Hollow knight all charm notches locations
「Neon Wound」
2023.05.30 00:53 Kratangg 「Neon Wound」
Namesake: Neon Wound by Silversun Pickups
User: Berc (Deceased)
Automatic stand
Stats:
Power: A
Speed: D (Steady gait similar to a human; capable of running if need be)
Range: Ø (Posthumous stand; can move anywhere)
Durability: A* (Bears countless scars and dents, but still stands strong and cannot regenerate)
Precision: E (Can be directed by manipulating its preprogrammed responses, but not controlled)
Potential: E (Can no longer adapt of alter directives)
Appearance:
｢Neon Wound｣ is seven feet tall, and has the appearance/texture of oxidized copper. Its silhouette is wide-shouldered, armored, and imposing. Its internals seem to consist of an overlapping series of fluorescent webs.
It wears a flowing scarf, and an abundance of chains trail down the back of its neck from the top of its 'helmet', which possesses a protruding section from the forehead down past the chin. Its eyes are rotating white triangles in a black void.
Ability:
｢Neon Wound｣ was originally an automatic stand, which could be released aimlessly or instructed to target an individual/category of entity. It would perform the first action done to it upon summoning to the targeted individual(s) or to those it encountered, depending on the setting. While not possessing a personality of its own, it retained its user's chivalrous nature and respectful mannerisms.
After its user's death, during which it was elsewhere summoned and performing its duty, the stand was miraculously preserved. It retains and continues to carry out the designated actions it was executing at the time, those being [Behead via weapon] and [Defend self]. These instructions, both vague and restrictive, have led to its current state and use.
Namely:
User information/backstory:
There was once a traveler that sought only the growth of others, and would go to great lengths to achieve such results. The wanderer, having shed his true name long ago, was known only by ‘Berc’, and is rumored to have once served in some high court in the past. While no longer a true knight, he was still a chivalrous warrior and desired nothing more than to help others. He had made a great many mistakes and lost his one love to events he may have been able to prevent, and had perhaps been responsible for. Deep in his mind, back then, he had wished death upon himself. Redemption was truly unattainable, and he surely needed to pay for his sins. What good could come of him continuing on?... Yet, he was saved. Not by himself directly, but the actions of a mysterious giant that arrived at his feet one day. It put him through trials he, deep down, wished for. He emerged a better man, and while not perfect, saw the path forwards. He wished for others to be picked up in this same way, and his knight would be the way.
And so it remained. Always present, always watching, always signifying and reminding of the past. It was his ｢Neon Wound｣, serving not to denigrate him in memoriam of past wrongdoing, but as a reminder of his purpose, and the key to a better future. After his experience and revelation, Berc traveled about as a hermit of sorts, assisting others via his stand. His methods were…touch love, to say the least. Many involved intense trials or attacks, forcing them to act and improve themselves, testing them, etc. Though, regardless, it tended to work out for the best, and he left a great many soothed souls in his wake. The jovial man often met his ‘students’ in his endless travels, sharing freshly caught game and joyous stories. He was easily recognizable by his snappy green attire and large beard matched by long hair that only grew longer with age. His laugh was not one to forget, and time spent with Berc was time well spent. Though, there was one trait that had never changed in all his years, and would be the end of him…
He was a fool.
He was trusting, jolly, and held no grudges. Yet, not everyone was grateful to the wandering knight, and there were those who sought vengeance the man was no longer capable of comprehending. One such individual had finally tracked the hermit down. He was once chased down by ｢Neon Wound｣, but let off as one that would not help themselves and therefore could not be helped by others. Berc looked the man up and down, noting the unsheathed blade. His knight was elsewhere, testing a young man and unable to defend its master. Advanced age had left him weak despite his best efforts, and he could see the writing on the wall. He laughed, gave a sorrowful smile, and apologized. He had clearly failed this man, and was deeply sorry for that fact. His final wish was that this alleviated the pain caused to his soon to be murderer at least a bit. Though, it was deeply regrettable that he would not be able to help others from this point on…unlike his gallant stand, he could not live on without his head…
Meanwhile, the young man Berc had sent ｢Neon Wound｣ to give a push to was undergoing great emotional change. The fight had been perilous, forcing him to reconsider his time up until that point. Just moments before, he had been sitting in a ruined home simply waiting to die, but was now attempting to preserve his own life. Why? The sudden looming force of death had done it. It reminded him he had others to truly live for, not merely rot away alongside the out of the way manor where he had failed to protect his loved ones so long ago. They pushed past the pain, accepting the blow it dealt to their neck and tearing the weapon from their attacker’s grasp. ｢Neon Wound｣ halted, assuming a patient position at 'attention'. The former prince had overcome the trial, and gazed upon the blade he had torn from the giant’s grasp. With a bow, he left the stand and returned to a, hopefully fulfilling, life. ｢Neon Wound｣, however, would not be recovered by its user. It would stand resolute and wait for one that would not come, remaining perfectly still in front of the ruined manor for thirty-two years. The forest had long overtaken the area, and the nearby path had since transformed into a road that few strayed far from.
One of those few, a knight surveying the area at the behest of their king, would be the first living person to see the stand since that fateful day with the prince. The knight, Den, approached the decaying manor. The area was good land, and his liege was seeking a new location for an outpost along this road. Drawing his sword to cut down obscuring foliage, he took note of the topography, state of the current dilapidated structures, and a salvageable well. Finally, after circling the area, he stood face to face with the noble statue that had guarded this hopeless home for God knows how long. A thankless job, to be certain. Den cleaned up the statue to the best of his ability, cutting off vines and removing rubble to find its actual structure completely untouched by age. Fascinating.
He would rest afterwards, setting his sword down and removing his stand’s semi-transparent feathers from his eyes in preparation to send back as part of his report. He began unpacking his supplies to pen the accompanying letter as a glint of movement shone in the edge of his vision. Den felt an overwhelming presence-a powerful force unlike any he’d encountered before. He innately, instinctually understood the danger he was in before snapping his gaze towards the statue. It was moving before his very eyes, and was moments away from grabbing his sword, which rested against the same log he sat upon. He rushed to kick the sword away as his stand, ｢DESTINY｣, screeched to life and recreated the ferns that once enclosed the statue’s knees to bind it in place for the time being. Den dove for his sword, managing to recover it mere seconds after the statue tore through the metal foliage.
It stopped.
The statue wound down, and had returned to its stoic pose. This…was a discovery of great importance. Their kingdom was a special one, founded by a mighty warrior given power through a Holy blade. The sword itself was currently kept within the deepest bowels of their fortified capital, only to be used in special rituals such as coronations and granting knighthood. Its power to bless those worthy with miraculous abilities was the bedrock of their nation’s success. The fact the area he now stood in, suggested after consultation by a high priest with a similar blessing to his own, housed an artifact comparable to the founder’s sacred blade was beyond telling. This could not more clearly be fated by God, who had led this humble knight to a guardian. Den’s prodding and investigation revealed the giant could be led by the hand, confirming his theory. He dropped to his knees and hurriedly scribbled his report, sealed with ｢DESTINY｣’s feathers and sent back via his messenger bird. The King needed to know of this at once.
Den began the slow journey home behind his letter, leading the giant. An incident late one night only magnified their awe and appreciation, as it defended him in his sleep, slaughtering a rabid wolf that had apparently lunged at him. The various events like this that transpired over the course of the walk home would be relayed as well, securing the statue’s place in their kingdom’s legacy. The guardian sent by God would reside in the throne room, and would be tasked with performing rituals with the nation’s sacred blade from this point onwards. Its actions, as the knighthood had learned through trial and error, were perfectly suited to the duties. It would stand tall in the throne room as its loyal guardian, and act as the liaison to determine which princes were chosen to lead the kingdom for well over a century. It served its purpose until the tragic end of the nation…
submitted by Kratangg to fanStands [link] [comments]
User: Berc (Deceased)
Automatic stand
Stats:
Power: A
Speed: D (Steady gait similar to a human; capable of running if need be)
Range: Ø (Posthumous stand; can move anywhere)
Durability: A* (Bears countless scars and dents, but still stands strong and cannot regenerate)
Precision: E (Can be directed by manipulating its preprogrammed responses, but not controlled)
Potential: E (Can no longer adapt of alter directives)
Appearance:
｢Neon Wound｣ is seven feet tall, and has the appearance/texture of oxidized copper. Its silhouette is wide-shouldered, armored, and imposing. Its internals seem to consist of an overlapping series of fluorescent webs.
It wears a flowing scarf, and an abundance of chains trail down the back of its neck from the top of its 'helmet', which possesses a protruding section from the forehead down past the chin. Its eyes are rotating white triangles in a black void.
Ability:
｢Neon Wound｣ was originally an automatic stand, which could be released aimlessly or instructed to target an individual/category of entity. It would perform the first action done to it upon summoning to the targeted individual(s) or to those it encountered, depending on the setting. While not possessing a personality of its own, it retained its user's chivalrous nature and respectful mannerisms.
After its user's death, during which it was elsewhere summoned and performing its duty, the stand was miraculously preserved. It retains and continues to carry out the designated actions it was executing at the time, those being [Behead via weapon] and [Defend self]. These instructions, both vague and restrictive, have led to its current state and use.
Namely:
- It will attempt to behead anyone it encounters, given it possesses a weapon at the time. It will respectfully unhand its weapon if a neutral party attempts to remove it. If a weapon is taken from it, it will cease aggressive actions, standing completely motionless until granted its tool; it will only seek out a weapon if one not currently possessed by a sentient being is within line of sight. It can be moved, led by the hand, and (Non-maliciously) touched without consequence in this state.
- The remnants of the user's nature affect the interpretation of the second function, extending its defensive response to those around it, protecting the innocent and prioritizing the beheading of aggressors if armed.
- If destroyed, it will not reform.
User information/backstory:
There was once a traveler that sought only the growth of others, and would go to great lengths to achieve such results. The wanderer, having shed his true name long ago, was known only by ‘Berc’, and is rumored to have once served in some high court in the past. While no longer a true knight, he was still a chivalrous warrior and desired nothing more than to help others. He had made a great many mistakes and lost his one love to events he may have been able to prevent, and had perhaps been responsible for. Deep in his mind, back then, he had wished death upon himself. Redemption was truly unattainable, and he surely needed to pay for his sins. What good could come of him continuing on?... Yet, he was saved. Not by himself directly, but the actions of a mysterious giant that arrived at his feet one day. It put him through trials he, deep down, wished for. He emerged a better man, and while not perfect, saw the path forwards. He wished for others to be picked up in this same way, and his knight would be the way.
And so it remained. Always present, always watching, always signifying and reminding of the past. It was his ｢Neon Wound｣, serving not to denigrate him in memoriam of past wrongdoing, but as a reminder of his purpose, and the key to a better future. After his experience and revelation, Berc traveled about as a hermit of sorts, assisting others via his stand. His methods were…touch love, to say the least. Many involved intense trials or attacks, forcing them to act and improve themselves, testing them, etc. Though, regardless, it tended to work out for the best, and he left a great many soothed souls in his wake. The jovial man often met his ‘students’ in his endless travels, sharing freshly caught game and joyous stories. He was easily recognizable by his snappy green attire and large beard matched by long hair that only grew longer with age. His laugh was not one to forget, and time spent with Berc was time well spent. Though, there was one trait that had never changed in all his years, and would be the end of him…
He was a fool.
He was trusting, jolly, and held no grudges. Yet, not everyone was grateful to the wandering knight, and there were those who sought vengeance the man was no longer capable of comprehending. One such individual had finally tracked the hermit down. He was once chased down by ｢Neon Wound｣, but let off as one that would not help themselves and therefore could not be helped by others. Berc looked the man up and down, noting the unsheathed blade. His knight was elsewhere, testing a young man and unable to defend its master. Advanced age had left him weak despite his best efforts, and he could see the writing on the wall. He laughed, gave a sorrowful smile, and apologized. He had clearly failed this man, and was deeply sorry for that fact. His final wish was that this alleviated the pain caused to his soon to be murderer at least a bit. Though, it was deeply regrettable that he would not be able to help others from this point on…unlike his gallant stand, he could not live on without his head…
Meanwhile, the young man Berc had sent ｢Neon Wound｣ to give a push to was undergoing great emotional change. The fight had been perilous, forcing him to reconsider his time up until that point. Just moments before, he had been sitting in a ruined home simply waiting to die, but was now attempting to preserve his own life. Why? The sudden looming force of death had done it. It reminded him he had others to truly live for, not merely rot away alongside the out of the way manor where he had failed to protect his loved ones so long ago. They pushed past the pain, accepting the blow it dealt to their neck and tearing the weapon from their attacker’s grasp. ｢Neon Wound｣ halted, assuming a patient position at 'attention'. The former prince had overcome the trial, and gazed upon the blade he had torn from the giant’s grasp. With a bow, he left the stand and returned to a, hopefully fulfilling, life. ｢Neon Wound｣, however, would not be recovered by its user. It would stand resolute and wait for one that would not come, remaining perfectly still in front of the ruined manor for thirty-two years. The forest had long overtaken the area, and the nearby path had since transformed into a road that few strayed far from.
One of those few, a knight surveying the area at the behest of their king, would be the first living person to see the stand since that fateful day with the prince. The knight, Den, approached the decaying manor. The area was good land, and his liege was seeking a new location for an outpost along this road. Drawing his sword to cut down obscuring foliage, he took note of the topography, state of the current dilapidated structures, and a salvageable well. Finally, after circling the area, he stood face to face with the noble statue that had guarded this hopeless home for God knows how long. A thankless job, to be certain. Den cleaned up the statue to the best of his ability, cutting off vines and removing rubble to find its actual structure completely untouched by age. Fascinating.
He would rest afterwards, setting his sword down and removing his stand’s semi-transparent feathers from his eyes in preparation to send back as part of his report. He began unpacking his supplies to pen the accompanying letter as a glint of movement shone in the edge of his vision. Den felt an overwhelming presence-a powerful force unlike any he’d encountered before. He innately, instinctually understood the danger he was in before snapping his gaze towards the statue. It was moving before his very eyes, and was moments away from grabbing his sword, which rested against the same log he sat upon. He rushed to kick the sword away as his stand, ｢DESTINY｣, screeched to life and recreated the ferns that once enclosed the statue’s knees to bind it in place for the time being. Den dove for his sword, managing to recover it mere seconds after the statue tore through the metal foliage.
It stopped.
The statue wound down, and had returned to its stoic pose. This…was a discovery of great importance. Their kingdom was a special one, founded by a mighty warrior given power through a Holy blade. The sword itself was currently kept within the deepest bowels of their fortified capital, only to be used in special rituals such as coronations and granting knighthood. Its power to bless those worthy with miraculous abilities was the bedrock of their nation’s success. The fact the area he now stood in, suggested after consultation by a high priest with a similar blessing to his own, housed an artifact comparable to the founder’s sacred blade was beyond telling. This could not more clearly be fated by God, who had led this humble knight to a guardian. Den’s prodding and investigation revealed the giant could be led by the hand, confirming his theory. He dropped to his knees and hurriedly scribbled his report, sealed with ｢DESTINY｣’s feathers and sent back via his messenger bird. The King needed to know of this at once.
Den began the slow journey home behind his letter, leading the giant. An incident late one night only magnified their awe and appreciation, as it defended him in his sleep, slaughtering a rabid wolf that had apparently lunged at him. The various events like this that transpired over the course of the walk home would be relayed as well, securing the statue’s place in their kingdom’s legacy. The guardian sent by God would reside in the throne room, and would be tasked with performing rituals with the nation’s sacred blade from this point onwards. Its actions, as the knighthood had learned through trial and error, were perfectly suited to the duties. It would stand tall in the throne room as its loyal guardian, and act as the liaison to determine which princes were chosen to lead the kingdom for well over a century. It served its purpose until the tragic end of the nation…
2023.05.30 00:16 Shanochi Best Skills/Classes Builds for Wizard
The wizard class in Tree of Savior embodies the arcane arts, wielding immense magical power. While they may be considered squishy in terms of durability, wizards compensate for this with their devastating area-of-effect (AoE) damage capabilities, making them valuable in group-focused encounters. Their spells can unleash destructive forces that obliterate multiple enemies at once, turning the tide of battle in their favor. However, wizards are not limited to just AoE damage; they also possess significant potential for single-target damage, allowing them to swiftly dispatch powerful foes. As a friendly starting class, wizards provide newcomers with a relatively easy entry point into the game, allowing players to familiarize themselves with the fundamentals of spellcasting. Furthermore, wizards are highly sought after in most content due to their versatile skill set and indispensable role in party dynamics. Their ability to control the battlefield and deal massive damage makes them a crucial asset in various challenging encounters. Wizard classes uses one-handed rod + shield or two-handed staff with trinket.
Players can obtain a total of 15 extra skill points from the Magic Association NPC in Klaipeda City (located in the north area before the staircase) between levels 440 and 490.
submitted by Shanochi to TreeofSaviorGlobal [link] [comments]
Players can obtain a total of 15 extra skill points from the Magic Association NPC in Klaipeda City (located in the north area before the staircase) between levels 440 and 490.
Please note that the investment of these extra skill points is optional for specific classes. Players will have to optimize their skill builds based on their class combinations. Each player will have a different skill build and playstyle. Thank you.
Base Class
| Type | Skills Builds |
|---|---|
| Magic | 5 Magic Shield, 5 Lethargy, 1 Teleportation, and 4 Earthquake |
Advance Classes
| Class | Skills Build | 15 Extra Skill Points (Optional) |
|---|---|---|
| Pyromancer | 10 Fire Pillar, 5 Enchant Fire, 10 Hell Breath, 15 Flame Ground, and 5 Prominence | +10 Enchant Fire |
| Cryomancer | 15 Ice Bolt, 15 Ice Pike, 10 Ice Blast, and 5 Frost Pillar | +15 Ice Wall or +10 Snow Rolling |
| Psychokino | 15 Psychic Pressure, 15 Magnetic Force, 5 Gravity Pole, and 10 Heavy Gravity | +10 Raise |
| Alchemist | 9 Dig, 15 Gem Roasting, 15 Tincturing, 5 Magnum Opus, and 1 Item Awakening | N/A |
| Sorcerer | 15 Summoning, 1 Riding, 1 Morph, 8 Summon Salamion, 5 Summon Servant, 5 Evocation, and Desmodus | +7 Summon Salamion |
| Chronomancer | 10 Quick Cast, 5 Pass, 15 Slow, 14 Stop, and 1 Backmasking | +1 Stop and +14 Reincarnate |
| Necromancer | 10 Gather Corpse, 5 Create Shoggoth, 3 Flesh Cannon, 1 Flesh Hoop, 1 Disinter, 10 Corpse Tower, 5 Raise Dead, 5 Raise Skull Archer, and 5 Raise Skull Mage | +7 Flesh Cannon and Flesh Hoop |
| Elementalist (Ice) | 5 Elemental Burst, 15 Hail, 10 Blizzard Storm, and 15 Electrocute | N/A |
| Elementalist (Fire) | 5 Elemental Burst, 15 Fire Claw, 10 Meteor, and 15 Electrocute | N/A |
| Elementalist (Electric | 5 Elemental Burst, 15 Electrocute, 10 Lightning Orb, and 15 Hail | N/A |
| Sage | 14 Micro Dimension, 15 Ultimate Dimension, 1 Blink, 10 Dimension Compression, and 5 Hole of Darkness | N/A |
| Warlock | 1 Pole of Agony, 15 Invocation, 8 Dark Theurge, 10 Mastema, 1 Evil Sacrifice, 5 Ghastly Trail, and 5 Demon Scratch | +7 Dark Theurge, and +8 Pole of Agony |
| Featherfoot | ||
| Rune Caster (Casting) | 1 Rune of Destruction, 8 Rune of Earth, 1 Rune of Repulsion, 15 Rune of Justice, 5 Rune of Protection, 5 Rune of Beginning, and 10 Rune of Rock | +9 Rune of Destruction and +6 Rune of Earth |
| Rune Caster (Channel) | 5 Rune of Destruction, 15 Rune of Repulsion, 15 Rune of Justice, 5 Rune of Protection, 5 Rune of Beginning | +5 Rune of Destruction and +10 Rune of Gravity |
| Shadowmancer | 10 Shadow Thorn, 15 Shadow Conjuration, 5 Shadow Pool, 10 Shadow Condensation, and 5 Infernal Shadow | +15 Hallucination |
| Onmyoji (Casting) | 10 Greenwood Shikigami, 15 Howling White Tiger, 10 Wind Shikigami, and 10 Toyou | +15 Soul Fox Shikigami |
| Onmyoji (Channel) | 15 Soul Fox Shikigami, 15 Howling White Tiger, 1 Greenwood Shikigami, 10 Toyou, and 5 Yin Yang Harmony | N/A |
| Taoist | 15 Creeping Death Charm, 10 Snow Tempest Charm, 5 Strengthen Charm, 5 Eradication, and 10 Fire Charm | +15 Divine Punishment |
| Bokor | 15 Curse of Debility, 15 Effigy, 5 Zombify, 5 Samediveve, and 5 Damballa | N/A |
| Terramancer | 15 Sand Blast, 15 Implosion, 10 Stone Shower, and 5 Horn of Golem | +10 Rolling Stone and +5 Sand Wall |
| Keraunos | 1 Electric Current, 4 Electric Orb, 15 Lightning Spear, 10 Electrode, 10 Static Field, and 5 Electric Drive | +11 Electric Orb and +4 Overload |
Level 460 Equipment (Vasilisa)
| Type | Weapon | Armor | Accessories | Ark | Weapon (Random Ichor) | Armor (Random Ichor) | Set Effect (460) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magic | Two-handed Staff + Trinket | Leather Armor | Triukas | Divine Retribution | INT / CON / Critical Rate / Block Penetration | INT / CON / Critical Rate / Medium Offset | Balinta |
Level 480 Equipment (Reservoir & Falouros)
| Type | Weapon | Armor | Accessories | Ark | Weapon (Random Ichor) | Armor (Random Ichor) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magic | Two-handed Staff + Trinket | Leather Armor | Triukas | Divine Retribution | INT / All-Race / Critical Rate / Perfection | STR / CON / Critical Rate / All -Race |
Assisters
| Type | Assister #1 | Assister #2 | Assister #3 | Assister #4 | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magic | Moringponia | Mirtis | Ignas | Helgasercle | Magic Critical DAmage, AoE Attack Ratio, Accuracy, INT, SPR, and Damage in Challenge Mode |
Best Classes Combination
| Combination | DPS Type | Vaivora Vision | Armor (Fixed Ichor) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Onmyoji - Terramancer - Chronomancer | Casting | Red Tiger Claw + Stone-Slinger | Holy Flame |
| Onmyoji - Elementalist - Terramancer | Casting | Annihilate + Stone-Slinger | Holy Flame |
| Elementalist - Pyromancer - Taoist | AoE | Fire Bolt + Vigilant Charm | Overload |
| Pyromancer - Taoist - Chronomancer | Magic Circle Reset | Fire Bolt + Vigilant Charm | Overload |
| Terramancer - Taoist - Chronomancer | Casting | Stone-Slinger + Vigilant Charm | Holy Flame |
| Necromancer - Sorcerer - Chronomancer | Summoner | Immortality + Wicked Desire | Harsh Imperator |
| Pyromancer - Psychokino - Onmyoji | Channeling | Fire Bolt + Biased Gravity | Infinity Blessing |
| Keraunos - Taoist - Chronomancer | Burst | Electric Flow + Vigilant Charm | Overload |
| Bokor - Taoist - Chronomancer | Burst | Lewa Advent + Vigilant Charm | Overload |
| Rune Caster + Terramancer + Chronomancer | Casting | Rune of Vigilance + Stone-Slinger | Holy Flame |
| Shadowmancer - Bokor - Chronomancer | Burst | Diffuse Reflection + Lewa Advent | Overload |
| Cryomancer + Elementalist + Chronomancer | Casting | Icy Snow Bubble + Annihilate | Holy Flame |
| Warlock + Bokor + Chronomancer | Burst | Demonische + Lewa Advent | Overload |
2023.05.29 23:58 Naru_the_Narcissist My review of Your Lie in April
Inspiration can be a fickle thing. The muses may guide our hearts towards a particular passion, but they don’t always stick around to see us through it. As a child, Kousei Arima felt a natural attraction to the piano. He could play music by ear, was a gifted mimic, and had boat loads of potential to one day dominate the instrument. With the help and encouragement of a family friend, Kousei’s mom set him on his desired path, but life as a pianist was harder than he thought. Rather than playing for fun and expressing himself through music, she wanted him to be able to make a living through his music, so she went as hard on her little pianist as possible, going as far as to beat and abuse him if he underperformed or tried to play a piece in his own way. By the time the terminal illness she’d hid from him took it’s toll on her, his passion was gone, replaced with the cold, robotic delivery of one who could deliver a piece perfectly, but found no more joy in doing so. He lost his mother, along with his ability to hear the notes he was playing.
Two years later and about three feet taller(I’ll GET to that), Kousei still tinkers around with the piano, but hasn’t played it seriously, to the chagrin of all who enjoyed his work, or just hate to see him so incomplete. It’s at this point, like all down-trodden men who’ve lost their luster for life, that along comes that one girl to bring color back into his world. Her name is Kaori Miyazono, and she’s a violinist who cares nothing for rules or convention, finding childish but somehow wise joy in every aspect of life, and with this one chance meeting, Kousei finds a new muse… A capricious, cheerful beauty whose revisionist musical performances instantly connect with the crowds she plays for, and whom seems singularly obsessed with performing alongside Kousei, and helping him to relaunch the career that he’d so recently abandoned. But her dedication to helping him to overcome his tragedy hides a secret tragedy of her own, and one simple lie she told back in April will live on to define their relationship as they change each others lives through mutual inspiration.
I haven’t seen everything that’s been produced by A-1 pictures, but I honestly can’t remember seeing anything they’ve done that looked outright bad. Sure, Sword Art Online and From the New world looked a little sloppy at times, resorting to broken character models to show fluid motion at reduced costs, but if that’s the worst they can do, then they could do a lot worse. They seem to take a lot of care with their work, putting an admirable amount of effort into quality control, like letting a low budget get the better of them would be an insult to their pride or something, and if that observation is correct, then I like the way they think. I’ve noticed that they generally have a penchant for putting a lot of energy into special effects, and then using just enough budget saving tricks to compensate without going overboard or letting it become noticeable. Key frames are well drawn and pleasing to the eye, and they feature a little more than just flapping mouths, with occasional shifts in posture to keep the characters expressive.
Of course, there don’t need to be special effects in a show about musicians, right? Wrong. Not only are special textures like water given special treatment, but we often get visual representations of the emotions brought out by a piece of music, which use environmental and 3D effects to keep our attention during the sequence, especially towards the end when Kousei and Kaori are playing together in a fantasy sequence, and the camera liberally revolves around a beautifully 3D animated piano. The characters also have a lot of inner monologuing that’s shown to us in artistic fashion, reminiscent of His and Hers Circumstances, but what I found the most impressive was the actual animation of the characters playing their instruments on stage. I can’t confirm this, but I have heard from a few people that A-1 pictures used a technique similar to rotoscoping, and I feel no justification for doubting this rumor, as every movement of the performing musicians, from fingers on the keys to the way the bow’s movements perfectly matches the music of the violin.
It would be so easy to get away with having a still image on screen while only the performers arms moved, and more intense note being played offscreen while only the audience’s frozen faces of adoration are showcased, but as I said, that would be an insult to A-1. Kousei, Kaori and several others put their entire bodies into their performances, losing themselves in it, and you feel every drop of their adrenaline. Character designs are beautifully polished and easy on the eyes, with it’s only major departure from reality being that the musician characters look a little more distinctive and exuberant than non-musicians, like Kousei’s friends. Well, okay, there is one other unrealistic detail that bothered me a bit… The difference in height between 14 year old characters and themselves at 12 is fucking insane. My jaw dropped when they said that Kousei quit the piano at 12, because he was so short that when he sat on the bench his feet didn’t even touch the ground. I could have sworn he was, like, 6 or something. It’s my only real issue with the visuals, but it’s still a pretty jarring one.
The music of the series… Do I even have to say it? It’s a series about musicians, and you can’t do something like that if you don’t have the knowledge or resources to pull it off, and they seriously pulled it off. Not only is it full of classical music, you can tell the difference in the way these pieces are being played, and the music that is meant to inspire and astound people does exactly that to the audience as well as the characters. From what I gather, Yuna Shinohara, a decorated Japanese violinist who was only 21 at the time, played the music for Kaori, and her wealth of training and experience did not go to waste. I can’t find as much information on Eriko Kawachi, who played all of the piano pieces, which is unfortunate. The show’s actual soundtrack was composed by Masaru Yokoyama, and while it isn’t as memorable or powerful as the character-based performances, it’s still solid and well-orchestrated, so it’s a shame it gets overlooked in favor of the insert tunes.
The English dub was produced by Aniplex, and features a lot of newer actors from this decade, alongside a few industry veterans. I’d like to say these newcomers step up and use this show as a platform to make a name for themselves, but I’d be stretching the truth a bit, mostly on account of the many loops that Your Lie’s text throws them for. Their performances were not consistent, which is a direct result of their material not being consistent, and I don’t really think it was fair for them to be thrown into something this eclectic. For the most part, they do a fine job voicing the characters while nothing’s really happening. It’s just characters talking to each other, sounding like natural teenagers going about their lives. Where they really shine is during dramatic scenes, and ho boy are there a lot of dramatic scenes in this anime. There’s a lot of pain, insecurities, confusion, all of that fun adolescent stuff, but with a much harsher but still believable edge to it once you realize the kind of real life circumstances that they’re dealing with.
While some of these issues may be worthy of an eyeroll from the viewer… Most of the characters who are in love with Kousei fall into this category… They’re going through issues that you probably had to deal with as well, and you can scoff at it from your seat as a grown up, or laugh at how silly it is for this obvious harem to try and be something more, they’re feeling something you’ve felt at some point, whether you remember it or not, and they damn well make you feel it. The exception, where several otherwise amazing actors begin to falter… Is with the gag humor, when the characters go SD Chibi for exaggerated reactions, and I don’t think they were ready to transition the specific roles they were playing into it. Max Mittelman, for example, is one of the best voice actors to come out of the 2010’s, and even though he hasn’t been acting long, his voice control and dramatic chops have landed him plenty of leading roles. He can do comedy under the right circumstances… You’d know what these circumstances are if you’ve seen One Punch Man… But he sounds horrible during the gag jokes.
It’s even worse for Erica Lindbeck, who had a tough job playing such a nuanced character as Kaori, whose happy-go-lucky persona hides a darker interior, and she does a great job of it, but the gag scenes just make her sound like a despicable asshole. Smaller characters face the same issue, albeit on a smaller scale, but the few veterans are able to navigate the minefield a lot more skillfully, like Wendee Lee(Who, in all fairness, never has to do a gag scene), Stephanie Sheh and Carrie Keranen. They have the experience to stretch their roles beyond the appropriate tones, which comes in handy here. The adaptive script is loose, but still accurate enough, and changes the vernacular so everyone sounds more like contemporary English, without ever sacrificing the intent of the text. They make a handful of charming and character-appropriate references, like occasional nods to Charlie Brown and The Phantom of the Opera, although they also use the phrase ‘as you know’ a few too many times. They probably should have changes some of the text, as a lot of it, when translated, sounds weird coming from 14 year olds.
Okay, so, here we are again. It wasn’t too long ago that I was calling out modern anime fans for letting their emotions cloud their judgement, saying that they often give perfect scores to any anime that makes them cry. Seriously, you could give a critic a massage, a home cooked meal and the best sex of their life and you’d still be working harder for a 10/10 than most anime do. Back in 2016, I’d just uploaded my reviews of Clannad and Clannad Afterstory, and I asked social media to recommend an anime that had genuine feels… nothing manipulative, nothing manufactured, nothing too formulaic, just an anime that would touch me emotionally and make me cry with sincerity. The overwhelming answer was Your Lie in April, a show I’d been avoiding due to all of the hype. I finally gave it a watch, and did it stand up as a heartfelt masterpiece, or did it offer the same old same old? Well, to be honest,it’s a little of both. My feelings on this show were mixed the first time around, and the second viewing hasn’t changed that.
Unfortunately, Your Lie doesn’t get off to a great start. The first thing we see is a foul ball hitting our man character in the head, lying on the floor and bleeding with what has to be a serious concussion, but not only does he heal immediately, but he shares the blame for the broken window the ball flew through. That’s not just bad, that’s disturbingly bad. It sets an early precedent for him being a sad sack with no will of his own, which I guess is kind of accurate, but it also makes his closest friend look like a monster for taking advantage of it(Trust me, this feeling is only gonna get worse.) I try to move past this, but almost immediately, it becomes apparent that all three of Kousei’s friends are some of my least favorite cliches in anime history. His two primary friends are Tsubaki and Watari, and they are… Respectively… A childhood friend who’s hopelessly in love with the main character, and a girl crazy guy who exists to make the main character feel desirable in comparison. I am so sick and tired of these two archetypes being stuck in orbit around at least half of the main characters in the medium.
And Kaori’s worse, because she’s a trope that I usually don’t see in anime, and I’m not complaining about that. She’s happy-go-lucky, she’s childish, she’s an enlightened soul who’s able to see all of the simple joy in life, and she comes out of nowhere to dedicate her life to dragging the main male character out of the slumps. She is a Manic Pixie Dream Girl, which is to sexism what the Magical Negro trope is to racism. Granted, she deconstructs the trope a little bit, as she actually has a backstory and a reason to help Kousei, but she makes up for that small silver lining by taking the “Life begins at man” trope to a new extreme, as “Life begins AND ENDS at man.” I’ll give her this, she IS the reason I kept watching the series, as I was entranced by her violin performance in episode 2, and she made me want to keep watching so I could hear more of her work, which sounded even better when she played with Kousei. On top of that, she plays an important… Dare I say instrumental… Role in Your Lie’s deeper themes.
Your Lie in April is a story about inspiration, and it attacks this concept from every possible angle. As annoying and cliched as his friends may be, Kousei is a good character who has a great arc that deals with this theme. He begins as a child, having fun doing something that he’s gifted at, until he stops doing it for fun and starts doing it as a future career, being forced to perfect it and take it seriously by his mother, who pushes him to the point of abuse. She controls his life, making everything he does revolve around the piano, even taking away his cat and abandoning it somewhere so it can’t scratch his hands. He loses the ability to hear the notes he’s playing, and quits altogether to avoid his mother’s tyranny along with the intense pressure she put on him for not being good enough. On the surface, this is a very mature look at child abuse and the way it can have long term psychological effects on the developing mind, such as Kousei’s performance anxiety, and especially the fact that cats pose a trigger for him(And I mean the actual definition of trigger, not the bullshit internet definition), and the abuse in question is realistic, rather than cartoony or melodramatic.
Below the surface, this is a story for anyone who’s ever lost their passion for something they once loved. The idea that expressive and interpretive music is frowned upon, and only literal performances are acceptable in competition, which is enforced by both the competition committee and Kousei’s mother, gives an understandable reason for his loss of inspiration. His music was becoming routine, and pointless. I don’t think his inability to hear the notes he’s playing is realistic at all, but it’s symbolic for that loss of passion. When your work becomes routine, it becomes repetitive, and it finally becomes robotic. When your hobby becomes work, you fall out of love with it, which is why Kaori coming into his life was such a major turning point for him. She showed him that there was another way to play. She inspires him, breathing new life into his abilities, and helps him to separate his passion from the pain and sadness that he’d come to associate it with, and it changes his life in so many ways… He starts playing again, he comes out of his shell, and he even begins teaching a younger pianist… That he winds up inspiring her in return.
They also make an argument that you play even better when you’re playing for other people, and while I’ve never personally agreed with that, they make a compelling case. Your own music, your own performances, are not your only legacy. The music you inspire others with is just as important, as your work also lives on through their work. They make a great point when they say that it’s hard to play the piano when you compare yourself to Beethoven, but it’s not nearly as hard when you remember that Beethoven was once just like you, a rookie trying his best to measure up to the greats who inspired HIM. It’s a shame they had to resort to a manic pixie dream girl in order to pull this off, but it’s largely forgivable, especially considering certain reveals that happen in the final episode. So yeah, this is not a shallow series. There is meat to the story, and something meaningful that you can get out of watching it. I’d be happy to say that the series was also executed well, but sadly, this is where things start to break down.
The text of the series, for example, is severely lacking. The idea of inspiration and Kousei’s character arc are well written and exactly as subtle as it needs to be, but the other subplots… The romantic ones in particular… Are annoyingly obvious, and frankly, kind of arbitrary. I mentioned Tsubaki as a ‘childhood friend’ earlier, and while this should instantly telegraph that she’ll never get her guy… They never fucking do… She does absolutely nothing else to justify her presence. Everything about her revolves around her love for Kousei and why he won’t respond to it. Every aspect of her life ties in somehow to her love for him, and since it amounts to nothing, she could have been written out in the first half of the series. I won’t go into too much detail about the other romantic subplot, or how it offers Watari his only relevance to the plot(although he does have a few moments relating to the theme), but they commit one other huge mistake… They use constant, and I mean constant, voice over narration from the characters as they explain their feelings to the audience. It’s lame, it’s tedious, and it seems to be trying it’s best to keep YOU from thinking too hard about what you’re watching, because it doesn’t want the pointless teenage melodrama to lose it’s effect.
Another huge problem is the gag humor, which feels viscerally inappropriate and out of place. It makes the heavier themes of the show harder to swallow, and not just on an aesthetic level. For example: We see Kousei sustain head injuries during two of these gags, that result in him lying on the floor and bleeding out. We also see Kaori hit him right in the crown of the head with an axe kick, driving her heel down into his skull. Now, if these instances didn’t cause any lasting damage, and the people doing it are supposed to be seen as likable, how am I supposed to feel when his mother beats him in the head with her cane? I’ve seen him shrug off shit like that before, so I don’t care. Am I supposed to feel different because of the tone of the scenes? This isn’t the fucking Looney Toons. Hell, even the Looney Toons had consistency. I can’t be expected to believe that a portion of the material shown to me doesn’t count just because the writer was making a joke. That’s disgusting. I’ve complained about Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood making this mistake, but Your Lie is just as bad.
And then you have the plot, which did not work for me at all. Like, I said the themes were strong in this series, but they suffered one major setback. Kousei’s mother physically abused him and forced him to play music the way she wanted him to, all because she thought it was in his best interest. His friends, however, do exactly the same thing. Sure, they might not take away his beloved pet, but they still harass him, assault him, chase him, break into his room and generally act like complete assholes in order to get their way. He warns that his performance might not be good, he falters due to a psychological breakdown, Kaori has Tsubaki and Watari start roundhouse kicking him, and HE apologizes. How are they any different than his mother? Because it’s supposed to be comedic? I’m not exaggerating when I say that most of the interactions he has with his friends make me cringe, with their only justifications being ‘comedy,’ and the fact that they just happened to wind up being right. So the ends justify the means.
And then you have Kaori’s entire plot, which… Okay, I’m going to try not to go into spoilers, but if you’ve seen the show, you know damn well what I’m talking about. And this is the big one, the one that makes everybody praise the show out the wazoo, so I’ll try to be gentle. At the end of episode 4, Kaori faints on stage. At that moment, even though I was trying to enjoy the series despite it’s flaws, I couldn’t help it. I knew where this was going. I said, “Oh fuck, she’s gonna (censored), isn’t she?” I am dead serious about that. The beginning of the fifth episode featured her in the hospital, and folks, I predicted everything. I knew what was going to happen to her, i knew she was keeping it secret, I knew that it was going to be kept deliberately vague all the way to the end, I knew I’d never hear her play again(outside of maybe a dream or fantasy sequence), I knew what her backstory and connection to Kousei was going to be.
Knowing this stuff in advance took a huge damper off of the emotional impact of literally any point of the show. Granted, I did make one prediction that wasn’t true. I predicted we’d never meet her parents, which I wish had turned out true, because her parents are… Brace yourself for this… They’re Nagisa’s parents from Clannad. They are literally that. They own a pastry shop, they’re wacky and over-the-top, they live in said shop, and… Well, there’s one other spoiler connection, but that, along with a painful firefly sequence, made your Lie feel TERRIBLE at foreshadowing. I found myself, in both moments, shouting at my TV screen, “Okay, I get it, she’s gonna (censored), shut the fuck up about it!” So did the big bad tragedy work on me? No, of course it didn’t. The only part I got choked up at was a late scene when a cat died at a vet’s office, because it brought up painful memories for me. Don’t get me wrong, there’s something here, and it does make the experience a rewarding one, but it just couldn’t stick the landing.
Your Lie in April is available as a Rightstuf Exclusive, and I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the price is offensively high. Even on sale as part of the site’s holiday deals, it’ll still costed 130 dollars for each HALF of the series, down from 160 dollars regular price. Used copies on ebay go for as low as 60 dollars for each HALF, and I can not recommend you pay that much for an overrated series. You can watch it for free on Netflix, but if you absolutely need a physical copy, I’d actually go against my better judgement and recommend the Malaysian bootlegs on Ebay, which do come with a dub for a fraction of the official price. The manga is available from Kodansha comics, and volume 1 even comes with a sweet exclusive cover if you get it from Loot Crate. The live action movie is probably available stateside, but from what I’ve heard about it, I don’t care enough to check.
Your Lie in April isn’t a great anime, but it’s also not a terrible one. So, overall, is it good or bad? Well, to be honest, I didn’t enjoy the vast majority of it. I found the gag humor annoying and in bad taste, I found the comedic violence way too similar to some of the tragic material, there are too many cliches, and I caught on to some of the more important plot points way too early to fall for them. Having said that, I can’t say the experience was a bad one. The themes of Kousei’s character arc resonated very strongly with me, as someone who’s currently falling out of love with a long time hobby, and while I found his friends to be wholly unlikeable, his piano rivals were much more interesting, and I actually want to see more of him interacting with them. The final tragedy would have been a lot stronger if it hadn’t been so obvious, or if it at least had a proper explanation, and you can’t possibly deny that the audio and visual production went beyond top notch. It had a lot of problems, but honestly, it’s an okay show. It doesn’t live up to the hype, but it’s worth checking out. I’m being generous here, but I’ll give Your Lie in April a 6/10.
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Two years later and about three feet taller(I’ll GET to that), Kousei still tinkers around with the piano, but hasn’t played it seriously, to the chagrin of all who enjoyed his work, or just hate to see him so incomplete. It’s at this point, like all down-trodden men who’ve lost their luster for life, that along comes that one girl to bring color back into his world. Her name is Kaori Miyazono, and she’s a violinist who cares nothing for rules or convention, finding childish but somehow wise joy in every aspect of life, and with this one chance meeting, Kousei finds a new muse… A capricious, cheerful beauty whose revisionist musical performances instantly connect with the crowds she plays for, and whom seems singularly obsessed with performing alongside Kousei, and helping him to relaunch the career that he’d so recently abandoned. But her dedication to helping him to overcome his tragedy hides a secret tragedy of her own, and one simple lie she told back in April will live on to define their relationship as they change each others lives through mutual inspiration.
I haven’t seen everything that’s been produced by A-1 pictures, but I honestly can’t remember seeing anything they’ve done that looked outright bad. Sure, Sword Art Online and From the New world looked a little sloppy at times, resorting to broken character models to show fluid motion at reduced costs, but if that’s the worst they can do, then they could do a lot worse. They seem to take a lot of care with their work, putting an admirable amount of effort into quality control, like letting a low budget get the better of them would be an insult to their pride or something, and if that observation is correct, then I like the way they think. I’ve noticed that they generally have a penchant for putting a lot of energy into special effects, and then using just enough budget saving tricks to compensate without going overboard or letting it become noticeable. Key frames are well drawn and pleasing to the eye, and they feature a little more than just flapping mouths, with occasional shifts in posture to keep the characters expressive.
Of course, there don’t need to be special effects in a show about musicians, right? Wrong. Not only are special textures like water given special treatment, but we often get visual representations of the emotions brought out by a piece of music, which use environmental and 3D effects to keep our attention during the sequence, especially towards the end when Kousei and Kaori are playing together in a fantasy sequence, and the camera liberally revolves around a beautifully 3D animated piano. The characters also have a lot of inner monologuing that’s shown to us in artistic fashion, reminiscent of His and Hers Circumstances, but what I found the most impressive was the actual animation of the characters playing their instruments on stage. I can’t confirm this, but I have heard from a few people that A-1 pictures used a technique similar to rotoscoping, and I feel no justification for doubting this rumor, as every movement of the performing musicians, from fingers on the keys to the way the bow’s movements perfectly matches the music of the violin.
It would be so easy to get away with having a still image on screen while only the performers arms moved, and more intense note being played offscreen while only the audience’s frozen faces of adoration are showcased, but as I said, that would be an insult to A-1. Kousei, Kaori and several others put their entire bodies into their performances, losing themselves in it, and you feel every drop of their adrenaline. Character designs are beautifully polished and easy on the eyes, with it’s only major departure from reality being that the musician characters look a little more distinctive and exuberant than non-musicians, like Kousei’s friends. Well, okay, there is one other unrealistic detail that bothered me a bit… The difference in height between 14 year old characters and themselves at 12 is fucking insane. My jaw dropped when they said that Kousei quit the piano at 12, because he was so short that when he sat on the bench his feet didn’t even touch the ground. I could have sworn he was, like, 6 or something. It’s my only real issue with the visuals, but it’s still a pretty jarring one.
The music of the series… Do I even have to say it? It’s a series about musicians, and you can’t do something like that if you don’t have the knowledge or resources to pull it off, and they seriously pulled it off. Not only is it full of classical music, you can tell the difference in the way these pieces are being played, and the music that is meant to inspire and astound people does exactly that to the audience as well as the characters. From what I gather, Yuna Shinohara, a decorated Japanese violinist who was only 21 at the time, played the music for Kaori, and her wealth of training and experience did not go to waste. I can’t find as much information on Eriko Kawachi, who played all of the piano pieces, which is unfortunate. The show’s actual soundtrack was composed by Masaru Yokoyama, and while it isn’t as memorable or powerful as the character-based performances, it’s still solid and well-orchestrated, so it’s a shame it gets overlooked in favor of the insert tunes.
The English dub was produced by Aniplex, and features a lot of newer actors from this decade, alongside a few industry veterans. I’d like to say these newcomers step up and use this show as a platform to make a name for themselves, but I’d be stretching the truth a bit, mostly on account of the many loops that Your Lie’s text throws them for. Their performances were not consistent, which is a direct result of their material not being consistent, and I don’t really think it was fair for them to be thrown into something this eclectic. For the most part, they do a fine job voicing the characters while nothing’s really happening. It’s just characters talking to each other, sounding like natural teenagers going about their lives. Where they really shine is during dramatic scenes, and ho boy are there a lot of dramatic scenes in this anime. There’s a lot of pain, insecurities, confusion, all of that fun adolescent stuff, but with a much harsher but still believable edge to it once you realize the kind of real life circumstances that they’re dealing with.
While some of these issues may be worthy of an eyeroll from the viewer… Most of the characters who are in love with Kousei fall into this category… They’re going through issues that you probably had to deal with as well, and you can scoff at it from your seat as a grown up, or laugh at how silly it is for this obvious harem to try and be something more, they’re feeling something you’ve felt at some point, whether you remember it or not, and they damn well make you feel it. The exception, where several otherwise amazing actors begin to falter… Is with the gag humor, when the characters go SD Chibi for exaggerated reactions, and I don’t think they were ready to transition the specific roles they were playing into it. Max Mittelman, for example, is one of the best voice actors to come out of the 2010’s, and even though he hasn’t been acting long, his voice control and dramatic chops have landed him plenty of leading roles. He can do comedy under the right circumstances… You’d know what these circumstances are if you’ve seen One Punch Man… But he sounds horrible during the gag jokes.
It’s even worse for Erica Lindbeck, who had a tough job playing such a nuanced character as Kaori, whose happy-go-lucky persona hides a darker interior, and she does a great job of it, but the gag scenes just make her sound like a despicable asshole. Smaller characters face the same issue, albeit on a smaller scale, but the few veterans are able to navigate the minefield a lot more skillfully, like Wendee Lee(Who, in all fairness, never has to do a gag scene), Stephanie Sheh and Carrie Keranen. They have the experience to stretch their roles beyond the appropriate tones, which comes in handy here. The adaptive script is loose, but still accurate enough, and changes the vernacular so everyone sounds more like contemporary English, without ever sacrificing the intent of the text. They make a handful of charming and character-appropriate references, like occasional nods to Charlie Brown and The Phantom of the Opera, although they also use the phrase ‘as you know’ a few too many times. They probably should have changes some of the text, as a lot of it, when translated, sounds weird coming from 14 year olds.
Okay, so, here we are again. It wasn’t too long ago that I was calling out modern anime fans for letting their emotions cloud their judgement, saying that they often give perfect scores to any anime that makes them cry. Seriously, you could give a critic a massage, a home cooked meal and the best sex of their life and you’d still be working harder for a 10/10 than most anime do. Back in 2016, I’d just uploaded my reviews of Clannad and Clannad Afterstory, and I asked social media to recommend an anime that had genuine feels… nothing manipulative, nothing manufactured, nothing too formulaic, just an anime that would touch me emotionally and make me cry with sincerity. The overwhelming answer was Your Lie in April, a show I’d been avoiding due to all of the hype. I finally gave it a watch, and did it stand up as a heartfelt masterpiece, or did it offer the same old same old? Well, to be honest,it’s a little of both. My feelings on this show were mixed the first time around, and the second viewing hasn’t changed that.
Unfortunately, Your Lie doesn’t get off to a great start. The first thing we see is a foul ball hitting our man character in the head, lying on the floor and bleeding with what has to be a serious concussion, but not only does he heal immediately, but he shares the blame for the broken window the ball flew through. That’s not just bad, that’s disturbingly bad. It sets an early precedent for him being a sad sack with no will of his own, which I guess is kind of accurate, but it also makes his closest friend look like a monster for taking advantage of it(Trust me, this feeling is only gonna get worse.) I try to move past this, but almost immediately, it becomes apparent that all three of Kousei’s friends are some of my least favorite cliches in anime history. His two primary friends are Tsubaki and Watari, and they are… Respectively… A childhood friend who’s hopelessly in love with the main character, and a girl crazy guy who exists to make the main character feel desirable in comparison. I am so sick and tired of these two archetypes being stuck in orbit around at least half of the main characters in the medium.
And Kaori’s worse, because she’s a trope that I usually don’t see in anime, and I’m not complaining about that. She’s happy-go-lucky, she’s childish, she’s an enlightened soul who’s able to see all of the simple joy in life, and she comes out of nowhere to dedicate her life to dragging the main male character out of the slumps. She is a Manic Pixie Dream Girl, which is to sexism what the Magical Negro trope is to racism. Granted, she deconstructs the trope a little bit, as she actually has a backstory and a reason to help Kousei, but she makes up for that small silver lining by taking the “Life begins at man” trope to a new extreme, as “Life begins AND ENDS at man.” I’ll give her this, she IS the reason I kept watching the series, as I was entranced by her violin performance in episode 2, and she made me want to keep watching so I could hear more of her work, which sounded even better when she played with Kousei. On top of that, she plays an important… Dare I say instrumental… Role in Your Lie’s deeper themes.
Your Lie in April is a story about inspiration, and it attacks this concept from every possible angle. As annoying and cliched as his friends may be, Kousei is a good character who has a great arc that deals with this theme. He begins as a child, having fun doing something that he’s gifted at, until he stops doing it for fun and starts doing it as a future career, being forced to perfect it and take it seriously by his mother, who pushes him to the point of abuse. She controls his life, making everything he does revolve around the piano, even taking away his cat and abandoning it somewhere so it can’t scratch his hands. He loses the ability to hear the notes he’s playing, and quits altogether to avoid his mother’s tyranny along with the intense pressure she put on him for not being good enough. On the surface, this is a very mature look at child abuse and the way it can have long term psychological effects on the developing mind, such as Kousei’s performance anxiety, and especially the fact that cats pose a trigger for him(And I mean the actual definition of trigger, not the bullshit internet definition), and the abuse in question is realistic, rather than cartoony or melodramatic.
Below the surface, this is a story for anyone who’s ever lost their passion for something they once loved. The idea that expressive and interpretive music is frowned upon, and only literal performances are acceptable in competition, which is enforced by both the competition committee and Kousei’s mother, gives an understandable reason for his loss of inspiration. His music was becoming routine, and pointless. I don’t think his inability to hear the notes he’s playing is realistic at all, but it’s symbolic for that loss of passion. When your work becomes routine, it becomes repetitive, and it finally becomes robotic. When your hobby becomes work, you fall out of love with it, which is why Kaori coming into his life was such a major turning point for him. She showed him that there was another way to play. She inspires him, breathing new life into his abilities, and helps him to separate his passion from the pain and sadness that he’d come to associate it with, and it changes his life in so many ways… He starts playing again, he comes out of his shell, and he even begins teaching a younger pianist… That he winds up inspiring her in return.
They also make an argument that you play even better when you’re playing for other people, and while I’ve never personally agreed with that, they make a compelling case. Your own music, your own performances, are not your only legacy. The music you inspire others with is just as important, as your work also lives on through their work. They make a great point when they say that it’s hard to play the piano when you compare yourself to Beethoven, but it’s not nearly as hard when you remember that Beethoven was once just like you, a rookie trying his best to measure up to the greats who inspired HIM. It’s a shame they had to resort to a manic pixie dream girl in order to pull this off, but it’s largely forgivable, especially considering certain reveals that happen in the final episode. So yeah, this is not a shallow series. There is meat to the story, and something meaningful that you can get out of watching it. I’d be happy to say that the series was also executed well, but sadly, this is where things start to break down.
The text of the series, for example, is severely lacking. The idea of inspiration and Kousei’s character arc are well written and exactly as subtle as it needs to be, but the other subplots… The romantic ones in particular… Are annoyingly obvious, and frankly, kind of arbitrary. I mentioned Tsubaki as a ‘childhood friend’ earlier, and while this should instantly telegraph that she’ll never get her guy… They never fucking do… She does absolutely nothing else to justify her presence. Everything about her revolves around her love for Kousei and why he won’t respond to it. Every aspect of her life ties in somehow to her love for him, and since it amounts to nothing, she could have been written out in the first half of the series. I won’t go into too much detail about the other romantic subplot, or how it offers Watari his only relevance to the plot(although he does have a few moments relating to the theme), but they commit one other huge mistake… They use constant, and I mean constant, voice over narration from the characters as they explain their feelings to the audience. It’s lame, it’s tedious, and it seems to be trying it’s best to keep YOU from thinking too hard about what you’re watching, because it doesn’t want the pointless teenage melodrama to lose it’s effect.
Another huge problem is the gag humor, which feels viscerally inappropriate and out of place. It makes the heavier themes of the show harder to swallow, and not just on an aesthetic level. For example: We see Kousei sustain head injuries during two of these gags, that result in him lying on the floor and bleeding out. We also see Kaori hit him right in the crown of the head with an axe kick, driving her heel down into his skull. Now, if these instances didn’t cause any lasting damage, and the people doing it are supposed to be seen as likable, how am I supposed to feel when his mother beats him in the head with her cane? I’ve seen him shrug off shit like that before, so I don’t care. Am I supposed to feel different because of the tone of the scenes? This isn’t the fucking Looney Toons. Hell, even the Looney Toons had consistency. I can’t be expected to believe that a portion of the material shown to me doesn’t count just because the writer was making a joke. That’s disgusting. I’ve complained about Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood making this mistake, but Your Lie is just as bad.
And then you have the plot, which did not work for me at all. Like, I said the themes were strong in this series, but they suffered one major setback. Kousei’s mother physically abused him and forced him to play music the way she wanted him to, all because she thought it was in his best interest. His friends, however, do exactly the same thing. Sure, they might not take away his beloved pet, but they still harass him, assault him, chase him, break into his room and generally act like complete assholes in order to get their way. He warns that his performance might not be good, he falters due to a psychological breakdown, Kaori has Tsubaki and Watari start roundhouse kicking him, and HE apologizes. How are they any different than his mother? Because it’s supposed to be comedic? I’m not exaggerating when I say that most of the interactions he has with his friends make me cringe, with their only justifications being ‘comedy,’ and the fact that they just happened to wind up being right. So the ends justify the means.
And then you have Kaori’s entire plot, which… Okay, I’m going to try not to go into spoilers, but if you’ve seen the show, you know damn well what I’m talking about. And this is the big one, the one that makes everybody praise the show out the wazoo, so I’ll try to be gentle. At the end of episode 4, Kaori faints on stage. At that moment, even though I was trying to enjoy the series despite it’s flaws, I couldn’t help it. I knew where this was going. I said, “Oh fuck, she’s gonna (censored), isn’t she?” I am dead serious about that. The beginning of the fifth episode featured her in the hospital, and folks, I predicted everything. I knew what was going to happen to her, i knew she was keeping it secret, I knew that it was going to be kept deliberately vague all the way to the end, I knew I’d never hear her play again(outside of maybe a dream or fantasy sequence), I knew what her backstory and connection to Kousei was going to be.
Knowing this stuff in advance took a huge damper off of the emotional impact of literally any point of the show. Granted, I did make one prediction that wasn’t true. I predicted we’d never meet her parents, which I wish had turned out true, because her parents are… Brace yourself for this… They’re Nagisa’s parents from Clannad. They are literally that. They own a pastry shop, they’re wacky and over-the-top, they live in said shop, and… Well, there’s one other spoiler connection, but that, along with a painful firefly sequence, made your Lie feel TERRIBLE at foreshadowing. I found myself, in both moments, shouting at my TV screen, “Okay, I get it, she’s gonna (censored), shut the fuck up about it!” So did the big bad tragedy work on me? No, of course it didn’t. The only part I got choked up at was a late scene when a cat died at a vet’s office, because it brought up painful memories for me. Don’t get me wrong, there’s something here, and it does make the experience a rewarding one, but it just couldn’t stick the landing.
Your Lie in April is available as a Rightstuf Exclusive, and I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the price is offensively high. Even on sale as part of the site’s holiday deals, it’ll still costed 130 dollars for each HALF of the series, down from 160 dollars regular price. Used copies on ebay go for as low as 60 dollars for each HALF, and I can not recommend you pay that much for an overrated series. You can watch it for free on Netflix, but if you absolutely need a physical copy, I’d actually go against my better judgement and recommend the Malaysian bootlegs on Ebay, which do come with a dub for a fraction of the official price. The manga is available from Kodansha comics, and volume 1 even comes with a sweet exclusive cover if you get it from Loot Crate. The live action movie is probably available stateside, but from what I’ve heard about it, I don’t care enough to check.
Your Lie in April isn’t a great anime, but it’s also not a terrible one. So, overall, is it good or bad? Well, to be honest, I didn’t enjoy the vast majority of it. I found the gag humor annoying and in bad taste, I found the comedic violence way too similar to some of the tragic material, there are too many cliches, and I caught on to some of the more important plot points way too early to fall for them. Having said that, I can’t say the experience was a bad one. The themes of Kousei’s character arc resonated very strongly with me, as someone who’s currently falling out of love with a long time hobby, and while I found his friends to be wholly unlikeable, his piano rivals were much more interesting, and I actually want to see more of him interacting with them. The final tragedy would have been a lot stronger if it hadn’t been so obvious, or if it at least had a proper explanation, and you can’t possibly deny that the audio and visual production went beyond top notch. It had a lot of problems, but honestly, it’s an okay show. It doesn’t live up to the hype, but it’s worth checking out. I’m being generous here, but I’ll give Your Lie in April a 6/10.
2023.05.29 23:40 Firefly-Fan-7 A relaxing life (Short story)
I'm taking a course on creative writing, and came up with this short story. Hope you like it.
Through the canopy I can only see the grey rigged surface of a massive asteroid. It’s blocking my entire field of view, some of its surface glowing incandescent. I turn off the mining laser and I pull the thrusters on full reverse, watching the asteroid moving slowly away from me, rotating on the horizontal axis. It has a huge protuberance on the left, and it’s getting closer to the left side of my ship. If I can’t get out of its reach, it’s going to hit me again.
This would be easier in a smaller and faster ship, but in a Type-9 this was almost impossible. Being 100 meters wide and long, piloting this ship is like piloting your own city block. I roll the ship to the left, trying to bring the left part of the ship down and evade the asteroid’s arm. I avoid a direct hit, but I’m not fast enough and we take a glancing blow. I can feel the soft tremor when the protuberance hits the ship, “Warning. Hull integrity at fifteen percent.”
The ship is as fast as it could be on reverse gear. We slowly get out of immediate danger, the massive asteroid still in front of us but no longer blocking my view. The asteroid sea surrounds us. Left, right, up, and down, there are asteroids of every size and shape in all directions. I feel a sudden punch behind me as the ship hits another asteroid, this time on our back, “Warning. Hull integrity at six percent.” I curse myself and push the throttle a bit forward, parking the ship between the two asteroids. Now I’m fully awake.
Laser mining was supposed to be relaxing and safe. Sometimes it became even too relaxing. This was not the first time that I fell asleep while mining, but it was the first time that I hammer the ship into an asteroid in the process. And without the shields, the hull took all the impact. Cmdr. Peta was surprised when I said that I ditched the shields in my mining ship to save internal space, which allowed me to get more cargo. He will find it funny that I almost blow the ship while mining alone in a desert ring.
I didn’t like to hunt anymore, so I left my bounty hunting days behind me. No more boosting the agile Fer-de-Lance, the favorite ship of bounty hunters, inside a station like an irresponsible teenager, just to hear that low-frequency hum, cut by high-pitched turbine-like whine that anticipates the fierce roar and the huge acceleration of the ship, while you maneuver it gracefully through the station entrance that resemble so much a mail slot, getting a warning from the authorities for dangerous piloting. No, the Type-9 is a massive brick that requires patience, concentration, and attention to detail. Piloting this inside a mining asteroid ring requires some kind of humble respect for the massiveness of the objects involved. I like this.
I begin to assess the situation. My cargo was at 90 percent capacity. I push away the temptation to keep mining to reach 100 percent. With only six percent of hull integrity, even the slightest hit would tear us apart. If I had put even a small capacity shield, I would probably be carrying roughly the same amount of cargo, but without the danger of getting the ship destroyed. The irony.
I think that whatever course of action, it is best to leave the ring for now. I slowly push the throttle forward and pitch the ship upwards, dodging the asteroids. We get out, my field of view expanding to contemplate the white planetary ring, reflecting the distant star’s light. It’s like a peaceful wide road, going straight for millions of kilometers, until it turns right and disappears behind the light-purple gas giant that it’s orbiting.
I make a cup of coffee, stretch my legs, and start looking for stations with good selling prices. I find one, only one jump away, in a high population system. In other words, risk of pirates. Maybe the system has good security. I come back to my chair, “Sorry girl,” I said, while checking the controllers. “We’ll arrive in a station in no time, you’re getting repaired and will be as good as new, how about that?” I engage the Frame Shift Drive, and we jump to the station’s star system. We’re now only a couple hundreds light-seconds away from the station, traversing in supercruise mode. In normal space this would take months, but in supercruise it’s a matter of minutes.
The station is just a few light-seconds away when I notice two ships behind us, getting closer. The familiar acute noise announces the interdiction, revealing that another ship is trying to get me out of supercruise. I concede to the interdiction, preventing my FSD to overload, thus making reboot faster. When we drop into normal space we are soon followed by a Python ship, and I can see it aiming at us. The pilot opens a communication channel, “Give me some of your cargo or this gets real interesting.” These guys don’t even bother to type the messages themselves; it is always this cold copy-paste communications. His friend doesn’t drop by our location for any reason. If I had shields, I could endure some shots while the hyperdrive charges and boost away. But I look at the bottom right panel, showing the hull integrity “6%”. Any shot and we’re blown to pieces. The best option is to comply.
I start to ditch the results of my honest work to this douchebag, thinking about the time that I spent in the asteroid ring. At least if the ship survives, I won’t have to buy another one, with all the right pieces, and start anew. The truth is that the ship is worth far more than this single cargo. A few moments later two Federal Assault Ships drop to normal space, “This is system security, please comply.” The battle between them and the pirate starts soon after that. Great, now I’m in the middle of a gunfight.
I hold the throttle and look at my cargo floating in space, abandoned by the pirate. The other ships are busy fighting, and I still have some collector limpets. I shouldn’t be this greedy, but I open the cargo hatch and release all my limpets, recollecting my hard-earned materials. The three ships pass beside us, and I hope that we’re not hit by mistake. When we are almost finished picking up all the materials, another ship drops to normal space. The pirate’s friend with another Python. I close the cargo hatch, engage the FSD, push the throttle all the way forward, and activate the engine’s boost. The deep rumble and the throaty roar announcing that the ship is using its full power, making the hull vibrate. I’m not betting on those cops now. I shout aloud in celebration when the hyperdrive gets us into supercruise. Take that Cmdr. Peta, who needs a shield now?
We get out of supercruise at the station location, the massive structure always rotating to provide artificial gravity. I ask for dock authorization, which they grant automatically. I’m hovering my finger on the panel, almost turning the docking computer on. The docking computer can save a lot of work and, nine out of ten times, lands the ship safely. But sometimes it miscalculates the station’s rotation and grazes the Type-9 on the mail slot. This is usually not a problem, but with only six percent of hull integrity I’m not taking any chances.
I take manual control and carefully pilot the ship to the station’s entrance. When we’re right in front of it I synchronize our rotation to the station’s, adjusting it every second. Getting a one hundred meters city block through this portal is not an easy task. I can already see the station’s interior, the two-kilometer-wide hollow cylinder. The internal surface is filled with spaceports, highways, and even leisure parks.
We’re halfway through the gate, entering the internal atmosphere when I hear the familiar low-frequency hum, cut by high-pitched turbine-like whine. I look forward and see a Fer-de-Lance boosting directly towards me. The pilot, probably a teenager, didn’t bother to check which ship was entering the station. Any other ship and he could pass beside us, but the Type-9 takes almost the entirety of the mail slot. He hammers us, his shield absorbing the hit, but to my shieldless ship this was the final blow.
I’m ejected, propelled into the station’s atmosphere, flying away from my ship. I turn myself around, floating alone inside the station, just to watch my ship exploding with hours of mining work and hundreds of millions in equipment.
I try to chuckle, thinking that Cmdr. Peta is going to laugh at this. Next time I’ll use a shield.
submitted by Firefly-Fan-7 to EliteDangerous [link] [comments]
A relaxing life
I wake up to the ship alarms, “Warning. Hull integrity at twenty percent.”Through the canopy I can only see the grey rigged surface of a massive asteroid. It’s blocking my entire field of view, some of its surface glowing incandescent. I turn off the mining laser and I pull the thrusters on full reverse, watching the asteroid moving slowly away from me, rotating on the horizontal axis. It has a huge protuberance on the left, and it’s getting closer to the left side of my ship. If I can’t get out of its reach, it’s going to hit me again.
This would be easier in a smaller and faster ship, but in a Type-9 this was almost impossible. Being 100 meters wide and long, piloting this ship is like piloting your own city block. I roll the ship to the left, trying to bring the left part of the ship down and evade the asteroid’s arm. I avoid a direct hit, but I’m not fast enough and we take a glancing blow. I can feel the soft tremor when the protuberance hits the ship, “Warning. Hull integrity at fifteen percent.”
The ship is as fast as it could be on reverse gear. We slowly get out of immediate danger, the massive asteroid still in front of us but no longer blocking my view. The asteroid sea surrounds us. Left, right, up, and down, there are asteroids of every size and shape in all directions. I feel a sudden punch behind me as the ship hits another asteroid, this time on our back, “Warning. Hull integrity at six percent.” I curse myself and push the throttle a bit forward, parking the ship between the two asteroids. Now I’m fully awake.
Laser mining was supposed to be relaxing and safe. Sometimes it became even too relaxing. This was not the first time that I fell asleep while mining, but it was the first time that I hammer the ship into an asteroid in the process. And without the shields, the hull took all the impact. Cmdr. Peta was surprised when I said that I ditched the shields in my mining ship to save internal space, which allowed me to get more cargo. He will find it funny that I almost blow the ship while mining alone in a desert ring.
I didn’t like to hunt anymore, so I left my bounty hunting days behind me. No more boosting the agile Fer-de-Lance, the favorite ship of bounty hunters, inside a station like an irresponsible teenager, just to hear that low-frequency hum, cut by high-pitched turbine-like whine that anticipates the fierce roar and the huge acceleration of the ship, while you maneuver it gracefully through the station entrance that resemble so much a mail slot, getting a warning from the authorities for dangerous piloting. No, the Type-9 is a massive brick that requires patience, concentration, and attention to detail. Piloting this inside a mining asteroid ring requires some kind of humble respect for the massiveness of the objects involved. I like this.
I begin to assess the situation. My cargo was at 90 percent capacity. I push away the temptation to keep mining to reach 100 percent. With only six percent of hull integrity, even the slightest hit would tear us apart. If I had put even a small capacity shield, I would probably be carrying roughly the same amount of cargo, but without the danger of getting the ship destroyed. The irony.
I think that whatever course of action, it is best to leave the ring for now. I slowly push the throttle forward and pitch the ship upwards, dodging the asteroids. We get out, my field of view expanding to contemplate the white planetary ring, reflecting the distant star’s light. It’s like a peaceful wide road, going straight for millions of kilometers, until it turns right and disappears behind the light-purple gas giant that it’s orbiting.
I make a cup of coffee, stretch my legs, and start looking for stations with good selling prices. I find one, only one jump away, in a high population system. In other words, risk of pirates. Maybe the system has good security. I come back to my chair, “Sorry girl,” I said, while checking the controllers. “We’ll arrive in a station in no time, you’re getting repaired and will be as good as new, how about that?” I engage the Frame Shift Drive, and we jump to the station’s star system. We’re now only a couple hundreds light-seconds away from the station, traversing in supercruise mode. In normal space this would take months, but in supercruise it’s a matter of minutes.
The station is just a few light-seconds away when I notice two ships behind us, getting closer. The familiar acute noise announces the interdiction, revealing that another ship is trying to get me out of supercruise. I concede to the interdiction, preventing my FSD to overload, thus making reboot faster. When we drop into normal space we are soon followed by a Python ship, and I can see it aiming at us. The pilot opens a communication channel, “Give me some of your cargo or this gets real interesting.” These guys don’t even bother to type the messages themselves; it is always this cold copy-paste communications. His friend doesn’t drop by our location for any reason. If I had shields, I could endure some shots while the hyperdrive charges and boost away. But I look at the bottom right panel, showing the hull integrity “6%”. Any shot and we’re blown to pieces. The best option is to comply.
I start to ditch the results of my honest work to this douchebag, thinking about the time that I spent in the asteroid ring. At least if the ship survives, I won’t have to buy another one, with all the right pieces, and start anew. The truth is that the ship is worth far more than this single cargo. A few moments later two Federal Assault Ships drop to normal space, “This is system security, please comply.” The battle between them and the pirate starts soon after that. Great, now I’m in the middle of a gunfight.
I hold the throttle and look at my cargo floating in space, abandoned by the pirate. The other ships are busy fighting, and I still have some collector limpets. I shouldn’t be this greedy, but I open the cargo hatch and release all my limpets, recollecting my hard-earned materials. The three ships pass beside us, and I hope that we’re not hit by mistake. When we are almost finished picking up all the materials, another ship drops to normal space. The pirate’s friend with another Python. I close the cargo hatch, engage the FSD, push the throttle all the way forward, and activate the engine’s boost. The deep rumble and the throaty roar announcing that the ship is using its full power, making the hull vibrate. I’m not betting on those cops now. I shout aloud in celebration when the hyperdrive gets us into supercruise. Take that Cmdr. Peta, who needs a shield now?
We get out of supercruise at the station location, the massive structure always rotating to provide artificial gravity. I ask for dock authorization, which they grant automatically. I’m hovering my finger on the panel, almost turning the docking computer on. The docking computer can save a lot of work and, nine out of ten times, lands the ship safely. But sometimes it miscalculates the station’s rotation and grazes the Type-9 on the mail slot. This is usually not a problem, but with only six percent of hull integrity I’m not taking any chances.
I take manual control and carefully pilot the ship to the station’s entrance. When we’re right in front of it I synchronize our rotation to the station’s, adjusting it every second. Getting a one hundred meters city block through this portal is not an easy task. I can already see the station’s interior, the two-kilometer-wide hollow cylinder. The internal surface is filled with spaceports, highways, and even leisure parks.
We’re halfway through the gate, entering the internal atmosphere when I hear the familiar low-frequency hum, cut by high-pitched turbine-like whine. I look forward and see a Fer-de-Lance boosting directly towards me. The pilot, probably a teenager, didn’t bother to check which ship was entering the station. Any other ship and he could pass beside us, but the Type-9 takes almost the entirety of the mail slot. He hammers us, his shield absorbing the hit, but to my shieldless ship this was the final blow.
I’m ejected, propelled into the station’s atmosphere, flying away from my ship. I turn myself around, floating alone inside the station, just to watch my ship exploding with hours of mining work and hundreds of millions in equipment.
I try to chuckle, thinking that Cmdr. Peta is going to laugh at this. Next time I’ll use a shield.
2023.05.29 23:36 NamelessNanashi [The Gods of Dragons: Beginning] Ch 10 - Hurry Up and Wait
--- Table of Contents ---
Summer 4984, 13 Doumoth
“Ugh! I hate this!” Daisy whined loudly, letting her head fall back to stare at the ceiling.
“Almost done…” Rerves said to reassure her, though he lacked his usual smile.
Ania picked up the last piece of armor, a steel vambrace, and began polishing with a groan to match Daisy’s, “When we aren’t cleaning, we're polishing, when we aren’t polishing, we're cleaning. How is this Paladin training?”
“If I wanted to be a servant, I would've joined their guild…” Thom’s small voice chimed in.
Shon said nothing. The five Squires, Shon, Daisy, Thom, Rerves, and Ania, sat under a shade in the Temple courtyard, polishing the knights' spare armor for the hundredth time. The sun beat down mere feet away, reflecting off the finished pieces as the shadow of their shade crept closer and closer, the sun climbing towards noon. The yard was mostly clear, the Paladins not on duty retreating into the cool stone fortress while those on duty only occasionally coming to check on the Squires' progress.
Ania had the right of it. Ever since they'd moved into the Temple proper and became official Squires, the five of them had done nothing but clean, polish, and memorize armor and weapon vocabulary. And complain… the others always complained. Shon just sighed as the four others continued to gripe. There was no point in it, the work needed to be done, and they were the ones assigned to do it. It didn’t matter how annoying or monotonous it might be.
Sometimes the younger Paladins would join them in polishing, caring for their own armor while the Squires worked on the spare pieces. The spares were used mainly by the enlisted, and only if they hadn’t finished buying their own sets yet. Occasionally a Paladin would check out a set to practice with. Although most of them had a preferred style, they needed to stay proficient with all types. At least that meant only half of the pieces the Squires had to clean were still polished from the day before. If the armor was never used, it really would be a useless task, instead of half useless as it seemed now.
The Paladins never complained…
The Squires hadn’t started out tired and annoyed. Daisy and Shon had been joined after their first week by Thom and Rerves, who both came from the capital city. They'd been friends growing up, Rerves was a noble, and Thom's family worked as their personal stewards, one step up from servants. A week after that, Ania arrived from a small village in the south. Only having known one Paladin and having never seen a proper Temple before, she'd been in awe of the fortress Temple of the city for at least a month. But then the excitement had given way to frustration, and -for Shon at least- boredom. And so the others had started complaining.
Their relationship with each other had started out warm enough. They stayed up late into the night, sharing their histories and dreams of their future as full Paladins. Shon joined them when prompted but mostly preferred to listen. He didn’t think he had any stories worth sharing, though they had bombarded him with questions after Veon-Zih’s first training visit. Just like everyone else, they didn’t seem to know how to deal with Shon’s quiet nature. But unlike everyone else, they hadn’t pulled away and stopped talking to him altogether. Except when they complained. Shon never complained. He didn’t see the point. When asked, he would say that they needed to follow orders. So they'd stopped asking him.
Shon held his last piece of steel plate carefully by the leather straps, wiping the last bit of polish off with a clean rag. He could see his reflection distorted by the curves and dings, and wondered if he could manage to draw the changes accurately when given a chance. The tinking of metal on metal sounded in the distance, and the Squires' heads shot up, followed by their bodies as they scrambled to their feet to salute the woman approaching.
General Rasnah was resplendent as always in her uniform, the chains of office clinking on her shoulders. She walked towards the Squires with her head held high and her hands clasped behind her back. With her was Master Veon-Zih and Shon felt his spirits rise just a little higher.
“At ease, Squires.” Sir Rasnah said as she drew to a stop just outside their shade. She waited until they'd taken the formal 'at ease' position, legs shoulder-width apart and hands clasped behind their back, “Report.”
Rerves took charge, as usual, “Sir, we're nearly done, Sir.”
“Just one piece left, Sir,” Ania added, then blushed furiously as she usually did whenever addressing a high-ranking officer.
Sir Rasnah nodded, then glanced to the sky. She then looked to Veon-Zih, who smiled and shrugged. Her lips turned up on half her face in what could almost be called a grin before she cleared it, serious again as she addressed the Squires, “You may have the afternoon off. Report to the kitchens and evening duties before sixth bell.”
“Sir, yes, Sir!” the Squires spoke in unison, Shon’s four fellows grinning broadly and sneaking happy glances at one another.
They held their positions until Sir Rasnah turned away, walking back to the Temple proper and leaving them to their freedom. Veon-Zih remained behind, smiling warmly at them and addressing Shon, “Lunch? I found a fine eatery a few blocks away.”
Shon nodded, finally smiling with the rest, “And practice?” he asked.
“After food,” Veon-Zih answered, stepping aside and gesturing towards the gates. Shon rushed to help the others put the clean and polished armor away, then jogged to Veon-Zih before falling into step with him as they left the Temple.
Veon-Zih waited until they were well clear of the gates before asking, “So what do you think of your fellow Squires?”
Shon sighed in answer, which made Veon-Zih chuckle for some reason. But the sigh hadn’t really answered the question, so Shon said, “They complain a lot.” he probably could have, and should have, come up with something nicer to say. But after hours of hearing them gripe while they worked, it was the only thing on Shon’s mind.
“There's nothing wrong with complaining, you know.” Veon-Zih mused. Shon merely shook his head. The knights never complained; he'd been watching them. If there was a job that needed to be done, they would do it. His fellow Squires seemed to complain before, during, and after every unpleasant assignment. Though never in front of the Paladin giving it.
“Do you honestly think the knights like polishing armor? Do you like polishing that much? Maybe you should've come to the Monastery after all. We don’t wear armor, but we have many fine statues that all need to be polished every day. Every little nook and cranny scrubbed clean and shining.”
He glanced at Shon with a grin, then leaned over to whisper, “They hate it too, but just like your fellows won’t complain in front of them, they won’t complain in front of you.”
“It needs to be done…” Shon tried to argue, though it sounded hollow considering his own, though silent, annoyance.
“A perfect excuse,” Veon-Zih stated, turning sharply down a side road, so Shon had to jog to keep up, “There are many reasons spare armor needs to be polished. The most obvious is that it's needed to stay in good repair. The task is assigned to Squires because it gets you intimately familiar with armor beyond just naming the parts. And because no one else wants to do it.
“That doesn’t mean we should be complaining about it…”
“Not in front of the officers, no. But amongst each other? Why not?”
Shon furrowed his brow but didn’t have an answer. Veon-Zih gave him one, “Joint misery creates companionship. Even if you have nothing else in common, everyone knows you all hate polishing already clean armor. Right now, I bet your fellow Squires are scratching their heads, wondering if you do actually enjoy the task. Some might even be wondering if they're worthy of being Squires. Since they complain, and you don’t.”
Shon’s steps faltered. Would they really think he was more worthy than them? For something so trivial as chores? He had to rush to catch up and argued, “But there's no point in complaining. We have to do it anyway.”
Veon-Zih sighed and stopped walking. He waited for Shon to turn to him then said, “But my statement still stands. Joint misery creates companionship. Your fellows take a risk in voicing their complaints to you, hoping that they're not alone in their opinions. What if they're the only ones who hate it? What if that really does mean they aren’t meant for the Temple? Just because they can channel divine magic doesn’t mean Hengist will choose them.”
Shon let himself ponder that for a while. The other Squires always seemed so sure of themselves, so excited to begin real training. Did they really have doubts and fears the same as he did? And what did that say about his assumptions? That they would complain and the knights didn’t? Was he actually judging his fellows as unworthy without realizing it?
“The Paladins really complained when they were Squires too?” he asked.
“I guarantee it.” Veon-Zih answered and started walking again, “I know I did, and all the other Monks in my class too.” he chuckled, “Sometimes routines like cleaning and polishing can be meditative. You can let your mind wander while your hands work through the familiar motions. But before you get to that point, or if you would rather be doing something of your choosing, then it's nothing but monotonous work. Necessary work, but still work.”
Following Veon-Zih around another corner, Shon pondered his Master’s words. They got all the way to the little eatery the Monk had been looking for, even took their seats, and gave their orders before Shon spoke again.
“I hate platemail the most…” he said. Veon-Zih arched an eyebrow at him, and he continued, “It’s bulky, and there's just so much of it. Then as soon as you're done, someone moves it aside and gets fingerprints on it again. Chainmail isn’t much better. You can’t see the fingerprints, but it’s hard to get the oil between the links. And yet water obviously has no problem with it because that’s where all the rust is.”
Veon-Zih laughed boisterously, throwing his head back and startling those at the closest table, “I hated the creases in the palms of the statues the most,” Veon-Zih held up his hand, his forefinger and thumb forming a circle, the other fingers extended, “how can so much dust cake itself in such a small space in only a day?” he complained, dropping his hand and shaking his head.
The waitress brought them their stew and drinks, and Shon started eating while Veon-Zih thanked her. Picking up his spoon, the Monk paused as he dipped it into his bowl, musing, “I wonder which parts your fellow Squires dislike the most?” Shon didn’t know, but he wanted to. Would they agree with him that the plate was the most frustrating? Daisy seemed to groan loudest at the leather, but their complaining always seemed to be general moans at the work as a whole…
“Maybe I’ll ask,” Shon mumbled, embarrassed for some reason.
“Or,” Veon-Zih took his first bite, then pointed at Shon with his spoon, “you could just tell them your least favorite, and they will open up and share their own.”
That’s what they expected of him, wasn’t it? They expected him to join in the conversation, not just answer questions… Shon could only nod.
***
Shon had grown so much. It was difficult for Veon-Zih to watch him without smiling. Only a head shorter than his Master, Veon-Zih could still see the ten-year-old oddity he'd spied upon almost four years ago in the church courtyard. And yet, he had grown so much. Veon-Zih wondered if anyone else could see it.
They practiced in one of the parks in the noble’s district. Veon-Zih thought it was important that Shon get out of Temple whenever possible, that he see the city and its people, to remember what he was training for, and why he wanted to fight. Shon was more like Veon-Zih, and his order of Monks than the boy would ever know. Or admit. He strove for perfection. Every punch, kick, and kata they worked through needed to go exactly right, or he would do it again. Like many Monks, Shon found true enjoyment in the process of working and growing better than his past self. But he was also different in a critical way. Shon wanted to use his strength. Wanted to protect people, fight evil. Many Monks never left the Monastery. A single Grandmaster could easily fell a small raiding force alone. Yet, so many chose not to fight outside their sparring rings and training.
Even Veon-Zih hadn’t left the Monastery because he wanted to help those locked outside its walls. He'd left because he believed he couldn't attain the perfection he strove for inside them. He'd wanted to be tested by the world, to rise to the challenges life presented and overcome them with his discipline and practice. Along the way, he'd learned to be more like Shon was naturally. He'd made friends from other orders, and saved countless non-combatants. Only after seeing the results of his fights, the grateful families reunited, had he realized the moral folly in his fellows and in himself.
They practiced and even sparred until well after fifth bell. The display at first earned them a few disapproving glares from the nobles and servants passing the park. Then they'd actually attracted a few spectators, who clapped as though watching a show. Shon blushed furiously at this, his pale cheeks growing pink as he tilted his head down, trying to let what was left of his now short hair slip down to hide his face. Yet, he never lost step or stopped the training. Veon-Zih had barely resisted laughing, though if more at the foolish watchers or his embarrassed student, he wasn’t sure.
Veon-Zih finally called their training to a halt, and Shon glowered at him. The boy had nearly gotten in his first solid hit in their sparring and was obviously reluctant to stop after making such progress. “It’s nearly time for you to get back, and Sir Rasnah will not accept me as an excuse for tardiness.” Shon’s eyes went wide, and fear replaced the look of frustration on his face. He ran his fingers through his hair, looking up at the sky to try and gauge the hour.
Veon-Zih chuckled, “I’ll race you back.” he said, a hint of mischief seeping through his voice. Shon arched an eyebrow and Veon-Zih could practically hear his thoughts. Run? Through town? You must be joking. “There's no law against running,” Veon-Zih argued with the boy’s expression, “Every moment offers us an opportunity to train. We're late, so this is the perfect opportunity to test our speed against time and run.”
Shon alternated his arched brow to the other side, looking down the road then back to Veon-Zih before confirming, “A race?”
In answer, Veon-Zih ran. He sprinted past Shon -though not at his full speed- before slowing down just enough to keep things fair. Shon bolted after him. Nobles, servants, and even a few guards gasped and called out in indignation as Veon-Zih and Shon swerved around them on the wide roads of the nobles' quarter. They were forced to slow when they reached the more densely packed streets in the city center. Shon was careful to run around the people doing their shopping but kept his eyes set ahead, planning his route and scaring those who noticed him out of the way with his intense blue stare. Veon-Zih was much more confident in his ability not to hit people and so brushed much closer, never quite knocking into them but often brushing their clothes as he passed.
Ahead a cart laden with crates and barrels ambled across the thoroughfare, and Shon slowed to a jog, trying to run around it. Veon-Zih lept, landing on his hands on the cart and propelling himself up and over before hitting the ground again and continuing the race. He heard the merchant curse and the bystanders gasp in surprise but was more amused at the growl of frustration that came from his student, who put on an extra burst of speed to try and catch up. Veon-Zih was half tempted to let him and half tempted to sprint all out and leave the boy in his dust. He chose to do neither and just laughed, continuing at the pace he'd set and soon coming into view of the Temple gates.
The Paladins on watch saw him coming and exchanged confused and nervous glances, drawing their swords but not barring his path. Veon-Zih didn’t slow his run until he reached the knights. Turning to the side and planting his feet, he slid past them on the cobblestones. Turning back as he slid to a stop, he found one of the Paladins facing him as though ready to fight and the other facing out as though looking for whatever force had sent Veon-Zih sprinting for the Temple.
Shon slowed to a jog and stopped before the knight facing him, breathing hard. “What’s going on? Squire report.” the Paladin demanded, still holding his sword at the ready.
Shon had to take a moment to catch his breath but eventually managed to gasp out, “Race…” before looking absolutely horrified at what he'd just done and said. “Sir…” he added quietly as if that might somehow make his unconventional arrival more acceptable.
“And you managed to keep up with him?” Sir Rasnah appeared from beyond the gate, arching a steely eyebrow and drawing sharp salutes from the Paladin guards who finally sheathed their swords.
“I went easy on him,” Veon-Zih assured her, earning a glare from Shon, who passed through the gates, still breathing deeply but no longer gasping for air. Veon-Zih hadn’t even broken a sweat.
Rasnah looked between the Master and student, finally settling on Shon, “Oh, don’t look at him like that, Squire. Master Veon-Zih could beat a riderless horse in a foot race.” which drew a befuddled look from Shon and a laugh from Veon-Zih.
“General Rasnah, Sir,” another man ran towards the gates wearing the uniform of an enlisted. A messenger from the city gates.
“It seems today is a good day for running,” Veon-Zih quipped as the guards allowed the man to pass and give his report.
“A wyvern has been spotted over the woods near Lakeland,”
Sir Rasnah didn’t respond right away. She narrowed her eyes at the messenger and spoke to Shon, “You have duties, Squire, hop to it.”
Shon saluted, though Rasnah still wasn’t looking at him. He glanced at Veon-Zih curiously, then turned to follow the orders.
Veon-Zih hesitated but decided to follow Shon. If he was needed, Rasnah would let him know.
“A wyvern?” Shon asked in a whisper.
“An abomination,” Veon-Zih explained, “Monstrous beasts with a body as large as a wagon, not including the tail. They fly like birds and will hunt anything that strays into their territory, including humans.”
Shon’s brow furrowed, and Veon-Zih patted him on the shoulder, “It'll be alright. They rarely attack settlements unless they're starving.” Which was good because a single wyvern could destroy a small town.
“What will the Temple do?” Shon asked as they reached the back door to the kitchens.
“That depends… most likely, they'll send a group to the village and watch the skies.”
“They won’t hunt it?”
“Maybe, and maybe not. Wyverns are dangerous enough that it’s a real risk to hunt one, but they also can’t be allowed to harm nearby towns. The Temple of Saint Giorgos will want it destroyed, but Sir Rasnah won’t needlessly risk her men if it isn’t necessary.” Veon-Zih explained.
Shon thought for a moment, then asked, “Have you ever fought a wyvern?”
Veon-Zih tried to make his smile reassuring, "Twice. Though I would rather not try a third time if it can be avoided.”
***
“Red, what're you doing?” Ran asked.
She rolled Her eyes, focusing again on what She was doing and not bothering to answer him. Her fingers ached, but She worked them into the cracks between the stones of the tower wall, shifting Her weight from one hand to the other and searching out the next handhold.
Brom laughed, and She heard the slap and woosh of breath as he pat Ran on the back hard enough to knock the air from the thinner man’s lungs, “Can’t you tell? She’s climbing!”
“Sort of…” Ran mumbled.
She wasn’t climbing up the wall, as much as She wanted to. Instead, She was up only about a foot off the ground and working Her way sideways around the tower. “Afraid of falling, Red?” Ran asked instead. That question was even more stupid than the last, and She arched Her neck back, holding tight to the wall and looking at him upside down.
“Really?” She asked in response to his denseness. He should know She wouldn’t be afraid of falling. She had fallen many times when She'd braved climbing the trees around the perimeter. Even broke Her arm once, and that hadn’t stopped Her from trying again with the splint still on. But that was when they used to let Her out more often, about once every other week. No, the thing that kept Her from climbing up the wall was the same thing that had stopped Her climbing trees. The same thing that stopped Her running around the tower at top speed while Brom or Ran kept time and She tried to beat Her record. And the same thing that kept Her from even crossing the tree line to play pretend in the woods.
Ran had the decency to look embarrassed, realizing his mistake eventually. There was only one thing that ever stopped Her from doing what She wanted, and even that often took multiple ‘lessons’ each time. Morndancer had grown increasingly erratic and more often violent of late. He would mutter to himself in draconic then give opposite orders to the journeymen and apprentices in common. Though everyone in the tower spoke both languages. He would lock himself in his room for days and hadn’t been back to visit his family or the Mages Guild in weeks. Shaloon would cover for him, but she wasn’t much better, cutting holes in reality and staring into the outer plains for hours on end, whispering. Half her words in draconic and the other half in common, mixing the languages in the same sentence.
Brom and Ran had refused to talk to Her about it, but She had listened at Her door when they thought She was sleeping. The Archmages were going mad. The eventual cost of power, they said. Though neither seemed upset that the same would happen to them eventually. Perhaps their lack of concern was the first sign they'd already started.
She continued Her climb, putting Her worries about Brom and Ran’s sanity out of Her mind for the time being. She would have plenty of time to stew about it when She was locked in Her room. For now, She wanted to enjoy being outside in the brief summer warmth.
A burst of sudden wind from above set Her hair whipping about Her face and nearly cost Her grip on the stones. Squeezing Her eyes shut, She tried to shake Her hair back, blowing at the strands against another huge gust before something heavy shook the ground behind her. She let Her head fall back again, so Her hair fell away from Her face, and She could see what had come upside down. The sight caused Her to fall off the wall.
Landing hard on Her backside, She scrambled to Her feet in a mix of awe and horror. A monster large enough to fill Her entire room and then some, stood in the clearing around the tower. It had a long sinuous neck and dull brown scales. It walked on great taloned legs in the back and the joints of its leathery wings in the front. It snapped at Archmage Shaloon as she jumped from its neck to the ground, its teeth as long as daggers and looking just as sharp. It didn’t bite the Archmage, who ignored it as she approached the journeymen.
“What are you three doing out here?” she demanded, mixing draconic with common and glaring at the two men who, for some reason, looked ashamed despite the permission they'd gotten to be out today.
The Firewyrm ignored the question, asking one of Her own, “What is that?” She pointed at the monster, not sure if She felt sad or disgusted at the sight of it. Both seemed odd emotions to have at the sight of a beast that could eat Her in two bites.
Fingers snapped, and She flinched, reaching for Her collar. The monster let out a strangled roar, thrashing its head wildly, its own copper collar shimmering with light and magic. “Another failure of our predecessors, thousands of years ago.” Morndancer exited the tower, his robes billowing around him.
Another snap, and the Firewyrm flinched again. But Shaloon just snorted, sneering at the other Archmage after stopping his torment of her mount, “The north-western Talon was gracious enough to lend us this sample after years of training. It should come in handy with the local draken who worship its kind as gods.” the beast snarled at the humans just out of reach but didn’t step any closer, digging its talons deeper into the ground and hissing, “It was a great success after the slaying. We’ve only had one greater.” she glanced at the Firewyrm who tilted Her head at the two of them, curious for more but sure they wouldn’t give it to Her.
Archmage Morndancer dismissed the defense of the monster’s existence with a snort, “And yet we are still facing the same problems as those before us. What information do you have?”
“A storm hit out at sea, and there are signs of another possibly brewing in Halakon.”
Ran swallowed nervously, and Brom stuttered, “Should we…?”
“No.” Morndancer answered the unfinished question, “There is only one thing that can stop these storms, and we are the only ones willing to make the sacrifices to do it.” he turned away from them, returning to the tower door before glancing over his shoulder, “Get back inside, we need more samples if we are to make up for our own successful failure.”
***
“Saint Giorgos says the wyverns are the last vestiges of the dragon’s evil in the skies…” Sir Rasnah sipped her tea thoughtfully.
Father Branston snorted, “Yes yes, and drakes are their evil on land, and leviathans their evil at sea. They are beasts, Rasnah, as old as memory.”
“Branston's right,” Veon-Zih shrugged, rolling his teacup between his hands, “They're terrible beasts with some magic to them, but they're no more intelligent than a drakwalf or horse.”
They sat together in Father Branston’s office to enjoy warm tea and a colorful sunset through his massive windows. But none of them could really relax with the news of a wyvern flying around the woods to the north. Just to the west of Hamerfoss.
“They've been known to hunt for sport,” Rasnah reminded them, her face pained at the memory.
“So do house cats.”
“House cats don’t pick off entire barbarian tribes over the course of a week.”
"I'm sure they would if they could,"
Branston sighed, reaching for his teapot and pouring himself another cup, “What will you do? If you need healers, I have a few skilled enough to go.”
Rasnah sighed, rubbing her forehead and resting her cup in her lap, “Perhaps one. I’ll send a group to watch. If it's sighted again, we'll have to do something.”
Veon-Zih cleared his throat to get her attention and arched a questioning eyebrow her way. The Paladin returned the look with a smile and said, “I will make sure they have a sending stone. If you're needed, I’m sure they'll wait for you to arrive before seeking it out.” her smile faded, and she stared into her cup, “If they really are vestiges of dragons then I suppose Saint Giorgos is right and all of them were evil.”
“Having a crisis of faith, Rasnah?” Branston asked softly, but with a smile, “Legends say Hengist was allied with goodly dragons.”
“Dragons of Gold and Silver and all the precious metals,” Veon-Zih finished for him, then added, “None of that matters anymore. All we can do is face the challenges life presents us with in the here and now.”
“Of course,” Rasnah agreed, looking up at her old friends and managing a lopsided grin, “And now we have a wyvern possibly claiming territory in our forests. Do you think Daunas will want to join the hunt? If necessary,” she added at the end.
“Mung's boy? He’s still stationed at Hamerfoss then?” Branston asked.
Veon-Zih chuckled, “I don’t believe he would forgive you if you didn’t let him.” his chuckle died, and the three gazed mournfully out the window. Remembering their last wyvern fight, and their friend lost in bringing it down. It had been their last adventure together.
-End of Part 1-
--- Table of Contents ---
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Summer 4984, 13 Doumoth
“Ugh! I hate this!” Daisy whined loudly, letting her head fall back to stare at the ceiling.
“Almost done…” Rerves said to reassure her, though he lacked his usual smile.
Ania picked up the last piece of armor, a steel vambrace, and began polishing with a groan to match Daisy’s, “When we aren’t cleaning, we're polishing, when we aren’t polishing, we're cleaning. How is this Paladin training?”
“If I wanted to be a servant, I would've joined their guild…” Thom’s small voice chimed in.
Shon said nothing. The five Squires, Shon, Daisy, Thom, Rerves, and Ania, sat under a shade in the Temple courtyard, polishing the knights' spare armor for the hundredth time. The sun beat down mere feet away, reflecting off the finished pieces as the shadow of their shade crept closer and closer, the sun climbing towards noon. The yard was mostly clear, the Paladins not on duty retreating into the cool stone fortress while those on duty only occasionally coming to check on the Squires' progress.
Ania had the right of it. Ever since they'd moved into the Temple proper and became official Squires, the five of them had done nothing but clean, polish, and memorize armor and weapon vocabulary. And complain… the others always complained. Shon just sighed as the four others continued to gripe. There was no point in it, the work needed to be done, and they were the ones assigned to do it. It didn’t matter how annoying or monotonous it might be.
Sometimes the younger Paladins would join them in polishing, caring for their own armor while the Squires worked on the spare pieces. The spares were used mainly by the enlisted, and only if they hadn’t finished buying their own sets yet. Occasionally a Paladin would check out a set to practice with. Although most of them had a preferred style, they needed to stay proficient with all types. At least that meant only half of the pieces the Squires had to clean were still polished from the day before. If the armor was never used, it really would be a useless task, instead of half useless as it seemed now.
The Paladins never complained…
The Squires hadn’t started out tired and annoyed. Daisy and Shon had been joined after their first week by Thom and Rerves, who both came from the capital city. They'd been friends growing up, Rerves was a noble, and Thom's family worked as their personal stewards, one step up from servants. A week after that, Ania arrived from a small village in the south. Only having known one Paladin and having never seen a proper Temple before, she'd been in awe of the fortress Temple of the city for at least a month. But then the excitement had given way to frustration, and -for Shon at least- boredom. And so the others had started complaining.
Their relationship with each other had started out warm enough. They stayed up late into the night, sharing their histories and dreams of their future as full Paladins. Shon joined them when prompted but mostly preferred to listen. He didn’t think he had any stories worth sharing, though they had bombarded him with questions after Veon-Zih’s first training visit. Just like everyone else, they didn’t seem to know how to deal with Shon’s quiet nature. But unlike everyone else, they hadn’t pulled away and stopped talking to him altogether. Except when they complained. Shon never complained. He didn’t see the point. When asked, he would say that they needed to follow orders. So they'd stopped asking him.
Shon held his last piece of steel plate carefully by the leather straps, wiping the last bit of polish off with a clean rag. He could see his reflection distorted by the curves and dings, and wondered if he could manage to draw the changes accurately when given a chance. The tinking of metal on metal sounded in the distance, and the Squires' heads shot up, followed by their bodies as they scrambled to their feet to salute the woman approaching.
General Rasnah was resplendent as always in her uniform, the chains of office clinking on her shoulders. She walked towards the Squires with her head held high and her hands clasped behind her back. With her was Master Veon-Zih and Shon felt his spirits rise just a little higher.
“At ease, Squires.” Sir Rasnah said as she drew to a stop just outside their shade. She waited until they'd taken the formal 'at ease' position, legs shoulder-width apart and hands clasped behind their back, “Report.”
Rerves took charge, as usual, “Sir, we're nearly done, Sir.”
“Just one piece left, Sir,” Ania added, then blushed furiously as she usually did whenever addressing a high-ranking officer.
Sir Rasnah nodded, then glanced to the sky. She then looked to Veon-Zih, who smiled and shrugged. Her lips turned up on half her face in what could almost be called a grin before she cleared it, serious again as she addressed the Squires, “You may have the afternoon off. Report to the kitchens and evening duties before sixth bell.”
“Sir, yes, Sir!” the Squires spoke in unison, Shon’s four fellows grinning broadly and sneaking happy glances at one another.
They held their positions until Sir Rasnah turned away, walking back to the Temple proper and leaving them to their freedom. Veon-Zih remained behind, smiling warmly at them and addressing Shon, “Lunch? I found a fine eatery a few blocks away.”
Shon nodded, finally smiling with the rest, “And practice?” he asked.
“After food,” Veon-Zih answered, stepping aside and gesturing towards the gates. Shon rushed to help the others put the clean and polished armor away, then jogged to Veon-Zih before falling into step with him as they left the Temple.
Veon-Zih waited until they were well clear of the gates before asking, “So what do you think of your fellow Squires?”
Shon sighed in answer, which made Veon-Zih chuckle for some reason. But the sigh hadn’t really answered the question, so Shon said, “They complain a lot.” he probably could have, and should have, come up with something nicer to say. But after hours of hearing them gripe while they worked, it was the only thing on Shon’s mind.
“There's nothing wrong with complaining, you know.” Veon-Zih mused. Shon merely shook his head. The knights never complained; he'd been watching them. If there was a job that needed to be done, they would do it. His fellow Squires seemed to complain before, during, and after every unpleasant assignment. Though never in front of the Paladin giving it.
“Do you honestly think the knights like polishing armor? Do you like polishing that much? Maybe you should've come to the Monastery after all. We don’t wear armor, but we have many fine statues that all need to be polished every day. Every little nook and cranny scrubbed clean and shining.”
He glanced at Shon with a grin, then leaned over to whisper, “They hate it too, but just like your fellows won’t complain in front of them, they won’t complain in front of you.”
“It needs to be done…” Shon tried to argue, though it sounded hollow considering his own, though silent, annoyance.
“A perfect excuse,” Veon-Zih stated, turning sharply down a side road, so Shon had to jog to keep up, “There are many reasons spare armor needs to be polished. The most obvious is that it's needed to stay in good repair. The task is assigned to Squires because it gets you intimately familiar with armor beyond just naming the parts. And because no one else wants to do it.
“That doesn’t mean we should be complaining about it…”
“Not in front of the officers, no. But amongst each other? Why not?”
Shon furrowed his brow but didn’t have an answer. Veon-Zih gave him one, “Joint misery creates companionship. Even if you have nothing else in common, everyone knows you all hate polishing already clean armor. Right now, I bet your fellow Squires are scratching their heads, wondering if you do actually enjoy the task. Some might even be wondering if they're worthy of being Squires. Since they complain, and you don’t.”
Shon’s steps faltered. Would they really think he was more worthy than them? For something so trivial as chores? He had to rush to catch up and argued, “But there's no point in complaining. We have to do it anyway.”
Veon-Zih sighed and stopped walking. He waited for Shon to turn to him then said, “But my statement still stands. Joint misery creates companionship. Your fellows take a risk in voicing their complaints to you, hoping that they're not alone in their opinions. What if they're the only ones who hate it? What if that really does mean they aren’t meant for the Temple? Just because they can channel divine magic doesn’t mean Hengist will choose them.”
Shon let himself ponder that for a while. The other Squires always seemed so sure of themselves, so excited to begin real training. Did they really have doubts and fears the same as he did? And what did that say about his assumptions? That they would complain and the knights didn’t? Was he actually judging his fellows as unworthy without realizing it?
“The Paladins really complained when they were Squires too?” he asked.
“I guarantee it.” Veon-Zih answered and started walking again, “I know I did, and all the other Monks in my class too.” he chuckled, “Sometimes routines like cleaning and polishing can be meditative. You can let your mind wander while your hands work through the familiar motions. But before you get to that point, or if you would rather be doing something of your choosing, then it's nothing but monotonous work. Necessary work, but still work.”
Following Veon-Zih around another corner, Shon pondered his Master’s words. They got all the way to the little eatery the Monk had been looking for, even took their seats, and gave their orders before Shon spoke again.
“I hate platemail the most…” he said. Veon-Zih arched an eyebrow at him, and he continued, “It’s bulky, and there's just so much of it. Then as soon as you're done, someone moves it aside and gets fingerprints on it again. Chainmail isn’t much better. You can’t see the fingerprints, but it’s hard to get the oil between the links. And yet water obviously has no problem with it because that’s where all the rust is.”
Veon-Zih laughed boisterously, throwing his head back and startling those at the closest table, “I hated the creases in the palms of the statues the most,” Veon-Zih held up his hand, his forefinger and thumb forming a circle, the other fingers extended, “how can so much dust cake itself in such a small space in only a day?” he complained, dropping his hand and shaking his head.
The waitress brought them their stew and drinks, and Shon started eating while Veon-Zih thanked her. Picking up his spoon, the Monk paused as he dipped it into his bowl, musing, “I wonder which parts your fellow Squires dislike the most?” Shon didn’t know, but he wanted to. Would they agree with him that the plate was the most frustrating? Daisy seemed to groan loudest at the leather, but their complaining always seemed to be general moans at the work as a whole…
“Maybe I’ll ask,” Shon mumbled, embarrassed for some reason.
“Or,” Veon-Zih took his first bite, then pointed at Shon with his spoon, “you could just tell them your least favorite, and they will open up and share their own.”
That’s what they expected of him, wasn’t it? They expected him to join in the conversation, not just answer questions… Shon could only nod.
***
Shon had grown so much. It was difficult for Veon-Zih to watch him without smiling. Only a head shorter than his Master, Veon-Zih could still see the ten-year-old oddity he'd spied upon almost four years ago in the church courtyard. And yet, he had grown so much. Veon-Zih wondered if anyone else could see it.
They practiced in one of the parks in the noble’s district. Veon-Zih thought it was important that Shon get out of Temple whenever possible, that he see the city and its people, to remember what he was training for, and why he wanted to fight. Shon was more like Veon-Zih, and his order of Monks than the boy would ever know. Or admit. He strove for perfection. Every punch, kick, and kata they worked through needed to go exactly right, or he would do it again. Like many Monks, Shon found true enjoyment in the process of working and growing better than his past self. But he was also different in a critical way. Shon wanted to use his strength. Wanted to protect people, fight evil. Many Monks never left the Monastery. A single Grandmaster could easily fell a small raiding force alone. Yet, so many chose not to fight outside their sparring rings and training.
Even Veon-Zih hadn’t left the Monastery because he wanted to help those locked outside its walls. He'd left because he believed he couldn't attain the perfection he strove for inside them. He'd wanted to be tested by the world, to rise to the challenges life presented and overcome them with his discipline and practice. Along the way, he'd learned to be more like Shon was naturally. He'd made friends from other orders, and saved countless non-combatants. Only after seeing the results of his fights, the grateful families reunited, had he realized the moral folly in his fellows and in himself.
They practiced and even sparred until well after fifth bell. The display at first earned them a few disapproving glares from the nobles and servants passing the park. Then they'd actually attracted a few spectators, who clapped as though watching a show. Shon blushed furiously at this, his pale cheeks growing pink as he tilted his head down, trying to let what was left of his now short hair slip down to hide his face. Yet, he never lost step or stopped the training. Veon-Zih had barely resisted laughing, though if more at the foolish watchers or his embarrassed student, he wasn’t sure.
Veon-Zih finally called their training to a halt, and Shon glowered at him. The boy had nearly gotten in his first solid hit in their sparring and was obviously reluctant to stop after making such progress. “It’s nearly time for you to get back, and Sir Rasnah will not accept me as an excuse for tardiness.” Shon’s eyes went wide, and fear replaced the look of frustration on his face. He ran his fingers through his hair, looking up at the sky to try and gauge the hour.
Veon-Zih chuckled, “I’ll race you back.” he said, a hint of mischief seeping through his voice. Shon arched an eyebrow and Veon-Zih could practically hear his thoughts. Run? Through town? You must be joking. “There's no law against running,” Veon-Zih argued with the boy’s expression, “Every moment offers us an opportunity to train. We're late, so this is the perfect opportunity to test our speed against time and run.”
Shon alternated his arched brow to the other side, looking down the road then back to Veon-Zih before confirming, “A race?”
In answer, Veon-Zih ran. He sprinted past Shon -though not at his full speed- before slowing down just enough to keep things fair. Shon bolted after him. Nobles, servants, and even a few guards gasped and called out in indignation as Veon-Zih and Shon swerved around them on the wide roads of the nobles' quarter. They were forced to slow when they reached the more densely packed streets in the city center. Shon was careful to run around the people doing their shopping but kept his eyes set ahead, planning his route and scaring those who noticed him out of the way with his intense blue stare. Veon-Zih was much more confident in his ability not to hit people and so brushed much closer, never quite knocking into them but often brushing their clothes as he passed.
Ahead a cart laden with crates and barrels ambled across the thoroughfare, and Shon slowed to a jog, trying to run around it. Veon-Zih lept, landing on his hands on the cart and propelling himself up and over before hitting the ground again and continuing the race. He heard the merchant curse and the bystanders gasp in surprise but was more amused at the growl of frustration that came from his student, who put on an extra burst of speed to try and catch up. Veon-Zih was half tempted to let him and half tempted to sprint all out and leave the boy in his dust. He chose to do neither and just laughed, continuing at the pace he'd set and soon coming into view of the Temple gates.
The Paladins on watch saw him coming and exchanged confused and nervous glances, drawing their swords but not barring his path. Veon-Zih didn’t slow his run until he reached the knights. Turning to the side and planting his feet, he slid past them on the cobblestones. Turning back as he slid to a stop, he found one of the Paladins facing him as though ready to fight and the other facing out as though looking for whatever force had sent Veon-Zih sprinting for the Temple.
Shon slowed to a jog and stopped before the knight facing him, breathing hard. “What’s going on? Squire report.” the Paladin demanded, still holding his sword at the ready.
Shon had to take a moment to catch his breath but eventually managed to gasp out, “Race…” before looking absolutely horrified at what he'd just done and said. “Sir…” he added quietly as if that might somehow make his unconventional arrival more acceptable.
“And you managed to keep up with him?” Sir Rasnah appeared from beyond the gate, arching a steely eyebrow and drawing sharp salutes from the Paladin guards who finally sheathed their swords.
“I went easy on him,” Veon-Zih assured her, earning a glare from Shon, who passed through the gates, still breathing deeply but no longer gasping for air. Veon-Zih hadn’t even broken a sweat.
Rasnah looked between the Master and student, finally settling on Shon, “Oh, don’t look at him like that, Squire. Master Veon-Zih could beat a riderless horse in a foot race.” which drew a befuddled look from Shon and a laugh from Veon-Zih.
“General Rasnah, Sir,” another man ran towards the gates wearing the uniform of an enlisted. A messenger from the city gates.
“It seems today is a good day for running,” Veon-Zih quipped as the guards allowed the man to pass and give his report.
“A wyvern has been spotted over the woods near Lakeland,”
Sir Rasnah didn’t respond right away. She narrowed her eyes at the messenger and spoke to Shon, “You have duties, Squire, hop to it.”
Shon saluted, though Rasnah still wasn’t looking at him. He glanced at Veon-Zih curiously, then turned to follow the orders.
Veon-Zih hesitated but decided to follow Shon. If he was needed, Rasnah would let him know.
“A wyvern?” Shon asked in a whisper.
“An abomination,” Veon-Zih explained, “Monstrous beasts with a body as large as a wagon, not including the tail. They fly like birds and will hunt anything that strays into their territory, including humans.”
Shon’s brow furrowed, and Veon-Zih patted him on the shoulder, “It'll be alright. They rarely attack settlements unless they're starving.” Which was good because a single wyvern could destroy a small town.
“What will the Temple do?” Shon asked as they reached the back door to the kitchens.
“That depends… most likely, they'll send a group to the village and watch the skies.”
“They won’t hunt it?”
“Maybe, and maybe not. Wyverns are dangerous enough that it’s a real risk to hunt one, but they also can’t be allowed to harm nearby towns. The Temple of Saint Giorgos will want it destroyed, but Sir Rasnah won’t needlessly risk her men if it isn’t necessary.” Veon-Zih explained.
Shon thought for a moment, then asked, “Have you ever fought a wyvern?”
Veon-Zih tried to make his smile reassuring, "Twice. Though I would rather not try a third time if it can be avoided.”
***
“Red, what're you doing?” Ran asked.
She rolled Her eyes, focusing again on what She was doing and not bothering to answer him. Her fingers ached, but She worked them into the cracks between the stones of the tower wall, shifting Her weight from one hand to the other and searching out the next handhold.
Brom laughed, and She heard the slap and woosh of breath as he pat Ran on the back hard enough to knock the air from the thinner man’s lungs, “Can’t you tell? She’s climbing!”
“Sort of…” Ran mumbled.
She wasn’t climbing up the wall, as much as She wanted to. Instead, She was up only about a foot off the ground and working Her way sideways around the tower. “Afraid of falling, Red?” Ran asked instead. That question was even more stupid than the last, and She arched Her neck back, holding tight to the wall and looking at him upside down.
“Really?” She asked in response to his denseness. He should know She wouldn’t be afraid of falling. She had fallen many times when She'd braved climbing the trees around the perimeter. Even broke Her arm once, and that hadn’t stopped Her from trying again with the splint still on. But that was when they used to let Her out more often, about once every other week. No, the thing that kept Her from climbing up the wall was the same thing that had stopped Her climbing trees. The same thing that stopped Her running around the tower at top speed while Brom or Ran kept time and She tried to beat Her record. And the same thing that kept Her from even crossing the tree line to play pretend in the woods.
Ran had the decency to look embarrassed, realizing his mistake eventually. There was only one thing that ever stopped Her from doing what She wanted, and even that often took multiple ‘lessons’ each time. Morndancer had grown increasingly erratic and more often violent of late. He would mutter to himself in draconic then give opposite orders to the journeymen and apprentices in common. Though everyone in the tower spoke both languages. He would lock himself in his room for days and hadn’t been back to visit his family or the Mages Guild in weeks. Shaloon would cover for him, but she wasn’t much better, cutting holes in reality and staring into the outer plains for hours on end, whispering. Half her words in draconic and the other half in common, mixing the languages in the same sentence.
Brom and Ran had refused to talk to Her about it, but She had listened at Her door when they thought She was sleeping. The Archmages were going mad. The eventual cost of power, they said. Though neither seemed upset that the same would happen to them eventually. Perhaps their lack of concern was the first sign they'd already started.
She continued Her climb, putting Her worries about Brom and Ran’s sanity out of Her mind for the time being. She would have plenty of time to stew about it when She was locked in Her room. For now, She wanted to enjoy being outside in the brief summer warmth.
A burst of sudden wind from above set Her hair whipping about Her face and nearly cost Her grip on the stones. Squeezing Her eyes shut, She tried to shake Her hair back, blowing at the strands against another huge gust before something heavy shook the ground behind her. She let Her head fall back again, so Her hair fell away from Her face, and She could see what had come upside down. The sight caused Her to fall off the wall.
Landing hard on Her backside, She scrambled to Her feet in a mix of awe and horror. A monster large enough to fill Her entire room and then some, stood in the clearing around the tower. It had a long sinuous neck and dull brown scales. It walked on great taloned legs in the back and the joints of its leathery wings in the front. It snapped at Archmage Shaloon as she jumped from its neck to the ground, its teeth as long as daggers and looking just as sharp. It didn’t bite the Archmage, who ignored it as she approached the journeymen.
“What are you three doing out here?” she demanded, mixing draconic with common and glaring at the two men who, for some reason, looked ashamed despite the permission they'd gotten to be out today.
The Firewyrm ignored the question, asking one of Her own, “What is that?” She pointed at the monster, not sure if She felt sad or disgusted at the sight of it. Both seemed odd emotions to have at the sight of a beast that could eat Her in two bites.
Fingers snapped, and She flinched, reaching for Her collar. The monster let out a strangled roar, thrashing its head wildly, its own copper collar shimmering with light and magic. “Another failure of our predecessors, thousands of years ago.” Morndancer exited the tower, his robes billowing around him.
Another snap, and the Firewyrm flinched again. But Shaloon just snorted, sneering at the other Archmage after stopping his torment of her mount, “The north-western Talon was gracious enough to lend us this sample after years of training. It should come in handy with the local draken who worship its kind as gods.” the beast snarled at the humans just out of reach but didn’t step any closer, digging its talons deeper into the ground and hissing, “It was a great success after the slaying. We’ve only had one greater.” she glanced at the Firewyrm who tilted Her head at the two of them, curious for more but sure they wouldn’t give it to Her.
Archmage Morndancer dismissed the defense of the monster’s existence with a snort, “And yet we are still facing the same problems as those before us. What information do you have?”
“A storm hit out at sea, and there are signs of another possibly brewing in Halakon.”
Ran swallowed nervously, and Brom stuttered, “Should we…?”
“No.” Morndancer answered the unfinished question, “There is only one thing that can stop these storms, and we are the only ones willing to make the sacrifices to do it.” he turned away from them, returning to the tower door before glancing over his shoulder, “Get back inside, we need more samples if we are to make up for our own successful failure.”
***
“Saint Giorgos says the wyverns are the last vestiges of the dragon’s evil in the skies…” Sir Rasnah sipped her tea thoughtfully.
Father Branston snorted, “Yes yes, and drakes are their evil on land, and leviathans their evil at sea. They are beasts, Rasnah, as old as memory.”
“Branston's right,” Veon-Zih shrugged, rolling his teacup between his hands, “They're terrible beasts with some magic to them, but they're no more intelligent than a drakwalf or horse.”
They sat together in Father Branston’s office to enjoy warm tea and a colorful sunset through his massive windows. But none of them could really relax with the news of a wyvern flying around the woods to the north. Just to the west of Hamerfoss.
“They've been known to hunt for sport,” Rasnah reminded them, her face pained at the memory.
“So do house cats.”
“House cats don’t pick off entire barbarian tribes over the course of a week.”
"I'm sure they would if they could,"
Branston sighed, reaching for his teapot and pouring himself another cup, “What will you do? If you need healers, I have a few skilled enough to go.”
Rasnah sighed, rubbing her forehead and resting her cup in her lap, “Perhaps one. I’ll send a group to watch. If it's sighted again, we'll have to do something.”
Veon-Zih cleared his throat to get her attention and arched a questioning eyebrow her way. The Paladin returned the look with a smile and said, “I will make sure they have a sending stone. If you're needed, I’m sure they'll wait for you to arrive before seeking it out.” her smile faded, and she stared into her cup, “If they really are vestiges of dragons then I suppose Saint Giorgos is right and all of them were evil.”
“Having a crisis of faith, Rasnah?” Branston asked softly, but with a smile, “Legends say Hengist was allied with goodly dragons.”
“Dragons of Gold and Silver and all the precious metals,” Veon-Zih finished for him, then added, “None of that matters anymore. All we can do is face the challenges life presents us with in the here and now.”
“Of course,” Rasnah agreed, looking up at her old friends and managing a lopsided grin, “And now we have a wyvern possibly claiming territory in our forests. Do you think Daunas will want to join the hunt? If necessary,” she added at the end.
“Mung's boy? He’s still stationed at Hamerfoss then?” Branston asked.
Veon-Zih chuckled, “I don’t believe he would forgive you if you didn’t let him.” his chuckle died, and the three gazed mournfully out the window. Remembering their last wyvern fight, and their friend lost in bringing it down. It had been their last adventure together.
-End of Part 1-
--- Table of Contents ---
All comments and are welcome and wanted.
2023.05.29 23:06 ahawk_one Long Time Solo/Flawless Dungeon Runner's Thoughts on the new Dungeon, and Dungeon Difficulty in General (TLDR at the bottom)
Preamble
I primarily play Hunter, so this is from my perspective as a Hunter player. Dungeons are probably close to my favorite thing in this game. They're topped only by new raids and secret missions. Although generally I like the secret missions a little less than the dungeons (with the exception of Presage which was one of my favorite activities in the game when it was in the game). I'm not the best player in the game, and I experience good days and bad days. So usually my solo/flawlesses take about a week from the point where I start my attempts to getting the completion. The only exception to this was Spire of the Watcher for reasons I'll discuss later. The important point for the preamble is that I didn't complete Spire until last season, even though I made more than a few solid attempts during the week it launched and the weeks after. I just couldn't figure out a strat I was comfortable with for Persys.
There has been a lot of chat on this sub and others (and in my group lobbies) about this most recent dungeon's difficulty and it's boss HP scaling. Players like Gladd have made rant videos about the HP bars of the bosses (which is notable only because he usually opts to talk shit on people for things being too easy rather than too difficult). I myself spent the first two days of the dungeon's launch in three different 3-5 hour clears because I was helping out friends and figuring out the dungeon and DPS options. And then, I started my solo attempts. And while I haven't yet quite gotten my rhythm down for the final boss, I can reliably get to her solo now in less time than the first successful clear of the first boss took with a group. I also find that even though I haven't figure out how to consistently stay alive in her room yet, her shields are not all they're cracked up to be. I'm not even using Arbalest and they seem to go down quicker than some Barrier Champs... And this is what prompted me to write this post. Because I think people see things like final damage values in a certain light, and then they correllate that to their experience of fighting for hours without stopping to think about alternative explanations for what they're seeing and experiencing.
And don't get me wrong. It's brutal the first time. The second time. And the third time. Ghosts of the Deep (GotD) has the largest quantity of endlessly intense add phases I've seen since Prophecy. Not even Duality can hold a candle to the sheer volume of enemies you'll defeat by the end of a normal run of GotD. So I'm going to discuss add pressure, discuss boss HP values, number of phases to get the kill, mechanics with a kill timer vs. mechanics without one, and "artificial difficulty" (and probably some other things). So buckle up, because we're gonna be here for a while.
Difficulty of Dungeons in General
First, lets just talk about difficulty in general in a pre-GotD world. And to do that, I think a bit of a history lesson is in order.
Shattered Throne
A thing that everyone should keep in mind when evaluating dungeons is that Shattered Throne (ST) as the first came about in an era before we could customize mods in our armor, and long before 3.0 anything was even dreamed of as a possibility. ST came about when the most "efficient" solo strat for killing the final boss was to sit on a pillar and plunk away at her with an infinite ammo Whisper of the Worm. And back then, this dungeon was a slog. Getting to the first boss (The Ogre) was tedious, even though it wasn't too hard. The Ogre itself though would wipe groups because they didn't understand how to pick up the buffs or how to stay alive in a room with little to no cover and a boss that would pin you to the wall with it's eyebeam if it got line of sight on you. Even now, this boss room can still fuck you up if you aren't paying attention and don't treat the Ogre with respect. Back then, this was a 3-4 phase kill IF you had 21% Delirium (which didn't even come out until two seasons after ST launched).
Once you got to the final boss, Dul Incaru's room is still one of the most bullshit boss arenas I've ever fought in. It's small, you've got three fucking huge HP sink knights, a million Psions and a Hive Witch that deletes you if she can see you for more than a second or two. I don't know how people did this fight without Anarchy to chain down the knights, but man was this fight hard to just stay alive in. But if you could, then you were rewarded with a fairly easy 1-2 phase boss (depending on which meta you were playing in) because the damage buff from the Knights buffed your damage significantly. But it also had a timer that would just kill you if you didn't cleanse yourself or kill the boss. Oh and cleansing required you to jump on an exposed plate in the middle and then shoot a crystal with the HP of a yellow bar enemy before you died.
If this all sounds reasonable by comparison, remember that you could only do Shattered Throne one week out of the month (once every three weeks). So yea, it was easier by comparison because you couldn't just run it any time you pleased so it HAD to be easier so that people could actually complete it in a given Strong Curse Week.
Pit of Heresy
IDK what to say about Pit other than that it was my favorite for a long time because I liked how it used verticality to make things feel immense. This dungeon suffered from (and still suffers from) bugs and inconsistent enemy behaviors in the first encounter and the totem encounter. This was also my first solo flawless (I had gotten ST solo, but not flawless). Pit was very approachable as a solo flawless, and I would still recommend it to most people looking to try one out for the first time, because it only has one actual boss encounter. The opening encounter is about as easy as ST's was, but a lot more fun because you could sword fly around.
The maze with the Ogres is the first time I heard people say that dungeons were using "artificial difficulty" (there's that term...). But this encounter is not even a little bit hard IF you take the time to learn a route to go. If you didn't do that and just floundered around complaining about the ogres being too strong and doing too much damage, then this encounter was the bane of your existance. And to this day, if I join Pit groups most of the time at least one if not both of the other people have no clue how to navigate this area. But once you have your route mapped and know that you can punch jump to move quicker with a ball, this mini encounter becomes a breeze as you just run from one to the next in the space of a couple minutes. But you can't do that unless you come in and actually practice and learn the route, learn how to kill the Hive in the caves, and learn how to get past Ogres that are in front of you. And this takes believing that it was possible to do.
The Totems is the true test. So many people would refuse to do this encounter without the ball dupe cheese and would swear it's impossible. For my part, on my clear I would kill two knights and bring two balls back and dunk both to get only one add wave. Which is still somewhat of a cheese, but it doesn't just skip the encounter. This encounter was the second place I heard people say the dungeon was just too hard for no reason. And sure, at first this encounter was extremely hard. It is probably still one of the harder plate defense encounters in the game (if you play it correctly) simply because of how many things you have to juggle to get through it. We're talking a stacking debuff that kills you if it gets too high, a totem that kills you if you don't touch it every few seconds, boomer knights raining death from above, endless waves of acolytes throwing thousands of solar grenades at you while thrall and exploding thrall rushed to push you off the plate. Oh and you had to kill mini-boss knights to get the ball to dunk. And yea, everyone would just cheese this encounter because back then it was the latest version of the "this is too hard and unfair" encounter.
The maze that came next also still throws people for a loop, and again required you to practice your route so you could navigate it safely. If you don't know your way around, then this part could take a long time and you might die many times trying to find your way. But again, just like the Ogres, once you know the way through, it's a piece of cake assuming you can platform past swinging pendulums.
And after all that, the final boss was not too bad. The adds were nowhere near as oppressive as they were at the totem, and the mini-bosses were all close by and in set spawn locations so you didn't have to run all over the place like in the opening encounter. The only part of this that was somewhat difficult was the actual dps phase because there was a timer to it, but you didn't get to see the timer. The boss would swing his huge flaming sword and leave piles of fire everywhere and cursed thrall would come in from all sides and you could only damage him while being in the middle.
For this I remember distinctly choosing to just go with Celstial Golden Gun and Anarchy with the plan to just blap him once, stick two Anarchy's to him and then kill Thrall. This took me like 5 phases to do (I think... It's been a while... but it was at least 5, possibly 6), but because it was consistent and I could do the rest of the fight easily with my other weapons, I went with it.
Overall, once I did this dungeon once solo, I immediately jumped back in (as soon as I was done) to do the solo flawless attempt in one go. And it was easy the whole way except for totems.
Prophecy
Prophecy was brutal. Prophecy was the first one to take me a week to do. I lived in that dungeon all week and I swear it was impossible without god roll Falling Guillotine, god roll heavy GL, and Trinity Ghoul with the catalyst and Witherhoard. There is so much RNG in these fights that it's not even funny. And I remember seeing many threads back then complaining that this new dungeon, while cool, used RNG to create "artificial difficulty".
The first boss had RNG affecting which motes you needed to deposit and how the shadows moved when you banked those motes. He had at the time some of the most oppressive add pressure in the game and he'd boop you off if you got careless for even half a second. This fight was SOOO easy to get yourself stuck in a position that you couldn't get out of and die... Oh and about 1/2 way through the damage phase he summoned a couple dozen goblins to make him immune, so you had to save you super for that so that you could kill them quickly without just losing half the phase... Oh and his shield would block your damage and swords. You had to hot swap Witherhoard with a Guilliotine back and forth to get him down in any kind of remotely quick time, and I'm pretty sure this was a 4-5 phase when I was first learning it and I got it down to a 2-3 phase by the time I was done. But the add phases in between those DPS phases took forever because of how the mote spawning worked and just how many fucking psions he threw at you. Sometimes you even had ot purposely kill the mote spawning Knights to spawn the wrong motes just so that you could alleviate some of the pressure. So sure, this fight only took 2-3 phases once you had it down... but it still took for fucking ever because of what happened in-between.
The Desert is boring. idk what else to say about it other than Trinity Ghoul shit on it.
The Cube Room required Trinity Ghoul. If you didn't have it, you weren't clearing the Acolytes and their Eyeblasts in time. We didn't have Jolt, ignite, or easy access to volatile. But the add pressure was such that you'd think we did... Trin Ghoul with Catalyst was the closet thing you could get to that.
This fight has it all. Minimal cover, many holes to fall to your death on accident, endless waves of strong enemies, snipers that spawn above you and when you kill knights, knights on the ground with you when you kill snipers. You had to kill two snipers to spawn two knights to get orbs. But the moment the knights died, the snipers respawned, and the acolytes spawned endlessly with their eyes. So as soon as you picked up all your motes and now had no weapons, there was shit spawning all around and snipers bearing down. Oh and I forgot to mention that Toland spawned randomly and sometimes on the ceiling (which I STILL to this day do not understand how to choose a side when he's on the ceiling). If he was on the ceiling, your 6 room run was now an 8 room run. Oh and the room it drops you into, and the color of motes you'd need are completely random. Some rooms were equal, some rooms favored light motes, some favored dark. So you could get a room that favored light motes, but you needed dark motes and there might be only 1 or 2 places to stand to be able to spawn those motes... So when you finally get to the "boss" it's easy sure... again because everything else was so damn hard that a hard boss at the end would have just been beyond cruel...
Rainbow Road is pretty, but I hate it because it's just long and boring when you're soloing it. Don't sparrow because you might fall.
Final boss was the definition of a nightmare and early on you were LUCKY to get a group that could three phase this thing... Most groups were going to do four, possibly five, maybe even six if things went horribly wrong.
It has everything we had in the last encounters. Random mote colors needed, random rooms being dropped into, and absurd add pressure the likes of which had not been seen in 3 man content to that point. On top of that, there was literally no where to hide because the boss was in all three corners bearing down on you. So you had to start this encounter off knowing where the psions and knights spawn ahead of time, planting witherhoard on them before they spawn and then deleting them to create the correct color within a minute or you would get overwhelmed instantly and have literally nowhere safe to hide. There was not one single part of any of those rooms that you could hide in for more than a couple of seconds until you cleared off one of the bosses AND killed the Ogre that spawned in his place.
Once you finished all three sides, you were off to DPS where we have a boss designed to thwart Well of Radiance by not only teleporting away down a long room full of platforms to jump to and Taken hobgoblin snipers, but also by throwing a teleport wall at you. You had to flawless this room solo if you were going to have a shot at 5 phasing this boss. I remember mastering my jumps and making sure I was getting double Witherhoard stacks on him (tagging him and putting one on the ground) at every platform he teleported to, while juggling the platforming, the snipers and his teleport death wave. And at the end of the run, you got a chance to dump some heavy into him (also briefly at the beginning to, but you needed to leave early to get ahead of the teleports and enemy spawns).
For most solo completions, this was a five phase boss or more. There might have been some streamers out there who could get him to four. I'm sure having mountain top and not killing yourself on accident with it was part of those loadouts (I didn't have it so that wasn't an option).
This dungeon was a nightmare to solo and even now I imagine the final boss is quite challenging to solo flawless, even if you can probably kill it in far fewer phases now due to power creep.
Modern Dungeons
This brings us to what I call the Modern Dungeons, which is Grasp of Avarice (GoA), Duality, Spire of the Watcher (SotW), and Ghosts of the Deep. We're going to spend less time here because these ones all have one crucial factor in play that the previous three didn't. They are all tuned with modern abilities and weapons in mind. So their bosses will be tankier than bosses of the previous three which were tuned for different times and different metas.
Grasp of Avarice
Released too early. Everything through the sparrow race is fantastic, but the Servitor and final boss fights drag on needlessly. I firmly believe this dungeon was originally scheduled to release with Season of Plunder, but was bumped up to release early because they wanted to pad out the anniversary pack due to Witch Queen being delayed.
This dungeon is very easy assuming you can do two things: complete the sparrow section and deal with the sniper shank in the final boss room. This shank that respawned every damage phase has as much HP as a Hero Nightfall boss. He's tanky as fuck, hard to hit, no crits, and he hits you for half your HP if you let him see you. So unless you had heavy to burn on him, you were doing what I did which was sticking the Scorch Cannon blast to him and charging it up to detonate. Killing this Shank alone for every boss attempt took more time than it took me to kill the Ogre at the first part of the dungeon. Between this guy and the boss tier vandal that also spawned with him, this boss had easily 5x as much HP as any other boss (if we think of these two guys like the shields on the bosses in GotD).
I hate this dungeon, but I love the theme.
Duality
While the final fight was plagued by bugs, this dungeon was awesome. It put pressure on you the whole way but also gave you space to breath where you needed it. All the encounters were about managing add spawns and racing the red world timer. I don't like the Dungeon overall because the teleporting that you do between bosses can leave members of your fireteam behind, and there just isn't much going on in the maps in general. It's very bland looking. But I loved the fights and I love the Calus voicelines.
Spire of the Watcher
I was so excited to get a Vex dungeon and Rasputin themed stuff. But damn was this dungeon a letdown overall. The chasing the node mechanic is a fantastic solo mechanic, but it sucks in group play because you end up with just one person doing it while everyone else just does adds. This is the same problem that RoN had, but that's a different topic. It's just not a good group play mechanic, and so in groups this dungeon just kind of sucks because you're stuck going at the speed of whoever is doing the nodes...
For solo play, this dungeon was mostly fine. The first half of it is a cakewalk once you have the nodes memorized.
The Harpy Boss is where everyone talks about the dungeon becoming a slog... but again this is a slog the player is in control of. The ask is to hit all the nodes to trigger damage, then you break a couple dozen eyes to render the boss vulnerable. The main thing people get stuck on is killing these eyes in a reasonable amount of time, but if you can do it then this boss was 2-3 phasable at launch with artifact mods. Currently it's about 4 phases on my Hunter, 5 if I make mistakes. But chaining the nodes together takes almost no time, so this fight overall has been reduced to a 20min fight at max, even if I do do a short 5th damage phase to chip off the last little bit of HP. But like Pit of Heresy from before, it requires you to memorize a route and a rhythm that allows you to do the nodes quickly. If you don't do that, then this fight will take an eternity.
For the final fight, I got very frustrated because I couldn't figure out a good damage setup, and I couldn't find any guides that didn't use gear swapping for hunters. It's frustrating because I think that while this is certainly optimal, it discourages creative problems solving that could lead to figuring out the best ways to actually do the encounter. I'm always feeling like were one or two patches away from this being nerfed (kind of how they nerfed it in Trials of Osiris). Once Strand came out, the mobility and damage resistance made this fight infinitely more approachable, and the super + a magazine of Xeno had this guy down in 5 quick phases. The only thing that would slow me down was if I had to farm for heavy ammo.
The hardest part of this fight by far is getting the first 5 red cable nodes hit. But again, this is something that the player can master if they spend time to actually study the fight. Just running in blind every time and raging at it for being "unfair" and "artificially difficult" will not get it done. But if you take time to figure out how to manipulate the supplicant spawns, then you can do this easily and you don't even need woven mail.
I don't like DPS on this boss because Wyverns are just too hard to precision hit without a mouse, so I feel forced to use non-precision weapons. I don't mind this sometimes, but for a solo boss I think restricting the player in this way is not good design.
Ghosts of the Deep
And now we're here. And if you've read this far, thank you. Don't worry, this will be short.
If we look back over the history of things, we can see that it wasn't uncommon for dungeon bosses to either have large HP pools, long mechanics phases, ammo/time sink enemies, bullshit ways to die, etc. It's just how these things go. And over time, all of them were moved into farmable status once we had time to figure out the best ways to do them.
The Shields
They are vulnerable to anti barrier. They melt to almost any super hit. But the critical part is that damage done to shields shows up in your total damage done. And since they take bonus damage from some things.... while they might go down easy with the right weapons, you'll still see numbers like 12million on damage because of the damage being done to the shields.
As I said near the beginning, I spent many multi hour attempts on these because we were using machine guns, and even when we'd wipe we'd get insane damage numbers. And I know for a fact that my Commemoration, no matter how good it is, doesn't do the dps that those numbers suggested. So stop acting like these bosses have HUGE HP values. They don't have any larger of HP values than any other dungeon boss on average. You're not doing 9million damage with your LMGs/Linears and a super. You weren't doing that against raid bosses, and you're not doing it here. This is simple deductive reasoning. For example one Light-Light-Heavy combo of Lament will destroy more than half of the first bosses' shield, if not completely destroy it. Lament combo does not do 1mil damage. But it does do close to that to his shield.
So the reality is that we don't actually know the HP values of the bosses. No one does. Anyone saying that do that doesn't have a reliable way to account for inflated shield hp/damage is wrong.
The solution then is not to complain that the bosses have too much HP, but to figure out ways of dealing with the shields. I just watched someone strip off the final bosses' shield with one Gathering Storm and a Levi Breath shot or two (and no he wasn't using Star Eater's either... He was using Assassin's Cowl and never swapped). He did enough damage that this boss was four phasable comfortably if you made no mistakes.
My own kill of the first boss also makes it feel like it's four phasable with no mistakes. But probably five phases typically while solo. And this puts them on par for other bosses in dungeon history. And like those bosses... a year or two from now, the new meta of the future will probably shit on these bosses and we'll be 1-2 phasing them and complaining that they're too easy.
The Add Pressure
What makes these fights drag is the adds. You have to have a build that shreds adds FAST. Because of RoN and all of last season, everyone is defaulting to LMGs for this and then wondering why the bosses take an eternity to kill... Add pressure also makes getting the mechanics done quickly very difficult until you spend enough time with the bosses to understand the spawns well enough to abuse them in your favor. Once you can do that, you can blitz through the mechanics in no-time and that (just like the bosses from ST, Pit, Prophecy, Duality, and Spire) is where you save time in your run. That is how you take your runtime down from 2-4 hours to 1.5 hours. Because if you take a long time to kill the adds, or if the adds are constantly forcing you to hide to recover HP, then you are adding time to the run that you don't need to add to the run. And it makes the boss phases feel worse because you spent 10 minutes getting to the phase, only for it to be over at 7% of their HP bar damaged. But if you practice getting that in between time down to 3-5min, and figure out a good weapon loadout... you find that in the time it took you to do two damage phases before for 7% each, you're doing four phases of 10-15% or more. And that's when it starts to shine through as possible.
Closing Thoughts
I don't know what I'd use on a Warlock or Titan because I don't play them much. But you need to find ways to stay alive. You can heal yourself with sublcass abilities and mods. And you can do DPS with things other than what you see on a stream or a youtube video. If you've done these before, then you know how to solve this problem.There is no such thing as "artificial difficulty". This term refers to challenges that the player feels frustrated by to an unreasonable degree. But all difficulty is artificial. It's all scripted to be a certain difficulty or not. A boss having a lot of HP is no more artificial than a boss having less HP but a long ass mechanics phase. Or very low HP but very short windows for DPS. The bosses in GotD have extremely long DPS phases for how little is actually happening during those phases. All they do is attack you, move around, and spawn some Thrall. And you have what feels like 30-40 seconds of time to shoot at them... So Bungie "artificially" reduced the difficulty there by making the phase take long enough that you have time to deal with the adds and the shield and then still have a comparable amount of time to hit the real HP bar (compared to other dungeons). But right now, it's all fresh and new. And right now you aren't comfortable in the arena. And right now it feels unfair. But it won't in a month or three.
You heard it here first. My predication is that this dungeon will be talked about as one of the easiest released in a long time. And I believe this will be said of it before The Final Shape launches.
So I believe in you Guardian. You can do this. It is made to challenge you to solve the problem. If your solution isn't working, then come up with another one. You don't need a streamer to tell you how to play, or how to do a build. Don't just go for only safety because that too will add full hours to your run that you don't have to spend. Get comfortable with being aggressive. Learn to love riding the red blinking HP line between awesome and despair, and get in there!
TLDR: Ghosts of the Deep is not even remotely out of band compared to previous dungeons in their given release metas. Many dungeons have been outpaced by power creep, but all of them were brutally hard to solo/solo-flawless in their day.
2023.05.29 23:05 TheRetroWorkshop Hard & Accurate Sci-fi Tip #2: Space Military Structure (Namely, Space Opera):
This is going to be one of my more serious, long posts, so strap in, as they say (though I cannot possibly detail out everything you might need to know. That would require at least three posts). To quote -- and set the stage through -- Dostoevsky (from Notes from Underground):
'Is it [history] many-coloured? May be it is many-coloured, too: if one takes the dress uniforms, military and civilian, of all peoples in all ages--that alone is worth something, and if you take the undress uniforms you will never get to the end of it; no historian would be equal to the job. Is it monotonous? May be it's monotonous too: it's fighting and fighting; they are fighting now, they fought first and they fought last--you will admit, that it is almost too monotonous.
In short, one may say anything about the history of the world--anything that might enter the most disordered imagination. The only thing one can't say is that it's rational. The very word sticks in one's throat. And, indeed, this is the odd thing that is continually happening: there are continually turning up in life moral and rational persons, sages and lovers of humanity who make it their object to live all their lives as morally and rationally as possible, to be, so to speak, a light to their neighbours simply in order to show them that it is possible to live morally and rationally in this world. And yet we all know that those very people sooner or later have been false to themselves, playing some queer trick, often a most unseemly one.
Now I ask you: what can be expected of man since he is a being endowed with strange qualities? Shower upon him every earthly blessing, drown him in a sea of happiness, so that nothing but bubbles of bliss can be seen on the surface; give him economic prosperity, such that he should have nothing else to do but sleep, eat cakes and busy himself with the continuation of his species, and even then out of sheer ingratitude, sheer spite, man would play you some nasty trick. He would even risk his cakes and would deliberately desire the most fatal rubbish, the most uneconomical absurdity, simply to introduce into all this positive good sense his fatal fantastic element. It is just his fantastic dreams, his vulgar folly that he will desire to retain, simply in order to prove to himself--as though that were so necessary--that men still are men and not the keys of a piano, which the laws of nature threaten to control so completely that soon one will be able to desire nothing but by the calendar.'
-
I would only add that he was rather harsh on the soldier and his general. Many-coloured, is he! The eternal shine of the ten million blades, the wooden hilt; the forgotten hammer, the ships of our forefathers. Ah! Such a pity to see nought in it but blood and sand -- now, that is monotonous. If man is to mean anything at all, it must be finding some honour in life... and death. War, it must be known, is the great stage-play of time. Surely, then, the warrior is the greatest (male) part to play? Otherwise, it's all for nought!
If you're going to, as the author, gift your setting a military and its honour, you have to actually put yourself inside the mind of the general, the trooper, the law-maker, the wife at home, the child in the street; otherwise, it's going to be a hollowed-out system, a mere mote. It does not matter to me if you believe in war or not, or if all war is just (certainly, it's not): what matters is that you do your setting and peoples justice, regardless of what they may find themselves. After all, this is your job as the writer, as the artist. It's your job to let your characters and their stories free, and follow them, as to see where they may lead.
I'm not even going to dig into the elements at play, such as brotherhood, inter-national conflict resolution, national defence, social structure, and physical fitness. These elements ought to be known to you all: they are some of the clear benefits to warfare and boot camp/training, in general. I have not yet found a defeatist army, for example -- or yet a nation without some kind of guarder force, vast or not. (Note: there are some claims that actual warfare did not exist until around 9,000 BC, but I find this very difficult to believe, and have seen some counter-evidence. For example, Jane Goodall and de Waal find that chimps go to war (raiding parties, sometimes wiping out entire tribes); and there are strong indications that pre-historic human tribes were war-driven, just on smaller scales, and often using wooden weapons (thus, no direct evidence is found). We know that modern hunting (and fire-making, and related matters) existed at least 1.5-2 million years ago, according to the books I own and more recent research. That's the entire history of humanity, ultimately. There is no way these spears and slings were not used against man.)
Well, a big part of space opera is, indeed, warfare (typically in relation to defence of the Good [nation] and psychomachy). Anyway, without further ado, I give to you...
Part One: A Brief History of Battles, Great and Small
Let's begin with Alexander the Great, because why not (though I could have started with Sargon of Akkad many years prior). Alexander's army was a powerful, fast-moving, and relatively small force of 40,000 men (equal to a Napoleonic corps or so). Often credited with inventing genius 'shock' tactics (the so-called hammer and anvil tactic) to overwhelm equally-sized forces. He even managed to break up, and then defeat, the vast Persian army under King Darius III (around 1500,000 strong). Alexander the Great's army is as close to the cinematic glory of 300 (2006) as you're likely to find. Soon after, Alexander was crowned King of Asia in a lavish ceremony.
Moving forward a few hundred years, at its peak, the Roman military possibly had over 500,000 soldiers across its regions (around 0.5% of citizens -- which is a fairly reliable standard across history) by 306 AD during the reign of Constantine I. Compare this to the Roman conquest of Britain under Plautius, with just a 40,000-man force (four legions and 20,000 auxiliary troops, including Thracians) in 43 AD. (It's also worth mentioning, if you're in a long-term space war, individual companies, legions, or otherwise could stay outfitted for as long as 500 years at a time without issue. The Roman Legion, Legio IX Hispana, for example, existed for at least 150 years, and led the conquest of Britain. And, within the Warhammer 40,000 universes, a single Space Marine sees battle for about 400 years before he's KIA (killed in action).)
During the Battle of Hastings in 1066 AD, each side only had upwards of 5,000-8,000 men (around 15,000 in total). This was actually a common trend, from what I found: equally common was the notion of 'law of war' and related, which meant that each side wanted to be roughly equal to the other side. This is one of the most profound discoveries of my life (more on this later). (The Japanese invasion of China, for example, taught me that having too much control over your enemy leads to madness -- there must be an innate drive to some sense of honour, fair challenge in war-making. When men are without equals, they become titans, as it were. And, if you know anything about some of the Greek titans: they were not very friendly or sane.)
Around this time (960-1279 AD), the Song Dynasty of China had a remarkable standing army of over two million men, and made use of tank-like carts and newly-invented 'grandes' (known as 'thunder crash bombs'). However, this was financially exhausting, but it was sometimes capable of fighting against invading Khitans, Jurchens, and Mongols, largely thanks to the great iron industry. Individual battles, however, were quite small.
By the time of the First Italian War (1494 AD), Europe was really starting to take its modern shape, and there were hundreds of what are ultimately power struggle wars and rebellions across Europe as we moved out of the Middle Ages. This was the opening phase of the Italian Wars, which existed between 1494 and 1559 AD. The Battle of Marignano was the last major engagement of the War of the League of Cambrai (aka the wars between 1508 and 1516 AD, within the Italian Wars. The main participants were the French, Papal States, and Republic of Venice) and took place in 1515 AD, southeast of Milan. The Battle of Marignano pitted the French army, led by Francis I and the best heavy cavalry and artillery in Europe, against the Old Swiss Confederacy (within the Holy Roman Empire -- this was the precursor of the modern state of Switzerland), whose mercenaries until that point were regarded as the best medieval infantry force in Europe. The French had German landsknechts (mercenaries famed for pike and shot formations) on their side. The French won and suffered just half the losses, and did so with a fairly stronger force -- possibly 35,000 men compared to 22,000 on the Swiss side. This led to the Treaty of Fribourg, which established the 'Perpetual Peace', and ensured good relations between the two nations for nearly 200 years. This event is largely what led to Switzerland's world-famous diplomatic autonomy and militaristic neutrality. Nonetheless, this battle -- and countless others at the time -- saw similar numbers to centuries past: roughly 20,000 on each side.
Part Two: An Introduction to Military Divisions & the Numbering System
Enter Maurice de Saxe circa 1710 AD, whom you can thank, at least in part, for the modern military system, largely due to the major increase in soldiers by the 18th century, and his advanced thinking in response. A major battle felt by a young de Saxe was the Battle of Malplaquet during the War of the Spanish Succession. Battles pressed on in this manner, and at some point, de Saxe began to write about it. He wrote Mes Reveries, a profound work on the art of war, which was published after his death in 1757 AD.
He had the grand idea of reshaping the regiment system into large 'legions' (modern divisions), so that the effective officers were not wasted on smaller, single regiments. These divisions would consist of four regiments and would have a more even mix of veteran soldiers and new recruits, as well. On top of this, he -- along with some other key theorists at the time -- had the idea of simply numbering the divisions and regiments, replacing the traditional system of naming them by their commanders or by locations/regions: because that's a very temporary, rigid system that only works for small, tight-knit groups. The divisional system also allowed soldiers to climb the ranks, and effectively learn from the veterans.
The regimental system shatters command structure and weakens mobility, despite the fact you have smaller, often lighter units. Too many small, separate, disorganised units is highly ineffective when you're dealing with large armies, and quite an advanced enemy (be it the British or Prussians, in this case). What de Saxe noticed was a failing system of rigid tradition. He also hated this sort of grenadier mentality of the 17th and 18th centuries, as it displaced all the strongest and most experienced soldiers. Of course, de Saxe was not against the existence of grenadiers: the strongest soldiers, leading the assaults, such as storming fortifications. He simply wanted to evenly spread them out across all the regiments, and legions, so that every single unit was an effective tool. (This grenadier concept actually survives to this day, as a grenade launcher specialist of a typical four-man fireteam (traditionally, sharing much in common with WWII-era shock troops), and you see it all the time in movies, where he is still typically the biggest, strongest of the team.)
Battles were increasingly crossing the 100,000 mark in terms of soldier count; whereas, not long ago (that is, around 1650 AD), the numbers were more likely in the range of 20,000 for most battles, other than a few outliers.
Then, de Saxe died before he had the opportunity to actually implement his system, though the Duke de Broglie led some successful experiments with it during the Seven Years War, but it took until the French Revolution for the 'division' concept to be enforced, systematically. This ultimately fell at the hands of the French Revolutionary Army.
Enter Lazare Carnot. Like de Saxe, Carnot saw that some regiments were full of veterans, whilst others -- namely, the new revolutionary brigades -- were filled with barely-trained recruits. And, like de Saxe, his solution was to separate out the veterans and embed them within these new brigades. More importantly, he embraced de Saxe's idea of the 'division'. The new demi-brigades (regiments, as the Revolutionary Government hated and removed the term regiment) would be combined into brigades, and brigades would be combined into divisions. Later, under Napoleon, divisions themselves were combined into corps (which is and has always been the highest level of operational units for actual combat, with all units larger than corps being purely administrative, with a clear exception being Napoleon's Armee (i.e. modern field army), and a few other, smaller army groups).
This wonderfully created an intermediate level of control between the general and the brigade commanders. The Revolutionary Army became at once an army of mass and mobility. This allowed the army to move faster and more decisively than their enemies, who were still commanding at regiment or brigade level.
Full implementation of the divisional system was not realised until the French Revolutionary Government, in their centralising and anti-aristocratic ways, when they decided to entirely remove the old system of naming regiments after their commanders. They saw all of this as part of the 'ancien regime' (i.e. 'the System' or 'old system', language also used by Hitler in relation to what he called the 'Weimar Republic'. Not uncommon language from any new system). The second factor at play was that the French Revolutionary Government also didn't like the idea of merely naming regiments after regions of France. The final factor was scale: the Army was larger than ever, which made it very difficult to give specific names.
As a result, the Government began numbering their units by the late-1700s. Although the Roman legions themselves had been numbered, and de Saxe argued for it many years prior, some scholars believe that this was purely an administrative decision. (Obviously, your naming convention can be more on the religious/traditional or seculamodern side, depending on just how the entire system is set up. Warhammer 40,000 is a good example of a more Roman-inspired system, despite its far-future nature, so it's not uncommon to find very traditional, religious naming conventions within Warhammer 40,000, coupled with simple, administrative systems. And, again: Nazi Germany and other 20th-century powers, such as America and England, also shifted towards numbered and/or lettered systems for pretty much everything. Not shockingly, this is heavily featured in sci-fi, as well.)
Part Three: Napoleon & the Birth of Modern War:
Although the concepts of the 'corps' and 'battalion carre' (that is, four corps) existed, they were also not implemented until the time of Napoleon in the early-1800s. He began grouping divisions into corps, making the largest units in history -- equal to entire armies of older periods (three divisions and some cavalry regiments, for upwards of 30,000 men). He commanded dozens of these corps (I think, around 20 of them for his Grande Armee when he invaded Russia in 1812 AD -- or, 500,000-600,000 men, equal to the entire core Roman military at the height of its power).
Napoleon's genius -- despite his supreme failure to invade Russia -- was ensuring that these corps were typically independent fighting units. This meant they were self-sufficient armies unto themselves. This allowed for a vast force, without the whole system becoming sluggish and disorganised. Of course, as with Alexander the Great before him, this ultimately led to major decentralization and failure once the leader is defeated; thus, without a singular ruler, and without endless success, the entire system breaks down (unless there is something else binding them).
Nonetheless, by now, all the European powers had adopted the divisional system. The first British divisions were established by Arthur Wellesley in 1809 AD, for example. The Napoleonic corps system then became standardised, as well.
On the other hand -- and other side of the world -- the U.S. had its own 'legion', wholly separate from the European divisional evolution. They were independent units for the western wilderness, not sub-elements of a larger army. The U.S. finally adopted a more European system by WWI, however. (Mostly because the U.S. was simply not a large enough force yet, though it did have some major battles and unit examples.)
Regardless, the primary building block for all was still the regiment or division. This remained true through WWII and beyond.
Part Four: The Four Spatial Forms of Sci-fi
I shall skip modern history, because it's -- shockingly -- not much different to older history. This further tells me that there are some universal themes and elements to warfare, unless something changes beyond measure. As of 2023 AD, the basic building block of most armies is still the regiment or division, and 'shock' tactics, of smaller units are back in style, and have been since the 1960s or so. (I do have a few things to say about WWI and beyond, but I cannot fit it in this post, and it's not required reading.)
Technically, there is a fifth: space warfare proper (an admixture). But, we shall simply focus on the four primary. I use the term 'spatial forms' because I don't know a better term. See below.
An interesting, real-world example is America's Space Force. This is fundamentally army-and-naval driven (i.e. Marines), despite its primary air force-like nature in simple terms of the vessels and how it would function in a war. This is evidenced by the fact its ranking system and such is built around the Marine Corps. I guess, that means, going with American Marines (a complex admixture of both soldier and sailor) is not such a bad idea in sci-fi. We all know this is a decent idea, anyway, and it's seen heavily in sci-fi since the 1940s (hence, the term 'space marine'). Other marine forces are fairly in line with this, as well. The typical route here is space as an ocean. The ships are merely carrying the marines to their location (planet or otherwise). You see this with Star Wars' Stormtroopers (though I did not mention such above, I shall now: this stems from late-WWI when Germany created new advanced tactics for storming British trenches. But, most of all, it speaks to Hitler's Stormtroopers, fused with some kind of space marine position; thus, we end up with Lucas' forgetting Stormtrooper force). (Of course, the Rebels of Star Wars and the Empire's TIE Fighters go with the space as air with less stuff trope. And, there is a general sense of both army and navy from the Empire. You rarely get the 'submarine feel', in this case.)
Star Trek (at least, the original) takes the spaceships as submarines trope much of the time (other than the fact, their ships are far too wasteful, volume-wise -- but that's mostly for filming purposes, so I can accept it). I actually love this mode (though I don't care for Star Trek's version so much).
Battlestar Galactica (new series), among others, seems to take a mixed view.
Which form or mode you run with, primarily, really depends upon the exact setting, culture, story, theme, and style you're going with. I suggest figuring out which you want/which fits best, and then trying to stick to that singular vision as much as possible. To get ideas, you can research as much as possible -- both real science/history and fiction.
submitted by TheRetroWorkshop to TDLH [link] [comments]
'Is it [history] many-coloured? May be it is many-coloured, too: if one takes the dress uniforms, military and civilian, of all peoples in all ages--that alone is worth something, and if you take the undress uniforms you will never get to the end of it; no historian would be equal to the job. Is it monotonous? May be it's monotonous too: it's fighting and fighting; they are fighting now, they fought first and they fought last--you will admit, that it is almost too monotonous.
In short, one may say anything about the history of the world--anything that might enter the most disordered imagination. The only thing one can't say is that it's rational. The very word sticks in one's throat. And, indeed, this is the odd thing that is continually happening: there are continually turning up in life moral and rational persons, sages and lovers of humanity who make it their object to live all their lives as morally and rationally as possible, to be, so to speak, a light to their neighbours simply in order to show them that it is possible to live morally and rationally in this world. And yet we all know that those very people sooner or later have been false to themselves, playing some queer trick, often a most unseemly one.
Now I ask you: what can be expected of man since he is a being endowed with strange qualities? Shower upon him every earthly blessing, drown him in a sea of happiness, so that nothing but bubbles of bliss can be seen on the surface; give him economic prosperity, such that he should have nothing else to do but sleep, eat cakes and busy himself with the continuation of his species, and even then out of sheer ingratitude, sheer spite, man would play you some nasty trick. He would even risk his cakes and would deliberately desire the most fatal rubbish, the most uneconomical absurdity, simply to introduce into all this positive good sense his fatal fantastic element. It is just his fantastic dreams, his vulgar folly that he will desire to retain, simply in order to prove to himself--as though that were so necessary--that men still are men and not the keys of a piano, which the laws of nature threaten to control so completely that soon one will be able to desire nothing but by the calendar.'
-
I would only add that he was rather harsh on the soldier and his general. Many-coloured, is he! The eternal shine of the ten million blades, the wooden hilt; the forgotten hammer, the ships of our forefathers. Ah! Such a pity to see nought in it but blood and sand -- now, that is monotonous. If man is to mean anything at all, it must be finding some honour in life... and death. War, it must be known, is the great stage-play of time. Surely, then, the warrior is the greatest (male) part to play? Otherwise, it's all for nought!
If you're going to, as the author, gift your setting a military and its honour, you have to actually put yourself inside the mind of the general, the trooper, the law-maker, the wife at home, the child in the street; otherwise, it's going to be a hollowed-out system, a mere mote. It does not matter to me if you believe in war or not, or if all war is just (certainly, it's not): what matters is that you do your setting and peoples justice, regardless of what they may find themselves. After all, this is your job as the writer, as the artist. It's your job to let your characters and their stories free, and follow them, as to see where they may lead.
I'm not even going to dig into the elements at play, such as brotherhood, inter-national conflict resolution, national defence, social structure, and physical fitness. These elements ought to be known to you all: they are some of the clear benefits to warfare and boot camp/training, in general. I have not yet found a defeatist army, for example -- or yet a nation without some kind of guarder force, vast or not. (Note: there are some claims that actual warfare did not exist until around 9,000 BC, but I find this very difficult to believe, and have seen some counter-evidence. For example, Jane Goodall and de Waal find that chimps go to war (raiding parties, sometimes wiping out entire tribes); and there are strong indications that pre-historic human tribes were war-driven, just on smaller scales, and often using wooden weapons (thus, no direct evidence is found). We know that modern hunting (and fire-making, and related matters) existed at least 1.5-2 million years ago, according to the books I own and more recent research. That's the entire history of humanity, ultimately. There is no way these spears and slings were not used against man.)
Well, a big part of space opera is, indeed, warfare (typically in relation to defence of the Good [nation] and psychomachy). Anyway, without further ado, I give to you...
Part One: A Brief History of Battles, Great and Small
Let's begin with Alexander the Great, because why not (though I could have started with Sargon of Akkad many years prior). Alexander's army was a powerful, fast-moving, and relatively small force of 40,000 men (equal to a Napoleonic corps or so). Often credited with inventing genius 'shock' tactics (the so-called hammer and anvil tactic) to overwhelm equally-sized forces. He even managed to break up, and then defeat, the vast Persian army under King Darius III (around 1500,000 strong). Alexander the Great's army is as close to the cinematic glory of 300 (2006) as you're likely to find. Soon after, Alexander was crowned King of Asia in a lavish ceremony.
Moving forward a few hundred years, at its peak, the Roman military possibly had over 500,000 soldiers across its regions (around 0.5% of citizens -- which is a fairly reliable standard across history) by 306 AD during the reign of Constantine I. Compare this to the Roman conquest of Britain under Plautius, with just a 40,000-man force (four legions and 20,000 auxiliary troops, including Thracians) in 43 AD. (It's also worth mentioning, if you're in a long-term space war, individual companies, legions, or otherwise could stay outfitted for as long as 500 years at a time without issue. The Roman Legion, Legio IX Hispana, for example, existed for at least 150 years, and led the conquest of Britain. And, within the Warhammer 40,000 universes, a single Space Marine sees battle for about 400 years before he's KIA (killed in action).)
During the Battle of Hastings in 1066 AD, each side only had upwards of 5,000-8,000 men (around 15,000 in total). This was actually a common trend, from what I found: equally common was the notion of 'law of war' and related, which meant that each side wanted to be roughly equal to the other side. This is one of the most profound discoveries of my life (more on this later). (The Japanese invasion of China, for example, taught me that having too much control over your enemy leads to madness -- there must be an innate drive to some sense of honour, fair challenge in war-making. When men are without equals, they become titans, as it were. And, if you know anything about some of the Greek titans: they were not very friendly or sane.)
Around this time (960-1279 AD), the Song Dynasty of China had a remarkable standing army of over two million men, and made use of tank-like carts and newly-invented 'grandes' (known as 'thunder crash bombs'). However, this was financially exhausting, but it was sometimes capable of fighting against invading Khitans, Jurchens, and Mongols, largely thanks to the great iron industry. Individual battles, however, were quite small.
By the time of the First Italian War (1494 AD), Europe was really starting to take its modern shape, and there were hundreds of what are ultimately power struggle wars and rebellions across Europe as we moved out of the Middle Ages. This was the opening phase of the Italian Wars, which existed between 1494 and 1559 AD. The Battle of Marignano was the last major engagement of the War of the League of Cambrai (aka the wars between 1508 and 1516 AD, within the Italian Wars. The main participants were the French, Papal States, and Republic of Venice) and took place in 1515 AD, southeast of Milan. The Battle of Marignano pitted the French army, led by Francis I and the best heavy cavalry and artillery in Europe, against the Old Swiss Confederacy (within the Holy Roman Empire -- this was the precursor of the modern state of Switzerland), whose mercenaries until that point were regarded as the best medieval infantry force in Europe. The French had German landsknechts (mercenaries famed for pike and shot formations) on their side. The French won and suffered just half the losses, and did so with a fairly stronger force -- possibly 35,000 men compared to 22,000 on the Swiss side. This led to the Treaty of Fribourg, which established the 'Perpetual Peace', and ensured good relations between the two nations for nearly 200 years. This event is largely what led to Switzerland's world-famous diplomatic autonomy and militaristic neutrality. Nonetheless, this battle -- and countless others at the time -- saw similar numbers to centuries past: roughly 20,000 on each side.
Part Two: An Introduction to Military Divisions & the Numbering System
Enter Maurice de Saxe circa 1710 AD, whom you can thank, at least in part, for the modern military system, largely due to the major increase in soldiers by the 18th century, and his advanced thinking in response. A major battle felt by a young de Saxe was the Battle of Malplaquet during the War of the Spanish Succession. Battles pressed on in this manner, and at some point, de Saxe began to write about it. He wrote Mes Reveries, a profound work on the art of war, which was published after his death in 1757 AD.
He had the grand idea of reshaping the regiment system into large 'legions' (modern divisions), so that the effective officers were not wasted on smaller, single regiments. These divisions would consist of four regiments and would have a more even mix of veteran soldiers and new recruits, as well. On top of this, he -- along with some other key theorists at the time -- had the idea of simply numbering the divisions and regiments, replacing the traditional system of naming them by their commanders or by locations/regions: because that's a very temporary, rigid system that only works for small, tight-knit groups. The divisional system also allowed soldiers to climb the ranks, and effectively learn from the veterans.
The regimental system shatters command structure and weakens mobility, despite the fact you have smaller, often lighter units. Too many small, separate, disorganised units is highly ineffective when you're dealing with large armies, and quite an advanced enemy (be it the British or Prussians, in this case). What de Saxe noticed was a failing system of rigid tradition. He also hated this sort of grenadier mentality of the 17th and 18th centuries, as it displaced all the strongest and most experienced soldiers. Of course, de Saxe was not against the existence of grenadiers: the strongest soldiers, leading the assaults, such as storming fortifications. He simply wanted to evenly spread them out across all the regiments, and legions, so that every single unit was an effective tool. (This grenadier concept actually survives to this day, as a grenade launcher specialist of a typical four-man fireteam (traditionally, sharing much in common with WWII-era shock troops), and you see it all the time in movies, where he is still typically the biggest, strongest of the team.)
Battles were increasingly crossing the 100,000 mark in terms of soldier count; whereas, not long ago (that is, around 1650 AD), the numbers were more likely in the range of 20,000 for most battles, other than a few outliers.
Then, de Saxe died before he had the opportunity to actually implement his system, though the Duke de Broglie led some successful experiments with it during the Seven Years War, but it took until the French Revolution for the 'division' concept to be enforced, systematically. This ultimately fell at the hands of the French Revolutionary Army.
Enter Lazare Carnot. Like de Saxe, Carnot saw that some regiments were full of veterans, whilst others -- namely, the new revolutionary brigades -- were filled with barely-trained recruits. And, like de Saxe, his solution was to separate out the veterans and embed them within these new brigades. More importantly, he embraced de Saxe's idea of the 'division'. The new demi-brigades (regiments, as the Revolutionary Government hated and removed the term regiment) would be combined into brigades, and brigades would be combined into divisions. Later, under Napoleon, divisions themselves were combined into corps (which is and has always been the highest level of operational units for actual combat, with all units larger than corps being purely administrative, with a clear exception being Napoleon's Armee (i.e. modern field army), and a few other, smaller army groups).
This wonderfully created an intermediate level of control between the general and the brigade commanders. The Revolutionary Army became at once an army of mass and mobility. This allowed the army to move faster and more decisively than their enemies, who were still commanding at regiment or brigade level.
Full implementation of the divisional system was not realised until the French Revolutionary Government, in their centralising and anti-aristocratic ways, when they decided to entirely remove the old system of naming regiments after their commanders. They saw all of this as part of the 'ancien regime' (i.e. 'the System' or 'old system', language also used by Hitler in relation to what he called the 'Weimar Republic'. Not uncommon language from any new system). The second factor at play was that the French Revolutionary Government also didn't like the idea of merely naming regiments after regions of France. The final factor was scale: the Army was larger than ever, which made it very difficult to give specific names.
As a result, the Government began numbering their units by the late-1700s. Although the Roman legions themselves had been numbered, and de Saxe argued for it many years prior, some scholars believe that this was purely an administrative decision. (Obviously, your naming convention can be more on the religious/traditional or seculamodern side, depending on just how the entire system is set up. Warhammer 40,000 is a good example of a more Roman-inspired system, despite its far-future nature, so it's not uncommon to find very traditional, religious naming conventions within Warhammer 40,000, coupled with simple, administrative systems. And, again: Nazi Germany and other 20th-century powers, such as America and England, also shifted towards numbered and/or lettered systems for pretty much everything. Not shockingly, this is heavily featured in sci-fi, as well.)
Part Three: Napoleon & the Birth of Modern War:
Although the concepts of the 'corps' and 'battalion carre' (that is, four corps) existed, they were also not implemented until the time of Napoleon in the early-1800s. He began grouping divisions into corps, making the largest units in history -- equal to entire armies of older periods (three divisions and some cavalry regiments, for upwards of 30,000 men). He commanded dozens of these corps (I think, around 20 of them for his Grande Armee when he invaded Russia in 1812 AD -- or, 500,000-600,000 men, equal to the entire core Roman military at the height of its power).
Napoleon's genius -- despite his supreme failure to invade Russia -- was ensuring that these corps were typically independent fighting units. This meant they were self-sufficient armies unto themselves. This allowed for a vast force, without the whole system becoming sluggish and disorganised. Of course, as with Alexander the Great before him, this ultimately led to major decentralization and failure once the leader is defeated; thus, without a singular ruler, and without endless success, the entire system breaks down (unless there is something else binding them).
Nonetheless, by now, all the European powers had adopted the divisional system. The first British divisions were established by Arthur Wellesley in 1809 AD, for example. The Napoleonic corps system then became standardised, as well.
On the other hand -- and other side of the world -- the U.S. had its own 'legion', wholly separate from the European divisional evolution. They were independent units for the western wilderness, not sub-elements of a larger army. The U.S. finally adopted a more European system by WWI, however. (Mostly because the U.S. was simply not a large enough force yet, though it did have some major battles and unit examples.)
Regardless, the primary building block for all was still the regiment or division. This remained true through WWII and beyond.
Part Four: The Four Spatial Forms of Sci-fi
I shall skip modern history, because it's -- shockingly -- not much different to older history. This further tells me that there are some universal themes and elements to warfare, unless something changes beyond measure. As of 2023 AD, the basic building block of most armies is still the regiment or division, and 'shock' tactics, of smaller units are back in style, and have been since the 1960s or so. (I do have a few things to say about WWI and beyond, but I cannot fit it in this post, and it's not required reading.)
Technically, there is a fifth: space warfare proper (an admixture). But, we shall simply focus on the four primary. I use the term 'spatial forms' because I don't know a better term. See below.
- Space as an ocean (navy propeoceanic)
- Spaceships as submarines (navy/subaquatic)
- Spaceships as tanks (army/ground)
- Space as air with less stuff (air force/air)
An interesting, real-world example is America's Space Force. This is fundamentally army-and-naval driven (i.e. Marines), despite its primary air force-like nature in simple terms of the vessels and how it would function in a war. This is evidenced by the fact its ranking system and such is built around the Marine Corps. I guess, that means, going with American Marines (a complex admixture of both soldier and sailor) is not such a bad idea in sci-fi. We all know this is a decent idea, anyway, and it's seen heavily in sci-fi since the 1940s (hence, the term 'space marine'). Other marine forces are fairly in line with this, as well. The typical route here is space as an ocean. The ships are merely carrying the marines to their location (planet or otherwise). You see this with Star Wars' Stormtroopers (though I did not mention such above, I shall now: this stems from late-WWI when Germany created new advanced tactics for storming British trenches. But, most of all, it speaks to Hitler's Stormtroopers, fused with some kind of space marine position; thus, we end up with Lucas' forgetting Stormtrooper force). (Of course, the Rebels of Star Wars and the Empire's TIE Fighters go with the space as air with less stuff trope. And, there is a general sense of both army and navy from the Empire. You rarely get the 'submarine feel', in this case.)
Star Trek (at least, the original) takes the spaceships as submarines trope much of the time (other than the fact, their ships are far too wasteful, volume-wise -- but that's mostly for filming purposes, so I can accept it). I actually love this mode (though I don't care for Star Trek's version so much).
Battlestar Galactica (new series), among others, seems to take a mixed view.
Which form or mode you run with, primarily, really depends upon the exact setting, culture, story, theme, and style you're going with. I suggest figuring out which you want/which fits best, and then trying to stick to that singular vision as much as possible. To get ideas, you can research as much as possible -- both real science/history and fiction.
2023.05.29 22:47 Whoddun1t Game of the Year 2017 - Bracket Round 1 of 2
Here's our top 32 games of 2017, and from here will see which have what it takes to win!
You have 48 hours to vote before the polls close, the results are tallied, and the second round will begin. Happy voting to you all!
-----
Nomination Results
-----
PREVIOUS GAME OF THE YEAR WINNERS:
2018: Red Dead Redemption 2
2019: Hades
2020: DOOM Eternal
2021: Resident Evil Village
2022: Elden Ring
submitted by Whoddun1t to videogames [link] [comments]
- A Hat in Time
- Assassin’s Creed Origins
- Call of Duty: WWII
- Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
- Cuphead
- Detention
- Dishonored: Death of the Outsider
- Divinity: Original Sin II
- Doki Doki Literature Club!
- Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age
- Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator
- The Evil Within 2
- Fortnite
- Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy
- Gravity Rush 2
- The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve
- Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
- Hollow Knight
- Horizon Zero Dawn
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Life is Strange: Before the Storm
- Little Nightmares
- NieR: Automata
- Night in the Woods
- Prey
- Rain World
- Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
- Sonic Mania
- South Park: The Fractured But Whole
- Super Mario Odyssey
- Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
- What Remains of Edith Finch
You have 48 hours to vote before the polls close, the results are tallied, and the second round will begin. Happy voting to you all!
-----
Nomination Results
-----
PREVIOUS GAME OF THE YEAR WINNERS:
2018: Red Dead Redemption 2
2019: Hades
2020: DOOM Eternal
2021: Resident Evil Village
2022: Elden Ring
2023.05.29 22:47 Whoddun1t Game of the Year 2017 - Bracket Round 1 of 2 (Anybody and Everybody is welcome!)
Here's our top 32 games of 2017, and from here will see which have what it takes to win!
You have 48 hours to vote before the polls close, the results are tallied, and the second round will begin. Happy voting to you all!
-----
Nomination Results
-----
PREVIOUS GAME OF THE YEAR WINNERS:
2018: Red Dead Redemption 2
2019: Hades
2020: DOOM Eternal
2021: Resident Evil Village
2022: Elden Ring
submitted by Whoddun1t to SampleSize [link] [comments]
- A Hat in Time
- Assassin’s Creed Origins
- Call of Duty: WWII
- Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
- Cuphead
- Detention
- Dishonored: Death of the Outsider
- Divinity: Original Sin II
- Doki Doki Literature Club!
- Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age
- Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator
- The Evil Within 2
- Fortnite
- Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy
- Gravity Rush 2
- The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve
- Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
- Hollow Knight
- Horizon Zero Dawn
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Life is Strange: Before the Storm
- Little Nightmares
- NieR: Automata
- Night in the Woods
- Prey
- Rain World
- Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
- Sonic Mania
- South Park: The Fractured But Whole
- Super Mario Odyssey
- Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
- What Remains of Edith Finch
You have 48 hours to vote before the polls close, the results are tallied, and the second round will begin. Happy voting to you all!
-----
Nomination Results
-----
PREVIOUS GAME OF THE YEAR WINNERS:
2018: Red Dead Redemption 2
2019: Hades
2020: DOOM Eternal
2021: Resident Evil Village
2022: Elden Ring
2023.05.29 22:27 Aisling_The_Sapphire Subnautica: Below Zero - The Definitive No-Spoilers Guide For New Players
Updated May 2023
After changing reddit accounts and about a year since posting it, it seemed prudent to throw this up for visibility. :)
Few things are worse than not knowing what happened to a loved one. Which is what convinced Robin Ayou to get into a drop shuttle with a lifepod with basically nothing, then fire herself down onto an ocean planet where the only place that she could investigate was a tiny little patch of barely-even-land and pray she can survive long enough to find a way to get off the planet.
Nobody ever told Robin she was great at forward planning.
https://subnauticamap.io/belowzero - This map will provide direction/orientation for this guide, but BEWARE! It marks spoilers if you turn those on!
Note that may not be the case later. The weather in this game is a serious thing.
Once you have your stuff, you'll find the drop pod on your HUD. Don't go straight to it, though. As soon as you hit the water, look for an indentation in the ground. You'll find some copper in there. Then, follow the northern glacial wall (That's to your right when you're looking at your lifepod) until you find a small cave, which will have some silver and gold. That'll get you started off nicely. Get to your lifepod, take a look at your fabricator. You'll find that the items you have blueprints for can be pinned to the top-right in your PDA by clicking on them in the blueprints tab, a useful feature when hunting for materials.
Your goals right now are your basic survival tools. Note that the kelp forest is a bad place to hold your stuff in your hand. The sea monkeys are kleptomaniacs and will gank your stuff. You can totally get it back though, it just means chasing after them a bit, which is annoying and wastes time. However, if you pull out a flare and hold it in front of them, they freak out and run away from you for a little bit.
This area is called Twisty Bridges. It's the main go-to for coral samples and you'll want those. There's small bits of Alterra stuff scattered around the area. It's here you'll find mobile vehicle bay, sea truck and seaglide fragments. When you've been in the area for a bit, you'll hear what sounds like an SOS. It's worth checking that out and you'll find that this spot goes deeper than you might suspect. Makes you wonder what's down there, doesn't it?
Beyond Twisty Bridges lies the thermal spires, an area of volcanic activity and thermal smokers. Many sea truck fragments are here. The wildlife here is noisy and menacing sounding but if you don't hang out next to them they're easy to avoid. Smacking one with a blade will made it instantly turn and get the hell away from you. They don't like being hit. On the border between thermal spires and twisty bridges someplace is a small foundation platform with external grow beds for you to scan, but you can get these at Omega Station later if you're not sweating on it. There are large crevices and a few volcanic fissures out here. Beware the heat vents, but exploring those areas can pay off, later.
On the island, you'll find blueprints you need, as well as some materials like sulfur and horseshoe nuts. The latter are very useful to plant in the seabase you'll be wanting. Take care to look around thoroughly for blueprints you'll find useful, as not all of them are inside the buildings. Also, keep a sharp eye out for music disks which you'll find scattered throughout the game, especially in bases.
On the south-west corner of the island is a precursor artifact you can scan. Look for the beach with all the pengwings on it. The habitat builder can be found on a box outside Delta Station. Make sure to scan the map inside the sea base. There's also a PDA up by the comms tower.
Go on, shoo. Go make a base.
...
Okay, got one now? Good! Hopefully it's someplace nice. Your basic sea truck can't get down to where you want to be going next but a depth module will take care of that. A MkII depth module will let you get to the very bottom of where you want to go. Where do you want to go? Koppa Mine. You'll find it on the western side of the island. Take care to look around when you find the door eventually, since there is a databox just inside the main doors, before you head down. It has the moonpool and will allow you to get that much earlier than you would through scanning it.
To drive the seatruck inside the mine, drive north from the entrance of Koppa mine, you'll come across a volcanic fissure in the seafloor nearby which has JUST enough space for you to fit your seatruck through it. The fissure leads right into Koppa Mine, allowing you to drive the seatruck inside!
The other alternative is actually spare air tanks. Totally a viable solution so long as you remember to refill them by equipping them once you're out of the water. You can swap them out mid-dive and extend your breathing time, which is handy since the prawn fragment blueprints you require are kinda far down there. If you're free diving in this way, note that the bottom chamber of the mine has a hole in the ceiling leading to a small cave system which will lead you back to the surface, as well as having a number of oxygen plants to keep you from choking on the way. The entrance to that is almost right next to the Delta Station docks.
Also note that Site Zero, which has useful blueprints, can be found by hugging the northern glacial wall and heading east along it. You can find it by checking breaks in the ice, one of them leads up to a small hidden cave where the base lies. But if you don't find it, you'll be directed here later. It just has some useful things to scan and a lantern fruit tree. There is a music disk here.
Following the marker for the unknown pilots last position, you will find a green area rich in confusing cave systems. This area is the lilypads zone. Old girl can be found down near the signal, just look for the shimmering things on the wall, the hive minds. She's near them. Grab the seatruck defense module she has in there. Be sure to pick up the databox directly outside her base to get the stillsuit as well and if you follow the caves down where they turn blue you'll stumble on an old thermal plant of hers, where another databox lies. There's fragments scattered all over this zone as well as The mercury II stern, which lays on the border between lilypads and purple vents, as well as the bow, which is a little further in on the western side of lilypads. Be sure to explore the area thoroughly and take note of the massive crevasse near the middle of the zone. Inside the chunk of land here is Omega Lab, which will net you the external grow beds, nuclear plant, nuclear disposal as well as a couple new beds and the antenna plants. It's in this area you'll need to search for nickel later, so building a scanner station here is a good idea. Deep Lilypads holds an Al-An body part you'll require. Deep Lilypads is also the only place you can acquire the materials to manufacture benzene.
Don't go too close to the Lily Paddlers, unless you like being off your face, in which case go say hi, it's hilarious.Trust me. ;D
In order to disable the satellite for Dances-With-Reapers, you're going to need to wreck dive the Mercury II. Two of its sections can be found in purple vents, while the bow - the largest - can be found in Lilypads, west of Omega Labs floating island. You'll need the laser cutter for this. Your goal is to scan the parallel processors in the wreck, but there's all kinds of really useful stuff in there too, not to mention all the titanium. ALL the titanium. So be sure to drop beacons on these things, bring a spare air tank and bring your pathfinder tool. If you don't have the pathfinder tool, go look around in the caves full of emeralds between Phi Robotics docks and Phi Robotics itself. There is one up on a small ridge in one of those caves. If you can't find it, don't worry though, just bring flares and use them as breadcrumbs while diving to prevent yourself from getting too lost. The alien containment tank, reinforced dive suit, parallel processor can be found in these. A music disk is in the bow section on a bridge console.
You can get to lower glacial basin through the upper part, but it's a bit confusing and I prefer to access it via the glacial tunnel. Head south along the western glacial wall from the glacial basin docks and you'll find a tunnel which eye jellyfish are hanging out near. This tunnel leads directly to lower glacial basin and provides a convenient way to access the area without needing to travel through upper GB every time.
Northern Glacial Basin can be accessed by scanning the hydraulic fluid on the bridge, then repairing the bridge to cross it. DO NOT GO HERE WITHOUT THE PRAWN. SERIOUSLY. The grip arm is very handy to have out here and if you haven't found it, use a scanner room in Lilypads to find the sea monkey nests but it's not necessary so don't stress if you don't have it. Just don't use the snow fox. It's useless and handles like crap.
The iceworms here are dangerous if you stay still too long. Take your time, explore thoroughly and mark out any Alterra sites you find with beacons. A couple of these have the blueprints for the Thumper and this is your ticket to working in this area safely. A thumper will keep the iceworms away within a radius, ensuring you don't get whacked while picking stuff up outside the prawn.
Along the western wall of this zone is a small cave with three large ion cube deposits. Keep a sharp eye out for it, you definitely want those. At the north-east tip of the zone you'll find ice worm corpses you can scan that don't put you in mortal danger during the attempt.
Really funny seeing them pop up and chow down on snow stalkers, though. Pay back sucks, don't it? Al-An's body part is out here. Keep an eye out for the precursor cables and make sure to check all the caves, because the master gateway leading to Phi Robotics is here as well. The room containing the gateway leads to a small docks and tunnel with an ice wall you can cut through to easily access the middle of northern glacial basin from the docks. There is a music disk at those docks as well.
The Shadow Leviathan.
Ohhhh boy are they ever aggressive. Good news for you though, they patrol around on a set route and they don't go through the whole of crystal caves. You'll be looking for fragments here, as well as materials. Lots of gold, silver and kyanite in the crevasses in the floor of these caves. An Al-An body part, the final one, can be found at the bottom of a tunnel which is mouthed by a circular formation of crystals. Once you have it, you'll want to go even deeper to find the fabrication facility, forcing you to wander crystal caves until you find the blood crystal caves.
And... that's that! That's the whole game.
submitted by Aisling_The_Sapphire to subnautica [link] [comments]
After changing reddit accounts and about a year since posting it, it seemed prudent to throw this up for visibility. :)
Few things are worse than not knowing what happened to a loved one. Which is what convinced Robin Ayou to get into a drop shuttle with a lifepod with basically nothing, then fire herself down onto an ocean planet where the only place that she could investigate was a tiny little patch of barely-even-land and pray she can survive long enough to find a way to get off the planet.
Nobody ever told Robin she was great at forward planning.
https://subnauticamap.io/belowzero - This map will provide direction/orientation for this guide, but BEWARE! It marks spoilers if you turn those on!
Touchdown
Once you've landed, you'll find some food and water to start you off scattered around the ship. You won't have to worry about getting cold, since standing next to your now-burning ship will warm you up and the meteors coming down don't actually paste you, they're mostly to stress you out.Note that may not be the case later. The weather in this game is a serious thing.
Once you have your stuff, you'll find the drop pod on your HUD. Don't go straight to it, though. As soon as you hit the water, look for an indentation in the ground. You'll find some copper in there. Then, follow the northern glacial wall (That's to your right when you're looking at your lifepod) until you find a small cave, which will have some silver and gold. That'll get you started off nicely. Get to your lifepod, take a look at your fabricator. You'll find that the items you have blueprints for can be pinned to the top-right in your PDA by clicking on them in the blueprints tab, a useful feature when hunting for materials.
Your goals right now are your basic survival tools. Note that the kelp forest is a bad place to hold your stuff in your hand. The sea monkeys are kleptomaniacs and will gank your stuff. You can totally get it back though, it just means chasing after them a bit, which is annoying and wastes time. However, if you pull out a flare and hold it in front of them, they freak out and run away from you for a little bit.
Time To Get Rolling
Your first task, as indicated by the PDA, is to find Delta Island. This becomes relatively easy once you find a compass. If you've gone to the emergency cache you'll have the beacon blueprint so stock up on them before traveling so you can mark things. You're going to be making a lot of these but since you can toggle them it's not so bad, you'll just need a lot of beacons. Its south of where the drop pod lands. As you spread out your searching range you'll find that the sea floor drops down among twisty coral structures.This area is called Twisty Bridges. It's the main go-to for coral samples and you'll want those. There's small bits of Alterra stuff scattered around the area. It's here you'll find mobile vehicle bay, sea truck and seaglide fragments. When you've been in the area for a bit, you'll hear what sounds like an SOS. It's worth checking that out and you'll find that this spot goes deeper than you might suspect. Makes you wonder what's down there, doesn't it?
Beyond Twisty Bridges lies the thermal spires, an area of volcanic activity and thermal smokers. Many sea truck fragments are here. The wildlife here is noisy and menacing sounding but if you don't hang out next to them they're easy to avoid. Smacking one with a blade will made it instantly turn and get the hell away from you. They don't like being hit. On the border between thermal spires and twisty bridges someplace is a small foundation platform with external grow beds for you to scan, but you can get these at Omega Station later if you're not sweating on it. There are large crevices and a few volcanic fissures out here. Beware the heat vents, but exploring those areas can pay off, later.
On the island, you'll find blueprints you need, as well as some materials like sulfur and horseshoe nuts. The latter are very useful to plant in the seabase you'll be wanting. Take care to look around thoroughly for blueprints you'll find useful, as not all of them are inside the buildings. Also, keep a sharp eye out for music disks which you'll find scattered throughout the game, especially in bases.
On the south-west corner of the island is a precursor artifact you can scan. Look for the beach with all the pengwings on it. The habitat builder can be found on a box outside Delta Station. Make sure to scan the map inside the sea base. There's also a PDA up by the comms tower.
Let's Go Explorin'
So, by now you've visited Delta Island, have had a good look around Twisty Bridges and you've probably discovered the sea monkey caves in Kelp Forest. If you haven't gone exploring in those, you really ought to. You'll find more MVB fragments there but that's also where the propulsion cannon blueprint can be found, the laser cutter, as well as a fair amount of gold and some precursor artifacts as well. Once that's all done with and taken care of, you've probably got at least a tiny seabase, but if you don't... what are you doing?Go on, shoo. Go make a base.
...
Okay, got one now? Good! Hopefully it's someplace nice. Your basic sea truck can't get down to where you want to be going next but a depth module will take care of that. A MkII depth module will let you get to the very bottom of where you want to go. Where do you want to go? Koppa Mine. You'll find it on the western side of the island. Take care to look around when you find the door eventually, since there is a databox just inside the main doors, before you head down. It has the moonpool and will allow you to get that much earlier than you would through scanning it.
To drive the seatruck inside the mine, drive north from the entrance of Koppa mine, you'll come across a volcanic fissure in the seafloor nearby which has JUST enough space for you to fit your seatruck through it. The fissure leads right into Koppa Mine, allowing you to drive the seatruck inside!
The other alternative is actually spare air tanks. Totally a viable solution so long as you remember to refill them by equipping them once you're out of the water. You can swap them out mid-dive and extend your breathing time, which is handy since the prawn fragment blueprints you require are kinda far down there. If you're free diving in this way, note that the bottom chamber of the mine has a hole in the ceiling leading to a small cave system which will lead you back to the surface, as well as having a number of oxygen plants to keep you from choking on the way. The entrance to that is almost right next to the Delta Station docks.
Also note that Site Zero, which has useful blueprints, can be found by hugging the northern glacial wall and heading east along it. You can find it by checking breaks in the ice, one of them leads up to a small hidden cave where the base lies. But if you don't find it, you'll be directed here later. It just has some useful things to scan and a lantern fruit tree. There is a music disk here.
Way Down South
By now you've probably answered the SoS. If not, go do that. As you hang out with Al-An, he'll give you prompts to artifacts that you haven't found yet, if you dawdle in looking for the required number. At this point you should have the following:- A sea base, even a basic one. The databox in Koppa Mine's entrance will grant you the moon pool but if you missed it, you can get the blueprint later following the storyline.
- Seaglide, knife, propulsion cannon, beacons, repair tool, scanner, flashlight, builder tool
- Seatruck with at least one depth module
- Prawn blueprints
Following the marker for the unknown pilots last position, you will find a green area rich in confusing cave systems. This area is the lilypads zone. Old girl can be found down near the signal, just look for the shimmering things on the wall, the hive minds. She's near them. Grab the seatruck defense module she has in there. Be sure to pick up the databox directly outside her base to get the stillsuit as well and if you follow the caves down where they turn blue you'll stumble on an old thermal plant of hers, where another databox lies. There's fragments scattered all over this zone as well as The mercury II stern, which lays on the border between lilypads and purple vents, as well as the bow, which is a little further in on the western side of lilypads. Be sure to explore the area thoroughly and take note of the massive crevasse near the middle of the zone. Inside the chunk of land here is Omega Lab, which will net you the external grow beds, nuclear plant, nuclear disposal as well as a couple new beds and the antenna plants. It's in this area you'll need to search for nickel later, so building a scanner station here is a good idea. Deep Lilypads holds an Al-An body part you'll require. Deep Lilypads is also the only place you can acquire the materials to manufacture benzene.
Don't go too close to the Lily Paddlers, unless you like being off your face, in which case go say hi, it's hilarious.
In order to disable the satellite for Dances-With-Reapers, you're going to need to wreck dive the Mercury II. Two of its sections can be found in purple vents, while the bow - the largest - can be found in Lilypads, west of Omega Labs floating island. You'll need the laser cutter for this. Your goal is to scan the parallel processors in the wreck, but there's all kinds of really useful stuff in there too, not to mention all the titanium. ALL the titanium. So be sure to drop beacons on these things, bring a spare air tank and bring your pathfinder tool. If you don't have the pathfinder tool, go look around in the caves full of emeralds between Phi Robotics docks and Phi Robotics itself. There is one up on a small ridge in one of those caves. If you can't find it, don't worry though, just bring flares and use them as breadcrumbs while diving to prevent yourself from getting too lost. The alien containment tank, reinforced dive suit, parallel processor can be found in these. A music disk is in the bow section on a bridge console.
LAND HO!
Aaah, glacial basin. How I hate thee. The basin is split into four sections, two for each part of the basin, north and south. South is where you'll probably end up first. You can find the docks to access this area by tracking along the northern glacial wall and continuing west until you come to the eye jellyfish. Check the radio tower next to the docks, there is a music disk there. The upper southern area is where Phi Robotics lays, as well as frost vase plants and spicy peppers. Both of those are excellent crops to grow, as they net you useful things. The spicy peppers scattered throughout the entirety of glacial basin essentially means that you'll not starve while out here so long as you're paying attention to what you're doing. Note that snow stalkers REALLY HATE FLARES. They'll make your trips out here annoying, even in the prawn, which is the best way to ensure the weather isn't a factor for you. Sometimes they're in the caves. Flares will make exploring these much safer.You can get to lower glacial basin through the upper part, but it's a bit confusing and I prefer to access it via the glacial tunnel. Head south along the western glacial wall from the glacial basin docks and you'll find a tunnel which eye jellyfish are hanging out near. This tunnel leads directly to lower glacial basin and provides a convenient way to access the area without needing to travel through upper GB every time.
Northern Glacial Basin can be accessed by scanning the hydraulic fluid on the bridge, then repairing the bridge to cross it. DO NOT GO HERE WITHOUT THE PRAWN. SERIOUSLY. The grip arm is very handy to have out here and if you haven't found it, use a scanner room in Lilypads to find the sea monkey nests but it's not necessary so don't stress if you don't have it. Just don't use the snow fox. It's useless and handles like crap.
The iceworms here are dangerous if you stay still too long. Take your time, explore thoroughly and mark out any Alterra sites you find with beacons. A couple of these have the blueprints for the Thumper and this is your ticket to working in this area safely. A thumper will keep the iceworms away within a radius, ensuring you don't get whacked while picking stuff up outside the prawn.
Along the western wall of this zone is a small cave with three large ion cube deposits. Keep a sharp eye out for it, you definitely want those. At the north-east tip of the zone you'll find ice worm corpses you can scan that don't put you in mortal danger during the attempt.
Really funny seeing them pop up and chow down on snow stalkers, though. Pay back sucks, don't it? Al-An's body part is out here. Keep an eye out for the precursor cables and make sure to check all the caves, because the master gateway leading to Phi Robotics is here as well. The room containing the gateway leads to a small docks and tunnel with an ice wall you can cut through to easily access the middle of northern glacial basin from the docks. There is a music disk at those docks as well.
Going Down?
By now you're probably wondering where to go. Remember purple vents? The engine part of the mercury II has a crevasse leading down to where you need to go next. Once you've found the crystal caves, you better hope you picked up the defense module at Marg's base. It's sitting inside her room and sometimes gets knocked to the floor when Preston jumps you. You'll be wanting it for what's down here.The Shadow Leviathan.
Ohhhh boy are they ever aggressive. Good news for you though, they patrol around on a set route and they don't go through the whole of crystal caves. You'll be looking for fragments here, as well as materials. Lots of gold, silver and kyanite in the crevasses in the floor of these caves. An Al-An body part, the final one, can be found at the bottom of a tunnel which is mouthed by a circular formation of crystals. Once you have it, you'll want to go even deeper to find the fabrication facility, forcing you to wander crystal caves until you find the blood crystal caves.
Oh Yeah, It's All Comin' Together
So, you now have everything you need to build your home boy a body. Once that's done, you'll be wanting to wrap up the bit with Sam. If you've explored lower southern glacial basin, you'll have found the cave with the frozen leviathan. Oh, and grab the music disk in the security bunker. Exploring this cave gets you some useful stuff. You know the little caves here with the blinking markers? Explore these with spy penglings! There's some useful stuff in some of them, actually. Including the antidote Sam hid. You can use that on the loader located on the upper part of the leviathan in the cave.And... that's that! That's the whole game.
Tips and Tricks
- The air bladder can pull a tiny amount of air into your tank. It's not very much but those 10 seconds of extra air can save your life in a deep pinch.
- You can find lots of quartz if you hug the northern ice wall and roam east of west, but be careful of the brinewings. They'll freeze your ass, which can be inconvenient if you're low on air.
- Frost Anemone Hearts are actually a really great food source and should be picked up any time you can get them. They'll last forever in the fridge.
- Made your base with some helpful sea monkey neighbours? After awhile they stop stealing from you and begin trying to help you - but they don't know what you want! If you mark blueprints in your PDA, they'll try and bring you materials for that if they can.
- Most predators will back off if you feed them a fish before they bite you. This includes leviathans. You might still get hurt from them slamming into you or something but feeding them a fish will usually cause them to stop attacking you. This doesn't work against the shadow leviathan, it hates you and everything you hold dear. It doesn't know what those things are, but it doesn't care either. It just does.
- Spare air tanks are great and can be kept stocked in your sea truck, but remember to put them on to refill them.
- Animals will react to your behavior in some instances. Feel tree to try new things with them like feeding fish. You can even ride on glow whales! Some of them really hate flares too, like sea monkeys and snow stalkers.
- Surface bases are a completely viable thing in this game and some of the ice sheets have holes in them, allowing you to have a surface base with a dropped section for moonpools and water filters. Water filters will work outside of the water, but you don't get salt and they're much slower.
- Get the cold suit as soon as you can. It's in Phi Robotics. It changes your outside time from 2 minutes to 7 minutes, which is a huge difference. Without it, the prawn is the only way to explore the surface without constantly stressing about freezing to death. You can find the tufts of fur in snow stalker caves where the pups are, make sure you have a flare if you don't like getting nommed on.
- Can't figure out how to get on top of the ice sheet, but you want a base up there? Swim down deep and use the air bladder to get some height. You can build a hallway up there, then drop a ladder down into the water to make a surface base with an underwater docking section. Alternatively, you can probably get up there with the prawn and the grip arm.
- Speaking of the prawn and grip arm, you can totally launch yourself with it. Attaching the grip to the ground and using it to pull yourself into a jump will get you some serious air time, which is helpful for getting up small ridges on the surface. If you break the map and managed to get above it in the prawn, return to the player area. Being up there breaks progression completely and the only interesting thing is a leftover animation testbed east of glacial basin. The collision on terrain is also patchy here and it's possible to fall through the ground into the void. In your prawn. So don't screw around up there too much.
- Spicy peppers and coffee will both warm you up while on the surface, which makes the spicy peppers scattered all over the place pretty valuable.
- The greenhouse you get sent to can be found in Lilypads on an iceberg. The three large icebergs here all have things to find so be sure to search thoroughly.
- The crashed ship is a great place to get a lot of metal very quickly and will basically hand you a free sea base so long as you're willing to go keep picking it up. If you've already looted it all, give it awhile and check back later, sometimes new scrap shows up as the wrecks continue their eventual rot.
- Drop emergency caches of food, water, medpacks, batteries, power cells and flares along with a beacon and never be caught short on supplies because you went out looking for stuff and forgot to bring rations. D'oh!
- A small base specifically for replacing vehicles is very helpful when you lose one. Have the materials gathered beforehand and you won't have to spend a long time struggling to get them together after the bad feeling of having your stuff crunched.
- Be sure to look for creature eggs out in glacial basin
- Rock punchers are jerks and will kill stuff in your containment tank, so now you know, and knowing is half the battle. And the lives of your fish.
- There is no good way to scan the leviathans, but your scan progress gets saved if you don't scan other things, so letting it chow down on your seatruck and scanning it while it's distracted, then repairing your vehicle after, will allow you to get the whole scan after a couple rounds.
- Make scanner rooms everywhere. Solar panels and bio reactors are your friend. Nuclear power is better but not viable in early game. If you need magnetite, go to the glacial tunnel and look at the ice walls just where the tunnel curves upwards, you'll find ore fissures there with magnetite inside.
- Beacons, beacons, beacons. I can't stress this enough, litter them EVERYWHERE. You can toggle them on and off in your PDA, so having a bajillion around the map isn't really a problem and they're really useful.
- There are more precursor artifacts than Al-An mentions to you. Keep a sharp eye out, look everywhere and scan for ion cubes. Check icebergs for moulins, AKA hollow chambers inside. You'll need a laser cutter to access the ones you find.
- Tree Spires has a hell of a lot of uraninite in its cave systems, it's a good spot to stock up on it. Beware the chelicarate in the zone.
- The crystal caves are roughly the shape of a spiral. Knowing this makes navigating them a lot less mystifying. Mind you, it's still difficult. As usual, use beacons a lot. Also make sure to explore the cracks in the floor of the cave!
- Penglins/Pengwings drown if you leave them in the alien containment tank after hatching :( They have to hold their breaths. If you breed them, make sure to set them free.
- There are no large nodes for lead. You must search for galena outcrops with the scanner room. It's pretty much the only way to stock up on the stuff. The other one people have a lot of trouble with is Magnetite, which can only be found in lower glacial basin. You'll want a scanner room to find it. Upper glacial basin has a TON of lithium if you can handle the ice worms... as well as three large mining nodes for ion cubes hidden in a cave.
- Keep exploring Upper Glacial Basin even if you find the precursor body part. There are ice worm corpses and a slipgate out here for you to find. The slipgate links to the Phi Robotics slipgate and has a tunnel which leads directly back out to the docks that you can only cut open from the inside. There's also a music disk down there on a crate so keep a sharp eye out when you find it.
2023.05.29 22:04 Klokinator The Cryopod to Hell 492: Glinch's Thralls
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 1,933,000+ words long! For more information, check out the link below:
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...................................
(Previous Part)
(Part 001)
...
On the world of Numaria, more than half a dozen Demon Emperors and twenty Demon Dukes march through the paradise-class planet's forests as they head toward Emperor Glinch's Stitched Wasteland.
Emperor Auger does not directly join the party. He stays back at the capital of his world, viewing the happenings remotely through the power of a subordinate.
But Yardrat does lead the party. He is joined by Emperors Fae, Dagon, and Nymph, as well as Duke Hamir and several other elites of their Hell. It becomes obvious to all the other demons present that the Fourth Hell of Punishment is truly the mightiest among all the others. Even mere Dukes can explode with the power of Emperors, should Auger choose to grant them that ability.
As for the First Hell of Damnation, its remaining members are truly a miserable sight. Bael has become the lone Emperor still loyal to his Hell, while Mephisto and Zamiel no longer care about the alliances of their species. Bael is joined by Vepar, formerly the Baron of Toxicity, now having evolved to the rank of Duke through the human-demon alliance efforts.
Vepar, while not an Emperor, is still an insidious existence. Like Mephisto, she can transform her body into formless clouds of poison gas. She can strike with venom and poison alike, paralyzing her foes or corroding their nervous systems with ease.
Also notably absent is Beelzebub, due to him forcibly becoming aligned to Jason Hiro. While Beelzebub might actually prove an incredible powerhouse if he were to continue fighting for the First Hell's benefits, the problem is that none can say whether his allegiances would make him privy to spilling secrets of this operation to the humans...
From the Second Hell of Lust, not a single Duke joins the party. This Hell has already thrown their lots in with humanity, so no members of the Mephisto Extermination Operation are eager to have their secrets blabbed. Defeating Mephisto could lead to a discovery about the potential for ascension past the rank of Emperor. No demon elite wants that information to fall into the hands of their enemies.
From the Third Hell of Blood, few elites remain. Many of them were slain by the Cherubiim, reducing their Dukes to only a sliver of the other Hells. The Emperor of Thirst, Kristoff, still walks the mortal coil. He is joined by two subordinates, Vespera, the Duke of Gloom, and Rhesus, the Duke of Predation. These are the elites he considers his Hell's most capable remaining powerhouses, and the ones most suited for the mission to bring about Mephisto's end.
From the Fifth Hell of Calamity, a large number of Dukes join two Emperors, Serena and Crow, as they trail along behind the other Hells.
Unbeknownst to anyone present, Emperor Yumagi is alive and well. The only demons who observed his return were those aligned with Mephisto. Not even Gorn is aware that Yumagi survived the Cherubiim's wrath, and Yumagi is strangely keen to keep his return quiet.
As for the Sixth Hell of Isolation, only Emperor Melody has chosen to come along. The other elites of her Hell simply aren't in the right headpsace to join her, following their fall to the Plague.
Yama's Hell, the Seventh Hell of Corruption, has fallen apart with its Emperor being absorbed by Mephisto. Now, its many darkness-aligned entities have scattered in search of a figure lost to time...
Yardrat, Fae, Dagon, Nymph, Bael, Kristoff, Serena, Crow, and Melody march on the Stitched Wasteland, along with twenty Dukes. A terrifying force in any previous era, but one that feels somewhat weak and vulnerable in the months following the return of the Cherubiim, as well as the two Wordsmiths, not even mentioning the enemy they might face should they fail to stop Mephisto's ascension.
Yardrat's glum expression does nothing to uplift the moods of the others around him. As he and the other Emperors run across Numaria's surface, weaving their ways through the dense forests and trees, Bael speaks up from the back.
"Hey, Yardy! Why are we runnin' like a bunch of chumps? Just pop us over to Glinch with those fancy portals of yours!"
Yardrat shoots a glance back at Bael without slowing down. "I can't. Glinch's minions have an uncanny ability to twist the space around themselves. I couldn't create stable portals once we're inside if my life depended on it. I've no doubt he bred them for the express purpose of keeping me from spying on him."
Fae jumps over a bunch of twisted prickle-vines, scratching her palm on their thorns. "Doesn't that mean if something goes wrong, you won't be able to yank us out of the Stitched Wasteland?"
"Trust me." Yardrat mumbles, sounding more than a little depressed. "You don't want to hear my answer."
"There is no need to concern yourselves with escaping." Crow says solemnly, deftly flying through the underbrush with her blue wings. "If Mephisto ascends, it won't matter where we flee. He will be capable of hunting us like deer."
Yardrat snorts. "Speak for yourselves. I enjoy running away if it means saving my life."
"Coward." Bael says. "A REAL man always fights to the end!"
"Aren't you in a woman's body now?" Yardrat shoots back. "You're one to talk."
"H-hey! Women can be real men too!" Bael protests. "Get with the times!"
Emperor Melody laughs. "You tell him, Bael! Preach it!"
Serena remains silent, merely rolling her sightless eyes at everyone else's childish barbs.
...
Five hours pass as the demons race through Numaria's forests.
Eventually, the trees begin to thin out, before abruptly disappearing altogether. As if erased by a nuclear bomb, the forest's cover vanishes to reveal a grey-colored lifeless plain lacking all traces of warmth and life.
The Stitched Wasteland.
As soon as the demon leaders reach the edge of the wasteland, they pause their flight to stop and look around.
"Glinch's domain is bigger than you might first believe," Yardrat explains, gesturing toward the horizon. "Offhand, I believe the last time we measured the Stitched Wasteland's diameter, it was nearly 500 miles. You can't even see the other side from here because it dips below the horizon. The good news is, we only have to travel halfway into the interior, where Glinch's central laboratory resides."
Dagon, the Emperor of Pathogens, kneels down to scratch at the ashen soil. He grimaces as it clings to his palm and starts to burn his flesh.
"Acidic." Dagon mumbles.
"Every time Glinch creates a new thrall, his domain expands." Serena explains. "His toxic miasma is invisible and odorless, but it destroys plant-life and lower animals with ease. It won't have any effect on elites like us, but it's best if you don't deliberately play with the soil he's corroded."
Dagon shakes the soil off his palm, grimacing as he has to clap his hands and rub them against his pants to stop the acid from burning him further. Luckily, one of the Dukes nearby has a weak healing ability, so they're ability to fix him back up.
"What a miserable shithole." Fae groans. "I do NOT get what Glinch enjoys about living here! I'd go crazy from boredom after a week!"
Bael laughs. "No kidding, toots. Why do you think Glinch is such a wacko? He already went crazy!"
"Oh. Fair point." Fae mutters.
The Emperors and Dukes start moving toward the center of the wasteland, following Yardrat's lead. They do not run, but move at a brisk walk, keeping their eyes peeled for threats. Ten miles in the distance, they spot a pair of strange aberrant creatures standing perfectly still, looking at one another with hollow eyes, but they can't make out the details of those figures at their current distance.
"Bael, watch out!" Serena suddenly shouts, startling everyone.
Every demon elite's head snaps toward Bael's general direction just in time to see an invisible creature materializing, its massive body poised with a giant claw up in the air, ready to slash down at Bael.
The monster's huge torso and comparatively tiny head and skinny legs contrast with its wretchedly massive arms, its mottled and rotted skin, and its beady green venomous eyes.
The instant it snaps its claws down to assassinate Bael, the dumb galump accidentally trips on a rock, stumbling and avoiding the monster's attack! Bael falls face-first in the soil and the creature's downward slash swishes across his back, barely missing him by a millimeter!
"Lucky!" Yardrat exclaims, his pupils the size of pinpricks.
Crow roars in rage. She leaps toward the monster, the strange deformed horror with proportions far different from any naturally born creature in existence, and she swings her fist at its chest!
THUMP!
Crow knocks the creature down, sending it skidding backward across the dirt to lay in a heap.
But Crow doesn't celebrate. To her shock, she didn't even manage to bruise the monster, only knock it on its ass! The frighteningly durable monster silently stands up, and its body rapidly fades away as it becomes invisible.
Not once does the creature make a sound.
"Everyone watch out!" Crow shouts. "This bastard is strong! I don't even know if I hurt it!"
The heart of every demon elite skips a beat as they try to look for any signs of the monster. Only Serena, with her Soul Sensing capabilities, manages to trace its vague movement.
"Over there!" Serena says, pointing in front of Yardrat.
The monster once again becomes visible as it tries to slash Yardrat in half, but he isn't caught off-guard and leaps backward, safely avoiding it just in the nick of time.
"TEAR!" Yardrat yells, gnashing his teeth.
The Emperor of the Void tears the air in front of himself, unable to properly create a portal, but still able to momentarily rip a crack in space straight across the monster's torso.
A shallow cut on its chest is his only reward.
"Lucifer's Tits!" Bael exclaims, climbing to his feet. "This thing is as tough as demonstone!"
Melody fires off sonic blasts at the monster, punching with her fists to try and blow out its eardrums, but her attacks have no effect.
The monster continues charging at Yardrat to try and cut him to pieces. As it does, Crow once again steps up to protect Yardrat, deflecting its rending claws with her steel-like feathers while dishing out punishment with her fists. Crow is without a doubt the most physically imposting member of the party, possessing more strength than any demon in existence except for Belial.
But even she can't manage to do more than knock the monster back!
The other Emperors quickly start pitching in. Dagon summons corrosive chemicals to try and melt the monster's thick hide. Nymph summons vines from beneath its feet to wrap its legs and keep it immobile. Kristoff summons bloodied blades to cut the monster from behind, slashing its back with swords made from his own plasma. Fae fires explosive projectiles with a low yield at the monster, taking care not to accidentally hurt her allies. Melody sends sonic shockwaves into the ground, trying to soften the soil to trap the monster in quicksand.
But the monster proves more frightening than any of the Emperors imagined!
Bael and Serena can't provide much assistance to the others. They watch helplessly as Nymph's vines corrode to ash, melted by the Stitched Wasteland's ability to destroy plant-life. Fae's explosions barely even knock the monster back. Dagon might as well be shooting the monster with a squirt-gun for all the use his chemicals have. Melody can't seem to accomplish anything either!
"Shit." Bael growls. "I gotta help them."
"You don't have any magic." Serena says.
"No. But I got this." Bael says, reaching down to touch his weirdly fancy belt.
When Bael activates the Matriarch's Armor, it begins popping out of his waist and engulfing him from head to toe in lethal-looking demonstone armor. His plated chest and spiked shoulders turn Bael from a dopey looking version of Ose into a commanding and fearful warrior clad in demonic armor, making Serena gasp in surprise.
"Bael?" Serena asks, unable to see the armor, but sensing that his soul has suddenly become difficult to detect due to something shrouding his entire body. "What did you do?"
"Ose gave me some armor." Bael explains. "It ain't mine. But we'll talk 'bout it later. I gotta help the others!"
Bael doesn't hesitate. He rushes toward the monster, joining Crow as a frontline tank to try and draw the creature's attention.
Crow barely even registers Bael's new appearance, shoving any concerns about the demonstone-clad warrior to the back of her mind. All she feels is relief when the monster's brutal strikes slow down as it starts slashing at Bael as well.
THUNK! THUNK!!
The brutish monster silently whales on the others. For ten minutes, Bael and Crow take the beatings of their lives while Yardrat slowly tears its skin and cuts its bones with targeted spatial distortions. He alone manages to injure the creature the most heavily, while the other Dukes and Emperors can barely offer much assistance.
Bael grimaces as the creature grabs him by his helmet, lifts him up, and throws him like a ragdoll. Bael cries out in alarm as he goes flying and lands in the dirt, two hundred feet behind the brute.
"Spawn of a- you piece of trash! Nobody throws Bael!"
He jumps to his feet and starts to run back toward the monster, only to pause when he senses movement.
Bael quickly turns around. He nearly jumps out of his skin when he sees what he can only mentally describe as seventeen snakes with baby-heads crawling along the ground toward him. The snakes have a single conjoined core body that ties them all together, but it appears as flat as a pancake. Like some sort of Hydra consisting of stitched-together body parts, this multi-headed monster uses its childish faces to drag itself toward Bael at a speed most distressing, causing his butthole to pucker up.
"Eee! Gross!" Bael cries. "What in the hellhound's anus is that?!
Like the previous monster, this 'Snakedra' freak doesn't cry out or make any noises. It silently slithers toward Bael while one of its heads remains elevated to gaze directly at him.
Not wanting his friends to be overwhelmed, Bael decides to try and take the monster on by himself. His eyes fill with determination, and he conjures Mjölnir in his grasp, summoning it from his belt.
"Bad snake!" Bael barks, lunging at the monster to smash one of its heads.
SPLAT!!
Bael crushes the first head with ease!
But as he raises the hammer to strike again, the monster pounces at him! Its sixteen remaining heads bite his armor and wrap around his arms and legs, smothering him and causing him to fall backward.
"Crap, crap!" Bael yells. "Uh, don't worry guys, I've got this! Just keep killing the big one! I've got this cunt right where I want him! YEEOUCH!"
The Snakedra squeezes with all its strength, trying to burst Bael's body like a watermelon. Luckily, the demonstone only creaks a bit and doesn't fold inward, allowing Bael to survive, albeit not to do much else.
Serena, seeing that the others are too occupied to help, decides to try and assist Bael in some way. Since her abilities aren't much use against the first monster unless it turns invisible, she turns her gaze toward the Snakedra.
Emperor Serena maintains a good distance between herself and the Snakedra. She closes her eyes, focuses her mind, then shapes her right hand into a claw pose, snapping it in the Snakedra's direction.
An invisible beam of soul energy travels the gaps between dimensions, drilling into one of the Snakedra's heads. Serena focuses with all her might, attempting to try and locate the monster's soul so she can manipulate or influence it.
Unfortunately, she finds that while the creature does have a soul, it has become a mish-mash of fifty other souls, all witlessly stitched together to create an aberrant, thoughtless machine for killing.
Pain. Pain. Pain. The Snakedra thinks. Pain. Pain. Pain.
Serena grimaces. Her eyes squeeze shut even tighter as she tunes out Bael's exclamations of how 'totally okay and fine' he is. She digs deeper into the Snakedra's psyche, eventually extracting a thread of its existence for her own benefit.
Serena's eyes finally open.
While most entities possess eyes that can 'see' the physical realm, even as an imp, Serena was blind from birth. She was never able to see the world around her, but all of that changed when she met her husband, Gorn.
He and her were only Imps at the time. They became Lords together, and upon her ascension, she gained a new type of vision utterly unique to herself.
The power to see the soul realm.
While usually incapable of influencing the material realm, the soul realm is the domain Serena has become most adept at influencing over the millennia. As an Emperor, her power has become quite substantial in this regard.
Serena tears a fragment of soul energy out of the monster. It doesn't even shudder, but she doesn't care.
With her soul-seeing eyes, Serena deftly manipulates the thread of soul energy, using her fingers to hastily but efficiently craft a Soul Puppet, something not unlike a voodoo doll.
After forming a Soul Puppet in the form of the Snakedra, Serena grabs it out of the air and begins wrenching its heads around, stabbing at its body with her fingernails, and otherwise torturing the false image as much as possible.
Not once does the Snakedra cry out in pain, but its body does twitch and spasm. It writhes and squirms, continuing to hold Bael steady, but sometimes weakening its grip as it loses control of different parts of its body at random.
Meanwhile, Bael occasionally feels the wretched monster weaken its grip on him. Bael might not be the brightest bulb in the box, but as an accomplished veteran of countless wars, he is well-versed in the art of combat.
Bael isn't certain why the creature has started to spasm, but he won't turn down any good opportunity that arises.
He calls forth the power of Mjölnir, summoning lightning from above to strike the hammer. The moment before the lightning falls upon him, the creature suddenly loosens its grip, allowing Bael to swing the hammer at its central body.
BOOOM!!
A terrific blast of thunder and lightning detonates on the Snakedra, making it recoil in agony, release Bael, and pull away from him.
Abruptly dropped on his ass, Bael jumps backward, leaps to his feet, and lifts his hammer high.
"Nobody gives me a squeeze without my OK, bub!"
Bael charges at the monster. He starts smashing its heads one by one, crushing them to bloody pulps while the creature uselessly writhes on the ground, taking the abuse without retaliating.
Five minutes later, Bael slays the bastard, putting it to death for the rest of eternity.
Tired and winded, Bael gasps for air. Never has he had a fight that left him out of breath, but even with the Matriarch's Armor, Ose's body is far weaker than Bael's ever was. He severely regrets losing his invincibility.
Bael turns around and spots Serena.
"Oh! Hey, whew! I just got done kicking that monster's ass!" Bael says. "Good thing I'm such a badass, I must have intimidated it into lettin' me go, heh."
Serena opens her mouth to correct him, but thinks better.
"Right. Excellent work, Bael. You're as capable a fighter as ever."
Bael grins inside his helmet. "Heh, damn right. Now, lemme help the others finish that fat ugly one off."
Bael charges into battle, this time equipped with Mjolnir. He transforms the hammer into his favorite weapon, Big Bonk, and swings the ten ton steel ball at the brutish monster's back.
BOOM!!!
Bael flattens the creature, burying it face-first in the dirt and giving Crow an opportunity to deliver a full-power punch to the back of its head.
SPLAT!
Her fist connects, and she crushes the monster's skull, spraying its brains out all over her feet.
Crow pants like a dog on a hot summer's day. Sweat pools on Yardrat's head from the amount of focus he had to exert to kill this first monster. Even Fae and the others look a little tired.
With the crisis momentarily averted, the demon elites look around, finally noticing Bael's new getup, as well as Big Bonk pressing against the brute's back.
"Bael?" Fae asks. "Hot damn, that's a sweet set of armor!"
"You really saved our asses!" Melody adds.
Crow glances toward the other dead monster. "You killed that one? By yourself?"
Bael thumps his chest. "Couldn't have done it without Ose's fancy-shmancy armor. The ugly bugger got so scared, it just laid there and let me beat it to death! Heh!"
"It just laid there?" Crow asks, glancing around. She notices Serena, then pieces the events together. "Oh, I see. Well, god job beating it by yourself, Bael. You still know how to kick tail."
"Damn right!" Bael proclaims, smiling from ear to ear.
One by one, the other demon elites figure out Bael didn't exactly defeat the monster all by himself, but seeing as how he's been so down ever since losing his powers, they don't want to hurt his feelings.
"We've only fought two creatures so far, but they were both terrifying." Yardrat points out. "If we have to face two or even three at the same time, we might die! Everyone, proceed slowly. Do NOT rush in. We need to pick Glinch's thralls off one by one."
The other demons nod.
"Right!"
submitted by Klokinator to HFY [link] [comments]
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(Previous Part)
(Part 001)
...
On the world of Numaria, more than half a dozen Demon Emperors and twenty Demon Dukes march through the paradise-class planet's forests as they head toward Emperor Glinch's Stitched Wasteland.
Emperor Auger does not directly join the party. He stays back at the capital of his world, viewing the happenings remotely through the power of a subordinate.
But Yardrat does lead the party. He is joined by Emperors Fae, Dagon, and Nymph, as well as Duke Hamir and several other elites of their Hell. It becomes obvious to all the other demons present that the Fourth Hell of Punishment is truly the mightiest among all the others. Even mere Dukes can explode with the power of Emperors, should Auger choose to grant them that ability.
As for the First Hell of Damnation, its remaining members are truly a miserable sight. Bael has become the lone Emperor still loyal to his Hell, while Mephisto and Zamiel no longer care about the alliances of their species. Bael is joined by Vepar, formerly the Baron of Toxicity, now having evolved to the rank of Duke through the human-demon alliance efforts.
Vepar, while not an Emperor, is still an insidious existence. Like Mephisto, she can transform her body into formless clouds of poison gas. She can strike with venom and poison alike, paralyzing her foes or corroding their nervous systems with ease.
Also notably absent is Beelzebub, due to him forcibly becoming aligned to Jason Hiro. While Beelzebub might actually prove an incredible powerhouse if he were to continue fighting for the First Hell's benefits, the problem is that none can say whether his allegiances would make him privy to spilling secrets of this operation to the humans...
From the Second Hell of Lust, not a single Duke joins the party. This Hell has already thrown their lots in with humanity, so no members of the Mephisto Extermination Operation are eager to have their secrets blabbed. Defeating Mephisto could lead to a discovery about the potential for ascension past the rank of Emperor. No demon elite wants that information to fall into the hands of their enemies.
From the Third Hell of Blood, few elites remain. Many of them were slain by the Cherubiim, reducing their Dukes to only a sliver of the other Hells. The Emperor of Thirst, Kristoff, still walks the mortal coil. He is joined by two subordinates, Vespera, the Duke of Gloom, and Rhesus, the Duke of Predation. These are the elites he considers his Hell's most capable remaining powerhouses, and the ones most suited for the mission to bring about Mephisto's end.
From the Fifth Hell of Calamity, a large number of Dukes join two Emperors, Serena and Crow, as they trail along behind the other Hells.
Unbeknownst to anyone present, Emperor Yumagi is alive and well. The only demons who observed his return were those aligned with Mephisto. Not even Gorn is aware that Yumagi survived the Cherubiim's wrath, and Yumagi is strangely keen to keep his return quiet.
As for the Sixth Hell of Isolation, only Emperor Melody has chosen to come along. The other elites of her Hell simply aren't in the right headpsace to join her, following their fall to the Plague.
Yama's Hell, the Seventh Hell of Corruption, has fallen apart with its Emperor being absorbed by Mephisto. Now, its many darkness-aligned entities have scattered in search of a figure lost to time...
Yardrat, Fae, Dagon, Nymph, Bael, Kristoff, Serena, Crow, and Melody march on the Stitched Wasteland, along with twenty Dukes. A terrifying force in any previous era, but one that feels somewhat weak and vulnerable in the months following the return of the Cherubiim, as well as the two Wordsmiths, not even mentioning the enemy they might face should they fail to stop Mephisto's ascension.
Yardrat's glum expression does nothing to uplift the moods of the others around him. As he and the other Emperors run across Numaria's surface, weaving their ways through the dense forests and trees, Bael speaks up from the back.
"Hey, Yardy! Why are we runnin' like a bunch of chumps? Just pop us over to Glinch with those fancy portals of yours!"
Yardrat shoots a glance back at Bael without slowing down. "I can't. Glinch's minions have an uncanny ability to twist the space around themselves. I couldn't create stable portals once we're inside if my life depended on it. I've no doubt he bred them for the express purpose of keeping me from spying on him."
Fae jumps over a bunch of twisted prickle-vines, scratching her palm on their thorns. "Doesn't that mean if something goes wrong, you won't be able to yank us out of the Stitched Wasteland?"
"Trust me." Yardrat mumbles, sounding more than a little depressed. "You don't want to hear my answer."
"There is no need to concern yourselves with escaping." Crow says solemnly, deftly flying through the underbrush with her blue wings. "If Mephisto ascends, it won't matter where we flee. He will be capable of hunting us like deer."
Yardrat snorts. "Speak for yourselves. I enjoy running away if it means saving my life."
"Coward." Bael says. "A REAL man always fights to the end!"
"Aren't you in a woman's body now?" Yardrat shoots back. "You're one to talk."
"H-hey! Women can be real men too!" Bael protests. "Get with the times!"
Emperor Melody laughs. "You tell him, Bael! Preach it!"
Serena remains silent, merely rolling her sightless eyes at everyone else's childish barbs.
...
Five hours pass as the demons race through Numaria's forests.
Eventually, the trees begin to thin out, before abruptly disappearing altogether. As if erased by a nuclear bomb, the forest's cover vanishes to reveal a grey-colored lifeless plain lacking all traces of warmth and life.
The Stitched Wasteland.
As soon as the demon leaders reach the edge of the wasteland, they pause their flight to stop and look around.
"Glinch's domain is bigger than you might first believe," Yardrat explains, gesturing toward the horizon. "Offhand, I believe the last time we measured the Stitched Wasteland's diameter, it was nearly 500 miles. You can't even see the other side from here because it dips below the horizon. The good news is, we only have to travel halfway into the interior, where Glinch's central laboratory resides."
Dagon, the Emperor of Pathogens, kneels down to scratch at the ashen soil. He grimaces as it clings to his palm and starts to burn his flesh.
"Acidic." Dagon mumbles.
"Every time Glinch creates a new thrall, his domain expands." Serena explains. "His toxic miasma is invisible and odorless, but it destroys plant-life and lower animals with ease. It won't have any effect on elites like us, but it's best if you don't deliberately play with the soil he's corroded."
Dagon shakes the soil off his palm, grimacing as he has to clap his hands and rub them against his pants to stop the acid from burning him further. Luckily, one of the Dukes nearby has a weak healing ability, so they're ability to fix him back up.
"What a miserable shithole." Fae groans. "I do NOT get what Glinch enjoys about living here! I'd go crazy from boredom after a week!"
Bael laughs. "No kidding, toots. Why do you think Glinch is such a wacko? He already went crazy!"
"Oh. Fair point." Fae mutters.
The Emperors and Dukes start moving toward the center of the wasteland, following Yardrat's lead. They do not run, but move at a brisk walk, keeping their eyes peeled for threats. Ten miles in the distance, they spot a pair of strange aberrant creatures standing perfectly still, looking at one another with hollow eyes, but they can't make out the details of those figures at their current distance.
"Bael, watch out!" Serena suddenly shouts, startling everyone.
Every demon elite's head snaps toward Bael's general direction just in time to see an invisible creature materializing, its massive body poised with a giant claw up in the air, ready to slash down at Bael.
The monster's huge torso and comparatively tiny head and skinny legs contrast with its wretchedly massive arms, its mottled and rotted skin, and its beady green venomous eyes.
The instant it snaps its claws down to assassinate Bael, the dumb galump accidentally trips on a rock, stumbling and avoiding the monster's attack! Bael falls face-first in the soil and the creature's downward slash swishes across his back, barely missing him by a millimeter!
"Lucky!" Yardrat exclaims, his pupils the size of pinpricks.
Crow roars in rage. She leaps toward the monster, the strange deformed horror with proportions far different from any naturally born creature in existence, and she swings her fist at its chest!
THUMP!
Crow knocks the creature down, sending it skidding backward across the dirt to lay in a heap.
But Crow doesn't celebrate. To her shock, she didn't even manage to bruise the monster, only knock it on its ass! The frighteningly durable monster silently stands up, and its body rapidly fades away as it becomes invisible.
Not once does the creature make a sound.
"Everyone watch out!" Crow shouts. "This bastard is strong! I don't even know if I hurt it!"
The heart of every demon elite skips a beat as they try to look for any signs of the monster. Only Serena, with her Soul Sensing capabilities, manages to trace its vague movement.
"Over there!" Serena says, pointing in front of Yardrat.
The monster once again becomes visible as it tries to slash Yardrat in half, but he isn't caught off-guard and leaps backward, safely avoiding it just in the nick of time.
"TEAR!" Yardrat yells, gnashing his teeth.
The Emperor of the Void tears the air in front of himself, unable to properly create a portal, but still able to momentarily rip a crack in space straight across the monster's torso.
A shallow cut on its chest is his only reward.
"Lucifer's Tits!" Bael exclaims, climbing to his feet. "This thing is as tough as demonstone!"
Melody fires off sonic blasts at the monster, punching with her fists to try and blow out its eardrums, but her attacks have no effect.
The monster continues charging at Yardrat to try and cut him to pieces. As it does, Crow once again steps up to protect Yardrat, deflecting its rending claws with her steel-like feathers while dishing out punishment with her fists. Crow is without a doubt the most physically imposting member of the party, possessing more strength than any demon in existence except for Belial.
But even she can't manage to do more than knock the monster back!
The other Emperors quickly start pitching in. Dagon summons corrosive chemicals to try and melt the monster's thick hide. Nymph summons vines from beneath its feet to wrap its legs and keep it immobile. Kristoff summons bloodied blades to cut the monster from behind, slashing its back with swords made from his own plasma. Fae fires explosive projectiles with a low yield at the monster, taking care not to accidentally hurt her allies. Melody sends sonic shockwaves into the ground, trying to soften the soil to trap the monster in quicksand.
But the monster proves more frightening than any of the Emperors imagined!
Bael and Serena can't provide much assistance to the others. They watch helplessly as Nymph's vines corrode to ash, melted by the Stitched Wasteland's ability to destroy plant-life. Fae's explosions barely even knock the monster back. Dagon might as well be shooting the monster with a squirt-gun for all the use his chemicals have. Melody can't seem to accomplish anything either!
"Shit." Bael growls. "I gotta help them."
"You don't have any magic." Serena says.
"No. But I got this." Bael says, reaching down to touch his weirdly fancy belt.
When Bael activates the Matriarch's Armor, it begins popping out of his waist and engulfing him from head to toe in lethal-looking demonstone armor. His plated chest and spiked shoulders turn Bael from a dopey looking version of Ose into a commanding and fearful warrior clad in demonic armor, making Serena gasp in surprise.
"Bael?" Serena asks, unable to see the armor, but sensing that his soul has suddenly become difficult to detect due to something shrouding his entire body. "What did you do?"
"Ose gave me some armor." Bael explains. "It ain't mine. But we'll talk 'bout it later. I gotta help the others!"
Bael doesn't hesitate. He rushes toward the monster, joining Crow as a frontline tank to try and draw the creature's attention.
Crow barely even registers Bael's new appearance, shoving any concerns about the demonstone-clad warrior to the back of her mind. All she feels is relief when the monster's brutal strikes slow down as it starts slashing at Bael as well.
THUNK! THUNK!!
The brutish monster silently whales on the others. For ten minutes, Bael and Crow take the beatings of their lives while Yardrat slowly tears its skin and cuts its bones with targeted spatial distortions. He alone manages to injure the creature the most heavily, while the other Dukes and Emperors can barely offer much assistance.
Bael grimaces as the creature grabs him by his helmet, lifts him up, and throws him like a ragdoll. Bael cries out in alarm as he goes flying and lands in the dirt, two hundred feet behind the brute.
"Spawn of a- you piece of trash! Nobody throws Bael!"
He jumps to his feet and starts to run back toward the monster, only to pause when he senses movement.
Bael quickly turns around. He nearly jumps out of his skin when he sees what he can only mentally describe as seventeen snakes with baby-heads crawling along the ground toward him. The snakes have a single conjoined core body that ties them all together, but it appears as flat as a pancake. Like some sort of Hydra consisting of stitched-together body parts, this multi-headed monster uses its childish faces to drag itself toward Bael at a speed most distressing, causing his butthole to pucker up.
"Eee! Gross!" Bael cries. "What in the hellhound's anus is that?!
Like the previous monster, this 'Snakedra' freak doesn't cry out or make any noises. It silently slithers toward Bael while one of its heads remains elevated to gaze directly at him.
Not wanting his friends to be overwhelmed, Bael decides to try and take the monster on by himself. His eyes fill with determination, and he conjures Mjölnir in his grasp, summoning it from his belt.
"Bad snake!" Bael barks, lunging at the monster to smash one of its heads.
SPLAT!!
Bael crushes the first head with ease!
But as he raises the hammer to strike again, the monster pounces at him! Its sixteen remaining heads bite his armor and wrap around his arms and legs, smothering him and causing him to fall backward.
"Crap, crap!" Bael yells. "Uh, don't worry guys, I've got this! Just keep killing the big one! I've got this cunt right where I want him! YEEOUCH!"
The Snakedra squeezes with all its strength, trying to burst Bael's body like a watermelon. Luckily, the demonstone only creaks a bit and doesn't fold inward, allowing Bael to survive, albeit not to do much else.
Serena, seeing that the others are too occupied to help, decides to try and assist Bael in some way. Since her abilities aren't much use against the first monster unless it turns invisible, she turns her gaze toward the Snakedra.
Emperor Serena maintains a good distance between herself and the Snakedra. She closes her eyes, focuses her mind, then shapes her right hand into a claw pose, snapping it in the Snakedra's direction.
An invisible beam of soul energy travels the gaps between dimensions, drilling into one of the Snakedra's heads. Serena focuses with all her might, attempting to try and locate the monster's soul so she can manipulate or influence it.
Unfortunately, she finds that while the creature does have a soul, it has become a mish-mash of fifty other souls, all witlessly stitched together to create an aberrant, thoughtless machine for killing.
Pain. Pain. Pain. The Snakedra thinks. Pain. Pain. Pain.
Serena grimaces. Her eyes squeeze shut even tighter as she tunes out Bael's exclamations of how 'totally okay and fine' he is. She digs deeper into the Snakedra's psyche, eventually extracting a thread of its existence for her own benefit.
Serena's eyes finally open.
While most entities possess eyes that can 'see' the physical realm, even as an imp, Serena was blind from birth. She was never able to see the world around her, but all of that changed when she met her husband, Gorn.
He and her were only Imps at the time. They became Lords together, and upon her ascension, she gained a new type of vision utterly unique to herself.
The power to see the soul realm.
While usually incapable of influencing the material realm, the soul realm is the domain Serena has become most adept at influencing over the millennia. As an Emperor, her power has become quite substantial in this regard.
Serena tears a fragment of soul energy out of the monster. It doesn't even shudder, but she doesn't care.
With her soul-seeing eyes, Serena deftly manipulates the thread of soul energy, using her fingers to hastily but efficiently craft a Soul Puppet, something not unlike a voodoo doll.
After forming a Soul Puppet in the form of the Snakedra, Serena grabs it out of the air and begins wrenching its heads around, stabbing at its body with her fingernails, and otherwise torturing the false image as much as possible.
Not once does the Snakedra cry out in pain, but its body does twitch and spasm. It writhes and squirms, continuing to hold Bael steady, but sometimes weakening its grip as it loses control of different parts of its body at random.
Meanwhile, Bael occasionally feels the wretched monster weaken its grip on him. Bael might not be the brightest bulb in the box, but as an accomplished veteran of countless wars, he is well-versed in the art of combat.
Bael isn't certain why the creature has started to spasm, but he won't turn down any good opportunity that arises.
He calls forth the power of Mjölnir, summoning lightning from above to strike the hammer. The moment before the lightning falls upon him, the creature suddenly loosens its grip, allowing Bael to swing the hammer at its central body.
BOOOM!!
A terrific blast of thunder and lightning detonates on the Snakedra, making it recoil in agony, release Bael, and pull away from him.
Abruptly dropped on his ass, Bael jumps backward, leaps to his feet, and lifts his hammer high.
"Nobody gives me a squeeze without my OK, bub!"
Bael charges at the monster. He starts smashing its heads one by one, crushing them to bloody pulps while the creature uselessly writhes on the ground, taking the abuse without retaliating.
Five minutes later, Bael slays the bastard, putting it to death for the rest of eternity.
Tired and winded, Bael gasps for air. Never has he had a fight that left him out of breath, but even with the Matriarch's Armor, Ose's body is far weaker than Bael's ever was. He severely regrets losing his invincibility.
Bael turns around and spots Serena.
"Oh! Hey, whew! I just got done kicking that monster's ass!" Bael says. "Good thing I'm such a badass, I must have intimidated it into lettin' me go, heh."
Serena opens her mouth to correct him, but thinks better.
"Right. Excellent work, Bael. You're as capable a fighter as ever."
Bael grins inside his helmet. "Heh, damn right. Now, lemme help the others finish that fat ugly one off."
Bael charges into battle, this time equipped with Mjolnir. He transforms the hammer into his favorite weapon, Big Bonk, and swings the ten ton steel ball at the brutish monster's back.
BOOM!!!
Bael flattens the creature, burying it face-first in the dirt and giving Crow an opportunity to deliver a full-power punch to the back of its head.
SPLAT!
Her fist connects, and she crushes the monster's skull, spraying its brains out all over her feet.
Crow pants like a dog on a hot summer's day. Sweat pools on Yardrat's head from the amount of focus he had to exert to kill this first monster. Even Fae and the others look a little tired.
With the crisis momentarily averted, the demon elites look around, finally noticing Bael's new getup, as well as Big Bonk pressing against the brute's back.
"Bael?" Fae asks. "Hot damn, that's a sweet set of armor!"
"You really saved our asses!" Melody adds.
Crow glances toward the other dead monster. "You killed that one? By yourself?"
Bael thumps his chest. "Couldn't have done it without Ose's fancy-shmancy armor. The ugly bugger got so scared, it just laid there and let me beat it to death! Heh!"
"It just laid there?" Crow asks, glancing around. She notices Serena, then pieces the events together. "Oh, I see. Well, god job beating it by yourself, Bael. You still know how to kick tail."
"Damn right!" Bael proclaims, smiling from ear to ear.
One by one, the other demon elites figure out Bael didn't exactly defeat the monster all by himself, but seeing as how he's been so down ever since losing his powers, they don't want to hurt his feelings.
"We've only fought two creatures so far, but they were both terrifying." Yardrat points out. "If we have to face two or even three at the same time, we might die! Everyone, proceed slowly. Do NOT rush in. We need to pick Glinch's thralls off one by one."
The other demons nod.
"Right!"
2023.05.29 22:04 Klokinator Cryopod Refresh 492: Glinch's Thralls
On the world of Numaria, more than half a dozen Demon Emperors and twenty Demon Dukes march through the paradise-class planet's forests as they head toward Emperor Glinch's Stitched Wasteland.
Emperor Auger does not directly join the party. He stays back at the capital of his world, viewing the happenings remotely through the power of a subordinate.
But Yardrat does lead the party. He is joined by Emperors Fae, Dagon, and Nymph, as well as Duke Hamir and several other elites of their Hell. It becomes obvious to all the other demons present that the Fourth Hell of Punishment is truly the mightiest among all the others. Even mere Dukes can explode with the power of Emperors, should Auger choose to grant them that ability.
As for the First Hell of Damnation, its remaining members are truly a miserable sight. Bael has become the lone Emperor still loyal to his Hell, while Mephisto and Zamiel no longer care about the alliances of their species. Bael is joined by Vepar, formerly the Baron of Toxicity, now having evolved to the rank of Duke through the human-demon alliance efforts.
Vepar, while not an Emperor, is still an insidious existence. Like Mephisto, she can transform her body into formless clouds of poison gas. She can strike with venom and poison alike, paralyzing her foes or corroding their nervous systems with ease.
Also notably absent is Beelzebub, due to him forcibly becoming aligned to Jason Hiro. While Beelzebub might actually prove an incredible powerhouse if he were to continue fighting for the First Hell's benefits, the problem is that none can say whether his allegiances would make him privy to spilling secrets of this operation to the humans...
From the Second Hell of Lust, not a single Duke joins the party. This Hell has already thrown their lots in with humanity, so no members of the Mephisto Extermination Operation are eager to have their secrets blabbed. Defeating Mephisto could lead to a discovery about the potential for ascension past the rank of Emperor. No demon elite wants that information to fall into the hands of their enemies.
From the Third Hell of Blood, few elites remain. Many of them were slain by the Cherubiim, reducing their Dukes to only a sliver of the other Hells. The Emperor of Thirst, Kristoff, still walks the mortal coil. He is joined by two subordinates, Vespera, the Duke of Gloom, and Rhesus, the Duke of Predation. These are the elites he considers his Hell's most capable remaining powerhouses, and the ones most suited for the mission to bring about Mephisto's end.
From the Fifth Hell of Calamity, a large number of Dukes join two Emperors, Serena and Crow, as they trail along behind the other Hells.
Unbeknownst to anyone present, Emperor Yumagi is alive and well. The only demons who observed his return were those aligned with Mephisto. Not even Gorn is aware that Yumagi survived the Cherubiim's wrath, and Yumagi is strangely keen to keep his return quiet.
As for the Sixth Hell of Isolation, only Emperor Melody has chosen to come along. The other elites of her Hell simply aren't in the right headpsace to join her, following their fall to the Plague.
Yama's Hell, the Seventh Hell of Corruption, has fallen apart with its Emperor being absorbed by Mephisto. Now, its many darkness-aligned entities have scattered in search of a figure lost to time...
Yardrat, Fae, Dagon, Nymph, Bael, Kristoff, Serena, Crow, and Melody march on the Stitched Wasteland, along with twenty Dukes. A terrifying force in any previous era, but one that feels somewhat weak and vulnerable in the months following the return of the Cherubiim, as well as the two Wordsmiths, not even mentioning the enemy they might face should they fail to stop Mephisto's ascension.
Yardrat's glum expression does nothing to uplift the moods of the others around him. As he and the other Emperors run across Numaria's surface, weaving their ways through the dense forests and trees, Bael speaks up from the back.
"Hey, Yardy! Why are we runnin' like a bunch of chumps? Just pop us over to Glinch with those fancy portals of yours!"
Yardrat shoots a glance back at Bael without slowing down. "I can't. Glinch's minions have an uncanny ability to twist the space around themselves. I couldn't create stable portals once we're inside if my life depended on it. I've no doubt he bred them for the express purpose of keeping me from spying on him."
Fae jumps over a bunch of twisted prickle-vines, scratching her palm on their thorns. "Doesn't that mean if something goes wrong, you won't be able to yank us out of the Stitched Wasteland?"
"Trust me." Yardrat mumbles, sounding more than a little depressed. "You don't want to hear my answer."
"There is no need to concern yourselves with escaping." Crow says solemnly, deftly flying through the underbrush with her blue wings. "If Mephisto ascends, it won't matter where we flee. He will be capable of hunting us like deer."
Yardrat snorts. "Speak for yourselves. I enjoy running away if it means saving my life."
"Coward." Bael says. "A REAL man always fights to the end!"
"Aren't you in a woman's body now?" Yardrat shoots back. "You're one to talk."
"H-hey! Women can be real men too!" Bael protests. "Get with the times!"
Emperor Melody laughs. "You tell him, Bael! Preach it!"
Serena remains silent, merely rolling her sightless eyes at everyone else's childish barbs.
...
Five hours pass as the demons race through Numaria's forests.
Eventually, the trees begin to thin out, before abruptly disappearing altogether. As if erased by a nuclear bomb, the forest's cover vanishes to reveal a grey-colored lifeless plain lacking all traces of warmth and life.
The Stitched Wasteland.
As soon as the demon leaders reach the edge of the wasteland, they pause their flight to stop and look around.
"Glinch's domain is bigger than you might first believe," Yardrat explains, gesturing toward the horizon. "Offhand, I believe the last time we measured the Stitched Wasteland's diameter, it was nearly 500 miles. You can't even see the other side from here because it dips below the horizon. The good news is, we only have to travel halfway into the interior, where Glinch's central laboratory resides."
Dagon, the Emperor of Pathogens, kneels down to scratch at the ashen soil. He grimaces as it clings to his palm and starts to burn his flesh.
"Acidic." Dagon mumbles.
"Every time Glinch creates a new thrall, his domain expands." Serena explains. "His toxic miasma is invisible and odorless, but it destroys plant-life and lower animals with ease. It won't have any effect on elites like us, but it's best if you don't deliberately play with the soil he's corroded."
Dagon shakes the soil off his palm, grimacing as he has to clap his hands and rub them against his pants to stop the acid from burning him further. Luckily, one of the Dukes nearby has a weak healing ability, so they're ability to fix him back up.
"What a miserable shithole." Fae groans. "I do NOT get what Glinch enjoys about living here! I'd go crazy from boredom after a week!"
Bael laughs. "No kidding, toots. Why do you think Glinch is such a wacko? He already went crazy!"
"Oh. Fair point." Fae mutters.
The Emperors and Dukes start moving toward the center of the wasteland, following Yardrat's lead. They do not run, but move at a brisk walk, keeping their eyes peeled for threats. Ten miles in the distance, they spot a pair of strange aberrant creatures standing perfectly still, looking at one another with hollow eyes, but they can't make out the details of those figures at their current distance.
"Bael, watch out!" Serena suddenly shouts, startling everyone.
Every demon elite's head snaps toward Bael's general direction just in time to see an invisible creature materializing, its massive body poised with a giant claw up in the air, ready to slash down at Bael.
The monster's huge torso and comparatively tiny head and skinny legs contrast with its wretchedly massive arms, its mottled and rotted skin, and its beady green venomous eyes.
The instant it snaps its claws down to assassinate Bael, the dumb galump accidentally trips on a rock, stumbling and avoiding the monster's attack! Bael falls face-first in the soil and the creature's downward slash swishes across his back, barely missing him by a millimeter!
"Lucky!" Yardrat exclaims, his pupils the size of pinpricks.
Crow roars in rage. She leaps toward the monster, the strange deformed horror with proportions far different from any naturally born creature in existence, and she swings her fist at its chest!
THUMP!
Crow knocks the creature down, sending it skidding backward across the dirt to lay in a heap.
But Crow doesn't celebrate. To her shock, she didn't even manage to bruise the monster, only knock it on its ass! The frighteningly durable monster silently stands up, and its body rapidly fades away as it becomes invisible.
Not once does the creature make a sound.
"Everyone watch out!" Crow shouts. "This bastard is strong! I don't even know if I hurt it!"
The heart of every demon elite skips a beat as they try to look for any signs of the monster. Only Serena, with her Soul Sensing capabilities, manages to trace its vague movement.
"Over there!" Serena says, pointing in front of Yardrat.
The monster once again becomes visible as it tries to slash Yardrat in half, but he isn't caught off-guard and leaps backward, safely avoiding it just in the nick of time.
"TEAR!" Yardrat yells, gnashing his teeth.
The Emperor of the Void tears the air in front of himself, unable to properly create a portal, but still able to momentarily rip a crack in space straight across the monster's torso.
A shallow cut on its chest is his only reward.
"Lucifer's Tits!" Bael exclaims, climbing to his feet. "This thing is as tough as demonstone!"
Melody fires off sonic blasts at the monster, punching with her fists to try and blow out its eardrums, but her attacks have no effect.
The monster continues charging at Yardrat to try and cut him to pieces. As it does, Crow once again steps up to protect Yardrat, deflecting its rending claws with her steel-like feathers while dishing out punishment with her fists. Crow is without a doubt the most physically imposting member of the party, possessing more strength than any demon in existence except for Belial.
But even she can't manage to do more than knock the monster back!
The other Emperors quickly start pitching in. Dagon summons corrosive chemicals to try and melt the monster's thick hide. Nymph summons vines from beneath its feet to wrap its legs and keep it immobile. Kristoff summons bloodied blades to cut the monster from behind, slashing its back with swords made from his own plasma. Fae fires explosive projectiles with a low yield at the monster, taking care not to accidentally hurt her allies. Melody sends sonic shockwaves into the ground, trying to soften the soil to trap the monster in quicksand.
But the monster proves more frightening than any of the Emperors imagined!
Bael and Serena can't provide much assistance to the others. They watch helplessly as Nymph's vines corrode to ash, melted by the Stitched Wasteland's ability to destroy plant-life. Fae's explosions barely even knock the monster back. Dagon might as well be shooting the monster with a squirt-gun for all the use his chemicals have. Melody can't seem to accomplish anything either!
"Shit." Bael growls. "I gotta help them."
"You don't have any magic." Serena says.
"No. But I got this." Bael says, reaching down to touch his weirdly fancy belt.
When Bael activates the Matriarch's Armor, it begins popping out of his waist and engulfing him from head to toe in lethal-looking demonstone armor. His plated chest and spiked shoulders turn Bael from a dopey looking version of Ose into a commanding and fearful warrior clad in demonic armor, making Serena gasp in surprise.
"Bael?" Serena asks, unable to see the armor, but sensing that his soul has suddenly become difficult to detect due to something shrouding his entire body. "What did you do?"
"Ose gave me some armor." Bael explains. "It ain't mine. But we'll talk 'bout it later. I gotta help the others!"
Bael doesn't hesitate. He rushes toward the monster, joining Crow as a frontline tank to try and draw the creature's attention.
Crow barely even registers Bael's new appearance, shoving any concerns about the demonstone-clad warrior to the back of her mind. All she feels is relief when the monster's brutal strikes slow down as it starts slashing at Bael as well.
THUNK! THUNK!!
The brutish monster silently whales on the others. For ten minutes, Bael and Crow take the beatings of their lives while Yardrat slowly tears its skin and cuts its bones with targeted spatial distortions. He alone manages to injure the creature the most heavily, while the other Dukes and Emperors can barely offer much assistance.
Bael grimaces as the creature grabs him by his helmet, lifts him up, and throws him like a ragdoll. Bael cries out in alarm as he goes flying and lands in the dirt, two hundred feet behind the brute.
"Spawn of a- you piece of trash! Nobody throws Bael!"
He jumps to his feet and starts to run back toward the monster, only to pause when he senses movement.
Bael quickly turns around. He nearly jumps out of his skin when he sees what he can only mentally describe as seventeen snakes with baby-heads crawling along the ground toward him. The snakes have a single conjoined core body that ties them all together, but it appears as flat as a pancake. Like some sort of Hydra consisting of stitched-together body parts, this multi-headed monster uses its childish faces to drag itself toward Bael at a speed most distressing, causing his butthole to pucker up.
"Eee! Gross!" Bael cries. "What in the hellhound's anus is that?!
Like the previous monster, this 'Snakedra' freak doesn't cry out or make any noises. It silently slithers toward Bael while one of its heads remains elevated to gaze directly at him.
Not wanting his friends to be overwhelmed, Bael decides to try and take the monster on by himself. His eyes fill with determination, and he conjures Mjölnir in his grasp, summoning it from his belt.
"Bad snake!" Bael barks, lunging at the monster to smash one of its heads.
SPLAT!!
Bael crushes the first head with ease!
But as he raises the hammer to strike again, the monster pounces at him! Its sixteen remaining heads bite his armor and wrap around his arms and legs, smothering him and causing him to fall backward.
"Crap, crap!" Bael yells. "Uh, don't worry guys, I've got this! Just keep killing the big one! I've got this cunt right where I want him! YEEOUCH!"
The Snakedra squeezes with all its strength, trying to burst Bael's body like a watermelon. Luckily, the demonstone only creaks a bit and doesn't fold inward, allowing Bael to survive, albeit not to do much else.
Serena, seeing that the others are too occupied to help, decides to try and assist Bael in some way. Since her abilities aren't much use against the first monster unless it turns invisible, she turns her gaze toward the Snakedra.
Emperor Serena maintains a good distance between herself and the Snakedra. She closes her eyes, focuses her mind, then shapes her right hand into a claw pose, snapping it in the Snakedra's direction.
An invisible beam of soul energy travels the gaps between dimensions, drilling into one of the Snakedra's heads. Serena focuses with all her might, attempting to try and locate the monster's soul so she can manipulate or influence it.
Unfortunately, she finds that while the creature does have a soul, it has become a mish-mash of fifty other souls, all witlessly stitched together to create an aberrant, thoughtless machine for killing.
Pain. Pain. Pain. The Snakedra thinks. Pain. Pain. Pain.
Serena grimaces. Her eyes squeeze shut even tighter as she tunes out Bael's exclamations of how 'totally okay and fine' he is. She digs deeper into the Snakedra's psyche, eventually extracting a thread of its existence for her own benefit.
Serena's eyes finally open.
While most entities possess eyes that can 'see' the physical realm, even as an imp, Serena was blind from birth. She was never able to see the world around her, but all of that changed when she met her husband, Gorn.
He and her were only Imps at the time. They became Lords together, and upon her ascension, she gained a new type of vision utterly unique to herself.
The power to see the soul realm.
While usually incapable of influencing the material realm, the soul realm is the domain Serena has become most adept at influencing over the millennia. As an Emperor, her power has become quite substantial in this regard.
Serena tears a fragment of soul energy out of the monster. It doesn't even shudder, but she doesn't care.
With her soul-seeing eyes, Serena deftly manipulates the thread of soul energy, using her fingers to hastily but efficiently craft a Soul Puppet, something not unlike a voodoo doll.
After forming a Soul Puppet in the form of the Snakedra, Serena grabs it out of the air and begins wrenching its heads around, stabbing at its body with her fingernails, and otherwise torturing the false image as much as possible.
Not once does the Snakedra cry out in pain, but its body does twitch and spasm. It writhes and squirms, continuing to hold Bael steady, but sometimes weakening its grip as it loses control of different parts of its body at random.
Meanwhile, Bael occasionally feels the wretched monster weaken its grip on him. Bael might not be the brightest bulb in the box, but as an accomplished veteran of countless wars, he is well-versed in the art of combat.
Bael isn't certain why the creature has started to spasm, but he won't turn down any good opportunity that arises.
He calls forth the power of Mjölnir, summoning lightning from above to strike the hammer. The moment before the lightning falls upon him, the creature suddenly loosens its grip, allowing Bael to swing the hammer at its central body.
BOOOM!!
A terrific blast of thunder and lightning detonates on the Snakedra, making it recoil in agony, release Bael, and pull away from him.
Abruptly dropped on his ass, Bael jumps backward, leaps to his feet, and lifts his hammer high.
"Nobody gives me a squeeze without my OK, bub!"
Bael charges at the monster. He starts smashing its heads one by one, crushing them to bloody pulps while the creature uselessly writhes on the ground, taking the abuse without retaliating.
Five minutes later, Bael slays the bastard, putting it to death for the rest of eternity.
Tired and winded, Bael gasps for air. Never has he had a fight that left him out of breath, but even with the Matriarch's Armor, Ose's body is far weaker than Bael's ever was. He severely regrets losing his invincibility.
Bael turns around and spots Serena.
"Oh! Hey, whew! I just got done kicking that monster's ass!" Bael says. "Good thing I'm such a badass, I must have intimidated it into lettin' me go, heh."
Serena opens her mouth to correct him, but thinks better.
"Right. Excellent work, Bael. You're as capable a fighter as ever."
Bael grins inside his helmet. "Heh, damn right. Now, lemme help the others finish that fat ugly one off."
Bael charges into battle, this time equipped with Mjolnir. He transforms the hammer into his favorite weapon, Big Bonk, and swings the ten ton steel ball at the brutish monster's back.
BOOM!!!
Bael flattens the creature, burying it face-first in the dirt and giving Crow an opportunity to deliver a full-power punch to the back of its head.
SPLAT!
Her fist connects, and she crushes the monster's skull, spraying its brains out all over her feet.
Crow pants like a dog on a hot summer's day. Sweat pools on Yardrat's head from the amount of focus he had to exert to kill this first monster. Even Fae and the others look a little tired.
With the crisis momentarily averted, the demon elites look around, finally noticing Bael's new getup, as well as Big Bonk pressing against the brute's back.
"Bael?" Fae asks. "Hot damn, that's a sweet set of armor!"
"You really saved our asses!" Melody adds.
Crow glances toward the other dead monster. "You killed that one? By yourself?"
Bael thumps his chest. "Couldn't have done it without Ose's fancy-shmancy armor. The ugly bugger got so scared, it just laid there and let me beat it to death! Heh!"
"It just laid there?" Crow asks, glancing around. She notices Serena, then pieces the events together. "Oh, I see. Well, god job beating it by yourself, Bael. You still know how to kick tail."
"Damn right!" Bael proclaims, smiling from ear to ear.
One by one, the other demon elites figure out Bael didn't exactly defeat the monster all by himself, but seeing as how he's been so down ever since losing his powers, they don't want to hurt his feelings.
"We've only fought two creatures so far, but they were both terrifying." Yardrat points out. "If we have to face two or even three at the same time, we might die! Everyone, proceed slowly. Do NOT rush in. We need to pick Glinch's thralls off one by one."
The other demons nod.
"Right!"
submitted by Klokinator to TheCryopodToHell [link] [comments]
Emperor Auger does not directly join the party. He stays back at the capital of his world, viewing the happenings remotely through the power of a subordinate.
But Yardrat does lead the party. He is joined by Emperors Fae, Dagon, and Nymph, as well as Duke Hamir and several other elites of their Hell. It becomes obvious to all the other demons present that the Fourth Hell of Punishment is truly the mightiest among all the others. Even mere Dukes can explode with the power of Emperors, should Auger choose to grant them that ability.
As for the First Hell of Damnation, its remaining members are truly a miserable sight. Bael has become the lone Emperor still loyal to his Hell, while Mephisto and Zamiel no longer care about the alliances of their species. Bael is joined by Vepar, formerly the Baron of Toxicity, now having evolved to the rank of Duke through the human-demon alliance efforts.
Vepar, while not an Emperor, is still an insidious existence. Like Mephisto, she can transform her body into formless clouds of poison gas. She can strike with venom and poison alike, paralyzing her foes or corroding their nervous systems with ease.
Also notably absent is Beelzebub, due to him forcibly becoming aligned to Jason Hiro. While Beelzebub might actually prove an incredible powerhouse if he were to continue fighting for the First Hell's benefits, the problem is that none can say whether his allegiances would make him privy to spilling secrets of this operation to the humans...
From the Second Hell of Lust, not a single Duke joins the party. This Hell has already thrown their lots in with humanity, so no members of the Mephisto Extermination Operation are eager to have their secrets blabbed. Defeating Mephisto could lead to a discovery about the potential for ascension past the rank of Emperor. No demon elite wants that information to fall into the hands of their enemies.
From the Third Hell of Blood, few elites remain. Many of them were slain by the Cherubiim, reducing their Dukes to only a sliver of the other Hells. The Emperor of Thirst, Kristoff, still walks the mortal coil. He is joined by two subordinates, Vespera, the Duke of Gloom, and Rhesus, the Duke of Predation. These are the elites he considers his Hell's most capable remaining powerhouses, and the ones most suited for the mission to bring about Mephisto's end.
From the Fifth Hell of Calamity, a large number of Dukes join two Emperors, Serena and Crow, as they trail along behind the other Hells.
Unbeknownst to anyone present, Emperor Yumagi is alive and well. The only demons who observed his return were those aligned with Mephisto. Not even Gorn is aware that Yumagi survived the Cherubiim's wrath, and Yumagi is strangely keen to keep his return quiet.
As for the Sixth Hell of Isolation, only Emperor Melody has chosen to come along. The other elites of her Hell simply aren't in the right headpsace to join her, following their fall to the Plague.
Yama's Hell, the Seventh Hell of Corruption, has fallen apart with its Emperor being absorbed by Mephisto. Now, its many darkness-aligned entities have scattered in search of a figure lost to time...
Yardrat, Fae, Dagon, Nymph, Bael, Kristoff, Serena, Crow, and Melody march on the Stitched Wasteland, along with twenty Dukes. A terrifying force in any previous era, but one that feels somewhat weak and vulnerable in the months following the return of the Cherubiim, as well as the two Wordsmiths, not even mentioning the enemy they might face should they fail to stop Mephisto's ascension.
Yardrat's glum expression does nothing to uplift the moods of the others around him. As he and the other Emperors run across Numaria's surface, weaving their ways through the dense forests and trees, Bael speaks up from the back.
"Hey, Yardy! Why are we runnin' like a bunch of chumps? Just pop us over to Glinch with those fancy portals of yours!"
Yardrat shoots a glance back at Bael without slowing down. "I can't. Glinch's minions have an uncanny ability to twist the space around themselves. I couldn't create stable portals once we're inside if my life depended on it. I've no doubt he bred them for the express purpose of keeping me from spying on him."
Fae jumps over a bunch of twisted prickle-vines, scratching her palm on their thorns. "Doesn't that mean if something goes wrong, you won't be able to yank us out of the Stitched Wasteland?"
"Trust me." Yardrat mumbles, sounding more than a little depressed. "You don't want to hear my answer."
"There is no need to concern yourselves with escaping." Crow says solemnly, deftly flying through the underbrush with her blue wings. "If Mephisto ascends, it won't matter where we flee. He will be capable of hunting us like deer."
Yardrat snorts. "Speak for yourselves. I enjoy running away if it means saving my life."
"Coward." Bael says. "A REAL man always fights to the end!"
"Aren't you in a woman's body now?" Yardrat shoots back. "You're one to talk."
"H-hey! Women can be real men too!" Bael protests. "Get with the times!"
Emperor Melody laughs. "You tell him, Bael! Preach it!"
Serena remains silent, merely rolling her sightless eyes at everyone else's childish barbs.
...
Five hours pass as the demons race through Numaria's forests.
Eventually, the trees begin to thin out, before abruptly disappearing altogether. As if erased by a nuclear bomb, the forest's cover vanishes to reveal a grey-colored lifeless plain lacking all traces of warmth and life.
The Stitched Wasteland.
As soon as the demon leaders reach the edge of the wasteland, they pause their flight to stop and look around.
"Glinch's domain is bigger than you might first believe," Yardrat explains, gesturing toward the horizon. "Offhand, I believe the last time we measured the Stitched Wasteland's diameter, it was nearly 500 miles. You can't even see the other side from here because it dips below the horizon. The good news is, we only have to travel halfway into the interior, where Glinch's central laboratory resides."
Dagon, the Emperor of Pathogens, kneels down to scratch at the ashen soil. He grimaces as it clings to his palm and starts to burn his flesh.
"Acidic." Dagon mumbles.
"Every time Glinch creates a new thrall, his domain expands." Serena explains. "His toxic miasma is invisible and odorless, but it destroys plant-life and lower animals with ease. It won't have any effect on elites like us, but it's best if you don't deliberately play with the soil he's corroded."
Dagon shakes the soil off his palm, grimacing as he has to clap his hands and rub them against his pants to stop the acid from burning him further. Luckily, one of the Dukes nearby has a weak healing ability, so they're ability to fix him back up.
"What a miserable shithole." Fae groans. "I do NOT get what Glinch enjoys about living here! I'd go crazy from boredom after a week!"
Bael laughs. "No kidding, toots. Why do you think Glinch is such a wacko? He already went crazy!"
"Oh. Fair point." Fae mutters.
The Emperors and Dukes start moving toward the center of the wasteland, following Yardrat's lead. They do not run, but move at a brisk walk, keeping their eyes peeled for threats. Ten miles in the distance, they spot a pair of strange aberrant creatures standing perfectly still, looking at one another with hollow eyes, but they can't make out the details of those figures at their current distance.
"Bael, watch out!" Serena suddenly shouts, startling everyone.
Every demon elite's head snaps toward Bael's general direction just in time to see an invisible creature materializing, its massive body poised with a giant claw up in the air, ready to slash down at Bael.
The monster's huge torso and comparatively tiny head and skinny legs contrast with its wretchedly massive arms, its mottled and rotted skin, and its beady green venomous eyes.
The instant it snaps its claws down to assassinate Bael, the dumb galump accidentally trips on a rock, stumbling and avoiding the monster's attack! Bael falls face-first in the soil and the creature's downward slash swishes across his back, barely missing him by a millimeter!
"Lucky!" Yardrat exclaims, his pupils the size of pinpricks.
Crow roars in rage. She leaps toward the monster, the strange deformed horror with proportions far different from any naturally born creature in existence, and she swings her fist at its chest!
THUMP!
Crow knocks the creature down, sending it skidding backward across the dirt to lay in a heap.
But Crow doesn't celebrate. To her shock, she didn't even manage to bruise the monster, only knock it on its ass! The frighteningly durable monster silently stands up, and its body rapidly fades away as it becomes invisible.
Not once does the creature make a sound.
"Everyone watch out!" Crow shouts. "This bastard is strong! I don't even know if I hurt it!"
The heart of every demon elite skips a beat as they try to look for any signs of the monster. Only Serena, with her Soul Sensing capabilities, manages to trace its vague movement.
"Over there!" Serena says, pointing in front of Yardrat.
The monster once again becomes visible as it tries to slash Yardrat in half, but he isn't caught off-guard and leaps backward, safely avoiding it just in the nick of time.
"TEAR!" Yardrat yells, gnashing his teeth.
The Emperor of the Void tears the air in front of himself, unable to properly create a portal, but still able to momentarily rip a crack in space straight across the monster's torso.
A shallow cut on its chest is his only reward.
"Lucifer's Tits!" Bael exclaims, climbing to his feet. "This thing is as tough as demonstone!"
Melody fires off sonic blasts at the monster, punching with her fists to try and blow out its eardrums, but her attacks have no effect.
The monster continues charging at Yardrat to try and cut him to pieces. As it does, Crow once again steps up to protect Yardrat, deflecting its rending claws with her steel-like feathers while dishing out punishment with her fists. Crow is without a doubt the most physically imposting member of the party, possessing more strength than any demon in existence except for Belial.
But even she can't manage to do more than knock the monster back!
The other Emperors quickly start pitching in. Dagon summons corrosive chemicals to try and melt the monster's thick hide. Nymph summons vines from beneath its feet to wrap its legs and keep it immobile. Kristoff summons bloodied blades to cut the monster from behind, slashing its back with swords made from his own plasma. Fae fires explosive projectiles with a low yield at the monster, taking care not to accidentally hurt her allies. Melody sends sonic shockwaves into the ground, trying to soften the soil to trap the monster in quicksand.
But the monster proves more frightening than any of the Emperors imagined!
Bael and Serena can't provide much assistance to the others. They watch helplessly as Nymph's vines corrode to ash, melted by the Stitched Wasteland's ability to destroy plant-life. Fae's explosions barely even knock the monster back. Dagon might as well be shooting the monster with a squirt-gun for all the use his chemicals have. Melody can't seem to accomplish anything either!
"Shit." Bael growls. "I gotta help them."
"You don't have any magic." Serena says.
"No. But I got this." Bael says, reaching down to touch his weirdly fancy belt.
When Bael activates the Matriarch's Armor, it begins popping out of his waist and engulfing him from head to toe in lethal-looking demonstone armor. His plated chest and spiked shoulders turn Bael from a dopey looking version of Ose into a commanding and fearful warrior clad in demonic armor, making Serena gasp in surprise.
"Bael?" Serena asks, unable to see the armor, but sensing that his soul has suddenly become difficult to detect due to something shrouding his entire body. "What did you do?"
"Ose gave me some armor." Bael explains. "It ain't mine. But we'll talk 'bout it later. I gotta help the others!"
Bael doesn't hesitate. He rushes toward the monster, joining Crow as a frontline tank to try and draw the creature's attention.
Crow barely even registers Bael's new appearance, shoving any concerns about the demonstone-clad warrior to the back of her mind. All she feels is relief when the monster's brutal strikes slow down as it starts slashing at Bael as well.
THUNK! THUNK!!
The brutish monster silently whales on the others. For ten minutes, Bael and Crow take the beatings of their lives while Yardrat slowly tears its skin and cuts its bones with targeted spatial distortions. He alone manages to injure the creature the most heavily, while the other Dukes and Emperors can barely offer much assistance.
Bael grimaces as the creature grabs him by his helmet, lifts him up, and throws him like a ragdoll. Bael cries out in alarm as he goes flying and lands in the dirt, two hundred feet behind the brute.
"Spawn of a- you piece of trash! Nobody throws Bael!"
He jumps to his feet and starts to run back toward the monster, only to pause when he senses movement.
Bael quickly turns around. He nearly jumps out of his skin when he sees what he can only mentally describe as seventeen snakes with baby-heads crawling along the ground toward him. The snakes have a single conjoined core body that ties them all together, but it appears as flat as a pancake. Like some sort of Hydra consisting of stitched-together body parts, this multi-headed monster uses its childish faces to drag itself toward Bael at a speed most distressing, causing his butthole to pucker up.
"Eee! Gross!" Bael cries. "What in the hellhound's anus is that?!
Like the previous monster, this 'Snakedra' freak doesn't cry out or make any noises. It silently slithers toward Bael while one of its heads remains elevated to gaze directly at him.
Not wanting his friends to be overwhelmed, Bael decides to try and take the monster on by himself. His eyes fill with determination, and he conjures Mjölnir in his grasp, summoning it from his belt.
"Bad snake!" Bael barks, lunging at the monster to smash one of its heads.
SPLAT!!
Bael crushes the first head with ease!
But as he raises the hammer to strike again, the monster pounces at him! Its sixteen remaining heads bite his armor and wrap around his arms and legs, smothering him and causing him to fall backward.
"Crap, crap!" Bael yells. "Uh, don't worry guys, I've got this! Just keep killing the big one! I've got this cunt right where I want him! YEEOUCH!"
The Snakedra squeezes with all its strength, trying to burst Bael's body like a watermelon. Luckily, the demonstone only creaks a bit and doesn't fold inward, allowing Bael to survive, albeit not to do much else.
Serena, seeing that the others are too occupied to help, decides to try and assist Bael in some way. Since her abilities aren't much use against the first monster unless it turns invisible, she turns her gaze toward the Snakedra.
Emperor Serena maintains a good distance between herself and the Snakedra. She closes her eyes, focuses her mind, then shapes her right hand into a claw pose, snapping it in the Snakedra's direction.
An invisible beam of soul energy travels the gaps between dimensions, drilling into one of the Snakedra's heads. Serena focuses with all her might, attempting to try and locate the monster's soul so she can manipulate or influence it.
Unfortunately, she finds that while the creature does have a soul, it has become a mish-mash of fifty other souls, all witlessly stitched together to create an aberrant, thoughtless machine for killing.
Pain. Pain. Pain. The Snakedra thinks. Pain. Pain. Pain.
Serena grimaces. Her eyes squeeze shut even tighter as she tunes out Bael's exclamations of how 'totally okay and fine' he is. She digs deeper into the Snakedra's psyche, eventually extracting a thread of its existence for her own benefit.
Serena's eyes finally open.
While most entities possess eyes that can 'see' the physical realm, even as an imp, Serena was blind from birth. She was never able to see the world around her, but all of that changed when she met her husband, Gorn.
He and her were only Imps at the time. They became Lords together, and upon her ascension, she gained a new type of vision utterly unique to herself.
The power to see the soul realm.
While usually incapable of influencing the material realm, the soul realm is the domain Serena has become most adept at influencing over the millennia. As an Emperor, her power has become quite substantial in this regard.
Serena tears a fragment of soul energy out of the monster. It doesn't even shudder, but she doesn't care.
With her soul-seeing eyes, Serena deftly manipulates the thread of soul energy, using her fingers to hastily but efficiently craft a Soul Puppet, something not unlike a voodoo doll.
After forming a Soul Puppet in the form of the Snakedra, Serena grabs it out of the air and begins wrenching its heads around, stabbing at its body with her fingernails, and otherwise torturing the false image as much as possible.
Not once does the Snakedra cry out in pain, but its body does twitch and spasm. It writhes and squirms, continuing to hold Bael steady, but sometimes weakening its grip as it loses control of different parts of its body at random.
Meanwhile, Bael occasionally feels the wretched monster weaken its grip on him. Bael might not be the brightest bulb in the box, but as an accomplished veteran of countless wars, he is well-versed in the art of combat.
Bael isn't certain why the creature has started to spasm, but he won't turn down any good opportunity that arises.
He calls forth the power of Mjölnir, summoning lightning from above to strike the hammer. The moment before the lightning falls upon him, the creature suddenly loosens its grip, allowing Bael to swing the hammer at its central body.
BOOOM!!
A terrific blast of thunder and lightning detonates on the Snakedra, making it recoil in agony, release Bael, and pull away from him.
Abruptly dropped on his ass, Bael jumps backward, leaps to his feet, and lifts his hammer high.
"Nobody gives me a squeeze without my OK, bub!"
Bael charges at the monster. He starts smashing its heads one by one, crushing them to bloody pulps while the creature uselessly writhes on the ground, taking the abuse without retaliating.
Five minutes later, Bael slays the bastard, putting it to death for the rest of eternity.
Tired and winded, Bael gasps for air. Never has he had a fight that left him out of breath, but even with the Matriarch's Armor, Ose's body is far weaker than Bael's ever was. He severely regrets losing his invincibility.
Bael turns around and spots Serena.
"Oh! Hey, whew! I just got done kicking that monster's ass!" Bael says. "Good thing I'm such a badass, I must have intimidated it into lettin' me go, heh."
Serena opens her mouth to correct him, but thinks better.
"Right. Excellent work, Bael. You're as capable a fighter as ever."
Bael grins inside his helmet. "Heh, damn right. Now, lemme help the others finish that fat ugly one off."
Bael charges into battle, this time equipped with Mjolnir. He transforms the hammer into his favorite weapon, Big Bonk, and swings the ten ton steel ball at the brutish monster's back.
BOOM!!!
Bael flattens the creature, burying it face-first in the dirt and giving Crow an opportunity to deliver a full-power punch to the back of its head.
SPLAT!
Her fist connects, and she crushes the monster's skull, spraying its brains out all over her feet.
Crow pants like a dog on a hot summer's day. Sweat pools on Yardrat's head from the amount of focus he had to exert to kill this first monster. Even Fae and the others look a little tired.
With the crisis momentarily averted, the demon elites look around, finally noticing Bael's new getup, as well as Big Bonk pressing against the brute's back.
"Bael?" Fae asks. "Hot damn, that's a sweet set of armor!"
"You really saved our asses!" Melody adds.
Crow glances toward the other dead monster. "You killed that one? By yourself?"
Bael thumps his chest. "Couldn't have done it without Ose's fancy-shmancy armor. The ugly bugger got so scared, it just laid there and let me beat it to death! Heh!"
"It just laid there?" Crow asks, glancing around. She notices Serena, then pieces the events together. "Oh, I see. Well, god job beating it by yourself, Bael. You still know how to kick tail."
"Damn right!" Bael proclaims, smiling from ear to ear.
One by one, the other demon elites figure out Bael didn't exactly defeat the monster all by himself, but seeing as how he's been so down ever since losing his powers, they don't want to hurt his feelings.
"We've only fought two creatures so far, but they were both terrifying." Yardrat points out. "If we have to face two or even three at the same time, we might die! Everyone, proceed slowly. Do NOT rush in. We need to pick Glinch's thralls off one by one."
The other demons nod.
"Right!"
2023.05.29 21:30 Salty145 The Patlabor franchise really deserves more love
I've been watching anime for a while now and am ashamed to admit that I only recently got around to watching the Patlabor franchise and well... what else have I been missing all my life?
Ok. Theatrics aside, I enjoyed Patlabor a lot more than I thought I would. The characters are lively and bring with them a certain grounded charm that just makes them a blast to be around. The writing has a way to make the absurd mundane, and the production is top-notch. While this isn't the first of his works I've watched, it was the one that woke me up to just what Oshii is capable of. The directing in the original OVA is top notch and they're still some of the best looking shows on the market. The backgrounds are rich and make the setting feel real and lived in. I'm going to get to the second movie soon, but from what I've heard, I'm in for a real treat.
So I guess, my point is that I'm just floored that this lovely little franchise has fallen into as much obscurity as it has. Sure, it still has pull in some circles, but compared to so many other classic franchises, I feel like this one is heavily overlooked and I just want to know why and if there's any way to give it that recognition it deserves.
That is all.
submitted by Salty145 to anime [link] [comments]
Ok. Theatrics aside, I enjoyed Patlabor a lot more than I thought I would. The characters are lively and bring with them a certain grounded charm that just makes them a blast to be around. The writing has a way to make the absurd mundane, and the production is top-notch. While this isn't the first of his works I've watched, it was the one that woke me up to just what Oshii is capable of. The directing in the original OVA is top notch and they're still some of the best looking shows on the market. The backgrounds are rich and make the setting feel real and lived in. I'm going to get to the second movie soon, but from what I've heard, I'm in for a real treat.
So I guess, my point is that I'm just floored that this lovely little franchise has fallen into as much obscurity as it has. Sure, it still has pull in some circles, but compared to so many other classic franchises, I feel like this one is heavily overlooked and I just want to know why and if there's any way to give it that recognition it deserves.
That is all.
2023.05.29 21:00 AdagioDesperate Always a nice feeling...
 | Honestly the linear nature of HE decks is just below Galactus levels of annoyance, but it's always a great feeling putting a HE deck under by 8. submitted by AdagioDesperate to MarvelSnap [link] [comments] |
2023.05.29 20:54 KingHotDogGuy [TotK] I think I cracked the timeline. I call it One Impa Theory.
At the end of Skyward Sword, Link and Zelda leave the Master Sword in Young Impa's time and return to the era of Skyloft. Ocarina and the other games will happen in the future.
Young Impa remains behind. The Goddess Hylia passed away a short time ago to eventually reincarnate, but Demise has just now been defeated by a mortal with the sword and the Triforce. The Triforce is in Impa's care, with instructions from the Goddess to hide it from mortal history. The Master Sword is here, despite not having really been created yet. I think this is the world of Breath of the Wild.
A step back to view the full timeline. Before everything, Rauru and Sonia founded Hyrule and encountered Ganondorf who becomes the original Demon King. These seem to be the earliest events on any timeline because they are. They have no sword that seals the darkness and no knight, evidently only gaining knowledge of them from Zelda. The only mention of gods or goddesses is Ganondorf’s statement that the Zonai must at first have resembled them. And for once the sage’s stones haven’t been passed down by their people since forever, we see them handed out for the first time. So this really is the beginning of known history, at least for now.
Years later we get the first Great Calamity, the one supposedly depicted on Impa’s tapestry. But the tapestry is a lie, because Impa told us at the end of SS the Goddess said the Triforce had to be hidden from mortal history. The tapestry just says the Calamity was defeated by the hero with the sword aided by a princess, this basically describes the Hero of the Sky's intervention in this timeline and is what Impa wants to happen if the Calamity does happen again. But the real story of the first Calamity is the story of the past in Skyward Sword, as first depicted in the intro cinematic and later modified by us: the Demon King’s armies came out of the earth to take the Triforce from Hylia, Demise wounds Hylia but she seals him temporarily. Hylia passes away, but Ghirahim suddenly appears and uses Zelda’s spirit to bring back Demise, who is then defeated by the hero with the Master Sword and the Triforce.
Skyward Sword’s present day is the second Calamity in the timeline where Hylia sealed the Demon King herself and then created the Goddess Sword. Hylia is reborn as Zelda, Link creates the sword and defeats Demise, but they remain unaware of Ganondorf's buried corpse with Rauru's arm, so it remains there for Koume and Kotake to reanimate for Ocarina of Time. (I know the pits behind the Sealed Temple which isn't close to Hyrule Castle so this is a little shaky here for a couple reasons but I think it basically holds up.)
Breath of the Wild is the second Calamity in young Impa’s timeline, where the Hero of the Sky appeared at the end of the first Calamity with the Master Sword and defeated the Demon King, then left the sword there and returned to the future. Crucially this explains how the Master Sword is present in the story of the first Calamity and in BotW, but doesn’t exist in Rauru’s time, and neither does the legend of Hylia confronting Demise and raising Skyloft. That legend is based on the first Calamity, and was passed down in a future that won't happen anymore because we altered the first Calamity, but the Master Sword was brought back from that future. (TotK's Mother Goddess statue gives you the White Sword of the Sky I think as a nod to the fact that because of this loop in the SS ending the Master Sword and Goddess Sword are both present in this world.)
Whatever exactly Hylia is, she’s not mentioned in Rauru’s time, or in the tapestry legend, but is widely worshiped in BotW+TotK. In SS, Demise talks about the humans he knew “clinging to their goddess.” But people in Ganondorf’s time don’t seem to know Hylia much less cling to her, if anything they cling to their Zonai overlords, so SS Demise must be talking about events from his previous return in the first Calamity. Hylia must first appear before the first Calamity, and dies before Impa and future Link intervene to defeat Demise. Impa leaves Hylia out of the story of the Calamity because Hylia told her to leave the Triforce out, but she doesn’t try to erase all memory of Hylia, because she is still going to be reincarnated in the future. Presumably, our BotW+TotK Zelda, in addition to now having consumed a Zonai secret stone, become an immortal dragon, and returned to human form, is Hylia reincarnated. Basically she's the same Zelda from SS, it's basically the same year, but in a parallel universe where the Sheikah brought Skyloft back down right after the Hero of the Sky beat Demise.
Why One Impa Theory? I figure the truth of BotW+TotK is most likely found in the backstory of the most recent title as is usual in Zelda, and when you look for common threads, what you see is Impa. She's one of the original characters dating back to the NES Zelda manual, but she is not part of Demise's Curse, so I don't think she's being reborn. It's possible the Sheikah are reusing her name, and it's unclear how to tie SS+BotW Impa to Ocarina, but we see Impa prominently reintroduced in Skyward right alongside the expanded role of time travel in the story, and then in BotW and TotK, while her sister Purah perfects an anti-aging rune, Impa is kinda in the back seat, but mostly concerned with finding Zelda. At the end of TotK she's still talking about her tapestry, and definitely giving off an air of knowing a lot more than she's telling. If I'm right, she not only knows the tapestry is less than half the whole story, she knows the location of the Triforce, the origins of the Master Sword in an alternate future, and that their friend Zelda is probably a reborn goddess. There's also clearly some connection between the Sheikah and Mineru or other Zonai that Impa could probably explain, along with Hylia's story. Impa is really holding out on us.
Also, since this means the tapestry is a version of Skyward Sword's history modified by Impa, the most likely reason the tapestry hero has red hair is that she combined attributes of the Hero of the Sky, with our main man Groose.
It's shaky in a few spots, and it ignores the inclusion in the game of many items and ruins from other games. But I think it works better than anything I've read, and coming after Skyward Sword's heavy narrative I really don't think this game is meant to disregard or reboot the timeline. And as for ruins, it is notable that the primary locations from the surface in SS, the Sealed Temple and the three springs, are all here in basically the same condition, and even after exploring all our TotK sky islands, there are no ruins from Skyloft.
submitted by KingHotDogGuy to truezelda [link] [comments]
Young Impa remains behind. The Goddess Hylia passed away a short time ago to eventually reincarnate, but Demise has just now been defeated by a mortal with the sword and the Triforce. The Triforce is in Impa's care, with instructions from the Goddess to hide it from mortal history. The Master Sword is here, despite not having really been created yet. I think this is the world of Breath of the Wild.
A step back to view the full timeline. Before everything, Rauru and Sonia founded Hyrule and encountered Ganondorf who becomes the original Demon King. These seem to be the earliest events on any timeline because they are. They have no sword that seals the darkness and no knight, evidently only gaining knowledge of them from Zelda. The only mention of gods or goddesses is Ganondorf’s statement that the Zonai must at first have resembled them. And for once the sage’s stones haven’t been passed down by their people since forever, we see them handed out for the first time. So this really is the beginning of known history, at least for now.
Years later we get the first Great Calamity, the one supposedly depicted on Impa’s tapestry. But the tapestry is a lie, because Impa told us at the end of SS the Goddess said the Triforce had to be hidden from mortal history. The tapestry just says the Calamity was defeated by the hero with the sword aided by a princess, this basically describes the Hero of the Sky's intervention in this timeline and is what Impa wants to happen if the Calamity does happen again. But the real story of the first Calamity is the story of the past in Skyward Sword, as first depicted in the intro cinematic and later modified by us: the Demon King’s armies came out of the earth to take the Triforce from Hylia, Demise wounds Hylia but she seals him temporarily. Hylia passes away, but Ghirahim suddenly appears and uses Zelda’s spirit to bring back Demise, who is then defeated by the hero with the Master Sword and the Triforce.
Skyward Sword’s present day is the second Calamity in the timeline where Hylia sealed the Demon King herself and then created the Goddess Sword. Hylia is reborn as Zelda, Link creates the sword and defeats Demise, but they remain unaware of Ganondorf's buried corpse with Rauru's arm, so it remains there for Koume and Kotake to reanimate for Ocarina of Time. (I know the pits behind the Sealed Temple which isn't close to Hyrule Castle so this is a little shaky here for a couple reasons but I think it basically holds up.)
Breath of the Wild is the second Calamity in young Impa’s timeline, where the Hero of the Sky appeared at the end of the first Calamity with the Master Sword and defeated the Demon King, then left the sword there and returned to the future. Crucially this explains how the Master Sword is present in the story of the first Calamity and in BotW, but doesn’t exist in Rauru’s time, and neither does the legend of Hylia confronting Demise and raising Skyloft. That legend is based on the first Calamity, and was passed down in a future that won't happen anymore because we altered the first Calamity, but the Master Sword was brought back from that future. (TotK's Mother Goddess statue gives you the White Sword of the Sky I think as a nod to the fact that because of this loop in the SS ending the Master Sword and Goddess Sword are both present in this world.)
Whatever exactly Hylia is, she’s not mentioned in Rauru’s time, or in the tapestry legend, but is widely worshiped in BotW+TotK. In SS, Demise talks about the humans he knew “clinging to their goddess.” But people in Ganondorf’s time don’t seem to know Hylia much less cling to her, if anything they cling to their Zonai overlords, so SS Demise must be talking about events from his previous return in the first Calamity. Hylia must first appear before the first Calamity, and dies before Impa and future Link intervene to defeat Demise. Impa leaves Hylia out of the story of the Calamity because Hylia told her to leave the Triforce out, but she doesn’t try to erase all memory of Hylia, because she is still going to be reincarnated in the future. Presumably, our BotW+TotK Zelda, in addition to now having consumed a Zonai secret stone, become an immortal dragon, and returned to human form, is Hylia reincarnated. Basically she's the same Zelda from SS, it's basically the same year, but in a parallel universe where the Sheikah brought Skyloft back down right after the Hero of the Sky beat Demise.
Why One Impa Theory? I figure the truth of BotW+TotK is most likely found in the backstory of the most recent title as is usual in Zelda, and when you look for common threads, what you see is Impa. She's one of the original characters dating back to the NES Zelda manual, but she is not part of Demise's Curse, so I don't think she's being reborn. It's possible the Sheikah are reusing her name, and it's unclear how to tie SS+BotW Impa to Ocarina, but we see Impa prominently reintroduced in Skyward right alongside the expanded role of time travel in the story, and then in BotW and TotK, while her sister Purah perfects an anti-aging rune, Impa is kinda in the back seat, but mostly concerned with finding Zelda. At the end of TotK she's still talking about her tapestry, and definitely giving off an air of knowing a lot more than she's telling. If I'm right, she not only knows the tapestry is less than half the whole story, she knows the location of the Triforce, the origins of the Master Sword in an alternate future, and that their friend Zelda is probably a reborn goddess. There's also clearly some connection between the Sheikah and Mineru or other Zonai that Impa could probably explain, along with Hylia's story. Impa is really holding out on us.
Also, since this means the tapestry is a version of Skyward Sword's history modified by Impa, the most likely reason the tapestry hero has red hair is that she combined attributes of the Hero of the Sky, with our main man Groose.
It's shaky in a few spots, and it ignores the inclusion in the game of many items and ruins from other games. But I think it works better than anything I've read, and coming after Skyward Sword's heavy narrative I really don't think this game is meant to disregard or reboot the timeline. And as for ruins, it is notable that the primary locations from the surface in SS, the Sealed Temple and the three springs, are all here in basically the same condition, and even after exploring all our TotK sky islands, there are no ruins from Skyloft.
2023.05.29 20:53 JoshAsdvgi The Boy Magician
 | submitted by JoshAsdvgi to Native_Stories [link] [comments] The Boy Magician In the heart of the wilderness there lived an old woman and her little grandson. The two found no lack of occupation from day to day, the woman busying herself with cooking and cleaning and the boy with shooting and hunting. The grandmother frequently spoke of the time when the child would grow up and go out into the world. "Always go to the east," she would say. "Never go to the west, for there lies danger." But what the danger was she would not tell him, in spite of his importunate questioning. Other boys went west, he thought to himself, and why should not he? Nevertheless his grandmother made him promise that he would not go west. Years passed by, and the child grew to be a man, though he still retained the curiosity and high spirits of his boyhood. His persistent inquiries drew from the old grandmother a reluctant explanation of her warning. "In the west," said she, "there dwells a being who is anxious to do us harm. If he sees you it will mean death for both of us." This statement, instead of frightening the young Indian, only strengthened in him a secret resolution he had formed to go west on the first opportunity. Not that he wished to bring any misfortune on his poor old grandmother, any more than on himself, but he trusted to his strong arm and clear head to deliver them from their enemy. So with a laugh on his lips he set off to the west. Toward evening he came to a lake, where he rested. He had not been there long when he heard a voice saying: "Aha, my fine fellow, I see you!" The youth looked all round him, and up into the sky above, but he saw no one. "I am going to send a hurricane," the mysterious voice continued, "to break your grandmother's hut to pieces. How will you like that?" "Oh, very well," answered the young man gaily. "We are always in need of firewood, and now we shall have plenty." "Go home and see," the voice said mockingly. "I daresay you will not like it so well." Nothing daunted, the young adventurer retraced his steps. As he neared home a great wind sprang up, seeming to tear the very trees out by the roots. "Make haste!" cried the grandmother from the doorway. "We shall both be killed!" When she had drawn him inside and shut the door she scolded him heartily for his disobedience, and bewailed the fate before them. The young man soothed her fears, saying: "Don't cry, grandmother. We shall turn the lodge into a rock, and so we shall be saved." Having some skill in magic, he did as he had said, and the hurricane passed harmlessly over their heads. When it had ceased they emerged from their retreat, and found an abundance of firewood all round them. Next day the youth was on the point of setting off toward the west once more, but the urgent entreaties of his grandmother moved him to proceed eastward--for a time. Directly he was out of sight of the lodge he turned his face once more to the west. Arrived at the lake, he heard the voice once more, though its owner was still invisible. "I am going to send a great hailstorm on your grandmother's hut," it said. "What do you think of that?" "Oh," was the response, "I think I should like it. I have always wanted a bundle of spears." "Go home and see," said the voice. Away the youth went through the woods. The sky became darker and darker as he neared his home, and just as he was within a bowshot of the little hut a fierce hailstorm broke, and he thought he would be killed before he reached shelter. "Alas!" cried the old woman when he was safely indoors, "we shall be destroyed this time. How can we save ourselves?" Again the young man exercised his magic powers, and transformed the frail hut into a hollow rock, upon which the shafts of the hailstorm spent themselves in vain. At last the sky cleared, the lodge resumed its former shape, and the young man saw a multitude of sharp, beautiful spear-heads on the ground. "I will get poles," said he, "to fit to them for fishing." When he returned in a few minutes with the poles he found that the spears had vanished. "Where are my beautiful spears?" he asked his grandmother. "They were only ice-spears," she replied. "They have all melted away." The young Indian was greatly disappointed, and wondered how he could avenge himself on the being who had played him this malicious trick. "Be warned in time," said the aged grandmother, shaking her head at him. "Take my advice and leave him alone." But the youth's adventurous spirit impelled him to see the end of the matter, so he took a stone and tied it round his neck for a charm, and sought the lake once again. Carefully observing the direction from which the voice proceeded, he saw in the middle of the lake a huge head with a face on every side of it. "Aha! uncle," he exclaimed, "I see you! How would you like it if the lake dried up?" "Nonsense!" said the voice angrily, "that will never happen." "Go home and see," shouted the youth, mimicking the mocking tone the other had adopted on the previous occasions. As he spoke he swung his charmed stone round his head and threw it into the air. As it descended it grew larger and larger, and the moment it entered the lake the water began to boil. The boy returned home and told his grandmother what he had done. "It is of no use," said she. "Many have tried to slay him, but all have perished in the attempt." Next morning our hero went westward again, and found the lake quite dry, and the animals in it dead, with the exception of a large green frog, who was in reality the malicious being who had tormented the Indian and his grandmother. A quick blow with a stick put an end to the creature, and the triumphant youth bore the good news to his old grandmother, who from that time was left in peace and quietness. |
2023.05.29 20:19 VioletGarden75 [65F] Ewa Michalak CHP/SM, [65H-HH] Comexim plunges/3HCs, [28FF, 30F-FF, 34D] Curvy Kate/Aubade/Empreinte/Masquerade bras/sets/basques/bodysuit (Starting at $15!)
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Shipping within the U.S. is $4.75. International buyers pay the difference from U.S. shipping to their location. Paypal only.
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submitted by VioletGarden75 to braswap [link] [comments]
Shipping within the U.S. is $4.75. International buyers pay the difference from U.S. shipping to their location. Paypal only.
Verification (listed top to bottom in each photo): https://imgur.com/a/nWybASI
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2023.05.29 20:09 Rude_Respond3628 (Selling) 5-29-23 HUGE LIST! 4K AND HD CODES! NEWER AND OLDER TITLES BOTH!
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Avengers 4K MA $6 HD GP $4.50
Avengers Age Of Ultron 4K MA $6 HDMA/4KIT $5.50 HD GP $1.50
Avengers Endgame 4K MA $4 HDMA/4KIT $3 HD GP $1.50
Avengers Infinity War 4K MA $4 HDMA/4KIT $3 HD GP $1.50
Bad Boys HD MA $4
Bad Boys For Life HD MA $4
Bad Grandpa HD VD/IT $3.50
Bad Mom's HD MA $3.50 HD iTunes $3
Bad Words HD MA $4
Banshees Of Inisherin HD MA $5.50 HD GP $4.50
Barb And Star Go To Vista Del Mar 4K VD/IT $5
Battleship HD MA $3.50
Beauty And The Beast 2017 HD MA $3.50 HD GP $2.50
Beauty And The Beast 1991 HD GP $4
Bedknobs And Broomsticks HD MA $5 HD GP $4.50
Beethoven Treasure Tail HD MA $4
Beirut HD MA $3
Belly 4K Vudu $5
Big Hero 6 HD MA $3.50 HD GP $2.50
Black Adam HD MA $5
Black Panther 4K MA $5 HDMA/4KIT $4 HD GP $2
Black Panther Wakanda Forever HD MA $4 HD GP $2.50
Black Widow HD GP $3.50
Book Club HD VD/IT $3.50
Book Of Life HD MA $3.50
Boss Baby HD MA $4
Boss Baby 2 Film Collection HD MA $7.50
Bourne Legacy HD MA $2.50 Itunes $2
Boyhood HD VD/IT $3.50
Brian Banks HD MA $3.50
Brides Maids Itunes $3.50
BumbleBee 4K VD/IT $5 HDVD/4KIT $4
Burnt HD Vudu $4
Cake HD MA $4.50
Captain America Civil War 4K MA $5.50 HDMA/4KIT $4 HD GP $2.50
Captain America First Avenger 4K MA $5.50 HDMA/4KIT $4 HD GP $2.50
Captain America Winter Soldier HDMA/4KIT $4 HD GP $2.50
Captain Marvel HDMA/4KIT $3.50 HD GP $2.50
Captain Phillips HD MA $3.50 SD MA $1.50
Carrie 2013 HD Vudu $4
Cars HD GP $4.50
Cars 3 HDMA/4KIT $3 HD GP $2
Christopher Robin HD GP $4
Chronicles Of Narnia Voyage Dawn Treader iTunes $4
Cinderella 1950 HD MA $5
Cinderella 2015 HD MA $4 HD GP $3.50
Clerks 3 HD VD/IT $4.50
Clifford 2021 HD VD/IT $3
Coco HD MA $4 HD GP $2.50
Crawl HD VD/IT $3.50
Crazy On The Outside Itunes $3
Criminal HD VD/IT $4
Cruella HD MA $4 HD GP $3
Daddys Home HD VD/IT $2.50
Dallas Buyers Club Itunes $3.50
Danny Collins HD Itunes $3
Darkest Hour HD MA $4
DC Superpets HD MA $4
Deadpool HDMA/4KIT $3
Deadpool 2 HD MA $3.50
Death On The Nile HD GP $3.50
Deepwater Horizon 4K VD/IT $5 HD VD/IT $3.50
Despicable Me 2 4K Itunes $4.50 HD MA $3
Despicable Me 3 4K MA $5.50 4K Itunes $5 HD MA $3.50
Despicable Me Minion Madness HD $5 Itunes $4.50
Detective Knight Rogue HD VD/IT $4
Diary Of A Wimpy Kid Itunes $3
Diary Of A Wimpy Kid Long Haul HD MA $3
Die Hard 2 Die Harder HD MA $5
Die Hard A Good Day To Die Hard HD MA $4
Die Hard Live Free Or Die Hard HD MA $4.50
Dirty Grandpa HD VD/IT $3.50
Disney Nature Born In China HD MA $4
Disney Nature Monkey Kingdom HD MA $4
Disney Nature Bears HD MA $4
Divergent HDVD/4KIT $2 SD Vudu $1
Divergent Insurgent HDVD/4KIT $2 SD Vudu $1
Django Unchained HD Vudu $4
Doctor Strange 4K MA $5.50 HDMA/4KIT $4 HD GP $2.50
Doctor Strange Multiverse HD MA $4 HD GP $2
Dog HD MA $4
Dolittle HD MA $3.50
Downsizing HD VD/IT $3
Dracula Untold HD MA $3.50
Draft Day Itunes $3
Dragon Heart 3 HD MA $2.50
Dying Of The Light HD Vudu $3.50
Dumbo 2019 HD MA $3.50
El Chicano HD MA $3
Elvis HD MA $4
Elysium/District 9 Film Collection HD MA $6.50
Empire Of Light HD MA $4 HD GP $3
Empire State HD Vudu $3
Encanto HD MA $5 HD GP $4
Enders Game 4K VD $5 HD VD/IT $3.50
Epic HD MA $4.50 HD iTunes $4
Escape Plan HD Vudu $3 SD Vudu $1.50
ET Extra Terrestrial HD MA $4.50
Eternals HD GP $3
Equalizer HD MA $4
Equalizer 2 HD MA $4
Expendables 1-3 Film Collection HD Vudu $6.50
Expendables 2 HD VD/IT $2
Expendables 3 HD VD $3
Far From The Madding Crowd HD MA $4.50
Fast And Furious 1 HD MA $2.50
Fast And Furious 5 HD MA $2.50 iTunes $2 SD MA $1
Fast And Furious 6 HD MA $1
Fast And Furious 7 HD MA $1.50
Fast And Furious 8 HD MA $1
Fast And The Furious 8 Film Collection HD MA $12
Fast And The Furious 9 Film Collection HD MA $14
Fault In Our Stars HD MA $2.50
Ferdinand HD MA $4.50
Fifty Shades 6 Film Collection Unrated/Theatrical HD MA $9
Fifty Shades Darker Unrated HD MA $2.50
Fifty Shades Freed HD MA $3
Fifty Shades Of Grey Unrated 4K MA $3.50 HD MA $1.50
Finding Dory HDMA/4KIT $3.50 HD GP $1.50
Finding Nemo HD GP $4
Flight HD Itunes $3.50
Florence Foster Jenkins HD VD/IT $3.50
Fortress HD MA $4
Fox And The Hound 2 HD MA $5 HD GP $4
Free Guy HD MA $4 HD GP $3.50
Frozen HDMA/4KIT $3.50 HD GP $1.50
Frozen Sing Along Edition HD MA $5 HD GP $4
Frozen 2 HDMA/4KIT $4.50 HD GP $3
Fury HD MA $4
Gemini Man 4K VD/IT $4.50
Ghost In The Shell 2017 4K Vudu $4.50
Ghostbusters 1 HD MA $3.50
Ghostbusters 2 HD MA $3.50
Ghostbusters Afterlife HD MA $4
Ghostbusters Answer Call Extended/Theatrical HD MA $3.50
Ghosts Season 1 HD Vudu $5.50
GI Joe Retaliation HD VD/IT $3
Gifted HD MA $4
Girls Trip HD MA $3
Godfather 4K VD/IT $5
Godfather 2 4K VD/IT $5
Godfather 3 4K VD/IT $5
Gods Not Dead 2 HD MA $3
Goosebumps HD MA $4.50
Guardians Of The Galaxy HDMA/4KIT $4.50 HD GP $2.50
Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume 2 4K MA $4.50 HDMA/4KIT $3.50 HD GP $1.50
Hacksaw Ridge HD VD/IT $3
Halloween 2018 4K MA $4.50 HD MA $3
Hannibal Season 1 Vudu $4
Hansel And Gretel Witch Hunters Unrated HD Vudu $4
Hell Or High Water 4K VD/IT $5 HD VD/IT $3
Hercules 2014 HD VD/IT $3
Here Comes The Boom SD MA $2
Hilary's America SD Vudu $2
Hillsong Let Hope Rise HD MA $1.50
Hitman Agent 47 HD MA $4
Hitman's Bodyguard HD VD/IT $2.50
Hocus Pocus HD MA $4.50 HD GP $4
Home Alone HD MA $3.50
Home Alone 2 HD MA $3.50
Hope Springs HD MA $3.50 SD MA $2
Hostiles 2018 HD VD/IT $3.50
Hot Fuzz HD MA $3.50
Hotel Mumbai HD MA $3
How The Grinch Stole Christmas 2000 4K Itunes $5 HD MA $4.50
How To Train Your Dragon 2 HD MA $4
How To Train Your Dragon 3 Film Collection HD MA $8.50
Hunger Games 4 Film Collection HD Vudu $8
Hunger Games 4K VD/IT $4.50 4K Itunes/HDVD $2.50
Hunger Games Catching Fire 4KIT/HDVD $2.50
Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 1 4KIT/HDVD $3
Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 2 HDVD $2.50
I Can Only Imagine HD VD/IT $3.50
I Feel Pretty Itunes $3
Incarnate Itunes $3
Incredibles 2 HDMA/4KIT $5 HD GP $4
Independence Day HD MA $4
Independence Day Resurgence HD MA $4
Infinite HD VD/IT $4.50
Inside Out HDMA/4KIT $4 HD GP $2
Instructions Not Included HD Vudu $4
Interstellar 4K Itunes $4.50 HD Vudu $3.50
Into The Woods HD MA $4 HD GP $3
Iron Man 3 4K MA $5 HDMA/4KIT $3.50 HD GP $2
Jack And Jill HD MA $4
Jack Reacher Never Go Back HD VD/IT $3.50
Jack Ryan Shadow Recruit 4K VD/IT $4.50 HD Vudu $3
James Bond Skyfall HD VD $2
Jarhead 2 HD MA $3
Jason Bourne HD MA $4
Jigsaw 4K VD/IT $4.50 HD VD/IT $3
Jobs HD MA $4
John Wick 4K Itunes $4 HD Vudu $2.50
John Wick 1 And 2 Combo HD Vudu $4
John Wick 2 4K Itunes $4 HD Vudu $2.50
John Wick 3 HDVD/4KIT $4
Jordan Peele 3 Film (Nope/Get Out/Us) HD MA $8.50
Journey To The West Conquering The Demons HD Vudu $4
Jumanji 2 Film (Welcome To The Jungle/ Next Level) HD MA $7
Jungle Book 1967 HD MA $5 HD GP $4
Jungle Cruise HD MA $4 HD GP $2
Jurassic Dominion 2 Film Theatrical/Extended HD MA $5
Jurassic Ultimate World 6 Film Collection 4K MA $17 HD MA $12
Jurassic World HD MA $1
Justice 2017 HD MA $4
Justin Bieber Never Say Never Itunes $1
Katy Perry Part Of Me HD VD/IT $3 SD VD/IT $1
Kick-Ass Itunes $3.50
Kick-Ass 2 HD MA $4
Killer Elite iTunes $3
Killing Them Softly HD VD $4
Kin HD VD/IT $3
Kingsman The Golden Circle 4K MA $5.50 HD MA $4
Kingsman The Secret Service HD MA $4
Kung Fu Panda 3 HD MA $3.50
La La Land 4K VD/IT $4.50 HD VD/IT $3
Lady And The Tramp 1955 HD MA $5.50 HD GP $4.50
Last Knights HD Vudu $4
Legend Of Hercules 4K VD/IT $5
Leprechaun 7 Film Collection HD Vudu $10
Leprechaun Origins HD VD $3
Les Miserables HD MA $3
Let Me Explain Kevin Hart Itunes $2
Let's Be Cops HD MA $3.50
Life As We Know It Itunes $3
Life Is Beautiful HD Vudu $4
Life Of Pi HD MA $3.50 HD Itunes $3
Lightyear 4K MA $5.50 HD MA $4 HD GP $3
Lilo And Stitch HD MA $4 HD GP $3.50
Lilo And Stitch 2 HD MA $4 HD GP $3.50
Lion HD VD $4
Lion King 1 1/2 HD MA $6
Lion King 1994 4KIT/HDMA $5 HD GP $4
Lion King 2019 HD MA $4 HD GP $3
Logan HDMA/4KIT $3.50
Lone Ranger HD GP $4
Lone Survivor HD MA $2
Longest Ride HD MA $2
Lorax 2012 HD MA $4
Lords Of Salem HD VD $4
Luca HD GP $3
Lucy HD MA $3.50 4K Itunes $4
Lyle Lyle Crocodile HD MA $4.50
Madea Big Happy Family Itunes $2
Madea Christmas HD VD $2
Madea's Witness Protection VD $2 Itunes $2
Maggie HD Vudu $3.50
Maleficent 4K MA $5.50 HDMA/4KIT $4.50 HD GP $3
Maleficent Mistress Of Evil HD GP $3.50
Mama Itunes $3
Marine 4 HD MA $2.50
Mary Poppins HD GP $3.50
Mary Poppins Returns 4K MA $5 HD GP $3.50
Mechanic Resurrection HD VD/IT $3
Megan Leavey HD MA $2.50
Men In Black 3 HD MA $3.50
Mickey Minnie Shorts Vol 1 HD MA $5 HD GP $4
Midnight In The Switchgrass HD Vudu $4.50
Midway 2019 4K VD/IT $5
Minions 2 Film Collection Minions/Rise Of Gru HD MA $8
Minions 4K MA $5.50 HD MA $4.50
Minions Rise Of Gru HD MA $4.50
Misconduct HD Vudu $4
Missing HD MA $4.50
Mission Impossible 4K VD/IT $5.50 HD Vudu $4.50
Mission Impossible 2 4K VD/IT $5.50
Mission Impossible 4 Ghost Protocol 4K VD/IT $4.50 HDVD/4KIT $4
Mission Impossible 5 Rogue Nation 4K VD/IT $4.50 HDVD/4KIT $4
Mission Impossible 6 Fallout 4K VD/IT $4.50 HD VD/4KIT $4
Moana 4K MA $5.50 HDMA/IT4K $4.50 HD GP $3
Monster High Freaky Fusion HD MA $2.50
Monster High Great Scarrier Reef Itunes $2.50
Monster Trucks HD VD/IT $3
Monsters University HD MA $5.50 HD GP $4.50
Morbius 4K MA $5.50 HD MA $4
Mortal Instruments City Of Bones HD MA $3.50
Mud HD VD/IT $3.50
Mulan 2 HD MA $5 HD GP $4
Mulan 2020 HD MA $3.50 HD GP $2
Mummy 3 Film Collection HD MA $10
Need For Speed HD MA $4.50
Never Rarely Sometimes Always 4K MA $5
Nightmare Before Christmas HD GP $4
Noah HD VD/IT $2.50
Nonstop HD MA $4
Norm Of The North HD VD/IT $3.50
Now You See Me HD VD/IT $2.50 SD VD/IT $1.50
Oblivion HD MA $3.50
Office Christmas Party HD VD/IT $3
Olaf Frozen Adventure HD GP $4.50
Onward HD MA $4 HD GP $3
Overdrive iTunes $2.50
Oz The Great And Powerful HD MA $3.50 HD GP $2
Pain And Gain HD VD/IT $3.50
Paranormal Activity 2 HD VD/IT $3
Paranormal Activity 3 HD VD/IT $2
Paranormal Activity 5 Marked Ones HD VD/IT $3
Parental Guidance HD MA $3
Parker SD MA $1.50
Patriots Day HD VD/IT $2.50
Peanuts The Movie HD MA $2.50
Peeples SD Vudu $1.50
Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters HD MA $3
Pet Semetary 2019 HD Itunes $3
Peter Pan 1953 HD MA $5 HD GP $4
Peter Rabbit 2 Film Collection HD MA $7.50
Petes Dragon 2016 HD MA $4.50 HD GP $3.50
Pinocchio 1940 HD GP $4
Pirates Of The Caribbean DMTNT HD MA $3 HD GP $2
Pitch Perfect 4K MA $4.50 HDMA/4KIT $3
Pitch Perfect 2 4K MA $4.50 HDMA/4KIT $3
Planes HD MA $4 HD GP $2
Planet Of The Apes "Dawn" HDMA/4KIT $3.50
Planet Of The Apes "Rise" HDMA/4KIT $3.50
Planet Of The Apes "War" HDMA/4KIT $3.50
Preacher Season 1 HD Vudu $4
Prey For The Devil HDVD/4KIT $5.50
Princess And The Frog HD MA $5 HD GP $4.50
Public Enemies ITunes $3.50
Pulp Fiction HD Vudu $4.50
Punisher War Zone 4K Vudu $4.50
Queen Of Katwe HD GP $3.50
Ralph Breaks The Internet HD GP $3
Rambo 5 Film Collection HD Vudu $8.50
Rambo 4K VD/IT $4.50
Rambo 3 4K VD/IT $4.50
Rambo First Blood 4K VD/IT $4.50 HD VD/IT $3
Rambo First Blood Part 2 4K VD/IT $4.50
Rambo Last Blood 4K VD/IT $4.50
Raya HD MA $4 HD GP $3
Reclaim HD Vudu $4
Red 2 HD VD/IT $2
Redemption HD VD $3
Rescuers HD MA $4.50 HD GP $3.50
Rescuers Down Under HD MA $4.50 HD GP $3.50
Resident Evil Retribution SD MA $2
Ricki And The Flash HD MA $3.50
Ride Along iTunes $2.50
Ride Along 2 HD MA $3
Rio Itunes $2.50
Robin Hood 2018 4K VD/IT $4.50 HD VD/IT $3.50
Robin Hood Disney 1973 HD MA $5 HD GP $4.50
Robocop 2014 HD VD $3.50
Rocketman 4K VD/IT $5
Rocky HD VD $3
Rons Gone Wrong HD MA $3.50 HD GP $2
Rough Cut HD Itunes $3.50
Rush 2013 HD MA $3.50
Saban's Power Rangers 4K VD/IT $5.50 HD VD/IT $3
Safe HD VD/IT $3
Safe Haven iTunes $3.50
Safe House HD MA $3.50 Itunes $3
Same Kind Of Different As Me HD VD/IT $3.50
Samson HD MA $3.50
Saw Complete Film Collection SD Vudu $9
Scary Stories To Tell In Dark 4K MA $4.50 HD VD/IT $3.50
Seal Team 8 Behind Enemy Lines HD MA $3
Selma HD VD/IT $3
Shang Chi HD MA $4.50 HD GP $3
Shark Tale HD MA $4.50
Shaun The Sheep Movie HD Vudu $3.50
Sicario HD Vudu $3
Silent Night Deadly Night 3 Film Collection HD Vudu $6
Sing HDMA/4KiT $4
Sing 2 HD MA $5
Sisters Unrated Itunes $3.50
Skyscraper 4K MA $5 HD MA $3
Sleeping Beauty HD MA $4.50 HD GP $4
Smurfs The Lost Village HD MA $4.50
Snitch HD VD/IT $3.50
Snow White And The Huntsman HD MA $3.50
Snow White And The Seven Dwarves HD GP $4
Sony Movie Buff Pass HD/4K MA $4
Soul HD GP $3
Southpaw HD VD $3.50
Spider-man Amazing Spider-Man HD MA $3.50 SD MA $1.50
Spider-man Amazing Spider-Man 2 HD MA $3.50 SD MA $1.50
Spider-man Far From Home HD MA $3.50
Spider-man Homecoming 4K MA $5 HD MA $2
Spider-man No Way Home HD MA $4
Spider-Man Tobey HD MA $3.50
Spider-Man 2 Tobey 2 Film Collection Theatrical/Extended HD MA $4.50
Spider-Man 3 Tobey HD MA $4.50
Spies In Disguise HD GP $3
Spontaneous VD/IT $3.50
Stand Up Guys HD VD $3
Star Trek The Original Motion Picture 4K VD/IT $4.50
Star Trek 3 Search For Spock 4K VD/IT $4.50
Star Trek 4 Voyage Home 4K VD/IT $4.50
Star Trek 2009 4K Itunes $4.50 HD Vudu $2.50
Star Trek Beyond 4K VD/IT $5 HD Vudu $2.50
Star Trek Into Darkness 4K Itunes $3.50 HD Vudu $1.50
Star Wars Rogue One HDMA/4KIT $4 HD GP $2.50
Star Wars Solo HD GP $3.50
Star Wars Ep 4 A New Hope HD GP $4.50
Star Wars Ep 5 Empire Strike Back HD GP $4.50
Star Wars Ep 6 Return Of The Jedi HD GP $4.50
Star Wars Ep 7 Force Awaken 4K MA $4.50 HDMA/4KIT $2 HD GP $1
Star Wars Ep 8 The Last Jedi 4K MA $4.50 HDMA/4KIT $3 HD GP $1.50
Star Wars Ep 9 Rise Skywalker HD GP $2.50
Strange World HD MA $5
Strawberry Shortcake Fun Under the Sun HD MA $3
Suburbicon HD VD/IT $3
Super 8 HD VD/IT $3.50
Superfly HD MA $3
Superman/Batman Apocalypse Itunes $3.50
Survive The Night HD VD/IT $3.50
Taken 2 HD MA $3 HD iTunes $2
Ted Unrated HD MA $2 Itunes $1.50
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2014 HD VD/IT $3
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Out Shadows HD VD/IT $3.50
Terminator Dark Fate HD VD/IT $3
Terminator Genesis HD VD/IT $3.50
The Adventures Of Tin Tin SD Vudu $2
The Art Of Self Defense HD MA $3
The BFG HD GP $3
The Boy HD MA $4 Itunes $3.50
The Cabin In The Woods 4K VD/IT $5 HD VD/IT $3.50
The Croods HD MA $4
The D Train HD VD/IT $3.50
The Day The Earth Stood Still 2008 Itunes $3.50
The Dentist Collection HD Vudu $5
The Duff HD VD/IT $3
The Emoji Movie HD MA $3
The Family iTunes $3.50
The Five Year Engagement iTunes $3.50
The Forbidden Kingdom HD Vudu $4
The Girl On The Train HD MA $2.50
The Good Dinosaur HD MA $4.50
The Greatest Showman HD MA $3.50
The Gunman HD MA $3.50
The Heat HD MA $3
The Hunt For Red October 4K VD/IT $5
The Impossible HD Vudu $4
The Internship HD MA $3.50
The Iron Lady HD VD $3.50
The Last Witch Hunter HD Itunes $3.50
The Legend Of Hercules HD VD/IT $3
The Lucky One HD MA $2.50
The Marksman HD MA $4.50
The Menu HD GP $4
The Nut Job HD MA $3 Itunes $2.50
The Nut Job 2 Itunes $3.50
The Perks Of Being A Wallflower HD VD/IT $3.50
The Possession HD VD/IT $3.50
The Protege HD VD/IT $4
The Purge HD MA $1.50 4K Itunes $3
The Purge Anarchy HD MA $3
The Raven Itunes $3.50
The Requin HD Vudu $4.50
The Santa Clause 4K IT/HD MA $4.50 HD GP $3
The Santa Clause 2 4K IT/HD MA $4.50 HD GP $3
The Santa Clause 3 4K IT/HD MA $4.50 HD GP $3
The Secret Garden 2020 Itunes $4
The Secret Life Of Pets HD MA $3
The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty HD MA $4
The Shack HD VD/IT $3.50
The Spirit iTunes $3.50
The Spy Who Dumped Me HD VD/IT $4
The Sword In The Stone HD MA $5 HD GP $4
The Time Travelers Wife SD MA $1.50
The Vanishing HD VD $3.50
The Vow SD MA $1.50
The Warlords HD VD $3.50
The Warriors Way iTunes $3.50
The Wedding Ringer HD MA $3.50
The Wolf On Wall Street HD VD/IT $3.50
The Woman In Black SD MA $1.50
Think Like A Man HD MA $3
Thor 4K MA $5.50 HD GP $4
Thor Dark World 4K MA $5.50 HD GP $3
Thor Love And Thunder HD MA $4 HD GP $2.50
Thor Ragnarok 4K MA $5 4KIT/HDMA $3 HD GP $1
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri HD MA $4
Tinkerbell NeverBeast HD MA $4.50 HD GP $3.50
Tinkerbell Pirate Fairy HD MA $4.50 HD GP $3.50
Tinkerbell Fairy Pixie Hollow Games HD MA $4
Top Gun HD VD/4KIT $4.50
Total Recall 1990 4K VD/IT $5
Tower Heist Itunes $3.50
Toy Story HDMA/4KIT $6 HD GP $4
Toy Story 4 4KIT/HDMA $4.50 HD GP $2.50
Toy Story Of Terror HD MA $4.50
Toy Story That Time Forgot HD MA $4.50
Transformers 4K VS/IT $5.50
Transformers Revenge Of The Fallen 4K VD/IT $5.50
Transformers Age Extinction 4K VD/IT $4.50 HDVD $3.50
Transformers Dark Of The Moon 4K VD/IT $4.50 HDVD $3.50
Transformers The Last Knight 4K VD/IT $4.50 HDVD $3.50
Trauma Center HD VD/IT $3
Trolls HD MA $4
Turbo HD MA $3.50
Turning Red 4K MA $5 HD MA $4 HD GP $3
Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 2 HD VD/IT $1
Underworld Awakening HD MA $3
Underworld Blood Wars HD MA $3.50
Universal 1200 Reward Points Codes "1 for $3 or 2 for $5"
Universal Rewards Monthly Movies You Pick HD/4K MA "1 for $3 or 2 for $5"
Unknown iTunes $3
Van Wilder 4K Vudu $5
Venom HD MA $3
Walking Dead Season 11 HD Vudu $6
Walking With Dinosaurs HD iTunes $3
Wanted SD Itunes $1.50
War Room HD MA $3.50 SD MA $1.50
Warcraft HD MA $2.50
Warhunt 4K Vudu $5
Warm Bodies HD Vudu $3.50
Warrior Itunes $3.50
West Side Story 2021 HD MA $4 HD GP $3
When The Game Stands Tall HD MA $2.50 SD MA $1.50
Where The Crawdads Sing HD MA $5
White House Down SD MA $2
Winnie Pooh Many Adventures HD MA $5
Winnie Pooh Springtime With Roo HD MA $5 HD GP $4
Winnie Pooh A Very Merry Pooh Year HD MA $4.50
Wonder HD VD/IT $3
Wonder Park HD VD/IT $3
World War Z HD VD/IT $3.50
Wreck It Ralph HD GP $4.50
X-Men Apocalypse HDMA/4KIT $4
X-Men Dark Phoenix HD MA $5
X-Men Days Of Future Past HDMA/4KIT $4
X-Men Wolverine 2013 HD MA $3.50 Itunes 3.50
XXX Return Of Xander Cage 4K IT $4.50 HD VD/IT $3
Zero Dark Thirty HD VD $3.50
Zootopia HD GP $3
submitted by Rude_Respond3628 to DigitalCodeSELL [link] [comments]
I am open to trades if I don't already own it!
Everyday discount I will take 1 dollar off every 10 spent!
3 Film Collection Kevin James (Paul Blart/Here Comes The Boom/Zookeeper) SD MA $7
3 From Hell 4K VD/IT $4
12 Rounds 2 HD MA $3
12 Years A Slave HD MA $4
13 Hours HD VD/IT $3
21 Jump Street SD MA $1.50
31 HD VD $3
101 Dalmatians 1961 HD MA $4.50 HD GP $4
101 Dalmatians 2 London Adventure HD GP $4
A Haunted House 2 HD Itunes $3
A Quiet Place HD VD/IT $3.50
Admission Itunes $3.50
Aladdin 1992 Signature Collection HD MA $4.50 HD GP $3
Aladdin 2019 4k MA $5 HDMA/4KIT $4 HD GP $2
Alex Cross HD VD/IT $3.50
Alien HD MA $2
Aliens HD MA $4.50
Aliens 3 HD MA $4.50
Alien Covenant HD MA $2
Alien Prometheus HD MA $2
Alien Resurrection HD MA $4.50
Aliens Vs Predator Requiem Itunes $4.50
Alien 6 Film Collection HD MA $18
Alice Through The Looking Glass HD MA $5 HD GP $4
Alita Battle Angel 4K MA $5
All Is Bright HD VD $4
All The Money In The World SD MA $2
Aloha HD MA $4
Alvin Chipmunks Road Chip HD MA $4
American Gangster Extended Edition 4K MA $5
American Psycho 4K VD/IT $5
American Reunion HD MA $3
American Sicario HD VD/IT $3
Amsterdam HD MA $4 HD GP $3
An American Girl Lea To The Rescue ITunes $2
Anchorman 2 HD VD/IT $2
Angel Heart 4K Vudu $5
Anna Karenina Itunes $4
Annie 2014 HD MA $4 SD MA $2
Ant-Man HDMA/4KIT $4.50 HD GP $2.50
Ant-Man And Wasp 4K MA $5.50 HDMA/4KIT $4.50 HD GP $2.50
Assassination Nation HD MA $3.50
Atomic Blonde HD MA $3.50
August Osage County HD MA $3.50
Avengers 4K MA $6 HD GP $4.50
Avengers Age Of Ultron 4K MA $6 HDMA/4KIT $5.50 HD GP $1.50
Avengers Endgame 4K MA $4 HDMA/4KIT $3 HD GP $1.50
Avengers Infinity War 4K MA $4 HDMA/4KIT $3 HD GP $1.50
Bad Boys HD MA $4
Bad Boys For Life HD MA $4
Bad Grandpa HD VD/IT $3.50
Bad Mom's HD MA $3.50 HD iTunes $3
Bad Words HD MA $4
Banshees Of Inisherin HD MA $5.50 HD GP $4.50
Barb And Star Go To Vista Del Mar 4K VD/IT $5
Battleship HD MA $3.50
Beauty And The Beast 2017 HD MA $3.50 HD GP $2.50
Beauty And The Beast 1991 HD GP $4
Bedknobs And Broomsticks HD MA $5 HD GP $4.50
Beethoven Treasure Tail HD MA $4
Beirut HD MA $3
Belly 4K Vudu $5
Big Hero 6 HD MA $3.50 HD GP $2.50
Black Adam HD MA $5
Black Panther 4K MA $5 HDMA/4KIT $4 HD GP $2
Black Panther Wakanda Forever HD MA $4 HD GP $2.50
Black Widow HD GP $3.50
Book Club HD VD/IT $3.50
Book Of Life HD MA $3.50
Boss Baby HD MA $4
Boss Baby 2 Film Collection HD MA $7.50
Bourne Legacy HD MA $2.50 Itunes $2
Boyhood HD VD/IT $3.50
Brian Banks HD MA $3.50
Brides Maids Itunes $3.50
BumbleBee 4K VD/IT $5 HDVD/4KIT $4
Burnt HD Vudu $4
Cake HD MA $4.50
Captain America Civil War 4K MA $5.50 HDMA/4KIT $4 HD GP $2.50
Captain America First Avenger 4K MA $5.50 HDMA/4KIT $4 HD GP $2.50
Captain America Winter Soldier HDMA/4KIT $4 HD GP $2.50
Captain Marvel HDMA/4KIT $3.50 HD GP $2.50
Captain Phillips HD MA $3.50 SD MA $1.50
Carrie 2013 HD Vudu $4
Cars HD GP $4.50
Cars 3 HDMA/4KIT $3 HD GP $2
Christopher Robin HD GP $4
Chronicles Of Narnia Voyage Dawn Treader iTunes $4
Cinderella 1950 HD MA $5
Cinderella 2015 HD MA $4 HD GP $3.50
Clerks 3 HD VD/IT $4.50
Clifford 2021 HD VD/IT $3
Coco HD MA $4 HD GP $2.50
Crawl HD VD/IT $3.50
Crazy On The Outside Itunes $3
Criminal HD VD/IT $4
Cruella HD MA $4 HD GP $3
Daddys Home HD VD/IT $2.50
Dallas Buyers Club Itunes $3.50
Danny Collins HD Itunes $3
Darkest Hour HD MA $4
DC Superpets HD MA $4
Deadpool HDMA/4KIT $3
Deadpool 2 HD MA $3.50
Death On The Nile HD GP $3.50
Deepwater Horizon 4K VD/IT $5 HD VD/IT $3.50
Despicable Me 2 4K Itunes $4.50 HD MA $3
Despicable Me 3 4K MA $5.50 4K Itunes $5 HD MA $3.50
Despicable Me Minion Madness HD $5 Itunes $4.50
Detective Knight Rogue HD VD/IT $4
Diary Of A Wimpy Kid Itunes $3
Diary Of A Wimpy Kid Long Haul HD MA $3
Die Hard 2 Die Harder HD MA $5
Die Hard A Good Day To Die Hard HD MA $4
Die Hard Live Free Or Die Hard HD MA $4.50
Dirty Grandpa HD VD/IT $3.50
Disney Nature Born In China HD MA $4
Disney Nature Monkey Kingdom HD MA $4
Disney Nature Bears HD MA $4
Divergent HDVD/4KIT $2 SD Vudu $1
Divergent Insurgent HDVD/4KIT $2 SD Vudu $1
Django Unchained HD Vudu $4
Doctor Strange 4K MA $5.50 HDMA/4KIT $4 HD GP $2.50
Doctor Strange Multiverse HD MA $4 HD GP $2
Dog HD MA $4
Dolittle HD MA $3.50
Downsizing HD VD/IT $3
Dracula Untold HD MA $3.50
Draft Day Itunes $3
Dragon Heart 3 HD MA $2.50
Dying Of The Light HD Vudu $3.50
Dumbo 2019 HD MA $3.50
El Chicano HD MA $3
Elvis HD MA $4
Elysium/District 9 Film Collection HD MA $6.50
Empire Of Light HD MA $4 HD GP $3
Empire State HD Vudu $3
Encanto HD MA $5 HD GP $4
Enders Game 4K VD $5 HD VD/IT $3.50
Epic HD MA $4.50 HD iTunes $4
Escape Plan HD Vudu $3 SD Vudu $1.50
ET Extra Terrestrial HD MA $4.50
Eternals HD GP $3
Equalizer HD MA $4
Equalizer 2 HD MA $4
Expendables 1-3 Film Collection HD Vudu $6.50
Expendables 2 HD VD/IT $2
Expendables 3 HD VD $3
Far From The Madding Crowd HD MA $4.50
Fast And Furious 1 HD MA $2.50
Fast And Furious 5 HD MA $2.50 iTunes $2 SD MA $1
Fast And Furious 6 HD MA $1
Fast And Furious 7 HD MA $1.50
Fast And Furious 8 HD MA $1
Fast And The Furious 8 Film Collection HD MA $12
Fast And The Furious 9 Film Collection HD MA $14
Fault In Our Stars HD MA $2.50
Ferdinand HD MA $4.50
Fifty Shades 6 Film Collection Unrated/Theatrical HD MA $9
Fifty Shades Darker Unrated HD MA $2.50
Fifty Shades Freed HD MA $3
Fifty Shades Of Grey Unrated 4K MA $3.50 HD MA $1.50
Finding Dory HDMA/4KIT $3.50 HD GP $1.50
Finding Nemo HD GP $4
Flight HD Itunes $3.50
Florence Foster Jenkins HD VD/IT $3.50
Fortress HD MA $4
Fox And The Hound 2 HD MA $5 HD GP $4
Free Guy HD MA $4 HD GP $3.50
Frozen HDMA/4KIT $3.50 HD GP $1.50
Frozen Sing Along Edition HD MA $5 HD GP $4
Frozen 2 HDMA/4KIT $4.50 HD GP $3
Fury HD MA $4
Gemini Man 4K VD/IT $4.50
Ghost In The Shell 2017 4K Vudu $4.50
Ghostbusters 1 HD MA $3.50
Ghostbusters 2 HD MA $3.50
Ghostbusters Afterlife HD MA $4
Ghostbusters Answer Call Extended/Theatrical HD MA $3.50
Ghosts Season 1 HD Vudu $5.50
GI Joe Retaliation HD VD/IT $3
Gifted HD MA $4
Girls Trip HD MA $3
Godfather 4K VD/IT $5
Godfather 2 4K VD/IT $5
Godfather 3 4K VD/IT $5
Gods Not Dead 2 HD MA $3
Goosebumps HD MA $4.50
Guardians Of The Galaxy HDMA/4KIT $4.50 HD GP $2.50
Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume 2 4K MA $4.50 HDMA/4KIT $3.50 HD GP $1.50
Hacksaw Ridge HD VD/IT $3
Halloween 2018 4K MA $4.50 HD MA $3
Hannibal Season 1 Vudu $4
Hansel And Gretel Witch Hunters Unrated HD Vudu $4
Hell Or High Water 4K VD/IT $5 HD VD/IT $3
Hercules 2014 HD VD/IT $3
Here Comes The Boom SD MA $2
Hilary's America SD Vudu $2
Hillsong Let Hope Rise HD MA $1.50
Hitman Agent 47 HD MA $4
Hitman's Bodyguard HD VD/IT $2.50
Hocus Pocus HD MA $4.50 HD GP $4
Home Alone HD MA $3.50
Home Alone 2 HD MA $3.50
Hope Springs HD MA $3.50 SD MA $2
Hostiles 2018 HD VD/IT $3.50
Hot Fuzz HD MA $3.50
Hotel Mumbai HD MA $3
How The Grinch Stole Christmas 2000 4K Itunes $5 HD MA $4.50
How To Train Your Dragon 2 HD MA $4
How To Train Your Dragon 3 Film Collection HD MA $8.50
Hunger Games 4 Film Collection HD Vudu $8
Hunger Games 4K VD/IT $4.50 4K Itunes/HDVD $2.50
Hunger Games Catching Fire 4KIT/HDVD $2.50
Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 1 4KIT/HDVD $3
Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 2 HDVD $2.50
I Can Only Imagine HD VD/IT $3.50
I Feel Pretty Itunes $3
Incarnate Itunes $3
Incredibles 2 HDMA/4KIT $5 HD GP $4
Independence Day HD MA $4
Independence Day Resurgence HD MA $4
Infinite HD VD/IT $4.50
Inside Out HDMA/4KIT $4 HD GP $2
Instructions Not Included HD Vudu $4
Interstellar 4K Itunes $4.50 HD Vudu $3.50
Into The Woods HD MA $4 HD GP $3
Iron Man 3 4K MA $5 HDMA/4KIT $3.50 HD GP $2
Jack And Jill HD MA $4
Jack Reacher Never Go Back HD VD/IT $3.50
Jack Ryan Shadow Recruit 4K VD/IT $4.50 HD Vudu $3
James Bond Skyfall HD VD $2
Jarhead 2 HD MA $3
Jason Bourne HD MA $4
Jigsaw 4K VD/IT $4.50 HD VD/IT $3
Jobs HD MA $4
John Wick 4K Itunes $4 HD Vudu $2.50
John Wick 1 And 2 Combo HD Vudu $4
John Wick 2 4K Itunes $4 HD Vudu $2.50
John Wick 3 HDVD/4KIT $4
Jordan Peele 3 Film (Nope/Get Out/Us) HD MA $8.50
Journey To The West Conquering The Demons HD Vudu $4
Jumanji 2 Film (Welcome To The Jungle/ Next Level) HD MA $7
Jungle Book 1967 HD MA $5 HD GP $4
Jungle Cruise HD MA $4 HD GP $2
Jurassic Dominion 2 Film Theatrical/Extended HD MA $5
Jurassic Ultimate World 6 Film Collection 4K MA $17 HD MA $12
Jurassic World HD MA $1
Justice 2017 HD MA $4
Justin Bieber Never Say Never Itunes $1
Katy Perry Part Of Me HD VD/IT $3 SD VD/IT $1
Kick-Ass Itunes $3.50
Kick-Ass 2 HD MA $4
Killer Elite iTunes $3
Killing Them Softly HD VD $4
Kin HD VD/IT $3
Kingsman The Golden Circle 4K MA $5.50 HD MA $4
Kingsman The Secret Service HD MA $4
Kung Fu Panda 3 HD MA $3.50
La La Land 4K VD/IT $4.50 HD VD/IT $3
Lady And The Tramp 1955 HD MA $5.50 HD GP $4.50
Last Knights HD Vudu $4
Legend Of Hercules 4K VD/IT $5
Leprechaun 7 Film Collection HD Vudu $10
Leprechaun Origins HD VD $3
Les Miserables HD MA $3
Let Me Explain Kevin Hart Itunes $2
Let's Be Cops HD MA $3.50
Life As We Know It Itunes $3
Life Is Beautiful HD Vudu $4
Life Of Pi HD MA $3.50 HD Itunes $3
Lightyear 4K MA $5.50 HD MA $4 HD GP $3
Lilo And Stitch HD MA $4 HD GP $3.50
Lilo And Stitch 2 HD MA $4 HD GP $3.50
Lion HD VD $4
Lion King 1 1/2 HD MA $6
Lion King 1994 4KIT/HDMA $5 HD GP $4
Lion King 2019 HD MA $4 HD GP $3
Logan HDMA/4KIT $3.50
Lone Ranger HD GP $4
Lone Survivor HD MA $2
Longest Ride HD MA $2
Lorax 2012 HD MA $4
Lords Of Salem HD VD $4
Luca HD GP $3
Lucy HD MA $3.50 4K Itunes $4
Lyle Lyle Crocodile HD MA $4.50
Madea Big Happy Family Itunes $2
Madea Christmas HD VD $2
Madea's Witness Protection VD $2 Itunes $2
Maggie HD Vudu $3.50
Maleficent 4K MA $5.50 HDMA/4KIT $4.50 HD GP $3
Maleficent Mistress Of Evil HD GP $3.50
Mama Itunes $3
Marine 4 HD MA $2.50
Mary Poppins HD GP $3.50
Mary Poppins Returns 4K MA $5 HD GP $3.50
Mechanic Resurrection HD VD/IT $3
Megan Leavey HD MA $2.50
Men In Black 3 HD MA $3.50
Mickey Minnie Shorts Vol 1 HD MA $5 HD GP $4
Midnight In The Switchgrass HD Vudu $4.50
Midway 2019 4K VD/IT $5
Minions 2 Film Collection Minions/Rise Of Gru HD MA $8
Minions 4K MA $5.50 HD MA $4.50
Minions Rise Of Gru HD MA $4.50
Misconduct HD Vudu $4
Missing HD MA $4.50
Mission Impossible 4K VD/IT $5.50 HD Vudu $4.50
Mission Impossible 2 4K VD/IT $5.50
Mission Impossible 4 Ghost Protocol 4K VD/IT $4.50 HDVD/4KIT $4
Mission Impossible 5 Rogue Nation 4K VD/IT $4.50 HDVD/4KIT $4
Mission Impossible 6 Fallout 4K VD/IT $4.50 HD VD/4KIT $4
Moana 4K MA $5.50 HDMA/IT4K $4.50 HD GP $3
Monster High Freaky Fusion HD MA $2.50
Monster High Great Scarrier Reef Itunes $2.50
Monster Trucks HD VD/IT $3
Monsters University HD MA $5.50 HD GP $4.50
Morbius 4K MA $5.50 HD MA $4
Mortal Instruments City Of Bones HD MA $3.50
Mud HD VD/IT $3.50
Mulan 2 HD MA $5 HD GP $4
Mulan 2020 HD MA $3.50 HD GP $2
Mummy 3 Film Collection HD MA $10
Need For Speed HD MA $4.50
Never Rarely Sometimes Always 4K MA $5
Nightmare Before Christmas HD GP $4
Noah HD VD/IT $2.50
Nonstop HD MA $4
Norm Of The North HD VD/IT $3.50
Now You See Me HD VD/IT $2.50 SD VD/IT $1.50
Oblivion HD MA $3.50
Office Christmas Party HD VD/IT $3
Olaf Frozen Adventure HD GP $4.50
Onward HD MA $4 HD GP $3
Overdrive iTunes $2.50
Oz The Great And Powerful HD MA $3.50 HD GP $2
Pain And Gain HD VD/IT $3.50
Paranormal Activity 2 HD VD/IT $3
Paranormal Activity 3 HD VD/IT $2
Paranormal Activity 5 Marked Ones HD VD/IT $3
Parental Guidance HD MA $3
Parker SD MA $1.50
Patriots Day HD VD/IT $2.50
Peanuts The Movie HD MA $2.50
Peeples SD Vudu $1.50
Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters HD MA $3
Pet Semetary 2019 HD Itunes $3
Peter Pan 1953 HD MA $5 HD GP $4
Peter Rabbit 2 Film Collection HD MA $7.50
Petes Dragon 2016 HD MA $4.50 HD GP $3.50
Pinocchio 1940 HD GP $4
Pirates Of The Caribbean DMTNT HD MA $3 HD GP $2
Pitch Perfect 4K MA $4.50 HDMA/4KIT $3
Pitch Perfect 2 4K MA $4.50 HDMA/4KIT $3
Planes HD MA $4 HD GP $2
Planet Of The Apes "Dawn" HDMA/4KIT $3.50
Planet Of The Apes "Rise" HDMA/4KIT $3.50
Planet Of The Apes "War" HDMA/4KIT $3.50
Preacher Season 1 HD Vudu $4
Prey For The Devil HDVD/4KIT $5.50
Princess And The Frog HD MA $5 HD GP $4.50
Public Enemies ITunes $3.50
Pulp Fiction HD Vudu $4.50
Punisher War Zone 4K Vudu $4.50
Queen Of Katwe HD GP $3.50
Ralph Breaks The Internet HD GP $3
Rambo 5 Film Collection HD Vudu $8.50
Rambo 4K VD/IT $4.50
Rambo 3 4K VD/IT $4.50
Rambo First Blood 4K VD/IT $4.50 HD VD/IT $3
Rambo First Blood Part 2 4K VD/IT $4.50
Rambo Last Blood 4K VD/IT $4.50
Raya HD MA $4 HD GP $3
Reclaim HD Vudu $4
Red 2 HD VD/IT $2
Redemption HD VD $3
Rescuers HD MA $4.50 HD GP $3.50
Rescuers Down Under HD MA $4.50 HD GP $3.50
Resident Evil Retribution SD MA $2
Ricki And The Flash HD MA $3.50
Ride Along iTunes $2.50
Ride Along 2 HD MA $3
Rio Itunes $2.50
Robin Hood 2018 4K VD/IT $4.50 HD VD/IT $3.50
Robin Hood Disney 1973 HD MA $5 HD GP $4.50
Robocop 2014 HD VD $3.50
Rocketman 4K VD/IT $5
Rocky HD VD $3
Rons Gone Wrong HD MA $3.50 HD GP $2
Rough Cut HD Itunes $3.50
Rush 2013 HD MA $3.50
Saban's Power Rangers 4K VD/IT $5.50 HD VD/IT $3
Safe HD VD/IT $3
Safe Haven iTunes $3.50
Safe House HD MA $3.50 Itunes $3
Same Kind Of Different As Me HD VD/IT $3.50
Samson HD MA $3.50
Saw Complete Film Collection SD Vudu $9
Scary Stories To Tell In Dark 4K MA $4.50 HD VD/IT $3.50
Seal Team 8 Behind Enemy Lines HD MA $3
Selma HD VD/IT $3
Shang Chi HD MA $4.50 HD GP $3
Shark Tale HD MA $4.50
Shaun The Sheep Movie HD Vudu $3.50
Sicario HD Vudu $3
Silent Night Deadly Night 3 Film Collection HD Vudu $6
Sing HDMA/4KiT $4
Sing 2 HD MA $5
Sisters Unrated Itunes $3.50
Skyscraper 4K MA $5 HD MA $3
Sleeping Beauty HD MA $4.50 HD GP $4
Smurfs The Lost Village HD MA $4.50
Snitch HD VD/IT $3.50
Snow White And The Huntsman HD MA $3.50
Snow White And The Seven Dwarves HD GP $4
Sony Movie Buff Pass HD/4K MA $4
Soul HD GP $3
Southpaw HD VD $3.50
Spider-man Amazing Spider-Man HD MA $3.50 SD MA $1.50
Spider-man Amazing Spider-Man 2 HD MA $3.50 SD MA $1.50
Spider-man Far From Home HD MA $3.50
Spider-man Homecoming 4K MA $5 HD MA $2
Spider-man No Way Home HD MA $4
Spider-Man Tobey HD MA $3.50
Spider-Man 2 Tobey 2 Film Collection Theatrical/Extended HD MA $4.50
Spider-Man 3 Tobey HD MA $4.50
Spies In Disguise HD GP $3
Spontaneous VD/IT $3.50
Stand Up Guys HD VD $3
Star Trek The Original Motion Picture 4K VD/IT $4.50
Star Trek 3 Search For Spock 4K VD/IT $4.50
Star Trek 4 Voyage Home 4K VD/IT $4.50
Star Trek 2009 4K Itunes $4.50 HD Vudu $2.50
Star Trek Beyond 4K VD/IT $5 HD Vudu $2.50
Star Trek Into Darkness 4K Itunes $3.50 HD Vudu $1.50
Star Wars Rogue One HDMA/4KIT $4 HD GP $2.50
Star Wars Solo HD GP $3.50
Star Wars Ep 4 A New Hope HD GP $4.50
Star Wars Ep 5 Empire Strike Back HD GP $4.50
Star Wars Ep 6 Return Of The Jedi HD GP $4.50
Star Wars Ep 7 Force Awaken 4K MA $4.50 HDMA/4KIT $2 HD GP $1
Star Wars Ep 8 The Last Jedi 4K MA $4.50 HDMA/4KIT $3 HD GP $1.50
Star Wars Ep 9 Rise Skywalker HD GP $2.50
Strange World HD MA $5
Strawberry Shortcake Fun Under the Sun HD MA $3
Suburbicon HD VD/IT $3
Super 8 HD VD/IT $3.50
Superfly HD MA $3
Superman/Batman Apocalypse Itunes $3.50
Survive The Night HD VD/IT $3.50
Taken 2 HD MA $3 HD iTunes $2
Ted Unrated HD MA $2 Itunes $1.50
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2014 HD VD/IT $3
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Out Shadows HD VD/IT $3.50
Terminator Dark Fate HD VD/IT $3
Terminator Genesis HD VD/IT $3.50
The Adventures Of Tin Tin SD Vudu $2
The Art Of Self Defense HD MA $3
The BFG HD GP $3
The Boy HD MA $4 Itunes $3.50
The Cabin In The Woods 4K VD/IT $5 HD VD/IT $3.50
The Croods HD MA $4
The D Train HD VD/IT $3.50
The Day The Earth Stood Still 2008 Itunes $3.50
The Dentist Collection HD Vudu $5
The Duff HD VD/IT $3
The Emoji Movie HD MA $3
The Family iTunes $3.50
The Five Year Engagement iTunes $3.50
The Forbidden Kingdom HD Vudu $4
The Girl On The Train HD MA $2.50
The Good Dinosaur HD MA $4.50
The Greatest Showman HD MA $3.50
The Gunman HD MA $3.50
The Heat HD MA $3
The Hunt For Red October 4K VD/IT $5
The Impossible HD Vudu $4
The Internship HD MA $3.50
The Iron Lady HD VD $3.50
The Last Witch Hunter HD Itunes $3.50
The Legend Of Hercules HD VD/IT $3
The Lucky One HD MA $2.50
The Marksman HD MA $4.50
The Menu HD GP $4
The Nut Job HD MA $3 Itunes $2.50
The Nut Job 2 Itunes $3.50
The Perks Of Being A Wallflower HD VD/IT $3.50
The Possession HD VD/IT $3.50
The Protege HD VD/IT $4
The Purge HD MA $1.50 4K Itunes $3
The Purge Anarchy HD MA $3
The Raven Itunes $3.50
The Requin HD Vudu $4.50
The Santa Clause 4K IT/HD MA $4.50 HD GP $3
The Santa Clause 2 4K IT/HD MA $4.50 HD GP $3
The Santa Clause 3 4K IT/HD MA $4.50 HD GP $3
The Secret Garden 2020 Itunes $4
The Secret Life Of Pets HD MA $3
The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty HD MA $4
The Shack HD VD/IT $3.50
The Spirit iTunes $3.50
The Spy Who Dumped Me HD VD/IT $4
The Sword In The Stone HD MA $5 HD GP $4
The Time Travelers Wife SD MA $1.50
The Vanishing HD VD $3.50
The Vow SD MA $1.50
The Warlords HD VD $3.50
The Warriors Way iTunes $3.50
The Wedding Ringer HD MA $3.50
The Wolf On Wall Street HD VD/IT $3.50
The Woman In Black SD MA $1.50
Think Like A Man HD MA $3
Thor 4K MA $5.50 HD GP $4
Thor Dark World 4K MA $5.50 HD GP $3
Thor Love And Thunder HD MA $4 HD GP $2.50
Thor Ragnarok 4K MA $5 4KIT/HDMA $3 HD GP $1
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri HD MA $4
Tinkerbell NeverBeast HD MA $4.50 HD GP $3.50
Tinkerbell Pirate Fairy HD MA $4.50 HD GP $3.50
Tinkerbell Fairy Pixie Hollow Games HD MA $4
Top Gun HD VD/4KIT $4.50
Total Recall 1990 4K VD/IT $5
Tower Heist Itunes $3.50
Toy Story HDMA/4KIT $6 HD GP $4
Toy Story 4 4KIT/HDMA $4.50 HD GP $2.50
Toy Story Of Terror HD MA $4.50
Toy Story That Time Forgot HD MA $4.50
Transformers 4K VS/IT $5.50
Transformers Revenge Of The Fallen 4K VD/IT $5.50
Transformers Age Extinction 4K VD/IT $4.50 HDVD $3.50
Transformers Dark Of The Moon 4K VD/IT $4.50 HDVD $3.50
Transformers The Last Knight 4K VD/IT $4.50 HDVD $3.50
Trauma Center HD VD/IT $3
Trolls HD MA $4
Turbo HD MA $3.50
Turning Red 4K MA $5 HD MA $4 HD GP $3
Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 2 HD VD/IT $1
Underworld Awakening HD MA $3
Underworld Blood Wars HD MA $3.50
Universal 1200 Reward Points Codes "1 for $3 or 2 for $5"
Universal Rewards Monthly Movies You Pick HD/4K MA "1 for $3 or 2 for $5"
Unknown iTunes $3
Van Wilder 4K Vudu $5
Venom HD MA $3
Walking Dead Season 11 HD Vudu $6
Walking With Dinosaurs HD iTunes $3
Wanted SD Itunes $1.50
War Room HD MA $3.50 SD MA $1.50
Warcraft HD MA $2.50
Warhunt 4K Vudu $5
Warm Bodies HD Vudu $3.50
Warrior Itunes $3.50
West Side Story 2021 HD MA $4 HD GP $3
When The Game Stands Tall HD MA $2.50 SD MA $1.50
Where The Crawdads Sing HD MA $5
White House Down SD MA $2
Winnie Pooh Many Adventures HD MA $5
Winnie Pooh Springtime With Roo HD MA $5 HD GP $4
Winnie Pooh A Very Merry Pooh Year HD MA $4.50
Wonder HD VD/IT $3
Wonder Park HD VD/IT $3
World War Z HD VD/IT $3.50
Wreck It Ralph HD GP $4.50
X-Men Apocalypse HDMA/4KIT $4
X-Men Dark Phoenix HD MA $5
X-Men Days Of Future Past HDMA/4KIT $4
X-Men Wolverine 2013 HD MA $3.50 Itunes 3.50
XXX Return Of Xander Cage 4K IT $4.50 HD VD/IT $3
Zero Dark Thirty HD VD $3.50
Zootopia HD GP $3
2023.05.29 19:59 suhiab1 [Store]Store of TI8/TI9/TI10/Nemestice/Aghanim's Diretide 2022 Collector's Cache
myprofile steam
I am selling Ti8 and ti9 and ti10 Immortals and Collector's Cache and not buying them.
Buyer goes first, no exceptions unless you have a reputable rep
All conversations will be saved for safety and record.
Steam Rep: Steam Reputation
Buyers go first, add me now if interested for 30 days cooldown, make sure to leave a comment on my profile . 20% reserve fee required at the time of reserving cache sets.
my profile steam
Inventor
submitted by suhiab1 to Dota2Trade [link] [comments]
I am selling Ti8 and ti9 and ti10 Immortals and Collector's Cache and not buying them.
Buyer goes first, no exceptions unless you have a reputable rep
All conversations will be saved for safety and record.
Steam Rep: Steam Reputation
Buyers go first, add me now if interested for 30 days cooldown, make sure to leave a comment on my profile . 20% reserve fee required at the time of reserving cache sets.
Immortal Treasure 2022
| Hero | Immortal Treasure I - II 2022 | Price(USD) | Reserved/Sold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Queen of Pain | Bloodfeather Finery | 55$ | 4 Sold!- 1 left |
| Hoodwink | The Strings of Suradan Bundle | 35$ | 4 Sold!- 2 left |
| Bristleback | Blastmitt Berserker Bundle | 4$ | |
| Templar Assassin | Golden Seclusions of the Void | 4$ | 1 Sold |
| Centaur Warrunner | Golden Infernal Cavalcade | 4$ |
The Battle Pass Collection 2022
| Hero | The Battle Pass Collection 2022 | Price(USD) | Reserved/Sold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mars | Molten Bore | 10$ | 1 Sold! |
| Batrider | Charms of the Firefiend | 5$ |
Ageless Heirlooms 2022
| Hero | Ageless Heirlooms 2022 | Price(USD) | Reserved/Sold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mars | Wings of Imperium (Ultra Rare) | 15$ | |
| Medusa | Jewels of Anamnes(sa (Very rare) | 5$ | |
| Night Stalker | Twilight Legions (Rare) | 3$ |
Diretide 2022 Collector's Cache II
| Hero | Diretide 2022 Collector's Cache II | Price(USD) | Reserved/Sold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Void Spirit | Sublime Equilibrium | 35$ | |
| Anti Mage) | Brands of the Reaper | 25$ | |
| Treant | Grudges of the Gallows Tree | 20$ | |
| Phantom Assassin | Darkfeather Factioneer | 12$ | 1 Sold! |
| Pudge | Cursed Cryptbreaker | 10$ | |
| Legion Commander | Bird of Prey | 10$ | |
| Night Stalker | Feasts of Forever | 8$ | |
| Doom | Dawn of Darkness Foretold | 8$ | |
| Techies | War Rig Eradicators | 8$ | 2 Sold! |
| Huskar | Sacred Chamber Guardian | 8$ | |
| Vengeful Spirit | Acrimonies of Obsession | 8$ | |
| Ogre Magi | Freeboot Fortunes | 8$ | |
| Clinkz | Withering Pain | 8$ | |
| Alchemist | Darkbrew´s Transgression | 8$ | |
| Brewmaster | The Wilding Tiger | 8$ | |
| Oracle | Transcendent Path | 8$ | |
| Silencer | Grand Suppressor | 6$ |
Diretide 2022 Collector's Cache I
| Hero | Diretide 2022 Collector's Cache | Price(USD) | Reserved/Sold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primal Beast | Dark Behemoth (VERY RARE) | 45$ | 3 Sold! |
| Invoker | Angel of Vex (Rare) | 25$ | 1 Sold! |
| MARCI | Blue Horizons (Rare) | 20$ | 3 Sold! |
| Hoodwink | Shadowleaf Insurgent | 10$ | 3 Sold! |
| Spectre | Spoils of the Shadowveil | 10$ | 1 Sold! |
| Faceless Void | Chines of the Inquisitor | 10$ | |
| Ursa | Trophies of the Hallowed Hunt | 10$ | |
| Riki | Scarlet Subversion | 10$ | |
| Terrorblade | Forgotten Station | 10$ | |
| Monkey King | Champion of the Fire Lotus | 10$ | |
| Snapfire | Whippersnapper | 10$ | 3 Sold! |
| Chen | Hounds of obsession | 8$ | |
| Clockwerk | Seadog’s Stash | 8$ | 1 Sold! |
| Phoenix | Crimson Dawn | 8$ | |
| Undying | Dirge Amplifier | 10$ | |
| Witch Doctor | Deathstitch Shaman | 8$ | |
| Dawnbreaker | Starlorn Adjudicator | 10$ | 4 Sold! |
Aghanim's 2021 Collector's Cache
| Hero | Aghanim's 2021 Collector's Cache | Price(USD) | Reserved/Sold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ogre Magi | Pyrexae Polymorph Perfected | 12$ | 1 Sold! |
| Dragon Knight | Silverwurm Sacrifice | 15$ | 1 Sold! |
| Phantom Lancer | Scales of the Shadow Walker | 10$ | |
| Dawnbreaker | Perception of the First Light | 10$ | 3 Sold! |
| Clockwerk | Apex Automated | 10$ | 2 Sold! |
| Razor | Test of the Basilisk Lord | 10$ | 1 Sold! |
| Ancient Apparition | Secrets of the Frost Singularity | 8$ | 3 Sold! |
| chen | Perils of the Red Banks | 5$ | 1 Sold! |
| Grimstroke | The Chained Scribe | 8$ | |
| Broodmother | Widow of the Undermount Gloom | 10$ | 4 Sold! |
| Mars | Forgotten Fate | 5$ | |
| Rubick | March of the Crackerjack Mage | 5$ | 1 Sold! |
| Alchemist | Cosmic Concoctioneers | 15$ | 4 Sold! |
| Abaddon | Blightfall | 10$ | 1 Sold! |
Nemestice 2021 Collector's Cache
| Hero | Nemestice 2021 Collector's Cache | Price(USD) | Reserved/Sold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Witch Doctor | Footfalls of the Sporefathers | 30$ | 3 Sold! |
| Sven | Indomitable Legacy | 60$ | 10 Sold!- 1 left |
| Doom | Litany of the Damned | 10$ | 1 Sold! |
| Dark Willow | Twilight Hex | 8$ | |
| Enigma | Astral Terminus | 5$ | 1 Sold! |
| Enchantress | Caerulean Star | 8$ | 1 Sold! |
| Gyrocopter | Arcane Inverter | 10$ | 6 Sold! |
| Lycan | Creed of the Skullhound | 10$ | 5 Sold! |
| Nature's Prophet | Desert Bloom | 10$ | 4 Sold! |
| Oracle | Silence of the Starweaver | 6$ | 6 Sold! |
| Skywrath Mage | Eyriebound Imperator | 15$ | 6 Sold! |
| Tiny | Anthozoan Assault | 10$ | 4 Sold! |
| Winter Wyvern | Defender of the Brumal Crest | 10$ | 4 Sold! |
| Shadow Shaman | Red Sands Marauder | 10$ | 5 Sold! |
Collector Cache Sets 2020 1 + 2
| Hero | The International 2020 | Price(USD) | Reserved/Sold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faceless Void | Claszureme Incursion | 70$ | 5 Sold! - 1 left |
| Pudge | Mindless Slaughter | 10$ | 3 Sold! |
| Sniper | Blacksail Cannoneer | 5$ | |
| Disruptor | Fury of the Righteous Storm | 5$ | 1 Sold! |
| Bounty Hunter | Heartless Hunt | 10$ | 2 Sold! |
| Enchantress | Songs of Starfall Glen | 10$ | 4 Sold! - 1 left |
| Enigma | Evolution of the Infinite | 10$ | 3 Sold! |
| Bristleback | Beast of the Crimson Ring | 12$ | 5 Sold! - 1 left |
| Timbersaw | Clearcut Cavalier | 5$ | 4 Sold! |
| Keeper of the Light | The King Of Thieves | 10$ | 3 Sold! |
| Chaos Knight | Talons of the Endless Storm | 10$ | 4 Sold! |
| Rubick | Carousal of the Mystic Masquerade | 10$ | 2 Sold! |
| Skywrath Mage | Secrets of the Celestial | 10$ | 3 Sold! |
| Phoenix | Blaze of Oblivion | 8$ | 2 Sold! |
Collector Cache Sets 2019
| Hero | The International 2019 | Price (CSGO keys) | Reserved/Sold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Necrophos | Fowl Omen | 20$ | 4 Sold |
| Disruptor | Defender of Ruin | 15$ | 3 Sold |
| Pudge | Dapper Disguise | 15$ | 2 Sold |
| Warlock | Tribal Pathways | 5$ | 1 Sold |
| Clockwerk | Directive of the Sunbound | 10$ | 2 Sold |
| Bloodseeker | Fury of the Bloodforge | 20$ | 4 Sold |
| Broodmother | Automaton Antiquity | 10$ | 2 sold |
| Wraith King | Grim Destiny | 12$ | 2 sold |
| Tusk | Distinguished Expeditionary | 12$ | 2 Sold |
| Venomancer | Verdant Predator | 15$ | 4 Sold |
| Batrider | Prized Acquisitions | 8$ | 2 Sold |
| Abaddon | Echoes of the Everblack | 10$ | 4 Sold |
| Chen | Priest of the Proudsilver Clan | 6$ | 2 Sold! |
| Huskar | Pursuit of the Ember Demons | 15$ | 7 Sold- 1 left |
| Oracle | Riddle of the Hierophant | 10$ | 4 Sold |
| GrimStroke | Paean of the Ink Dragon | 10$ | 3 Sold |
| Tidehunter | Poacher's Bane | 12$ | 2 Sold |
| Undying | Curse of the Creeping Vine | 10$ | 2 Sold |
| Enigma | The Arts of Mortal Deception | 6$ | 1 Sold |
| Dazzle | Forbidden Medicine | 12$ | 6 Sold |
Collector Cache[1] + [2] Sets
| The International 2018 | Price (CSGO keys) | Reserved/Sold |
|---|---|---|
| Stonemarch Sovereign [Wraith King] | 20$ | 3 Sold - 1left |
| Cruelties of the Spiral Bore [Magnus] | 25$ | 4 Sold - 1left |
| Pattern of the Silken Queen [Broodmother] | 5$ | 1 sold |
| Shimmer of the Anointed [Nyx] | 8$ | 3 Sold! |
| Molokau Stalker [Venomancer] | 10$ | 3 Sold- 1left |
| Pillar of the Fractured Citadel [Spirit Breaker] | 10$ | 1 Sold |
| Primer of the Sapper's Guile [Techies] | 10$ | 2 Sold - 1left |
| Loaded Prospects [Brewmaster] | 5$ | 4 Sold |
Inventor
2023.05.29 19:51 CivilizedPsycho [Spoiler: FFXIV] A comprehensive list of all Final Fantasy IV references in Endwalker, from 6.0 to 6.4!
Final Fantasy IV is my favorite game of all time, so when they announced some things in this expansion would be based on FFIV, I was starstruck. As I played through Endwalker, I tried to take note of any reference I could find. If I missed any, please let me know!
General:- Lunar Whale Mount (Digital FanFest/Mogstation), which plays re-orchestrated version of the Lunar Whale theme from the game.
- Rosa, Rydia, Edge minions (Digital FanFest/Mogstation)
- Palom Minion (Pre-order Bonus)
- Porom Minion (Collector's Edition Bonus)
- Palom and Porom have an interaction based on the hallway scene from FFIV
- The promotional Warrior of Light, who was a Dark Knight in Shadowbringers, has changed into a Paladin, just like Cecil Harvey.
- The Endwalker poster shows the promotional Warrior of Light in the same exact pose as Amano's Cecil artwork.
- This dungeon shares its name with Golbez's base of operations.
- Likewise, the dungeon music is a new version of the tower's theme in the game.
- The large mob, "Armored Fiend", is based on a monster with the same name in FFIV's Lunar Subterrane.
- The bosses "Minduruva," "Cinduruva," and "Sanduruva," also known as "The Magus Sisters," first appeared in FFIV's Tower of Zot, and their designs in FFXIV are heavily based on the original Amano artwork for FFIV's version. Their original names are "Mindy," "Cindy," and "Sandy."
- The animations when each sister casts spells are the same as in FFIV - a green burst for black magic, and a ring of white cubes for white magic.
- Turn up your sound effects! They also use the OG sounds!
- The fight uses similar mechanics to the FFIV fight - Cinduruva will revive Minduruva and Sanduruva if they are defeated first, they utilize reflect, and when all three are alive, will use Delta Attack.
- The animations when each sister casts spells are the same as in FFIV - a green burst for black magic, and a ring of white cubes for white magic.
- "The Eblan Rime" area is named for the Kingdom of Eblan, Edward "Edge" Geraldine's home.
- The Level 90 S-Rank Mark "Armstrong" is the recolored version of the previously mentioned "Armored Fiend", specifically named for the FFIV: The After Years enemy.
- This dungeon shares its name with the tower in FFIV, and similarly shares a strong connection to the moon.
- The first boss, Barnabas, and the NPC with him, Dr. Lugae, are bosses within FFIV's Tower of Babil.
- Barnabas mistakenly attacks the Doctor before attacking the party.
- The second boss, Lugae, is the robotic/fiend version that shows up after defeating the Doctor.
- During the Lugae fight, Mini and Toad transformations are required - two of the three transformations prevalent in FFIV (I wish they would have included Piggy)
- The Watcher seems to be based on Fusoya, who is known as "The Watcher of the Lunar Sleep". Both live on the Moon and wear long starry robes.
- The giant face on the moon where the entrance to Smileton is a reference to the stone face on the moon in the original game. In the GBA/PSP versions, it is the entrance to the Lunar Ruins. In the 3D version, it is where you fight Proto-Babil.
- The Level 90 A-Rank Elite Mark "Mousse Princess" is based on "Flan Princess", which first appeared as a rare enemy in FFIV's Lunar Subterrane.
- The mob "Mousse" is based on the "White Mousse" enemies on the moon in FFIV: The After Years
- The mob "Dynamite" may be based on the "Balloon"/"Dark Grenade" monsters on the Moon in FFIV.
- Loporrits are based on Hummingways, the race of rabbits that live on the moon.
- In the 2D versions of FFIV, the character Namingway's role was to rename player characters. Because voice acting was added in the 3D version, he could no longer fulfill this role, and took on several other names throughout the game. Most of these names are taken by Loporrits: Mappingway, Livingway, Recordingway, Campingway, Puddingway, Mopingway
- Another, Going-my-Way, is involved in a Bestways Burrow sidequest.
- The landmark "Lovingway's Darlings" is also a Namingway alias.
- Later, in Old Sharlayan, two more of these names are used: Cheatingway and Jammingway.
- IF ANYONE FINDS HUMMINGWAY, or WEDDINGWAY, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!
- In FFIV, most Hummingways can't talk and instead hum a tune. The sound heard when talking to many Loporrits is that same tune. You can do the hum during the MSQ too!
- The Final Fantasy victory theme that plays when meeting Loporrits seems most similar to FFIV's instrumentation.
- The area music is the FFIV Town Theme (Welcome to Our Town)
- The battle music in the area is the FFIV main battle theme.
- The Lalafell engineer Kokkol is named for the blacksmith Kokkol.
- The "Kokkol's Forge" landmark is named for the location in FFIV's Underworld.
- The Dragons near the first Aethryte appear to be Mist Dragons, the summon used by Rydia's Mother (and previous boss in XIV in the dungeon "The Burn")
- FFIV is full of characters sacrificing themselves to help move Cecil and his party forward - the Scions sacrifice themselves throughout this zone to move the WoL forward.
- The trial's arena is a flight through space, very similar to the Zemus/Zeromus fight. Some attack sound effects are also similar.
- Halfway through the fight, the party seems defeated, and the prayers of friends saves the team and pushes them to fight the final phase. This happens during the final fight of FFIV as well.
- Meteion may be based on Maenad from FFIV: The After Years.
- Both are part of a hivemind of identical young girls
- Both are sent to other worlds by their creators
- Both struggle to understand humanity and appear throughout the world leaving destruction in their wakes (the big difference is that one struggles to feel, and the other feels too much).
- One last survivor of their kind is left and they return to the world with a new outlook and a new lease on life (Meteion as the bluebird and the young Maenad "Cuore", who is taken in by Rydia and Edge).
- Big thanks to u/Baithin for this theory!
- The constant references to "4" may be a reference?
- "Moonward" gear (Level 90 tomestone gear) is based on FFIV characters.
- Fending is based on Cecil
- Scouting is based on Edge
- Aiming is based on Edward
- Casting is based on Rydia
- Since someone points this out every time - Healing is technically Rosa's color scheme, but it's still Rydia's outfit, and Maiming may be Dark Knight Cecil's or Kain's color scheme, but still Paladin's outfit. All of the sets are based on the four characters above, but only the four above are the correct color schemes for those characters.
Patch 6.1:
- The "Knight in Black" scene is preceded by a bump that says "Meanwhile, elsewhere..." which is text used in FFIV whenever the game shows events not involving the party, usually Golbez.
- The Knight in Black is revealed to be Golbez in 6.2. His armor matches Amano's original art and "Somewhere In The World" plays throughout the scene. Golbez is also referred to as "Man in Black" in the game.
- He speaks with four unseen characters, referred to as "Throne of Earth/Fire/Wind/Water" - which are presumably the four Elemental Fiends, Scarmiglione, Rubicante, Barbariccia, and Cagnazzo.
- The "Throne of Earth" character speaks like Scarmiglione, with elongated S's.
The Fell Court of Troia (Dungeon)
- Troia is the matriarchal kingdom in FFIV, inhabited mostly by women, that practices fairly strict neutrality/pacifism.
- The music that plays is a much slower, sadder version of the town's theme.
- The arena for the second boss fight is a throne room. It has eight fire cauldrons, and the ceiling has eight points - possibly referencing the 8 Epopts of Troia (the matriarchal rulers).
- The arena for the final boss is "The Garden of the Epopts"
- Scarmiglione is the final boss, with an appearance much closer to Amano's original artwork.
- He starts the fight by back-stabbing something. In FFIV, his second fight is a back-attack.
- He summons a horde of zombies. In FFIV, his first fight is with a horde of zombies.
- The FFIV Boss Battle theme, "Battle 2", has been re-orchestrated and plays throughout the fight.
- The FFIV battle transition sound effect in the trailer is taken directly from the original game.
- Golbez has officially been named! Scarmiglione refers to himself as one of Golbez's "Circle of Four"
- When Y'shtola gives the Dark-Robed Voidsent her name "Zero", the music that plays is a re-orchestrated and expanded "Sorrow and Loss" - the song that played during all sad scenes in FFIV. It is also known as Cry in Sorrow and Theme of Sorrow. It is a sad version of the Main Overworld Theme. (Will Zero be Zeromus?!)
- Scarmiglione returns for a second fight in a solo instance. In FFIV, you fight him twice.
- His call to his minions to: "Come, feassst upon their flesh!" is a reference to his line in the game: "My undead children hunger to feassst upon your flesh! "
- His line "You will tremble before my true ssstrength!" is a reference to his line in the game: "Impressssive...But my true ssstrength lies in death! And now, you shall join me in it! "
- Sorrow and Loss continues to play as the area theme.
- Common monster-types from FFIV appear in this area, including Mindflayer and Flan.
- Ciriatto is terrified of Barbariccia, the Archfiend of Wind. This is the first reference to her.
- Not specifically FFIV, but worth noting: Calcabrina, Scarmiglione, Cagnazzo, Barbariccia, Rubicante, Ciriatto, and Farfarello are all from Dante's Inferno. Farfarello is an enemy in FFV.
- Barbariccia appears. Her body is more covered than previous depictions.
- The theme in this area/trial is "Battle with the Four Fiends", which in FFIV plays when battling any of titular fiends. It is also known as "The Dreadful Fight."
- Barbariccia is the boss fight, and uses haiwind themed attacks. The tornadoes she summons are similar to her tornado attack in FFIV.
- Estinien's line before the fight "You're not the only one who can ride the wind!" is a line spoken by Kain to Barbariccia just before her boss fight in the 3D remake as well as Dissidia. The line was originally "Think you're the only one who can fight in the air?" in the SNES version and later versions of the game replaced it with "Let's see about that."
Lapis Manalis:
- The first "Dated Records" references the "Geraldines" as a thorn in the writer's side. Edward "Edge" Geraldine is the Ninja from Eblan, as mentioned earlier.
- The note also mentions that the Geraldines are trying to take their supplies. Edge can use the Steal ability.
- Cagnazzo is the boss fight, with an appearance somewhat closer to Amano's art, although he stands upright instead of on all fours.
- His giant wave attack after the DPS check is similar to his primary attack in FFIV.
- This is the location in FFIV where Cecil fights Scarmiglione, thenovercomes his darkness and becomes a Paladin.
- In the remakes, there are bonus trials here for other characters.
- Zero's decision on Mount Ordeals to fight with the WoL and his friends and no longer require payment may be her version of "overcoming her darkness."
- Rubicante is the trial boss, and just like the others his appearance is very close to his original Amano artwork
- Rubicante's dialogue suggests that he respects you as a warrior, a character trait he also had in the original game.
- His "inferno" ability is one of his attacks in the game.
- An alternate, lyrical version of "Battle with the Four Fiends" plays during this fight. This appears to be based on the Kenichi Maeyamada (aka Hyadain) version. The lyrics have been changed, but the instrumentation is identical.
The Aetherfont:
- The final boss is Octomammoth - the third boss in FFIV (second if you don't count the Captain), fought after rescuing Rydia and meeting Tellah.
- "Another Moon" - A eerier version of the song of the same name that plays on the surface of the moon in FFIV.
- This moon's surface is red, a reference to the Red Moon of FFIV (the game has two moons.)
- During the flashback sequence, Durante mentions visiting "his majesty in Baron" - Baron is the kingdom in FFIV that Cecil (and Rosa/Kain/Cid) are from, and the events in Baron are the catalyst for most of the story.
- Durante's appearance might be referencing how Golbez looks without his armor from FFTAY.
- Azdaja is turned into Shadow Dragon - Golbez's companion in FFIV.
- Golbez is the trial boss!
- "Voidcast Savior" - A remix of Battle with the Four Fiends, FFIV Main Theme, the Final Fantasy Prelude, and the Final Fantasy Prologue. (IT'S SO GOOD)
- The black sword he wields is a reference to the Ebony Blade - the weapon equipped by him in flashback scenes in The After Years (obtainable in the present by unequipping it in flashbacks.)
- Golbez's "Binding Cold" attack is what he uses to paralyze the party during their encounter with him in the Dwarven Castle.
- The attack "Black Fang" is an attack that Shadow Dragon uses in that same battle to kill off each party member one by one after Golbez uses Binding Cold.
- The elemental aspects of this fight as well as the poses Golbez takes are references to his role in Dissidia.
- Z E R O M U S HAS ARRIVED. He is the final boss and ultimate mastermind of the events of FFIV, shown here in his cloaked form. It seems we've skipped his Zemus form.
- The Golbez we fought is implied to be Durante in Golbez's armor, fighting in Golbez's honor. This supports the previous note that Durante's appearance may be based on the FFTAY Golbez's armor-less appearance.
2023.05.29 19:30 IndieRex The Wild Beyond the Witchlight: Reimagined - Part XVII: Yon (Motherhorn)
 | Welcome to Part 17 of The Wild Beyond the Witchlight: Reimagined, an expansion and alternative take on the The Wild Beyond the Witchlight campaign. Previous entries: submitted by IndieRex to wildbeyondwitchlight [link] [comments]
Foreword: This post contains spoilers for The Wild Beyond the Witchlight IntroductionThis trip through the mountains is certainly quite a hike! Luckily Motherhorn is just over the distance, and from there - Arctis Tor, the Winter Palace. Hopefully you've packed your costume jewelry and memorized your lines, because today we'll be taking a tour through Endelyn's amphitheater of horrors.The Path to MotherhornArt by tzlynartWhen the players exit the Brigganock mine they will be back outside in the Shimmerstorm Mountains - now not far from Motherhorn. This is a good time to read the description from the book, though hold the staircase and balloon pieces for now until the party actually reaches it later. This will position Motherhorn as the way in to the palace. Looming in the distance is an ominous gray citadel hewn out of the mountaintop. The path leading to it is winding and precipitous. Wind swirls around its towers, and ravens cluster and caw in its granite nooks. A crooked finger of lightning strikes a metal rod protruding from the topmost spire, and the sound of applause drifts over the citadel’s battlements.Awakened Giant Goats While Motherhorn is just over the ridge it's about an hour's trek still. On this path is the perfect time for some furry friends to make their appearance. You can play out this event as written in the book though I have an alternative description to set-up the scene below. As you make your way up the cold, snowy mountain trail, you suddenly sense that you are being watched. You turn to see three giant goats standing a few yards away, their silvery-gray fur ruffled by the mountain wind. Their wizened faces are fixed on you, their golden, hourglass-shaped pupils observing you closely.Lightning Rods The path to the amphitheater is also a good time for the party to pass by some of the lightning rods of Yon. In the distance you see a towering structure glimmer in the dark as it's struck by a bolt of lightning and then seemingly absorbs its energies. The tower stands 30 feet high and is topped with a 10-foot-diameter crescent moon made of gleaming copper. You wonder what kind of electricity this rod must harness in order to function given the storms that rage through these mountains.If a player chooses to climb one of the rods I feel as if it's more fun to ask for a check. Some options include: - DC 14 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check (your choice) to climb - DC 14 Wisdom saving throw as a thunder cracks overhead to not lose balance If your players have a Lightning-Catching Bottle they can use the rod to fill the bottle in the same manner that they could charge their weapons. MotherhornWhen the players arrive read the following and the balloon description from the book. If the party defeated Charm in The Fields of Spring then the balloon will not be here and you can skip that portion.The mountain path ends at a spiral staircase that climbs sixty feet to a balcony made of weathered gray stone. You have reached Motherhorn.As described, if Gleam is with the characters, she will warn them of Endelyn. As mentioned last time as well, I highly recommend taking the party through the play though of course this depends on your table! In this section I will only call out changes (otherwise run the book as is). Unlike the book, if Bavlorna or Skabatha fled they did not escape here. One general change I would recommend is to replace about half of the darklings in Motherhorn to use the greater darkling stat block from Part XI. A Tragedy in the Making https://preview.redd.it/v20r2a3wzs2b1.png?width=1023&format=png&auto=webp&s=343d56c5cd6127a508f69dbae9b97946d277af14 I'm going to cover the play at the outset as having this info will help inform how you run Motherhorn (and also might mean a bit of a railroad at the beginning for your players if you move them right into the play). As mentioned before, the play is a ton of fun so definitely would suggest pushing your players this way if you think they'd be open to it. As per the book the party will be expected to put on a play if they want to have an audience with Endelyn in area M18. No invitations or fliers should be needed here. Unlike the book though, Endelyn doesn't have their Lost Things, but does have a way to get them to Arctis Tor, The Winter Palace, which is where their Lost Things are. Also like the book, if the characters decline to perform a play for her, Endelyn demands that they leave at once, ordering her darklings to attack characters who refuse to do so. Preparing for the Play The party should meet with Stagefright as written to get prepared for the play, but after the initial introduction we will be adjusting things significantly. In terms of how to run the play though there are a lot of options. I've laid out my own suggestion below (with inspiration from the outline by u/DearEdison) , but some others to consider are:
No Love Lost, The Tragic Love Affair of Iggwilv and Graz'zt For my take on the play, the characters will be running a script called No Love Lost, The Tragic Love Affair of Iggwilv and Graz'zt, which is intended to better tie into the overall story. You may remember Graz'zt from Nib's Cave in Part XIII, and of course Iggwilv needs no introduction. After the intro with Stagefright it's time to assign players their roles - either through rolling or choice, but there should be no doubles. As I had 5 players there are 6 roles (one for each of them and one for Charmay) - feel free to adjust depending on your number of players. Charmay also doesn't need to participate though.
Performing the Play Once time is up, Stagefright will return to bring the players to the stage and inquire if their troupe has a name, while Endelyn, the darklings, and the goblins watch. I had the play take place on the Grand Opera House map (Romeo Juliet version) by Czepuku, but anything will work. Charmay will open the play with a monologue to set the scene, and then it will operate as follows: Many bards consider it the greatest love story the multiverse has ever known, for it reveals the unsettling foundations of desire. It speaks to the dark origins of love and our desire to possess that which is beyond possession. As we relate to you the tale of Iggwilv and Graz’zt, let your mind wander. Reflect on the love that possesses you and ponder what your future holds.
Even the great Mordekainen is befuddled by Tasha M2. Amphitheater Rather than roll on the tragedies table I would select #7. This directly ties into the notes we left at Loomlurch where Tasha has tricked Endelyn into believing Bavlorna is plotting against her. M7. Oracular Library In the black book you need to remove the portion of text below as no such treachery has taken place in the reimagining and it's also a bit too on the nose on revealing Zybilna's identity. M11. Stage Workshop Two immediate changes to make in the workshop are that there is no unicorn horn here as usual, and Golmo is also not here (he is instead imprisoned in Arctis Tor for your reference). We will also be changing almost everything that Skylla shares with the characters (though the description itself of her and her background is all still accurate). In particular we're removing all of the mentions of Iggwilv (a bit too early for the big reveal!), and of course the piece about the cauldron is not true in the reimagining. She will boastfully share the following information:
M13. Worker Cells If the party freed Harry from the Green Keep he is here to rescue his sister Kizz, who traveled to Yon before the barrier came up. M16. Darkling Balloon Dock This room will be empty and no balloon present if the players killed Charm, Trinket, and Bauble in the Fields of Spring. You may choose to have different darklings here though if you want to offer their wares still. If they are here, the darklings will know all of the knowledge from the Wayward Pool article (Part XI). If the party is still on friendly terms with Charm then the darklings will still offer their wares for sales (see the Traveling Wagons in Vale Crossing for details - Part X). If the party knew of Charm's plot to kill Lamorna and did nothing to stop it you may potentially want to have Charm be in possession of Lamorna's horn, with a plan to give it to Endelyn (who would like it as a present for Queen Mab). M17. Prison When speaking with Glister, make the following changes:
When the party is granted an audience with Endelyn (such as after performing a play), we will make some adjustments to the exchange.
The hag cackles gleefully as she begins to chant, gusts of wind raging fiercely around her. The scent of brimstone and burning herbs fills the air, mixing with the sound of thunder that rolls overhead. Her eyes fix themselves on you as a strike of lightning illuminates her grotesque form and the puppets move.Fates The following are general ones that will apply given upcoming events so feel free to use them! More details to come in the articles on the Winter Palace.
M20. Paper Birds and Hidden Belfry The Letters We will be changing the letters here to the following: Dearest Skab,As a result of Tasha's machinations - Endelyn is still of the belief that Bavlorna is plotting against her, not realizing Tasha has played the same trick on every sister. Lord Kelek,Endelyn has tired of Skylla but can't kill her or otherwise get rid of her like her other actors given Skylla's strength and not wanting to anger the Winter Court in any way. While I removed Alagarthas I think it's fine to keep the title or perhaps even change it to something relevant to a player of yours (as I did above)? Bottled Lightning I would up the damage here to 4d6. Hidden Belfry Instead of traveling to the Palace of Heart's Desire, these cranes will take the players to the entrance of Arctis Tor which we will cover in our next article. You may want to avoid allowing players to use this without an invitation from Endelyn (either freely given or forced) as it likely means they're skipping (fun) content and won't have a good way to make their way through Arctis Tor. M21. Ornithopter Pad As a reminder, the other sisters (and thus their flying mounts) are not here. M22. Endelyn’s Room Also a reminder, no Lost Things are here (they are at the Winter Palace). The title of the play here should match what you use in area M20. https://preview.redd.it/a6y4lpya2t2b1.png?width=1700&format=png&auto=webp&s=8575bc8074b37a25a44010d7f19cb153c199c00b ResourcesI have highlighted some of the resources I used for this portion of the campaign below.Art
What’s Next? After taking a bow from Motherhorn our adventurers will be flying off to Arctis Tor, the Winter Palace and seat of Queen Mab. A grand castle of scheming eladrin nobles, the elusive Zybilna, and of course the party's Lost Things awaits. As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out with any comments, questions, or suggestions and… see you in the Feywild! |
2023.05.29 19:08 Proletlariet Leo 12
Leonardo
Leonardo is the leader in blue, does anything it takes to get his ninjas throughMany years ago, four baby turtles and a man named Hamato Yoshi were mutated in the sewers of New York City. These turtles became the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, taught the way of the ninja by Yoshi, also known as Master Splinter. Leonardo is the leader of the turtles, the most serious and dedicated to the way of the ninja. He acts as field leader and tactician in the turtles' war against the alien Kraang and the Foot Clan's master, the Shredder.
Feats will be marked with the season and episode number (i.e. S2E14). Any feats that include albums have sources in the albums.
Physicals
Strength
Swords
- Decapitates Super ShredderS4E26
- Cuts off Kraang Prime's giant mech headS1E26
- Cuts a warbot in halfS4E4
- Cuts apart a turretS1E19
- AgainS1E19
- Cuts through Elite Foot robots
- Shinigami can't cut an EliteS4E16 but can cut through robotsS5E19
- Cuts apart Kraang droids
- Cuts apart Foot robots
- Cuts off the arms of Baxter Stockman's mechS1E5
- Cuts apart MOUSERS
- Stabs a Kraang bio-droidS2E1
- Cuts through the supports of a water towerS1E8
- Cuts a pipeS1E11
- Cuts off Karai's metal collarS3E10
- Cuts off Tiger Claw's robot handS4E26
- Decapitates an ant mutantS4E17
- Cuts off Snakeweed's armS1E2
- Cuts a large mushroom stemS2E10
- Cuts chain
- Cuts through a cable pipeS1E13
- Knocks back Baxter Stockman's mechS1E5
- AgainS1E5
Striking
- Kicks a Kraang pod down hard enough to make a crater in the metal floorS1E26
- Punches Hun through doors, knocking him outS4E16
- Knocks out Foot ninjaS1E19
- Knocks back SlashS2E7
- Slash is heavy enough that when he falls off a roof he makes a crater in the ground belowS2E7 and he tanks Casey's slapshotsS2E17 which damage a statueS2E23
- Kicks the top of an air vent offS1E14
Lifting/Throwing
- Throws his sword through a Foot robot's headS2E3
- Decapitates a Foot robot with shurikenS2E13
- Throws an Elite Foot robot's hat hard enough to cut chainS4E16
- Moves wooden beams off of Hamato YoshiS3E20
- Boosts Donatello to the top of a buildingS1E2
Other
- Holds back Kraang Prime's giant mech until it breaks the chainS1E26
- Catches an attack from Super ShredderS4E26
- Blocks attacks from Raphael and Karai at the same time with one arm eachS1E15
- Stops a strike from SlashS3E16
- Matches RahzarS4E25
- Clashes with and pushes back a Foot robotS2E3
- Holds onto an elevator cable as Foot robots dogpile him, only falling when the cable snaps from the weightS2E3
- With Raphael, pushes over a large statue in a pharaoh's tombS5E14
Durability
Blunt
- Takes hits from Super ShredderS4E26
- Takes a hit from ShredderS2E20
- Takes a punch from mind-controlled SplinterS1E13
- Gets slammed into Donatello by Baxter Stockman's mechS1E5
- Gets hit with a charge and punches from ArmaggonS4E4
- Gets hit with a pulse of psychic energy from Za-Naron-possessed AprilS4E22
- Gets blasted with psychic energy from vampire AprilS5E14
- Takes hits from Tiger Claw, Fishface, and Rahzar in rapid successionS2E25
- Takes hits from DogpoundS1E10
- 2S1E10
- 3S1E19
- 4S2E5
- Dogpound smashes through concreteS1E11 and destroys a pillarS2E5
- Takes a kick from FishfaceS1E16
- Takes a hit from Tiger ClawS4E20
- Takes a hit from Mutagen ManS2E4
- Takes a hit from LeatherheadS1E12
- Leatherhead burst through a wall,S1E12 knocked the leg off of a Kraang vehicle,S2E24 threw a car,S4E18 threw a Stone Soldier into another stone soldier hard enough to shatter both,S5E20 and can throw around Traag, a giant made of stoneS1E17
- Gets slammed by Chrome DomeS2E6
- Takes a hit from RocksteadyS3E11
- AgainS3E23
- Rocksteady can spin and throws a car,S3E11 box out a Triceraton,S3E25 charge through a wall of the Technodrome and break giant Krang's leg,S5E20 and shatter a Stone Soldier with a punchS5E20
- AgainS3E23
- A large smokestack falls on him and he is okS2E13
- Takes a hit from a Foot robotS2E3
- Fine after being pushed through a stone floorS3E23
- Gets hit by Frankenstein's Monster, who's [strong enough to crater Michelangelo into a wall(https://gfycat.com/powerfulvillainoushorseshoecrab)^S5E16
- Takes a hit from Lord DreggS4E1
- Gets hit by SnakeweedS1E2
- Gets hit by Kraang Subprime throwing a pinball machine at himS2E25
- Gets hit into crates by Spider BytezS1E3
- Gets punched by MetalheadS1E6
Energy
- Gets blasted with magic by The Mummy, whose magic is strong enough to destroy his sarcophagus lid and the statue pinning it downS5E14
- Gets blasted by Krang's laser, which sliced a radio tower in halfS4E10
- Gets blasted by a giant eye, which took a chunk out of concrete with a smaller blastS4E19
Heat
Electricity
- Gets shocked by lightning hitting the radio tower he's onS4E22
- Gets shocked by Newtralizer, whose electricity is hot enough to melt a chain link fenceS5E5
- Gets electrocuted by Baxter Stockman's robot and is fineS1E5
- Ok after being electrocutedS5E19
Other
- Unharmed by an explosion that immolates the mutant next to himS1E15
- Ok after being hit by an RPGS1E20
- Ok after breathing in poison gasS2E9
- Overcomes psychoactive spores that make him experience his worst fearS2E10
Speed/Agility
Reaction/Dodging
- Dodges and deflects shots from Tiger Claw's gunsS2E13
- Blocks shots from Tiger Claw's rifle and Bebop and Rocksteady's weaponsS4E16
- Cuts arrows out of the airS2E25
- Reflects a shot from a Kraang blaster back at the KraangS2E9
- Deflects fire from two KraangS2E17
- Deflects moreS2E21
- AgainS3E24
- Deflects Triceraton blaster fireS4E5
- Dodges and deflects Triceraton blaster fireS4E7
- Dodges through a barrage of blaster fire from KraangS1E3
- Dodges shots from Steranko's gunS3E10
- Dodges a shot from a Kraang blasterS1E1
- Dodges shots from a Kraang energy cannonS1E6
- Dodges blasts from turretsS1E19
- Avoids missiles fired by Baxter Stockman's mechS1E5
- AgainS1E19
- Dodges and deflects missilesS4E25
- Dodges a missile from a Kraang robotS2E9
- Avoids lightning fired by LightningS2E23
- Dodges electricity fired by a mutantS1E15
- Deflects a barrage of ricocheted shuriken thrown by Donatello from multiple anglesS2E3
- Swats Raphael's thrown sai out of the airS2E3
- Deflects shuriken from Foot robotsS2E25
- Dodges and deflects kunai from Foot ninjaS1E8
- Deflects Metalhead's rocket fistS2E11
- Dodges attacks from Super ShredderS4E26
- Dodges attacks from mind-controlled SplinterS1E13
- Dodges a strike from Splinter he doesn't see comingS1E19
- Dodges several attacks from brainwashed RaphaelS3E16
- Dodges acid spit from Stockman-FlyS2E16
- Dodges a strike from SnakeweedS1E2
- Easily avoids attacks from the Purple DragonsS1E8
Movement
- Manages to punch Splinter in a training exerciseS1E13
- Slices two Foot robots into pieces before they begin to fallS2E8
- AgainS3E9
- Cuts off pieces of Baxter Stockman's power armor before they begin to fallS1E5
- Knocks a Kraang droid into the air and strikes it again before it can fallS2E6
- Dashes past a skeleton, swiftly cutting off all its limbs and headS3E19
- Swiftly cuts off Zombie Shredder's arm and headS5E4
- Saves people from falling mutagen just before it hits themS3E12
- Keeps pace with a fleeing van while running across rooftopsS1E1
- Keeps pace with a motorcycle while running across rooftopsS2E7
- Outruns an explosionS4E4
Agility
- Fights Mega Shredder while swinging around with two grappling hooksS3E21
- Leaps across rooftopsS1E1
- Dodges strikes from a Kraang droid by flipping aboutS1E1
- Jumps through branches while fighting Punk FrogsS3E4
- Scales a wall by repeatedly jumping off of itS1E5
- Scales a long shaft by jumping up the wallsS1E26
- Jumps up floating platformsS2E11
- Wall jumps up out of a labS1E3
- Jumps up machinery to escape a Kraang labS1E25
- Jumps up to the raftersS2E5
- Jumps around the gear mechanism of a giant towerS3E19
- Climbs a mountain with an injured legS3E7
- Uses his grappling hook to swing onto the chimera's back after being droppedS3E7
Skill/Misc
Combat
- Fights off multiple Foot ninja at onceS1E8
- Beats Tiger Claw in a swordfightS4E26
- Wins a free-for-all against the other turtlesS2E8
- Beats Michelangelo in a sparring matchS1E1
- Easily beats Donatello and Michelangelo alongside RaphaelS1E11
- Disarms Donatello in a sparring matchS1E21
- Easily disarms a crookS5E18
- Gets Raphael in an arm bar, though he escapesS4E18
- Senses when Splinter is going to strikeS1E19
- Beats a medieval knight in joustingS3E19
Pressure Points
- Paralyzes KaraiS3E18
- Paralyzes RaphaelS5E2
- Uses pressure points on Hattori Tatsu that renders him incapable of using his enhanced hearingS5E2
Accuracy
- Curves a thrown shuriken to hit a fleeing van's tireS1E1
- Ricochets a shuriken to activate a forkliftS1E6
- Throws three shuriken to disable three gunsS4E23
- Throws a knife to knock a phone out of Dogpound's handS1E11
- Throws a knife to disable a laser ax before it can hit DogpoundS1E19
- Throws a knife to hit a buttonS5E17
- Throws a smoke bomb into the barrel of Rocksteady's gunS5E3
- Ricochets stakes fired from a crossbow to stake Dracula in the backS5E16
Stealth
- Picks off Foot ninja without being seen or heardS1E4
- Sneaks around a meat locker to land surprise attacks on Tiger Claw, a mutant with super sensesS2E19
- Sneaks up on and takes out two Foot robotsS2E13
- Sneaks into Shredder's dungeon and takes down a Foot robotS2E22
- Takes out mobsters without being detectedS5E3
- Takes out samurai without being detectedS5E7
- Sneaks into the elevator of TCRI without being seen by the receptionistS4E23
- Sneaks through the subway undetected by KraangS3E9
- Sneaks around vampires without being detectedS5E17
- Sneaks up on MichelangeloS2E4
- Suddenly appears on the edge of a rooftopS1E14
- Appears on a ledge in a flash of lightningS3E10
General
- Forges new weapons to undertake his Vision QuestS3E8
- Uses a breathing technique to operate without oxygenS4E7
- Uses the Healing Hands mantra taught to heal himself of Karai's venomS3E18
- Comes up with a plan to defeat the rapidly-regenerating SnakeweedS1E2
- Hijacks a flying Foot robotS2E16
- Tricks an invisible foe into walking through steam to reveal his locationS2E20
- Picks a lockS2E22
- Pretends to be a kappa to frighten off ninjaS3E20
- Pilots a spaceship through the ruins of a moonS4E11
Gear
Standard Weapons
- His trademark katanasS1E1
- ShurikenS1E1
- Uses a blinding egg bomb on HunS4E16
Space
- While in space, Leo wore a space suit and used energy swordsS4E1
- Carries a blaster pistolS4E6
Misc
- A spyglassS1E2