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iamrealbuilder · 3 years

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Bill Buchalter interview

Bill Buchalter was a level designer for Sunstorm Interactive. He’s worked on 3 official add-on of Build Engine games: Cryptic Passage for Blood, Suckin’ Grits On Route 66 for Redneck Rampage, Caribbean Life for Duke Nukem 3D. Interview, November 2020: Corentin: Can you introduce yourself?

Bill Buchalter: My name is Bill Buchalter. I’m an avid gamer of all kinds – video games, board games, and especially tabletop RPGs. I’m currently a freelance writer for AAW Games (Adventure A Week Games) writing mini adventures for Dungeons & Dragons 5E. I live outside Indianapolis, IN with my wife Jane, our three kids, and our dog Roxi. When I’m not gaming, I also enjoy music, playing guitar, hiking, and camping.

C: With Sunstorm Interactive, you're credited for level design on Cryptic Passage, Caribbean Life and Route 66. How did you start working with Sunstorm and what do you remember from that time?

BB: In the mid 90’s, maybe around 1995 or 96, I was very into playing Duke Nukem 3D. Like most PC gamers at the time, I had played Castle Wolfenstein and Doom, and Duke Nukem just blew me away. Back in those days, when we played online, we would use a 3rd party program called KALI. You dialed up on your modem, logged onto the internet, and then used KALI as a portal to chat with other gamers and find someone to play with. The KALI software would then allow you to network together over the internet and play PVP matches. It was crude, and the lag could be horrible, but we didn’t know any better at the time and we loved it!

I remember I was in a B. Dalton bookstore in the mall one day (another relic of the 90’s that is long gone!) when I found a book called the “Duke Nukem 3D Level Design Handbook”. I was intrigued, and as I flipped through the pages it talked about a program on the Duke Nukem CD called Build, which allowed you to create your own levels. I had no idea Build existed, let alone how to use it. I bought the book and spent the next couple weeks diving into learning how to use Build. I was hooked!

Making my own maps quickly became an obsession. I would share them with my friends on KALI and I quickly earned a reputation for making user maps. I remember there was a map building competition, but I don’t recall who sponsored it. A guy named Robert Travis won the competition. When I saw his maps, I was blown away! His designs were so much more advanced than mine. He was using tricks I had never thought of to get lighting effects and set moods. I had to reach out to him to pick his brain.

Robert responded and we began talking and quickly figured out that we both lived in Indianapolis. He was working for Sunstorm at the time and invited me to come to their office to discuss level design. I met him there one evening, and he showed me some of the stuff he was working on. We ended up playing Duke all night on Sunstorm’s network with some of the other guys in the office. I was in heaven!

Robert introduced me to Anthony Campiti, the lead producer on Sunstorm’s next project – Cryptic Passage, an add-on for a Build engine game called Blood. They invited me to design some levels for the game and I jumped at the chance. Robert assigned me to design an opera house level and immediately I got pictures in my head of the theater scenes from Interview with a Vampire. I went home and worked furiously on designing the level. I was still rough, but with Robert’s help I tweaked things here and there and slowly learned his techniques. In the end I was really pleased with the level I’d designed. Robert and Anthony were happy too and asked me to design a second map specifically for deathmatch.

The next project Sunstorm was working on was Suckin’ Grits on Route 66, an add-on for another Build engine game called Redneck Rampage. Robert again asked if I’d like to be a part of that team and assigned me to build a truck stop level. Using a lot of the things I’d learned on Cryptic Passage, and the campy feel of the Redneck Rampage game, I had a lot of fun designing that level.

The last project I worked on for Sunstorm was Duke Nukem Caribbean Vacation. By this time Duke’s popularity was beginning to wane, and Quake was taking over. Robert was already starting to experiment and learn how to use the Quake engine. I was a new dad at the time (my first daughter had just been born) so unfortunately, I didn’t have the spare time to devote to learning a new engine. I barely had the time to design my level for Duke Caribbean, but I did manage to finish the casino level for that project. I do recall that Robert ended up going through in the end and changing a lot of the aspects of my level to fit the theme they had in mind. I remember being a bit disappointed and not really feeling like the level was “mine” because of so many of the changes. It was the last project I worked on for Sunstorm.

I kept in touch with Robert and Anthony for a while after that. They were branching out, working on other projects, and even trying to develop their own FPS game that I don’t think ever really got off the ground. Sunstorm was having the most success with their Deer Hunter line of games that at the time were selling well in Wal-Mart. Sadly, I eventually just lost touch with those guys.

I’m sure this is WAY more information than you were wanting (I’m a writer… I can’t help but go off the deep end!) but you dusted off some fond, old memories for me, so I apologize for walking so far down memory lane!

C: I see that you're still making maps, different kind of maps! This makes me wonder if maybe you were involved with W!Zone (a pack of maps for Warcraft 2 released by Sunstorm). Can you tell us a bit about that if possible?

BB: I didn’t have any hand in the W!Zone project for Sunstorm, but I loved the Warcraft series. As was common for many video gamers like me, who had roots in fantasy games like D&D, I played a lot of Warcraft and eventually got sucked into the world of MMOs with Ultima Online, Everquest, and World of Warcraft! If only I had back the time I sunk into those games!

These days I’m exclusively writing and designing for Dungeons and Dragons. I started about ten years ago writing for D&D Organized Play in a campaign called Living Forgotten Realms. I co-authored two adventures for that with my good friend, Michael Pearman, and authored a third adventure on my own. As you know from tracking me down via AAW Games, I’ve now authored six adventures for them, five of which are already published and one that is still in the works but should be released soon.

When I do manage to find time for video games, Diablo III is my game of choice these days. I’m looking forward to Season 22 starting here shortly, and like many others, I’m really hoping for something great with Diablo IV. I’ve been a huge fan of the series since the beginning, and even wrote an entire campaign for D&D 5E that translated the story of Diablo III into Dungeons and Dragons for the players in my home game! Thanks again for the opportunity to share some of this history. It was fun putting it all down and reliving those days!

C: There are two signatures in the Truck Stop level for Route 66. Do you remember anything about that ? There also several levels with no known credit : Fun Park, House of ill Repute, Mystery Dino Cave, Bigfoot Convention.

The signature on the truck stop is Route 66 was a joke! I was the only designer on that one. I just signed it "Billy Joe Jim Bob Buchalter" as a joke for bad redneck name. I wasn't the kind of guy that had to sign my maps the EXACT same way every time. :)

Other than the truck stop, I don't recall designing any other maps for Route 66. I pretty sure none of those you listed below were mine, but I don't recall whose they were.

Finally, here are some final comments Bill made after reading through some forum posts:

Wow, I am really quite humbled that you guys looked so deeply into my work! The fact that you could recognize my build style is pretty cool - I didn't even know I had a style! LOL. The truth be told, the reason you probably had so much trouble telling my levels from Robert's is because he was a big influence on me. I learned a lot from him and incorporated a lot of that into the stuff I built.

Its funny how reading through that thread you linked brought back memories... I remember now that my biggest disappointment from Duke Caribbean was that my only level in the game ended up being a secret level - that some people wouldn't even find it or ever play it. I was actually pretty excited about that level. I was the one that suggested a casino because my folks had retired to Vegas, so I'd been in a lot of the casinos there and had some great ideas for the map. I'd forgotten all about the restaurant I worked into it, and the big fish tanks.

There seems to be some debate about Robert. From what I remember, he was a really good guy. Maybe a bit tough to work for, but only because he really strived for our designs to be the best they could be, and he demanded that of both himself and the other designers. As I said before, I learned early on to accept criticism and critique and not take it personally. It was just Robert doing his job. I'll be the first to admit that I designed better levels thanks to the stuff I learned from Robert.

Someone on the message board made a very astute comment, basically to the effect that "Bill had to have other work out there. Sunstorm wouldn't hire an unproven guy off the street." But truth be told, that's exactly what they did! I hadn't done a single thing before working there. But I think a few things played in my favor. First, I lived in Indy, just 15 minutes from their office, so it was easy for me to go in and work directly with Robert. Second, while I didn't have anything officially published, I did have a disk full of the maps I'd designed on my own, and Robert thought I showed promise. I would design at home a lot, then go into the office a couple times a week and sit with Robert while he critiqued my work and offered advice on how to improve it.

I'll be honest - I'm blown away at the number of people STILL playing these old maps we made so many years ago. I watched a couple YouTube videos of a guy playing and reviewing Duke Caribbean and Blood Cryptic Passage. His high praise of both Full House and the Opera House really made my day. It's nice to know that people enjoyed my work.

_____________________________

Thanks a lot to Bill Buchalter for taking the time to answer these questions! Thanks also for sharing... “Big City” !

A Duke Nukem 3D map he created back in the day before joining with Sunstorm Interactive which was never released before! Screenshot:

Map download:

https://msdn.duke4.net/bigcity.zip

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External link: Duke4 forum blog megathread: https://forums.duke4.net/topic/11471-blog-interviews-of-build-engine-video-games-developers/page__pid__353013#entry353013 The forum posts Bill read, mentionned above, can be found here: https://forums.duke4.net/topic/9418-duke-caribbean-multiplayer-levels/

#build #build-engine #blood #duke nukem #redneck-rampage #duke #nukem #duke nukem 3D #video games #route 66 #caribbean life #cryptic passage

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virtual-lara · 4 years

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GameSpot UK - Susie Hamilton Interview Part 01 - Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation

Interview appeared on GameSpot UK website, dated to 16th November 1999

As part of Lara Week GameSpot UK has managed to secure an exclusive interview with Core's PR Manager Susie Hamilton. She gives us an interesting insight into Lara's creators Core Design.

GameSpot UK:

Why didn't you call this game Tomb Raider IV?

Susie Hamilton:

The main reason was because we wanted Last Revelation to attract new users as well as old fans. We thought a 'IV' in the title might possibly discourage those who'd never played a TR game before. Last Revelation offers a much easier route into the gameplay than the previous three episodes. Also the title 'Last Revelation' does have significance... can't say too much about that, though!

GameSpot UK:

Do you still enjoy your job?

Susie Hamilton:

Absolutely - Core's a great place to work, although there are times when I wish the pace would calm down a bit! One of the great things about working with the developer is that you really get to know the games pretty much inside out - working alongside the teams and listening to all the interviews really gives a great insight into the whole process - and definitely a better understanding of the product.

GameSpot UK:

What's a typical day at Core Design like?

Susie Hamilton:

For the past few months I've been arriving to literally hundreds of emails - requests for general information, comments about Lara and the new game, interview requests with Lara or the team, proposals for the use of Lara, etc. As soon as I've answered one, another arrives - so that's a bit of a never-ending battle! I deal with media on a global scale - somebody's always on deadline so there's usually a mad panic at the end of the day to get last-minute bits and pieces sorted.

A typical day at the moment could easily involve the arrival of a film crew, a radio station or a magazine to interview Core's directors and/or the TR team in order to get the lowdown on the new game and a glimpse of the future. We have visitors from all over the world wanting to get the "behind the scenes" angle. It can take a whole day for TV crews to get exactly what they want so a lot of the time is spent looking after them and "supervising" the filming.

For the past few weeks we've also been working on the new Lara Croft magazine so I've been providing all the information for that, setting up interviews and photoshoots and proofreading all the pages, etc. We're also working with The Times on a special promotion, considering proposals for Lara Croft TV documentaries and looking at Virtual Lara development.

Then there's the "normal" day-to-day stuff - answering letters, checking proposals with directors, scripting replies for Lara interviews, approving plans for use of imagery and checking copyright, setting up further visits and interviews, arranging artwork for magazine covers, arranging visits to magazines to demonstrate code to them, reporting media feedback to Core and Eidos, checking out suspect websites and merchandise... and there's more! Personally I can't wait for the Christmas hols!

GameSpot UK:

So when are you writing your behind the scenes Lara Croft book?

Susie Hamilton:

I could tell you a thing or two!!! I'm sure it would at least be entertaining...but the rate things are going I'll be retired before there's enough time to get that one started!

GameSpot UK:

Who's better in a fight, James Bond or Lara Croft?

Susie Hamilton:

With Moneypenny to organise his travels and countless gadgets on hand, you'd think Bond might come out on top - so to speak - but I have no doubt that whilst Bond would definitely be shaken, Lara would only be mildly stirred. Sorry James…

GameSpot UK:

Is Lara Croft really one of this country's leading exports?

Susie Hamilton:

Well, with TR being granted Millennium Product status, Lara having being cited as an ambassador for British scientific excellence by Lord Sainsbury and over 17 million copies of the game being sold, I'd say that she's certainly the leader in her field.

GameSpot UK:

In what languages will the game appear?

Susie Hamilton:

English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch and Japanese.

GameSpot UK:

Are there any special events happening for the launch of the TR: TLR?

Susie Hamilton:

We simply haven't had time to organise an official launch in the UK this time around, although France, Germany and the US have had their own events. You can expect to see a great deal of TV coverage - plus a national TV advertising campaign around release. There's also a hefty promotion with The Times that will begin at the end of the month, the official Lara Croft magazine and a 1/2 hour Lara special on C4's "Bits".

GameSpot UK:

Will this be Lara Croft's last appearance on the PlayStation?

Susie Hamilton:

Maybe…

Sadly the last page of the interview is lost.

All rights belong to GameSpot and/or their affiliated companies. I only intend to introduce people to old articles and preserve them before they are lost.

#Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation #TR4 Interviews #All Interviews #VL Posts

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idolizerp · 5 years

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LOADING INFORMATION ON AURORA’S MAIN RAP, LEAD VOCAL SHIN MIRYEO...

IDOL DETAILS

STAGENAME: Mia CURRENT AGE: 21 DEBUT AGE: 17 TRAINEE SINCE AGE: 14 COMPANY: Midas SECONDARY SKILL: n/a

IDOL PROFILE

NICKNAME(S):

amelia - her english name, chosen when she was confirmed, sometimes used by fans and groupmates when she struggles to speak english.

yeoshin miryeo - “goddess miryeo”, used by netizens on the internet, in captions on variety shows, and any other time she looks particularly good

INSPIRATION: wanted to be famous since she was a kid and was planning to do so through modelling, but once she was scouted by midas becoming an idol became the logical path SPECIAL TALENTS:

cover dances - knows a lot of other groups’ dances and can whip them out when asked

photography - knows her own angles, knows others’

tongue twisters

NOTABLE FACTS:

was scouted by midas at an olympus fansign in 2012

was a child model until she started training

is interested in fashion and styling

chose her stage name from anne hathaway’s character in the princess diaries

IDOL GOALS

SHORT-TERM GOALS:

miryeo wants to build up her cult of personality. the best way she can imagine to do this is through variety shows where she can establish herself as separate from the aggregate aurora image, especially given the group’s overall reputation for being boring on variety. she’s begun this by getting herself onto sibling’s day out and is working with the company to get her face on as many networks and as many tvs as possible.

LONG-TERM GOALS:

ultimately miryeo wants to be famous as herself - not an idol, not a rapper, not a girl group member, but just getting attention for being shin miryeo. a kind of fame that sustains itself even after aurora disbands and miryeo stops putting out music. if she can establish herself as a variety figure, she’d like something like hyori’s homestay or even keeping up with the kardashians, where she would be filmed just living her life and accrue fame with little effort.

IDOL IMAGE

aurora’s mia has the kind of beauty that seems like it should be distant and cold, an ice princess, something so perfect it seems it should exist outside our own realm. to counter this, and to fit better with aurora’s overall image, midas has instructed her to behave warmly, down to earth, almost ignorant of her own looks, more “girl next door” than “most popular girl in school”. her origin story of being scouted at an olympus fansign contributes to this: sure, she may be stunning, but she was also a fan just like you! when she receives a compliment, she is to cover her cheeks as if to hide a (nonexistent) blush; when someone names her as their ideal type, she is to behave as if such an idea comes as a complete shock. she posts photos of herself in a carefully curated outfit made to look casual but show off her figure at the same time. she is good at fanservice, since she can project a sincerity towards the fans that give them the impression of a close connection. this behaviour inevitably gets her a reputation of being humble and also one of being fake; the former outnumbers the latter so midas has encouraged her to keep up the image. it couldn’t be farther from the truth.

onstage, mia is magnetic and striking. she has a natural ability to capture attention and a greediness that refuses to let it go. the difference between her company-issued image off stage and her onstage presence mean that she’s often branded as someone with “reversal charms”. aurora doesn’t do sexy concepts, nor will they ever, but mia often claims that she believes she suits a sexy concept better on variety shows, inevitably resulting in a sexy dance that further highlight these reversal charms. she embodies the concept required in the moment.

the biggest criticism she faces is her skill. at debut she was already at a lower skill level than the other members - as the only rapper in a group that has very little emphasis on rap at all, she got the main position, but in other aspects she is by comparison lacking. that wouldn’t be so bad on its own if she was making steady improvement. mia has in recent years become lazy, relying on her face to maintain popularity rather than trying to become a better musician. luckily, aurora has enough overprotective fans that criticism tends to get buried pretty quickly, although midas seems increasingly worried that unless she picks up the pace it’ll only be a matter of time until the negative comments overcome what even the borealis can handle.

IDOL HISTORY

i. shin miryeo seemed like the type whose life would be fall into place for her. her mother had been diagnosed with pelvic inflammatory disease at the age of 23 and was told that she may never conceive; ten years later, miryeo was born. she was pretty from birth, doted on as an only child, showered with love and praise, regarded as a miracle.

when she was four years old, miryeo and her mother took a day trip to seoul to visit family. on the subway, a woman in a pantsuit approached miryeo’s mother and introduced herself as a children’s modelling agent. “your daughter would be a perfect fit for an upcoming advertising campaign,” she said, “why don’t you think about it?” back home in gimpo her parents went back and forth deciding whether this would be a good decision. but it was true that their daughter was beautiful; why not try it once? if she hated it they’d leave it at that and forget all about it.

as it turned out, miryeo loved modelling. she thrived as the centre of attention, loved getting complimented and praised when she did everything right. after the first campaign was a success she was signed on as a child model to the agency and booked another, then another, then another. she modelled children’s jeans, she appeared as a child in a nuclear family for a bank ad, her bright smile was plastered on the walls in dentist offices for an informational poster about the importance of flossing. none of these jobs were particularly high profile or made her name known in any capacity, but back home, her popularity grew. she became known as the local model, with no shortage of school friends and neighbourhood ajummas to stroke her ego.

ii. miryeo decided she wanted to be famous. maybe this was inevitable, all things considered. the natural path to pursue this goal seemed to be modelling, and no one discouraged her from this path. she was expected to continue her schooling and keep her grades up, sure, but she already had the beginnings of a career coming together. with some more growing, some more time, and some bigger bookings, maybe she could make it.

miryeo liked pretty things, though, and at the age of thirteen she became enamoured with what she thought was one of the most beautiful things she’d ever seen: midas media’s rookie boy group, olympus. from the flashy outfits they wore to their perfectly sculpted features, they were absolutely perfect in the mesmerizing, untouchable way she dreamed of. the music and the dancing was secondary to their stage presence and their beauty.

she was scouted for the second time in her life in 2012. olympus had just released “the chaser” and, dedicated fan that she was, miryeo went to a fansign. she was pulled aside after its conclusion and was handed another business card. she decided that this was surely the better path to go down. being an idol gave you a much better chance at mainstream fame than being a model, didn’t it? she cancelled her contract with her modelling agency and signed with midas before the end of the month.

iii. miryeo had been raised to believe she was the best. not to prove herself to be the best, not to work to be the best, but to believe that she simply was. training at midas was the steepest learning curve possible.

she was there because she was pretty. other than being able to look good on camera, miryeo had no marketable skill. she could dance and carry a tune without embarrassing herself, but other trainees had natural talent and years of hard work already put into their craft. miryeo spent her first year of training stumbling, stuttering, struggling, getting yelled at in front of other trainees. she had always been the subject of love and admiration and praise; she had never really experienced embarrassment. a fear of humiliation turned into a work ethic. miryeo began pushing herself to be able to demonstrate improvement in her vocals and her dance. midas did with her what they normally did to pretty faces with no experience: tried to see if they could pick up rap. it began, predictably, as a disaster, but as she became more driven she even grew to like it.

being placed in the predebut group that became aurora meant miryeo was merely steps away from the fame and attention she craved, but the training process was particularly brutal then. midas had big plans for this group - dreamlike image combined with powerful choreography - and anyone who did not serve these plans was cut. miryeo fought to keep herself relevant in the race, not only in terms of the visual element she brought but also in terms of her skill. members kept being eliminated until five of them remained. miryeo considered it a miracle she made it to debut.

iv. aurora was a hit. she was a hit. her name, less so: the company decided “miryeo” was too difficult for international fans to pronounce, so she chose “mia” as a stage name after anne hathaway’s character in the princess diaries. midas made sure that the korean public loved her from the start, regularly getting her gigs that would show off her visuals and playing up her reputation as a unique beauty.

but that was all that was ever talked about. the hard work she put into rapping, singing, and dancing went unnoticed. after training and powering through their rookie years only to be viewed as a pretty face, miryeo decided to take the easy route. what was the point of working hard at music when no one took notice? she had never even wanted to do music; she’d wanted to be famous. rapping wasn’t what did it, her face was.

v. miryeo is growing increasingly lazy and arrogant. she is no longer being pushed to improve her skill; the work ethic that was so critical in her training period has fallen by the wayside. she is still beloved by the media. midas is starting to get concerned that comments will arise if fans notice that aurora’s signature powerful choreography is growing more lopsided, but miryeo isn’t concerned. she’s where she has always wanted to be, and she’s looking forward to more.

#id.bio #id.midas #id.aurora #id.lee saerom

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scotianostra · 6 years

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February 2nd 1423 saw the marriage takes place in London between King James I of Scotland and Lady Joan Beaufort. The story of King James I of Scotland and his queen, Joan Beaufort, is one of those rarities in Medieval history; a true love story. He was a King in captivity and she a beautiful young lady of the court. James had been sent to France by his father, Robert III, but had been captured at sea enroute and handed over to the English. King Robert died shortly afterwards but the English king, Henry IV refused to release him and imprisoned in the Tower of London and various other places. As was suiting Tina King he received a good education. Not a lot is known about Joan's early years, according to Nigel Tranter, James was with the court at Windsor, when he saw Joan for the first time while walking her little lap-dog in the garden, below his window. His narrow window afforded him only a limited view, but the Lady Joan walked the same route every morning and James wrote of her in his famous poem "The Kingis Quair" “Beauty, fair enough to make the world to dote, Are ye a worldy creature? Or heavenly thing in likeness of nature? Or are ye Cupid’s own priestess, come here, To loose me out of bonds” One morning James managed to drop a plucked rose down to Lady Joan, which he saw her wearing the following evening at dinner. Nigel Tranter suggests Lady Joan grieved over James’s imprisonment and even pleaded for him to be released. Their romance grew apace, but was interrupted when James had to accompany Henry V on his French campaign. Henry was hoping that James’s presence would make the Scots, fighting with the French, think twice about engaging with him. However, the strategy had little effect. James’s imprisonment lasted for 18 years. His uncle Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany and Guardian of Scotland in James’s absence, refused to ransom him, in the hope of gaining the throne for himself. He never quite garnered enough support, but managed to keep the Scottish nobles in check. However, when he died in 1420 control passed to his son Murdoch (who had also been imprisoned by the English for 12 years, but was ransomed – instead of James – in 1414) and Scotland fell into a state of virtual anarchy. Henry V had finally decided that it was time for James to return to Scotland when he died. It was left to Henry’s brother, John, Duke of Bedford, as Regent for the infant Henry VI, to agree the terms of James’s freedom. James was charged 60,000 marks in ransom – to cover the costs for his upkeep and education for 18 years, it was claimed. The agreement included a promise for the Scots to keep out of England’s wars with France, and for James to marry the Lady Joan Beaufort. James and Joan were married at the Church of St Mary Overie, Southwark, on 2nd February 1424. James was released on the 28th March and the couple returned to Scotland shortly after. They were crowned at Scone by Henry de Warlaw, Bishop of St Andrews, on 21st May 1424. James and Joan had 8 children together, 7 of whom survived childhood. Their 6 daughters helped to strengthen alliances across Europe. On his return to Scotland, James immediately set about getting his revenge on the Duke of Albany’s family and adherents; executing some, including Murdoch, Albany’s son and heir. Two other claimants to James’s throne were sent to England, as hostages to the payment of his ransom. James and Joan ruled Scotland for 13 years; James even allowed Joan to take some part in the business of government. His reforms, however, and desire for a firm but just government made enemies of some nobles, including his own chamberlain Sir Robert Stewart, grandson of Walter, Earl of Atholl, who had been James’s heir until the birth of his son. Due to his long imprisonment in the fortresses of England, James tended to avoid castles. In February 1437 he was staying at the Blackfriars in Perth when his chamberlain dismissed the guard and, having removed the locking bar to the King’s quarters, let the assassins into the priory. James and Joan were alone with the queen’s ladies when they heard the men approaching. On seeing the locking bar missing, Joan’s lady, Kate Douglas, used her own arm to bar the door. The queen hid the king in an underground vault as Kate’s arm broke and the plotters gained entry. They dragged James from his hiding placed and stabbed him to death; Joan herself was wounded in the scuffle. The plotters, led by Walter, Earl of Atholl, had expected to seize power, but were arrested and executed as the nobles rallied around the new king, 6-year-old James II. James I was buried in Perth and Joan took an active role the government for her son, getting caught in a contest of power between Sir Alexander Livingstone and Sir William Crichton. Her second marriage to Sir James Stewart, the Black Knight of Lorne, led to her arrest by Livingstone, under the pretext that she may abduct the child-king. Joan and her new husband were only released on the condition that she give up her custody of James II and leave the court. They would go on to have 3 sons together before Joan died at Dunbar Castle in 1445. She was buried in the Carthusian Church at Perth. I cut this story down as much as I could without losing it's substance, if interested there is a lot more to it here http://www.medievalists.net/2014/02/joan-beaufort-queen-scotland/

#scotland #england #history

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solidandsound · 6 years

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My goal for 2017 was to beat 50 games. Unless I finish anything else over the next couple of days (doubtful), my actual number is 46, which I’m still quite happy with.

Some of these were games I’d already started before 2017 (e.g. Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, which I played most of throughout 2016 and finished in January). Many were small indie games, some only a few minutes long (e.g. Secrets Agent, which is maybe ten minutes). Some were more middling offerings (e.g. Aerannis, which I clocked 8 hours in), and some were the big, exciting games that 2017 is coming to be known for. There are also many games I played significant amounts of this year that do not count towards the above number because I haven’t finished them (like World of Final Fantasy, which I got for Christmas last year but still haven’t finished despite returning to it every couple of months).

DLC also makes calculating that number a little more difficult, especially the way DLC is more frequently being handled. Final Fantasy XV was released towards the end of 2016, and I ‘finished’ it, at the latest, in early 2017. But that was only the main story. There are a few DLC episodes out now (I’ve played two of them) as well as story improvements and a bigger DLC campaign. I could finish those, but the developers have stated that there’s going to be even more DLC in 2018, which is bizarre for a game that’s a year old, but less bizarre now than it used to be. Breath of the Wild’s DLC took a while to be released (also not part of the above number for that reason), and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 looks to be releasing DLC until at least autumn 2018. For a person who likes his games to be one and done, this trend is frustrating. Companies want their games to last longer, to remain fresh in our minds so we can give them more money. This is largely antithetical to the pursuit of games as an art form, and it’s also annoying. I like finishing things. Not knowing when the DLC is gonna stop robs me of the satisfaction of saying a game is complete, of adding it to my end of year count.

The best game I played that came out this year is almost certainly Persona 5. For all its failings, it is a solid, polished RPG that at least tries to tackle social inequality. Most of the games I really loved that I played this year are actually from years prior, however. I’m glad I finished Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne this year, because it made me appreciate Persona 5 even more.

I dove into two older series I’ve always loved this year. One is Breath of Fire. The only BoF game I’d completed before was IV, but I’d played a lot of III as well. I went through I, II, and III in 2017, finishing the entire main series (Dragon Quarter notwithstanding). IV remains my favourite in the series, but all the games are oozing with charm and personality. Very few games manage to feel as original as BoF, even though they are, at the series’ core, standard JRPGs.

The other series I dove into is Xenosaga. Last year I replayed Xenosaga Episode I. This year I replayed Episode II and then finally, finally finished Episode III. I’ve long considered I to be one of my favourite games of all time, but III is a masterpiece that manages to surpass it. Its only faults are in the spaces where you can tell the series was supposed to have more titles in it before it was cancelled prematurely, and maybe one annoying sidequest. And the fanservice. Otherwise it is nearly perfect, and ends the series beautifully. The KOS-MOS showdown near the end has got to be one of my favourite gaming moments ever.

On the indie side of things I loved Read Only Memories, the queer sci-fi I’ve always wanted; Curtain, an artful representation of abusive relationships; Even the Ocean, a mindful environmental fable with impeccable mechanics; We Know the Devil, one of the most poetically written visual novels I’ve ever played; Lieve Oma, a touching tribute to memory; and Strange Flesh, a bizarre gay sex beat-em-up. I also loved Longest Night and Longest Night: Lost Constellation, two free side games for Night in the Woods, which is definitely on my list of games to play for 2018. If you were curious but not sold on NitW, play those two games and they will sell you on it.

Which brings me to the games I’m looking forward to playing (and/or beating) in 2018. Night in the Woods is up there, and they just released a fancy new expanded edition, so it seems like the perfect time to finally jump in. The new Steven Universe game, Save the Light, is out now as well, and given how good Attack the Light is, I would be a fool not to play this one. Blue Reflection also has me curious, as a Persona-lite game with magical girls, even though it’s gotta be a fanservicey mess. And I can’t forget about Tacoma for more queer sci-fi.

I plan on doing a deeper dive into the Shin Megami Tensei series as well. I’m already playing Persona Q and Tokyo Mirage Sessions, and 2018 is the year I finish both of them. Once those are off my plate, I can jump into Digital Devil Saga, which was gifted to me this year, and then more of the core series, maybe starting with the first Shin Megami Tensei on iOS. Who knows when SMT V on the Switch will be out, but I want to burn through more of the series before it gets here.

I’m also playing and plan on finishing Atelier Sophie (might check out more Atelier after), Beat Sneak Bandit (and I still have Bumpy Road to play to finish my Simogo backlog before they announce their new game), Bravely Second (the devs keep hinting at a Bravely Third), Fire Emblem Fates (it’s just Revelations left, and I wanna beat it before getting to Echoes which was a Christmas gift), Valkyria Chronicles II (stoked for VC 4!), and as I’ve already mentioned, World of FF and Xenoblade Chronicles 2.

In my backlog to be hopefully played this year are Horizon Zero Dawn (I’ve been wanting to play this since it was announced!), I Am Setsuna, Kentucky Route Zero, Lost Dimension, Mass Effect 3, Muramasa, Nights of Azure, Owlboy, and lots, lots more.

Some games coming out in 2018 I’m looking forward to are Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Hacker’s Memory, Radiant Historia Perfect Chronology, Alliance Alive, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, Ooblets, Heart Forth Alicia, The Last of Us 2, and Kingdom Hearts III (not sure about 2018 for those last two though).

Shout-out to Splatoon 2, the only multiplayer game to keep me playing even though it doesn’t satisfy my craving for endings because it never fucking ends. It’s just that good.

I hope 2018 is relatively slow for new game releases, so I can do some much needed catch-up. 2018 also looks like it could be a good year for my writing career, as long as I focus enough, so I’m only planning on beating a modest 40 games. If you’ve read this far, feel free to chat me up about what games you’ve played this year. As evidenced here, I can go on forever about video games.

#quiet reminder at the end of this wall of text that video games would improve drastically under socialism #removing the profit incentive will end predatory DLC practices and open up game dev to those who can't afford it #people only making games for money will fuck off and people making them for passion will get the fuck to work #anyways thanks for reading #this is me signing out of 2017 #ugh okay i keep thinking about this and remembering more games i could have talked about #not gonna add anything else though or it'll never end #just know that there are so many games #so many...

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warsofasoiaf · 7 years

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If you were asked to create a character to help fill in a blank spot in the History of the Seven Kingdoms (outside the Dance of the Dragons, as you already seem to have that well in hand), may I please ask what sort of character you would create and what would earn them their place in History?

Believe it or not, someone asked me once if I was to invent a historian to write an “as I experienced it” history, who would I invent. I wrote it but then Tumblr ate the post. Anyway, here was what I wrote:

Our best source of information for those troublesome years remains Ser Koln of the Red Quill, a scribe turned hedge knight. As a royal scribe who as a young man helped with the day-to-day recordkeeping of the regency council, he was a wealth of information on that chaotic time period. He catalogued his experiences into a volume entitled “The Regency Council of Aegon III Targaryen, 131-136 AC,” which along with Grand Maester Munkun’s writings, form our most complete understanding of that time.

Koln was noted to be a singularly disagreeable sort. Grand Maester Munkun wrote: “No man’s mind is sharper, nor hands quicker with a quill. Yet he is a sour fellow, full of black bile and prone to cold rages. His own lady mother would be hard-pressed to enjoy time spent in his company.” He was known to be spare in his words unless they were words of criticism, and his overly demanding nature and cynical attitude earned him the ire of both his servants and lordly betters.

Perhaps for this reason, he was ordered to accompany Alyn Velaryon on his voyage to the Stepstones to chronicle the passage. His account of the battles in the Stepstones would earn him a position as Oakenfist’s personal chronicler, detailing his great voyages in a series of books which are held as the principal source of information on the battles in the Stepstones, the campaign to stop Dalton Greyjoy, and Velaryon’s contribution in Daeron’s war of Dornish Conquest.

On board Oakenfist’s vessels, Koln was named quartermaster of The Dragon’s Displeasure, obsessive in his attention to detail on every item contained within the hold. He was a student of finance and law, but his true joy was engineering, particularly siegecraft. During the siege of Godsgrace, under the cover of a riotous distraction led by his troops outside, he led six men with chisels to tunnel into the castle through the aqueduct, widening a hole for a man to climb through, and took the castle under cover of darkness. Koln was known to be of adequate skill with blade and lance, but he was skilled at tactical positioning and ambush. On the Stepstones, he held a key pass with four hundred men against one thousand by letting his enemy march half their force through the pass before leaping from behind the rocks and routing the enemy commander. He labored to import skilled craftsmen and men of learning from Essos in an ambitious plan to generate industry, but his sour disposition made these men abandon him soon after coming to Kings Landing, costing him a great portion of the spoils he had won in his youth on the Stepstones.

Yet for all these accomplishments, his legacy is checkered and marred by his personal shortcomings. He was a man hungry, not for honors, but for recognition of his intelligence and competence. He was quick to blame others for shortcomings for his own plans, and never admitted fault of his own. His disastrous attack on Lordsport was compounded when he blamed Lord Redwyne for failing to follow his plan, despite Lord Redwyne having the senior command and his own plan of attack. Mistrustful and at times openly contemptuous of his subordinates, Koln would often micromanage tasks and cause himself considerable stress.

His writings on Oakenfist’s voyages had attracted the attention of King Daeron I, who was known as a boy to be fond of his adventure tale Against the Red Kraken. At royal request, Koln attended the fateful peace conference between Daeron and the Dornish, and was wounded and taken prisoner during the skirmish. He was said to be loudly cursing the Dornish for attacking under a parlay flag. Many Dornish lords clamored for him to have his tongue removed for his insults, and his hands removed so that he might never pen a hateful word against the Dornish. To this, he spat curses and declared that he would draw the words with his feet in the dirt, and if they took his feet, he would hold the quill in his mouth. Ser Dalt, the Knight of Lemonwood, was said to have found his defiance so entertaining that he asked that he be spared. Less amused was the Lady Allyrion, whose brother had been killed during the siege of Godsgrace. She returned his insults by driving a chisel into his chest below his right shoulder, which left a wound that troubled him until his dying days.

Koln would be released after Baelor crafted a peace treaty with Dorne, but he loudly and publicly criticized Baelor’s actions for making peace. He would fall out of favor for his criticisms and was dismissed from his post soon after being returned to Kings Landing. After Baelor’s death, it was rumored that he spoke privately with Viserys II and looked to make amends, but Viserys’s sudden illness put a permanent end to any plans. Making matters worse, Koln invited disaster when he infamously wrote of Aegon IV as “His Corpulence” and publicly criticized the Unworthy’s gross excess and disregard for the law, for which he disappeared from King’s Landing until the Unworthy’s death, hiding as a fugitive in Gulltown.

His relationship with House Targaryen would only grow worse under Daeron II. Many thought the two would be natural allies, as both were critical of Aegon IV’s wasteful and negligent nature. However, an infamous row occurred between the two when Koln criticized Daeron for favoring the Dornish at court, stating: “You rub salt into my wounds.” When he was overheard to have accused Daeron of spitting on Aemon the Dragonknight’s grave, that was considered the final straw, and Koln was exiled from court, dying shortly thereafter a penniless exile in Braavos.

Thanks for the question, Anon.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

#creative #the headcanon challenge

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brookstonalmanac · 1 year

Text

Events 11.18

326 – The old St. Peter's Basilica is consecrated by Pope Sylvester I. 401 – The Visigoths, led by king Alaric I, cross the Alps and invade northern Italy. 1095 – The Council of Clermont begins: called by Pope Urban II, it led to the First Crusade to the Holy Land. 1105 – Maginulfo is elected Antipope Sylvester IV in opposition to Pope Paschal II. 1210 – Pope Innocent III excommunicates Holy Roman Emperor Otto IV. 1282 – Pope Martin IV excommunicates King Peter III of Aragon. 1302 – Pope Boniface VIII issues the Papal bull Unam sanctam, claiming spiritual supremacy for the papacy. 1421 – A dike in the Grote Hollandse Waard in the Netherlands breaks, flooding 72 villages and killing about 10,000 people. This event will be known as St Elizabeth's flood. 1493 – Christopher Columbus first sights the island now known as Puerto Rico. 1494 – French King Charles VIII occupies Florence, Italy. 1601 – Tiryaki Hasan Pasha, an Ottoman provincial governor, routs the Habsburg forces commanded by Archduke Ferdinand II of Austria during the Siege of Nagykanizsa. 1626 – The new St Peter's Basilica is consecrated. 1730 – The future Frederick the Great of Prussia is granted a pardon by his father and is released from confinement. 1760 – The rebuilt debtors' prison, at the Castellania in Valletta, receives the first prisoners. 1803 – The Battle of Vertières, the last major battle of the Haitian Revolution, is fought, leading to the establishment of the Republic of Haiti, the first black republic in the Western Hemisphere. 1809 – In a naval action during the Napoleonic Wars, French frigates defeat British East Indiamen in the Bay of Bengal. 1812 – Napoleonic Wars: The Battle of Krasnoi ends in French defeat, but Marshal of France Michel Ney's leadership leads to him becoming known as "the bravest of the brave". 1863 – King Christian IX of Denmark signs the November constitution that declares Schleswig to be part of Denmark. This is seen by the German Confederation as a violation of the London Protocol and leads to the German–Danish war of 1864. 1872 – Susan B. Anthony and 14 other women are arrested for voting illegally in the United States presidential election of 1872. 1883 – American and Canadian railroads institute five standard continental time zones, ending the confusion of thousands of local times. 1901 – Britain and the United States sign the Hay–Pauncefote Treaty, which nullifies the Clayton–Bulwer Treaty and withdraws British objections to an American-controlled canal in Panama. 1903 – The Hay–Bunau-Varilla Treaty is signed by the United States and Panama, giving the United States exclusive rights over the Panama Canal Zone. 1905 – Prince Carl of Denmark becomes King Haakon VII of Norway. 1909 – Two United States warships are sent to Nicaragua after 500 revolutionaries (including two Americans) are executed by order of José Santos Zelaya. 1910 – In their campaign for women's voting rights, hundreds of suffragettes march to the British Parliament in London. Several are beaten by police, newspaper attention embarrasses the authorities, and the march is dubbed Black Friday. 1916 – World War I: First Battle of the Somme: In France, British Expeditionary Force commander Douglas Haig calls off the battle which started on July 1, 1916. 1918 – Latvia declares its independence from Russia. 1928 – Release of the animated short Steamboat Willie, the first fully synchronized sound cartoon, directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks, featuring the third appearances of cartoon characters Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. This is considered by the Disney corporation to be Mickey's birthday. 1929 – Grand Banks earthquake: Off the south coast of Newfoundland in the Atlantic Ocean, a Richter magnitude 7.2 submarine earthquake, centered on the Grand Banks, breaks 12 submarine transatlantic telegraph cables and triggers a tsunami that destroys many south coast communities in the Burin Peninsula. 1940 – World War II: German leader Adolf Hitler and Italian Foreign Minister Galeazzo Ciano meet to discuss Benito Mussolini's disastrous Italian invasion of Greece. 1943 – World War II: Battle of Berlin: Four hundred and forty Royal Air Force planes bomb Berlin causing only light damage and killing 131. The RAF loses nine aircraft and 53 air crew. 1944 – The Popular Socialist Youth is founded in Cuba. 1947 – The Ballantyne's Department Store fire in Christchurch, New Zealand, kills 41; it is the worst fire disaster in the history of New Zealand. 1949 – The Iva Valley Shooting occurs after the coal miners of Enugu in Nigeria go on strike over withheld wages; 21 miners are shot dead and 51 are wounded by police under the supervision of the British colonial administration of Nigeria. 1961 – United States President John F. Kennedy sends 18,000 military advisors to South Vietnam. 1963 – The first push-button telephone goes into service. 1970 – U.S. President Richard Nixon asks the U.S. Congress for $155 million in supplemental aid for the Cambodian government. 1971 – Oman declares its independence from United Kingdom. 1978 – The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet makes its first flight, at the Naval Air Test Center in Maryland, United States. 1978 – In Jonestown, Guyana, Jim Jones led his Peoples Temple to a mass murder–suicide that claimed 918 lives in all, 909 of them in Jonestown itself, including over 270 children. Congressman Leo Ryan is murdered by members of the Peoples Temple hours earlier. 1987 – King's Cross fire: In London, 31 people die in a fire at the city's busiest underground station, King's Cross St Pancras. 1988 – War on Drugs: U.S. President Ronald Reagan signs a bill into law allowing the death penalty for drug traffickers. 1991 – Shiite Muslim kidnappers in Lebanon release Anglican Church envoys Terry Waite and Thomas Sutherland. 1991 – After an 87-day siege, the Croatian city of Vukovar capitulates to the besieging Yugoslav People's Army and allied Serb paramilitary forces. 1991 – The autonomous Croatian Community of Herzeg-Bosnia, which would in 1993 become a republic, was established in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 1993 – In the United States, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is approved by the House of Representatives. 1993 – In South Africa, 21 political parties approve a new constitution, expanding voting rights and ending white minority rule. 1996 – A fire occurs on a train traveling through the Channel Tunnel from France to England causing several injuries and damaging approximately 500 metres (1,600 ft) of tunnel. 1999 – At Texas A&M University, the Aggie Bonfire collapses killing 12 students and injuring 27 others. 2002 – Iraq disarmament crisis: United Nations weapons inspectors led by Hans Blix arrive in Iraq. 2003 – The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court rules 4–3 in Goodridge v. Department of Public Health that the state's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional and gives the state legislature 180 days to change the law making Massachusetts the first state in the United States to grant marriage rights to same-sex couples. 2012 – Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria becomes the 118th Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria. 2013 – NASA launches the MAVEN probe to Mars. 2020 – The Utah monolith, built sometime in 2016 is discovered by state biologists of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.

#Events

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acrispyapple · 3 years

Text

shakespeare's female attire is really cute ♡

#ikemen vampire #ikevam #iv events #iv gacha #iv route release campaigns #shakespeare's route #william shakespeare #chained by obsession premium gacha #crispyapple screencaps #set sale

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fyrapartnersearch · 7 years

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email--fandoms and originals

Hi, my name is Coll! I’m a 29 year old lady with a full time standard 9-5 job. That said, I have some free time on my hands. I’d really love some new RPs. =D I’m very friendly and willing to plot. I mostly roleplay video games and original plots. A few things about me: - I am looking for people who play in the

third person and post multiple paragraphs in their responses.

(Please give me at least 3 paragraphs and I’ll be happy with that. Anything less and I get put out and most likely will not respond back to you out of disappointment ^^; Sorry.) I will also match my partner’s response length.

Also, please have a decent grasp of grammar and spelling. I won’t respond if you message me in all chatspeak. When you message me, also, please have an idea of what you want to do. “Hi, wanna RP?” is kind of unacceptable. Of course I want to roleplay–that’s why I put the add up.

- My hard limits are rape, vore, mpreg (good god no mpreg never ever mpreg), pedophilia, and a few others in between, but those are the big ones. If you ask for any of these four things, I will delete your post immediately. I don’t mind rape being mentioned in a backstory, but I won’t play it out. I’m not too keen on large age gaps unless we’re playing a supernatural creature with a human. They need to look about the same age. -

I don’t really care for unhealthy ships

. I don’t like cheating or abuse in relationships–that sort of stuff. I’m not about that life. - I

am a slash (both mxm and fxf) roleplayer. I will not tolerate seme/uke paradigms. You will play a switch or there will be no smut. There are only certain canon ships I’ll do mxf for. (like Lightning/adult!Hope or Tidus/Yuna for example.) I won’t do mxf for originals.

- I will only accept roleplayers who are

21+

. If I find out you’re under my age limit, I’m going to delete you immediately. - All kinks are based off of character preference, not my own. I’m also not really a kinky person. Sorry about that. - I like canonxoc for certain canons. If I play a canon for you, I expect you to play one for me. Compromise! Some ships I will not do canonxoc for. - I know this sounds like me being a hard ass, but I really like becoming friends with my partners and exchanging headcanons and songs!

- I roleplay through email only. No exceptions.

- I try to post every day. I really do. Sometimes, I’m just too tired to do so. ^^;;; Be patient with me. Weekends get hectic because I’m in a couple DnD campaigns. - Once the roleplay gets off the ground, I have skype. You can ask for it–but only after intros are exchanged. Every time I’ve given someone my skype before we started, the roleplay never got off the ground. - If for some reason I stop responding, I legitimately forgot. Just poke me. There are times when I’m at work and look at an email and forget to respond to it later because i thought I did. Well, if I haven’t scared you off, you can check out the rest! Contact:

[email protected]

Current cravings: Peronsa 5, Final Fantasy XV, Fire Emblem Fates, and the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. That doesn’t mean I won’t do others!

Puella Magi Madoka Magica

. I can play Kyoko, Homura, and Mami. I can also do originals in the PMMM setting, gender bends, or Puer Magi. (Magical Boys.) Seriously, my kingdom for a PMMM roleplay. I’m also not opposed to mixing canons and originals!

Original

. Hit me up.

I am open to most things. If you want a something with a lot of smut, just let me know up front

I especially am big on gothic/fantasy/horror settings with magic, darkness, twisted fairy tales as inspiration, Alice in Wonderland kind of settings, surreal or Silent Hill/Fatal Frame esque thing. Definitely willing to look into maybe some mystery/eldritch horror thing

. I’m pretty flexible. Other stuff I’m into includes: steampunk, horror, creepypasta, victorian era, medieval/fantasy, modern/fantasy. I’ll give anything a shot and I’m sure I have a character for it or at the very least, can make one. It must have fantasy, by the way. I’m also a big fan of supernatural beingxhuman, or two different races mingling with each others. The only thing I’ll outright say no to is slice of life unless it’s monsters/supernatural creatures trying to live among humans. I’ll only accept mxm and fxf for original lines. Please note, I DO NOT play vampires or werewolves. I don’t mind roleplaying with them, but I personally do not like playing them. If you want to do a plot that is vampire or werewolf based, you have to play those species.

I’ll also take random intros for original! Just tell me the genre you’re sending me in the title or if you want platonic, mxm, or fxf! Please, if you send me a random intro, keep it to the genres listed or similar interests to this ad. I can’t guarantee I’ll be into the roleplay if you pick something I don’t advertise.

Fire Emblem Awakening.

I’ll die of happiness if you’d like to do m!tacticianxChrom. I’m looking for a Chrom. I can also play m!Morgan, Lucina, and a couple others. Let’s chat about it. I have a couple AU ideas, considering, well, you know how Fire Emblem is. There’s a war, let’s go fight the war!

Fire Emblem Fates. This, here, is what I’m craving the most.

I’ve played all three paths, but prefer Conquest and Revelation. I want to play Corrin. (Male.) and am open to ships. (As long as they’re mxm and fxf.) I’m mostly looking for a Xander (!!! Boy, I want Xander the most. Xander/Corrin happens to be my otp.), Leo (!!), Takumi (!), or Silas. I also ship Selena and Camilla. (I play Selena.) I like AUs and doubling, so I’m sure we can figure something out. I am also leokumi trash and can play either… though I’d rather do Corrin/Leo and Corrin/Takumi. I also like Sakura/Elise! (Slight preference toward Sakura.) I much prefer AUs and am willing to hash something out with you. No OCs for this. Sorry.

Persona

. I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to do a Persona or Persona based roleplay!. My favorite pairing for Persona is Yu/Souji/ProtagonistxYosuke. I play Yosuke. I am seriously craving another Yu/Yosuke roleplay like woah. We can discuss this. I also REALLY like the idea of the P3 Female Protagonist/MinakoxMitsuru. I’d be playing the female protagonist. We can also do a whole new Persona group, too.

Addendum

: Just finished Persona 5, am interested in playing Akira–or maybe we could do our own team of Phantom Thieves? Really dig the concept. I do like Akira/Yusuke and Ann/Makoto–will play Akira and Makoto. I am also interested in an Akechi redemption line, but I won’t pair him with Akira. Others I can play are Futaba and Haru. I’d also like to do something with

Black Butler

. I’d like to play a male oc against Ciel If you play Ciel for me, I’ll play Elizabeth for you in a fxf line or I will also consider playing Sebastian for your oc, but I’m VERY picky on this because Sebastian is a vainglorious bastard who needs entertainment. So! Try me, just don’t say I didn’t warn you if I tell you no. I also have a demon, if you want to play a contractor in an all original variation. (Note: my demon will not be your character’s butler. He laughs at the very idea. He can change his gender, so he can be a she.)

*Please note, that sebciel is a GIANT NOTP of mine, so don’t even ask for it.

Tales of.

The first thing I’m looking for is a Sorey to my Mikleo. My kingdom for these two babies who are too pure for this world. The second thing I’m looking for a Richard to my Asbel and kinda have some vague ideas for this! I also roleplay Tales of cross overs and have a vague idea for that, too. I would also love a Gaius for my Wingul. Can discuss other Tales pairings, will be fine with ocs if you’ll afford me the same. I’ve played all of the Tales of games released in the US EXCEPT for Eternia and Vesperia. That doesn’t mean you can’t play these characters! I’m totally down for Asch/OC and will try and accommodate you as well. I also recently bought Tales of Berseria. I’m only about 40ish hours into it, so no spoilers!

The World Ends With You

. I play Josh. Mostly looking for a Neku or whomever you want to throw at me. I’d prefer AUs (kind of have a basic idea for one) or post-game. Please, for the love of all things holy, do not play Neku as a weak willed little thing who won’t tell Josh to go eff himself if he doesn’t like what Josh is doing. We can also do a whole new Game with all ocs.

The Legend of Zelda.

I’m looking for a Link and am looking to do a brand new Zelda roleplay where we split the cast and have fun times~! I have a male oc. There doesn’t need to be romance, but I would like there to be. I can play Ravio, Zelda, humanized Sidon, Revali (maybe), or Midna for one of your ocs, if you’d like. With Breath of the Wild out, I’d be happy to do something similar to that, too.

Devil Survivor 2

. I want to play the main character (Hibiki/Hiro/MC) against a Yamato LIKE BURNING Also, Shin Megami Tensei IV, I’d love a Flynn/Walter chaos route roleplay where I play Flynn.

Kingdom Hearts

. I kind of want to do an all-original setting with new Keyblade wielders, new villains and everything. We’d each play a keyblade wielder or something and fill out the cast. If you’re not up for that, I do love SoraxRiku–I’ll be playing Sora. (I love this ship with my whole heart.)

Final Fantasy

. I’m cool with most things here. Some characters I play are Lightning (my favorite), Cecil Harvey, Yuna, Cloud Strife, Kadaj, Vanille, Terra Branford, Garnet til Alexandros/Dagger, Bartz, Faris, Noel Kreiss, Ramza (Tactics), and some others here and there. Some of the ships I play are Lightning/adult!Hope (I play Lightning and have some au ideas for this), Zack/Cloud (I play Cloud), Tidus/Yuna (I play Yuna), Fang/Vanille (I play Vanille. I’ll also play Fang/Lightning), Zidane/Garnet, Cecil/Kain (Cecil) etc. There are others. I’ve played almost every Final Fantasy except the online ones, so just ask. There are a few canons I play that I’ll pair with ocs, like Noel Kreiss for example. This is probably the only place you’ll catch me for mxf. I would really love a Ramza for one of my ocs as well? Like I said, I’ll play certain canons for you, too! … or maybe just something with Final Fantasy Tactics in general.

Addendum

: I just finished

FFXV

and would love to try out being Noctis–looking for Gladio, Ignis, or Prompto–or a mix of all four. We can discuss but my favorite ship is

IgNoct. Will be happy to do Promptis or GladNoct, too.

Bravely Default/Bravely Second.

Ringabel/Edea, otp for life. I’d like to play Edea. Also willing to consider Tiz/Agnes (Tiz.) or Yew/Magnolia. (Magnolia.) Prefer an AU for this. I won’t do this genre without Ringabel/Edea, though, keep that in mind.

Parasite Eve.

Does anyone even know what this is? We can discuss–ocs, canons, I’m sure we can figure something out.

Pokemon

. I have a male Elite Four trainer I’d like to use against any character. I have a couple other trainers here and there. Why not, bring it on. If you want romance, it has to be m/m for this. I don’t mind gijinkas or whatever they’re called. I also beat Sun/Moon! So we can do some Alola stuff! Maybe a plot with the Ultra Beasts? Neaaaat.

Ace Attorney.

Okay, okay. I only do canon/oc for this one, fam. I’ve also only played the first three games and Ace Attorney Investigations. I’m looking for a Miles Edgeworth to my male oc and for you, I can play Franziska von Karma for fxf. Might be talked into playing Phoenix Wright for you, depending on your oc.

ATLA

. I have a male earth bending oc (with a spirit pal who follows him) that I’ll do mxm with. I’m really up for anything here, except LoK verse since he doesn’t seem to fit in there so well. Canons? OCs? Sure, whatever. I’ll leave it open. You wanna test a new OC or practice a canon against him? Cool. There are also a few fandoms that I play, but only with an oc cast such as:

Dead Space, Gravity Rush, Fatal Frame, Etrian Odyssey, and Silent Hill. Note: for Silent Hill, I will NOT be playing romance.

As for

Silent Hill

… I’m up for putting canons in a Silent Hill verse as well as using originals. The same goes for

The Last of Us

. Canons in a TLOU universe could be fun. Same with ocs. I’m a little out of touch with this, though. It’s been a while. Maybe something based on

Transistor

? Or

YoKai Watch

Yomawari Night Alone

? Hey, maybe some creepy Japanese horror with a haunted town in the vein of Yomawari? Suggest! If it’s along the lines of what’s mentioned above, then by all means. Other fandoms are:

Okami

(Human form!Amaterasu), a 999/Zero Escape based roleplay,

Demon Gaze, Dragon’s Crown, Animal Crossing

(humanized villagers), and more. Seriously, just ask. Ask away. I know some older animes but video games? I most likely know it, especially if it’s an RPG. I’m also a fan of AUs. Again, if any of this interests you, mail me at

[email protected]

#oc rp #multiple paragraph #long term #email #fire emblem rp #pokemon rp #submission

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gayroleplayads · 7 years

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fandoms and originals

A few things about me:

- I am looking for people who play in the third person and post multiple paragraphs in their responses. (Please give me at least 3 paragraphs and I’ll be happy with that. Anything less and I get put out and most likely will not respond back to you out of disappointment ^^; Sorry.) I will also match my partner’s response length. Also, please have a decent grasp of grammar and spelling. I won’t respond if you message me in all chatspeak. When you message me, also, please have an idea of what you want to do. “Hi, wanna RP?” is kind of unacceptable. Of course I want to roleplay–that’s why I put the add up.

- I don’t really care for unhealthy ships. I don’t like cheating or abuse in relationships–that sort of stuff. I’m not about that life. - I am a slash (both mxm and fxf) roleplayer. I will not tolerate seme/uke paradigms. You will play a switch or there will be no smut. There are only certain canon ships I’ll do mxf for. (like Lightning/adult!Hope or Tidus/Yuna for example.) I won’t do mxf for originals.

- I will only accept roleplayers who are 21+. If I find out you’re under my age limit, I’m going to delete you immediately.

- All kinks are based off of character preference, not my own. I’m also not really a kinky person. Sorry about that.

- I like canonxoc for certain canons. If I play a canon for you, I expect you to play one for me. Compromise! Some ships I will not do canonxoc for.

- I know this sounds like me being a hard ass, but I really like becoming friends with my partners and exchanging headcanons and songs!

- I roleplay through email only. No exceptions.

- I try to post every day. I really do. Sometimes, I’m just too tired to do so. ^^;;; Be patient with me. Weekends get hectic because I’m in a couple DnD campaigns.

- Once the roleplay gets off the ground, I have skype. You can ask for it–but only after intros are exchanged. Every time I’ve given someone my skype before we started, the roleplay never got off the ground.

- If for some reason I stop responding, I legitimately forgot. Just poke me. There are times when I’m at work and look at an email and forget to respond to it later because i thought I did.

Well, if I haven’t scared you off, you can check out the rest!

Contact: [email protected]

Current cravings: Peronsa 5, Final Fantasy XV, Fire Emblem Fates, and the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. That doesn’t mean I won’t do others!

Puella Magi Madoka Magica. I can play Kyoko, Homura, and Mami. I can also do originals in the PMMM setting, gender bends, or Puer Magi. (Magical Boys.) Seriously, my kingdom for a PMMM roleplay. I’m also not opposed to mixing canons and originals!

Original. Hit me up. I am open to most things. If you want a something with a lot of smut, just let me know up front. I especially am big on gothic/fantasy/horror settings with magic, darkness, twisted fairy tales as inspiration, Alice in Wonderland kind of settings, surreal or Silent Hill/Fatal Frame esque thing. Definitely willing to look into maybe some mystery/eldritch horror thing. I’m pretty flexible. Other stuff I’m into includes: steampunk, horror, creepypasta, victorian era, medieval/fantasy, modern/fantasy. I’ll give anything a shot and I’m sure I have a character for it or at the very least, can make one. It must have fantasy, by the way. I’m also a big fan of supernatural beingxhuman, or two different races mingling with each others. The only thing I’ll outright say no to is slice of life unless it’s monsters/supernatural creatures trying to live among humans. I’ll only accept mxm and fxf for original lines. Please note, I DO NOT play vampires or werewolves. I don’t mind roleplaying with them, but I personally do not like playing them. If you want to do a plot that is vampire or werewolf based, you have to play those species. I’ll also take random intros for original! Just tell me the genre you’re sending me in the title or if you want platonic, mxm, or fxf! Please, if you send me a random intro, keep it to the genres listed or similar interests to this ad. I can’t guarantee I’ll be into the roleplay if you pick something I don’t advertise.

Fire Emblem Awakening. I’ll die of happiness if you’d like to do m!tacticianxChrom. I’m looking for a Chrom. I can also play m!Morgan, Lucina, and a couple others. Let’s chat about it. I have a couple AU ideas, considering, well, you know how Fire Emblem is. There’s a war, let’s go fight the war!

Fire Emblem Fates. This, here, is what I’m craving the most. I’ve played all three paths, but prefer Conquest and Revelation. I want to play Corrin. (Male.) and am open to ships. (As long as they’re mxm and fxf.) I’m mostly looking for a Xander (!!! Boy, I want Xander the most. Xander/Corrin happens to be my otp.), Leo (!!), Takumi (!), or Silas. I also ship Selena and Camilla. (I play Selena.) I like AUs and doubling, so I’m sure we can figure something out. I am also leokumi trash and can play either… though I’d rather do Corrin/Leo and Corrin/Takumi. I also like Sakura/Elise! (Slight preference toward Sakura.) I much prefer AUs and am willing to hash something out with you. No OCs for this. Sorry.

Persona. I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to do a Persona or Persona based roleplay!. My favorite pairing for Persona is Yu/Souji/ProtagonistxYosuke. I play Yosuke. I am seriously craving another Yu/Yosuke roleplay like woah. We can discuss this. I also REALLY like the idea of the P3 Female Protagonist/MinakoxMitsuru. I’d be playing the female protagonist. We can also do a whole new Persona group, too.

Addendum: Just finished Persona 5, am interested in playing Akira–or maybe we could do our own team of Phantom Thieves? Really dig the concept. I do like Akira/Yusuke and Ann/Makoto–will play Akira and Makoto. I am also interested in an Akechi redemption line, but I won’t pair him with Akira. Others I can play are Futaba and Haru.

I’d also like to do something with Black Butler. I’d like to play a male oc against Ciel If you play Ciel for me, I’ll play Elizabeth for you in a fxf line or I will also consider playing Sebastian for your oc, but I’m VERY picky on this because Sebastian is a vainglorious bastard who needs entertainment. So! Try me, just don’t say I didn’t warn you if I tell you no. I also have a demon, if you want to play a contractor in an all original variation. (Note: my demon will not be your character’s butler. He laughs at the very idea. He can change his gender, so he can be a she.) *Please note, that sebciel is a GIANT NOTP of mine, so don’t even ask for it.

Tales of. The first thing I’m looking for is a Sorey to my Mikleo. My kingdom for these two babies who are too pure for this world. The second thing I’m looking for a Richard to my Asbel and kinda have some vague ideas for this! I also roleplay Tales of cross overs and have a vague idea for that, too. I would also love a Gaius for my Wingul. Can discuss other Tales pairings, will be fine with ocs if you’ll afford me the same. I’ve played all of the Tales of games released in the US EXCEPT for Eternia and Vesperia. That doesn’t mean you can’t play these characters! I’m totally down for Asch/OC and will try and accommodate you as well. I also recently bought Tales of Berseria. I’m only about 40ish hours into it, so no spoilers!

The World Ends With You. I play Josh. Mostly looking for a Neku or whomever you want to throw at me. I’d prefer AUs (kind of have a basic idea for one) or post-game. Please, for the love of all things holy, do not play Neku as a weak willed little thing who won’t tell Josh to go eff himself if he doesn’t like what Josh is doing. We can also do a whole new Game with all ocs.

The Legend of Zelda. I’m looking for a Link and am looking to do a brand new Zelda roleplay where we split the cast and have fun times~! I have a male oc. There doesn’t need to be romance, but I would like there to be. I can play Ravio, Zelda, humanized Sidon, Revali (maybe), or Midna for one of your ocs, if you’d like. With Breath of the Wild out, I’d be happy to do something similar to that, too.

Devil Survivor 2. I want to play the main character (Hibiki/Hiro/MC) against a Yamato LIKE BURNING Also, Shin Megami Tensei IV, I’d love a Flynn/Walter chaos route roleplay where I play Flynn.

Kingdom Hearts. I kind of want to do an all-original setting with new Keyblade wielders, new villains and everything. We’d each play a keyblade wielder or something and fill out the cast. If you’re not up for that, I do love SoraxRiku–I’ll be playing Sora. (I love this ship with my whole heart.)

Final Fantasy. I’m cool with most things here. Some characters I play are Lightning (my favorite), Cecil Harvey, Yuna, Cloud Strife, Kadaj, Vanille, Terra Branford, Garnet til Alexandros/Dagger, Bartz, Faris, Noel Kreiss, Ramza (Tactics), and some others here and there. Some of the ships I play are Lightning/adult!Hope (I play Lightning and have some au ideas for this), Zack/Cloud (I play Cloud), Tidus/Yuna (I play Yuna), Fang/Vanille (I play Vanille. I’ll also play Fang/Lightning), Zidane/Garnet, Cecil/Kain (Cecil) etc. There are others. I’ve played almost every Final Fantasy except the online ones, so just ask. There are a few canons I play that I’ll pair with ocs, like Noel Kreiss for example. This is probably the only place you’ll catch me for mxf. I would really love a Ramza for one of my ocs as well? Like I said, I’ll play certain canons for you, too! … or maybe just something with Final Fantasy Tactics in general.

Addendum: I just finished FFXV and would love to try out being Noctis–looking for Gladio, Ignis, or Prompto–or a mix of all four. We can discuss but my favorite ship is IgNoct. Will be happy to do Promptis or GladNoct, too.

Bravely Default/Bravely Second. Ringabel/Edea, otp for life. I’d like to play Edea. Also willing to consider Tiz/Agnes (Tiz.) or Yew/Magnolia. (Magnolia.) Prefer an AU for this. I won’t do this genre without Ringabel/Edea, though, keep that in mind.

Parasite Eve. Does anyone even know what this is? We can discuss–ocs, canons, I’m sure we can figure something out.

Pokemon. I have a male Elite Four trainer I’d like to use against any character. I have a couple other trainers here and there. Why not, bring it on. If you want romance, it has to be m/m for this. I don’t mind gijinkas or whatever they’re called. I also beat Sun/Moon! So we can do some Alola stuff! Maybe a plot with the Ultra Beasts? Neaaaat.

Ace Attorney. Okay, okay. I only do canon/oc for this one, fam. I’ve also only played the first three games and Ace Attorney Investigations. I’m looking for a Miles Edgeworth to my male oc and for you, I can play Franziska von Karma for fxf. Might be talked into playing Phoenix Wright for you, depending on your oc.

ATLA. I have a male earth bending oc (with a spirit pal who follows him) that I’ll do mxm with. I’m really up for anything here, except LoK verse since he doesn’t seem to fit in there so well. Canons? OCs? Sure, whatever. I’ll leave it open. You wanna test a new OC or practice a canon against him? Cool.

There are also a few fandoms that I play, but only with an oc cast such as: Dead Space, Gravity Rush, Fatal Frame, Etrian Odyssey, and Silent Hill. Note: for Silent Hill, I will NOT be playing romance.

As for Silent Hill… I’m up for putting canons in a Silent Hill verse as well as using originals.

The same goes for The Last of Us. Canons in a TLOU universe could be fun. Same with ocs. I’m a little out of touch with this, though. It’s been a while.

Maybe something based on Transistor? Or YoKai Watch? Yomawari Night Alone? Hey, maybe some creepy Japanese horror with a haunted town in the vein of Yomawari?

Suggest! If it’s along the lines of what’s mentioned above, then by all means. Other fandoms are: Okami (Human form!Amaterasu), a 999/Zero Escape based roleplay, Demon Gaze, Dragon’s Crown, Animal Crossing (humanized villagers), and more. Seriously, just ask. Ask away. I know some older animes but video games? I most likely know it, especially if it’s an RPG. I’m also a fan of AUs.

Again, if any of this interests you, mail me at [email protected].

#email rp #other #no preference #fandom rp #original characters #third person perspective #multiple paragraphs #switch #submission

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jeramymobley · 6 years

Text

Bloodweiser, Anyone? Global Brands Trick and Treat China Into Halloween

Take a sip of K-blood in an IV bag or a bite of a red “blood pocket” (strawberry cheesecake flavor). Those are both on the menu at KFC locations in China this Halloween. Or maybe a black-crust orange squash topped pizza from Pizza Hut, served in a spooky box.

#halloween #halloweencostume #mask #deathmask #halloweeninchina #budweiser

A post shared by Iris Tang 唐小佳 (@iristangxj) on Oct 31, 2017 at 9:22am PDT

Afterward, you can hit a huge costume party sponsored by Budweiser and MAC Cosmetics in Shanghai or Guangzhou where there will be special “bleeding” aluminum bottles of Bud.

Budweiser also released a three-minute Halloween short film, all supporting the punningly titled “Bloodweiser” (血色百威) campaign.

youtube

Halloween spending in the U.S. is predicted to reach record levels this year, just over $9 billion. But in China, Halloween—not to be confused with the traditional “Ghost Festival”—is a blip on the consumer radar. But the event is growing in popularity, in large part as Western brands adapt their homegrown actvities and push Halloween promotions.

Yum! China siblings KFC and Pizza Hut have special menu items. Budweiser has its “Bloodweiser.” McDonald’s is also promoting a menu with Halloween-themed fare and some of the locations are decorating for the occasion. McDonald’s across China are also hosting Halloween parties for children in costume.

Even Starbucks is offering special plates and cups as well as adding its seasonal “zombie frappuccino” (also available in the U.S.) to the menu; Japan, meanwhile, has a Halloween Mystery Frappuccino on offer.

Across its China stores, Krispy Kreme is offering a selection of Halloween-themed donuts.

youtube

And then there is the new Shanghai Disneyland. Around Halloween, guests of the massive new park are treated to special Halloween shows. Guest at the smaller Hong Kong Disneyland are also experiencing Halloween programming.

youtube

When you get invited at Hong Kong Disneyland for the most wicked Halloween party but you're broke af http://pic.twitter.com/TUQcVK9eg9

— Mary Jane ☃ (@marshmary_) October 16, 2017

Yum China is also enlisting its young celebrities to move the Halloween message. Heartthrob Hou Minghao, better known as “Neo,” is all over social media posing with KFC’s Halloween menu specials.

Hong Kong actor and pop star Chen Weiting is the face of Pizza Hut’s Halloween campaign. Budweiser went another route by enlisting Belgian artist Christian Develter to design a pair of party masks for its “Bloodweiser” parties. At its events, Bud gave blank white masks to guests with markers, encouraging them to design their own.

It’s clear why brands would like to see an America-like embrace of Halloween in China. With an average spend of $86 by almost half the U.S. population on Halloween, similar numbers by China consumers could mean tens of billions of dollars in activity.

#pumpkin #halloweeninchina #originalpackaging #chinesesnacks

A post shared by maricruzlacasa (@maricruzlacasa) on Sep 23, 2017 at 4:29pm PDT

While the holiday remains small, its embrace by young Chinese is growing. Once reason is that teachers in Chinese schools (and international schools) are making the holiday part of the curriculum; another is that bars, hotels and global firms throw parties; another is that they’re aware of the event from social media and, naturally, want to dress up and take part.

China is not the only international market starting to get on board to Halloween fright train. In the UK, the holiday is seeing growth with spending this year predicted to outpace last year’s by 3.2%. The $418 million size of the UK’s Halloween market is still a far cry from the U.S. or North American Halloween market, but the growth projections suggest a rosy future.

As in China, Halloween participation in the UK is disproportionately Millennials, Gen Y and Gen Z, which bodes well for Halloween, and Halloween spending, to become increasingly global in the future.

Below, a closer look at KFC China’s Halloween treats:

The post Bloodweiser, Anyone? Global Brands Trick and Treat China Into Halloween appeared first on brandchannel:.

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architectnews · 4 years

Text

6 UNESCO Cultural sites virtually rebuilt

6 UNESCO Cultural sites virtually rebuilt, Buildings, Architecture Design

6 UNESCO Cultural sites virtually rebuilt

14 Aug, 2020

Reconstructing 6 UNESCO cultural sites in danger of disappearing forever

See ruined endangered UNESCO sites virtually rebuilt before your very eyes

World heritage sites exist in constant danger of degradation or destruction. From militants to motorists, earthquakes to urbanization, these meaningful landmarks face both human-made and natural threats. UNESCO’s List of World Heritage in Danger draws attention to sites at risk of losing the characteristics that make them special.

By definition, these structures are significant to “all the peoples of the world” – but most of us won’t get to see them in person. The team at Budget Direct decided to bring them to your home instead. These six ruined sites were digitally restored to their former glory:

UNESCO World Heritage Site – Location

1) Hatra Al-Jazīrah – Iraq 2) Leptis Magna District of Khoms – Libya 3) Palmyra Tadmur, Homs Governorate, Syria 4) Portobelo-San Lorenzo Fortifications Province of Colon, District of Cristobal, Panama 5) Nan Madol Temwen Island, Federated States of Micronesia 6) Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls Jerusalem, Israel

Here’s a before and after preview of Iraq’s Hatra (also available in GIF and video format):

Before (now) After (digital reconstruction)

This project is part of a series of campaigns released by the Budget Direct Travel Insurance team exploring how ruined structures would look like had they been preserved. The team decided to bring to life a series of cultural heritage sites that UNESCO has categorised as ‘in danger’ – from the fortified city of Hatra in Iraq to the recently destroyed ruins of Palmyra in Syria.

Methodology Budget Direct started by researching sites on the World Heritage in Danger list, which includes the 53 properties that the World Heritage Committee has deemed “in danger.” They selected sites that were man-made and had some elements remaining. They decided not to include natural sites, or sites for which accurate historical and design information was unavailable. The team worked with architects Jelena Popovic and Keremcan Kirilmaz, and industrial designer Erdem Batirbek to research and illustrate these intricate reconstructions.

Research Notes

1. Hatra

Location: Al-Jazīrah – Iraq (Google maps) Year built: 3rd or 2nd century BC

History: A large fortified city under the influence of the Parthian Empire and capital of the first Arab Kingdom, Hatra withstood invasions by the Romans in A.D. 116 and 198 thanks to its high, thick walls reinforced by towers. Hatra was probably founded in the 3rd or 2nd century BCE, under the Seleucid kingdom. It rose to prominence as the capital of Araba, a small semi autonomous state under Parthian influence. Because of its strategic position along caravan trade routes, the town prospered and became an important religious centre.

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Architectural features:

● High, thick walls reinforced by towers.

● It is encircled by inner and outer walls nearly 4 miles (6.4 km) in circumference and supported by more than 160 towers.

● A temenos (temple enclosure) surrounds the principal sacred buildings in the city’s centre.

● The temples cover some 3 acres (1.2 hectares) and are dominated by the Great Temple, an enormous structure with vaults and columns that once rose to 100 feet (30 metres).

● Numerous sculptures and statues have also been discovered in the city.

● Built in a circular plan of military tradition.

● Hellenistic and Roman architecture blend with Eastern decorative features

2. Leptis Magna

Location: District of Khoms – Libya (Google maps) Year built: 7th c. BC

Before & After:

History: Leptis or Lepcis Magna, also known by other names in antiquity, was a prominent city of the Carthaginian Empire and Roman Libya at the mouth of the Wadi Lebdam in the Mediterranean. Leptis Magna was enlarged and embellished by Septimius Severus, who was born there and later became emperor. It was one of the most beautiful cities of the Roman Empire, with its imposing public monuments, harbour, market-place, storehouses, shops and residential districts.

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Architectural features:

1. Amphitheater

● Built in AD 56. Old quarry for construction.

● The oval arena measures 57 x 47 m.

● The lower ranks were for the Lepcitanian elite, we still see the stone slabs that were once on the seats. Among these is an altar for Nemesis, the goddess of doom.

● It is likely that there was some sort of (wooden) portico surrounding the amphitheater: these were the cheaper seats.

2. Theater

● Built in the 1st century AD, construction was financed by several rich aristocrats.

● The upper part of the stands was not excavated from the hill, but built from natural stone, concrete, and bricks.

● Five flights of steps enabled the people to enter and leave the building, and divided the stands into six wedge-like segments.

● On the upper edge, a colonnaded walk was erected, which offered shade to the higher seats, where the poorer people sat. The front ranks were occupied by the city’s wealthiest citizens, with a tribunal for the magistrates.

● A small temple was added to the colonnaded walk in 35 or 36, dedicated to the goddess Ceres Augusta.

● Another addition was the semicircular wall surrounding the orchestra. Behind the stage of the theater was a trapezoidal construction that was called Porticus post scaenam by ancient architects. It is a square garden, surrounded by colonnades; in the center was a temple.

3. Hippodrome (Circus)

● 40 m long racecourse, built in the 2nd century AD.

● Measures about 100 x 450 m. Eleven rows of official seats.

● At the spina (the median strip), five water basins with fountains were added, a type of decoration otherwise only known from Rome’s Circus Maximus, fitting the “dolphins” on the corners, which indicated how many laps the charioteers still had to cover.

4. Market

● Initially market was built here in the 9th century AD, but present structures were built in the times of Septimius Severus.

● Consisted of a large square, surrounded by a portico, in which two octagonal buildings were placed, which are known to archaeologists as tholoi.

3. Palmyra

Location: Tadmur, Homs Governorate, Syria (Google maps) Year built: 3rd millennium BC

Before & After:

History: An oasis in the Syrian desert, north-east of Damascus, Palmyra contains the monumental ruins of a great city that was one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world. From the 1st to the 2nd century, the art and architecture of Palmyra, standing at the crossroads of several civilizations, married GraecoRoman techniques with local traditions and Persian influences.

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Architectural features:

● Enclosed by a massive wall flanked with traditional Roman columns, Bel’s sanctuary plan was primarily Semitic. Similar to the Second Temple, the sanctuary consisted of a large courtyard with the deity’s main shrine off-center against its entrance (a plan preserving elements of the temples of Ebla and Ugarit).

● Palmyra began as a small settlement near the Efqa spring on the southern bank of Wadi al-Qubur. Palmyra’s architecture was influenced by the Greco-Roman style, while preserving local elements (best seen in the Temple of Bel).

● Along the principal 1.1-kilometre-long (0.68 mi) east-west street, named the Grand Colonnade, a double portico is ornamented with three nymphaea.

● It extended from the Temple of Bel in the east, to the Funerary Temple no.86 in the city’s western part. It had a monumental arch in its eastern section, and a tetrapylon stands in the center. The Baths of Diocletian were on the left side of the colonnade.

● Nearby were residences, the Temple of Baalshamin, and the Byzantine churches, which include “Basilica IV”, Palmyra’s largest church. The church is dated to the Justinian age, its columns are estimated to be 7 metres (23 ft) high, and its base measured 27.5 by 47.5 metres (90 by 156 ft).

● The Temple of Nabu and the Roman theater were built on the colonnade’s southern side.

● Behind the theater were a small senate building and the large Agora, with the remains of a triclinium (banquet room) and the Tariff Court. A cross street at the western end of the colonnade leads to the Camp of Diocletian, built by Sosianus Hierocles (the Roman governor of Syria).] Nearby are the Temple of Al-lāt and the Damascus Gate.

● In architecture the Corinthian order marks almost all the monuments, but the influence of Mesopotamia and Iran is also clearly evident.

● Notable structures:

1. Baths of Diocletian

● The complex’s entrance is marked by four massive Egyptian granite columns each 1.3 metres (4 ft 3 in) in diameter, 12.5 metres (41 ft) high and weigh 20 tonnes.

● Inside, the outline of a bathing pool surrounded by a colonnade of Corinthian columns is still visible in addition to an octagonal room that served as a dressing room containing a drain in its center. Sossianus Hierocles, a governor under Emperor Diocletian, claimed to have built the baths, but the building was probably erected in the late second century and Sossianus Hierocles renovated it.

2. Temple of Bel

● Dedicated in AD 32

● It consisted of a large precinct lined by porticos; it had a rectangular shape and was oriented north-south.

● The exterior wall was 205-metre (673 ft) long with a propylaea, and the cella stood on a podium in the middle of the enclosure.

3. Senate building

● Largely ruined.

● It is a small building that consists of a peristyle courtyard and a chamber that has an apse at one end and rows of seats around it.

4. Roman Theatre at Palmyra

● The second-century CE theatre was built in the center of a semicircular colonnaded piazza which opens up to the South Gate of Palmyra.

● The 82-by-104-metre (269 by 341 ft) piazza was located to the south-west of the main colonnaded street.

● The unfinished cavea is 92 metres (302 ft) in diameter and consists only of an ima cavea, the lowest section of the cavea, directly surrounding the orchestra. The ima cavea is organized into eleven cunei of twelve rows each and faces north-northeast towards the cardo maximus.

● The theatre’s aditus maximi, its main entrances, are 3.5 metres (11 ft) in width, and lead to a stone-paved orchestra with a diameter of 23.5 metres (77 ft). The orchestra is bounded by a circular wall with a diameter of 20.3 metres (67 ft). The proscenium wall is decorated with ten curved and nine rectangular niches placed alternately. The stage measures 45.5 by 10.5 metres (149 by 34 ft) and is accessed by two staircases.

● The scaenae frons had five doors: the main entrance, or valve regia, built into a broad curved niche; two guest doors on either side of the valve regia, or valve hospitalis, built into shallow rectangular niches; and two extra doors, at either end of the stage.

● Emperor Nero is known to have placed his statue in the niche of the regia of the theatre at Palmyra. The columns at the stage are decorated in the Corinthian order.

5. Palmyra Castle, also known as Fakhr-al-Din al-Ma’ani Castle or Tadmur Castle

● The castle is thought to have been built by the Mamluks in the 13th century on a high hill overlooking the historic site of Palmyra.

● The castle lying on raised bedrock was a well defended position for a fortification with thick and high walls, which was also surrounded by a moat that had only one access available through a drawbridge.

4. Portobelo-San Lorenzo fortifications

Location: Province of Colon – District of Cristobal, Panama (Google maps) Year built: 17th and 18th century

Before & After:

History: Magnificent examples of 17th- and 18th-century military architecture, these Panamanian forts on the Caribbean coast form part of the defence system built by the Spanish Crown to protect transatlantic trade.

There are diverse fortification sites around the Bay of Portobelo, denominated San Fernando fortifications: Lower Battery, Upper Battery and Hilltop Stronghold; San Jerónimo Battery Fort; Santiago fortifications: Castle of Santiago de la Gloria, Battery and Hilltop Stronghold; the old Santiago Fortress; ruins of Fort Farnese; the La Trinchera site; the Buenaventura Battery; and the San Cristóbal site. Forty-three kilometers away, at the mouth the Chagres River stands the San Lorenzo Castle (originally “San Lorenzo el Real del Chagre”) with its Upper Battery as a separate structure.

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Architectural features:

● The Bay of Portobelo has many fortifications, which replicate European designs of military architecture, built during the colonial period (1596–99). The structures built in the earlier years were in medieval style (Antonelli’s Spanish designs). However, in the 18th century, the structures were built by renovating neo-classical features (of Salas and Hernandez (1753–60)), as seen at the Santiago Fort, San Jeronimo Fort and San Fernando Fort, and the San Lorenzo Fort.

● From 1587 to 1599, the fortifications evolved into a sea-level battery and they were completed in 1601. The plans of the massive fortress were made by the Italian engineer Baptist Antonelli.

● The castle of San Lorenzo was built on top of a high reef, in a position that dominated the entrance of the Chagres River.

● In 1670, buccaneer Henry Morgan ordered an attack that left Fort San Lorenzo in ruins. He invaded Panama City the following year, using San Lorenzo as his base of operations.

● In the 1680s, the Spanish constructed a new fort 80 feet (24 m) above the water. Set on a cliff overlooking the entrance to the harbor, the fort was protected on the landward side by a dry moat with a drawbridge. During this time, the town of Chagres was established under the protection of the fort.

5. Nan Madol

Location: Temwen Island, Federated States of Micronesia (Google maps) Year built: 8th or 9th century

Before & After:

History: Nan Madol is a series of more than 100 islets off the south-east coast of Pohnpei that were constructed with walls of basalt and coral boulders. These islets harbour the remains of stone palaces, temples, tombs and residential domains built between 1200 and 1500 CE. These ruins represent the ceremonial centre of the Saudeleur dynasty, a vibrant period in Pacific Island culture.

The huge scale of the edifices, their technical sophistication and the concentration of megalithic structures bear testimony to complex social and religious practices of the island societies of the period. The site was also inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger due to threats, notably the siltation of waterways that is contributing to the unchecked growth of mangroves and undermining existing edifices.

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Architectural features:

● The site core with its stone walls encloses an area approximately 1.5 km long by 0.5 km wide and it contains nearly 100 artificial islets–stone and coral fill platforms–bordered by tidal canals.

● It spread over 200 acres abutting Pohnpei’s mangrove-covered shore.

● Most of it was built from the 13th to the 17th centuries by the Saudeleurs, descendants of two brothers of unknown provenance who founded a religious community in the sixth century focused on the adoration of the sea. They and their successors brought from the other side of the island columns of black lava rock up to 20 feet long that are naturally pentagonal or hexagonal and straight. They used them in a log cabin formation to build outer walls as well as foundations filled in with lumps of coral to create elevated platforms where traditional thatched structures were used as lodgings.

● Islet of Pahnwi wall has huge, flat-sided stone rises 58 feet and encloses a tomb.

● Nandowas is by far the most elaborate building. It’s the royal mortuary, with two sets of 25-foot-high walls whose gracefully up-swept corners cover an area greater than a football field. One cornerstone is estimated to weigh 50 tons. Eight columns form the basis of a roof of the moss-encrusted tomb that lets in shards of sunlight.

Note: Computer based reconstruction of main islets and features, including selected house structures. The main Pahn Kadira (PKI) islet, the residential complex of the Sau Deleur chiefs, is 115 meters long.

6. Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls

Location: Jerusalem, Israel (Google maps) Year built: 1535

Before & After:

History: The Walls of Jerusalem surround the Old City of Jerusalem (approx. 1 km²). In 1535, when Jerusalem was part of the Ottoman Empire, Sultan Suleiman I ordered the ruined city walls to be rebuilt. The work took some four years, between 1537 and 1541.

The length of the walls is 4,018 meters (2.4966 mi), their average height is 12 meters (39.37 feet) and the average thickness is 2.5 meters (8.2 feet). The walls contain 34 watchtowers and seven main gates open for traffic, with two minor gates reopened by archaeologists.

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Architectural features:

● Herod’s Temple was one of the larger construction projects of the 1st century BCE. It was Herod’s plan that the entire mountain be turned into a giant square platform. The Temple Mount was originally intended to be 1600 feet wide by 900 feet broad by 9 stories high, with walls up to 16 feet thick, but had never been finished. To complete it, a trench was dug around the mountain, and huge stone “bricks” were laid.

● The Western Wall, Wailing Wall, or Kotel, known in Islam as the Buraq Wall is an ancient limestone wall in the Old City of Jerusalem. It is a relatively small segment of a far longer ancient retaining wall, known also in its entirety as the “Western Wall”. The wall was originally erected as part of the expansion of the Second Jewish Temple begun by Herod the Great, which resulted in the encasement of the natural, steep hill known to Jews and Christians as the Temple Mount, in a huge rectangular structure topped by a flat platform, thus creating more space for the Temple itself, its auxiliary buildings, and crowds of worshippers and visitors.

References Unesco (2020). Hatra. unesco.org Wikipedia. (2020). Hatra. wikipedia.org Wikipedia. (2020). Leptis Magna. wikipedia.org Livius.org. (2020). Lepcis Magna, Amphitheater. livius.org Livius.org. (2020). Lepcis Magna, Theater. livius.org Livius.org. (2020). Lepcis Magna, Circus. livius.org Livius.org. (2020). Lepcis Magna, Macellum. livius.org Unesco (2013). Site of Palmyra. unesco.org Wikipedia. (2020). Palmyra. wikipedia.org Britannica. (2020). Palmyra. britannica.com Wikipedia. (2020). Palmyra Castle. wikipedia.org Unesco (2020). Fortifications on the Caribbean Side of Panama: Portobelo-San Lorenzo. unesco.org Wikipedia. (2020). Fortifications on the Caribbean Side of Panama: Portobelo-San Lorenzo. wikipedia.org Wikipedia. (2020). Chagres and Fort San Lorenzo. wikipedia.org Unesco (2020). Nan Madol: Ceremonial Centre of Eastern Micronesia. unesco.org Smithsonianmag (Christopher Pala). Nan Madol: The City Built on Coral Reefs. smithsonianmag.com Discovermagazine (Corey S. Powell). A Space-Age Journey into the Past with Albert Lin. discovermagazine.com Wikipedia. (2020). Walls of Jerusalem. wikipedia.org Wikipedia. (2020). Western Wall. wikipedia.org Wikipedia. (2020). Second Temple. wikipedia.org

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Architecture – Major Buildings

Oscar Niemeyer’s Permanent International Fairground in Tripoli, Lebanon: photo © UNESCO Beirut Office Getty Foundation 2018 Keeping it Modern Grants

Sidi Harazem Thermal Bath Complex, Sidi Harazem, Morocco (architect: Jean-François Zevaco); Image © Frac Centre-Val de Loire Collection. Sidi Harazem Thermal Bath Complex Building

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