed opportunity there.
Now, for my favorite "seasonal guest" character, and 4th favorite character in the show: Kitty Winter. I really like Kitty. The whole idea of Sherlock having an apprentice who's kind of like an "anti-watson" in a sense, being more of a youthful, reckless, loud mouthed delinquent than Watson's more refined, mature self was a great idea. And, unlike people like Michael, Kitty actually got time to breathe. Every episode she was in showed us more of her character, before the eventual reveal of the assault she'd gone through, and Del Gruner. It was a joy to see her again in season 5, and her cameo in season 7 was hilarious. Every time she's on screen she absolutely steals it, and Ophelia Lovibond killed it. I also loved the idea of separating season 3 into a "kitty arc" and an "oscar arc," as it made the two storylines feel more important, since season spanning arcs like the SBK arc or the Michael arc often suffered from massive droughts, where there'd be several episodes with no story progression. Season 3 didn't have that problem as much, and a major reason was the arc split, in my opinion.
The villains, meanwhile, were hit or miss for me. Moriarty was fantastic, but I wish we got more of her in season 1, specifically seeing more of "Ireene"'s time with Sherlock. Condensing all of it into the last 4 or so episodes made it feel easier to follow, sure, but made the rest of the season slog at times. "M" is one of my favorite episodes of the show, though, and hearing Moran say "That was Moriarty" nearly made my heart stop. Just a shame that it took half a season to actually see Moriarty after her name was first dropped. As I said, season 2's villain (who the wiki is telling me was named Tim Sherrigton I guess) was super forgettable, and the real star of the story was Mycroft himself. Del Gruner was the perfect combination of fake-as-hell corporate politeness and hidden sleaze ball. I just wish we saw more of Gruner, both before the reveal, and as the walking embodiment of grossness. Oscar was... probably my least favorite main villain. The drop in stakes from season 1 and 2's "International crime syndicate" and "International intelligence agency conspiracy" was noticeable, but I was willing to adapt. Oscar, though, was just such a... Non-threat. The fact that he was able to jump Alfredo, a guy twice his size, is still baffling to me. I liked the idea of the "villain" being Sherlock's own flaws, but the face of the issue, Oscar, just didn't sell it very well. Vikner was... fine. He was what I'd expect from a more typical "Moriarty" character, but he was just that, typical. Another big scary crime lord for Joan and Sherlock to catch in the act. The conflict felt more about the friction between Morland and Sherlock, which was great, but Vikner suffered because of it. Tyus was probably the most intimidating main villain, in my opinion. The idea of a really smart rich dude leading a major crime gang was a great subversion, especially when they had us believing that his friend/foster brother was the leader, only for the reveal that Tyus was the real bad guy. My only wish is that we saw Tyus AND Bonzi more, and saw them on screen together. I think that's this show's biggest flaw: Giving screentime to its other characters. Michael, Vikner, Tyus, Bonzi, and Oscar all could have benefited from more screen time. But oh well. I already talked a lot about Michael and Odin previously, and I don't have much more to say on them. Odin was interesting and intimidating, but his defeat was anticlimactic. And Michael was really scary, but he needed more time and really should have stayed the big bad and not just died off screen, even though it gave us Aiden Quinn's best performance.
As for some other recurring characters; Alfredo was great, but his appearances got less and less frequent as the show went on, which was a bummer. It was interesting to see Sherlock find an equal in the field of infiltration. Mason, Everyone, Athena, Minerva, and all of the reoccurring irregulars were fun to see, but nothing beyond that. It was sad to see Sherlock's attempts at a relationship with Athena go nowhere, though. Harlan Emple was certainly the most memorable recurring character (save for the seasonal guests, and one guy I'm getting to in a second) due simply to his frequency in appearances. He showed up, like, 4-5 times, and was always very important in the episodes he appeared in. Outside of that, not much to say about Harlan, I just felt bad for the guy most of the time since he was always the butt of the joke. Agent McNally was fine, but trying to make him the final... Obstacle? Antagonist? Instigator? Of the whole show was... lame. Then Fiona, Sherlock's girlfriend from season 4 (and briefly season 5), was okay. Nothing bad about her, but I never felt a lot of chemistry from her and Sherlock (though that is kind of the point). I liked her trait of not being able to lie and being very blunt, since Sherlock is a great liar and often surrounds himself with other liars, but she felt underutilized and their relationship felt pretty surface level.
But the undisputed, number 1, all time best recurring character for me has GOT to be Eugene, the coroner. This man was the absolute GOAT in every episode he appeared in. Always trying to help out Sherlock and Joan, always having quick wit, and just being the most relatable character in the show. We even found out that he could challenge Sherlock in chess, averaging, iirc, 40+ minutes per game with him, which is NUTS. Against Shinwell he would have won in, like, 6 more moves in an already 5 minute game. Going well into the endgame with Sherlock is incredible! Every story in the show was elevated by Eugene's presence, and the episodes that really focused on him (specifically the ones with the death of Nicole, the officer he had a crush on, and his mourning following her death) were all great.
Now, for the man of the hour. I spoke a lot about Joan, Marcus, Gregson, the seasonal guests, the villains, and the recurring characters, but I haven't touched much on Sherlock himself. And that's because... There's not a whole lot for me to say. Jonny Lee Miller blew the role out of the park, and then some. Benedict Cumberbatch, Robert Downy Jr., and Henry Cavill can eat their hearts out, JLM is probably my favorite live action Sherlock due to the sheer amount of development he went through. Sure, a lot of that has to do with the writing, and not JLM's performance, but he totally sells it. Like, season 1 Sherlock would have NEVER even thought of letting Joan adopt a baby (at least while they were working together), would have never set Marcus up to go to the marshals, and probably would have just turned Hannah Gregson in when he figured out that she killed Michael. We saw, throughout the show, Sherlock go from a selfish, rude, nihilistic misanthrope to a genuinely compassionate, caring, and empathetic person. And JLM totally delivers on that. I wish I had more to say about Sherlock, but I really don't. He's a superb character, and one of the best interpretations of the classic detective ever.
Now, season ranking:
- Season 3 - Despite the misses of the Oscar arc, pretty much everything else was great. The one off stories here were also great, with One Watson One Holmes, The Eternity Injection, and For All You Know being some of my favorites. And, of course, the Kitty-Gruner story that I've already praised.
- Season 5 - Probably the most consistent season, for me, with very few droughts of story or quality, and some really great one offs. I did notice a change in season 5, though, as the episodes got a bit more... High concept. The jade seal of china, the snake venom mass poisoning involving a plot to hijack the internet and a bunch of stolen art, and the literal destruction of the planet were all plot points in the season, whereas before we'd just have the occasional foreign spy. But overall, I wasn't against the higher stakes, as it felt more like the original stories of SH, where the stakes could get pretty wild.
- Season 4 - John noble's great, the one offs are great, and the references to the novels (like in Hounded) were a delight. Vikner was a bland villain, but better than the villains of season 2 and 3, so that made it more tolerable.
- Season 1 - Despite being a great season, season 1's one offs felt more cookie cutter, being pretty standard "police procedural mystery" fluff. The developing relationship between Sherlock and Watson, and the mystery of Moriarty carried the season, but the amount of filler just did it in for me. It does have my favorite episode of the show, Snow Angels, though, so that's a big plus.
- Season 6 - Genuinely a toss up between this and season 7. Both had Sherlock, Joan, Gregson, and Marcus at their peaks, but season 6 edges it out since it had some great one offs like Once You've Ruled Out God, and Through The Fog (my second favorite episode ever) which Season 7 was lacking in due its focus on the overarching story.
- Season 7 - As I said, season 7 suffered due to a sharp lack of one offs (which tend to be the show's best episodes) and focusing almost entirely on Odin Reichenbach and Sherlock and Joan's return to the US after season 6. While I said earlier that the show needs to devote more time to its villains, this season devoted a good amount of time, but in the wrong ways, starting as a mystery (who was Gregson's shooter working for) but quickly dropping that plot in order to have a battle of morals and wits between Odin, Sherlock, and Joan. The finale was also kind of meh, with the double fake out death of both Sherlock AND Watson, but it was serviceable.
- Season 2 - Definitely my least favorite due to the underwhelming main villain, the lack of chemistry between Joan and Mycroft, and just having some overall meh one offs (save for We Are Everyone, which was a great intro to the most common irregular in the show). The Marcus being shot story and the reveal of Mycroft being an agent were cool, but not enough to save a fairly mediocre season.
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2023.06.08 00:38 hmmspicy Aloha Bars Are Still The Best
 | It's hard to find a bar as clean, tasty and macro-friendly as Aloha and the Kirkland brand of protein bars are just nasty 😂 I've seen them pictured at other locations but I need them at a St. Louis-area warehouse. If you see them at your location and haven't tried them, they're high quality and you should definitely check them out 👌 submitted by hmmspicy to Costco [link] [comments] |
2023.06.07 22:01 KKshilling Making Your Next Career Move: Avoiding the Trap of False Actualization
 | “The least of things with a meaning is worth more in life than the greatest of things without it.” – Carl Jung submitted by KKshilling to buildindia [link] [comments] The American culture around work and education emphasizes performance over purpose. Instead of encouraging children to welcome their idiosyncrasies and to deeply embrace the things they find innate joy and talent in, we enforce conformity. Standardized tests, standardized courses, and standardized degrees produce standardized kids who go on to become standardized adults. Over the course of two decades, a spirited child full of creativity and wonder is gone, replaced by a drone that’s proficient in Excel macros. It’s great for a vibrant economy, yet it comes at the expense of individual expression. Nonetheless, our childlike spirit remains in us, trapped under layers of societal conditioning that have drawn us so far away from ourselves that we’ve lost touch with our inborn interests and who we once were. Yet, it pings at us from time to time throughout our young adult lives, and into the depths of our careers. It’s a dull yet persistent sense that something is not quite right. This is a common outcome for many of our culture’s brightest minds. So many of us struggle to find a greater sense of meaning, fulfillment, or validation in our work. Although it feels like we need to attain more to be satisfied, that’s a conflation of the feeling. The ping from our soul that something isn’t right is the dormant child inside of us asking to be let loose. So, how do you avoid the trap of successful-yet-not-fulfilled? How do you design a life that activates the needs and desires you had as a child? How can you think through this intentionally before it’s too late? Using my own career as an example, I’ll walk through a popular model of human needs and describe how to apply it to making more meaningful career decisions. You’ll see how easy it is to fall into the trap of what I call False Actualization. By the end, you’ll have hopefully gut-checked yourself before making the next move down a potentially incorrect career path. And, I hope, find your way back to doing something that speaks to your innermost needs. Maslow and his Hierarchy of NeedsAmerican psychologist Abraham Maslow is responsible for one of the earliest and most contemplated models for understanding human needs: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. It spurred the creation of many other models for meaning since it was first introduced.There’s something about it that hits home, not only with the clinicians in the world of positive psychology but for the average person seeking a framework to understand their feelings of meaninglessness. As such, I’m going to use this model as the centerpiece for demonstrating the prior missteps I made with my own career. First, let’s do a quick refresh of the model. Maslow’s theory attempts to categorize a broad set of human needs and their relative hierarchy to one another and has commonly been visualized as a stacked pyramid (even though Maslow didn’t create such a visualization himself).
On the other hand, when all physiological needs are consistently fulfilled, the need for Love or Esteem can take center stage as physiological needs drift into the background of consciousness. https://preview.redd.it/2vch2kpxin4b1.png?width=928&format=png&auto=webp&s=7c12aca72e1900e98aaf56e8ef68b844b16d2220 I like to think of the sequence of needs falling into two broad categories: Survive and Thrive. The bottom of the pyramid houses the essentials for an organism to survive. Above those are the needs that lead to a subjective sense of thriving and fulfillment beyond basic survival. The purpose of this post is to examine the tradeoffs that we make within the zone of thriving as we push deeper into our careers. Applying Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to Your CareerWe can think of our careers relative to Maslow’s hierarchy. As an example, when we begin our careers, many of us are focused on fulfilling our basic Physiological and Safety needs.When I was 21, I got my first full-time job. It didn’t pay much. I earned $18,000 per year and had $30,000 in student debt. Consequently, survival was a primary need at the forefront of my psyche. I needed to have enough money for rent, food to eat, and enough left over after those needs to slowly chip away at my student loans. The debt overhang felt like a threat to my safety as an organism so getting my net worth out of negative territory was a fundamental safety need for me. Consequently, that became the primary thrust of my career in its early days. After 5 years of working hard and squirreling away money, I managed to pay off my debt and establish some career momentum. That translated into a sense of security, which made room for a new set of needs to take center stage in my psyche during the next leg of my career push. But as my career grew, so too did the demands of the job. In turn, this changed which needs were met, and which were neglected. I call this the demand dimension. While some jobs allow the separation of your work and life into two separate realms, others require a near-complete integration of the two, like being the CEO or an early employee of a growing startup. These are demanding positions that typically make it difficult for your life not to be dominated by work. When I was VP and President at Wealthfront, my Safety and Physiological needs were more than compensated for, and my Esteem needs were met due to the prestige that accompanied the position. However, my Love and Self-Actualization needs were majorly neglected due to soaring career demands. After several years of putting Esteem needs above other needs, I was paying the price spiritually and emotionally. This may look familiar to you: it’s typical for high-achievers entering mid-career. Disproportionately high work demands will come at the expense of your other needs. As Maslow stated, each need may occupy a different position in your psyche at any point in time. It’s essential to understand this attribute instead of thinking that each need on the ladder of needs is a box to be checked. And, once checked, it is perpetually satisfied. That is not the case. Rather, the needs in the hierarchy tend to trade off with one another, especially when one need is heavily emphasized versus the others. Perhaps this is at the heart of why active duty military members have the highest divorce rate of any profession in the country, with a divorce rate twice the national average. Members of the military relinquish many of the freedoms that civilians have and face stressful or traumatizing situations regularly. These situations place significant stress on their relationships. Love, Esteem, and Self-Actualization needs can fall by the wayside in exchange for serving the country. For many high-achievers, the need for respect, admiration, and achievement can swoop in and occupy the psyche once physiological and safety needs are met. However, it’s important to anticipate the unintended consequences of a rapid and primary focus on meeting Esteem needs. I have a very close friend that works in tech who once said, “I have zero desire to become an executive. It looks awful. I’d like to make it to Director level, at most, and stay there for as long as possible.” I deeply respected this, because it highlighted an approach to a more balanced life. He already felt respected and appreciated at work, and would rather have more space to fulfill his love needs with friends, family, hobbies, and more. His pyramid probably looks something more like this: His career demands are still high, but he stops himself short of demands that consume other aspects of his life. As a result, he’s one of the most emotionally stable and fulfilled friends I know in the technology industry. You, too, can have the same. Unfortunately, within the ultra-competitive tech world, high-achievers are often enticed to keep climbing up and up, only to then fall into disrepair once they realize how many of their other needs beyond Esteem may be neglected. The Trap of False Actualization“You'll be told in a hundred ways, some subtle and some not, to keep climbing, and never be satisfied with where you are, who you are, and what you're doing. There are a million ways to sell yourself out, and I guarantee you'll hear about them.” – Bill Waterson, Cartoonist and Creator of Calvin and HobbesIf you’ve been conditioned over decades to follow linear paths of success, you may be prone to going down a path of achievement that is not your own. Self-Actualization is not the same as achievement. Achievement is typically defined by external measures and expectations from others. Self-actualization, on the other hand, is not measured according to the opinions of others. It is becoming your authentic self and realizing the full spectrum of your unique interests and capabilities. The end result of self-actualization may be external success, but that’s an unintended consequence, not the objective. A child may have natural math ability but not actually enjoy math. Still, their teacher or parents may push them to accelerate further in math simply because they are good at it, or because it’s “necessary for success.” However, that child may be better off in the long run by pursuing literature and writing if those align with the child’s own subjective view of fulfillment and meaning. I fell quite easily into the trap of False Actualization, which is defined as the path to success based on others’ expectations of you, but not what you genuinely want for yourself. I was a straight-A student, went to a great college, built a great career, and made great money. And then I was miserable. That wasn’t the outcome I expected. Eventually, I understood why. I had succeeded over and over again at doing things others expected of me, a pattern that had been internalized from a very early age. Truthfully, I didn’t enjoy a lot of the work I did. Still, I suppressed the unhappiness and continued onward. In colloquial terms, False Actualization means that you’ve climbed to the top of someone else’s ladder. This happens when smart people in Silicon Valley are hellbent on starting a company because that’s the most prestigious thing one can do. It happens when ladder-climbers are determined to become high-ranking high-paid executives without asking “is this what I truly want?” It’s the continuation of the process of standardizing humans that began early in our lives. I know about this because I have been one of those ladder climbers. At Wealthfront, I was promoted three times in three years. Had I not had a heart attack scare, I would have been on track to be promoted again to CEO — the fourth time in four years. This is a high-achiever on auto-pilot. I was on auto-pilot headed toward false actualization. I said yes to each new role because I didn’t want to disappoint others, and the esteem was compelling. By the end of that long journey, my hierarchy looked like this: I was held in high regard and proud of myself for what I had accomplished, yet I was emotionally, spiritually, and physically bankrupt. Because I went through all of this, I discovered that there is a better way of doing things. Avoid the Path of False Actualization: Find Your Model for MeaningDuring a recent trip to Northern Thailand, I met a farmer that was a practicing Buddhist. During our conversation, he said something simple but critically important for anyone searching for meaning.“Everyone wants to get to Bangkok. The problem is that people try to follow other people’s roads to Bangkok. You must find your own road to Bangkok.” His catchy metaphor is the antidote to False Actualization. You must spend time carving your own path that provides you with your own internal sense of meaning and fulfillment. Self-Actualization is the output of finding your own way to Bangkok. For one person, meaning may come through manual labor that pays the bills enough that their family is well-fed and secure. For another person, meaning may come from ditching the rat race to set out on their own path in life separate from the masses, which is my chosen path. Others derive a great sense of meaning by being part of a once-in-a-generation company doing inspiring work, happy to play a small part in a purpose they wouldn’t be able to fulfill on their own. The question remains: how do I find my authentic purpose so that I avoid False Actualization? I’ll share my personal process, which I pulled together from various pieces of spiritual wisdom. It involves the following:
Examine (and Discard) False BeliefsJed McKenna, the pseudonymous author behind the Spiritual Enlightenment Trilogy, coined the term Spiritual Autolysis. Autolysis in biology means to “digest itself”, so it refers in this context to relentlessly assessing all of your existing beliefs to understand what is true.Ultimately, this is a process to break down and discard old beliefs that are no longer serving you. As Jed McKenna put it: "Here's all you need to know to become enlightened: Sit down, shut up, and ask yourself what's true until you know. That's it. That's the whole deal - a complete teaching of enlightenment, a complete practice. If you ever have any questions or problems - no matter what the question or problem is - the answer is always exactly the same: Sit down, shut up, and ask yourself what's true until you know." Don Miguel Ruiz’s The Four Agreements also provides a repeatable method for Spiritual Autolysis. I’ve taken the approach laid out in his book and adapted it to this particular challenge:
The financial insecurity I felt as an adult had its origin in the financial insecurity I felt as a child in a low-income family that went through bankruptcy. This realization helped me shed false beliefs still present in my adulthood that I needed to make more money in order to be safe and secure. Examining, and then discarding, this belief set me free from sacrificing my physical, spiritual, and emotional well-being in pursuit of yet another unnecessary paycheck. I also realized the insanity that is the American ideal around retirement. It was no longer true to me that the American way was the only way to work. Japanese wisdom has a different approach known as Ikigai, which roughly translates to “a reason for being.” Retirement has no place within this ancient system for living a fulfilling life. Carriers of Japanese heritage understood that our lives are cut short when we have no reason for being. Instead of destroying ourselves with overwork until the age of 65 so that we can fall purposelessly into the grave, we can instead find work that satisfies our soul and feels delighted to do so until we take our Big Sleep. These are just a few of the false truths I was able to deprogram myself away from via Spiritual Autolysis. Protect the Mind to Avoid Toxic Beliefs From EnteringThe second step in my method is about preventing fast food information from entering your mind – which is most of the highly processed information you receive each day. Your mind is already full of many harmful beliefs because you were brought up in a world that indoctrinated you with information before you had awareness and a choice.Whereas Spiritual Autolysis helps break those beliefs down and get rid of them, this next step is about preventing more bad ideas from taking root in your mind. The first step I recommend is getting rid of all junk sources of information. Or, if you can’t get rid of them entirely, use whatever tools are available to filter out most of the noise. For me, that meant all non-work social media and cable TV news had to go. Unless I can hear directly from the source, I ignore the information. Once you’ve limited the firehose of junk food information, continue to listen critically to everything that you hear. There’s a reason I only follow just a few accounts on Twitter. One is an account that posts pictures of dogs, the other is a non-profit that I’m on the board of that helps military veterans, and another is Mike Tyson, who has undergone one of the most beautiful spiritual and emotional transformations in recent history. I try to ignore everything else because, at best, it’s second-hand information. The vast majority of public information has been rinsed, washed, and processed as much as the American diet. To understand what is true for you, you need to create enough space to listen and observe for yourself. Most of what we consume is the noise that prevents us from accessing that signal. Develop a Practice That Provides the Heartbeat for Your LifeThe life you envision for yourself doesn’t happen because you think hard enough about it. The life you desire unfolds as the result of daily practice.As the psychotherapist Eric Fromm once said, “The first step to take is to become aware that love is an art, just as living is an art... we must proceed in the same way we have to proceed if we want to learn any other art, say music, painting, carpentry, or the art of medicine or engineering." I implemented two types of practices in my life. I call them Type 1 and Type 2 Changes. Type 1 Changes refer to the primary pillars of your life: where you live, the type of work you do, your friendships, romantic relationships, family relationships, diet and exercise, sleep, and any other major affiliations such as a religious practice. These are big rocks where new practices may need to be established. Type 2 Changes are the small rocks. These are the incidentals that fill out a daily routine, such as the use of a meditation app for a brief morning meditation, fitness trackers to count daily steps, etc. Most people who are hungry for a change in their life tend to dabble in Type 2 Changes while avoiding Type 1 Changes. This is another big trap. Type 1 Changes have made the largest and most sustained impact on my sense of peace and fulfillment. I moved away from a stressful city. I quit a stressful and unfulfilling career. I dropped old friends that were not supportive of my new life direction. I picked up participation in a 12-steps program so that I could be around others that were working hard to transform themselves. And now I’ve shifted my career focus to helping others after stockpiling enough savings from my prior work. I also use Type 2 tools. I have a habit tracker app that helps me stick to a daily routine to log exercise, sugar, and processed food consumption, morning meditations, nighttime journaling, and pleasure reading. Both types of change are part of my practice. Some are small, daily patterns. Others are monolithic shifts. The magic is found in the combination of both and you must be willing to combine both types of changes if you want a substantial and lasting shift in your overall sense of well-being. Make Your Next MoveIf you already feel in alignment and fulfilled by your current life, keep it up!But if you’re nodding along while reading, or feeling the ping that something’s not quite right, it may be time for you to listen inward. Take the sabbatical you’ve been putting off over and over again. Carve out time in your schedule to do the creative project that you’ve put on the back burner. Stop seeking career advice from others. Talk to people that live very different lives than you do. Travel to parts of the world where making a lot of money and having high-profile careers aren’t part of the cultural lexicon. Don’t stop until you discover your own road to Bangkok. Charles Bukowski captured the spirit of this best when he said, “Find what you love and let it kill you.” |
2023.06.07 21:32 kavyaorganicfarm Top 6 Best Natural Body Lotions
 | submitted by kavyaorganicfarm to u/kavyaorganicfarm [link] [comments] https://preview.redd.it/wav0gt4hcn4b1.jpg?width=936&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ac0be5a1889d05c8f9684afd6a7a43ca5ad2872e
That being said, some of the most commonly used and popular hair colors globally include:
Some of the well-known hair dye brands in India include:
In this system, the number before the decimal point represents the level of darkness, ranging from 1 (darkest black) to 10 (palest blonde). The number after the decimal point indicates the tone or undertone of the hair color. In the case of 7.0, it represents a medium level of darkness with a neutral tone. Therefore, a 7.0 hair dye would give you a medium blonde shade without any specific warm or cool undertones. It's important to keep in mind that the exact result can vary based on factors such as your starting hair color, hair type, and the specific brand or formulation of the hair dye used. If you're considering dyeing your hair with a specific shade, it's always advisable to consult with a professional hairstylist for guidance and to achieve the desired results.
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2023.06.07 16:59 sliced_lime Minecraft Java Edition 1.20 - the Trails & Tales Update Has Been Released!
What, is there something special happening today? Hold on, let me grab my calendar book from my chiseled bookshelf.
Oh, it's time for Trails & Tales! How could I forget? Time to equip your new brush and ride your camel off to new adventures!
This update can also be found on minecraft.net.
return
Parameters:
The ID of the random sequence to use for a loot table is specified in a new optional field called random_sequence. If no sequence name is given, loot is drawn using a non-deterministic random source.
Fields: - name - location of function to call
Before: { "conditions": { "item": { "items": [ "minecraft:glow_ink_sac" ] }, "location": { "block": { "tag": "minecraft:all_signs" } } }, "trigger": "minecraft:item_used_on_block" } After: { "conditions": { "location": [ { "condition": "minecraft:match_tool", "predicate": { "items": [ "minecraft:glow_ink_sac" ] } }, { "condition": "minecraft:location_check", "predicate": { "block": { "tag": "minecraft:all_signs" } } } ] }, "trigger": "minecraft:item_used_on_block" }
# Get the Release
To install the Release, open up the Minecraft Launcher and click play! Make sure your Launcher is set to the “Latest Release” option.
Cross-platform server jar:
Report bugs here:
Want to give feedback?
submitted by sliced_lime to MinecraftUnlimited [link] [comments]
Oh, it's time for Trails & Tales! How could I forget? Time to equip your new brush and ride your camel off to new adventures!
This update can also be found on minecraft.net.
New Features
- All features and changes from the "Update 1.20" experimental pack are now part of the game
- Added Archaeology
- Added Sniffer mob, Torchflowers and Pitcher Plants
- Added Camel mob
- Added Smithing Template items and redesigned the Smithing Table
- Added a new armor trimming system to visually customize your armor
- Changed how Netherite equipment is crafted
- Added the Cherry Grove biome and Cherry Wood Set
- Added the Bamboo Wood Set
- Added the Chiseled Bookshelf block
- Added Hanging Signs
- Improved customization options for Signs
- Added the Calibrated Sculk Sensor block
- Vibration resonance functionality has been added to Blocks of Amethyst
- Added playable mob sounds with Mob Heads on Note Blocks
- Added Piglin Mob Head
- New music tracks added to Cherry Groves, Desert, Jungle, Badlands, and Flower Forest biomes
- New Trails & Tales Advancements
- Added support for Windows Aarch64/ARM64
Archaeology
- Added craftable Brush item
- Added Suspicious Sand and Suspicious Gravel
- Suspicious Sand can be found in Desert Temples, Desert Wells and Warm Ocean Ruins
- Suspicious Gravel can be found in Cold Ocean Ruins and Trail Ruins
- These fragile blocks are hard to spot and easy to destroy, so be careful!
- Brushing Suspicious Sand or Suspicious Gravel with a Brush will extract objects that were buried long ago
- Added the Trail Ruins, a buried structure from a lost culture
- Four types of Armor Trim Templates can be found here
- Trail Ruins can be found in Taigas, Snowy Taigas, all Old Growth forest biomes and Jungles
- A new music disc can be found by brushing suspicious blocks in this structure
- When put in a Jukebox, "Relic" by Aaron Cherof is played
- Added Pottery Sherds
- Pottery Sherds have pictures on them
- A total of 20 sherd have been distributed between the 5 Archaeology sites: Desert Wells, Desert Temples, Cold Ocean Ruins, Warm Ocean Ruins, and Trail Ruins
- They cannot be crafted, and are only found by brushing Suspicious Sand or Suspicious Gravel
Decorated Pots
- Crafting four Pottery Sherds together will create a Decorated Pot with a picture on each side
- Brick items can be used instead of Pottery Sherds in the Decorated Pot recipe
- The sides that were made from Brick items will not have pictures
- Smash a Decorated Pot with any block-breaking tool to break it apart and get the Pottery Sherds back
- Hitting the pot with bare hands, silk touch tools, or any other item will drop an intact pot instead
- Crafted Decorated Pots with at least one pattern have a hover tooltip displaying the Sherd & Brick ingredients
Sniffer
- The Sniffer is the mob vote winner of Minecraft Live 2022
- Sniffers are passive, friendly mobs
- Sniffers sniff the air and occasionally dig for seeds, which produces a Torchflower Seed or a Pitcher Pod item
- Sniffers can only dig grass and dirt-like blocks
- Sniffers can be tempted by, and bred with Torchflowers Seeds
Sniffer Egg
- Can be found by brushing the Suspicious Sand of Warm Ocean Ruins
- When two Sniffers breed they do not immediately spawn a Snifflet; instead, a Sniffer Egg is dropped
- When placed in the world, the Sniffer Egg will hatch after some time
- When placed on Moss, the Egg will hatch in approximately 10 minutes
- On all other blocks, it will hatch in approximately 20 minutes
Torchflowers
- The Sniffer can occasionally sniff up a Torchflowers seed, and it can be used to breed two Sniffers
- The Torchflower seed can be planted on Farmland and grows into a Torchflower
- The full-grown flower can be harvested and replanted
- The Torchflower can be crafted into Orange Dye
Pitcher Plant
- The Sniffer can occasionally sniff up a Pitcher Pod item
- The Pitcher Pod, when planted on Farmland, grows into a Pitcher Crop
- The Pitcher Crop has five growth stages
- Once fully grown, the Pitcher Crop can be harvested, yielding a two-block-tall Pitcher Plant
- The Pitcher Plant can be crafted into Cyan Dye
Camel
- Camels can be equipped with a Saddle and ridden by two players
- Camels spawn naturally when Desert Villages generate
- Camels can be tempted by holding Cactus
- Feed Cactus to Camels to breed them
- Camels are tall
- Most hostile mobs will not be able to reach you when you are on a Camel
- They can walk over Fences and Walls
- Camels randomly sit down
- While sitting, it is difficult to convince them to move
- Camels can either walk slowly or sprint quickly
- They can also dash forward but will lose stamina for a while when doing so
Smithing
- Smithing Tables have been redesigned into a workstation for physical equipment upgrades and modifications
- Alongside slots for combining a piece of equipment and materials, there is now a required slot for an item type called Smithing Template
- Smithing Templates define what type of upgrade you will be making to a piece of equipment
- It specifies both what type of items you can upgrade, and which ingredients are valid to customize the upgrade
- There are currently two categories of Smithing Templates: Armor Trim and Netherite Upgrade
- Smithing Templates are consumed when used to upgrade an item in the Smithing Table
- You can craft a copy of a Smithing Template in the Crafting Table with 7 diamonds + 1 block of material that the template is made out of + 1 smithing template, which will output 2 of the same Smithing Template
Netherite Equipment
- Netherite equipment crafting now also requires a Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template
- Netherite Upgrade Smithing Templates can be found randomly in all Bastion Remnant chests
- Every Treasure Room Bastion Remnant will contain 2 Smithing Templates
- This change was made for a variety of reasons:
- Increase the time players utilize Diamond equipment before Netherite
- Make Netherite equipment more significant achievement in the game's progression
- Adapt Netherite more naturally into the new Smithing Table crafting system
Armor Trims
- You can now visually customize your armor with a variety of unique trims at the Smithing Table
- Armor trims are purely visual with no gameplay benefits
- Armor trims can be applied to Helmets, Chestplates, Leggings and Boots
- All trim patterns are visually the same on an armor's item icon, but the color will still change based on the trim material
- To check which trim pattern a piece of armor has, you can hover over it in the inventory
- Armor Trim Smithing Templates can be found all throughout the world, and each of the following structures contain their own unique Smithing Templates:
- Trail Ruins: Wayfinder, Raiser, Shaper, and Host Armor Trims
- Pillager Outpost: Sentry Armor Trim
- Desert Pyramid: Dune Armor Trim
- Shipwreck: Coast Armor Trim
- Jungle Temple: Wild Armor Trim
- Ocean Monument: Tide Armor Trim
- Ancient City: Ward and Silence Armor Trims
- Woodland Mansion: Vex Armor Trim
- Nether Fortress: Rib Armor Trim
- Bastion Remnant: Snout Armor Trim
- Stronghold: Eye Armor Trim
- End City: Spire Armor Trim
- Smithing Templates are found in chests in their respective structure
- Trail Ruins have no chests, Smithing Templates are instead found by brushing Suspicious Gravel
- The Ocean Monument has no chests, Elder Guardians sometimes instead drop a Smithing Template upon death
- Some Armor Trim Smithing Templates are rarer than others, so be on the lookout for them to impress your friends!
- An armor trim has two properties: a pattern and a material
- The pattern is defined by the Smithing Template used to apply the trim, and represents the visual pattern of the trim
- The material is defined by which ingredient you used to apply the trim, and controls the color of the trim
- The viable ingredients you can use to define the color of your armor trim are the following:
- Iron, Copper, Gold, Lapis, Emerald, Diamond, Netherite, Redstone, Amethyst, Quartz
Cherry Groves
- Added a new Cherry Grove biome, with pretty cherry blossom trees
- The biome can be found in the mountains, in similar places as Meadows
- Added a new Cherry wood set, with all the corresponding wooden things you can craft from it
- Pink particles fall from beneath Cherry Leaves
- Added a new Pink Petals block with lots of pink flowers on the ground
- Each Pink Petal block can contain up to 4 petals
- Using Bone Meal on it increases the number of petals
- Placing a Pink Petal into an already placed block increases the number of petals
- Drops the number of petals in the block when mined
Bamboo Wood Set
- Added a new Bamboo wood set, with all the corresponding wooden things you can craft from it
- Block of Bamboo can be crafted from 9 Bamboo and can be stripped like other wood logs
- Bamboo Planks crafted from Block of Bamboo yield only 2 planks compared to 4 for wood logs
- Added a new "Mosaic" plank variant that is unique to Bamboo called the Bamboo Mosaic
- It can be crafted with 1x2 Bamboo Slabs in a vertical strip
- You can craft Stair and Slab variants of Bamboo Mosaic
- Bamboo Mosaic blocks cannot be used as a crafting ingredient where other wooden blocks are used, but they can be used as fuel
- Added a unique Bamboo Raft and Bamboo Chest Raft which can be crafted like normal boats, but with Bamboo Planks
- They function the same as ordinary boats, but have a unique look to them
Chiseled Bookshelf
- A new, chiseled variation of the Bookshelf
- Crafted with 6 planks and 3 wooden slabs
- Can store Books, Book and Quills, Written Books, Enchanted Books, and Knowledge Books
- Holds up to 6 books
- These can be added or removed from any slot by targeting the specific slot
- The Comparator signal strength corresponds to the number of the last book that was inserted or removed
- The numbering of book slots starts from 1 at the top-left, and increments from left-to-right
- Works with Hoppers
Hanging Signs
- Hanging Signs are a more expensive version of normal Signs
- Crafted with 2 chains and 6 stripped logs of your preferred wood type
- Crafting results in 6 Hanging Signs
- Can be hung up in the following ways:
- Underneath a block that can provide support in the center, like a full block or a fence
- Attached to the solid side of a block
- Attached to the side or underneath another Hanging Sign
- Unlike normal Signs, they cannot be placed directly on the ground without support from the side or above
- However, Hanging Signs that have a horizontal bar will not pop when the supporting block is removed
Signs
The following changes have been made for both Signs and Hanging Signs. - Sign text can now be edited after being placed in the world - This can be done by interacting with the Sign - Signs with non-text chat components can not be edited - Both sides of the Sign can now have separate text and colors, allowing for further customization options - By default, a Sign will prompt you to input the front side's text when placed - To apply text to the back-side, you must walk to the other side and interact with that face to edit it - Signs can now also be waxed with Honeycomb, preventing any further edits to its text - Opening the sign edit screen in singleplayer no longer pauses the gameCalibrated Sculk Sensors
- A new variant of Sculk Sensors that allows you to filter vibrations based on their frequency level
- They are not found naturally and can only be crafted with 1 Sculk Sensor and 3 Amethyst Shards in the Crafting Table
- One side of the Calibrated Sculk Sensor can receive a redstone signal as input
- The strength of that redstone signal is the only vibration frequency the Sculk Sensor will listen to
- They have a combined active and cooldown phase that lasts 20 game ticks
- They output their redstone signal for the first 10 game ticks
- They can detect vibrations up to 16 blocks away
Vibration Resonance
- Blocks of Amethyst have a new behavior when placed adjacent to Sculk Sensors
- If that Sculk Sensor receives a vibration, the Block of Amethyst will re-emit its frequency as a separate vibration at its location
- This behavior is called Vibration Resonance, and allows players to move vibration frequencies across long distances without having to recreate the vibration naturally
Playable Mob Sounds
- When placing a Mob Head on a Note Block, that Note Block will now play one of the ambient sounds of that mob when played by a player or powered by Redstone
- Mob Heads can be placed on top of Note Blocks without sneaking
Piglin Mob Head
- Piglins will now drop their heads when killed by a charged Creeper
- Placing the Piglin head on a Note Block will play one of the Piglin's ambient sounds
- The Piglin head will flap its ears when powered by Redstone, or when worn by a player while walking
New Music
- Added the following new music tracks by Aaron Cherof to Cherry Groves, Desert, Jungle, Badlands, and Flower Forest biomes:
- A Familiar Room
- Bromeliad
- Crescent Dunes
- Echo in the Wind
- Added a new music disc with the track "Relic" by Aaron Cherof, found in Trail Ruins
Windows Aarch64/ARM64 support
- Minecraft Java Edition is now fully supported on Windows devices using an Aarch64/ARM64 architecture, such as the Windows Surface Pro X
Advancements
New Husbandry Advancements
- Smells Interesting : Obtain a Sniffer Egg
- Little Sniffs : Feed a Snifflet (requires Smells interesting)
- Planting the Past : Plant any Sniffer seed (requires Little sniffs)
New Adventure Advancements
- Respecting the Remnants : Brush a Suspicious block to obtain a Pottery Sherd
- Careful Restoration : Make a Decorated Pot out of 4 Pottery Sherds (requires Respecting the Remnants)
- Crafting a New Look : Craft a trimmed armor at a Smithing Table
- Smithing with Style : Apply these Trim Smithing Templates at least once: Spire, Snout, Rib, Ward, Silence, Vex, Tide, Wayfinder (requires Crafting a New Look)
- The Power of Books : Read the power signal of a Chiseled Bookshelf using a Comparator
Changes
- Changes to Sculk Sensor block behaviors
- Vibration frequencies of many actions in the game have been tweaked
- Colored Wool, Carpets and Beds can now be dyed to any other color
- Replaceable blocks no longer block the connection between enchanting tables and bookshelves
- Wither effect particle and Potion of Slow Falling color have been adjusted to make them more distinguishable
- Updated step sounds
- Updated Advancements
- The main menu background is now a Trails & Tales panorama
- Updated the Minecraft Java Edition logo
- Updated the Minecraft Realms logo
- The game's application icon has been updated
- This will be a Grass Block in release versions, and a Dirt Block in snapshot versions
- GUI can be scaled on the Video Settings screen by holding Ctrl and scrolling the mouse wheel
- Updated the credits
- Added the ability to scroll upwards by pressing the up arrow key
- The game will now display a message box on startup if user enabled text-to-speech functionality, but it is not available
- Removed Herobrine
Sculk Changes
- If a vibration is scheduled to be received by a Sculk Sensor or Sculk Shrieker, they will stay queued until all adjacent chunks are loaded and ticking
- Prevents vibration resonance setups from breaking when unloading their chunks from a distance
- Waterlogging a Sculk Shrieker will now silence their shriek sounds
- Sculk Sensors' default redstone output has been modified to be more reliable for distance calculations
- Sculk Sensors and Calibrated Sculk Sensors now strongly power the block they are placed on
- Both types of Sculk Sensors now stay in their Cooldown phase for 10 ticks, with other phase timings being adjusted to compensate
Sculk Sensor Phases
- Sculk Sensors and Calibrated Sculk Sensors have three phases: Inactive, Active and Cooldown
- The default phase is Inactive
- This phase lasts indefinitely until the block receives a vibration
- During this phase, the block is able to listen to nearby vibrations until one has been scheduled
- When a scheduled vibration is received, the block switches to the Active phase
- This phase lasts 30 game ticks for Sculk Sensors, and 10 game ticks for Calibrated Sculk Sensors
- During this phase, the block stops listening to nearby vibrations, wiggles its tendrils and emits a redstone signal and light
- After the Active phase has finished, the block switches to a Cooldown phase
- This phase lasts for 10 game ticks
- During this phase, the block keeps wiggling its tendrils, but no longer emits a redstone signal nor light
- Finally, once this phase is finished, the block will switch back to the Inactive phase
- Previously, some of these phases had different timing values:
- Active: 40 game ticks for Sculk Sensors and 20 game ticks for Calibrated Sculk Sensors
- Cooldown: 1 game tick for both types of Sculk Sensors
- These phase timings were tweaked so that it is less common for activated contraptions to recursively activate the Sculk Sensor that powered them
Vibration Frequencies
In preparation for the Calibrated Sculk Sensor, vibration frequencies have been greatly simplified to prevent unwanted interference. The following are category descriptions for each frequency and the expected events that they correspond to:- Movement in any medium (land, water and air)
- Landing on any surface (land or water)
- Item interactions
- Gliding with an elytra or unique mob actions (Ravager roar, Wolf shaking, etc)
- Dismounting a mob or equipping gear
- Mounting a mob or interacting with a mob
- Mobs and players getting damaged
- Consuming items (drinking and eating)
- Blocks 'deactivating' (door close, chest close, button unpress, etc)
- Blocks 'activating' (door open, chest open, button press, etc)
- Blocks changing (cauldron water level rising, adding food to campfire, etc.)
- Blocks being destroyed
- Blocks being placed
- Mobs and players teleporting or spawning
- Mobs and players dying or an explosion
Step Sounds
- Walking on a block will now always play a step sound
- It was previously not the case if you were walking along the edge of a block with air or fluid besides it
- Walking on the ocean floor will produce a step sound for the block you are walking on at a lower volume and pitch
- When walking on Carpets, Snow, Nether Sprouts, Warped Roots, and Crimson Roots, a combination of step sounds will be played
- The top-most block you are walking on is played as normal
- The block underneath is played at a lower volume and pitch
Advancements
- Breeding Camels and Sniffers now count for "The Parrots and the Bats" and are now required for "Two by Two"
- Hanging Signs now count for "Glow and Behold"
- Visiting a Cherry Grove is now required for "Adventuring Time"
Technical Changes
- Improved performance of the light engine
- The data pack version is now 15, accounting for sign data format, item display orientation and advancement changes
- Removed update_1_20 feature flag and built-in datapack - features are no longer experimental
- Added a return command
- Tweaked display entity interpolation
- Added a capped rule structure processor that limits the number of replaced blocks for a structure piece to a configured maximum
- Configuring block entity fields in a rule processor rule is now delegated to a referenced block_entity_modifier instead of the previously fixed output_nbt configuration
- Random sequences for loot tables are now deterministic
- Added a reference loot table function
- Loot table condition/predicate changes:
- Renamed alternative to any_of
- Added all_of
- Advancement trigger changes:
- Added recipe_crafted
- Changed format of placed_block, item_used_on_block and allay_drop_item_on_block triggers
- Ingredients in array form are now also allowed in smithing_trim and smithing_transform recipes on fields template, base and addition
- Those fields also allow empty arrays, which signalize that slot needs to be left empty
- Added new damage types: outside_border and generic_kill
- Game events have changed vibration frequency and some have been removed
- The resource pack version is now 15, accounting for the font and credits update
- Updated the sprite layout of minecraft.png
- Removed the overriding minecraft.png from the Programmer Art resource pack
- Updated the sprite layout of invite_icon.png
- legacy_unicode glyph provider has been removed
- Bitmaps used by uniform font have been removed
- uniform font has been updated to use Unifont 15.0.06
- That changes shape of multiple characters, while also adding support for new ones
- Combining characters no longer include circle overlayed over them (so M◌̆ now renders as M ̆)
- Added second level of organization of entries in credits.json on top of titles, called disciplines
- Font textures are included in debug texture dump (F3 + S)
- Added new font glyph providers: unihex and reference, removed legacy_unicode
- Added support for Quick Play
- Removed the server & port commandline arguments as their functionality has been replaced by Quick Play
- Updates to telemetry
- Changed encoding of server.properties to UTF-8
- Added validation for symbolic links in world saves
Light Engine
The light engine is responsible for calculating the brightness of each block in the world. Light is calculated during world generation as well as updated when a block is changed in the world. Behavior of the light engine has not been changed.- The performance of calculating light has been improved
- Reduces one source of lag spikes when crossing chunk borders
- Improves FPS in situations when a lot of light updates occur
- Improves how quickly chunks can be generated
Commands
return
The return command can be used to control execution flow inside functions and change their return value. Effects:- Remaining separate top-level commands in the currently executing function (if any) are skipped
- The result value of the function command that triggered the function is changed from the number of commands executed to value
- The result value of the return command is also value
return
Parameters:
- value: An integer return value
data
- string data sources now accept negative boundaries, which are interpreted as index counted from the end of the string
Display Entity
Interpolation Changes
- Previous values are always discarded if interpolation_duration is 0
- Made sure that render properties are applied at the same time (so block_state is applied at the same time as transformation, i.e. at the next tick after receiving an update)
- Display entities are not rendered until their initial data is received. That means display entities might not be shown on the first tick.
- Note: due to how the game handles updates, changes to entities made after summoning might be delivered to clients within a later tick
Rendering Changes
- item_display items have been rotated 180 degrees around the Y axis to better match the transformation that is applied when rendering items on an Armor Stand head and in Item Frames
- For reference, the order of transformations applied to model (starting from innermost) is item_transform, rotate Y 180, transformation field, entity orientation (billboard option + Rotation field + Pos field)
Structure post-processors
Capped post-processor
- A capped post-processor has been added which can limit how many blocks a delegated post-processor randomly transform in a structure
- This can be used to configure a structure piece to have an exact amount of specific blocks, instead of using random distribution
- The capped post-processor has following required parameters:
- delegate A post-processor which performs the actual block transformation
- limit Maximum amount of blocks that the delegated post-processor can transform
- The blocks inside a structure are all randomly passed to the delegated post-processor until it has transformed the limited amount
- Either constant or random number generator sampled during post-processing
Rule post-processor block entity configuration
- Previously a rule could specify an optional fixed output_nbt which would be added to the processed output block entity
- This field has now been changed to reference a block_entity_modifier
- Existing block_entity_modifier's are:
- passthrough Retains existing fields on the block entity
- This is the default if no block_entity_modifier is specified
- append_static Similar to previous output_nbt this provides fixed fields to add to the block entity
- A minor change is that this modifier appends configured fields to the processed block instead of replacing existing fields
- clear Removes any existing fields on the block entity
- append_loot Appends a loot table and seed to the block entity through required parameter:
- loot_table Referenced loot table to add to block entity as LootTable field
- Field LootTableSeed is also added to the block entity using random seeded by block position
Loot Tables
Random Sequences
The game now uses named random sequences to deterministically produce loot for loot tables. Each random sequence produces a unique sequence based on the world seed and sequence ID, which means a loot table will produce the same results when ran with the same parameters in the same world.The ID of the random sequence to use for a loot table is specified in a new optional field called random_sequence. If no sequence name is given, loot is drawn using a non-deterministic random source.
reference
New function reference allows functions to call sub-functions (similar to reference condition).Fields: - name - location of function to call
any_of/all_of
- Loot condition alternative has been renamed to any_of
- Added new loot condition all_of that passes only when all sub-conditions pass
- Has the same syntax as any_of
Advancements
New Triggers
recipe_crafted
- Triggered when crafting a recipe
- Conditions:
- recipe_id - the resource location of the recipe crafted
- ingredients - an array of predicates for the item stacks used in the recipe
- A single item stack can only be used to fulfill one predicate
- Each predicate needs to be fulfilled to trigger the advancement. This allows for separation between recipes that have same identifier but use different ingredients.
- This field is optional. When not provided, or left empty, only the recipe_id will dictate the success of the trigger
Changed Triggers
- All fields in placed_block, item_used_on_block and allay_drop_item_on_block have been collapsed into a single location field
- The new location is similar to the player field - it is a list of loot conditions/predicates
- All conditions in this list must match for a trigger to run
- Conditions are evaluated in a new loot context called advancement_location. It has access to:
- Player as this entity
- Position of the placed block
- Block state of the placed/interacted block
- Held/used item as "tool"
- Migration guide:
- Contents of old location field should be migrated to location_check condition
- Contents of item field should be migrated to match_tool condition
- Contents of block + state fields should be migrated to block_state_property condition
Before: { "conditions": { "item": { "items": [ "minecraft:glow_ink_sac" ] }, "location": { "block": { "tag": "minecraft:all_signs" } } }, "trigger": "minecraft:item_used_on_block" } After: { "conditions": { "location": [ { "condition": "minecraft:match_tool", "predicate": { "items": [ "minecraft:glow_ink_sac" ] } }, { "condition": "minecraft:location_check", "predicate": { "block": { "tag": "minecraft:all_signs" } } } ] }, "trigger": "minecraft:item_used_on_block" }
Damage Types
- Players outside the world border are now hurt by the damage type outside_border instead of in_wall
- Forcibly removing an entity using the /kill command now uses damage type generic_kill instead of out_of_world
Tags
Block Tags
- Removed replaceable_plants since it was only used as a subset of the blocks for the tag above, and not as universally
- Added replaceable_by_trees to better express blocks that are replaced when the tree grows through them
- Added replaceable with all the blocks that can be replaced
- This tag only represents the internal state of the game, changing this tag does not make blocks replaceable
- Added sword_efficient to represent blocks that are broken 50% faster by a sword than normal
- Added maintains_farmland to represent which blocks will not cause farmland to be converted into dirt due to drying out when placed on top of it
- Added combination_step_sound_blocks that controls which blocks produce a combination of step sounds
- Added enchantment_power_provider to control which blocks increase the level of an Enchantment Table
- Added enchantment_power_transmitter to control which blocks are allowed between an Enchantment Table and a Bookshelf (or other Power Transmitter)
- Added vibration_resonators to control which blocks transmit vibration signals when placed next to Sculk Sensors
- Added trail_ruins_replaceable for blocks that Trail Ruins can replace when generating
- Added sniffer_diggable_block to control which blocks Sniffers can dig
- Added sniffer_egg_hatch_boost to that control on which blocks Sniffer Eggs hatch twice as fast
- Added ceiling_hanging_signs
- Added wall_hanging_signs
- Added all_hanging_signs
- Added stone_buttons block tag
- Added cherry_logs block tag
- Added bamboo_blocks block tag
Item Tags
- Added villager_plantable_seeds to represent which kind of seeds Villagers can farm
- Added noteblock_top_instruments to control which blocks can be placed on top of Note Blocks without sneaking
- Added breaks_decorated_pots to control which tools can break Decorated Pots
- Added decorated_pot_ingredients
- Added decorated_pot_sherds
- Added sniffer_food
- Added trimmable_armor
- Added trim_materials
- Added trim_templates
- Added stone_buttons item tag
- Added cherry_logs item tag
- Added bamboo_blocks item tag
Biome Tags
- Added has_structure/trail_ruins
Game Events
- Removed piston_contract game event in favor of block_deactivate
- Removed piston_extend and dispense_fail game events in favor of block_activate
- Many game events have new vibration frequencies:
- 1: step, swim, flap
- 2: projectile_land, hit_ground, splash
- 3: item_interact_finish, projectile_shoot, instrument_play
- 4: entity_roar, entity_shake, elytra_glide
- 5: entity_dismount, equip
- 6: entity_mount, entity_interact, shear
- 7: entity_damage
- 8: drink, eat
- 9: container_close, block_close, block_deactivate, block_detach
- 10: container_open, block_open, block_activate, block_attach, prime_fuse, note_block_play
- 11: block_change
- 12: block_destroy, fluid_pickup
- 13: block_place, fluid_place
- 14: entity_place, lightning_strike, teleport
- 15: entity_die, explode
Fonts
New unihex Glyph Provider
- New glyph provider for reading Unifont HEX files
- HEX format describes font glyphs using a bitmap
- The height of every glyph is 16 pixels
- The width of glyph can be 8, 16, 24 or 32 pixels
- Every line is made of two hexadecimal numbers separated by :
- The first value describes a codepoint - it must have 4, 5 or 6 hex digits
- The second value describes the glyph as a stream of bits, line by line
- When rendering, empty columns on left and right side of glyphs are removed
- Custom glyph widths can be set with size_overrides
- This provider requires two fields:
- hex_file - path to ZIP archive containing one or more *.hex files (files in archive with different extensions are ignored)
- size_overrides - list of codepoint ranges that should have width different from auto-detected (based on empty space in glyph). Fields:
- from, to - start and end of codepoint range (inclusive)
- left, right - integers describing the position of the left-most and right-most columns of the glyph in range
- Any bits in columns outside of this range will be discarded
New reference Glyph Provider
- New glyph provider that can be used to include providers from other fonts
- Providers are guaranteed to be loaded only once, no matter how many times they are included
- Provider has one field id, that describes another font to be included in the currently loaded one
- Inclusion is performed after all fonts are loaded, so it will include all providers for a given font defined in all datapacks
Removed legacy_unicode Glyph Provider
- The legacy_unicode glyph provider has been removed
- This functionality has been replaced by the unihex provider
Quick Play
- Added support for four new command line arguments that allow the game to be launched directly into a world
- quickPlayPath takes a specified path for logging (relative to the run directory)
- If a path is provided the following will be logged upon joining a world:
- type: is either singleplayer, multiplayer, or realms
- identifier: represents the world you want to join
- For singleplayer, the folder name of the world
- For multiplayer, the IP address of the server
- For realms, the Realms ID
- port: represents the server port and is only logged for multiplayer
- name: The name of the world
- gamemode: The gamemode of the world
- lastPlayedTime: The time you joined the world
- Example:
- --quickPlayPath "quickPlay/log.json" will resolve into .minecraft/quickPlay/log.json
- quickPlaySingleplayer, quickPlayMultiplayer and quickPlayRealms all take their respective identifier
- If one of these arguments is provided, the game will try to launch directly into the given world
- Examples:
- --quickPlaySingleplayer "New World"
- --quickPlayMultiplayer "localhost:25565"
- --quickPlayRealms "1234"
Telemetry
All Events
- Added new property: launcher_name
- This is set based on the minecraft.launcher.brand system property
- This will help us troubleshoot game launch related bugs more effectively, as we will be able to see whether the issue originated in the Minecraft launcher or a third-party program
Updated Required Events
- world_loaded
- Added new property: realms_map_content
- When loading into a Realms Map Content world (Minigame), the world_loaded event will receive the name of that map
- This is to help us understand how Java Realms players interact with Java Realms adventure or minimap content
New Optional Events
- advancement_made
- This event is triggered when a player completes an advancement, and allows us to see the advancement ID and the time when the advancement was completed
- This helps us as a studio understand player progress and limits, which informs our game design
- game_load_times
- This event is triggered when the game client is loaded
- Includes the time it took for the client to load
- This is so that we can work on improving and reducing the time it takes to load the game client
server.properties
- File is now read in UTF-8 initially, with previous encoding (ISO 8859-1/Latin 1) as a fallback
- File is now written with UTF-8 encoding
Symbolic Link Validation
To improve safety, the game will now detect symbolic links used inside world directory. For a detailed explanation, check our help article.- If the target of a symbolic link is not on the user-configured allow-list, the game will not proceed with loading the world
- Note: the world directory itself can still be linked
- The list of allowed symbolic link targets is stored in file allowed_symlinks.txt in the client or server top directory
- The file consists of entries (one per line) with following formats allowed:
- Lines starting with # are comments and are ignored
- [type]pattern, where type can be glob, regex or prefix
- prefix matches start of path with given pattern (so for /test paths /test, /test/ and /test/foo.txt would match)
- regex matches regular expression against whole path
- glob uses OS-specific path matching mechanism (for example *.txt would usually match files with txt extension)
- Note: paths will use OS-specific separators
- pattern, which uses default prefix type
Fixed bugs in 1.20
Around 250 bugs were fixed in this release. View the list on the issue tracker.# Get the Release
To install the Release, open up the Minecraft Launcher and click play! Make sure your Launcher is set to the “Latest Release” option.
Cross-platform server jar:
Report bugs here:
Want to give feedback?
- For any feedback and suggestions, head over to the dedicated Feedback site category. If you're feeling chatty, join us over at the official Minecraft Discord.
2023.06.07 16:59 sliced_lime Minecraft Java Edition 1.20 - the Trails & Tales Update Has Been Released!
What, is there something special happening today? Hold on, let me grab my calendar book from my chiseled bookshelf.
Oh, it's time for Trails & Tales! How could I forget? Time to equip your new brush and ride your camel off to new adventures!
This update can also be found on minecraft.net.
return
Parameters:
The ID of the random sequence to use for a loot table is specified in a new optional field called random_sequence. If no sequence name is given, loot is drawn using a non-deterministic random source.
Fields: - name - location of function to call
Before: { "conditions": { "item": { "items": [ "minecraft:glow_ink_sac" ] }, "location": { "block": { "tag": "minecraft:all_signs" } } }, "trigger": "minecraft:item_used_on_block" } After: { "conditions": { "location": [ { "condition": "minecraft:match_tool", "predicate": { "items": [ "minecraft:glow_ink_sac" ] } }, { "condition": "minecraft:location_check", "predicate": { "block": { "tag": "minecraft:all_signs" } } } ] }, "trigger": "minecraft:item_used_on_block" }
# Get the Release
To install the Release, open up the Minecraft Launcher and click play! Make sure your Launcher is set to the “Latest Release” option.
Cross-platform server jar:
Report bugs here:
Want to give feedback?
submitted by sliced_lime to Minecraft [link] [comments]
Oh, it's time for Trails & Tales! How could I forget? Time to equip your new brush and ride your camel off to new adventures!
This update can also be found on minecraft.net.
New Features
- All features and changes from the "Update 1.20" experimental pack are now part of the game
- Added Archaeology
- Added Sniffer mob, Torchflowers and Pitcher Plants
- Added Camel mob
- Added Smithing Template items and redesigned the Smithing Table
- Added a new armor trimming system to visually customize your armor
- Changed how Netherite equipment is crafted
- Added the Cherry Grove biome and Cherry Wood Set
- Added the Bamboo Wood Set
- Added the Chiseled Bookshelf block
- Added Hanging Signs
- Improved customization options for Signs
- Added the Calibrated Sculk Sensor block
- Vibration resonance functionality has been added to Blocks of Amethyst
- Added playable mob sounds with Mob Heads on Note Blocks
- Added Piglin Mob Head
- New music tracks added to Cherry Groves, Desert, Jungle, Badlands, and Flower Forest biomes
- New Trails & Tales Advancements
- Added support for Windows Aarch64/ARM64
Archaeology
- Added craftable Brush item
- Added Suspicious Sand and Suspicious Gravel
- Suspicious Sand can be found in Desert Temples, Desert Wells and Warm Ocean Ruins
- Suspicious Gravel can be found in Cold Ocean Ruins and Trail Ruins
- These fragile blocks are hard to spot and easy to destroy, so be careful!
- Brushing Suspicious Sand or Suspicious Gravel with a Brush will extract objects that were buried long ago
- Added the Trail Ruins, a buried structure from a lost culture
- Four types of Armor Trim Templates can be found here
- Trail Ruins can be found in Taigas, Snowy Taigas, all Old Growth forest biomes and Jungles
- A new music disc can be found by brushing suspicious blocks in this structure
- When put in a Jukebox, "Relic" by Aaron Cherof is played
- Added Pottery Sherds
- Pottery Sherds have pictures on them
- A total of 20 sherd have been distributed between the 5 Archaeology sites: Desert Wells, Desert Temples, Cold Ocean Ruins, Warm Ocean Ruins, and Trail Ruins
- They cannot be crafted, and are only found by brushing Suspicious Sand or Suspicious Gravel
Decorated Pots
- Crafting four Pottery Sherds together will create a Decorated Pot with a picture on each side
- Brick items can be used instead of Pottery Sherds in the Decorated Pot recipe
- The sides that were made from Brick items will not have pictures
- Smash a Decorated Pot with any block-breaking tool to break it apart and get the Pottery Sherds back
- Hitting the pot with bare hands, silk touch tools, or any other item will drop an intact pot instead
- Crafted Decorated Pots with at least one pattern have a hover tooltip displaying the Sherd & Brick ingredients
Sniffer
- The Sniffer is the mob vote winner of Minecraft Live 2022
- Sniffers are passive, friendly mobs
- Sniffers sniff the air and occasionally dig for seeds, which produces a Torchflower Seed or a Pitcher Pod item
- Sniffers can only dig grass and dirt-like blocks
- Sniffers can be tempted by, and bred with Torchflowers Seeds
Sniffer Egg
- Can be found by brushing the Suspicious Sand of Warm Ocean Ruins
- When two Sniffers breed they do not immediately spawn a Snifflet; instead, a Sniffer Egg is dropped
- When placed in the world, the Sniffer Egg will hatch after some time
- When placed on Moss, the Egg will hatch in approximately 10 minutes
- On all other blocks, it will hatch in approximately 20 minutes
Torchflowers
- The Sniffer can occasionally sniff up a Torchflowers seed, and it can be used to breed two Sniffers
- The Torchflower seed can be planted on Farmland and grows into a Torchflower
- The full-grown flower can be harvested and replanted
- The Torchflower can be crafted into Orange Dye
Pitcher Plant
- The Sniffer can occasionally sniff up a Pitcher Pod item
- The Pitcher Pod, when planted on Farmland, grows into a Pitcher Crop
- The Pitcher Crop has five growth stages
- Once fully grown, the Pitcher Crop can be harvested, yielding a two-block-tall Pitcher Plant
- The Pitcher Plant can be crafted into Cyan Dye
Camel
- Camels can be equipped with a Saddle and ridden by two players
- Camels spawn naturally when Desert Villages generate
- Camels can be tempted by holding Cactus
- Feed Cactus to Camels to breed them
- Camels are tall
- Most hostile mobs will not be able to reach you when you are on a Camel
- They can walk over Fences and Walls
- Camels randomly sit down
- While sitting, it is difficult to convince them to move
- Camels can either walk slowly or sprint quickly
- They can also dash forward but will lose stamina for a while when doing so
Smithing
- Smithing Tables have been redesigned into a workstation for physical equipment upgrades and modifications
- Alongside slots for combining a piece of equipment and materials, there is now a required slot for an item type called Smithing Template
- Smithing Templates define what type of upgrade you will be making to a piece of equipment
- It specifies both what type of items you can upgrade, and which ingredients are valid to customize the upgrade
- There are currently two categories of Smithing Templates: Armor Trim and Netherite Upgrade
- Smithing Templates are consumed when used to upgrade an item in the Smithing Table
- You can craft a copy of a Smithing Template in the Crafting Table with 7 diamonds + 1 block of material that the template is made out of + 1 smithing template, which will output 2 of the same Smithing Template
Netherite Equipment
- Netherite equipment crafting now also requires a Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template
- Netherite Upgrade Smithing Templates can be found randomly in all Bastion Remnant chests
- Every Treasure Room Bastion Remnant will contain 2 Smithing Templates
- This change was made for a variety of reasons:
- Increase the time players utilize Diamond equipment before Netherite
- Make Netherite equipment more significant achievement in the game's progression
- Adapt Netherite more naturally into the new Smithing Table crafting system
Armor Trims
- You can now visually customize your armor with a variety of unique trims at the Smithing Table
- Armor trims are purely visual with no gameplay benefits
- Armor trims can be applied to Helmets, Chestplates, Leggings and Boots
- All trim patterns are visually the same on an armor's item icon, but the color will still change based on the trim material
- To check which trim pattern a piece of armor has, you can hover over it in the inventory
- Armor Trim Smithing Templates can be found all throughout the world, and each of the following structures contain their own unique Smithing Templates:
- Trail Ruins: Wayfinder, Raiser, Shaper, and Host Armor Trims
- Pillager Outpost: Sentry Armor Trim
- Desert Pyramid: Dune Armor Trim
- Shipwreck: Coast Armor Trim
- Jungle Temple: Wild Armor Trim
- Ocean Monument: Tide Armor Trim
- Ancient City: Ward and Silence Armor Trims
- Woodland Mansion: Vex Armor Trim
- Nether Fortress: Rib Armor Trim
- Bastion Remnant: Snout Armor Trim
- Stronghold: Eye Armor Trim
- End City: Spire Armor Trim
- Smithing Templates are found in chests in their respective structure
- Trail Ruins have no chests, Smithing Templates are instead found by brushing Suspicious Gravel
- The Ocean Monument has no chests, Elder Guardians sometimes instead drop a Smithing Template upon death
- Some Armor Trim Smithing Templates are rarer than others, so be on the lookout for them to impress your friends!
- An armor trim has two properties: a pattern and a material
- The pattern is defined by the Smithing Template used to apply the trim, and represents the visual pattern of the trim
- The material is defined by which ingredient you used to apply the trim, and controls the color of the trim
- The viable ingredients you can use to define the color of your armor trim are the following:
- Iron, Copper, Gold, Lapis, Emerald, Diamond, Netherite, Redstone, Amethyst, Quartz
Cherry Groves
- Added a new Cherry Grove biome, with pretty cherry blossom trees
- The biome can be found in the mountains, in similar places as Meadows
- Added a new Cherry wood set, with all the corresponding wooden things you can craft from it
- Pink particles fall from beneath Cherry Leaves
- Added a new Pink Petals block with lots of pink flowers on the ground
- Each Pink Petal block can contain up to 4 petals
- Using Bone Meal on it increases the number of petals
- Placing a Pink Petal into an already placed block increases the number of petals
- Drops the number of petals in the block when mined
Bamboo Wood Set
- Added a new Bamboo wood set, with all the corresponding wooden things you can craft from it
- Block of Bamboo can be crafted from 9 Bamboo and can be stripped like other wood logs
- Bamboo Planks crafted from Block of Bamboo yield only 2 planks compared to 4 for wood logs
- Added a new "Mosaic" plank variant that is unique to Bamboo called the Bamboo Mosaic
- It can be crafted with 1x2 Bamboo Slabs in a vertical strip
- You can craft Stair and Slab variants of Bamboo Mosaic
- Bamboo Mosaic blocks cannot be used as a crafting ingredient where other wooden blocks are used, but they can be used as fuel
- Added a unique Bamboo Raft and Bamboo Chest Raft which can be crafted like normal boats, but with Bamboo Planks
- They function the same as ordinary boats, but have a unique look to them
Chiseled Bookshelf
- A new, chiseled variation of the Bookshelf
- Crafted with 6 planks and 3 wooden slabs
- Can store Books, Book and Quills, Written Books, Enchanted Books, and Knowledge Books
- Holds up to 6 books
- These can be added or removed from any slot by targeting the specific slot
- The Comparator signal strength corresponds to the number of the last book that was inserted or removed
- The numbering of book slots starts from 1 at the top-left, and increments from left-to-right
- Works with Hoppers
Hanging Signs
- Hanging Signs are a more expensive version of normal Signs
- Crafted with 2 chains and 6 stripped logs of your preferred wood type
- Crafting results in 6 Hanging Signs
- Can be hung up in the following ways:
- Underneath a block that can provide support in the center, like a full block or a fence
- Attached to the solid side of a block
- Attached to the side or underneath another Hanging Sign
- Unlike normal Signs, they cannot be placed directly on the ground without support from the side or above
- However, Hanging Signs that have a horizontal bar will not pop when the supporting block is removed
Signs
The following changes have been made for both Signs and Hanging Signs. - Sign text can now be edited after being placed in the world - This can be done by interacting with the Sign - Signs with non-text chat components can not be edited - Both sides of the Sign can now have separate text and colors, allowing for further customization options - By default, a Sign will prompt you to input the front side's text when placed - To apply text to the back-side, you must walk to the other side and interact with that face to edit it - Signs can now also be waxed with Honeycomb, preventing any further edits to its text - Opening the sign edit screen in singleplayer no longer pauses the gameCalibrated Sculk Sensors
- A new variant of Sculk Sensors that allows you to filter vibrations based on their frequency level
- They are not found naturally and can only be crafted with 1 Sculk Sensor and 3 Amethyst Shards in the Crafting Table
- One side of the Calibrated Sculk Sensor can receive a redstone signal as input
- The strength of that redstone signal is the only vibration frequency the Sculk Sensor will listen to
- They have a combined active and cooldown phase that lasts 20 game ticks
- They output their redstone signal for the first 10 game ticks
- They can detect vibrations up to 16 blocks away
Vibration Resonance
- Blocks of Amethyst have a new behavior when placed adjacent to Sculk Sensors
- If that Sculk Sensor receives a vibration, the Block of Amethyst will re-emit its frequency as a separate vibration at its location
- This behavior is called Vibration Resonance, and allows players to move vibration frequencies across long distances without having to recreate the vibration naturally
Playable Mob Sounds
- When placing a Mob Head on a Note Block, that Note Block will now play one of the ambient sounds of that mob when played by a player or powered by Redstone
- Mob Heads can be placed on top of Note Blocks without sneaking
Piglin Mob Head
- Piglins will now drop their heads when killed by a charged Creeper
- Placing the Piglin head on a Note Block will play one of the Piglin's ambient sounds
- The Piglin head will flap its ears when powered by Redstone, or when worn by a player while walking
New Music
- Added the following new music tracks by Aaron Cherof to Cherry Groves, Desert, Jungle, Badlands, and Flower Forest biomes:
- A Familiar Room
- Bromeliad
- Crescent Dunes
- Echo in the Wind
- Added a new music disc with the track "Relic" by Aaron Cherof, found in Trail Ruins
Windows Aarch64/ARM64 support
- Minecraft Java Edition is now fully supported on Windows devices using an Aarch64/ARM64 architecture, such as the Windows Surface Pro X
Advancements
New Husbandry Advancements
- Smells Interesting : Obtain a Sniffer Egg
- Little Sniffs : Feed a Snifflet (requires Smells interesting)
- Planting the Past : Plant any Sniffer seed (requires Little sniffs)
New Adventure Advancements
- Respecting the Remnants : Brush a Suspicious block to obtain a Pottery Sherd
- Careful Restoration : Make a Decorated Pot out of 4 Pottery Sherds (requires Respecting the Remnants)
- Crafting a New Look : Craft a trimmed armor at a Smithing Table
- Smithing with Style : Apply these Trim Smithing Templates at least once: Spire, Snout, Rib, Ward, Silence, Vex, Tide, Wayfinder (requires Crafting a New Look)
- The Power of Books : Read the power signal of a Chiseled Bookshelf using a Comparator
Changes
- Changes to Sculk Sensor block behaviors
- Vibration frequencies of many actions in the game have been tweaked
- Colored Wool, Carpets and Beds can now be dyed to any other color
- Replaceable blocks no longer block the connection between enchanting tables and bookshelves
- Wither effect particle and Potion of Slow Falling color have been adjusted to make them more distinguishable
- Updated step sounds
- Updated Advancements
- The main menu background is now a Trails & Tales panorama
- Updated the Minecraft Java Edition logo
- Updated the Minecraft Realms logo
- The game's application icon has been updated
- This will be a Grass Block in release versions, and a Dirt Block in snapshot versions
- GUI can be scaled on the Video Settings screen by holding Ctrl and scrolling the mouse wheel
- Updated the credits
- Added the ability to scroll upwards by pressing the up arrow key
- The game will now display a message box on startup if user enabled text-to-speech functionality, but it is not available
- Removed Herobrine
Sculk Changes
- If a vibration is scheduled to be received by a Sculk Sensor or Sculk Shrieker, they will stay queued until all adjacent chunks are loaded and ticking
- Prevents vibration resonance setups from breaking when unloading their chunks from a distance
- Waterlogging a Sculk Shrieker will now silence their shriek sounds
- Sculk Sensors' default redstone output has been modified to be more reliable for distance calculations
- Sculk Sensors and Calibrated Sculk Sensors now strongly power the block they are placed on
- Both types of Sculk Sensors now stay in their Cooldown phase for 10 ticks, with other phase timings being adjusted to compensate
Sculk Sensor Phases
- Sculk Sensors and Calibrated Sculk Sensors have three phases: Inactive, Active and Cooldown
- The default phase is Inactive
- This phase lasts indefinitely until the block receives a vibration
- During this phase, the block is able to listen to nearby vibrations until one has been scheduled
- When a scheduled vibration is received, the block switches to the Active phase
- This phase lasts 30 game ticks for Sculk Sensors, and 10 game ticks for Calibrated Sculk Sensors
- During this phase, the block stops listening to nearby vibrations, wiggles its tendrils and emits a redstone signal and light
- After the Active phase has finished, the block switches to a Cooldown phase
- This phase lasts for 10 game ticks
- During this phase, the block keeps wiggling its tendrils, but no longer emits a redstone signal nor light
- Finally, once this phase is finished, the block will switch back to the Inactive phase
- Previously, some of these phases had different timing values:
- Active: 40 game ticks for Sculk Sensors and 20 game ticks for Calibrated Sculk Sensors
- Cooldown: 1 game tick for both types of Sculk Sensors
- These phase timings were tweaked so that it is less common for activated contraptions to recursively activate the Sculk Sensor that powered them
Vibration Frequencies
In preparation for the Calibrated Sculk Sensor, vibration frequencies have been greatly simplified to prevent unwanted interference. The following are category descriptions for each frequency and the expected events that they correspond to:- Movement in any medium (land, water and air)
- Landing on any surface (land or water)
- Item interactions
- Gliding with an elytra or unique mob actions (Ravager roar, Wolf shaking, etc)
- Dismounting a mob or equipping gear
- Mounting a mob or interacting with a mob
- Mobs and players getting damaged
- Consuming items (drinking and eating)
- Blocks 'deactivating' (door close, chest close, button unpress, etc)
- Blocks 'activating' (door open, chest open, button press, etc)
- Blocks changing (cauldron water level rising, adding food to campfire, etc.)
- Blocks being destroyed
- Blocks being placed
- Mobs and players teleporting or spawning
- Mobs and players dying or an explosion
Step Sounds
- Walking on a block will now always play a step sound
- It was previously not the case if you were walking along the edge of a block with air or fluid besides it
- Walking on the ocean floor will produce a step sound for the block you are walking on at a lower volume and pitch
- When walking on Carpets, Snow, Nether Sprouts, Warped Roots, and Crimson Roots, a combination of step sounds will be played
- The top-most block you are walking on is played as normal
- The block underneath is played at a lower volume and pitch
Advancements
- Breeding Camels and Sniffers now count for "The Parrots and the Bats" and are now required for "Two by Two"
- Hanging Signs now count for "Glow and Behold"
- Visiting a Cherry Grove is now required for "Adventuring Time"
Technical Changes
- Improved performance of the light engine
- The data pack version is now 15, accounting for sign data format, item display orientation and advancement changes
- Removed update_1_20 feature flag and built-in datapack - features are no longer experimental
- Added a return command
- Tweaked display entity interpolation
- Added a capped rule structure processor that limits the number of replaced blocks for a structure piece to a configured maximum
- Configuring block entity fields in a rule processor rule is now delegated to a referenced block_entity_modifier instead of the previously fixed output_nbt configuration
- Random sequences for loot tables are now deterministic
- Added a reference loot table function
- Loot table condition/predicate changes:
- Renamed alternative to any_of
- Added all_of
- Advancement trigger changes:
- Added recipe_crafted
- Changed format of placed_block, item_used_on_block and allay_drop_item_on_block triggers
- Ingredients in array form are now also allowed in smithing_trim and smithing_transform recipes on fields template, base and addition
- Those fields also allow empty arrays, which signalize that slot needs to be left empty
- Added new damage types: outside_border and generic_kill
- Game events have changed vibration frequency and some have been removed
- The resource pack version is now 15, accounting for the font and credits update
- Updated the sprite layout of minecraft.png
- Removed the overriding minecraft.png from the Programmer Art resource pack
- Updated the sprite layout of invite_icon.png
- legacy_unicode glyph provider has been removed
- Bitmaps used by uniform font have been removed
- uniform font has been updated to use Unifont 15.0.06
- That changes shape of multiple characters, while also adding support for new ones
- Combining characters no longer include circle overlayed over them (so M◌̆ now renders as M ̆)
- Added second level of organization of entries in credits.json on top of titles, called disciplines
- Font textures are included in debug texture dump (F3 + S)
- Added new font glyph providers: unihex and reference, removed legacy_unicode
- Added support for Quick Play
- Removed the server & port commandline arguments as their functionality has been replaced by Quick Play
- Updates to telemetry
- Changed encoding of server.properties to UTF-8
- Added validation for symbolic links in world saves
Light Engine
The light engine is responsible for calculating the brightness of each block in the world. Light is calculated during world generation as well as updated when a block is changed in the world. Behavior of the light engine has not been changed.- The performance of calculating light has been improved
- Reduces one source of lag spikes when crossing chunk borders
- Improves FPS in situations when a lot of light updates occur
- Improves how quickly chunks can be generated
Commands
return
The return command can be used to control execution flow inside functions and change their return value. Effects:- Remaining separate top-level commands in the currently executing function (if any) are skipped
- The result value of the function command that triggered the function is changed from the number of commands executed to value
- The result value of the return command is also value
return
Parameters:
- value: An integer return value
data
- string data sources now accept negative boundaries, which are interpreted as index counted from the end of the string
Display Entity
Interpolation Changes
- Previous values are always discarded if interpolation_duration is 0
- Made sure that render properties are applied at the same time (so block_state is applied at the same time as transformation, i.e. at the next tick after receiving an update)
- Display entities are not rendered until their initial data is received. That means display entities might not be shown on the first tick.
- Note: due to how the game handles updates, changes to entities made after summoning might be delivered to clients within a later tick
Rendering Changes
- item_display items have been rotated 180 degrees around the Y axis to better match the transformation that is applied when rendering items on an Armor Stand head and in Item Frames
- For reference, the order of transformations applied to model (starting from innermost) is item_transform, rotate Y 180, transformation field, entity orientation (billboard option + Rotation field + Pos field)
Structure post-processors
Capped post-processor
- A capped post-processor has been added which can limit how many blocks a delegated post-processor randomly transform in a structure
- This can be used to configure a structure piece to have an exact amount of specific blocks, instead of using random distribution
- The capped post-processor has following required parameters:
- delegate A post-processor which performs the actual block transformation
- limit Maximum amount of blocks that the delegated post-processor can transform
- The blocks inside a structure are all randomly passed to the delegated post-processor until it has transformed the limited amount
- Either constant or random number generator sampled during post-processing
Rule post-processor block entity configuration
- Previously a rule could specify an optional fixed output_nbt which would be added to the processed output block entity
- This field has now been changed to reference a block_entity_modifier
- Existing block_entity_modifier's are:
- passthrough Retains existing fields on the block entity
- This is the default if no block_entity_modifier is specified
- append_static Similar to previous output_nbt this provides fixed fields to add to the block entity
- A minor change is that this modifier appends configured fields to the processed block instead of replacing existing fields
- clear Removes any existing fields on the block entity
- append_loot Appends a loot table and seed to the block entity through required parameter:
- loot_table Referenced loot table to add to block entity as LootTable field
- Field LootTableSeed is also added to the block entity using random seeded by block position
Loot Tables
Random Sequences
The game now uses named random sequences to deterministically produce loot for loot tables. Each random sequence produces a unique sequence based on the world seed and sequence ID, which means a loot table will produce the same results when ran with the same parameters in the same world.The ID of the random sequence to use for a loot table is specified in a new optional field called random_sequence. If no sequence name is given, loot is drawn using a non-deterministic random source.
reference
New function reference allows functions to call sub-functions (similar to reference condition).Fields: - name - location of function to call
any_of/all_of
- Loot condition alternative has been renamed to any_of
- Added new loot condition all_of that passes only when all sub-conditions pass
- Has the same syntax as any_of
Advancements
New Triggers
recipe_crafted
- Triggered when crafting a recipe
- Conditions:
- recipe_id - the resource location of the recipe crafted
- ingredients - an array of predicates for the item stacks used in the recipe
- A single item stack can only be used to fulfill one predicate
- Each predicate needs to be fulfilled to trigger the advancement. This allows for separation between recipes that have same identifier but use different ingredients.
- This field is optional. When not provided, or left empty, only the recipe_id will dictate the success of the trigger
Changed Triggers
- All fields in placed_block, item_used_on_block and allay_drop_item_on_block have been collapsed into a single location field
- The new location is similar to the player field - it is a list of loot conditions/predicates
- All conditions in this list must match for a trigger to run
- Conditions are evaluated in a new loot context called advancement_location. It has access to:
- Player as this entity
- Position of the placed block
- Block state of the placed/interacted block
- Held/used item as "tool"
- Migration guide:
- Contents of old location field should be migrated to location_check condition
- Contents of item field should be migrated to match_tool condition
- Contents of block + state fields should be migrated to block_state_property condition
Before: { "conditions": { "item": { "items": [ "minecraft:glow_ink_sac" ] }, "location": { "block": { "tag": "minecraft:all_signs" } } }, "trigger": "minecraft:item_used_on_block" } After: { "conditions": { "location": [ { "condition": "minecraft:match_tool", "predicate": { "items": [ "minecraft:glow_ink_sac" ] } }, { "condition": "minecraft:location_check", "predicate": { "block": { "tag": "minecraft:all_signs" } } } ] }, "trigger": "minecraft:item_used_on_block" }
Damage Types
- Players outside the world border are now hurt by the damage type outside_border instead of in_wall
- Forcibly removing an entity using the /kill command now uses damage type generic_kill instead of out_of_world
Tags
Block Tags
- Removed replaceable_plants since it was only used as a subset of the blocks for the tag above, and not as universally
- Added replaceable_by_trees to better express blocks that are replaced when the tree grows through them
- Added replaceable with all the blocks that can be replaced
- This tag only represents the internal state of the game, changing this tag does not make blocks replaceable
- Added sword_efficient to represent blocks that are broken 50% faster by a sword than normal
- Added maintains_farmland to represent which blocks will not cause farmland to be converted into dirt due to drying out when placed on top of it
- Added combination_step_sound_blocks that controls which blocks produce a combination of step sounds
- Added enchantment_power_provider to control which blocks increase the level of an Enchantment Table
- Added enchantment_power_transmitter to control which blocks are allowed between an Enchantment Table and a Bookshelf (or other Power Transmitter)
- Added vibration_resonators to control which blocks transmit vibration signals when placed next to Sculk Sensors
- Added trail_ruins_replaceable for blocks that Trail Ruins can replace when generating
- Added sniffer_diggable_block to control which blocks Sniffers can dig
- Added sniffer_egg_hatch_boost to that control on which blocks Sniffer Eggs hatch twice as fast
- Added ceiling_hanging_signs
- Added wall_hanging_signs
- Added all_hanging_signs
- Added stone_buttons block tag
- Added cherry_logs block tag
- Added bamboo_blocks block tag
Item Tags
- Added villager_plantable_seeds to represent which kind of seeds Villagers can farm
- Added noteblock_top_instruments to control which blocks can be placed on top of Note Blocks without sneaking
- Added breaks_decorated_pots to control which tools can break Decorated Pots
- Added decorated_pot_ingredients
- Added decorated_pot_sherds
- Added sniffer_food
- Added trimmable_armor
- Added trim_materials
- Added trim_templates
- Added stone_buttons item tag
- Added cherry_logs item tag
- Added bamboo_blocks item tag
Biome Tags
- Added has_structure/trail_ruins
Game Events
- Removed piston_contract game event in favor of block_deactivate
- Removed piston_extend and dispense_fail game events in favor of block_activate
- Many game events have new vibration frequencies:
- 1: step, swim, flap
- 2: projectile_land, hit_ground, splash
- 3: item_interact_finish, projectile_shoot, instrument_play
- 4: entity_roar, entity_shake, elytra_glide
- 5: entity_dismount, equip
- 6: entity_mount, entity_interact, shear
- 7: entity_damage
- 8: drink, eat
- 9: container_close, block_close, block_deactivate, block_detach
- 10: container_open, block_open, block_activate, block_attach, prime_fuse, note_block_play
- 11: block_change
- 12: block_destroy, fluid_pickup
- 13: block_place, fluid_place
- 14: entity_place, lightning_strike, teleport
- 15: entity_die, explode
Fonts
New unihex Glyph Provider
- New glyph provider for reading Unifont HEX files
- HEX format describes font glyphs using a bitmap
- The height of every glyph is 16 pixels
- The width of glyph can be 8, 16, 24 or 32 pixels
- Every line is made of two hexadecimal numbers separated by :
- The first value describes a codepoint - it must have 4, 5 or 6 hex digits
- The second value describes the glyph as a stream of bits, line by line
- When rendering, empty columns on left and right side of glyphs are removed
- Custom glyph widths can be set with size_overrides
- This provider requires two fields:
- hex_file - path to ZIP archive containing one or more *.hex files (files in archive with different extensions are ignored)
- size_overrides - list of codepoint ranges that should have width different from auto-detected (based on empty space in glyph). Fields:
- from, to - start and end of codepoint range (inclusive)
- left, right - integers describing the position of the left-most and right-most columns of the glyph in range
- Any bits in columns outside of this range will be discarded
New reference Glyph Provider
- New glyph provider that can be used to include providers from other fonts
- Providers are guaranteed to be loaded only once, no matter how many times they are included
- Provider has one field id, that describes another font to be included in the currently loaded one
- Inclusion is performed after all fonts are loaded, so it will include all providers for a given font defined in all datapacks
Removed legacy_unicode Glyph Provider
- The legacy_unicode glyph provider has been removed
- This functionality has been replaced by the unihex provider
Quick Play
- Added support for four new command line arguments that allow the game to be launched directly into a world
- quickPlayPath takes a specified path for logging (relative to the run directory)
- If a path is provided the following will be logged upon joining a world:
- type: is either singleplayer, multiplayer, or realms
- identifier: represents the world you want to join
- For singleplayer, the folder name of the world
- For multiplayer, the IP address of the server
- For realms, the Realms ID
- port: represents the server port and is only logged for multiplayer
- name: The name of the world
- gamemode: The gamemode of the world
- lastPlayedTime: The time you joined the world
- Example:
- --quickPlayPath "quickPlay/log.json" will resolve into .minecraft/quickPlay/log.json
- quickPlaySingleplayer, quickPlayMultiplayer and quickPlayRealms all take their respective identifier
- If one of these arguments is provided, the game will try to launch directly into the given world
- Examples:
- --quickPlaySingleplayer "New World"
- --quickPlayMultiplayer "localhost:25565"
- --quickPlayRealms "1234"
Telemetry
All Events
- Added new property: launcher_name
- This is set based on the minecraft.launcher.brand system property
- This will help us troubleshoot game launch related bugs more effectively, as we will be able to see whether the issue originated in the Minecraft launcher or a third-party program
Updated Required Events
- world_loaded
- Added new property: realms_map_content
- When loading into a Realms Map Content world (Minigame), the world_loaded event will receive the name of that map
- This is to help us understand how Java Realms players interact with Java Realms adventure or minimap content
New Optional Events
- advancement_made
- This event is triggered when a player completes an advancement, and allows us to see the advancement ID and the time when the advancement was completed
- This helps us as a studio understand player progress and limits, which informs our game design
- game_load_times
- This event is triggered when the game client is loaded
- Includes the time it took for the client to load
- This is so that we can work on improving and reducing the time it takes to load the game client
server.properties
- File is now read in UTF-8 initially, with previous encoding (ISO 8859-1/Latin 1) as a fallback
- File is now written with UTF-8 encoding
Symbolic Link Validation
To improve safety, the game will now detect symbolic links used inside world directory. For a detailed explanation, check our help article.- If the target of a symbolic link is not on the user-configured allow-list, the game will not proceed with loading the world
- Note: the world directory itself can still be linked
- The list of allowed symbolic link targets is stored in file allowed_symlinks.txt in the client or server top directory
- The file consists of entries (one per line) with following formats allowed:
- Lines starting with # are comments and are ignored
- [type]pattern, where type can be glob, regex or prefix
- prefix matches start of path with given pattern (so for /test paths /test, /test/ and /test/foo.txt would match)
- regex matches regular expression against whole path
- glob uses OS-specific path matching mechanism (for example *.txt would usually match files with txt extension)
- Note: paths will use OS-specific separators
- pattern, which uses default prefix type
Fixed bugs in 1.20
Around 250 bugs were fixed in this release. View the list on the issue tracker.# Get the Release
To install the Release, open up the Minecraft Launcher and click play! Make sure your Launcher is set to the “Latest Release” option.
Cross-platform server jar:
Report bugs here:
Want to give feedback?
- For any feedback and suggestions, head over to the dedicated Feedback site category. If you're feeling chatty, join us over at the official Minecraft Discord.
2023.06.07 14:47 feistylilly84 How do you manage your IBS?
I've had gastro issues for over 20 years. No doctor ever mentioned IBS or anything. It's only been in the last 8 years that I've asked if I have IBS. But of course, doctors said I don't. I was only officially diagnosed, last month. But, I've been taking some measures for a while to reduce my flare ups, and my new doctor told me about an OTC pill that helps. Below, is what I'm doing and it's working pretty well. But I'd love other suggestions, if y'all have any!
1st, I cut out all stimulants. Coffee, ADHD meds, caffinated tea, etc. I noticed anything that's a stimulant, makes my tummy verrrrry angry! 2nd, I cut out most lactose. I still eat cheese and sometimes ice cream. But if I use milk, creamer, or anything like that, it's either non dairy or lactose free. 3rd, I stopped drinking iced drinks. Nothing very cold. (Refrigerated drinks seem to be fine). I did this after watching Chinese dramas and kept seeing that the guys wouldn't let the girls have iced drinks because it would cause stomach cramps. So I looked it up and sure enough, it can! The reason why is still unclear, bit it's thought to be because the drink is TOO cold, so your stomach contracts in an effort to warm it up to body temp, and the contractions cause issues (like gas and bloating) later on. 4th, I started taking IBGuard. This stuff works pretty well! It's OTC and made with peppermint. (Be careful if you have acid reflux/GERD. Peppermint Han make that worse). My doctor said that peppermint has been found to help IBS symptoms. I don't take it as directed though. For me, that didn't work. I take 1 before bed and 1 in the morning when I wake up. I do this because my IBS usually flares up the the morning, sometimes before I even wake up (who needs an alarm when you have IBS??). This is working pretty well for me, most days. 5th, I started drinking spearmint tea before bed every night. This seems to help the IBGuard work better. Also, I have PCOS and spearmint helps with some PCOS symptoms. The PCOS is initially why I started drinking the tea, but then I noticed that it's helping control the IBS symptoms too! So, I drink it nightly. I was drinking it during the day, but found that it was making me sleepy, which can happen with spearmint tea. So, at night vefore bed is perfect for me! 6th, I give myself a "break" from the IBGuard and spearmint tea on the weekends (unless I have plans), so I can 'let it all out'! Lol. During the week, the cramping and bloating are more under control, but I feel like I never totally empty myself. So, this allows me to get everything our and start the new week feeling lighter. (Literally, I lose 3-5 lbs every time). 7th, per my doctor's recommendation, I eat fiber gummies every day. This help keep me "going", regularly. 8th, I've added magnesium, B12 and zinc to my daily regime. Theses are all thought to help with IBS symptoms and keeping you "regular", but there's really no evidence. But, hey, if it CAN help, I'll take it. Plus, these are all vitamins your body needs anyways. 9th, I eat within 2 hours of waking up. For some reason, my stomach doesn't like it when I miss breakfast. I can miss lunch or dinner, just fine. But breakfast is a MUST. If I don't eat within 2 hours of waking up, then I'm in a LOT of pain after I eat lunch.
I think that's all I've got for now.
Oh, I've recently learned that PCOS and IBS are linked! So If you have PCOS, you're very likely to have IBS too! YAAAAAY for having ovaries!
submitted by feistylilly84 to ibs [link] [comments]
1st, I cut out all stimulants. Coffee, ADHD meds, caffinated tea, etc. I noticed anything that's a stimulant, makes my tummy verrrrry angry! 2nd, I cut out most lactose. I still eat cheese and sometimes ice cream. But if I use milk, creamer, or anything like that, it's either non dairy or lactose free. 3rd, I stopped drinking iced drinks. Nothing very cold. (Refrigerated drinks seem to be fine). I did this after watching Chinese dramas and kept seeing that the guys wouldn't let the girls have iced drinks because it would cause stomach cramps. So I looked it up and sure enough, it can! The reason why is still unclear, bit it's thought to be because the drink is TOO cold, so your stomach contracts in an effort to warm it up to body temp, and the contractions cause issues (like gas and bloating) later on. 4th, I started taking IBGuard. This stuff works pretty well! It's OTC and made with peppermint. (Be careful if you have acid reflux/GERD. Peppermint Han make that worse). My doctor said that peppermint has been found to help IBS symptoms. I don't take it as directed though. For me, that didn't work. I take 1 before bed and 1 in the morning when I wake up. I do this because my IBS usually flares up the the morning, sometimes before I even wake up (who needs an alarm when you have IBS??). This is working pretty well for me, most days. 5th, I started drinking spearmint tea before bed every night. This seems to help the IBGuard work better. Also, I have PCOS and spearmint helps with some PCOS symptoms. The PCOS is initially why I started drinking the tea, but then I noticed that it's helping control the IBS symptoms too! So, I drink it nightly. I was drinking it during the day, but found that it was making me sleepy, which can happen with spearmint tea. So, at night vefore bed is perfect for me! 6th, I give myself a "break" from the IBGuard and spearmint tea on the weekends (unless I have plans), so I can 'let it all out'! Lol. During the week, the cramping and bloating are more under control, but I feel like I never totally empty myself. So, this allows me to get everything our and start the new week feeling lighter. (Literally, I lose 3-5 lbs every time). 7th, per my doctor's recommendation, I eat fiber gummies every day. This help keep me "going", regularly. 8th, I've added magnesium, B12 and zinc to my daily regime. Theses are all thought to help with IBS symptoms and keeping you "regular", but there's really no evidence. But, hey, if it CAN help, I'll take it. Plus, these are all vitamins your body needs anyways. 9th, I eat within 2 hours of waking up. For some reason, my stomach doesn't like it when I miss breakfast. I can miss lunch or dinner, just fine. But breakfast is a MUST. If I don't eat within 2 hours of waking up, then I'm in a LOT of pain after I eat lunch.
I think that's all I've got for now.
Oh, I've recently learned that PCOS and IBS are linked! So If you have PCOS, you're very likely to have IBS too! YAAAAAY for having ovaries!
2023.06.07 14:11 DavesnoniAndWellness Noni Fruit: A Gift from Nature for Optimal Well-being
 | submitted by DavesnoniAndWellness to u/DavesnoniAndWellness [link] [comments] Noni fruit, scientifically known as Morinda citrifolia, is a tropical gem with a plethora of benefits for our overall health and well-being. Native to Southeast Asia, this remarkable fruit has been treasured for centuries for its medicinal properties and nutritional value. Let's delve into the world of noni fruit and explore its diverse range of benefits. At the core of noni fruit lies its potential to strengthen the immune system. Packed with essential nutrients, including vitamin C, noni fruit aids in bolstering our body's defense mechanisms, protecting us from infections, and promoting overall immune system efficiency. By incorporating noni fruit into our daily routine, we can give our immune system the support it needs to combat illnesses and maintain optimal health. In addition to immune support, noni fruit offers an array of antioxidants, making it a powerful ally against oxidative stress. These antioxidants help neutralize harmful free radicals in our bodies, reducing the risk of chronic diseases and promoting cellular health. Noni fruit's antioxidant power contributes to its anti-inflammatory properties, aiding in reducing inflammation and supporting joint health. Individuals suffering from conditions like arthritis may find relief through the consumption of noni fruit. Noni fruit's benefits extend beyond internal wellness. Its natural compounds make it a sought-after ingredient in skincare products. Noni-infused skincare can help rejuvenate our skin, reducing blemishes, promoting a healthy glow, and moisturizing dry skin. Whether incorporated into facial masks, creams, or serums, noni fruit nourishes our skin, harnessing its anti-aging properties and leaving us with a refreshed and revitalized complexion. When it comes to hair care, noni fruit showcases its potential to enhance the health and appearance of our locks. By creating noni hair masks or using noni-infused hair products, we can nourish our scalp, strengthen hair follicles, and add shine to our tresses. Noni's vitamins and minerals provide the essential nutrients needed for healthy hair, contributing to a vibrant and lustrous mane. Beyond personal care, noni fruit can be harnessed for aromatherapy purposes. Its aromatic essence can create a soothing and uplifting atmosphere. Noni-based massage oils or diffuser blends can promote relaxation, reduce stress, and enhance our overall well-being. By incorporating noni's therapeutic fragrance into our living spaces, we can create a serene ambiance that soothes the mind and body. Noni fruit even finds its way into the world of natural dyes, offering an eco-friendly alternative for coloring fabrics and materials. The natural pigments present in noni can be extracted and used as a dyeing agent. With experimentation and creativity, one can create unique designs and contribute to sustainable fashion and artistic endeavors. Lastly, culinary enthusiasts can explore the distinct taste of noni fruit in various recipes. Noni smoothies, desserts, sauces, and other culinary creations offer a tropical twist to our taste buds. The unique flavor of noni adds a touch of exoticism to dishes and introduces a delightful element to our culinary adventures. In conclusion, noni fruit is a true gift from nature, offering a multitude of benefits for our bodies and enhancing various aspects of our lives. From strengthening the immune system to providing antioxidants, promoting skincare, haircare, aromatherapy, natural dyes, and culinary delights, noni fruit stands as a versatile and valuable resource for optimal well-being. Embrace the wonders of noni fruit and unlock its potential to lead a healthier and more vibrant life. |
2023.06.07 12:14 Frank_Leroux Molossus, Chapter Eighteen
Chapter One
Chapter Seventeen
Martinez slouched his way into the kitchen. He wasn’t really paying attention to his surroundings; in his defense it was early in the morning and he’d failed at getting some appropriate shut-eye before he went and, you know, bared his entire soul to Chao. At least that was his plan. But as usual, the universe laughs at plans.
He placed a sealed plastic package into the coffee machine, then put a styrofoam cup in the appropriate location. He yawned as the machine began its burbling.
“Hey.”
Martinez snapped his head over at McCoy, who’d suddenly appeared out of nowhere. She leaned against the counter, with a big and very evil grin on her face.
“Um…” began Martinez, before he was interrupted by a voice from his other side.
“Hey.” Matt leaned there, and if McCoy looked evil then Matt looked positively diabolical. Martinez glanced behind him and saw more soldiers, all with looks of ill intent on their faces.
The corporal didn’t waste time in asking what the hell they were up to, he just started throwing hands and feet. Future scholars would count the resulting battle as one for the ages; Martinez even managed to tag Toke with a couple of pretty good punches and one really sweet roundhouse kick.
But in the end, it was still a case of one against many.
__________
“Mmmm mm mmm m mmm!” protested Martinez.
Chao sighed as she beheld his bruised and very taped-up state. “What did those idiots do to you?”
“Mm MMM mmm mm!” The corporal’s mouth was now duct-taped shut, so verbal acuity was not amongst his strong suits at the present.
She put her hands on her hips. “For crying out loud. Matt goes and gets me all worried that you’re somehow in trouble, he leads me over to some random closet and shoves me in here and I find you like this. What’s the game?”
“Gmmmm?”
Chao squatted, examining his bonds. “Well, they sure got you trussed up like a roast for the feast. Hey, if you want me to pull the tape off of your mouth just nod.”
After a moment, Martinez nodded. She reached for the tape covering his mouth, then hesitated. “Um. I don’t have much experience with this so I’ll leave it up to you. Is it better to go fast or slow? Blink once for fast, two for slow.”
With deliberation, Martinez blinked once. Chao nodded and yanked the tape off. They’d even left a convenient tab for her to grab ahold of.
“FUCKING OW!” yelled the corporal. “Um, sorry.”
Chao seated herself before his figure, which was tied up in a fetal position. “You know, the last few weeks have given me a bit of a crash-course on the types of grab-ass shenanigans you soldier types get up to. This is a new one, though. Care to educate me?”
Martinez stared at her in horrified disbelief. “Toke didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what? He just said you were in trouble and that I needed to help out.”
“That…that evil, evil son of a bitch. He said he’d explain everything!”
“Explain what? Luca, I am just about ready to walk out and leave you in here to eventually soil yourself.”
Now that he was literally hog-tied and unable to escape, Martinez realized he had to ‘fess up. “I like you,” he said in an almost-gasp. “I mean, I like you like you. In that way. I mean, I know it’s sudden. We’ve only known each other for maybe four weeks but you’re so smart and pretty and…and, you know about Asimov and Heinlein and Clarke and about orbital mechanics and star spectra.”
She sat in stunned silence while he continued. “I don’t bring much to the table, I get that. But I want to learn. After we come back from the Rithro’s repair mission, I want to go to college…I’ve started looking into that. I’m not much of a catch right now, but maybe one day you’d consider liking me that way as well…”
He was interrupted as she leaned down, grabbed his head, and planted a firm kiss upon his lips. After a moment of pure bliss for both of them, she pulled away. “You utter and complete idiot,” she said, but she said it with a smile. “Did you never think that perhaps you have some attractive qualities of your own?”
Martinez tried to shrug as best he could, being all tied up. “I mean, Toke did mention that I have some pretty nice abs?”
Chao’s eyes glinted in good humor. “Pretty nice? You’ve got an eight-pack. I could shred cheese on those bad boys.”
He looked up at her. “Wait. When did you see my abs?”
“Back when we were sequestered within Cheyenne Mountain, and we were strictly on sponge baths.” She patted his taut stomach, feeling up those aforementioned abs. “Anyways, do you want me to get you out of these bonds?”
“Um…”
Her good humor turned into a diabolical grin. “Or, would you like to remain in these bonds? Toke said something about a safe-word and safe-gesture, he said you’d explain it.”
“Of course he did. That fucker. Um. Chao, this has gone better than I could ever have imagined but I don’t think you need to know…”
“Know about what?” Her caressing of his unprotected stomach did not cease. “Does my corporal have a bit of a fetish?”
His brain seized up again at her emphasis on ‘my’. “I…”
“Let me put it this way. Would you like me to be all mean and nasty, or more cuddly and dommy mommy?”
After a long, long moment of silence he finally murmured, “Dommy mommy.”
“See? That wasn’t so hard. Well, admitting it wasn’t hard.” Her hand continued its explorations. “Now this here is indeed quite hard. Hmm. Good thing you are just too cute for words.”
“Cute?” He looked in disbelief at her, and then flinched at her continued caressing.
“One can be a badass and also cute, my dear corporal. You tick both boxes. Not to mention you’re into a fetish which I’ve wanted to indulge in for a while. Never found anyone who was into it, until now.”
Outside the closet, McCoy stood guard. She smiled in triumph as she heard Martinez yell out in pleasure, and turned to give Toke a thumbs-up.
“It’s about fuckin’ time,” she said.
Matt smiled back at her. He now sported an epic shiner under one eye. “Eh, some kids just need a bit of a nudge, you know?”
__________
It was…it was a wall. A wall he was looking at.
A wall covered in white stucco. Nothing too fancy, but it was indeed a wall and Joachim realized he was looking at it. That might seem like a substandard feat, but for a man who’d been in Joachim’s proverbial shoes it was a grand accomplishment.
His mouth worked as he swished his tongue around in his mouth. He looked around. He sat in a lawn chair in the middle of a beige room, lined on every wall with the stucco he’d just realized he was looking at. “H…hello?”
His voice felt old and clotted. Joachim looked down at his hand, and he saw wrinkled skin and age spots that he didn’t remember seeing there before.
This room only had one exit door, and now it opened. A lean man with dark skin entered. “Joachim Neimyer? I’m Zawahir Ibn Harith. How are you feeling, sir?”
Joachim fixed the newcomer with a steady eye. “I’ll be feeling better once I know where I am. And where is Corina?”
“Corina is on her way, she should be here within minutes. We had great hopes that your treatment was progressing well. Do you know what day it is, sir?”
“Of course I know what day it is! It’s…” Joachim trailed off as he realized that he didn’t know. The last few…years? Decades? He had glimpses of moments in time, as if viewed via a strobe-light. He now realized it was much, much later in time than he thought. “I…what happened?”
“Alzheimer’s, Mr. Neimeyer.” Zawahir’s eyes were kind. “You’ve been suffering from it for the last seven years. But we discovered…or, I should say, we adopted a methodology for treating it. It not only stops the damage, it has a way of reversing at least some of its effects. I fear you will never regain the memories from the time during which you suffered the most, but from now on your mind should function properly once more.”
Joachim rubbed his now-bald pate. “Is Corina all right?”
Zawahir pulled over a chair next to him and seated himself. “She is, blessedly, un-marked by the same affliction. We are, of course, putting her on a similar treatment as yourself just to make sure she remains so. With her consent, of course.”
The old man fixed Zawahir with a direct stare. “This whole thing smells experimental. Why choose me?”
“Mmm, you are as sharp as ever, sir. This is indeed an experiment, and we chose you because you are one of the preeminent rocket experts who ever lived. We need such skills now.”
“What?”
Zawahir leaned forward. “I will do my best to catch you up…”
__________
She walked through the door, supported by a cane. The one person, the beacon in Joachim’s life. Corina lit up upon seeing his gaze. A gaze with intent, with purpose. “They said you were feeling better!”
Before he or the surrounding interns could react, Joachim now found himself with a hundred-ish pounds of enthusiastic elderly woman in his lap.
“Tell me something only you know,” she whispered.
Joachim smiled. “Do you remember what I told you when we saw the green flash? That one time, in Hawaii? During our honeymoon?”
“I do. You said that the flash was the souls of those who’ve gone before.”
“And I promised you that, if I passed before you, that you would just need to look for the flash to see me.”
She clasped his wrinkled face in her own equally-lined hands. “You did better than that. You came back to me.”
“I guess I did.” He kissed her, reveling in the fact that this time he’d remember it.
Zawahir motioned to everyone else in the room. They all quickly got the hint and left the pair to their mutual happiness.
__________
The door of the simulator cracked open and Kifa came scuttling out. She peered up at the normally stony face of Master Sergeant Wilkes; right now the latter looked like he’d just been kicked in the chest by a donkey and was still trying to process it. “How did I do?” asked the xyrax. “It seems like I did quite well.”
“Um…Kifa. Well. Um. Did the controls seem to operate right?”
“Oh, yes! Very much, quite intuitive! It’s been ages since I simulated combat within an atmosphere! That was fun!”
“Fun. You do realize that you were going up against aces. I mean real, human aces?”
“Oh. I thought that was the case.” Kifa peered back into the simulator. “Was I not supposed to know that?”
Wilkes finally laughed, something that was fortunately captured by several cameras and used as blackmail material for many years after. “You did fine. You also just utterly smoked several of the finest pilots on Earth, and that includes non-Americans.” He regarded her with a steady gaze. “I wish I could recruit you to TOPGUN, I’d love to see you show those strutting peacocks a thing or two.”
“What is TOPGUN?”
He sighed. “Right now, it’s in the same exact department as buggy-whip manufacturing. You just showed these punks that, even in atmosphere, you’re death from above.”
Kifa seemed to shrink into themselves. “I didn’t mean to…”
“Now, now, Kifa, this is a good thing. Gotta keep those aforementioned strutting peacocks on their toes. But soon we’ll be dealing with fighting using orbital mechanics, something with which our air-combat people have about as much actual experience as they do with chatting up the fairer sex.”
“Which fairer sex? I mean, my kind is hermaphroditic so I know the mechanics but…” Kifa trailed off as it blinked its four big, oil-drop eyes.
“You are too damned cute for your own good. Pick a sex, any one, I for one do not give a fuck anymore. Point being, we humans need a crash-course in how to fight in space. No atmo, so trying to maneuver using flaps and wings and things is right out. We need to understand how orbits work. Not just intellectually, but in our bones.” Wilkes patted the simulator. “We need you to teach us. We need you to teach an army. Well, navy. Technically. I guess it would count as a navy. Either way. You know how to do this shit, and you just proved that even in atmosphere you can run rings around our best and brightest. So. Are you willing to show us your voodoo?”
“My voodoo…” The blue-furred spider suddenly rose on all of its legs. “Of course! This will be used against the Breakers, yes?”
“Of course.”
“Then it will be my greatest pleasure to show you all of my voodoo!” Kifa paused. “Although, if I received a headpat or two it would also help me properly consider how best to teach you.”
Sergeant Wilkes sighed and reached down. Kifa purred in delight as the usually-taciturn sergeant unleashed the full might and power of Human Headpats upon the alien pilot.
__________
Sadaf watched as the two dark-haired women and one blonde-haired woman had a black-and-white cap fitted over their heads. Both had received a haircut for this day; Parvati for one seemed to be less than thrilled about losing some of her tresses.
“This is the snoopy-cap,” said the aide who stood between the two women. The surroundings were sterile and very, very white. “This cap contains your communications, and it will keep your hair in place during launch.” This was the actual process getting shown to the world. Behind them, Ravindar and Martinez were also in the process of getting suited up, but this was done with much less fanfare. The aide’s words carried to them all, of course.
“Arms up!” Everyone going into space today raised their arms, and a large tubby-looking upper suit then slid down over five figures. Many human hands made sure that their heads made it through the upper ring. “This is the upper part of your pressure suit,” said the aide. “The gloves and helmet will complete that part, but that will come later. Now I will need you all to step into your pants…”
Everyone did so; Chao was the one who didn’t quite make it look elegant. She grinned at Martinez as she fumbled for a bit getting her pressure-suit trousers on; his resulting blush was caught for the cameras but it wasn’t until a week later that someone realized what it meant.
“Latch!” The aide’s voice was hard as metal.
Many hands reached out, twisting multiple metal rings to lock the upper and lower halves of the four pressure suits into one cohesive piece.
“I still say we could make them some proper hardsuits,” said Sadaf to Takh. The two stood off to the side, not exactly part of the dance but not apart from it either.
“No, I think this is better,” said Takh. “We need to make this look more like a…human effort.” Her XO stood at parade-rest, with both sets of arms clasped behind his back.
Sadaf nodded. “I will default to your judgement. By the way…how are you and Corporal McCoy getting along?” She nodded towards the last-minute addition to the crew.
“Um…Ma’am, I…” His faltering was not helped by watching the humans in the clean-room getting clear helmets fixed over their heads. Each latching was followed-up by a tap on the shoulder and a thumbs-up.
The big human, Ravindar, waved his arms over his shoulders as he got the feel for the suit. He’d managed to get the helmet on without an issue, in spite of his substantial beard. “Need more air?” asked a much smaller woman at his side. He shook his head, while he continued to flex and get comfortable with how the suit restricted his motions.
Getting the Sikh to this moment had been a master-class in diplomacy. Not least of which was because he still carried a weapon upon his person. Sadaf had no experience with ‘Sikhism’, but she could appreciate any culture or creed which dictated the need to carry a protective weapon at all times. It appealed to her nature.
“Do you think Parvati knows that he’s, well, into her?” asked Takh.
His captain’s voice became damn near sultry. “Now Takh, and here I thought you were all clueless. I’ve heard of the effort these humans went through to get Chao and Luca together. Would you like me to ask them to perform a similar effort for you and Corporal McCoy? Hmmm? It would make for quite the photo-op, as the humans would say.”
Takh felt a bit of panic, somehow. “No!” His panicked reply was low, hopefully not picked up by the surrounding cameras. “I mean, she’s so small. I could hurt her…assuming she wants to be romantic, of course.”
“Romantic? Takh, I admit I am still learning about human body language but trust me…if you want that, she wants that.” She pondered the humans in the room still going through some last-minute checks of their pressure suits. “Let’s put it this way. If you don’t make a move, then I just might ask Dhuz if it’s okay to add a human to our harem when we get back.”
“What?”
“I have learned quite the delightful human phrase. It is, as they say, Time To Nut Up Or Shut Up. I do find McCoy really cute, after all. As do you.”
Her XO grumbled semi-silently for a bit. “Fair enough, Captain. I’ll ask her. While we’re out there.”
“Good.” The humans in the clean room were now about finished with their checks, and Sadaf felt a bit of a thrill. She was, after all, witness to a species taking their first steps into a larger universe.
Five hoses were now shoved into five chest-mounted receptacles, each hose leading to its own hand-held air-conditioning unit. Another complicated round of checks, slaps, and thumbs-ups then followed.
“They do know that we’re just going to walk beside them right into the landing boat, right?” asked Takh. “This whole process isn’t really necessary.”
“Let them have this moment,” said Sadaf with a gentle smile. “They’re having fun.”
__________
The five white-suited individuals emerged from the hallway to pretty much universal uproar, both in person and online. The suit color was all NASA, but the logos were not. All four wore the emblem of the United Nations at their shoulder, a pair of olive branches surrounding a polar view of the world. The four humans all did their bit and waved for the cameras. Those in charge of the cameras did as instructed, and ignored the two black-and-sliver figures behind the quartet. The latter weren’t wearing any sort of pressure suit.
In the middle of the courtyard hovered the real talking piece, a landing boat from the Rithro. Its entry door was already lowered, and with another wave to the cameras from each of the five humans, they walked up the ramp and into the craft.
The five of them then looked at each other as the door began to close behind them. They’d trained together for a bit, enough to get a feel for each other. But now there was a real sense among them of holy shit what now?
Their mutual what-nows were interrupted as Tofa appeared. The arachnoid alien held a tray in one pedipalp, and upon that tray sat a little dish of what looked like Brazil nuts.
“Greetings!” chirped Tofa. “Welcome to Rithro Air, I assure you we have an excellent safety reputation. Well, almost excellent, if you don’t count the affair around Barnard’s Star. You may now take off your pressure suits. May I interest you in a nut?”
The four humans (and a few of the aliens) flinched as Ravindar let loose with a hearty belly-laugh. He reached up to undo his helmet while he beamed a brilliant white smile at their greeter. “You? I like you. We’re going to be fast friends.” He reached down to pluck a nut from the tray. “Madame? Do you want to take the first nut? Or should I taste it first?”
“Um…” For once, Parvati looked uncertain within her glass-and-cloth cocoon. “If you wish to taste, then please go ahead.”
“As you wish.” Ravindar held her eyes as he bit into the proffered nut. “It seems to be all right,” he pronounced.
After the great ceremony with which they’d been ensconced into their pressure suits, the humans then with reluctance emerged from their cocoons.
“We set up some chairs for everyone!” exclaimed Tofa, who gestured to the sides of the landing craft.
“Um, where do we put all of this?” asked Martinez as he held up a pressure-suit gauntlet.
The alien spider blinked. “Oh, right! Kexal, would you mind helping our guests stow their material?”
__________
The conference room at ULA now looked out over an even-greater bustle of activity. They were determined to at least match SpaceX in terms of tonnage-to-orbit; maybe they’d do so more efficiently? The mere notion had set a fire under everyone.
Joachim sat in a wheelchair while he studied those in front of him. “Ladies and gentlemen. I have, through some strange technological miracle, been re-granted the use of my mind. Not only that; they tell me that I and my wife might, if certain tests go well…we could become that which we once were. I intend to make sure that this gift does not go to waste. Not for me, nor for my wife, nor for the rest of humanity. Anyways. We have some aliens who need our help, we have some psychotic robot idiots who are fucking things up for everyone, and we need to get some serious tonnage into orbit as a result. Is that about the shape of things?”
“That’s pretty much the shape of it, sir,” said Dwight.
Joachim pointed a wrinkled finger at the speaker. “You. I’ve been caught up enough that I know you were the one to advocate for the use of Sea Dragon.”
“Just as a Hail Mary,” Dwight protested.
Clara cleared her throat. “I mean, I understand the enthusiasm but nobody has ever fired a pressure-fed engine that big. A single engine, mind you.”
Joachim rubbed his chin. “I understand your concern. But also keep in mind, this is a pintle injector, not a shower-head like they had on the F-1s on the Saturn-Five’s first stage. Pintle injectors were classified at the time. That’s a pity, because pintle injectors are safe as houses.”
Clara looked over at him. “Really?”
“Oh yeah, they’re pretty much bomb-proof.”
The team regarded the design now up on the screen. Clara was the first to speak their mutual thought. “Could…could we make this work?”
Joachim’s exclamation brought them all up short. “Of COURSE we can!” He thumped his cane into the floor for added emphasis. “Gentlemen…and ladies, please forgive me Clara…not one month ago I was a drooling wreck of a human. Today I come before you with my mind re-borne and in full function. I intend to make full use of that function. As does my wife, God bless her. We are going to set an example.”
Joachim stood, levering himself upright via his cane. “Here I stand,” he said. “Like Martin Luther before me, I can do no other.”
After a moment, everybody else in the conference room stood as well.
“Welp, we’re all standing,” said Dwight. “Okay, so what do we do now?”
Joachim pointed his cane at the screen. “Now, my dear Dwight, we Build. That. Fucking. Thing. We’re gonna show these Coalition assholes how we humans put some serious fucking tonnage into orbit.”
“Fuck yeah,” said Clara, as an unholy light came into her eyes.
“Fuck yes indeed,” replied Joachim. “The question now is, what do we put into it?”
The other people in the room looked at each other, just before bursting out into exclamations as to what they wanted put into that first launch. It was the sound of people on an expense account to beat the band.
submitted by Frank_Leroux to HFY [link] [comments]
Chapter Seventeen
Martinez slouched his way into the kitchen. He wasn’t really paying attention to his surroundings; in his defense it was early in the morning and he’d failed at getting some appropriate shut-eye before he went and, you know, bared his entire soul to Chao. At least that was his plan. But as usual, the universe laughs at plans.
He placed a sealed plastic package into the coffee machine, then put a styrofoam cup in the appropriate location. He yawned as the machine began its burbling.
“Hey.”
Martinez snapped his head over at McCoy, who’d suddenly appeared out of nowhere. She leaned against the counter, with a big and very evil grin on her face.
“Um…” began Martinez, before he was interrupted by a voice from his other side.
“Hey.” Matt leaned there, and if McCoy looked evil then Matt looked positively diabolical. Martinez glanced behind him and saw more soldiers, all with looks of ill intent on their faces.
The corporal didn’t waste time in asking what the hell they were up to, he just started throwing hands and feet. Future scholars would count the resulting battle as one for the ages; Martinez even managed to tag Toke with a couple of pretty good punches and one really sweet roundhouse kick.
But in the end, it was still a case of one against many.
__________
“Mmmm mm mmm m mmm!” protested Martinez.
Chao sighed as she beheld his bruised and very taped-up state. “What did those idiots do to you?”
“Mm MMM mmm mm!” The corporal’s mouth was now duct-taped shut, so verbal acuity was not amongst his strong suits at the present.
She put her hands on her hips. “For crying out loud. Matt goes and gets me all worried that you’re somehow in trouble, he leads me over to some random closet and shoves me in here and I find you like this. What’s the game?”
“Gmmmm?”
Chao squatted, examining his bonds. “Well, they sure got you trussed up like a roast for the feast. Hey, if you want me to pull the tape off of your mouth just nod.”
After a moment, Martinez nodded. She reached for the tape covering his mouth, then hesitated. “Um. I don’t have much experience with this so I’ll leave it up to you. Is it better to go fast or slow? Blink once for fast, two for slow.”
With deliberation, Martinez blinked once. Chao nodded and yanked the tape off. They’d even left a convenient tab for her to grab ahold of.
“FUCKING OW!” yelled the corporal. “Um, sorry.”
Chao seated herself before his figure, which was tied up in a fetal position. “You know, the last few weeks have given me a bit of a crash-course on the types of grab-ass shenanigans you soldier types get up to. This is a new one, though. Care to educate me?”
Martinez stared at her in horrified disbelief. “Toke didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what? He just said you were in trouble and that I needed to help out.”
“That…that evil, evil son of a bitch. He said he’d explain everything!”
“Explain what? Luca, I am just about ready to walk out and leave you in here to eventually soil yourself.”
Now that he was literally hog-tied and unable to escape, Martinez realized he had to ‘fess up. “I like you,” he said in an almost-gasp. “I mean, I like you like you. In that way. I mean, I know it’s sudden. We’ve only known each other for maybe four weeks but you’re so smart and pretty and…and, you know about Asimov and Heinlein and Clarke and about orbital mechanics and star spectra.”
She sat in stunned silence while he continued. “I don’t bring much to the table, I get that. But I want to learn. After we come back from the Rithro’s repair mission, I want to go to college…I’ve started looking into that. I’m not much of a catch right now, but maybe one day you’d consider liking me that way as well…”
He was interrupted as she leaned down, grabbed his head, and planted a firm kiss upon his lips. After a moment of pure bliss for both of them, she pulled away. “You utter and complete idiot,” she said, but she said it with a smile. “Did you never think that perhaps you have some attractive qualities of your own?”
Martinez tried to shrug as best he could, being all tied up. “I mean, Toke did mention that I have some pretty nice abs?”
Chao’s eyes glinted in good humor. “Pretty nice? You’ve got an eight-pack. I could shred cheese on those bad boys.”
He looked up at her. “Wait. When did you see my abs?”
“Back when we were sequestered within Cheyenne Mountain, and we were strictly on sponge baths.” She patted his taut stomach, feeling up those aforementioned abs. “Anyways, do you want me to get you out of these bonds?”
“Um…”
Her good humor turned into a diabolical grin. “Or, would you like to remain in these bonds? Toke said something about a safe-word and safe-gesture, he said you’d explain it.”
“Of course he did. That fucker. Um. Chao, this has gone better than I could ever have imagined but I don’t think you need to know…”
“Know about what?” Her caressing of his unprotected stomach did not cease. “Does my corporal have a bit of a fetish?”
His brain seized up again at her emphasis on ‘my’. “I…”
“Let me put it this way. Would you like me to be all mean and nasty, or more cuddly and dommy mommy?”
After a long, long moment of silence he finally murmured, “Dommy mommy.”
“See? That wasn’t so hard. Well, admitting it wasn’t hard.” Her hand continued its explorations. “Now this here is indeed quite hard. Hmm. Good thing you are just too cute for words.”
“Cute?” He looked in disbelief at her, and then flinched at her continued caressing.
“One can be a badass and also cute, my dear corporal. You tick both boxes. Not to mention you’re into a fetish which I’ve wanted to indulge in for a while. Never found anyone who was into it, until now.”
Outside the closet, McCoy stood guard. She smiled in triumph as she heard Martinez yell out in pleasure, and turned to give Toke a thumbs-up.
“It’s about fuckin’ time,” she said.
Matt smiled back at her. He now sported an epic shiner under one eye. “Eh, some kids just need a bit of a nudge, you know?”
__________
It was…it was a wall. A wall he was looking at.
A wall covered in white stucco. Nothing too fancy, but it was indeed a wall and Joachim realized he was looking at it. That might seem like a substandard feat, but for a man who’d been in Joachim’s proverbial shoes it was a grand accomplishment.
His mouth worked as he swished his tongue around in his mouth. He looked around. He sat in a lawn chair in the middle of a beige room, lined on every wall with the stucco he’d just realized he was looking at. “H…hello?”
His voice felt old and clotted. Joachim looked down at his hand, and he saw wrinkled skin and age spots that he didn’t remember seeing there before.
This room only had one exit door, and now it opened. A lean man with dark skin entered. “Joachim Neimyer? I’m Zawahir Ibn Harith. How are you feeling, sir?”
Joachim fixed the newcomer with a steady eye. “I’ll be feeling better once I know where I am. And where is Corina?”
“Corina is on her way, she should be here within minutes. We had great hopes that your treatment was progressing well. Do you know what day it is, sir?”
“Of course I know what day it is! It’s…” Joachim trailed off as he realized that he didn’t know. The last few…years? Decades? He had glimpses of moments in time, as if viewed via a strobe-light. He now realized it was much, much later in time than he thought. “I…what happened?”
“Alzheimer’s, Mr. Neimeyer.” Zawahir’s eyes were kind. “You’ve been suffering from it for the last seven years. But we discovered…or, I should say, we adopted a methodology for treating it. It not only stops the damage, it has a way of reversing at least some of its effects. I fear you will never regain the memories from the time during which you suffered the most, but from now on your mind should function properly once more.”
Joachim rubbed his now-bald pate. “Is Corina all right?”
Zawahir pulled over a chair next to him and seated himself. “She is, blessedly, un-marked by the same affliction. We are, of course, putting her on a similar treatment as yourself just to make sure she remains so. With her consent, of course.”
The old man fixed Zawahir with a direct stare. “This whole thing smells experimental. Why choose me?”
“Mmm, you are as sharp as ever, sir. This is indeed an experiment, and we chose you because you are one of the preeminent rocket experts who ever lived. We need such skills now.”
“What?”
Zawahir leaned forward. “I will do my best to catch you up…”
__________
She walked through the door, supported by a cane. The one person, the beacon in Joachim’s life. Corina lit up upon seeing his gaze. A gaze with intent, with purpose. “They said you were feeling better!”
Before he or the surrounding interns could react, Joachim now found himself with a hundred-ish pounds of enthusiastic elderly woman in his lap.
“Tell me something only you know,” she whispered.
Joachim smiled. “Do you remember what I told you when we saw the green flash? That one time, in Hawaii? During our honeymoon?”
“I do. You said that the flash was the souls of those who’ve gone before.”
“And I promised you that, if I passed before you, that you would just need to look for the flash to see me.”
She clasped his wrinkled face in her own equally-lined hands. “You did better than that. You came back to me.”
“I guess I did.” He kissed her, reveling in the fact that this time he’d remember it.
Zawahir motioned to everyone else in the room. They all quickly got the hint and left the pair to their mutual happiness.
__________
The door of the simulator cracked open and Kifa came scuttling out. She peered up at the normally stony face of Master Sergeant Wilkes; right now the latter looked like he’d just been kicked in the chest by a donkey and was still trying to process it. “How did I do?” asked the xyrax. “It seems like I did quite well.”
“Um…Kifa. Well. Um. Did the controls seem to operate right?”
“Oh, yes! Very much, quite intuitive! It’s been ages since I simulated combat within an atmosphere! That was fun!”
“Fun. You do realize that you were going up against aces. I mean real, human aces?”
“Oh. I thought that was the case.” Kifa peered back into the simulator. “Was I not supposed to know that?”
Wilkes finally laughed, something that was fortunately captured by several cameras and used as blackmail material for many years after. “You did fine. You also just utterly smoked several of the finest pilots on Earth, and that includes non-Americans.” He regarded her with a steady gaze. “I wish I could recruit you to TOPGUN, I’d love to see you show those strutting peacocks a thing or two.”
“What is TOPGUN?”
He sighed. “Right now, it’s in the same exact department as buggy-whip manufacturing. You just showed these punks that, even in atmosphere, you’re death from above.”
Kifa seemed to shrink into themselves. “I didn’t mean to…”
“Now, now, Kifa, this is a good thing. Gotta keep those aforementioned strutting peacocks on their toes. But soon we’ll be dealing with fighting using orbital mechanics, something with which our air-combat people have about as much actual experience as they do with chatting up the fairer sex.”
“Which fairer sex? I mean, my kind is hermaphroditic so I know the mechanics but…” Kifa trailed off as it blinked its four big, oil-drop eyes.
“You are too damned cute for your own good. Pick a sex, any one, I for one do not give a fuck anymore. Point being, we humans need a crash-course in how to fight in space. No atmo, so trying to maneuver using flaps and wings and things is right out. We need to understand how orbits work. Not just intellectually, but in our bones.” Wilkes patted the simulator. “We need you to teach us. We need you to teach an army. Well, navy. Technically. I guess it would count as a navy. Either way. You know how to do this shit, and you just proved that even in atmosphere you can run rings around our best and brightest. So. Are you willing to show us your voodoo?”
“My voodoo…” The blue-furred spider suddenly rose on all of its legs. “Of course! This will be used against the Breakers, yes?”
“Of course.”
“Then it will be my greatest pleasure to show you all of my voodoo!” Kifa paused. “Although, if I received a headpat or two it would also help me properly consider how best to teach you.”
Sergeant Wilkes sighed and reached down. Kifa purred in delight as the usually-taciturn sergeant unleashed the full might and power of Human Headpats upon the alien pilot.
__________
Sadaf watched as the two dark-haired women and one blonde-haired woman had a black-and-white cap fitted over their heads. Both had received a haircut for this day; Parvati for one seemed to be less than thrilled about losing some of her tresses.
“This is the snoopy-cap,” said the aide who stood between the two women. The surroundings were sterile and very, very white. “This cap contains your communications, and it will keep your hair in place during launch.” This was the actual process getting shown to the world. Behind them, Ravindar and Martinez were also in the process of getting suited up, but this was done with much less fanfare. The aide’s words carried to them all, of course.
“Arms up!” Everyone going into space today raised their arms, and a large tubby-looking upper suit then slid down over five figures. Many human hands made sure that their heads made it through the upper ring. “This is the upper part of your pressure suit,” said the aide. “The gloves and helmet will complete that part, but that will come later. Now I will need you all to step into your pants…”
Everyone did so; Chao was the one who didn’t quite make it look elegant. She grinned at Martinez as she fumbled for a bit getting her pressure-suit trousers on; his resulting blush was caught for the cameras but it wasn’t until a week later that someone realized what it meant.
“Latch!” The aide’s voice was hard as metal.
Many hands reached out, twisting multiple metal rings to lock the upper and lower halves of the four pressure suits into one cohesive piece.
“I still say we could make them some proper hardsuits,” said Sadaf to Takh. The two stood off to the side, not exactly part of the dance but not apart from it either.
“No, I think this is better,” said Takh. “We need to make this look more like a…human effort.” Her XO stood at parade-rest, with both sets of arms clasped behind his back.
Sadaf nodded. “I will default to your judgement. By the way…how are you and Corporal McCoy getting along?” She nodded towards the last-minute addition to the crew.
“Um…Ma’am, I…” His faltering was not helped by watching the humans in the clean-room getting clear helmets fixed over their heads. Each latching was followed-up by a tap on the shoulder and a thumbs-up.
The big human, Ravindar, waved his arms over his shoulders as he got the feel for the suit. He’d managed to get the helmet on without an issue, in spite of his substantial beard. “Need more air?” asked a much smaller woman at his side. He shook his head, while he continued to flex and get comfortable with how the suit restricted his motions.
Getting the Sikh to this moment had been a master-class in diplomacy. Not least of which was because he still carried a weapon upon his person. Sadaf had no experience with ‘Sikhism’, but she could appreciate any culture or creed which dictated the need to carry a protective weapon at all times. It appealed to her nature.
“Do you think Parvati knows that he’s, well, into her?” asked Takh.
His captain’s voice became damn near sultry. “Now Takh, and here I thought you were all clueless. I’ve heard of the effort these humans went through to get Chao and Luca together. Would you like me to ask them to perform a similar effort for you and Corporal McCoy? Hmmm? It would make for quite the photo-op, as the humans would say.”
Takh felt a bit of panic, somehow. “No!” His panicked reply was low, hopefully not picked up by the surrounding cameras. “I mean, she’s so small. I could hurt her…assuming she wants to be romantic, of course.”
“Romantic? Takh, I admit I am still learning about human body language but trust me…if you want that, she wants that.” She pondered the humans in the room still going through some last-minute checks of their pressure suits. “Let’s put it this way. If you don’t make a move, then I just might ask Dhuz if it’s okay to add a human to our harem when we get back.”
“What?”
“I have learned quite the delightful human phrase. It is, as they say, Time To Nut Up Or Shut Up. I do find McCoy really cute, after all. As do you.”
Her XO grumbled semi-silently for a bit. “Fair enough, Captain. I’ll ask her. While we’re out there.”
“Good.” The humans in the clean room were now about finished with their checks, and Sadaf felt a bit of a thrill. She was, after all, witness to a species taking their first steps into a larger universe.
Five hoses were now shoved into five chest-mounted receptacles, each hose leading to its own hand-held air-conditioning unit. Another complicated round of checks, slaps, and thumbs-ups then followed.
“They do know that we’re just going to walk beside them right into the landing boat, right?” asked Takh. “This whole process isn’t really necessary.”
“Let them have this moment,” said Sadaf with a gentle smile. “They’re having fun.”
__________
The five white-suited individuals emerged from the hallway to pretty much universal uproar, both in person and online. The suit color was all NASA, but the logos were not. All four wore the emblem of the United Nations at their shoulder, a pair of olive branches surrounding a polar view of the world. The four humans all did their bit and waved for the cameras. Those in charge of the cameras did as instructed, and ignored the two black-and-sliver figures behind the quartet. The latter weren’t wearing any sort of pressure suit.
In the middle of the courtyard hovered the real talking piece, a landing boat from the Rithro. Its entry door was already lowered, and with another wave to the cameras from each of the five humans, they walked up the ramp and into the craft.
The five of them then looked at each other as the door began to close behind them. They’d trained together for a bit, enough to get a feel for each other. But now there was a real sense among them of holy shit what now?
Their mutual what-nows were interrupted as Tofa appeared. The arachnoid alien held a tray in one pedipalp, and upon that tray sat a little dish of what looked like Brazil nuts.
“Greetings!” chirped Tofa. “Welcome to Rithro Air, I assure you we have an excellent safety reputation. Well, almost excellent, if you don’t count the affair around Barnard’s Star. You may now take off your pressure suits. May I interest you in a nut?”
The four humans (and a few of the aliens) flinched as Ravindar let loose with a hearty belly-laugh. He reached up to undo his helmet while he beamed a brilliant white smile at their greeter. “You? I like you. We’re going to be fast friends.” He reached down to pluck a nut from the tray. “Madame? Do you want to take the first nut? Or should I taste it first?”
“Um…” For once, Parvati looked uncertain within her glass-and-cloth cocoon. “If you wish to taste, then please go ahead.”
“As you wish.” Ravindar held her eyes as he bit into the proffered nut. “It seems to be all right,” he pronounced.
After the great ceremony with which they’d been ensconced into their pressure suits, the humans then with reluctance emerged from their cocoons.
“We set up some chairs for everyone!” exclaimed Tofa, who gestured to the sides of the landing craft.
“Um, where do we put all of this?” asked Martinez as he held up a pressure-suit gauntlet.
The alien spider blinked. “Oh, right! Kexal, would you mind helping our guests stow their material?”
__________
The conference room at ULA now looked out over an even-greater bustle of activity. They were determined to at least match SpaceX in terms of tonnage-to-orbit; maybe they’d do so more efficiently? The mere notion had set a fire under everyone.
Joachim sat in a wheelchair while he studied those in front of him. “Ladies and gentlemen. I have, through some strange technological miracle, been re-granted the use of my mind. Not only that; they tell me that I and my wife might, if certain tests go well…we could become that which we once were. I intend to make sure that this gift does not go to waste. Not for me, nor for my wife, nor for the rest of humanity. Anyways. We have some aliens who need our help, we have some psychotic robot idiots who are fucking things up for everyone, and we need to get some serious tonnage into orbit as a result. Is that about the shape of things?”
“That’s pretty much the shape of it, sir,” said Dwight.
Joachim pointed a wrinkled finger at the speaker. “You. I’ve been caught up enough that I know you were the one to advocate for the use of Sea Dragon.”
“Just as a Hail Mary,” Dwight protested.
Clara cleared her throat. “I mean, I understand the enthusiasm but nobody has ever fired a pressure-fed engine that big. A single engine, mind you.”
Joachim rubbed his chin. “I understand your concern. But also keep in mind, this is a pintle injector, not a shower-head like they had on the F-1s on the Saturn-Five’s first stage. Pintle injectors were classified at the time. That’s a pity, because pintle injectors are safe as houses.”
Clara looked over at him. “Really?”
“Oh yeah, they’re pretty much bomb-proof.”
The team regarded the design now up on the screen. Clara was the first to speak their mutual thought. “Could…could we make this work?”
Joachim’s exclamation brought them all up short. “Of COURSE we can!” He thumped his cane into the floor for added emphasis. “Gentlemen…and ladies, please forgive me Clara…not one month ago I was a drooling wreck of a human. Today I come before you with my mind re-borne and in full function. I intend to make full use of that function. As does my wife, God bless her. We are going to set an example.”
Joachim stood, levering himself upright via his cane. “Here I stand,” he said. “Like Martin Luther before me, I can do no other.”
After a moment, everybody else in the conference room stood as well.
“Welp, we’re all standing,” said Dwight. “Okay, so what do we do now?”
Joachim pointed his cane at the screen. “Now, my dear Dwight, we Build. That. Fucking. Thing. We’re gonna show these Coalition assholes how we humans put some serious fucking tonnage into orbit.”
“Fuck yeah,” said Clara, as an unholy light came into her eyes.
“Fuck yes indeed,” replied Joachim. “The question now is, what do we put into it?”
The other people in the room looked at each other, just before bursting out into exclamations as to what they wanted put into that first launch. It was the sound of people on an expense account to beat the band.
2023.06.07 10:54 lolthenoob Decarbonisation is fucking stupid
Preface-NZ already has about 90% renewable electricity generation. This rant pertains to carbon integrated manufacturing and process heat.
We need oil and gas for industry. Let's face it. Fossil fuels are the life blood of manufacturing.
For most manufacturing, process heat is required, or carbon is too integrated in the process for it to be easily removed.
Process heat is needed to generate steam, and steam is used for heating, cooling, moving turbines and much more.
How do you generate steam without fossil fuels? Geothermal? That's location restricted. Electricity? You'll dumb as rocks to use electric boilers. It's too capital intensive and the $/GJ is about 5 times as much as gas. Biomass? That still produces co2, and we would still need gas as an baseload header.
That's not including carbon integrated process like steel making, cement. Ie we need carbon (from coal) to reduce iron ore to steel. We need natural gas or coal to "cook" the cement ingredients. We need gas to act as an header in pulp mills.
This leaves to my point. Decarbonisation is a game of chicken. I have explained how fossil fuels are integral to industry. Any country who decides to decarbonise will have to deindustrialise.
The might of a country is weighted in its industrial output. Let's say the United States decides to decarbonise and consequently deindustrialise, it will be overtly dependant on China or India for manufacturing important products, like paper, steel, cement, fertiliser.....
Even with electricfication, you still need: - coal for reducing iron ore ( possibly replaced with green H2? Expensive)
I view policy as a cost benefit ratio. I'm a geopolitical realist. I'm from NZ and let's say we would decarbonise to meet the Paris Accords. Remember NZ is a small country with little significance, other countries may have geopolitical considerations too.
Benefits
submitted by lolthenoob to TrueUnpopularOpinion [link] [comments]
We need oil and gas for industry. Let's face it. Fossil fuels are the life blood of manufacturing.
For most manufacturing, process heat is required, or carbon is too integrated in the process for it to be easily removed.
Process heat is needed to generate steam, and steam is used for heating, cooling, moving turbines and much more.
How do you generate steam without fossil fuels? Geothermal? That's location restricted. Electricity? You'll dumb as rocks to use electric boilers. It's too capital intensive and the $/GJ is about 5 times as much as gas. Biomass? That still produces co2, and we would still need gas as an baseload header.
That's not including carbon integrated process like steel making, cement. Ie we need carbon (from coal) to reduce iron ore to steel. We need natural gas or coal to "cook" the cement ingredients. We need gas to act as an header in pulp mills.
This leaves to my point. Decarbonisation is a game of chicken. I have explained how fossil fuels are integral to industry. Any country who decides to decarbonise will have to deindustrialise.
The might of a country is weighted in its industrial output. Let's say the United States decides to decarbonise and consequently deindustrialise, it will be overtly dependant on China or India for manufacturing important products, like paper, steel, cement, fertiliser.....
Even with electricfication, you still need: - coal for reducing iron ore ( possibly replaced with green H2? Expensive)
- Ammonia for Fertilisers (Green H2 can make ammonia, but not large scale enough and expensive)
- Process heat in general
- Heat for kilns in cement making and paper making.
I view policy as a cost benefit ratio. I'm a geopolitical realist. I'm from NZ and let's say we would decarbonise to meet the Paris Accords. Remember NZ is a small country with little significance, other countries may have geopolitical considerations too.
Benefits
- Look good in front the UN - showboating
- Attract ESG investors?
- We lose a significant percentage of our GDP
- We lose valuable talent and know-how in manufacturing
- We strangle our dairy industry with climate regulations
- Spend untold billions for no public gain.
- we lose all internal manufacturing capacity