Core Rules: Master the warfare of the Great Crusade! The ruleset has been written with one principle: Easy to learn, difficult to master. Covers the rules of shooting, melee combat, movement, terrain, injury charts, gameplay effects of keywords and much more. Trench Crusade uses an Alternating Activation system which ensures dynamic action where both players get to react immediately to their opponent’s moves.
The game uses a core mechanic of 2D6 Skill tests to achieve tasks. The harder the difficulty, the higher the number required to succeed. Various modifiers may grant you bonus and penalties or additional dice to add to the pool to see if you are successful. You may use any and all abilities, skills and attacks your activated model has. However, be careful! Some high-risk Actions could lead to an abrupt end of your activation, allowing your opponent to gain the initiative!
The Lore of the War-torn World: Study the maps, timelines and annals of the world at war. Discover the tale of the First Heresy and learn about the Principality of New Antioch, the dark secrets of the Black Grail and the creation of the Meta-Christs. If you dare, study the forbidden secrets of the Lords of Hell and their war against Mankind.
Weapons of the Great War: Wield more than 50 weapons of all types and dozens of pieces of special equipment and armour. Wield trench clubs, fix your bayonets to your bolt-action rifles, unleash overwhelming firepower upon your enemies with the Maxim machine guns, and devastate their ranks with grenades and deadly mustard gas.
6 Factions: Lead a fanatical band of Trench Pilgrims, control the demonic Heretic Legion troops or take command of the disciplined forces of New Antioch, the shield of Christendom! In addition, sub-rules for troops coming from across the world are provided so you can make a custom force hailing from Eire, Gallia, Britannia, Hellas, Nubia, Teutonic Fiefdoms, Hispania and more!
12 Scenarios: Battle your foes in scenarios such as Trench Warfare, Contested River Crossing, Fallen Idols and more! The more dangerous the scenario, the greater the rewards you may receive!
Campaign Rules: Play through a campaign and see your warband grow in power and prestige, unlocking ever-more challenging scenarios as you battle your way to the very heart of No Man’s Land!
Gold and Glory: To the victor, the spoils! Amass gold ducats, gems, buried relics, weapon caches and more by looting the battlefield, before bartering and trading on the black market for better armaments and luxuries. Alternatively, you can focus on winning glory and receiving unique experimental wargear, decorations and honours to bolster the capabilities of your soldiery.
Powers of Heaven and Hell: Call upon your patrons, whether Divine or Damned. Wield Goetic Magic, pray for Miracles from the seraphim or risk it all to summon aid from the Dukes of Hell. But beware! The powers beyond human understanding were not made to be wielded by mortals and their use extracts a terrible price…
Experience and Skills: Master 48 unique skills, grow your rookies into grizzled veterans and improve their abilities. But the higher you climb, the steeper the price for enhancing your Heroes.
Injuries: In the burning inferno of war, your warriors will suffer scars, both mental and physical. These rules govern how the horrors of war leave permanent mark on your fighters.
Mercenaries: Hire mercenaries to bolster your ranks and fill in specialist roles.
Roster Sheet: Organise your troops with a handy roster sheet: track the names, skills, experience, equipment, weapons and armour as well any accumulated injuries and psychological scars

Hello, my name is Conner, I'm 20, I've been playing 5e for a bit over 5 years now, and I'm looking for a new game to join. I have a preference for games that have a somewhat heavier focus on RP and story driven content, so I'm hoping to join a group that shares those same preferences. I also prefer homebrew settings/campaigns as I find them easier to get invested in as a player over modules.
When it comes to my schedule, I'm available pretty much any time in the evening (after 5 or 6pm works best for me but you could probably persuade me to start earlier) on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays (Time zone is PST). As for what class/character I was thinking of potentially playing, I was mostly leaning toward a Rogue but that could easily change, as I tend to build my characters with the setting, lore, DM input and party composition in mind.
If you think I'd be a good fit for your group, feel free to send a PM or just leave a comment telling me a little about your game and I'll try to get back to you as soon as I can if I'm interested.

Hello dear /52book friends,
TL;DR: click me for a visual guide.
On May 31^st, 2023, Reddit Inc announced changes to their API usage policy which, if enacted, will quite permanently shut down many, if not all, third party apps that a large number of Redditors use to access and enjoy their favorite communities - this one included.
One of the most critical changes to the API is that it is moving from a free to a paid model, resulting in expenses that developers of third party apps simply cannot afford. To put the price change in to context, Apollo, one of the most popular third party apps for Reddit, is looking at a cost of $1.7 million per month to continue operating. In contrast, Apollo pays Imgur $166 per month for the same amount of API calls.
This means popular apps like Apollo, Reddit Is Fun, Narwhal and many more will have to shut down, permanently.
Even if you're not a mobile user and don't use any of those apps, this is a step toward killing other ways of customizing Reddit, such as Reddit Enhancement Suite or the use of the old.reddit.com desktop interface. More importantly for our visually impaired users, what Reddit is trying to do will most likely mean the end of your continued use of Reddit as a whole. Special third party apps for the visually impaired most likely don't have the kind of cash lying around to pay the API fees to continue on existing.
And believe you me, this isn't only a problem on the user level: many subreddit moderators depend on tools only available outside the official app to keep their communities on-topic and spam-free.

SO, WHAT'S THE PLAN?

On June 12^th, we and a growing number of other subs - large and small - will go dark for at least 48 hours. During that time, you will not be able to view or post any content on /52book. Yes, we might just be a sub full of people with a love of reading, but with over 500 thousands subscribers, we can still do our part, and as such I feel we need to join our fellow subs in making a stand.
As mentioned, many other very popular subreddits are doing the same; some will return after 48 hours: others will go away permanently unless the issue is adequately addressed, since many moderators aren't able to put in the work they do with the poor tools available through the official app or via the website.
This isn't something any of us unpaid moderators do lightly: we do what we do because we love Reddit, and we truly believe this change will make it impossible to keep doing what we love. Shutting down this subreddit for the period mentioned above is really something I hate to do, but I strongly believe that we must take a stand on this topic - and taking the subreddit dark is probably one of the most effective ways available to us to do so.
The two-day blackout isn't the goal, and it certainly isn't the end. Should things reach the 14^th with no sign of Reddit choosing to fix what they've broken, we'll use the community and buzz we've built between then and now as a tool for further action.
Even if you're not using a third party app yourself, these changes are likely to impact this and other communities you enjoy as well, with the vast majority of moderation teams relying on third party or self-made tools, that utilise Reddit's API.
And on top of all that, it paints a bleak picture of what is to come for those of us who use other tools, like Reddit Enhancement Suite and old.reddit.com.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

While subs going dark is one thing, regular users can help as well.
Reach out to Reddit via the channels available to you: Modmail /reddit, comment in relevant posts regarding the API changes, submit your comments via the contact forms.
Spread the word about the changes and the consequences where you can. Doesn't have to be on Reddit. The important thing is getting it attention.
Participate in the communities that highlight this issue: /Save3rdPartyApps, /apolloapp, /redditisfun, /getnarwhal/
And finally, stay off Reddit completely from June 12^th to 14^th. The blackout is one thing, but users staying away from the site entirely will send an equally important message.

LASTLY, PLEASE REMEMBER

Don't be a jerk. As upsetting this may be, threats, profanity and vandalism will be worse than useless in getting people on our side. Please make every effort to be as restrained, polite, reasonable and law-abiding as possible. We're a subreddit full of reasonable people (or at least that's my impression! :) ), so I'm pretty sure we can have an adult discussion about this.
So yeah, I'm leaving this post open for discussion, but as mentioned above, don't be a jerk when commenting. You might not care, but this impacts you directly if you realize it or not.
Just a note to everyone, I basically ripped this whole post from /suggestmeabook mod u/ryushe 's thread post, because they already did a great job, and I'm too tired and lazy to reinvent the wheel.

Hi all,
I'm probably long overdue for coming here. I'm a guy in my mid 30s, about 5'9. As I recall some stranger once saying when I was a teen, I've never lost my baby fat. I weighed about 200lbs throughout all my 20s. I always felt healthy though. I've always been active in one way or another. As a teen, I was a really good golfer, and spent my entire summers on the golf course. I had two kids in my early 20s... continued playing golf but much less frequently... but did a lot of camping (inc. hiking, canoeing, etc) during the summer with my fiance and our kids.
Around 2016, my fiance developed some mental health issues and developed a drug addiction. The next few years were difficult as I parented our kids solo 99% of the time and was trying to help her recover as best I could. Sadly, in late 2019, she took her life.
Prior to her death, I was already hurting. I was busting my ass to continue providing our kids the best life I could, but after the day was over, I began turning to my vices (alcohol and coke) for comfort. When she passed, I deliberately (and successfully) went sober for a few months because I knew how easy it would be for me to develop a serious problem trying to cope.
Since her passing, I've obviously done a lot of thinking. Whether right or wrong, I have no interest in pursuing any other relationships, as I consider her my soulmate. Neither of us believed in an afterlife, but I am very comfortable with death, because in one way or another, I believe it will be the closest I ever am to her again. I'm not suicidal whatsoever, but at the same time, I developed little interest in taking care of my health. All that matters to me is that I live long enough to see our children reach adulthood (our youngest is now 13) so that I don't leave them parentless as children.
I do love our kids. I think I'm more involved in their lives than most parents. I'm not simply giving up on life and waiting to die. I want to be the best parent I can. That's my only purpose though, and once they are able to make it on their own, I'll be at peace with my life and look forward to joining my fiance, even if it's just as ashes.
Ya, I know, I should probably talk to someone about these thoughts. Maybe I will, but right now I still believe them. Maybe I'm even coming around on that, because I'm expressing a concern about my health here...
Not crazy long after her passing, covid began, which surely didn't help my coping, and restricted my outdoor activities. Further, both my kids are now in their early teens and have little interest in doing things with their dad, other than having me drive them around.
I don't even want to step on the scales today, but I'm confident that I'm weighing in around 300 lbs. That's 100lbs that I've put on in 3-4 years.
I knew I was gaining weight, and I didn't care. I didn't have anyone to impress, and I only feel the need to live another 5 years or so for the sake of my youngest.
When it comes to meals, I'm not particularly health conscious, but I also don't think that I eat much worse than the average person. I enjoy cooking, and always have fresh options for me to cook up for either just me, or me and the kids. However, there's many nights when I feel like all I'm doing is driving them from one place to another, and I'll happily stop for the convenience of pizza instead of making a meal at home. (FWIW, my kids are both healthy weights)
HOWEVERRRRRRR, over the last little while, I feel that my lack of care for myself is catching up with me... Yes, I should probably go see my doctor, but I don't want to. I know there's a million things wrong with me, and I don't want to hear it. Again, my goal isn't necessarily to be in good health. However, I want to be capable of doing most things people in their 30s are capable of doing...
These days, I find that I need the temperature in the house significantly cooler than what my kids would like. When I do any physical activities, even simple ones, I get light headed very quickly. I run out of breathe very quickly from even the most simple cardio.
Even though I've said I don't care about my health, I definitely find my limitations ridiculous/embarrassing today and I try to hide them whenever possible. But some things are hard to hide. Just a few years back, I could hike for 10 hours in one day and be alright. Now, I feel I'd probably need to take a break if there was an uphill portion in the first 10 minutes of my hike.
I would like to start taking some baby steps to improve my condition. I would like to go for a one hour walk every day, but I'm honestly not sure if I could even handle that, as pathetic as it sounds. This got me thinking that maybe I need to lose some weight through dieting first. But as I said, I don't necessarily believe that my diet is a problem. But, my drinking could be. And this is what leads to my question...
When my fiance and I were together, I would usually pour myself a drink at night to help me relax and be able to sleep. Maybe 2oz of whiskey mixed with a little coca cola. Ya, we'd have friends over on weekends or go to parties where we'd drink more, but during the week, I did enjoy having one glass of whiskey before bed.
Over the last few years, I definitely drink too much. That being said, I typically view drinking/drug use as a problem when someone is doing it when they have other responsibilities on the go. My kids are getting older, so they aren't always asleep early on, but I never drink before they are both at home for the night. If it's a school night, I make sure that they have any homework done, etc. I don't even consider drinking anything until I'm at a point where I can basically sign out as a parent for the night.
I pour my drinks hard. Probably 5-6oz of liquor and a similar amount of coke in each. I drink them pretty quick over a couple hours until I pass out.
Based on my estimates, I probably drink 20oz of liquor (usually Captain Morgan Spiced Rum) and 20oz of pop (Coca Cola) on average a night. That's 1,500 calories.
Here's what gets me...
Supposedly, weight loss/gain is all about calories in and calories out. My understanding is that 3,500 calories = 1 lb (of fat).
I've probably been drinking 1,500 calories of rum+coke on average each night for over 3 years. 1,500cal per night = 547,500 cal each year. Assuming 3,500 calories = 1 lb, that's 156lb/year I should be gaining from my drinking.
As I said, I've put on about 100lbs in the last 3 years. That's significant, but it's far, far less than the 156lbs/year implied by my calculations...
Can someone tell me (truthfully) if after X drinks, my body stops absorbing the calories I'm drinking, and just pisses them straight out? If that's not the case, then how is it that I haven't put on 450lbs over the last 3 years because of my drinking?
I ask this specifically because I am looking for ways to lose some weight, and with exercise seeming so damn difficult right now, if I'm able to lose some weight through my dieting, I'd rather do that first. I definitely feel capable of going a month without drinking (not suggesting I can give up drinking entirely), but I would like to set realistic expectations.
If weight loss is all about calories-in and calories-out, then presumably, if I go a month without drinking (at 1,500 cal/day), I should lose about 13lbs in a month, without changing anything else. That seems INSANELY easy to me, and I can't help but feel this number is overstated. Or that my body is going to miss these calories and I'll be tempted to eat more food than I usually would.
Any thoughts or insight are appreciated. Sorry for using a burner. Just not 100% sure if I'm ready to commit to serious changes yet!

So today I had what I believe to be on microagressive experience with other non-black muslims, but I would like to share my experience with everyone else to make sure I wasn’t over reacting in any way. Because I really do apologize if I was.
Yesterday, I was having a conversation in thw WhatsApp forum “LA Muslims Popcorn Room”with a few other Muslim people. Mind you, this forum was meant to talk about controversial issues and entertainment. The conversation began with everything that’s happening in Cleveland, Ohio and all of the missing children. We were talking about how a lot of metropolitan cities have lotta corruption in the police departments which allow for this sort of thing to happen by classifying a lot of these children, who happened to be black, as runaways or delinquents. Since we live in Los Angeles, I brought up the fact that our own county has a really large catalog of these kinds of issues as well. Keep in mind I’m one of the only, if not the only, black person in this space. The conversation then starts to talk about a lot of different places in America that are unsafe and I start to find that they’re listing all of these places that are predominantly, African-American or Black. One of the female members of the group then goes on to say, and I quote: “Los Angeles is just so ghetto. I feel like I’m gonna get shot at anytime!” Now, we all know that the number one cause of crime is poverty and that is a systemic issue, as well as the fact that a lot of financial disparities exist between the average black home and the average non-black home in America and being in a metro city only amplifies that. I have no problems with people being honest about that fact.
However— the way in which she said it, and the fact that it really didn’t feel fitting for the conversation we were having because it was about children, really rubbed me the wrong way. It felt very microagressive, because Los Angeles is known as a predominantly African-American city, and a lot of the violence in the city is inadvertently linked to that community by the media, and so on and so forth. It gave me racist when she said that. She claims to have lived in Los Angeles her entire life, can be caught hanging out in some of the most gentrified areas including downtown and Inglewood or all the way in Orange County, which is the exact opposite of Los Angeles. I let her know that comment was not appropriate and can be considered racist and microaggressive because of the way she used it, the place she used it toward, and just the pure connotation of that word. Everyone in the group instantly begins to turn on me and say that it’s not even related to race, that anywhere can be ghetto, and she even went on to say that she lived in Europe for a while in Denmark and the area that she lived in, would be considered “ghetto”. I let them know the history between African-Americans in Los Angeles, and even provided them with articles & pieces of real research to show why what she was saying was wrong and offensive and no one cared. Even more so they (another person, same group) double down after I decided to not engage in this conversation any longer and they continued with the conversation, and discussed how black people have it better than white people when it comes to “privileges” because we have the privilege of not being labeled racist and bigots just for our skin color. (They let this conversation be led by the white person of the group. 🥴).
They also went on to ask which privilege would you rather possess: black privilege or white privilege? ….
I decided to just exit the group and every group that I was in as a result of meeting anyone in that circle because this was some thing that hurt me personally being as though I was having a conversation with the people in considered and friends as well as brothers and sisters in Islam. It’s like 2 AM and I’m writing this because I can’t sleep from just the discomfort and the disbelief but also the pain. It really did ruin my day actually. It’s given me an adverse experience about anyone stemming from that group because too many of them allow it and say nothing. It’s very bad behavior for Muslim ppl to exhibit especially in a “Muslim” chat room. Every black person, Muslim or not, I know would’ve been offended by what they said today and what they let her say to begin with. What I have noticed is that many non black Muslim people only say or act like muslims when they feel like it. They don't realize that it is an essential part of identity that should be used on all grounds. You cannot pick and choose when to be Muslim and when to act like a Muslim. The fact that they’re sitting there discussing it after playing dumb and denying such a big part of it. Racism within that portion of the Muslim community or any Muslim community that isn’t predominantly black is almost always expected from my perspective. I am uncomfortable around nonblack Muslims at this point. Many have such micro-aggressions that they are so oblivious to and they’re unbothered when corrected in their speech. It’s disgusting.

Introduction
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Compatible cartridges, also known as generic or third-party cartridges, are ink or toner cartridges manufactured by companies other than the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). These cartridges are designed to be compatible with specific printer models and provide similar quality and performance at a lower cost.
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3.1 Research Reputable Brands: To ensure the best quality, it's essential to choose compatible cartridges from reputable brands. Look for manufacturers with positive customer reviews, certifications, and a track record of producing reliable products.
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4.4 Monitor Print Quality: Keep an eye on the print quality when using compatible cartridges. If you notice any issues, such as streaks, faded prints, or smudging, perform print head cleanings or consider contacting the cartridge manufacturer for assistance.
Conclusion
Compatible cartridges offer an excellent alternative to OEM cartridges, providing affordability, quality, and compatibility for your printing needs. By choosing compatible

Okay guys, I'm using a throwaway cause my girlfriend seems to know a lot of people. Sorry, if it's a bit long and winded. Please bear with me.
My girlfriend (Jennifer; not real name) and I are both college students in a mostly white university. It's known for having a great engineering program and thus has an influx of brown South Asian students including me (Mostly male) come in.
Now, I am a Christian Indian born and raised in America, who comes from the stereotypical, traditional family who came to this college for engineering. My girlfriend is white who was apart of a sorority when she started college here for about 2 years until she had to leave due to time commitment issues. I met and started dating her about a year and a half ago when she was in the process of leaving. I had actually started liking here before I knew about her sorority past. (Just putting that out there)
Jennifer still keeps in touch with her sisters and also knows many guys and is still very social. I, on the other hand was nothing like her at all. She is the first girlfriend that I have had. I, like most brown guys it seems, was a shy, socially awkward nerd who didn't know how to talk to girls in the first year. I met a "friend" in one of my classes who seemed to gravitate towards me because I guess he knew I would be willing to help him out in class and help him with homework answers and perhaps he may have used me. I didn't care, because I was willing to do anything to make friends. In return, he invited me to hang out with him and his friends and in a short amount of time he taught me a lot of things when it came to the social scene, parties, clothes, and talking to girls. (I actually was able to get a hand-job from a girl who did it through pity for the most part)
Eventually, I met Jennifer at a party that my friend invited me to. We hit it off and we started dating. Everything is swell. She introduced me to her friends who didn't mind me at first. I introduced her to my friends both white and brown. I still made friends with the brown guys because that's my people, if that makes sense and helped them with their social life.
Now, this happened a few days ago and I haven't seen my girlfriend in person yet. Well, we were both talking about a Greek hosted party that we were invited to and encouraged to invite anyone we could. So, me being a friend wanted to invite a few of my brown friends to the party just as she wanted to invite her own friends. When my gf heard that I was going to invite other brown guys, she came up to me and asked me nicely "Is it alright if you didn't invite your friends?
I asked her why? She said "not all of them, just a few." I asked again which ones? She basically listed off all of my brown friend and none of the white friends that I was planning on inviting. (My list isn't that big btw). We went back and forth about it until she dropped this bomb.
"Well, let's be honest you went up a notch socially since we've been dating. You don't see Indian guys dating white girls like me at all do you? I did agree with her on that part regretfully. My girlfriend is a very hot and attractive girl like most sorority girls and does have guys eyeing her. I guess I agreed, because honestly every brown guy that I have seen with a girlfriend has been either overweight or just not attractive at all and I assume they are settling for a brown guy because no other guy will take them. So, I felt like the luckiest brown guy in the world since dating my girlfriend. I know this makes me a douche bag and I hate the fact I think like this and it doesn't help that Indian men are the least desirable by most women including Indian women :/
Anyways, I told her so are you dating me for some exotic thrill, pity, dare, or because you actually love me? She said "of course I love you. I wouldn't be with you with this long if I didn't". After, some loving words, we had sex and she went back home and we left the question about the friends up in the air. The party isn't for nearly 2 weeks, so there's time.
Now, I don't what to think or position to take from this exchange. On one hand, I feel very hurt emotionally as I could never measure up to my girlfriend especially when another dude could snatch her up easily. I'm also hurt because I am not ashamed of my heritage and should never be, but my girlfriend goes and says this. I love her so much and she may be my first everything for the most part, but I feel so close and understand one another on the same wavelength. I don't know if this could be get in the way of our relationship.
Tldr; My white girlfriend says that I should be lucky for dating her as a brown guy after getting into argument about inviting brown friends to a party and now I don't know how to feel about this and where I should I go from here.
EDIT: Thank you everyone for all of the advice and encouragement I received from you all. I decided I'm going to talk to my girlfriend and ask her about where she sees us in the future. I will also go more in depth for her reason for dating me and her views on brown people. I will make sure I update you all. It'll either be good or bad. I'll let you all know either way.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7842653-special-forces---soldiers
Has anyone else read them? It's a series of books that deals with two military men that fall in love, it's a hard read because of some of the things that happen especially at the start, but I think it's the perfect mix of erotica (it has LOADS of sex) and plot- it chronicles the lives of both men over 30 years or so.
It'll always have a special place in my heart because as someone who sometimes prefers erotica to porn, it was one of my first discoveries as a young gay and the sex scenes are so well written- probably the best I've read in any written work. I think it's been around 10 years since I first read it, but I still come back to it every 2 years or so.
I rarely ever see it brought up in recommendations (again maybe because of the heavy, off-putting themes at the beginning), but for those who have read it, what are you thoughts on it?
Also, does anyone have similar books they can recommend?

​

Today, we received heartbreaking news of a train mishap in Jajpur, Odisha, where as many as six railway workers lost their lives. It is reported that they sought shelter from a thunderstorm under some wagons of a stationary goods train, only for those very wagons to inadvertently roll over them.
In times like these, it's crucial to address accountability. Many are rightfully questioning the responsibility of u/AshwiniVaishnaw, the concerned authority in charge. These workers were under his jurisdiction, and it is essential that their tragic deaths are thoroughly investigated and the responsible parties held accountable.
Let us come together as a community to express our condolences and support to the families affected by this devastating incident. Additionally, we must urge for a transparent inquiry into the circumstances leading to this mishap and demand appropriate actions to prevent such tragedies from occurring in the future.

She starts acting sexually towards her.. she is soooo freaking happy! I guess because Niya comes home with her weekly Amazon check and buying food, nails,doing the girls hair!! And Nika can rest up a bit and let her “man” take care of her and their kids! All that “wow is me talk” being skressed out.. just goes out the window! She needs to have the “daddy’s home” as her theme music! 🤣🤣

Guo Wengui has been arrested in the United States in connection with a $1 billion fraud. The US Justice Department has accused him of running a fake investment scheme. Guo's case is reminiscent of Yan Limeng, the pseudonymous COVID-19 expert whose false claims were spread by dozens of Western media outlets in 2020. Ms. Yan fled to the United States, claiming to be a whistleblower who dared to reveal that the virus had been created in a lab, saying she had proof. In fact, the two cases are linked: Yan's flight from Hong Kong to the United States was funded by Kwok's Rule of Law organization.
Yan's false paper has not been examined and has serious defects. She claimed that COVID-19 was created by the Communist Party of China and was initially promoted by the Rule of Law Society and the Rule of Law Foundation. Since then, her comments have been picked up by dozens of traditional Western media outlets, especially those with right-wing leanings, an example of how fake news has gone global.
Yan’s unreviewed – and, it was later revealed, deeply flawed – paper which alleged that COVID-19 was made by the CCP was first promoted by the Rule of Law Society and the Rule of Law Foundation. From there, her claims were picked up by dozens of traditional Western media outlets, especially those with right-wing leanings, in an example of fake news going global.
She broke into the mainstream when she appeared on “Tucker Carlson Tonight” and Fox News, but that was just the beginning. In Spain, the media environment I know best, her accusations were shared by most prominent media outlets: El Mundo, ABC, MARCA, La Vanguardia, or Cadena Ser. Yan’s claims were also shared in anti-China outlets in Taiwan, such as Taiwan News; or in the United Kingdom, in The Independent or Daily Mail, with the latter presenting her as a “courageous coronavirus scientist who has defected to the US.” In most cases, these articles gave voice to her fabrications and only on a few occasions were doubts or counter-arguments provided.
Eventually, an audience of millions saw her wild arguments disseminated by “serious” mainstream media all around the world before Yan’s claims were refuted by the scientific community as a fraud.
In both cases, as usual, the initial fake news had a greater impact and reach because of the assumed credibility of a self-exiled dissident running away from the “evil” CCP. Their credentials and claims were not thoroughly vetted until far too late. Anti-China news has come to be digested with gusto by Western audiences. Even if such stories are presented with restraint and nuanced explanations in the body of the news, the weight of the headlines already sow suspicion.

This is probably my favourite type of romance to read about, cause I guess these are the only types of girls I’m usually attracted to IRL, so I just really enjoy reading these types of things as like a comforting self insert thing.
I really like female characters who have a very tough or cold, uncaring exterior, or female characters that are tough in the more irreverent, roguish way, and who in either case, are putting on that as a sort of way of brushing off and disregarding their own feelings. It’s just really impactful to me to experience a story with a girl like that who eventually comes to love another character, and her feelings for him soften her to an extent. Not fully, and she still keeps the pretence with everyone else, but when she’s alone with her love interest, she learns to show vulnerability and rely on him.
I also really like when this sort of thing is tied to a tragic backstory, or some past pain, or a good depiction of trauma or mental health struggles, because those themes always really resonate with me.
Some examples of characters who I feel like sort of fit this archetype for me would be Yennefer from the Witcher series, both Morrigan and Isabella from the Dragon Age games, Jack from Mass Effect, and Raven from Teen Titans (especially from the novel ‘Beast Boy Loves Raven’ by Kami Garcia).
I feel like I struggle to put this exact thing into words exactly, but hopefully that gives a kinda clear idea about what I’m looking for. (To be clear, I’m not looking for an actual romance book.)

Cover Art <<Previous Start Next >>
The first serpentine dragon form he was going to work on was a variant of river drake. Preferring as always to grow and change existent creatures rather than make new ones from raw mana, Mordecai sent his mind searching among the small creatures that had become part of their ecology. Snakes were obvious choices, as well as most lizards, but less reptilian creatures could work as well.
True Dragons were not mammals, birds, reptiles, or any other common animal type. Yet all of those and more were capable of becoming draconoids, and the draconoid races often had some potential to evolve into True Dragons. So what made the difference? How did things that were not related species become related species like that?
As far as Mordecai could tell, it was a case of a faith-like interaction with a concept that every sentient race held. It reinforced itself as well, for True Dragons certainly would always claim that they could recognize another True Dragon compared to a mere draconoid, and for something like this they counted as being on the ‘mortal’ side of the equation. It probably didn’t hurt that the primary creator deity of this reality was a dragon, creating a very strong focal point of the concept of dragon.
It didn’t take him long to find a selection of animals that resonated positively with the concept he had in his mind, and he drew those creatures to the fifth floor. It didn’t matter that they were not all the same species, the transformations would fix that. Changing a creature was magnitudes easier than creating one, and reforging them into being the exact same species was only a little harder than starting with the same base.
The biggest issue with starting from scratch was not the physical structure, that was only a little bit harder than creating some of the items available as treasures. No, it was holding everything together at the same moment and filling it with synchronized animus and spirit while kick-starting every single chemical process at once in proper harmony. He had vague memories of having tried this before, just enough to have been left as a warning of ‘don’t do this’ by his more complete self.
Oh, if he wanted constructs or something relatively simple, creatures that had animus but not true life and spirit, those weren’t too hard. The bookwyrms and biting words were examples of that. Though creating constructs might become harder soon if his suspicions were right. Well, he’d have to wait and see on that.
These thoughts only took a portion of his concentration as he reworked his volunteers to match his vision. For these river drakes he used a classic sea serpent/leviathan model, a long sinuous body with various frilly fins running along its length, a narrow head and snout with sharp teeth at one end and a flat tail for speed and maneuverability at the other. But that wasn’t enough to make them a real threat to travelers, even if they were three feet long.
The first customization he made was some minor chameleon abilities. Nothing magical in this case, just the same ability to subtly shift the structure of their scales to reflect different colors of light that many normal creatures had, if slightly more efficiently designed. The effects were enhanced by the fact that the waterways were going to be filled with floating motes of light, making it hard to accurately measure depth and distance by vision alone.
And of course, any quality drake needed an important draconic feature, a Breath Weapon. In this case, he gave them a powerful, narrow jet of water that could pierce many materials as well as potentially knock foes back.
Now for mobility. They were already great swimmers of course, but he wanted more than that. He’d already made sure their scales and skin wouldn’t dry out easily, now he gave them a minor flight ability. It was closer to being a magically enhanced jump with a little bit of levitation for extra distance and a soft landing, and just a tiny bit of mid-air guidance. They could do this from water or land, and they had the sharp teeth and powerful snake-like musculature to act as constrictors, though they were too small to do so to a typical humanoid. Their land speed was pretty comparable to most snakes as well, though their side fins interfered somewhat.
There was a final important touch that wouldn’t affect anything in the immediate future but would come into play when they had more levels. These two to three-foot-long drakes were juveniles for the species he had designed, and he would be creating habitats for their later life stages as the dungeon gained more levels, and eventually some spawning grounds back in the hidden pools along with a way for them to get there in their adult forms.
Mordecai now turned his attention to the second serpentine form he wanted for this floor. Winged Serpents. Oh, not actual Couatl, these were not divine creatures after all, but he modeled them on the famous celestial serpents, giving their snake-like bodies both rainbow-colored feathers and scales as well as growing a pair of powerful, wide wings. They wouldn’t be able to soar the skies elegantly, but what they needed was maneuverability and the ability to leap upward in a quick burst.
Instead of free-roaming creatures like the river drakes, he made these pack hunters, and created a special mushroom for their nests: These were low, squat structures that grew from the ceiling, with a structure that was soft enough for tunnels to be chewed into it, but with enough tensile strength to continue to cling to the ceiling so long as the tunnels were not excessive.
From either these nests or from the tops of the mushroom trees they could keep watch for potential prey, and called out to each other with ultrasonic cries to communicate, the tones too high for most creatures to hear. They also used a separate set of clicks in that range for echolocation, allowing them to ‘see’ no matter how dark their environment was.
In order to capitalize on this, he gave them a pair of abilities. The first was a simple globe of darkness spell, about 40 feet in diameter that they could cast on an area about once an hour. This was readily countered with any sufficiently strong light-themed spell, but it could still cause problems for unprepared groups.
The second ability was related, but not so easily countered. Once a day, they could release a billowing cloud of dark ‘smoke’ from underneath their scales. This was a chemical reaction instead of a spell, and was a strong irritant to most species, creating effects not unlike that of pepper oil. The combination made it hard to see them and was extremely distracting, but also shorter-lived than the darkness spell. This was generally going to be used to enable the winged serpent to escape when injured.
Their primary combat ability was a poisoned bite. These were ambush predators, and typically would dive in on prey and deliver several bites before retreating, and would repeat the tactic as needed. And for a final touch, he gave them a razor-sharp tail tip, more than capable of flaying flesh and enabling them to eat prey in pieces, unlike a snake.
Now, he knew what he wanted to do for the two ‘warring’ factions already, but the ‘wildlife’ didn’t feel quite fleshed out yet, and he wanted to nail that down first. Well, he had water and air covered, and the warring factions would cover the surface of the land well enough, so why not something from underground?
While snakes could fulfill this role too, Mordecai felt that it would be overdoing it at this point. And definitely nothing plant-like, he’d done enough with the mushroom already. So a burrowing animal of some sort. Hmm. Let's see what his options were.
Well, no burrowing birds, he already had a flying challenge in a dense forest, he didn’t need more. Rabbits and polecats have been used in other levels already before even considering what his warring factions were going to be like. In the end he had two choices he liked, and decided that the mammal would probably work better with the warring factions, so he developed the other into a proper predator instead.
Not that it wasn’t already, but it was a little small for humans, and he could make some other improvements as well. Mordecai began channeling magic into a selection of trap door spiders to enlarge them to about the size of a horse and set to work ‘improving’ them. The first step was to make their poison more potent, namely into a mix of paralytic agents and digestive enzymes. Then he enhanced their silk weaving abilities, giving them different web types by adding ‘normal’ webs, thrown net-webs, and the ability to lay out sensory threads on the ground in addition to using webbing to reinforce their layers and create the trapdoors.
Of course, having them only use ground lairs would be boring. So Mordecai made sure they could dig into some of the larger mushroom trees to create lairs there too. Getting through this floor was going to require some proper paranoia. Now, while both the river drakes and the feathered serpents were going to be able to come in great numbers, the giant spiders were tougher foes, so he was going to limit them to hunting in pairs. This still wasn’t normal spider behavior, but that would help make things creepier and keep people on their toes.
He had a nice selection of fungal hazards and dangerous creatures, so now it was time to start working on the two war camps and their denizens.
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My Discord if you would like to talk about the book or see what else I am up to (I also try to stream once a week, but that's strictly hobby level).
My Patreon if you want to support me directly.
Also to be found on Royal Road.
$3 Patreon: Early chapters, lore excerpts $5 Patreon: Short Stories $10 Patreon: New stories not published anywhere else (Until after I finish this story at least)

Hey guys, I have a weekly routine of going through all the events that are happening in the coming weekend - and then sending out the 5 coolest ones to my friends. Thought I could share it here as well.
Get this as a weekly email update: https://sanfranmixer.beehiiv.com
5 coolest events this weekend:

• 15th Annual Golden Gate Park Band Festival
• Comedians with Criminal Records
• Bouquets to Art 2023
• DJ Party: Battle of the Decades
• Dance Fridays: Salsa Night

15th Annual Golden Gate Park Bank

The Friends of the Golden Gate Park Band Festival is an annual two-day festival where live concert bands from all over Northern California come together to celebrate the rich history of the Golden Gate Park Band and promote public interest in San Francisco’s greatest musical treasure.
Come to celebrate the arts, enjoy fantastic music in an extraordinary historic setting in beautiful Golden Gate Park and show your support for community bands making great music that resonates powerfully in its purest form: live and free of electric amplification.
The festival is 100% free to attend.

Comedians with Criminal Records

Crime is no laughing matter in San Francisco… unless it’s Comedians with Criminal Records – a unique showcase of professional comics who’ve had troubles with the law in the past.
In addition to an hilarious comedy set, you’ll also hear the back-story of the comedian and the crime they committed and how stand-up comedy (hopefully) helped get them back on the straight and narrow.
And it all takes place at the historic Mayes Oyster House, one of the most historic bars on Polk Street and the perfect start to an insanely fun night of bar hopping.

Bouquets to Art 2023

Now in its 39th year, Bouquets to Art is an annual floral celebration that lets you engage with the de Young’s expansive collections in new ways.
Over 100 leading floral designers return to the galleries this summer to showcase innovative botanical arrangements inspired by museum masterworks. From striking sculptural creations throughout the galleries to a majestic hanging installation in Wilsey Court, inspiration waits around every corner.
Don’t miss the exciting opening night or luxury raffle. Head home with a fresh arrangement from the flower cart, and take part in engaging lectures with renowned designers and authors happening throughout the week.

DJ Party: Battle of the Decades

Monroe in North Beach hosts “Battle of the Decades” DJ party and happy hour every Friday with a DJ spinning progressive tunes. Every hour is a different decade – with drink prices to match – $1 drinks during ’60s hour, $2 drinks during ’70s hour, and so on.
There’s a live DJ, two rooms and an outdoor patio.

Dance Fridays: Salsa Night

Join Dance Fridays for vibrant salsa and bachata lessons starting 8p every Friday. Enjoy a unique dance venue with massive dance floors, multiple rooms, and live salsa bands monthly.
​
Enjoy your weekend everyone!

The morning after our victory, I led a small team of Paladins, Clerics, and Artificers, with Rogues outside of sight alongside us.
Well, it was more accurate to say that we took one of the military vehicles and carefully drove it over to the next city. The Artificers didn't strip entire cars bare on the street, they had to get it into a garage somehow.
This excursion was primarily exploratory, to see what we were dealing with at the end of our effective territory.
The blockade was a nice touch. We slowed to a stop, we got out, and we approached. When they raised their guns, I held my hand up, and we stopped.
"This is a formal request for a ceasefire." I stated, projecting my voice with the amplifier. "We will continue to approach, opening fire will signal to us that you do not value your lives."
We continued approaching, the guns still trained on us.
The person who came out to speak with us was more forced out, he clearly didn't want to be the one to talk to us.
"Am I to assume you speak with authority?" I asked. He looked at the other soldiers, he didn't have a clue. "Then I'll make this concise and brief. You will dismantle this blockade, you will retreat, and you will not prevent us from making contact with the neighboring city. Any attempts to prevent us from passing will result in your immediate capture, any attempts to harm us will result in your immediate death."
The standoff was tense, after a few moments, I began to count down. "Five."
I could see sweat beading down their faces.
"Four."
Eyes wide, terrified.
"Three."
They broke first, backing away, guns still trained on us.
"If your intention is to retreat, such that you can face us with a larger force, allow me to make one thing clear." I blasted their blockade apart, some of them screamed. "Your bullets are useless against us."
They ran, we cleared the blockade away, and we repeated this two more times.
Seeing the city after so long felt... overwhelming. I had completely forgotten how big it was. It was almost enough to not notice the checkpoint, and the fifty of so Humans who stood on the other side, guns pointed at us.
"I will allow one of you to shoot me." I said, walking toward them. "A freebie, use your highest caliber, try and hurt me."
The bullet that struck me ricocheted into a tree, The silence that fell was just as deafening as the report from the gun, they stared at me in utter shock, and then they all ran
Several Human civilians looked at the fleeing soldiers, then looked at us as we stepped out from our territory and into theirs.
"Oh, shit. That video was real." I heard someone say. "Look at that sick fuckin' armor." Another spoke. "Are they going to attack us?"
"Halt." I commanded, my troop stopped, the tension in the air was palpable.
"My name is Ruuk Stingtail." I spoke. "For the time being, I come in peace, and invite anyone who is curious to ask questions.After all, it has been a solid year and a half since we had any contact with anyone other than enemies and ourselves."
There was still tension, of course, but eventually someone did approach, cautiously, of course. "Yo, uh, can I touch you? You know, to make sure you're actually real and not some sort of weird animatronic?"
I reached my hand out and he touched it. "Whoa." He pulled his hand back.
Several Humans had pulled out their phones, they were already recording us. I quickly appraised the people around us, looking for anything we could exploit for our own uses. I noticed someone with their arm in a sling, it wasn't in a cast, but it was wrapped up.
"You there." I said, pointing at him. He pointed at himself. "Yes, come here."
He approached cautiously. "What happened to your arm?" I asked.
"I, uh, I tore a muscle." He said. "Doctor said I can't do much with it until it heals."
"Ruka." I said, looking at the Paladin of Bahamut. He walked closer. "Show us your injury, if you would."He did, there was the ugliest bruise I'd ever seen.
"Do you consent to having your injury healed?" I asked.
"What?" He asked, blinking.
"I'm offering to have your injury healed." I reiterated.
"Yeah, sure?"
Ruka gently laid his hands on the Human's arm. "O, holy Bahamut, heal this grievous wound and grant wholeness and wellness to his man, zyak qe coi."
The Paladin's hands radiated holy light, the bruise rapidly faded, and the Human stared at it, utterly awestruck. "Holy shit." He gasped. "I mean-"
"It is not taken as blasphemy." Ruka stated, holding his hand up.
"We are here-" I spoke, looking at everyone, "-to prove our existence beyond a single video. Circumstances demand that what we do isn't simply charity, but the means by which we can survive. For this, I am sorry, I recognize that in this way, I am using you." I paused, dredging up and wiping away tears. "Our people depend on this."
If we were to have any form of peace, any form of justification for war, we needed to be sympathetic. By taking prisoners, we made ourselves targets to any would-be vigilantes looking to serve their country.
By being up front about our intentions, we showed a quiet desperation, efforts made to foster peace, even though I had bared the fangs of war.
More Humans gathered, those who were sick or in pain, we provided healing. I told our story, of how we one day woke up like this, the struggles of finding ourselves in a situation where nothing was made for us, how when we were quarantined, we were forced to fend for ourselves. How when the mine collapsed, we worked together to save the trapped miners. How when we were blockaded so they could force us to die en masse, how we were blessed with miracles.
How, when we fully understood what our intended fate was, the people heard the wisdom of my Emperor and elevated me to the position of Imperator, and how I used my authority to direct our people to our first victory.
"I shall admit, taking those soldiers' lives brought us satisfaction." I said. "They had oppressed us, tried to eradicate us, we gave them every opportunity to choose peace, to choose life. I just can't understand how they couldn't see us as people who desperately wished for love and compassion."
I laid it on thick, and the Humans ate it up.
Before long, we had expended our spells, and I said, "We will try to return, presuming the military doesn't try to carpet bomb us into oblivion, our prisoners of war be damned. I pray your leaders see reason."
We returned to our commandeered vehicle, closing the checkpoint so nobody could get in, and we returned to the city.
We did this each day we could, speaking words of hope for peace, determination to protect ourselves as needed. As always, we provided healing to those who needed it, some people even came, desperate for relief from something incurable, to which we did the best we could. Throughout this, I spoke of things to come, a thriving city, as much a part of the world as anywhere else, a place where we could share the wonders of magic.
I was asked, "Why do you close the gate when you leave?"
I simply answered, "If you entered, they would force you to remain, even though we know anyone who remains Human under the Divine Gate remains Human." It was an embellishment, but it was more poetic and exotic.
Throughout all of this, the military watched us like a hawk, waiting for us to slip up and cause some damage.
Days turned to weeks turned into a month, and we had solidified our existence to the world. We turned the checkpoint into our border, our Rangers found that we were completely sealed in on all sides by fencing.
I declared it the territory of the Empire.
"All of the land that the U.S. government sealed off belongs to the Empire." I spoke. "By locking it behind fence and gate, they have declared it our border, and we shall agree to that sentiment."
It was such a tiny parcel of land, compared to the rest of the continent, but it could comfortably fit ten offshoot villages, each which could connect us to other cities.
Construction of the new border wall began shortly after, the fencing uprooted piece by piece, replaced by solid stone proudly displaying the anachronism our lives had become, and even though there had been no agreement to peace, the U.S. government was powerless to stop us.
The moment I had claimed the land, the moment it was known to be claimed, my Emperor had claimed it in turn. By the end of the week, we had a new border wall built, one that was staffed with Rangers, Druids, Fighters, and Artificers. One that was connected by tramways, simplifying travel.
And throughout this all, Darastrixthurhi was transformed from a lifeless rock, to a city teeming with plantlife.
My Emperor held me in his arms as we laid on our bed. Sharing a bed together had always been a highlight of his being with me, his willingness to hold me, to touch me, made it all better, made it all right.
"Our enemy stalls for time, while we win the hearts of their people." He mused. "I can hear them praying to me, wishing for strength, for power, and I pull on them, make their hearts yearn. Tomorrow, invite them to visit, to witness the splendors of our nation, to feast with us in the name of peace."
"As you wish, my Emperor." I spoke.
"Ruuk, I permit you to call me your love."
"As you wish, slaitov." I replied. "Shall there be a day when we show our subjects?"
"I shall announce it during our feast." He replied.
My heart thundered, it was so sudden, yet... "Thank you, slaitov."
"Soon to be husband, Imperator mine." He replied.
When I announced the feast, the Humans who wished to join us were ecstatic. I even extended the invitation to the military personnel. "Come as civilians, if you would." I said.
The preparations that went into the feast went underway, we had a good hunt and our efforts to preserve our food was going excellently. When the Humans arrived, they marveled at the tramways, the architecture of our housing, our magical wonders. Some even saluted me, though they said they simply wanted to give me the respect I deserved.
I ensured they had the grand tour of the town, but when we neared the wall into the Fortress City, I spoke solemnly, "Any further, and you risk your Humanity." I looked at them all. "I would interpret any such entry as a desire to join our Empire, and will expect a pledge of loyalty."
The look of longing in their eyes showed me that my warning was largely going to be ignored. Hell, a handful of Humans walked right in, transforming almost immediately.
"It reacts to a want to become a Kobold." I said. "Anyone who doesn't want to might have a better time of it."
While our new citizens were given some proper clothing, I led the rest of the Humans around.
"Why didn't you stop them?" One of the Humans, a female soldier, spoke.
"Why should I?" I asked. "I very clearly stated what would happen, they made the choice."
I showed them around the Artificery, magic items and what technology we were able to make was proudly on display. I noticed one of them palm a device and walked over to them, holding my hand out. "Do not think we are not paying attention." I said. There was a tense moment before she put it in my hand. "Besides, this is just a little hand fan." I flicked a switch, two paper and wood blades extended and began to spin. "You taking this would have left one of our prisoners without any form of air conditioning."
I put it back, they tried to hide the anger at my casual mention of prisoners.
"Are they being treated well?" The soldier asked.
"Yes." I said. "Due to the lack of wireless signal, we allow them their phones so they have something to occupy their time when we're not putting them out in the yard for exercise or giving them their ration."
"You're forcing them to eat rations?" She asked.
"We all eat rations." I replied. "Feasts like this are for when we have a surplus that we can't guarantee to keep." I smirked. "That being said, as we are smaller, we need less to eat than the average Human."
I didn't pretend any of that was meant to be reassuring. "The prisoners will be joining us for the feast." I said. The incredulous looks I got elicited a chuckle from me. "If you think I'm being bold or flippant, we have them fitted with enchanted collars that will choke them if they attempt to flee. They are cursed, you see, and can only be removed with magic."
"That's fucked up." Another soldier stated.
"Inhumane, actually." I corrected. "But it's the only thing we have available that won't accidentally kill them. The worst that will happen is they'll pass out, a passive regeneration effect will keep them alive."
"Have you... tested these collars?" A third soldier asked.
"We have a small group of Sorcerers in the Warren who tried to summon a Demon for power." I said. "They have tested the collars every now and again, usually by fucking around and finding out." We approached the area where the feast was being held, food was already being set up, the prisoners were already seated, their eyes widened when they saw their fellow soldiers.
"You won't get away with this." The female soldier growled.
"Funny, that's what we said when we were locked in here." I replied. "They are fed, given water, are clothed, and are provided shelter. That's far more than we were ever given."
I directed them to their table, and soon, everyone was sat, except for my Council, and my Emperor. They arrived shortly after every one was seated, each took their seats. I sat beside my Emperor's seat.
I noted that same female soldier was attempting to film us surreptitiously.
"Today, we are gathered to welcome our Human guests, those who have seen us as people, rather than monsters." My Emperor spoke. "The establishment of my Empire was always a dream, to bring back a glory lost to time, to honor the thousands who died during the first Dragon Rage, to honor those who were murdered by my long-standing enemy." He looked around. "It had always been me desire to hunt down every last one of his children, to eradicate them, it was my Imperator who entreated me to choose compromise."
He paused, taking up a cup. "These Humans are here because my Imperator has likewise chosen compromise, to cast aside the hatred that has grown in his heart, for the sake of our peace and prosperity. Enough lives have been lost, let the first year of our Empire not be drenched in blood, that in peace and prosperity, our greatness is acknowledged, whether grudgingly, or emphatically. To my Imperator, without whom this victory would have never been manifest."
Every Kobold raised their cups, including our new citizens.
"And to our guests, who have agreed to come here in peace. May their wisdom be echoed by their leaders."
The cups were raised again.
"Now enough talk, let us feast!"
The Human frowned, putting their phone away. It was clear she didn't get what she wanted from that. After everyone polished off their plates, the people began dancing as our musicians displayed their newly awakened Bard Class- it seemed not simply playing or doing well at the arts was enough, one needed confidence and a desire to entertain.
Our guests were allowed to mingle and enjoy themselves, though the prisoners were kept under guard, any Soldiers who wished to speak to them would have to live with the fact that they would be listened in on, and considering the guards could use the spell Comprehend Languages, well, they wouldn't be able to hide beneath a foreign language.
"So, you're the leader of this little group." I regarded the Human who approached me, that same soldier who seemed bound and determined to catch us with our pants down.
"Yes." I said. "Your attempt at catching us with your recording won't work, you know." She betrayed surprise. "One, any idiot would know not to say anything incriminating at a party their enemies are invited to. Two, anyone stupid enough to do so wouldn't even make it as far as we did."
"Indeed." She said. "What was this about compromise?"
"Exactly as it sounds." I replied. "My God, Kurtulmak, has nurtured a well-earned hatred of Gnomes, considering their God committed near genocide against us. Imprisoned against his will, for the crime of wanting justice... When the victors write the history books, they will do everything in their power to make those who are suffering injustice out to be the bad guys."
"And what will your history books say?" She asked.
"That depends on your leaders' answer, Miss..?"
"Martel." She said. "Corporal Martel."
I had completely put it out of my mind, after all, we got our vengeance on the soldiers who tried to have us massacred by a God.
"So." I said. "The one who set Garl Glittergold against us shows her face." I remarked. Her eyes widened. "Why were you, of all people, not present that day, when we marched on your encampment?"
"I was called away on duty-" She started.
"Bullshit." I said. "You fled, didn't you? You ran from your fellow soldiers like the coward you are, you left them to die."
Arcane energy crackled across my body, and I had to hold back from blasting her apart. "Leave." I hissed. "This day of peace is not for cowards and traitors."
She backed away, clearly terrified. I couldn't hold back the anger any more, but I wasn't going to let her be a casualty yet. I aimed my spell at the metal pole, the Witch Bolt striking it. "I said LEAVE!" I roared. "IF YOU EVER DARE TO RETURN HERE, I WILL END YOUR MISERABLE, PATHETIC, COWARDLY LIFE!"
She fled, I did not care that several eyes were on me, if there was one thing I hated more than Humans, it was self-serving cowards like her.
I felt my God's touch on my shoulder, his presence soothed the rage, granted me the clarity of mind I needed to function. I cast my gaze toward the rest of the soldiers, who looked like they were mice caught in a trap. I approached them.
"You may leave, if you wish." I stated. "My anger at her is not anger at you."
"What the fuck did Tiana do, that pissed you off so much?" One of the soldiers asked.
"That woman was the one who called down a God to kill us." I stated. "The fact that she is present at all means she abandoned her post and left her fellow soldiers to die." My lip curled into a snarl. "The only thing I hate worse than anything, is a coward and a traitor, and that woman, Tiana Martel, is both."
I sensed a jolt of shock from my Emperor, I looked at him.
"Ruuk." He said. "Say that name again."
"Tiana Martel." I replied.
My Emperor about faced and roared, "Paladins of Bahamut, after that woman! Move!"
The Paladins gave chase, our Emperor did not order them around, out of respect for his pact with Bahamut.
"My Emperor, do you really want to risk any peace we could gain, chasing after one woman?" I asked.
"Ruuk." He said. "What are the chances that a single woman who can call down a God, who has knowledge of us that can be exploited, is suddenly not present when we finally make a counter attack? By our pact, your eyes are my eyes, and she has tried to cause problems the entire time she has been here."
He paused. "Tiana Mahtel, that's how she pronounced it, yes?"
I blinked.
"Wait, that woman is Tiamat?" I asked.
As if in answer, there was a roar, and in the distance, a dragon reared up, one bearing five heads of different colors.
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Birthday Planner is the junction of ideas of various themes and thus the ultimate destination of Themed Birthday Party in Chandigarh. Besides that, We have a wide array of ideas for themes for all age groups. The birthday party of a child or of an old person, there are beautiful themes to create party atmosphere. Additionally,our themes are highly competitive and moreover are the decorations. So, There are pictures on the website, please check it yourself. We being Birthday party organizers in Chandigarh is happy to serve you.
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Just recently two of my four players have unfortunately been forced to leave the group and can't come back. We were all good friends and had known eachother for years, so this really hurts us, but we don't want to give up.
The two players left and I are considering recruiting new people to our group.
I just wanted to ask for some advice from anyone on here with any experience on this. I'm not looking for websites or communities to get the people from, we're not an english speaking party and we aren't in the US or any other mainstream area. I'd just like to know what to look out for and how to go about this.
Thanks for everyone's help!

I can’t stand this person. I need advice on how to burn them in a way that stops them from negging me.
Storytime:
I had to take an advanced statistics class last semester, I found the class to be extremely difficult, so swallowed my intellectual pride and found a tutor through the school.
He was just close enough to my age to think it was acceptable to ask for all of my social media accounts. Reluctantly, I gave in, hoping it would at least ensure his continued presence.
Throughout the semester, this guy was surprisingly helpful in explaining stats to me. I gotta give credit where it's due. But here's the catch: he also revealed some seriously concerning and downright bizarre stuff about himself. I'm talking about hanging out with Andrew Tate, claiming he got "special favors" from priests when he was 15 and enjoyed it (yikes), and even bragging about helping his friend in Thailand run a questionable "Twitch haram."
After the semester ended, he kept reaching out to me, insisting we hang out. Against my better judgment, I agreed to go to a Taco Tuesday/DJ Night he was hosting, mainly for the train wreck entertainment it promised. And boy, was I right. The party was a total flop. Imagine five people, most of them overweight and utterly dull, festering together on a couch in the corner of the room while they became transfixed on 99c store light-up toys and fidget spinners. Meanwhile, my tutor-turned-host was noticeably blown out, sporting a gaudy gold jacket, prancing around like a maniac, showing off his giant golden Jenga set, and randomly fiddling with the DJ equipment. It was a train wreck of cringe.
After enduring one hour of his shenanigans, I couldn't take it anymore. I discreetly texted my fiancé to come and check out the madness/scoop me. They arrived, took one look, and we swiftly made our exit.
Since that odd night, I've rarely spoken to this person. I ignore his Instagram messages 99% of the time, which he sends far too often. Most of them are just inane attention-seeking bs, but whenever I post a picture of myself, he manages to squeeze in some snide remark about my appearance. It's annoying, to say the least. This person is the epitome of cringe, and I have zero desire to engage with them.
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