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sandian-sherwood-uhle-blog · 5 years

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DELTARUNE

So, there are plenty of allusions/paralles to Undertale in Deltarune and some easter eggs. I’ve made a list of the ones that I managed to find/catch. I’m pretty sure there are more of them.

1. There is an easter egg with naming your vessel and yourself. Like in Undertale using names of characters from the game will trigger a special dialogue (and like in Undertale naming your vessel or yourself “Gaster” will close the game).

2. When you look through the window in your room there is reference to Sans’ genocide fight.

3. A reference to Tsundere Cactus from Undertale, but in Deltarune it’s just an average cactus.

4. Recognizing yourself in the mirror.

5. Toriel hugs Kris almost the same way she hugs Frisk.

6. Alphys is still a weeaboo obsessed with Mew Mew ^^

7. Temmie still has the EG, but this time she is a partner not a proud parent.

8. If you try using your phone in the Dark World it will start making “Gaster noises”.

9. Ralsei’s cloak resembels the one that River Person wears (could River Person be a Darkner?)

10. Lancer’s bike might be a reference to Sans’ bike from the True Pacifist credit scene.

11. How Ralsei introduces us to the game mechanics is like a combination of both Flowey’s and Toriel’s tutorials. Telling what a soul is and how the fighting works is “Flowey’s part” and usage of Dummy and sparing being a preferable option is “Toriel’s part”.

12. Possibly a parallel to comforting a goatbro (Ralsei is a Goat/Boss Monster and a prince just like Asriel).

13. The shopkeepr hints a secret battle with Jevil in the early stage of the game.

15. The plush that Seam has on a shelf has is a reference to one of the Temmie Chang’s (she helped Toby create Undertale) characters, but I couldn’t find a picture of it.

16. Seam also gives us hints that Jevil knows Gaster. Here’s a video with a full dialogue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PukI_JTyVg

17. The crown that K. Round wears might be reference to Super Crown, but the way it works is a ref to the big shroom power up. The sound that K. Round makes while growing up and shrinking is very similar to the sound from Mario games.

18. It is surely a reference to Sans’ room door (the weird glow), but it may also have something to do with Gaster’s grey door.

19. The sequence that Lancer and Susie perform is possibly a reference to Team R’s sequence from Pokemon series.

20. Possibly an Undertale Yellow easter egg? (the main charater is named Clover in UT:Y)

21. Even if you got rid of that tree you can still interact with it and get the dialogie box.

22. Lancer misses his attacks on Susie the same way Toriel does that when Frisk has low HP.

23. The theme that plays on floor ?????? inside the Card Castle uses the leitmotif of Gaster’s Theme. (can’t find a link with the theme)

24. A reference to Patrick from cartoon “Spongebob Squarepants”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNZSXnrbs_k

25. Another Pokemon’s reference.

26. You can interact with these pictures, when you interact with all 3 of them they’ll make a splat noise. I’m not sure if it does anything else.

27. Lancer has the same weird pics in his room, you can interact with them too, but they won’t make splat noise. But on the other hand there are CDs with recorded splat noises (the same that 3 previous pics make).

28. She talks about the cake that Susie ate ealier.

29. A missing pixel lmao

30. The cards and chess are references to the enemies from Dark World. There’s also a plushie of Shopkeer Seam under the board.

31. Kris looks similar to unused Frisk sprite.

32. The word “library” is still misspelled.

33. Temmie still wants to go to colleg. That’s the spirit!

34. Apparently Alphys prefers Mew Mew 2 now.

35. Heats Flamesman reference.

36. Just Toby at work.

37. He’s slacking off however.

38. We finally know after which monster Gaster Follower 3 was modeled.

39. Deltarune is definitely a different universe/timeline, cause Undyne doesn’t know Alphys and she still has both eyes. Also Bratty and Catty not only barely know each other, but they hate each other as well (in Undertale they are best friends).

40. On the left - dude who bought Muffet’s donut and regreted that later on, on the right - that weirdo from Napstablook’s snail farm.

41. Police station and Undyne’s house share the same doormat.

42. The big mouth monster that was spending time at Grillby’s, also a possible reference to nurse Joy from Pokemon series.

43. A reference to the absurdly tall sink from skelebros’ house. (also that blue bear might be inspired by 5.0.5 from Villainous)

44. Gerson is dead in Deltarune, also his last name is Boom. The hammer on his tombstone refers to his “nickname from war times” from Undertale - Hammer of Justice.

45. The tombstones of monster who were amalgamates in original Undertale, but since in Deltarune Alphys was never a Royal Scientist, all of this monsters just died. From left to right - Snowdrake’s Mother, the dog (Endogeny), Shyren sister (Lemon Bread).

46. Hand Receptionist from MTT Resort and politics bear from Snowdin.

47. That weird cube-dog-like monster from Sans’ crossword.

48. A reference to Purple Guy from game series FNAF (in Deltarune Burgerpants works at Pizzeria after all, hello?! it must be it xD).

49. A bunny shopkeepr from Snowdin, the guy who works in Core, the Ice Wolf (and he finally has pants as he wanted), Fuku Fire and Skateboard girl (but they already graduated), the lion monster who is a fan of Mettaton and gets a dress from him after his musical, and the dragon dude who couldn’t return to his family cause the elevator at MTT Resort was turned off.

50. Sans’ store is literally Grillby’s bar, but the name “Grillby” was removed and Sans added “ans” to the letter “S”. But he didn’t remove apostrophe. Well done Sans, well done.

51. A reference to Spider-Man, “I’m your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man”. Sans even calls Kris “tiger” which is how MJ calls Peter (I forgot to make a screenshot of it tho).

52. F#ck you Sans xD

53. “trousle of bones” - it obviously refers to Papyrus’ theme Bonetrousle.

54. Little bunny in the window is a child of that bunny monster who runs Snowdin Inn.

55. A monster from Snowdin who loves knocks lives there. And apparently Kris is not as good at knocking as Frisk is.

56. In the alley where you meet Alphys again there is a painting of Everyman (attack of Reaper Bird - one of the amalgamates). You can’t escape from your sins Alphys, even in another universe/timeline.

57. Asgore’s introduction dialogue in Deltarune is literally the same as in Undertale.

58. These flowers are an obvious allusion/parallel to the souls containers. The golden flower in the middle might be representing the empty container for Frisk’s determination soul. If you remember, in Undertale Alphys used a golden flower as a empty vessel to inject determination and that flower became Flowey later on.

59. RG01 and RG02 are still together, and for some reason they are still wearing helmets even tho the Royal Guard is most likely not a thing in Deltarune xD

60. If you wait long enough by the lake Onionsan will appear. He will ask what’s our name and will want to become friends. He also doesn’t remember his own name due to being alone for too long, so we have an option to gave him one.

61. He also might have a dark secret hehe

62. So there is most likely Mettaton, but we have no idea what’s up with Blooky. I’m hoping that in chapter 2 we will find out Mettaton’s canon ghost form and maybe his real name. Also I doubt that in Deltarune Mettaton has machine body, since Alphys never was a Royal Scientist in this universe/timeline.

63. Chara possession much? also a hint to the ending of Deltarune chapter 1

64. After Kris locks his soul in the cage you can still move it, but you can’t escape.

65. The glowing red eyes, Post Genocide Pacifist vibes are strong in this one.

These are all the allusions/parallel and easter eggs I was able to find. I’m sure there are more. Also there are some that I forgot to screenshot such as “characters titles” in party menu change: - Kris has a title of Leader, but if you check all 4 beds in Card Castle he has a title of Bed Inspector - Ralsei title changes after giving him different scarf There’s also at least one Annoying Dog easter egg in the party menu. Not to mention the anagrams: Deltarune - Undertale Ralsei - Asriel So yeah, that’s all folks. Hope you enjoyed, bye!

#deltarune #undertale #tobyfox #kris #ralsei #susie #gaster #allusions #parallels #eastereggs

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xanthicantag · 5 years

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omg do all the dnd asks im so curious !!!

Long boi this one is

1. A favorite character you have played.

This is a hard one, I was a real big fan of my storm barbarian Tiffany, or Unfaceable the ranger I played awhile ago. They were more or less the same character

2. Your favorite character that someone else has played.

Oh absolutely Ragnarok the Winged One, he was my friend Juan’s first character I think (if not first one of the first). He was a white dragon born sorcerer, who didn’t actually have wings for 96% of the campaign. He also hated capitalists so goals really.

3. Your favorite side quest.

One time I tried to set up a One night ultimate werewolf side quest, and it kinda worked, it’s just we stopped playing for like 2 months and they didn’t finish it.

4. Your current campaign.

I’m currently in Dungeon of the Mad Mage as an Aasimar Warlock!

5. Favorite NPC.

Pit Man.

6. Favorite death (monster, player character, NPC, etc).

So, technically they didn’t die, but one my players character went into the Negative Plane to marry a nightwalker who was going to be the final boss, but I felt really bad for all of them after making them do a like 4 stage thing.

7. Your favorite downtime activity.

Rivals!!!!! They are the coolest thing.

8. Your favorite fight/encounter.

The Strahd fight when I ran CoS last year was p cool, they all died but it was really not close (They got him to like 15 hp but there’s still tons of bullshit to do after that) or the final fight I did as Unfaceable, we fought a beholder and I was paralyzed for like 6 rounds.

9. Your favorite thing about D&D.

Honestly, I enjoy seeing people get excited about playing the game. Like when Juan (Tbh he’s just my all time favorite player sorry everyone else) got a crit while we were playing in the cafeteria and just fucking yelled about it.

10. Your favorite enemy and the enemy you hate the most.

OH fccuk this is a hard choice. I really think Nightwalkers are like the coolest right now since I love Negative plane shit. I think dragons are kinda overrated as enemies tho, i don’t hate them really tho since dragons are dope as fuck.

11. How often do you play and how often would you ideally like to play?

I Dm about twice a week and play once a week, Ideally I’d play or dm every day and have no other obligations but life is simply unfair

12. Your in game inside jokes/memes/catchphrases and where they came from.

Temaridy

13. Introduce your current party.

We’ve got Krosnis, my Celestial Warlock, Temaridy, a Tiefling Fiend Warlock, Sigil, a Warforged Eldritch Knight, Ketla, a uh, the elvish giants, FIRBOLG, Moon Druid, and shit fuck uh, the Abjuration Wizard, who’s name is, uhh, Enzio? Idk his name but the player canonically decided he looks like Fenris so that’s all that matters.

14. Introduce any other parties you have played in or DM-ed.

Hmmm this is a tough choice there’s tons of them.... I’ll do the first party I solo DM-ed for I guess since they were p cool: Hellspawn, a Tiefling Monk with the homebrew way of the 8 gates of hell subclass (He was so goddamn edgy, and played by @t-rexquefuturus even tho he doesn’t really use tumblr), Thargus Irvin, a Totem Barbarian (Played by @themonotonyofdays fun fact i guess?), Borges, an Alchemist who was just trying his best, Mikono, who was also trying his best but was much sadder about it (Played by @tsurikun so double fun fact in one post actually boom), uhhhhhh, Delgor? Delgar? Del-something, a Battlemaster Warlock multiclass, i’m not sure what delgar was triyng to do (other the complain about hellspawn yeah i went there they don’t have a tumblr so none of you better snitch on me i stg) and last (literally he joined in towards the end of the campaign) Magnus, a uh, Mystic, he was there

15. Do you have snacks during game times?

Yeah usually, me like snackys

16. Do you play online or in person? Which do you prefer?

I do both! I prefer in person since it’s harder for people to talk online since it all gets muddled

17. What are some house rules that your group has?

Er, on the sly anything goes tbh if it seems cool enough

18. Does your party keep any pets?

In the current one we have so many familiars it’s crazy.

19. Do you or your party have any dice superstitions?

Amy (The one who loves pit man) rolls all her dice at the start and takes the one that did the best

20. How did you get into D&D? How long have you been playing?

In highschool i played 2 times for like, 10 hours each time? that was so fucking long holy shit, and the freshman year of college i started co-dming a group and then it took off from there

21. Have you ever regretted something your character has done?

Tbh, not really? Like, 80% of them are dumb as fuck so jot that down, but I don’t usually do stuff in game that I regret, except that one time i died but it was to be a hero so worth it

22. What color was your first dragon?

I think it was a baby black dragon?

23. Do you use premade modules or original campaigns?

I use both depending on how busy I am

24. How much planning/preparation do you do for a game?

Depends? I usually do a lot of long term planning early on and then not too much per session

For DMs

25. What have your players done that you never could have planned for?

The one group got really attached to some meaty boiz, and then the one player killed all of them and like most of the party, great way to end the campaign

26. What was your favorite scene to write and show your characters.

Oooo, hmmmmmmmmm, I really had a good plan for the end to this arc (the one with the nightwalker) but it kinda didn’t really happen how i planned which was a bit of a bummer, but it worked out in sort of a better way

27. Do you allow homebrew content? Yeah as long as it doesn’t seem like super busted

28. How often do you use NPCs in a party? I usually give npcs if they need like a healer or something, like Kargol

29. Do you prefer RP heavy sessions or combat sessions?

I don’t really have a preference for either? My groups get a lil bloodthirsty if they go too long with a fight usually (Except you @themoragontrail just pacifist running a whole session and a half)

30. Are your players diplomatic or murder hobos?

Oh definitely murder hobos

For Players

31. What is your favorite class? Favorite race?

Oh this is hard, I’m a big fan of Warlock customization and flexibility, I don’t really have favorite race (It’s tieflings I read homestuck feel free to at me)

32. What role do you like to play the most? (Tank/healer/etc?)

I’m usually a tank/front line, It’s where I like to be, does it always end well? Not even close, does my warlock have more hp than our fighter? Hell fucking yes

33. How do you write your backstory, or do you even write a backstory?

So, it depends? I usually do it last once I’ve made the rest of the character and use it as a reason why their the way they are now. And I give like 65% of them heterochromia cause i thinks it’s sick as fuck

34. Do you tend pick weapons/spells for being useful or for flavor?

as someone who loves lances, need i say more?

35. How much roleplay do you like to do?

It depends on what game i’m in, i usually don’t do too much rping in combat heavy stuff, but i like to, and also i love rping sub 8 int, or 14>= int but that’s just me irl and let me tell you, I’m a dumbass who will eat the exploding rock

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itsbenedict · 6 years

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No Driver’s License: Session 33

No Driver’s License is a Madoka Magica game I’m running for five players, using a homebrew of Yaruki Zero’s Magical Burst system. It follows five magical girls as they deal with an upheaval in the world’s magic system caused by some strange new three-eyed Incubators. They have to figure out what’s going on, who to trust, and how to put a stop to the cycle of despair.

I post session logs and omakes weekly sporadically, both as a reference for the players and for anyone who wants to follow along with the party’s misadventures.

[adventure log- read from the beginning]

[session 32]

Last time on No Driver’s License, the boss fight on the moon turned into a different boss fight on the moon when one of the party members witched out. The team managed to escape some giant teacups, but then encountered the original boss fight on the way to fight the new boss fight. Pincered between the party and the witch, the boss got her ass kicked pretty hard, saved at the last second by a mysterious intercessor. Let’s find out how that resolves!

So- this mystery white mask girl has blocked Ibara’s decisive blow against Kimiko/Honoka, with a big glittering white shield. And she has also... pulled a Sans Undertale, and enforced the concept of turn-based combat. It’s currently her turn, and she’s not taking it. She would like everyone... to stop. Stop fighting.

It quickly becomes clear that this girl does not actually have a plan for conflict resolution. She just begs everyone to stop fighting, to stop trying to hurt each other, and... none of this changes the facts that drive the two groups into conflict.

Honoka even insists that she doesn’t need this person’s protection- apparently, she’s just as much a stranger to the cannibals as to the party.

The masked girl, whoever she is, is eventually convinced that what she’s doing is useless, that no one will listen to reason (is it reason?), and pings a Trauma.

The masked girl- who claims to be nobody, so let’s call her Nobody- uses one of her actions to use some sort of healing skill. It heals both sides of the fight- restoring Seina and Makoto to full, as well as refilling a substantial portion of Honoka’s HP. She tells them she can magically hold her turn for another fifteen minutes, so...

Honoka insists that she could’ve taken the hit, that she’s way stronger than these losers, that no one could possibly stop her, god damn it.

Responses to this question: very ironically divergent.

and:

So... Yukari asks Emiko some questions. Specifically: why hasn’t Kimiko burned off Honoka’s trauma track yet?

You can... imagine where Yukari is going with this, right?

Yukari asks Emiko a few more leading questions, getting at what her strategy is. Emiko- though hesitant at first- eventually agrees that what they’re about to do is necessary.

Makoto delivers this line, and...

Nobody, meanwhile, is confused by this whole line of conversation- it seems she’s never heard of any Honoka before, and doesn’t know what’s going on. As her power runs out, she quickly uses her last action.

So- yep, Honoka’s witched. Thing is, since they’re already in a barrier, that doesn’t change their immediate surroundings much.

Aaaaaaanyway... session doesn’t end here, because there’s still a little something to deal with. See- the common enemy has vanished, and now the party is faced with... the Queen of Sorrows, still.

And it’s her turn! And she crits!

So- the decapitation thing is cosmetic, but Nobody clearly isn’t having a very good time with it.

Then the witch uses another one of her moves- she takes the zone she’s in, swirls her big space dress, and- whoosh- everyone in that zone is now in the sky. (Normally, magical girls don’t take fall damage, but this attack accelerates them downward at great speed.) And- now, see, they were previously inside the spout of the giant teapot, which was shaded from the sun outside. When teleported into the sky above, though, they’re exposed to the sun- and take damage from its intense rays.

So- Makoto still doesn’t have access to her animal-summoning power, but she points out that those shadow puppet hands are still around, and now there’s a very bright sun to cast harsh shadows.

She orders the shadow puppets to attack the Queen, but...

With her roll, this argument ends up working, and they do some damage to the Queen.

Buncha god damn truants and also Makoto, over here.

After Makoto’s minions go, Seina, Ibara, and Yukari all unload pretty standard ranged attacks on the Queen. Makoto herself takes her action and does some healing and camouflage to protect the squishier girls on the field. Emiko... uses her big combo punch attack, but since there’s only one enemy, she needs to use some of Makoto’s shadow puppets as, essentially, bounce pads for her combo, which results in some friendly fire damage in exchange for a big hit.

...Oh, and apparently I forgot that Seina already took her turn, and I let her make another melee attack, which was a crit and made petals explode out of the Queen. So, whoops, but pretty cool.

Anyway, witch turn, let’s look at the map:

She crits, and- while Seina and Ibara don’t take damage, because they had that breaky heart armor to absorb the hit, the secondary effect of critting with the axe takes effect.

After that... well, the Queen still has actions. She takes a step forward and uses “Here’s What Happens”, where the narrator takes control of a target’s actions if they fail a Heart contest. Yukari does not have very high Heart, and fails the Heart contest.

Yukari- shockingly- actually gets a hit on her Fury roll, which doesn’t happen often. And...

So... that was kind of an anticlimax. Nobody spends her turn snatching back her head. And now Ibara goes, and... well, she’s gonna do her usual lineup of Big Fucking Hits, holding back a couple boosts just in case.

So- Seina’s turn, and she lands a big solid hit. Or... would’ve. The witch is at low health, allowing her to use an emergency ability.

Anyway... on the players’ turn, Emiko hears a crashing sound from outside. That teacup that was on fire? The structural integrity thereof has finally lost the fight against the blaze.

A few more dodged hits later, after Emiko summons her giant mecha and gives chase, the witch gets to move some more.

Still, the Queen is on the ropes- so she’s got to make her last hits count. She gets as many of them together in one place as she can, and...

Most of them make their save, though- it’s only Makoto who finds herself burning through the sky, three hundred degrees, that’s why they call her Mrs. Fahrenheit.

Seina finally lands a finishing blow, and...

Now... there’s a minor issue, which Yukari anticipated: when the witch whose barrier included the shelter from the sun you were using... dies? You no longer have shelter from the sun. So, uh, this is immediately kind of a problem.

Also, Fumi-chan, the only Incubator on the scene, is being coy and balking at reviving Sakura.

Thankfully, they have seeds that instantly grow stone mansions from nothing, so they’re able to get out of the sun pretty quick. Sakura is revived- and just in time, because whoops Yukari keeps forgetting to not use her undodgeable unblockable delayed-action prophecy bullets on witches that are about to die.

It’s fine, it’s two damage.

So! Next time, on No Driver’s License: out of the frying pan, and into the much hotter frying pan. One last witch fight!

#no driver's license

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southeastasianists · 7 years

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Much can be told about a country’s character through its laws. Correspondingly, the transformation of a country’s legal regime over time can be said to be a reflection of the sociopolitical evolution of its society.

Take the Constitution of the United States of America. To date, there have been 27 amendments since its promulgation in 1789. The first ten amendments are collectively known as the Bill of Rights, and spell out the aspirations and desires of a fledgling nation in the form of a solemn promise of fundamental rights in relation to religion, speech, press, assembly, the right to bear arms and protections in the criminal justice system.

Following the end of the Civil War in 1865, amendments were made to abolish slavery and further define the rights of its citizens. As the twentieth century got underway, the Constitution was further amended to reflect the changing times—voting rights for women, tax concerns, and that peculiar period in modern American history known as Prohibition.

In 1963, the assassination of President John F Kennedy paved the way for the 25th amendment, which establishes clear procedures for filling the post in the case of an abrupt vacancy. In 1971, following nationwide student activism in protest of the Vietnam War, the Constitution was amended for the 26th time to lower the voting age from 21 to 18.

The Malaysian story

In similar vein, the evolution of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia since Merdeka in 1957 also provides a picture of how our nation has progressed—or regressed, depending on perspective—throughout the 60 years of its existence.

Unlike the US, the Malaysian Parliament is not shy when it comes to tinkering with the supreme law of the land. To date, there have been 57 constitutional amendment acts, which corresponds to an average of almost one a year. However, it would be disingenuous to compare the two charters like for like, as the US Constitution, which comprises only seven articles, is meant to provide a “frame of government” that sets out the broad scope and functions of the main branches of the federal government, viz. the legislative (Congress), the judiciary and the executive (the office of the president).

On the other hand, the Malaysian document is 12 times longer, comprising 15 parts, 230 articles, and 13 schedules—all of which detail very specific provisions on numerous issues including revenue from toddy shops to capitation grants from the federal government to the states. For practical purposes, many of these provisions naturally require updating every once in a while.

That said, a number of scholars have noted that the actual number of amendments that have been made to the Federal Constitution is closer to 700, if each individual change is counted. Be that as it may, it is the substance more than the quantity of the amendments that really matters, and on this score constitutional expert Shad Saleem Faruqi has opined that fundamental alterations to critical areas have resulted in the dilution of the spirit of the original Merdeka Constitution. In addition, legal scholar HP Lee even describes the changes as amounting to “a truncation of safeguards which had been considered by the Reid Commission as vital for the growth of a viable democratic nation”.

1960: Ending the Emergency without losing emergency powers

The first major amendment to the Constitution took place in 1960, three years after Merdeka. In tabling the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 1960, the government moved to amend 33 articles and insert two new ones, besides amending the second schedule. While it is not unusual for a fledgling country to amend its constitution after a few years of finding its feet, some of the changes that were undertaken had serious and far-reaching consequences.

It is perhaps important to first understand the context of the times. Malaya, as the country was called then, had gained independence in 1957 in the midst of a communist insurgency that began in 1948. By 1960, the war had begun to wind down as the communist objective of seeking independence by force from the British had, by virtue of Merdeka, been rendered moot.

However, instead of capitalising on the end of the war to usher in a new era of peace and greater freedom, it was a case of the government wanting to end the Emergency without losing emergency powers. This can be clearly seen from amendments made to Part XI of the Constitution, encompassing Articles 149 to 151, which deals with legislation against subversion and action prejudicial to public order.

Article 149 provides for the creation of Acts of Parliament that would, in the face of subversive threats to the Federation, cause the suspension of fundamental liberties enshrined in Articles 5, 9, 10 and 13 with regards to freedom of speech, association, movement and property, and freedom from unlawful detention. These “threats” were originally confined to conditions of organised violence, but were in the same amendment expanded to include attempts to incite communal hostility and acts “prejudicial to the security of the Federation”. This is of course an understandable provision given the tumultuous security situation of the time. However, the same article also provided a sunset clause that stipulated that all such legislation would cease to have effect after one year. In other words, laws allowing preventive detention were meant to be temporary features.

Unfortunately, this critical safeguard was repealed in the amendment, thus paving the way for the creation of the notorious Internal Security Act 1960, which remained in force until its repeal 52 years later, only to be succeeded by similarly powerful incarnations such as the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 and the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2015.

Meanwhile, Article 150, which governs the declaration of states of emergency, used to contain in its original version a clause that would necessitate, in the event of an emergency proclamation, its tabling in both Houses of Parliament at the soonest convenience. Once convened, Parliament must approve the resolution for the emergency, failing which it would automatically expire after two months from its date of issue. In the case that Parliament is not sitting at the time, then the Yang di-Pertuan Agong could issue emergency ordinances that would expire 15 days after the reconvening of Parliament.

However, the provisions were amended to remove the need for parliamentary approval. Instead, any emergency proclamation or ordinance would now continue to be in force until such time that Parliament annuls it. The corollary had been reversed—where parliamentary approval was previously required to maintain a state of emergency, it was now only required to end one. These amendments were to set the scene for many long term emergencies and the ultimately the suspension of Parliament in 1969.

While most of the other constitutional amendments made in 1960 were mainly administrative in nature, there were still a few more that carried questionable overtones. Take, for example, the amendments to Articles 122, 125 and 138, which resulted in the repeal of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission (JLSC), hitherto responsible for making all recommendations with regards to judicial appointments.

Following that, the power to initiate disciplinary proceedings against judges was transferred from the defunct JLSC to the Agong on the advice of the prime minister, thus severely curtailing the independence of the judiciary. Repercussions from this move did not become apparent until 28 years later when the provisions facilitated the sacking of the lord president (now known as chief justice) Salleh Abbas and two other judges of the Supreme Court, precipitating a judicial crisis from which the nation has never fully recovered.

In addition to the judiciary, an amendment to Article 145 also had the effect of changing the position of the attorney-general from a tenured one, much like a Supreme Court judge, to one that is held at the pleasure of the Agong. The intentions here were probably less sinister as it made the position a political appointment, which meant that the attorney-general could be a member of the government and therefore directly answerable to Parliament, as was the case from the 1960s to the early 1980s when the post was typically filled by members of parliament. However, it also meant that they could be unceremoniously sacked at any time, as Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail was to discover in 2016 after running afoul of the prime minister.

1962: Consolidation of power

The second major amendment to the Constitution took place just two years after the first. In 1962 a bill was moved to amend 29 articles, adding three more articles while repealing three others. Changes were also made to a number of schedules, including the introduction of the 13th schedule which governs electoral rules.

By and large, the 1962 amendments saw the tightening up of laws and other minor administrative matters involving executive authority, legislative powers, and financial matters including the assignment of revenue from minerals to states. Nonetheless, major changes were also made, particularly to Parts III and VIII concerning rules of citizenship and the electoral system respectively, both tied to the long term survivability of the ruling Alliance government.

Citizenship had been one of the most contentious political issues leading to independence, and continued to dominate public discourse in the years following. The Reid Commission, drafters of the Constitution, had liberalised citizenship requirements so that many ethnically non-Malay residents could become citizens and, accordingly, gain electoral franchise.

The consequences of the more liberal citizenship policy would not be seen until 1959 when the first general election of independent Malaya was held. The Alliance government saw its control over 99 per cent of seats in the Federal Legislative Council reduced to only 71 per cent in the newly constituted Parliament of Malaya. Besides losing control over Kelantan and Terengganu, two states in the Malay heartland, much of the Alliance’s losses were also due to low levels of support from the newly qualified non-Malay voters in urban areas.

Thus, faced with diminished influence, the Alliance moved to appease Malay voters through a massive rural development program while they sought to contain the non-Malays by two means: firstly, citizenship was made more difficult to acquire and easier to lose, and greater discretionary power in citizenship matters was placed in the hands of the executive. Secondly—and more effectively—fundamental changes were made to the electoral system in order to mitigate the potential threat of non-Malay electoral strength.

However, tinkering with election rules was not an easy task, thanks to the Reid Commission’s foresight in embedding provisions to ensure that the Election Commission (EC) was not only independent but also accorded total authority over the delineation of constituencies without the need for parliamentary oversight. This meant that political parties, even if they were in power at federal or state level, would have little influence over the review and delimitation of constituencies.

In 1960 an electoral redelimitation exercise was conducted by the EC in strict conformity with the letter of the Constitution. As constituencies became more fairly apportioned and voter disparity was reduced to a maximum deviation of 15% of the average constituency size within a state, it became apparent that urban non-Malay voters would gain an increased share of electoral influence at the expense of the Alliance’s traditional rural Malay vote base, which would lose its rural weightage advantage.

Alarmed by the outcome of the redelimitation exercise, the Alliance government passed a raft of changes to the Constitution in 1962 that effectively annulled the revised constituencies, added new rules for constituency delineation, increased the 15% deviation limit to 33%, and even more significantly, stripped the EC of its independence and role as final arbiter of constituency changes. As a result, the EC is now mandated only to conduct redelimitation reviews before presenting its recommendations to the prime minister, who in turn will then table them ‘with or without modifications’ to Parliament for approval by simple majority.

In the grand scheme of things, the constitutional amendments made in 1962, particularly with regards to election rules that provided Parliament with even greater control over the creation and boundaries of constituencies, can be seen to have been the greatest contributor to the longevity of the ruling regime’s hold on power, unbroken to this day.

1963–1969: A nation in transition

Just a year after the 1962 amendments, the Constitution underwent another major overhaul. The Malaysia Act 1963 was introduced to accommodate structural changes to the country with the addition of Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore into the expanded and renamed Federation of Malaysia.

As can be expected, minor changes had to be made to more than a hundred articles in order to include the new states. For the most part, the amendments were procedural in nature with a few exceptions such as the reinstatement of a watered down version of the JLSC. In 1964 and 1965 the Constitution was amended twice for minor administrative matters involving the legislative, executive and judiciary, as well as further tidying up of laws following the expansion of the Federation.

Unfortunately, the new union was not to last. In protest of what Indonesian president Sukarno labelled the “neo-imperialist” creation of Malaysia, Indonesia declared a “confrontation” against the Federation, proceeding to wage violent conflict for the next three years. Besides military skirmishes in Borneo, a spate of bombings were also carried out in Singapore, the most famous of which was the bombing of Macdonald House on 10 March 1965, which killed three people and injured 33 others. (The confrontation with Indonesia also provided the pretext for the Alliance federal government to suspend local government elections in 1965. The third vote has since been abolished.)

Adding to the pressure were racial tensions stirred up by various parties including Indonesian saboteurs, nationalist Malays as well as pro-communist leftist elements. During Singapore’s two year period in Malaysia, numerous racial riots occurred, including the notorious 21 July 1964 riot that broke out during a procession to celebrate the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday, resulting in the deaths of 22 people. Further smaller scale riots took place later in the year, contributing to an immensely tense environment. These events had also taken place against the backdrop of a racially charged 1964 general election, which served to strain the relationship between the Alliance and the People’s Action Party, which ruled Singapore.

With disagreements coming to a head over social, political and even economic and financial issues, the relationship became untenable. On 9 August 1965, Malaysian Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra moved to enact the Constitution and Malaysia (Singapore Amendment) Act 1965 in order to separate Singapore from the Federation. With the removal of Singapore, the Constitution had to be amended again. This was conducted in 1966, affecting 45 articles and four schedules.

1966 saw further constitutional issues as it was Sarawak’s turn to face a crisis. In June 1966, following dissatisfaction over a native land reform law advocated by Sarawak Chief Minister Stephen Kalong Ningkan, 21 out of 42 members of the state legislature petitioned the governor of Sarawak to remove Ningkan. With the backing of the prime minister, the governor demanded Ningkan’s resignation, but the latter refused as he insisted due process had not been followed as there had not been a motion of no confidence in the legislature.

Ningkan was sacked anyway, leading him to file a suit at the High Court, which ruled in September that the governor did not have the power to dismiss a chief minister. Ningkan was then reinstated but before he could dissolve the legislature to seek a fresh mandate, the federal government moved the Emergency (Federal Constitution and Constitution of Sarawak) Bill 1966 in order to declare a state of emergency in Sarawak, thus suspending elections in the state. Further to that, the state constitution of Sarawak was also amended by Parliament to authorise the governor to convene the state legislature without going through the chief minister, leading to Ningkan’s ultimate dismissal.

The high-handed removal of the Sarawak chief minister in 1966 marked the first time that a power grab was facilitated by the federal government, though it would not be the last. In 1977 a coup by members of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) against the Kelantan chief minister was foiled when an emergency was declared by the federal government, thus keeping the incumbent chief minister in place until elections were held the following year. In the event, Barisan Nasional (the renamed Alliance coalition) managed to gain power for the first time in the state.

More recently in 2009, the Perak chief minister from PAS, leading the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition government, was removed by the Sultan of the state following defections of PR assemblymen who declared support for BN. Following an audience between the prime minister and the Sultan, the latter refused the chief minister’s request for a dissolution of the state legislature, and instead appointed a new chief minister from BN. Although a successful challenge was made at the High Court, the verdict was later overturned by the Court of Appeal and Federal Court, which held the takeover was legal.

1969-1973: Aftermath of a tragedy

Topping off what is probably the most eventful decade in Malaysian history is the infamous 13 May 1969 racial riots. Tensions had mounted in the years leading up to the 1969 general election, resulting in outbreaks of sectarian violence. In November 1967 a hartal organised by Maoist sympathisers in Penang turned bloody, although it was contained from spreading beyond the state. In June 1968 protests against death sentences meted out to 11 Chinese members of the Malayan Communist Party took a racial slant until their sentences were commuted.

Eventually, the official general election campaign period, from nomination day on 5 April to polling day on 10 May, saw sentiments coming to a boil as racial and religious politics were played up to the hilt. A fortnight before polling day, a Malay political worker was killed in Penang. But while this incident managed to be quelled, another incident in Selangor occurred 10 days later, in which a young Chinese man was shot, reportedly in self-defence, by police officers.

Sensing political opportunity, leaders of the Labour Party, which had by then fallen under the control of far left elements and had also boycotted the general election, somehow ended up hijacking the organisation of the funeral procession. Held just a day before polling, the procession turned out to be one of the largest ever seen in KL, and was by most accounts less a funeral than a mass political demonstration complete with banners carrying revolutionary Maoist slogans and the depiction of the deceased as a political martyr.

A day later, Malaysia went to the polls. By 11 May, it became obvious that the Alliance would retain power with a drastically reduced majority. Not only did the coalition fail to attain 50% of the popular vote share, they also lost their two-thirds majority in Parliament for the first time. On top of that, they also lost their majorities in the Penang, Kelantan, Perak and Selangor state assemblies, the latter two ending up in a hung situation with no party having an absolute majority.

Elated by the unprecedented results, opposition parties in the capital celebrated their success by holding large processions. Naturally, sentiments were highly racialised and provocative. In response, the Malay daily Utusan Melayu’s editorial suggested that Malay political power was under threat, prompting members of UMNO Youth to respond by organising a victory parade in the capital.

What followed on 13 May will forever be etched in history as Malaysia’s day of disgrace, described by the Tunku as a “social and political eruption of the first magnitude,” a dark moment when Malaysia was betrayed by Malaysians. Blood flowed through the streets of KL as hundreds were killed in sectarian rioting.

A state of emergency was soon declared and on 16 May, Parliament was suspended—a sequence of events that would not have been possible were it not for the constitutional amendments of 1960. In the absence of parliamentary rule, a National Operations Council (NOC) was established to play the role of a caretaker government under the directorship of Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Razak Hussein. State and district operations councils were formed to govern the country at the different levels.

The level of premeditation and actual motivations behind the decisions and events precipitating the riots will forever be the subject of conspiracy theories. But what cannot be denied is the fact that the 13 May incident marked the end of the first epoch of Malaysian history, and the beginning of a new era under Razak, who ruled as head of the NOC and eventually as prime minister upon the retirement of the Tunku and reconvening of Parliament on 22 September 1970.

From the ashes of the bloody riots, a new social compact was forged in the form of the New Economic Policy (NEP) which laid the ground for an assertion of Malay nationalism in various sectors including education and the economy through social reengineering and affirmative action programs. The national political landscape was also transformed with the creation of the BN grand coalition in 1973, which absorbed opposition parties including PAS, Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (Gerakan) and the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) in West Malaysia. This had the effect of restoring the two-thirds majority in Parliament and consolidating control over every state government in the country.

Armed with total control, Razak moved to enshrine the new social compromises through the controversial Constitution (Amendment) Act 1971. Dubbed the “sensitive matters amendment”, seven articles were changed including those governing freedom of speech, assembly and association, parliamentary privileges, the national language, and the expansion of the scope of Article 153 that deals with the protection of the “special position” of the Malays.

As a result of the amendments, fundamental liberties were proscribed so that “sensitive matters”—defined to include issues such as citizenship, language, the special position of the Malays and the natives of Borneo, and the rulers’ sovereignty—could not be discussed openly, even in Parliament. The Sedition Act, previously inapplicable within the confines of the august House and state legislatures, now applies throughout.

These amendments were further augmented by other proscriptive legislation, such as the University and University College Act 1971, which forbade university students from participating in political activities, and the Official Secrets Act 1972, which cast a wide net for deeming what is confidential and hence unlawful to disseminate.

Further to that, Article 159 was altered so that the consent of the Conference of Rulers, previously required only for amendments to provisions affecting the special position of the Malays and the rulers themselves, was now also required for those affecting the national language, parliamentary privilege and certain fundamental liberties. Meanwhile, Article 153 was modified to allow the creation of quotas for Malays and natives in institutions of higher education, in addition to existing quotas for public service, education and commercial permits and licenses.

In 1973 another major constitutional amendment bill was moved that carried major electoral impact. Constitutional limits to rural weightage which had been loosened in 1962 when the maximum deviation was increased from 15% to 33%, were abolished altogether. In the absence of the safeguards that were put in place by the Reid Commission, seats could now be created that are up to four or five times the size of other seats within the same state, as is the case today.

In addition, the power of the EC to apportion constituencies was abrogated and instead specified in the constitution, hence amendable only by a two-thirds majority vote in Parliament. With deviation limits removed, the government of the day had practically awarded themselves carte blanche powers to delineate and apportion constituencies in any manner that was convenient to them.

Finally, the amendments also saw the carving out of KL as a federal territory, thereby removing it from the state of Selangor. As the majority Chinese population of KL was seen to have played a key part in the defeat of the Alliance in Selangor in 1969, excising the city also meant ridding the state of most of its opposition-leaning voters. Not only did it secure Selangor for BN, it also essentially robbed the voters of KL of their right to representation at the local level, as the federal territory has no elected legislature.

1973–1994: The Mahathir Era

Between 1973 and 1985, the Constitution was amended 11 more times, including numerous modifications to the capitation grants to the states, the creation of the federal territory of Labuan, further tightening up of election laws which gave the government even more discretionary powers, and the introduction of the ringgit as the national currency.

Of particular note were amendments made in 1983 and 1984 with regards to the legislative role of the rulers. In 1981, Mahathir Mohamad took over the job that he would go on to hold for the next 22 years. Never shy to challenge the orthodoxy, having been responsible for an infamous open letter to then Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra in 1969 that blamed the latter for the 13 May riots, Mahathir began the first of numerous confrontations with the Malay royalty in 1983.

Prior to this, the rulers enjoyed legal immunity, a provision that had been abused on more than one occasion. By the early 1980s, the behaviour of the rulers was increasingly questioned in public discourse, particularly with regards to their perceived extravagance, financial misdeeds, wastage of public funds, involvement in business, and active interference in political matters. Naturally disinclined towards feudalism and fuelled by the prospect of an incoming activist Agong, Mahathir decided to pre-empt the situation by introducing the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 1983.

Among the 43 articles amended were provisions that essentially made royal assent to a bill passed by Parliament a rubber stamp procedure that could not be denied by the Agong. This applied to state laws as well. In addition, Mahathir also proposed to transfer the power to declare a state of emergency from the Agong to the hands of the prime minister. Although the amendments were passed by both Houses of Parliament, an impasse occurred when the sitting Agong, having consulted his fellow rulers, objected to the Bill.

A standoff ensued as Mahathir went in all guns blazing, rallying his party machinery in demonstrations up and down the country while the press played along to his tune, explaining the necessity for the amendments. Not to be outdone, the rulers also held counter-rallies with the support of veteran UMNO leaders.

Finally, a compromise was achieved. The right to declare emergencies remained with the Agong and the rulers retained their right to withhold assent to state laws. For federal laws passed by Parliament, the Agong could now reject a bill by sending it back to the legislature. If the said bill was passed again, then it would automatically become law after 30 days, with or without royal assent. The only exception to this was in the case of money bills, which could not be rejected in the first instance.

The next major constitutional amendment would occur in 1988 amid portentous circumstances. A year earlier, Mahathir barely survived a leadership challenge from within his party, the result of which left UMNO divided down the line. The losing faction undertook legal proceedings and in February 1988, the courts ruled UMNO to be an unlawful society due to irregularities with some of its branches. In the wake of the deregistration of UMNO and other court decisions that the government found unfavourable, Mahathir moved to curtail the judiciary.

Article 121 was a specific target of the constitutional amendments of 1988. Previously ascribing plenary authority over the judicial power of the Federation to the courts, the article was amended to bind the courts to “such jurisdiction and powers as might be conferred by or under federal law” (Article 121), thus subordinating the judiciary to the legislative. Other amendments included the removal of the general power of the High Court to conduct judicial reviews, the empowerment of the attorney-general to determine the courts for cases to be heard, and, significantly, the insertion of Article 121(1A), which not only drew a line of separation between the civil and syariah courts, also elevated the status of the syariah courts to be on par with the civil courts, thus creating a parallel legal system that has seen many complications arise, especially in cross-jurisdictional cases involving Muslims and non-Muslims.

In response to the government’s hastily introduced changes, the lord president of the Supreme Court, Salleh Abas, convened a meeting of judges which unanimously approved a letter to be sent to the Agong to convey their disappointment at the actions of the prime minister to undermine the judiciary.

However, thanks to amendments made in 1960, Mahathir was able to initiate disciplinary proceedings against the lord president, resulting in his eventual removal along with two other Supreme Court judges. This dark episode remains a blight in the history of the Malaysian judiciary, and it was not until 2008 that the government made reparations to the sacked judges. In 2017 the Federal Court (previously Supreme Court) ruled that the 1988 amendments that subordinated the judiciary to Parliament were unconstitutional, although it fell short of striking down the Act in question.

Mahathir’s second bout with royalty took place in 1993. Despite the previous standoff, a number of rulers continued to behave with impunity, regularly interfering in state politics, flouting tax laws and even indulging in criminal activity. Following a motion of censure by Parliament against the Sultan of Johor who had physically abused a hockey coach, the Constitution was amended to strip the rulers of their immunity from prosecution, although they would be subjected to a special court of their peers rather than the normal civil courts.

In 1994 Mahathir made further amendments to the Constitution to tie up loose ends, including abolishing the power of the Agong to delay a bill by returning it to Parliament. This time, the same provision was extended for state legislatures as well, hence all but eliminating the role of the Malay royalty as a checks and balances mechanism.

At the same time, the downgrading of the judiciary was completed through symbolic changes such as the renaming of the lord president as chief justice and the Supreme Court as the Federal Court, as well as the introduction of a code of ethics for judges.

The Constitution would be amended 16 more times, with the last being in 2009. Most of the changes during this period were minor and administrative, with the exception of the creation of a third federal territory in 2001, viz. the new federal administrative capital of Putrajaya.

Whither do we go?

Unlike the US, whose 27 constitutional amendments, from the Bill of Rights to the abolition of slavery to universal adult suffrage, paint a narrative of a nation’s journey towards building a more inclusive, progressive and emancipated society, the story of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia reveals a nation that is heading the other way—towards more exclusivism, regression and repression.

Critical amendments made over 60 years have altered the fundamental nature and spirit of the original Reid Constitution of 1957 by concentrating power in the hands of the executive, dismantling various constitutional safeguards with regards to fundamental liberties and the use of emergency powers, overhauling the electoral system in order to ensure the longevity of the incumbent government, and suppressing rival centres of power, including institutions such as the Malay royalty and the judiciary.

As a result, the Constitution today no longer embodies the spirit and intentions of the founders of the country. This is perhaps an appropriate reflection of the Malaysian polity today. Although the same party that ruled at independence continues to rule, there are few who would agree that the current leadership even remotely adheres to the same ideals and principles as its pioneers.

At the very least, arbitrary changes to the Constitution are now improbable, given that the ruling regime has since 2008 lost its customary two-thirds control over Parliament, and by virtue of that, also its ability to amend the Constitution unilaterally. Yet plugging the leak is not fixing the problem.

Ultimately, fixing Malaysia requires fixing its laws. If our country is to find its place in the sun as an inclusive and progressive nation of the twenty-first century, then the political will to rewrite our laws to make for a more inclusive, open and fair society has to be found.

……………

Zairil Khir Johari is the Member of Parliament for the federal constituency of Bukit Bendera, Penang. He is the Democratic Action Party’s Parliamentary Spokesperson for Education, Science and Technology, and a Fellow of the Penang Institute, the public policy think tank of the state government of Penang.

He is also a columnist with the Penang Monthly and the author of Finding Malaysia: Making Sense of an Eccentric Nation.

This article originally appeared in the August 2017 edition of Penang Monthly, and is republished with permission.

#Southeast Asia #Malaysia #History #Constitutional History #Resources

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setgamesettingstotroll · 5 years

Text

FE8 Draft Log 3

Lords ‘n’ Consorts, oh my~ Otherwise known as: Shinon/Mandi’s Fire Emblem 8 Draft Log. Part 3

Welcome back, everyone. Welcome to part three of my Fire Emblem Sacred Stones draft run.

For those of you new or just now finding this log:

First Log with the rules and things: http://setgamesettingstotroll.tumblr.com/post/114341729022/fe8-draft-run-log-1

Second Log: http://setgamesettingstotroll.tumblr.com/post/116299103872/fe8-draft-run-log-2

And of course, my partner in this draft is ALynnL/Sue, it would be rude of me not to include hers here, too.

Part one of ALynnL's draft: http://setgamesettingstotroll.tumblr.com/post/114649739552/fe-8-draft-log-1

Part two: http://setgamesettingstotroll.tumblr.com/post/116698310697/fe-8-draft-log-2

And with that covered, I'll be putting the rest of this under the cut to spare everyone's dashes.

So here we are, beginning where we left off with Ephraim getting ready to enter the Za'albul Marsh to face off with Selena the Fluorspar and hand her severely misguided ass to her on a Platinum Platter.

Before we begin, I'm putting here for note that I trained Ewan up from Pupil class to Shaman in the Tower of Valni as per allowment.

Ewan's new stats:

Shaman Level 1 Exp: 0

HP: 22 Mag: 6 Skill: 5 Spd: 12 Luck: 8 Def: 2 Res: 10

And now we're off to the Marsh!

========

Ephraim leads everyone towards Za'albul marsh in search of Myrrh, and on their way they learn from soldiers and villages that she's been captured by General Selena. With no choice, Ephraim grimly steels and prepares himself to fight the General to get his friend, and my draft unit, back. |D

Our scene opens with Selena holding the Dragonstone and both marveling and wondering at it. It does indeed look like an ordinary stone. She's also heard the reports of Ephraim and company nearing and curses the fact she's forced to return to the Capital immediately otherwise she'd get rid of them. Well, you're in luck, you're not gonna make it back to the Capital at all and die facing Ephraim.

Before we get ahead of ourselves though, Myrrh appears before Selena asking for the stone back. She tells Selena the story of the darkness and how it has warped things. Selena understands, and tells Myrrh of how she came to be a General, being a commoner from an impoverished town and the Emperor saved them.

Selena asks if it's possible to save the Emperor and Myrrh sadly tells her it is impossible. A soldier arrives saying Ephraim and his company has arrived. Selena tells the men to ready themselves to meet them head on. She releases Myrrh and tells her to return to Ephraim's side, and apologizes that she can't give her Dragonstone back, as she vowed never to fail her Lord again, and if she wants it, to tell Ephraim to come take it from her.

Before Myrrh can protest, Selena tells her to go before the area becomes red from the fighting.

She rides out and orders all the troops to arms.

When we ride up, Seth states the obvious we already know that the enemy is already lining up and that it's Selena leading them. L'Arachel shares her knowledge about the woman, saying she wields the power of the Thunderstorm and uses it to attack from afar without mercy.

Annnd then Seth tells Ephraim to be cautious when facing her. No shit, Seth, but really, stop throwing off Lord Ephraim's groove, he does what he wants. GET LIKE EPHRAIM, SETH. -shot-

With that all said, I'ma take my own advice and get like Ephraim and smite this chapter right proper!

Let's go~!

[Chapter 13 battle, start!]

Soooooo before we begin the smiting, I'm putting note here that I've graciously used the Dragonshield Ewan came with to bolster Marisa's Def up from 4 to 6 because she's gonna need it for this chapter.

Annd 5 turns in Tana takes one too many hits. So much for getting like Ephraim. -shot- xDDD

Annd after that reset....

Eff. I won, but it took an assload of time and I ended up offing the mage that was carrying that speedwing (it wasn't a droppable item either, effff) but I got the red gem and the energy ring.

Selena wasted all her boltings trying to hit Kyle the whole time. WOMAN. YOU HAVE EARNED LORD EPHRAIM'S IRE BY ATTACKING HIS KNIGHT ~husband~ MULTIPLE TIMES. I hope you've come to terms with any regrets and Gods you serve, cause you've earned a one-turn death.

In other words, Ephraim gave her arse the heave-ho.

And fuck, I forgot to get Tethys' starting stats. Eff. Oh well.

Turns taken: 18

Penalty taken: 15

Total turncount: 33

Stat time:

Ephraim:

Level: 18 Exp: 34

HP: 31 Str: 13 Skill: 15 Spd: 19 Luck: 14 Def: 14 Res: 5

Franz:

Level: 4 Exp: 25

HP: 43 Str: 17 Skill: 17 Spd: 20 Luck: 12 Def: 16 Res: 8

Kyle:

Level: 18 Exp: 68

HP: 37 Str: 15 Skill: 12 Spd: 12 Luck: 9 Def: 12 Res: 5

Cormag:

Level: 14 Exp: 8

HP: 34 Str: 17 Skill: 14 Spd: 13 Luck: 5 Def: 14 Res: 3

Ewan:

Level: 7 Exp: 80

HP: 26 Mag: 11 Skill: 6 Spd: 14 Luck: 12 Def: 2 Res: 16

Natasha:

Level: 9 Exp: 51

HP: 27 Mag: 9 Skill: 6 Spd: 13 Luck: 9 Def: 5 Res: 13

Colm:

Level: 4 Exp: 21

HP: 37 Str: 17 Skill: 19 Spd: 22 Luck: 15 Def: 8 Res: 8

Joshua:

[Only gained exp]

Tana:

Level: 14 Exp: 27

HP: 29 Str: 9 Skill: 15 Spd: 20 (capped) Luck: 15 Def: 7 Res: 10

L'Arachel:

Level: 6 Exp: 9

HP: 20 Mag: 7 Skill: 9 Spd: 12 Luck: 13 Def: 5 Res: 9

Marisa:

Level 8 Exp: 63

HP: 26 Str: 7 Skill: 14 Spd: 14 Luck: 11 Def: 6 Res: 4

Tethys:

Level: 2 Exp: 90

HP: 19 Str: 1 Skill: 3 Spd: 13 Luck: 11 Def: 5 Res: 5

Dozla:

[Didn't see combat this round]

Ughhhh I'm not ashamed of the penalty I took, it was an outright honest mistake on my part and I learned my lesson and came out much better this time around. I'm more or less pissed at myself for taking out that mage with the speedwing before Colm could get to them. |D I HAVE MY PRIORITIES, OKAY?

Moving on.

=========

Ephraim returns Myrrh's dragonstone to her. But it's with a heavy heart that she accepts it.

Myrrh mourns and grieves the loss of Selena, asking Ephraim why it must be so that we must fight even against good people to right this wrong. She does not blame the Lord, but wants to understand. Ephraim sadly tells her he has no answers for this, but he will press on towards the Capital in search of one. He wants to learn the truth behind all of this.

YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH EPHRAIM -shot-

==========

We interrupt your scheduled draft summary to bring you this side note:

Before heading to Grado Keep I make a sidetrip to restock on stuff. Javelins (the lifeblood of my lance users), some slim weapons and a few handaxes and some more mend staves.

Fed Joshua the Talisman to up his Res from 2 to 4, and fed Natasha the Energy Ring to make her mag go from 9 to 11 in preparation for early promotion since I'll be starting chapter 14 and there's only, what, 21 chapters to fe8? Meaning I need to pick up the damned pace and I need another offensive magic user besides Ewan out there on the field.

Also fed Dozla the Goddess Icon Tethys came with to up his Luck from 4 to 6. Better safe than sorry, right?

And with that, we'll now return you to your regularly scheduled draft summary.

===========

So, marching up to Grado Keep, Ephraim recalls how it doesn't even look different from the two years ago when he'd visited with Eirika and their father and all that. And then cue a flashback to him and Lyon having a conversation. I am too lazy to type the interaction this time, peeps, sorry.

And then an earthquake happens. And Myrrh is startled. And then proceeds to inform us that the darkness is stemming from the middle of the keep. So we rush in.

Cue a scene with Lyon standing beside his father, questioning if he's been foolish, saying when Vigarde had died, he couldn't deal with it... Before he can go on, he's wracked with pain and a soldier runs in, saying they're under attack by Ephraim. Just then, the solider is staring at Lyon.

Lyon's new sprite appears different, darker and more sinister. They comment that they do not appreciate being stared at as if they were some vile creature. Then orders them to wipe out Ephraim. Vigarde slowly tells the soldier to do as he says. The soldier rushes out in compliance and Lyon turns towards Vigarde, addressing them completely differently. "Vigarde, defeat Ephraim. I must go." and teleports out. DUN DUN DUN. Oh my whatever could this be?

We'll find out soon enough~

Til then, we've got a battle to win.

[Chapter 14 battle, start!]

So, considering I have more than 12 units now, I'm forced to bench one. Sorry, Dozla. I need Tethys more than you right now so she can boost her bro so he can get mass expies. 8D

... ... ...

Well. Damn. Seven turns in, I take a penalty. I apparently didn't move Rennac far enough out of the way and he got attacked. Dodged it, but still. Eff. D:

BUT. All in all, I got all the chests, gained levels, stole everything that needed stealing, and it's alll gewd.

Kyle promoted to Paladin and Natasha made it to level 10 and thus was promoted to Valkyrie (despite the inner screaming from my perfectionist side)

AND HOLY SHIT I AM SO PROUD OF KYLE. He critted so many times in defense of his Lord husband -shot-

Reached A rank support with Ephraim and Kyle, C rank with Cormag and Tana. Need to pick up the pace with the others.

Turns taken: 18

Pentalty turn: 5

Overall turncount: 23

Tbh, I could have ended it at turn 11, but I wouldn't have gotten the last chest or the body ring...and My perfectionist side demanded me to get them. xD

ANYWAY. Stats!

Ephraim: Level: 20 Exp: -

HP: 33 Str: 14 Skill: 17 Spd: 19 Luck: 15 Def: 15 Res: 5

Kyle: Level: 20/1 Exp: 0

HP: 40 Str: 18 Skill: 15 Spd: 14 Luck: 10 Def: 14 Res: 6

Franz: Level: 5 Exp: 5

HP: 44 Str: 17 Skill:18 Spd: 20 Luck: 12 Def: 16 Res: 8

Natasha: Level: 10/1 Exp: 0

HP: 31 Mag: 13 (including the +2 from the energy ring) Skill: 7 Spd: 13 Luck: 9 Def: 7 Res: 17

Cormag: Level: 15 Exp: 84

HP: 35 Str: 18 Skill: 15 Spd: 14 Luck: 5 Def: 14 Res: 3

Tana: Level: 16 Exp: 99

HP: 31 Str: 10 Skill: 16 Spd: 20 Luck: 16 Def: 7 Res: 10

Colm: [Only gained exp]

Marisa: Level: 10 Exp: 82

HP: 28 Str: 7 Skill: 16 Spd: 16 Luck: 12 Def: 6 Res: 4

Ewan: Level: 12 Exp: 27

HP: 27 Mag: 15 Skill: 8 Spd: 17 Luck: 15 Def: 2 Res: 19

Tethys: Level: 4 Exp: 44

HP: 20 Str: 1 Skill: 3 Spd: 14 Luck: 13 Def: 6 Res: 7

Joshua: Level: 18 Exp: 56

HP: 34 Str: 12 Skill: 20 Spd: 20 Luck: 11 Def: 6 Res: 4 (with the Talisman used)

L'Arachel: Level: 8 Exp: 13

HP: 20 Mag: 9 Skill: 10 Spd: 13 Luck: 15 Def: 5 Res: 10

Dozla: [Did not see combat this round]

WELP. Fair trade off, I suppose. The added turncount for the treasures. All in all though I'm rather pleased.

==========

AND SO, upon defeating Vigarde, the man just suddenly poofs out of existence, startling our Lord. Seth says they should look for any stragglers within the castle just in case, and Ephraim says he'll go with him because he may find Lyon.

...And he does.

And the darker Lyon greets him and tells him it was all his plan to destroy Renais and everything else. I'm too damned lazy to type the dialogue out so let's just say Ephraim's both confused and pissed, and Lyon poofs.

Then a soldier arrives to inform him that they've found a cell in the back with captives.

They go to see, and upon finding a new figure, said person asks if their execution has been moved up. Then realizes Ephraim's not a Grado soldier and asks who he is.

He's motherfucking Ephraim of Renais, bitch. GET LIKE HIM. EXCUSE _YOU_ whoever the hell you are.

So the dude says his name is Knoll. And until recently, was one of Grado's top researchers in arcane matters.

Seth then has to freaking butt in and ask why he was locked up. Jesus christ, man, this is EPHRAIM'S GAME, NOT YOURS. GTFO, SETH. -boots-

"......" OH GOD THE NOMAD SPEAK HAS BEGUN AGAIN. HALP.

Ephraim to the rescue to fix Seth's GD mistake by assuring Knoll it's okay if he doesn't want to answer that, but if he can at least tell him what Lyon was trying to do.

So basically Knoll tells us all that happened. Vigarde fell ill a year ago and died. And how strange Lyon was acting after revealing his father had returned to life after his usage of the Dark Stone.

Knoll informs them sadly that Lyon has transformed. Ephraim falls silent for a moment, looking contemplative. With my attention to detail more these days, I finally understand why. I think he was recalling what Myrrh said about the corruption. And yet, his own mind can't bring himself to believe it all just yet, despite what he saw and heard from Lyon.

Knoll leads them to the temple where the Sacred Stone was once held, and says if they're lucky, the Sacred Twins are still there. The Tome Gleipnir and the black Axe, Garm.

Knoll comments on Ephraim's knowledge of history when the Lord recalls the stories. Ephraim said he only remembered because Lyon had taught him. Falling silent in contemplation after Seth arrives with the weapons, the shaman bids Ephraim to take them.

I mildly want to cry when he says "I'm sure there's someone else who would've wanted you to." AHHHHH T_T;;;

Annnnnd suddenly a Frelian Pegasus Knight rides up.

Ephraim tries to tell her he has a message for Frelia, but she interrupts him by saying there's terrible news, Princess Eirika and Prince Innes are in trouble, under attack in Jehanna by Tiger Eye and Moonstone, aka Caellach and Valter.

"We'll make it. Eirika is my sister, she will not lay down her blade. And I am her brother, I will not let my sister die!" AHHHHHHHH JUST WRECK MY FEELS WHY DON'T YOU, EPHRAIM. -flails-

WELP. Things are about to get hot and heavy again, folks! |D OFF TO JEHANNA!

=========

So, Caellach attacked Jehanna Hall where Eirika was headed with Innes to forge an alliance with its Queen, Isamaire. The Queen unfortunately does not survive, and Eirika is forced to flee into the desert. However she gets trapped from all sides. Ephraim wastes no damned time waiting for frelian support and goes to save his sis single handedly -shot-

Annnd as we see the Hall in flames, Seth informs us he figured out which generals were leading the attack. Valter and Caellach. WELL NO SHIT THERE SHERSETH. THE GAME JUST TOLD US THIS ALREADY WE DON'T NEED YOU TO CLARIFY FOR US.

"We must rescue Princess Eirika and quickly, and yet... If you fall, Prince Ephraim, we're all finished. And this accursed sand... Most of the units can't get proper footing and are being slowed down. Mounted units are having the worse time, as their movement is severely limited." THANK YOU FOR REMINDING US OF THIS SETH, NO REALLY, WHAT WOULD WE EVER DO WITHOUT YOU HOLDING OUR HAND THE WHOLE WAY?

"Some of us can move better than others, though..." YOU DON'T SAY. He sounds like he hates to admit that he's sucky here in the desert. Ahaha.

"A combination of magic wielders and sky riders should give us some advantage." YEAH WE ALREADY KNEW THIS SETH. ANY SELF-RESPECTING FE PLAYER THAT KNOWS THEIR SHIT COULD TELL YOU THIS.

"Whatever we do, we must move cautiously." FFFFFFFFFFFF JFC. I'm so done with you, Seth. |D

"I understand. This is just like the battle for Renvall. We eithwe rescue Eirika or defeat all the enemy troops. If we accomplish either goal, victory is ours. Let's move!" YAY THANK YOU EPHRAIM I WAS ABOUT TO GO BATSHIT IF SETH SAID ANYTHING MORE REDUNDANT.

Annnd then the scene pans over to Lyon asking Caellach "how it goes", jfc Lyon, you're sure pretty chummy with him.

"Ah, Prince Lyon. Thank you, your highness, for gracing me with...your royal...er..."

"You can stop. There's no need for you to put on airs. You were made general for your military prowess, not your flowery speech." Ho'snap. At least someone's saying something mildly intelligent.

"And an honor it is. You know, Prince Lyon, you've got a lot of nerve. You've really worked over your dear friend the princess of Renais. Are you satisfied?"

"Is there some reason you ask?"

"No, not really. I just wanted to see how you'd react. That's all."

"She... Eirika has always been a very important person in my life. Both she and her brother have been friends of mine for a long time. Tell me, Caellach, do you have any friends to speak of?"

"Huh? Yeah, I got one. An old mercenary I fought with, went by the name of Joshua. He was a fool and a scoundrel, but now that he's gone, I miss the lad. I don't know where he's at or what he's doing, but..."

"Do you miss that life? Do you ever want to be a mercenary again, to see him?"

"Nope. The time we worked together was fun and all, but... No. I don't want to end up another no-name mercenary lying dead in a ditch. I'd rather serve the Grado Empire and make a name for myself. I'm going to see how far my axe will take me. And then, one day..."

"One day, you'll kill me and be emperor in my stead. Is that it?"

"Uh... That's..."

"It's alright. Think whatever you like if it helps you do your duty. As long as you do what I assign you to do, I'm happy. But for now, I'm going. You know what you need to do."

"Yep, leave it to me. I am General Caellac, the Tiger Eye of the Grado Imperial Army, after all! Once my prey is within my reach, I never let it escape. Too bad for the princess, but they've no chance at winning. None at all." BOLD WORDS, ASSHOLE. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO RAMMING THEM DOWN YOUR THROAT.

And with all that scene done, to battle!

[Chapter 15 Battle, start!]

Before I started the fight I shifted some items around and let's hope I can manage this without too much difficulty. EIRIKA, INNES, YOU'D BETTER BE ABLE TO HOLD YOUR OWN TIL I FUCKIN' GET YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHERS OVER THERE TO YOU. -shot-

Because Joshua has to show off and L'Arachel has to use her divine cosmic powah to keep Eirika and the others safe. -shot again-

I managed to get most of the treasures in the desert. Metis' Tome, Swiftsoles, Warp stave (COULDN'T FIND THE GD RESCUE ONE), and the Silver Card.

Promoted Cormag, Tana, Joshua, and L'Arachel in the middle of the battle.

EWAN IS A GODDAMNED REAPER OF DEATH.

Got C support with Tethya and Ewan,

Got C suuport with Colm and Marisa.

Got B Support with Franz and Natasha.

I need to step up my game next map and work more on Joshua and Innes, L'Arachel and Eirika's. And Tana and Cormag's. Efff.

Smashed Caellach AND Valter's faces in with Cormag for the win.

Turns taken: like, 36? It was an assload of turns.

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE:

Stats!

Ephraim: [Level 20, no change]

Franz: [Only gained exp]

Kyle: [Only gained exp]

Cormag: 19/2

HP: 42 Str: 21 Skill: 19 Spd: 18 Luck: 5 Def: 16 Res: 4

Ewan: 17

HP: 31 Mag: 18 Skill: 9 Spd: 17 Luck: 19 Def: 4 Res: 20 (capped!)

Natasha: 3

HP: 33 Mag: 14 Skill: 8 Spd: 14 Luck: 11 Def: 7 Res: 18

Colm: 5

HP: 38 Str: 17 Skill: 19 Spd: 22 Luck: 16 Def: 8 Res: 8

Joshua: 19/1

HP: 40 Str: 14 Skill: 20 Sped: 20 Luck: 11 Def: 8 Res: 5

Tana: 17/1

HP: 37 Str: 13 Skill: 16 Spd: 22 Luck: 16 Def: 9 Res: 12

L'Arachel: 10/1

HP: 25 Mag: 12 Skill: 12 Spd: 13 Luck: 17 Def: 7 Res: 13

Marisa: 13

HP: 31 Str: 8 Skill: 18 Spd: 19 Luck: 14 Def: 7 Res: 4

Tethys: 7

HP: 22 Str: 1 Skill: 3 Spd: 16 Luck: 15 Def: 6 Res: 9

Innes: 3 [merely gained exp]

Eirika: 16 [leveled up to 16 that map, but I forget her stats.]

Dozla:

[Didn't see combat this map]

=======

And so the Renais twins are reunited, Ephraim praising Eirika's strength in holding out and Eirika returns the gesture by bestowing the Sacred Twin relics from Jehanna to him.

FFFF L'Arachel.

"Now that we have, at last, been reunited once again, perhaps this would be a good time to share information. I'm sure we all are most anxious to learn of what has happened." You know, L'Arachel can be strangely levelheaded and on-point when she wishes to be. She's very keen minded despite all her oddities. I love her for it.

So the meeting to update everyone goes with Ephraim introducing himself to those newer to the cause, as does L'Arachel. Ephraim then tells of how they took Grado Keep and defeated Vigarde and the guard have surrendered and laid down their arms. He also informs them of the Dark Stone that Knoll told him about. Eirika protests, and Ephraim sadly tells her about the wicked, dark transformation the Stone has done to him.

L'Arachel then suggests to use the Sacred Stones to combat the Dark Stone.

So everyone plots a course back to Renais. Huzzah.

On the side, Saleh reunites with Myrrh and promises to protect her still. Sorry to burst your bubble dude but you're not one of my units. GTFO and into the time-out corner you go!

AND NOW WE'RE OFF BACK TO RENAIS.

==========

And so before moving onto the next chapter I take time to stock up on items, sell unwanted things, and distribute any stat booster stuff I feel I should.

Fed Innes the Metis' Tome because pretty much everyone else is more or less well off and as a pre-promote his stat gains are a bit lacking and since he comes in so much later in Ephraim's side, he's gonna need all the help he can get.

And without further ado, we're off to Renais Castle!

-----

Returning home to see their beloved country in ruins from the war delivers a terrible blow to Ephraim and Eirika's morale. Also, y'guys remember that former dude Orson? Yeah, he's back. Supposed to have watched over the castle but we all know he's obsessed with that dead corpse of his wife to care. FFF. Ephraim's not gonna have any of this shit and vows to kick that dude's ass and do his best to heal his country.

Our opening scene begins with Eirika, Ephraim, and Seth in the window. OH GOD WHY MUST WE SUFFER HEARING SETH SOME MORE??

"Brother..."

"What has happened to our home? What has happened to Castle Renais? How did it come to be so ruined? So desolate?" Ephraim don't start asking the retarded questions we just got answered in the oversight of the next chapter thinggy, I had such high faith in you.

"Spies report that the castle is being held by the traitor Orson." Oh my god Seth did you finally say something useful?

"Orson... In retrospect, I realize he's been acting odd for a while now. He seemed so...dispirited."

"His wide passed away some six months back. The loss may have been too much for his mind to bear. His love and devotion for his wife were ell known among the knights." YOU DON'T SAY SETH. NOW YOU'RE BACK TO STATING THE OBVIOUS. Jfc.

"...." OH JESUS EIRIKA NO STAHP DON'T START THE NOMAD SPEAK.

"Now, he sits alone in the king's former bedchambers. He makes no effort to govern. No one is allowed to enter the chamers, and he takes no meals." Hardcore, dude. Srsly.

"What could he possibly be doing?" I don't think we want to know that answer, Eirika...

"I do not know. The spies had no insight into his behavior. He does nothing to deal with the dark creatures and bandits roaming the land. Reports say all of Renais is engulfed in chaos. Region after region is revolting, and Orson's reign is already crumbling. Left alone, it may very wel collapse under the weight of its own neglect." CHAOS, YOU SAY? I CAN DEAL WITH THAT. 8D Chaos and I are very good friends, don't you know. -shot- |D And fff, we can't have Renais collapsing in on itself, that's not good for its health. xD

"We cannot allow the situation to reach that point." NO SHIT EPHRAIM BUT THANK YOU FOR SAYING WHAT I WAS SAYING. -snort-

"We're going home, Eirika. We're going to the castle."

"I hear you, Ephraim." Of course you do, he's standing right infront of you talking. You're not deaf, girl.

And then suddenly Myrrh pipes up.

"Um, Ephraim?"

"What is it, Myrrh?"

"I-I will fight with you. Now that Selena has returned my dragonstone to me... I'll do what I can until its power runs out. Let's take back your home." More like Ephraim ganked it out of her dying hands but okay we'll go with that nicer version. And aww, thank you Myrrh, sweetie, you're adorbs.

"Are you sure about this?" JFC Eirika, don't ruin the moment.

"For the two of you... I simply want to help." AWWWW. -foams and flails at the feels-

"All right, I understand. But you must make me a promise. You are never to stray from our sides. Got that?" Protective Ephraim is protective, baww.

"Of course..."

Annnd so we're off to Castle Renais fo' realz now.

-----

Next scene opens with Lyon appearing out of nowhere in Renais Castle. A dumb person tries to stop him. Not a very bright idea, thar, dude.

"Huh? Who do you think you are? These are the chambers of Orson, steward of Renais. There's no place for a street urchin like you, boy." OH SNAP. You just signed your death warrant.

"You... You fool! This is Prince Lyon!"

"What? This whelp is... I-I beg your forgiveness!" FFFFFFFFFFF. I'm sure you do.

"...... It's all right. I'm not the sort of person others hold in esteem..."

And he passes along with Reiv.

And the dude talks to the other dude about it.

"Who in the world was that? What a creepy-looking man." NO SHIT.

"Shh... He can hear you."

"You want to talk about ceeepy, that Orson's the one who chills my hide. What do you think he's doing back there? I've heard lots of bizzare rumors from the master of the mess hall. ...Do you think he needs help? Could he be dangerous?"

"I don't care. I'm here for the money. As long as I get paid, I'm happy. But on the subject of rumors, have you heard the stories of the secret treasure? There's supposed to be some fabulous wealth hidden in Castle Renais. I tell you, if I find it, I'm gone."

And scene fades out and when a new screen comes in, it's of Orson.

"What is it, Monica? You seem so happy today. Of COURSE I know what today is. I'd never forget your birthday! I have a present for you, dear. I think you'll like it..." I'm going to get roasted for this comment but: IS IT A DICK IN A BOX? -shotshotshotshot- SORRY NOT SORRY I HAD TO |D

"Orson," Before we can find out if it is, someone interrupts. Damn. |D

"...."

"Do you recognize me, Orson, or are you entirely lost to this world? Yes, it's me, Prince Lyon. I'm the one to whom you are indebted for ressurecting your beloved wife." Oh snap Lyon.

"...Get out. This is Monica and my place. I will not have our home disturbed by anyone. I did as you asked, I betrayed Renais. My promise has been kept."

"Yes, and I am very grateful to you. I came by today to offer you a piece of advice, nothing more. Ephraim is coming, Orson. He's on his way here to steal the happiness you two share." Can I punch his face in right now please? I really really want to for how greasy he sounds.

"Prince Ephraim?"

"That's right, Orson. And he's angry. I don't think he'll forgive you for betraying Renais. You've done so much to free your wife from the grave. It's a shame she'll die with you." JESUS LET ME STRANGLE HIM AND BEAT HIS FACE INTO THE FLOOR.

"No! That can't happen--"

"That's all I have to say to you. What you do now is up to you."

"...Monica, I'm sorry. I have something I must do. Please wait for me here. Oh, darling, don't look so sad. I'll be back soon, and then I'll never leave. I must do this to protect our happiness. You understand that, don't you? All right, then. I'll be back."

Annnnd with that, the scene fades and battle prep screen tiemz!

[Chapter 16, Battle start!]

Woooop. Looted everything that needed looting, got Eirika from level 16 to 20 and yay!

Got B Rank support with Tana and Cormag For C Rank support with Joshua and Innes Got C Rank support with Eirika and L'Arachel

Turns taken: 25

Stats:

Ephraim: [Level 20, no change, hell he didn't even see combat]

Franz: 6

HP: 45 Str: 17 Skill: 18 Spd: 21 Luck: 12 Def: 16 Res: 8

Kyle: 1 [Merely gained exp]

Cormag: 2 [Merely gained exp]

Ewan: 18

HP: 31 Mag: 19 Skill: 9 Spd: 18 Luck: 19 Def: 4 Res: 20 (capped)

Natasha: 6

HP: 33 Mag: 16 Skill: 9 Spd: 16 Luck: 12 Def: 8 Res: 19

Colm: 5 [Only gained exp]

Joshua: 2

HP: 41 Str: 14 Skill: 21 Spd: 21 Luck: 12 Def: 8 Res: 5

Tana: 2

HP: 38 Str: 14 Skill: 17 Spd: 22 Luck: 17 Def: 9 Res: 13

L'Arachel: 2

HP: 26 Mag: 13 Skill: 13 Spd: 14 Luck: 18 Def: 7 Res: 14

Innes: [only gained exp]

Eirika: 20

HP: 30 Str: 13 Skill: 18 Spd: 20 (capped) Luck: 17 Def: 10 Res: 7

All in all, I wasn't thrilled with the turn count, but I honestly wanted the treasure and all the goodies and to get Eirika to level 20 so I could promote Ephraim and Eirika together. It was also worth getting the support ranks so... I'll take what I can get, I guess? Yeah.

-------

AND SO WITH THAT CONCLUDED....

Seth informs the twins that the castle has been secured. NO SHIT, WE JUST WIPED THE FLOOR WITH EVERYONE OF COURSE IT'S SECURED. No thanks to your stating-the-obvious ass, dude.

He also informs them of what they found. Aka the animated corpse of Orson's wife. Eughhhh NO DO NOT WANT. I DO NOT WANT ANY OF THAT. -insert Kikyo Clay Pot joke here about the animated corpse-

Needless to say it shocks the eff out of Ephraim and Eirika. Can't say I blame them. Anyway, after disposing of the corpse, Eirika and Ephraim talk.

About the damage done and all.

"We can repair the castle, and what was stolen, we can do without. But the wounds and suffering inflicted upon the people of Renais..."

"It's too late to undo their pain. Once I become king, I must set our country right. I doubt the people will give me a warm reception, though. I did abandon them. All I can do is try to win back their trust, no matter how long it takes..." AHHHHH EPHRAIM WHY MUST YOU WRECK ME SO MUCH WITH YOUR LINES? For as reckless and all as you can be, you're so very aware of the things that need to be done, even if you doubt your own capability of being able to do such a thing. Hnnng.

And then Seth interrupts telling them to look outside. The crowd is cheering and Seth informs them that it's not the deeds they've done that they're praising, but that Orson's madness is at an end. And Seth then goes onto say that tomorrow, and the days after, their hearts could change...

"I will not let their hopes and dreams be shattered again. I will be king. Like my father before me, I will dedicate myself to their happiness."

"And I will do all I can." HNNNNG JUST TAKE MY HEART, GAME. TAKE IT.

And so with that, Seth takes them back to the throne room to locate the sacred stone and twin relics of renais. AND PROMOTE THESE TWO MOFOS TO THEIR SUPER SAIYAN FORMS -shot-

Their new stats:

Ephraim: 20/1

HP: 37 Str: 16 Skill: 20 Spd: 21 Luck: 15 Def: 17 Res: 10

Eirika: 20/1

HP: 34 Str: 15 Skill: 20 Spd: 21 Luck: 17 Def: 13 Res: 12

ANYWAY After getting promoted and the stone and getting the sacred twin relics and exiting the reliquary, L'Arachel goes on her eccentric spiel about the radiance of the stone for some much comedic relief on my end. Because I truly love this woman's quirks. xDDD

And after Innes remarks that all of the stones besides Renais' are destroyed, L'Arachel quickly corrects him, reminding him that Rausten's still exists as well, only Frelia, Jehanna, and Grado's stones were destroyed. Five stones, five nations. Renais and Rausten's are their only hope. So with that, she says she will guide them all to Rausten.

Yay, road trip!

=========

Well, that's all I'm gonna be doing for the moment because it's been a hella long time since I picked this draft up and I need to kinda replay a different file for fe8 to get myself reaquainted with the game before I try setting ouit from here but I wanted to post the progress I'd made since the last draft summary, so here it is!

Total turncount this Summary: 117

Overall Turncount for this Draft: 313 (without the two unaccounted for turn summaries)

#Mandi gaming #Draft run #FE8 #Fire Emblem #FE #Fire Emblem Sacred Stones #Set Game Settings To Troll #HOLD ONTO YOUR BUTTS #Mand shut up and be stupid elsewhere

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sorayahigashikata · 5 years

Text

Chapter 50: "HOT GIRLS II: MULTIPLE GIRLS IN THE BATHROOM WITH A BLACK GUY"

#Paula reads SBR #Chapter 50 #HOORAY VIOLENCE #REAL GOOD VIOLENCE #and then it gets a little cheesy with that shot of the sky at the end #but this was a good chapter #pressing F #Steel Ball Run spoilers #Part 7 spoilers

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pghbabesonbikes · 6 years

Text

Frigid Bitch 2017 Results

The Frigid Bitch 2017 was epic. Not the same way 2016's Bitch was epic: no snowstorms, no ice, no subzero wind chills. This time, finally, the Frigid Bitch did not manage to fall on the coldest shittiest day of the year. February 11th 2017, while bookended by cold as fuck weekends, was a testament to the upswing in unseasonably warm weather, lending some cheeky volunteers to dub it the "Tepid Bitch." Nevertheless, the event smashed records if not with the temperature, with the crowds. Eighty-two women came out to race; exactly twice as many as last year, and a number that is surpassed in Pittsburgh's women's races only by the 1997 US Pro Women's Championship at the Thrift Drug Classic (a race that, perhaps relevantly, offered a $25,000 prize purse to the 100 women field).

Local racers met at Spirit to register, chow on pizza brunch, and strategize their routes. Comin in hot from Philly was a car full of killer ladies, burning time stuck on the turnpike trying to make the start!

Everyone else got their manifest at registration; the Philly babes got theirs via text message.

Crowds of exuberant ladies lined up on and took over 51st st in Lawrenceville, tucking their spoke cards into their wheels, picking their layers, talking route and generally havin' a good time.

At 1pm the whistle blew and they were off! Aaand the light at the end of the street immediately turned red to give advantage to those willing to run it.

CHECK POINTS! The 9 total checkpoints were split into 4 open for the first hour of the race, 4 open for the second, and one open the whole time. The split in times for checkpoint locations essentially doubled the distance racers had to ride to hit every spot, and forced them to gamble on whether their speed got them to final checkpoints before they closed. Rialto Though one of the closest checkpoints from the start, as one of the 13 hills hundreds of riders race up every November for the agonizing Dirty Dozen LINK , Rialto was definitely the most intimidating chunk of this year's Bitch. Racers huffed it up the 27% grade…or took the sidewalk stairs.

Free Ride Pittsburgh's best DIY non profit bike work shop brought racers out to the edge of the East End.

The Cathedral of Learning Towering above Pitt campus and taking up a whole city block, the Cathedral is kinda hard to miss. Hardest part was probably finding the right entrance.

Schenley Oval A staple of the urban Pgh racing scene, racers sped down Washington Blvd to check themselves off at the barren mid-winter bike track. The Point When the fountain at Point State Park was used as a checkpoint at the very first "frozen fountain" themed Frigid Bitch, racers belted across a crackling frozen snowscape towards the popsicled volunteers in the distance. This year? Less snow, more step riding.

Penn Brewery It's the oldest brewery in Pittsburgh, people generally know where it is! Need we say more?

Phipps Conservatory A lot of racers decided to hit the Cathedral as the last of their first-half checkpoints and then immediately sail the very short distance over to Phipps, where volunteers were waiting. With smiles. And cookies.

Highland Park Reservoir Another staple loop for Pgh urban cyclists and checkpoint in the original Frozen Fountains Frigid Bitch, the HP Res was significantly less icy this year.

The Penitentiary Looming at the very end of the North Shore Trail, the Penitentiary stands as a portal to Riverview Park, the Mckees Rocks Bridge and Neville Island, home of Pgh's abandoned velodrome. Tho it was the furthest checkpoint from Spirit, over half the racers bolted up and down the trail setting Strava records to make it.

THE FINISH Racers had to make it back to Spirit before the cut off, make it snappy with the bike locks and elbow their way through crowds to find ALK and get a time in.

Ladies grabbed pizza, ordered drinks, and compared race strategies and routes during the hour it took to crunch the results. Three prize tables were set up next to the stage with a mountain of swag donated from all our amazing sponsors, enough for literally every single one of the 81 racing women to go home with multiple grabs.

They gabbed, they took stock of the goods, and they waited, until finally….

ALK and Scott K prepare to announce... THE RESULTS! In first place, returning from a 4th place finish last year: #54 VICTORIA VERCELLOTI

SECOND PLACE: #23 SUZ FALVEY THIRD PLACE: #48 SHEQUAYA BAILEY

4 - Sarah Skelly #12 5 - Lydia Yoder #44 6 - Elise Rowe #10 7 - Josie Lacoe #15 8 - Acadia Klain #37 9 - Anna Biebersmorf #51 10 - Megan Sybeldon #24

11 - Danielle Millet #72 12 - Sarah Ralich #8 13 - Robyn Stewart #1 14 - Monica VanDieren #4 15 - Shanna Stojakovich #7 16 - Tricia Chicka #11 17 - Barbara Jensen #20 18 - Molly Moore #62 19 - Lucy Bender #71 20 - Maria Bajzek #49 21 - Taylor Kyuk-White #666 22 - Alex O.K. #63 23 - Chloe Newman #6 24 - Alyssa Crawford #50 25 - Laura SanBoeuf #57 26 - Sienna Cittadino #52 27 - Dani Erdos #30 28 - Ngani Ndimbie #70 ...Katy Popple #3 ...Franky Montenegro #22 31 - Paula Zamora #34 32 - Anne Sobol #78 33 - Kate Carney #32 34 - Lieu Wolf #53 35 - Elise Fanto #47 36 - Lauryn Stalter #55 ...Anita Arguello #79 38 - Lan Tram #59 39 - Lindsay Dill #67 40 - Stephanie Bercht #56 ...Allison Glick #17 42 - Ang Urban #39 43 - Lizzy Nolin #2 ...Alex Falk #9 ...Megan Hynes #13 ...Sarah Khalil #27 ...Hayes Vif #28 ...Maya Henry #38 ...Megan Andrews #41 ...Rachael Shockey #45 ...Lauren Renaud #58 ...Leah Nicolich #61 ...Tracy Yenchick #64 ...Kate Campbell #65 ...Stacy Grimes #69 ...Victoria Bleiweiss #75 ...Sarah Pearman #77 58 - Caitlin Woodson #16 ...Katie Walker #25 ...Cassandra Malis #26 ...Antonella Polito #29 ...Di-ay Battad #33 ...Gianna Fazioli #42 ...Laura Lythos #46 ...Megan Loftus #68 ...Qat Gregor #73 ...Angela Ryu #74 ...Naomi Anderson #76 ...Maggie Feinstein #80 ...Jenn Batterton #81 71 - Sarah Scherk #18 ...Rebecca Label #31 ...Lauren Delorenze #35 ...Erin Potts #36 ...Liz Reid #40 ...Katharine Jordan #82 77 - Lauren Attwood #14 ...Bridget Ward #19 ...Marie Knupp #21 ...Elana Szymkowiak #43 ...Sarah Mateskovich #60

MEGA THANKS to all of our sponsors, without which I doubt we'd have gotten 80+ women to show up and race! Thank you to all the dudes (and some ladies) who volunteer every year, usually having to lounge around in freezing temps for a few hours and always smiling. I can never thank our photographers enough, without yinz we wouldn't have the hundreds of killer photographs to turn into profile pics, instagram posts, and, crucially, race hype for next year! Thank you Spirit Pgh for hosting, Bike Pgh for lending the racks, Di-ay and Qat for helping screen the shirts and bandanas, Mattie Cannon for being a general day-of assistant, and Thomas Kempen for the AWESOME flyer image! If you loved reading about this race but wish it had been a rough snowy icy for-real FRIGID event, check out the results from Frigid Bitch 2016.

See you next year!

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