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thecreaturecodex · 4 years

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Oni, Toshin

True Ogre © Namco. Image accessed at the Tekken Wiki here

[Commissioned by @justicegundam82. This is my first commission of a fighting game character specifically, and it was fun to work in that paradigm. The commissioner requested that True Ogre be made a native outsider, and so I figured that oni was a good box to put it in. The skills selected are a little weird, but intentionally--the toshin has skill ranks to qualify it for all of the Style Feats found in Ultimate Combat, except for the Knowledge based Kirin Style. I gave it the Boar Style chain, because I felt that free intimidate attempts and bonus damage dice made sense for an evil bully-type monk, but Crane Style, Dragon Style, Mantis Style and Snake Style are all recommended as possible substitutions.]

Oni, Toshin CR 18 LE Outsider This devilish giant has black skin, red wings and a gray beard. Curving horns grow from its head, and its right arm is a cluster of squirming vipers.

A toshin is an oni that forms from spiritual envy, not of a species of humanoid but instead a skill that humanoids possess. Toshins are obsessed with martial arts and seek to dominate other martial artists—subjugating them under their power if they can, and killing and consuming them if they cannot. A toshin learns fighting techniques by eating its adversaries, and toshins seek out powerful masters of obscure and exotic styles in order to gain those styles for themselves. A toshin often poses as a humanoid as it does so, leading a dojo devoted to itself as a “god of battles”. It uses recruits from these schools as minions and bodyguards, and will not hesitate to consume and assimilate an underling that develops an unusual or powerful fighting style on their own.

As to be expected from a god of battles, a toshin delights in combat. It uses its superior reach to batter foes at a distance, and most of them enjoy humiliating and toying with opponents for a while before dealing a finishing strike. They see nothing untoward about using flight and their breath weapons in combat, although they usually close in to kill an enemy with physical blows. Their snaky arms can deliver precise bites, which they alternate between body blows, knees and fists depending on the flow of combat. Only aligned weapons have a chance of killing them instead of simply knocking them unconscious. They are likely to feign death if defeated, in order to escape when their foe’s back is turned and plot revenge.

A toshin stands almost ten feet tall and weighs half a ton.

Toshin CR 18 XP 153,600 LE Large outsider (native, oni) Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +22, scent Defense AC 33, touch 26, flat-footed 26 (-1 size, +7 Dex, +10 monk, +7 natural) hp 290 (20d10+180); regeneration 5 (good or chaotic) Fort +17, Ref +17, Will +15 Immune curses, disease, poison; SR 29 Offense Speed 40 ft., fly 60 ft. (average) Melee unarmed strike +28/+23/+18/+13 (4d8+9) or 4 snakebites +29 (2d6+9), gore +28 (1d8+9) Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. (15 ft. with snakebite) Special Attacks assimilate style, breath weapon (40 ft. line, 9d6 fire and 9d6 typeless, Reflex DC 29 half, 1d4 rounds) Statistics Str 29, Dex 25, Con 28, Int 15, Wis 20, Cha 22 Base Atk +20; CMB +29 (+31 bull rush or trip); CMD 56 Feats Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Feral Combat Training, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Trip, Improved Unarmed Strike (B), Intimidating Prowess, Power Attack, Stunning Fist, Vicious Stomp, Weapon Focus (snakebite) Assimilate Style Feats Boar Ferocity, Boar Shred, Boar Style, Bonebreaker, Improved Grapple, Jawbreaker Skills Acrobatics +23 (+27 when jumping), Bluff +22, Disguise +22, Fly +22, Heal +13, Intimidate +33, Knowledge (history, religion) +15, Perception +22, Perform (dance) +19, Sense Motive +21, Stealth +19 Languages Common, Giant, Infernal SQ change shape (Medium or Large humanoid, alter self or giant shape I), monastic training Ecology Environment any mountains Organization solitary or cult (solitary plus 2-12 monks of 11th-16th level) Treasure standard Special Abilities Assimilate Style (Ex/Su) A toshin can eat a creature over the course of one full minute in order to learn its combat techniques. When it does so, it may gain a number of combat feats known by the creature up to its Charisma modifier (6 for the average toshin). The toshin may choose less feats if it desires. If the toshin has already used this ability, it must choose feats to swap out when it gains new ones via assimilate style. It must meet all the prerequisites for these feats, but may take feats with this ability to serve as prerequisites for others. Learning these feats is a supernatural ability, but the feats themselves are not lost in the area of an antimagic field or similar effect. A creature consumed in this way is utterly destroyed, and may only be brought back to life with a true resurrection, miracle or wish spell. Breath Weapon (Su) Half of the damage dealt by a toshin’s breath weapon is divine energy, like the damage dealt by a flame strike spell. The save DC is Constitution based. Monastic Training (Ex) A toshin gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. In addition, it counts as a monk with a level equal to its Hit Dice for the purpose of unarmed strike damage, AC bonus and qualifying for feats.

#toshin #true ogre #tekken #pathfinder 1e #commissions

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idrawstuffidk · 4 years

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Rose’s Ref sheet. This is gonna be a long post bc I actually have her story ready right here lol. It’s not the best but here it is. Sara Drisskle was a normal 16 year old, well, normal was an open term, she supposed. PTSD from years of unintentional neglect and emotional abuse from a mother unfit to care for her had taken its toll in making her a little less “normal” than most kids. But still, she was quiet, attentive in class, wore mostly black and kept to herself, so most people left her alone. Exactly how she liked it. There was one girl who could never quite give it up though, constantly picking on her and trying to mess with her, get her to lash out or snap. But most people had low tolerance for that. “Leave her alone, she's not doing anything” “This is getting old, Amy” “Just leave her be, no one thinks you're funny anymore” Needless to say, Amy didn't like her much, but Sara didn't care a whole lot. She was content on her own. Alone. Well, mostly alone anyway. Cindy was there. She was always there Cindy was always so clingy, always finding a way to make Sara smile, or laugh. Always finding some way to make her happy. But she never noticed that man in the trees. The tall man who Cindy swore was Sara’s overactive imagination. But Sara swore that man was there He was always there Cindy and Sara spent every waking moment together, always together. Sara wanted to go out for food? Cindy would go along. Cindy wanted to go shopping, she’d beg Sara to go with her. She desperately wanted to stay by Sara’s side no matter what. Sometimes Cindy tried to get her way, she got cocky and tried to force Sara to do everything her way. But then Sara would say those fateful words “Well, if you don't like what I'm doing, you don't have to do it with me” And Cindy would come crawling back, begging for Sara to stay with her, to be her friend again, begging and begging and begging. More than once she’d broken down in tears. What type of friend would Sara be to tell her no? Of course, once Cindy was comfortable again everything would start all over. She’d make Sara smile, make her laugh, talk to everyone in class and out of it, she’d go back to being that ideal friend who confused everyone with her choice in friends, or rather, friend. And then she'd begin having episodes again, zoning out, staring at blank walls, shutting down all emotions and acting out violently. Every time Sara would try, and succeed, to get away, but Cindy would come back. Sara knew she should just report Cindy, go to the police or just stop being her friend altogether, but then her Cindy would come back. She'd be back to her laughing, happy self that never failed to cheer Sara up. She’d be back to the ideal friend everyone loved, she’d be back to being that lone light in Sara’s traumatized life. The light she needed in her life. To distract her from the past, from the future, from the feeling of her stomach sinking, her mind breaking, and from the tall man that always watched her. So Sara would let her stay. A desperate bid to be happy. It never lasted long, but she always came back. She would always come back “Why are you running, Sara?” Cindy’s sugary sweet voice cut through the air like a blade, chilling Sara to her bones as she backed up against the wall. Eyes trained on the rusty shears held in Cindy's hands “aren't we having fun?” Cindy lunged at Sara, but she was to scared to move, too frozen to get away, her eye stared at Cindy’s blank face as she held the now bloody shears, Sara's left eye hanging from them. Searing pain tore through Her head, but she was unable to move as Cindy walked away, muttering something to herself and tapping her fingers. That's how Sara's parents found her. Her mother screamed. Shut up you fat cow Sara's mind raced back and forth How dare you pretend you know me she thought bitterly how dare you pretend you care Sara's eye went from side to side, desperately searching for a way out she's going to hurt me there was no time. she's going to hurt me again she was closing in. Run run run but now her mother had her fat, disgusting fingers on her, her horrible voice that made Sara want to hurl screaming for help. In the ER Sara got bandaged up, but refused to say how this had happened. “Are you ok, Sara?” Her dad asked “Fuck you” she had retorted. He blamed it on the pain medication, that might have been part of it, yeah, but right now Sara had half a mind to kill anyone who dared to get close. She couldn't trust anyone, they would only kill her, they were here to finish the job. “Sara, sweetie, let's get you to your room” one second, her mother was closing in, coming to hurt her, but her eye landed on the metal bat her father kept by the door ‘for if you ever get a boyfriend’ he had said. Sara's hand landed on the bat and before she had time to even think her hand closed around the handle and she swung, hitting her mother in the head, she swung again and again and again and again until her mother's head was a bloody pulp on the ground. Sara’s breath came in raspy gasps as she continued to pointlessly hit the red, sloppy looking lump. No time she thought there's no time there was no time for this, if she was down, she was down. They were going to come back for her, kill her for killing one of their assassins, he was watching he was there. She knew it, she could feel it. She ran to the room her father was in, her eyes laid briefly on the picture frame on the desk. She took a swing from behind him, cracking the back of his skull, he fell forward, colliding with the desk. Blood ran down his forehead. She beat and mashed the head again, and again, and again, making sure he wouldn't get up. Finally she stood up properly. They were dead She breathed heavily, gasping as adrenaline pumped They were dead The picture frame was broken They were dead? The glass of the picture was cracked They were dead A crack ran over Sara’s now distorted face They were dead Sara braced herself for someone to come from behind her, she looked outside, no one, she looked around the house, no one. She was alone. She ran her fingers over the ornate picture frames, and dragged her thumb over the pictures of her parents' faces. pictures that could never be taken again. Because they were dead. As time progressed over the course of a few weeks, the smell of rotting flesh coming from her parents corpses, of which she had not moved, began to fill the house. She had brought in flowers from the garden and used her parents credit cards to even buy them from the store when they'd run out to combat the stench. It only worked so much, but now that the house looked like a greenhouse, at least that was some form of distraction. She knew she should feel sad or guilty, but she only felt numb, she waited for the adrenaline to go down, but even when it did she still felt numb. She'd have to wait for the guilt to set it. In an act of desperation to rid the place of the stench she had cover the bodies in flowers. They were pretty, like flowerbeds. They covered up the smell some, too. The school was under the impression that Sara was sick, which was not untrue, but she could only send emails posing as her parents so long before someone would inevitably check in on her. So she did the only thing she could do, and returned to school. She hadn't seen Cindy in a while anyway. She was looking forward to having a little chat about what had transpired between them a few weeks prior. So she returned. She got some questions on where she had been, her answer remained constant “just very sick”, if you're going to lie, you may as well keep your story straight. So that's what she did, she couldn't shake the impending feeling of doom that rose from her gut to her chest when those familiar arms wrapped around her, though. “Sara!” Cindy's voice came like razor blades to her ears, mixed with rubbing sweet sugar into the wounds “I was wondering where you were!” Sara gave the same answer as always, she was about to retreat home for lunch before seeing the familiar head of long brown hair sweep through the halls. Not any greeting, not even any kind of acknowledgement. Just a blank face. Whatever possessed Sara to follow her could be damned to hell for all Sara cared, as she followed Cindy into the supply closet. Cindy's slim fingers wrapped around the edges of the ladder in the corner as she slowly pulled it over to rest under the opening in the ceiling, still not acknowledging Sara, despite clearly being able to see her. She climbed the ladder, pushed up on the trapdoor, and pulled herself through. Onto the roof. The cold air assisted Sara’s face as she dragged herself through as well, standing up and walking over to where Cindy stood, teetering on the edge of a 3 story drop. back facing Sara as she approached closer. “I knew you would come” Cindy spoke, her voice was emotionless as ever. “Don't you see?” She turned her head and torso to face Sara from over her shoulder, with her feet unmoving as she teetered more dangerously, her green eyes wide and pupils thin. “He's coming to kill me, I got away, so he's going to kill me” “Who are you talking about?” Sara asked, though she had a feeling she already knew. “You know who, you see him too.” Cindy didn't look at her, but seemed she could see if Sara were to run “he watches you, I escaped so I thought, if I stayed close to you, you would protect me” she finally looked at Sara, eyes wide and crazed as she seemed to stare at nothing and everything at the same time. “He doesn't want to take you for himself, so I was sure you’d protect me” “So you were using me, is that what you mean?” Sara asked, Cindy stared blankly, it was then that Sara noticed the crowbar that Cindy now clutched in her hands, Sara wasn’t scared anymore, not really, if she was about to die, might as well take one more person Down with her. Cindy lunged at her, Sara dodging out of the way and trying to run past her, she stopped, catching her balance on the edge of the roof. Turning around she saw Cindy spun around and lunge at her again,catching her fists in her hands Sara pushed back, no strategy could get her out of this one, it was a battle of pure strength and Sara was rapidly losing. Suddenly, Sara felt herself falling, her right hand tightened on the fists that pushed her and her left reached out to try and grab something, meeting the fabric that made up Cindy’s shirt. She gripped on, hoping that Cindy, through whatever trance she was in, would catch her balance and not let her fall, she held her breath. And a feeling of weightlessness came over her in the brief moment that she was falling, clutching onto Cindy, somehow their position was turned around and Sara felt the cold air hitting her face, she was falling, then, she heard a sickening crunch and felt pain shoot through her as she fell on top of the broken body that used to belong to her friend. With that, it was all over. She was bound to die, surely, she felt her consciousness leave her body and when she woke up, she was in a dull hospital room. She had to get out, of was only a matter of time before they found out that she was the one who killed her parents, strangely, the guilt still hadn’t set in. Was that cause to worry? Probably not. The fiery rage that built up inside her all these years had finally been released on three of the closest people in her life, she was in the clear, or at least, she would be once she got out of this place. There was no cause to panic. No need to be scared. Not even the tall man who continued to watch her. He was still there after all He would always be there.

#The Bloody Rose #my oc #original character #Creepypasta oc #oc backstory #oc ref sheet

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cfcunofficialblog · 7 years

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Chelsea 1 Man United 0 - Monday 13 March 2017 - FA Cup quarter final

A big, big game for us, on so many levels. A second return to the Bridge of Jose Mourinho, this time on the back of a few loaded comments, Jose being Jose, although the snipes aimed at Chelsea supporters was, to my mind, unnecessary given the unconditional support he has always enjoyed, and cultivated, from the vast majority of our support. But things, as well as Jose, move on, and here we are looking to book our place at Wembley for a crack at the FA Cup in the semi finals. But even before the arrival of Jose at United, games against them have always been something to look forward to.

There was a real buzz about the place, the whole of the south end of Stamford Bridge taken up by the red half of the local football supporting population, and a great atmosphere was in store. On that score, the evening didn't disappoint.

In the starting lineup were Courtois (wonder what Begovic thought of that?), with the usual back three of Azpilicueta, Luiz and Cahill. With Moses and Alonso in their familiar wide positions, Kante and Matic were holding the midfield. Up front were Willian and Hazard who were supporting Costa up top. On the bench were Begovic, JT, Zouma, Fabregas, Chalobah, Pedro and Batshuayi.

Our visitors were fast out of the blocks but we were more than a match for their early eagerness, there was also an atmosphere to match, both sets of fans looking to raise our respective sides. But it was becoming pretty apparent that United’s aggressive tactics didn't just extend to their style of play, and the usual target, Eden Hazard, was feeling the weight of those red boots on the back of his legs more than anyone else.

And with quarter of an hour gone you could see why Hazard was getting all the unwelcome attention. With Cahill picking him out just inside the halfway line, he swivelled and totally mugged off Smalling as he ran round him leaving the United captain for dead. And it didn't end there, Hazard just kept on going, winding his way through their defence until his eventual shot was just wide. The resulting corner nearly found the back of the net too, as Cahill managed to get a foot on the end of a hard fought ball, his close range shot turned away by De Gea in goal.

We had the bit between our teeth, wave after wave of unrelenting pressure and shots on and off target, corners, the lot. Shame we didn't make more of that spell of pressure. Overall it was a pretty even game, but I felt that we had the better quality of chances so it was frustrating that we couldn't make it count.

The turning point and, arguably, the main talking point of the game came on 35 minutes when one of United’s many protagonists and their captain were spoken to by the ref Michael Oliver following yet another foul on one of our players, Hazard yet again. But like a rebellious child and within seconds of the warning Herrera stuck a leg out across Hazard and was immediately shown his second yellow. Scenes in front of the dugouts as the ref was surrounded by a sea of red as they were all feeling a bit hard done by. Pool old Mkhitaryan had to make way for the hair bear as our own erstwhile hirsute one took the free kick.

And it didn't end there; while play continued and Moses eventual shot sailed over the crossbar, Conte and Mourinho were exchanging a few well chosen words on the touch line as Oliver was called across to read them the riot act. Can't beat a bit of proper ‘passione’ on occasions like this! Half time 0-0.

Second half, no changes, as we kicked off against 10 red men. But as we often seem to do, we set off the second period on the front foot, looking to take the initiative. It took just 5 minutes to break the deadlock, Kante left in space just outside the box was all that was needed for him to plant a low shot into the corner of the goal, just out of reach of De Gea. If United thought our pocket dynamo posed no threat, with no need to close him down, then they had short memories. His only other goal this season came at the Bridge against the very same United in the league. Delirious scenes on and off the pitch, three sides of the ground celebrated the goal from our little genius. He’s here, he’s there.....

United’s backs were against the wall but they nearly got a quick one back when Rashford slipped past Luiz only for his shot to be brilliantly stopped by Courtois. The resulting corner handed us the perfect counter attacking opportunity as Kante streaked up the park. We didn't score, but our corner ball should have found the back of the net when Costa had a clear header on goal, only to see the ball fly into the Matthew Harding crowd. That chance really should have been buried!

Mourinho's big red bus was well and truly parked as we continued to try and break through, and around the sides. Wave after attacking wave, shot after shot, anyone with the ball at their feet and within range was having a go. All the travelling fans could do was sing to keep themselves entertained, fair play to them. It was all one way traffic, but the concern for me was that despite our superior possession, we weren't killing off the game, a single opportunity handed to United, a dodgy rebound off Fellaini's backside could see them back in the game. United were clearly frustrated, but all of their own making.

Into the last 10 minutes and Willian was replaced by Fabregas as we continued to try and put the game to bed. As the clock ticked by we seemed more content to accept and protect the one goal advantage. Zouma came on to replace the limping Moses as United had to throw caution to the wind to get back on terms before they ran out of time. But that just played into our counter attacking hands, De Gea having to save from Fabregas after we swiftly moved the ball from one end of the pitch to the other.

Our final change came in stoppage time as Costa pigeon stepped his way off the pitch to make way for Batshuayi. We did enough; the final whistle blew, safely sealing our place in the semi finals at Wembley, the draw bringing us a game against Spurs.

A dominant performance, in a game full of incident, but call me a conspiracy theorist but it looked to me as if Mourinho and his latest band of faithful disciples were intent on targeting Eden Hazard into submission. Was it personal? Thankfully it didn't work and United were ultimately punished with defeat.

Que Sera, Sera.....

#cfc #chelsea #chelseafc #cfcunofficial #stamfordbridge #manutd #facup

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dazzledbybooks · 4 years

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Four fates collide in this avian-inspired, epic fantasy retelling of Tristan and Isolde perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Sabaa Tahir, and Leigh Bardugo! A princess longing to be free... On the dawn of her courtship trials, Princess Lyana Aethionus knows she should be focused on winning her perfect mate, yet her thoughts wander to the open sky waiting at the edge of her floating kingdom. One final adventure calls. Upon fleeing the palace, the last thing she expects to find is a raven prince locked in a death match with a dragon. A bastard aching to belong... Reviled son of a dead king, Rafe would do anything for his beloved half-brother, Prince Lysander Taetanus, including posing as him in the upcoming courtship trials. When a dragon interrupts their secret exchange, he orders his studious sibling to run. After suffering a fatal blow, Rafe is saved by a beautiful dove who possesses forbidden magic, just like him. Fate brought them together, now destiny will tear them apart... Unknown to the world above, on the foggy sea ten thousand feet below, a young king fights a forgotten war. He believes Lyana is the queen prophesied to save the world, and with the help of his favored spy, hidden deep in the highest ranks of the dove royal house, he will stop at nothing to have her. Three shocking betrayals. Two star-crossed lovers. One unforgettable journey. If you like fierce heroines, brooding heroes, forbidden romance, and action-packed magical adventures with twists you'll never see coming, don't miss The Raven and the Dove! The Raven and the Dove (The Raven and the Dove #1) by Kaitlyn DavisPublisher: Amazon Digital Services LLCRelease Date: March 9th 2020 Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retellings Links: Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/36505323 Amazon: https://amzn.to/2POqC8q B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-raven-and-the-dove-kaitlyn-davis/1134741493;jsessionid=16CF7BF8784FD012EAEC489919CE15A4.prodny_store01-atgap17?ean=9781087812625 iTunes: https://books.apple.com/gb/author/kaitlyn-davis/id475003054?ign-mpt=uo%253D4#see-all/books Bookdepository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Raven-Dove-Kaitlyn-Davis/9781087812625?ref=grid-view&qid=1577113832813&sr=1-1 Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/search?query=kaitlyn%20davis&fcsearchfield=Author Google Books: https://play.google.com/store/info/name/Kaitlyn_Davis?id=11byxfml3b Review: The Raven and the Dove by Kaitlyn Davis is the first book in a new fantasy series. This book was blessed with such a beautiful cover. I don’t totally know what I was expecting with this book, but I dove in with no expectations. The characters are so gorgeous. The descriptions were amazing. I felt like these characters were written so well. The story is told by four POVs.I thought it was pretty interesting having so many point of views. The romance was a forbidden love trope that seems to be coming back and of course there seems to be a semi-love triangle. I felt so bad for Xander. There didn’t seem to be much of a plot. Most of the book is waiting for events to take place and watching things unfold because we have so many points of views. I found that the story was a bit slow in the beginning but it does pick up. The writing style was beautiful. I thought that the author I’d d a great job making such a vivid world. I thought this book was pretty good. You should definitely check it out. Excerpt: “Game?” she asked. Her hands had stopped moving. They rested warmly in the hollow groove between his wings, palms half against his feathers and half against his back. Rafe stole another glance over his shoulder. She was too entranced to see anything but the visions dancing through her head, the visions he’d spun. An almost childlike wonder was alive in her innocent, yearning gaze, igniting a spark in his own chest that he hadn’t felt in a very long time. Not since his parents had died. Not since he’d grown up too soon. “We like to think of Taetanos as the god of fate, not of death,” Rafe said softly. The glaze in the girl's eyes disappeared as she looked into his. “We call life a game, because we each have our own wants, our own desires—but he sees everything, he knows everything, and he leads us down our destined path. We fight back sometimes, we make moves, and so does he. On and on it goes until, in the end, he wins, like he always does. But still, we keep playing. What other choice do we have?” Again, her fingers brushed his feathers, but she didn’t look away. He couldn’t, even if he’d wanted to. “What do you think this is?” She paused to swallow. “His move or yours?” His, he silently answered. Definitely his. Because Rafe ached to fly, to soar, to get out of the darkness and back to his brother, back to the role he was comfortable playing, back to the sidelines. But there was a weight in his chest keeping him there, keeping him still, keeping him so lost in the fire reflected in her eyes that he couldn’t find his way out even if he tried. For a moment, he thought he could hear his god laughing. Then he realized it wasn’t laughter, but the soft whistle of a bird call—a signal he recognized. His move. His life. His brother calling him back. Xander? Rafe tensed. His head whipped to the side, pulled by the noise growing louder, coming not from his imagination but from the other side of the darkness. He opened his mouth to call out in response, when a hand covered his lips and an arm slid around his throat, stronger and more ferocious than he’d expected. Rafe froze as the icy edge of a blade pressed into his skin, instantly recognizing the kiss of steel. “Be silent,” the girl ordered. “Don’t say a word.” About the Author: Kaitlyn Davis, a bestselling author with over a quarter of a million books sold, writes young adult fantasy novels under the name Kaitlyn Davis and contemporary romance novels under the name Kay Marie. Publisher's Weekly has said, "Davis writes with confidence and poise," while USA Today has recommended her work as "must-read romance." To learn more about her contemporary romance novels, visit her Goodreads author page for Kay Marie here: https://www.goodreads.com/Kay_Marie Always blessed with an overactive imagination, Kaitlyn has been writing ever since she picked up her first crayon and is overjoyed to share her work with the world. When she's not daydreaming, typing stories, or getting lost in fictional worlds, Kaitlyn can be found playing fetch with her puppy, watching a little too much television, or spending time with her family. If you have any questions for her--about her books, about scheduling an event, or just in general--you may contact her at: [email protected] Sign up for Kaitlyn's newsletter to stay up-to-date with all of her new releases and more! http://bit.ly/AuthorNewsletter Links: Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5276341.Kaitlyn_Davis Website: https://www.kaitlyndavisbooks.com/p/about-me.html Twitter: https://twitter.com/daviskaitlyn Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KaitlynDavisBooks Tumblr: https://kaitlyndavisbooks.tumblr.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaitlyndavisbooks/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.es/kdavisbooks/ Giveaway: Prize: Win an Amazon.com $15 Gift Card (INT) Starts: March 10th 2020 Ends: March 24th 2020 a Rafflecopter giveaway Tour Schedule: http://fantasticflyingbookclub.blogspot.com/2020/01/tour-schedule-raven-and-dove-raven-and.html March 9th The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club - Welcome Post March 10th NovelKnight - Guest Post The.magicalpages - Review + Favourite Quotes Colby Wilkens - Review Bibliomedico - Review + Favourite Quotes Lauren's Boookshelf - Review + Playlist March 11th biblioxytocin - Review + Favourite Quotes Confessions of a YA Reader - Promotional Post Ya It’s Lit - Review + Favourite Quotes Hooked on Bookz - Review Starlight Reads - Review + Favourite Quotes March 12th The Reading Life - Guest Post Foals, Fiction & Filigree - Review + Favourite Quotes Chanda Reads - Review Booked J - Review + Playlist + Favourite Quotes indelible ink inscribes - Review + Favourite Quotes March 13th L.M. Durand - Review Phannie the ginger bookworm - Review + Favourite Quotes Book Briefs - Review The Shelf Life Chronicles - Review + Favourite Quotes Annej Reads - Review + Favourite Quotes March 14th Bookish Looks - Guest Post A Court of Coffee and Books - Review + Favourite Quotes Your Words My Ink - Review + Dream Cast Morgan Vega - Review + Favourite Quotes Sometimes Leelynn Reads - Review + Dream Cast + Playlist March 15th Kait Plus Books - Interview Moonlight Rendezvous - Review + Favourite Quotes Dazzled by Books - Review The Reading Corner for All - Review + Playlist + Favourite Quotes Taylor Fenner’s Bookish World - Review

http://www.dazzledbybooks.com/2020/03/the-raven-and-dove-blog-tour.html

#SEO #Local SEO training

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the-christian-walk · 4 years

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TURNING THE TABLES

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to [email protected] In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in His words. They sent their disciples to Him along with the Herodians.

“Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?”

But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap Me? Show Me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought Him a denarius, and He asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

Then He said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left Him and went away.

Matthew 22:15-22

Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. They came to Him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not? Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”

But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” He asked. “Bring Me a denarius and let Me look at it.” They brought the coin, and He asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”

And they were amazed at Him.

Mark 12:13-17

Keeping a close watch on Him, they sent spies, who pretended to be sincere. They hoped to catch Jesus in something He said, so that they might hand Him over to the power and authority of the governor. So the spies questioned Him: “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

He saw through their duplicity and said to them, “Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

He said to them, “Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

They were unable to trap Him in what He had said there in public. And astonished by His answer, they became silent.

Luke 20:20-26

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Have you ever had someone try to set you up before?

It’s not a very good experience, especially if you aren’t able to see what someone is doing before it happens. People have ended up with lost finances, broken hearts, duped into criminal behavior, or any number of other unpleasant consequences. Sometimes the deceit comes from people you aren’t necessarily familiar with but more time than not, it originates with someone you thought you could trust.

Well, as we look at today’s scripture passages, an encounter found in three of the four Gospels, we find how a group of Jewish religious leaders try to set up Jesus and how He turns the tables on them. Look again at the story from the Gospel of Luke here:

Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in His words. They sent their disciples to Him along with the Herodians.

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

Then He said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left Him and went away.

Here we find a scheme hatched by one of Jesus’ biggest adversaries during His ministry, the Pharisees. They send some of their disciples, along with the Herodians, to carry out the plans to entrap Jesus.

Of interest, the Herodians were a group of Jews who were supporters of Herod and thus Roman sympathizers. This tells us that not all the Jews were against their oppressors and also lends some background as to the nature of the scheme that was hatched.

Another point I want to make before I dig into the actual exchange was that the Jews didn’t want to do the dirty work of arresting and prosecuting Jesus themselves. Jesus was a Jew and had gained quite a following among both Jew and Gentile communities. The Pharisees found it far more appealing to try and pass Jesus off to the Romans to get rid of Him. In Luke’s account, this is confirmed through these words:

“They hoped to catch Jesus in something He said, so that they might hand Him over to the power and authority of the governor.”

How did they plan to hand Jesus over?

They asked Him a loaded question, posing as if they were trying to gain instruction when they were really trying to set Him up.

“Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?”

It was very patronizing at the beginning as they were trying to butter Jesus up before the question. Often, this happens when a person is being set up. They are praised or showered with compliments that really aren’t sincere. It’s just manufactured manipulation before the real evil intentions are unveiled.

The Pharisee disciples and the Herodians commended Jesus for His integrity and ability to provide God-centered guidance and instruction that was grounded in truth. They also praised Him for being uncompromising in these areas, not prone to being swayed by others.

On the surface, it seemed like they were being sincere. But it was only the sinister prelude for the wicked question to come, one they hoped Jesus would answer in a way that would implicate Himself.

As we see in the scripture passage, the question was around a matter that a majority of the Israelite people despised: the Roman imperial tax. It was hated by so many that the Pharisee followers and Herodians wanted to know Jesus’ opinion on the matter. Specifically, they wanted to know whether or not He thought it was right to pay the tax.

Herein was where they hoped they could trap Him. If Jesus said He felt the tax should not be paid, then His words would be used against Him, reported to the Roman authorities who would in turn take Jesus into custody as an opponent of Caesar and the powerful Empire He ruled over. This would get Jesus out of the way and the Jewish religious authorities could work to not only discredit His reputation but reclaim the believers who shifted from Judaism to Christianity.

It was a brilliant plan at face value but there was only one problem. Jesus could see right through their dishonesty and treachery. And so He turned the tables on them, first calling them out before asking for a coin to use as a demonstration to make His point.

“You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap Me? Show Me the coin used for paying the tax.”

We read where they handed Jesus a denarius, a silver coin which was worth about one day’s wages in that day. With the coin in hand, Jesus asked the Pharisee disciples and Herodians:

“Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

To which the men replied:

“Caesar’s.”

And so Jesus provided His answer, one they surely didn’t expect because it left them in amazement before they departed.

“…give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

The Roman coin was not a possession of God. It had nothing to do with a holy, divine culture. Rather, it came from a culture that was polytheistic, possibly as anti-God as you were going to be. God had commanded His people over and over again to not integrate with pagan cultures but rather to place their trust in Him. He was the hope of His people and would provide for them, even if every piece of Roman currency was taken away. The point was that the Israelites should give Caesar what He wanted from what He had given and not allow themselves to place their focus on him. Rather, they should center themselves on God and what He wanted from them, obediently doing as He wished while He provided for their needs.

Jesus had turned the tables on those who had evil intentions against Him. We can do the same thing is we do what He did, keep our focus on God, our Father, and trust that He will not only provide what we need but also protect us from the wicked schemes of others. Through Him, we too can turn the tables on others who work in the darkness because we are fully connected to the Light, anchored in this promise from God’s word:

For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light. Luke 8:17 (NKJV)

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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