#known shores campaign

[keplercryptids]

[image description: a drawn fantasy map of a collection of islands called the Triskele. Brief description of each island as follows. Iournia: large, forested and mountainous; the Chiefdom of Ord: large, with forests, mountains and a stonehenge; Ellan Vannin and Arnorica, mid-sized with mountains and a large marsh; the Ethuveraz: large with lots of forests and mountains; Barizhan: connected to the Ethuveraz via a mountain range, a desert; Taurun: small and forested; Carantos: small, featuring a crater and spider webs; Scarra Brae: mid-sized, snowy, with mountains and a large lake; Golden Isle: small, snow tundra; Ritona: small, slightly snowy tundra, mountain range and fjords. Sea features: a whirlpool called The Red Cataract; a bay called Olina; a sea between a bunch of islands called The Crossroad; a large sea called Giantfall; tiny islands called The Broken Bones. End ID.]

whew, this is mostly done, probably! i spent the last four and a half days doing nothing but drawing this map, where my next ttrpg campaign will be set. the triskele is one continent (??? i honestly don't know what to call a collection of islands like this) of the world called the known shores. (yes, i will be drawing the other continents too; yes, i have a problem.)

a few notes!

i stole the names "the ethuveraz" and "barizhan" from the goblin emperor books because the names are dope.

many of the other names are pulled from irish/celtic history and geography.

i drew everything by hand, but i followed a lot of the tutorials located here, which i highly recommend!

this was made for my personal home game, not for commercial use. but feel free to use any/all of it in your own personal home games, idgaf.

#jd&d #worldbuilding #known shores campaign #ttrpg talk #jd arts

[undreaming-fanfiction]

Safe and Sound

When Eddie and Steve settle into their relationship, the Party notices some...interesting changes about their Dungeon Master and their favorite babysitter.

Eddie has always been one of the most alert people they have known. It probably comes with the drug dealing territory and also being the town freak, he never knew when he’d get jumped on the street or simply tossed around for a good laugh of the local jocks. He always watched his surroundings like a hawk, his dark eyes sharp in contrast to the laid back smile. Eddie was quick on his feet, always ready to move out of the way or jump to the higher ground.

The Party can’t exactly put a finger on it at first, but there is definitely something different now that Eddie and Steve sat them down, explained to them that they got their wish, they finally get along, actually, they might be getting along way more than they ever hoped, and after some clarification ("is it because all of your dates in last year sucked, Steve?" asked Dustin and got smacked by Max in return) the Party congratulated them and pretended to gag at every display of affection. The first one to notice the change is Erica, they are all walking to get some ice cream before they continue their campaign and Eddie is taking notes, mumbling to himself and scribbling numbers in his notebook. Steve walks next to him, just a mere friend to an outsider's gaze. Eddie is completely immersed in the campaign planning and he nearly walks into the street light - but only nearly because Steve is there, gently grabbing Eddie's elbow and redirecting him out of harm's way. The metalhead just mutters "thanks, love" and keeps taking notes as if nothing has just happened. Erica rolls her eyes and scoffs at Eddie. "What happened to attention to your surroundings, not cool anymore?" and Eddie just smirks, not looking up from his notes, while Steve answers: "It's okay, I got him. Let him work on your dragon hunting thing so he actually gets some sleep tonight." Erica doesn't say anything after that, but the wheels are turning in her head. 

The summer is very hot this time, and they decide to go swimming to the quarry, burying the bad memories under a pile of new ones, joyful ones. Steve stays with Eddie on the shore while the seven children test the water, splash each other and slowly escalate to a full-scale war. Mike spits out a mouthful of water after being dunked and prepares for counter attack, but his opponent - Max - is distracted. She's looking at their babysitters, slightly frowning. "I swear that normally Steve would be shouting his vocal chords away that we're taking it too far," she says and squints to look why they're not getting the usual load of motherly care. It appears that Steve is...sleeping? Well, that is unusual. His head is in Eddie's lap while the other man strokes his hair, watching the teenagers play. Max just shrugs and goes back to drowning Mike, but she makes sure to check on the two of them afterwards. 

"Something wrong, Red?" smiles Eddie, his voice quiet not to wake Steve up. The hand in his hair doesn't let up. 

Max shakes her head, watching the rise and fall of Steve's distractingly hairy chest. "No, it's just...I haven't seen him this relaxed in a while. I got kind of worried when he didn't yell at us for...well," she points towards the water where Mike and Lucas are wrestling. 

Eddie just smirks. "He deserves the rest. You know he's been watching you tiny shits for years nonstop, so I'm taking over when he lets me. And as far as I'm concerned, if there is no loss of life or limbs, you're good. But keep it tame. If you make me get over there and wake Stevie up, there might be loss of life after all. Now off you go, gang up on Wheeler or something."

It's Will who manages to articulate what they're all unable to when Steve hosts the next Hellfire Club meeting, carrying trays of baked snacks to the table. His hand slips a bit, but before anything falls and ruins the pristine carpet, Eddie is there, stabilizing him. "I got you, love," he mutters and takes the tray from his hands. Steve just smiles back, no words needed. 

When they disappear into the kitchen to bring drinks, Will smiles to himself. "They look so in sync," he mentions to Max who seems to be sharing his thoughts. "They've always been so..."

"Sharp? Alert? Freaking out about the next catastrophe?" she supplies. 

Will nods. "Yeah. It's nice to see them finally being able to relax. I mean, I guess it comes with dating, but not for everyone. I'm happy for them. It...it must be nice," he finishes, a tinge of pink in his cheeks. 

Max just smiles at him and squeezes his hand under the table. "You will get there too," she assures him. "And then Erica will be on your case all the time when your...partner..." she says quietly, not daring to voice her suspicions aloud, "has to hold you back from jumping under a car because you're too caught up in sketching." 

Will snickers and Max joins in, giving his hand one final squeeze. "I'd like that," he says, his eyes bright, just like their future.

#steddie #domestic steddie #steddie drabble #steddie ficlet #strangerthings #stranger things #strangerthingsdrabble #steve harrington #eddie munson #will byers #erica sinclair #steve x eddie #hellfire club #max mayfield

[poemsfor-her]

A GUIDE TO FINDING YOUR OWN STYLE: PART. I Y2K ୨୧ ׅ ۫ 𖹭

The Y2K Era became well-defined by 1997, replacing the Core '90s Era which had been known for its grittier aesthetics such as Grunge. The Spice Girls' single "Wannabe" was released in the U.S. and gained international popularity, leading to a new era in teen pop. Y2K fashion calls back to the biggest trends of the late 90s and early 2000s. It blends the pop culture of the millennium with bright colors and kitschy aesthetics to create an unapologetically maximalist look. One of the key fashion points of the y2k wave are: low raised jeans, crop tops, small handbags and mini skirts. POC POPULARIZED THE STYLE. The fashion icons of the y2k era were Destiny's child, Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and Christina Aguillera.

I. TYPES OF THE Y2K STYLE ୨୧ ׅ ۫ 𖹭

1. CYBERCORE

Y2K (also known as Kaybug or Cybercore) is an aesthetic that was prevalent in popular culture from roughly 1997 to 2004, succeeding the Memphis Design and Grunge eras and overlapping with the McBling, UrBling, Surf Crush, and 2K1 aesthetics. Named after the Year 2000 problem, it is characterized by a distinct aesthetic period, encapsulating fashion, hardware design, music, and furnishings shining with tech optimism—sometimes literally. Some of its aspects include tight leather pants, shiny clothing, silver eye shadow, spiky up-dos, Oakleys, gradients, translucence, and Blobitecture. Most Y2K aesthetics rely on the use of technology and slick futuristic looks, signaling the optimism for the 3rd Millennium or 21st Century. The Y2K Era ended around 2004 and was succeeded by the Frutiger Aero era. This style is full of mostly gray, blue, green and black colors. One artist that i think perfectly describes the cybercore concept are XG in their newest concept photos alongside with AESPA that can sometime miss the concept they mainly do.

2. MCBLING

The McBling aesthetic went into full swing around late 2004 with the release of the movie Mean Girls, the popularization of Myspace, the popularization of emo via Green Day's American Idiot, the phasing-out of 2K1, the iPod becoming a huge status symbol via Apple's silhouette ad campaign, the premieres of Laguna Beach and Lost, and Gwen Stefani starting her solo career, further hastening the end of the Y2K era. McBling was concurrent or overlapped with a number of other 2000s aesthetics, such as UrBling, Surf Crush, 2K7, and Frutiger Aero.This led into the ElectroPop 08/Hipster/Jersey Shore Era, which lasted from about 2008 to 2013. On social media in recent years, the McBling aesthetic has grown in popularity, albeit it is often lumped with or mistaken for the Y2K aesthetic. The colors of this style are: pink, white, silver and gold.

3. DARK Y2K

Instead of lighter and brighter colors, like pinks and pastels, the Dark Y2K aesthetic heavily revolves around colors like black, grey, deep blue, dark purple, and dark green. However, hot pinks are also seen in Dark Y2K fashion. The Dark Y2K visual focuses on freedom and youth, and rebelling. Visuals that are typically seen in the aesthetic are low-rise jeans and belts, with lipgloss and sometimes even glitter eyeshadow. Some of the styles worn could even be viewed as provocative.The 2003 film Thirteen can be seen as an influence to Dark Y2K fashion and visuals, with its main characters wearing cropped tops, low-rise jeans with a noticeable thong, and studded belts. The main characters are also seen rebelling and sneaking out, and getting tongue and bellybutton piercings.

II. MOVIES AND TV SHOWS TO WATCH

1. Y2K

— bratz: the movie

— fast and furious

— clueless

— any bratz content

2. CYBERCORE

— men in black

— the matrix

— charlie's angels

— x-men

— any superhero movie

3. MCBLING

— mean girls

— white chicks

— wild child

— the house bunny

— legally blonde

4. DARK Y2K

— twilight

— jennifers body

— skims

— thirteen

— girl, interrupted

III. SONGS TO LISTEN TO

1. Y2K

— devil - slayyyter

— gimme more - britney spears

— summertime - flo

— sugarcoat - natty

— attention - newjeans

— tokyo drift - teriyaki boyz

2. CYBERCORE

— stereo love - edward maya

— lovefool - the cardigans

— hello kitty - slayyyter

— any hyperpop song

3. MCBLING

— rumors - lindsay lohan

— faboulous - sharpay evans

— he said she said - ashley tisdale

— queencard - gidle

4. DARK Y2K

— all the things she said - t.A.T.u

— bang, bang, bang - soho dolls

— take me away - avril lavinge

— brutal - olivia rodrigo

— no celestial - le sserafim

— teen idle - marina and the diamonds

information provided by aesthethics.wiki

with love, 𝒯

#y2k aesthetic #pink pilates girl #affirm and persist #affirmations #gossip girl #law of assumption #it girl #self growth #self love #gaslight gatekeep girlblog #girlblogging #y2kcore #y2k #mcbling #cybercore #self development #self help #self improvement #self care #fashion #bratz doll #bratz #dark y2k #wonyoungism #jennie #newjeans #lana del rey #gaslight gatekeep girlboss #this is a girlblog #this is what makes us girls

[scotianostra]

On 13th April 1719 a small Spanish force, believing itself to be part of a much larger invasion planned for England to return the Jacobites to power, landed in Loch Duich, east of the site of what is now Kyle of Lochalsh.

The little known 'Little Rising’, saw a force of 300 Spanish soldiers land and combine with less than a thousand Highlanders, under George Keith, the 10th Earl of Marischal, William Mackenzie, the 5th Earl of Seaforth Lord George Murray and John Cameron of Lochiel.

The plan had been hatched by King Philip of Spain and Italian Cardinal Alberoni as a diversion to help in the campaign to restore Spanish power and territories ceded to the British following the Treaty of Utrecht. The Spanish force should have been much larger, but much of it had been destroyed by a storm. Added to this Highlanders did not join the Jacobites in the expected numbers, However, the Jacobites made their base at Eilean Donan Castle and intended to capture Inverness. Unfortunately, Hanoverian ships shelled the castle and the only battle was at Glen Shiel two months later when the Jacobites were defeated by a Government army led by General Joseph Wightman.

This uprising is often overlooked, the only “major” action was on June 10th at the Battle of Battle of Glen Shiel, more of that in a couple of months.

A wee added note to this, it was during this time that Eilean Donan was destroyed by Government ships bombarding it the ruined castle was abandoned until 1912 when it was purchased by Lieutenant-Colonel John MacRae-Gilstrap. Rebuilding was undertaken between 1914 and 1932 and it was at this time that a bridge was built to link the island to the shore. The pics shows how the castle looked in the two centuries between these events and the restoration, and the ruin, as it was.

#scotland #scottish #history #jacobites #the stewarts

[merovingian-marvels]

Donarkeule / Donar hanger

A surprising amulet from the Germanic age is the “Donar club” also known as “Hercules club”.

Undeniably from Roman heritage, the Greek hero turned god in Ancient Rome was very popular.

Club shaped pendants spread across Europe during Roman campaigns. They were made of metal and worn by men. The Batavi who originally cooperated with the Romans assimilated Hercules with their god Magusna (=the powerful). Although considered a Germanic tribe by most, the Batavi are more associative to Gallo-Romans.

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Celtic culture disappeared completely from central Europe.

The Germanic groups that moved in assimilated Hercules Magusna with their god who had similar qualities: Donar (Thor).

It is too far fetched to say that Thor is Hercules, as Scandinavia was never occupied by Roman forces, and despite Hercules clubs being found in England, Donar clubs never made it across the North Sea. The phenomenon is strictly limited to the shores of the Elbe river and Frisia.

Germanic clubs are stylized and very rarely made out of metal. Most often they are made out of bone or antler and decorated with circular motives. They were worn exclusively by women as a chatelaine on a metal ring strung on their belt. Some believe they might have doubled as earrings/temple rings (but I have found no proof of this).

It is unknown why this pendant didn’t make it across the North Sea or even beyond the Elbe. Statements that the Thor hammers from Scandinavia served as replacements is shallow, as the pendants are drastically different from each other.

Fries Museum, Leeuwarden, Friesland - The Netherlands

Museum nr 145-60

Found in Greater Frisia

#frankish #merovingian #viking archaeology #archaeology #carolingian #charlemagne #field archaeology #viking mythology #merovingian archaeology #germanic mythology #norse mythology #anglo saxon #field archaeologist #odin #viking #frisian #vikings #germanic #germanic folklore #germanic archaeology #germany #Elbe #Frisia #greater frisia #Ancient Rome #Roman invasion #Hercules #herakles #greek mythology #roman mythology

[capseycartwright]

to be irish is to leave -

i know this, i’ve always known this. i was raised on stories of emigration and of new dreams: american, english, australian, dreams of a house of your own, cities bigger than anyone could imagine, a career you’d never get to have at home. the songs sung at the end of the night in cosy pubs were always lamenting - songs grieving those who left and never returned, songs that told stories of what it means to be irish: to leave, to build a new life elsewhere, and to still be irish at your very core. because we leave, we do, but we never shake off our irishness, finding community in corners of the world filled with other irish people, thousands of miles from home but finding solace amidst your loneliness with the neighbour who grew up ten miles down the road.

it’s no country for women - that’s what they used to say, why they left. it’s no country for young people, now. we say it, over and over - with your family, as they welcome you home for christmas. with your friends, over christmas pints, the conversation always turning to emigration - she’s left too, you know, to sydney, and there’s a gang of them in london, and he’s gone to canada. our hometown is quiet now, a generation emigrating all over again. they say that leaving is in our blood but it’s not there out of a joy travel and a desire to see the world - not just that, at least. no, no, leaving is in our blood because this country we love so deeply doesn’t love us back.

this country raised me - the green fields and rolling hills and waves crashing against the shore are all embedded deep in my DNA, the very core of who i am. this country raised me, it shaped me, it’s one of the biggest parts of who i am - irish, i say, when i’m asked when i’m from, even though i haven’t lived here since i was 22, even though i have built a life in another country and i don’t know if i see myself coming back. we all feel it - raised to so fiercely love a country that doesn’t love us back. “i’ll never afford a house here.” “i didn’t think i’d be living with my parents this close to 30.” “it costs too much to build a life here.” “if i want my dream job - i have to go.”

i have to go, i have to go, i have to go - i knew this from the moment i settled on a dream: a career i could never pursue in ireland the motivation behind the one way ticket i booked all those years ago. i love this country - we all do. i fought for the betterment of this country, i marched and i led campaigns and i voted over and over for a better future for the country i love so dearly: and still, i ended up standing in the airport, suitcases in hand, and i got on a plane and left. because to be irish is to leave - and so i left. i left, and built a life elsewhere, gave that love and passion to another place, and the ache for ireland lessens, day by day, but i still ache for home, ache to be able build a life in the land i love so much.

ireland will always welcome you home, is the thing - with wide open arms, and a bright smile. this year marked the seventh christmas i arrived home to a choir, to news cameras, to a rapturous reception of carols and clapping, strangers happy to see ireland’s children return home. ireland will always welcome us home - but she waves us off just as enthusiastically. january comes and the airport is full again - tearful goodbyes, suitcases of presents and all the home comforts you never learned to live without, and the plane always leaves: taking you back to the place you’ve built your new life, ireland in the rearview mirror.

you learn to live with the homesickness, rugby matches in irish bars and monthly drinks with familiar accents a salve for the part of your heart that will always ache for home: because to be irish is to leave, yes, but to be irish is to leave and to always long to come home to ireland’s shores. and to be irish is to know you might never come home at all.

#in which i ramble #me and my complicated feelings about emigration are back #my writing tag #complicated feelings i say as if anger isn’t the clear emotion in this

[shipwreckedwithcaptainmarrow]

- Santa Catalina Island: Treasure of Morgan’s Head -

Located just off the northern end of Providencia (known as Old Providence during the Golden Age of Piracy) is Santa Catalina Island, and upon the western shore is a notable rock formation named “Morgan’s Head”. The rock has been carved away by wind and wave, said to resemble a human face, and is named after Captain Henry Morgan; who used the island as a base of operations during his campaign against Panama in the 17th century.

Folklore persists that there is buried treasure on the island, deposited by Henry Morgan. One specific tale insists that there are chests of gold and jewels “underneath” Morgan’s Head, and the site is also of course haunted. According to that tale, there is a cave "just short of Morgan’s Head," and within he buried some loot he’d acquired from his raid of Panama in 1671. Inside, Morgan allegedly had four enslaved captives dig a ditch in which to bury the treasure, but would coldly behead each of them upon the completion of the task and toss them in as well, so that their souls may ‘guard against future interlopers’ until his return.

The claim of course states that Morgan never bothered to return to acquire the treasure, perhaps stemming from his relaxation and content governing Port Royal afterwards. Today, a well established, but often at times steep, hiking trail with many stairs can take you across the beautiful tropical island, and out directly to Morgan’s Head.

For similar buried treasure claims such as this, consider checking out my recently published book "Pirate Ghosts & Buried Treasures of the Southeast Coast," which includes many pirate-relevant tales from Florida to Virginia! Available now on Amazon, or signed copies by messaging this page.

(Pictured is an 1842 re-sketch of the period woodcut of Henry Morgan, a look at Morgan’s Head from the water to the south, a view from arriving to Morgan’s Head from the trail, a look out across the waters along the northern coast from Morgan’s Head, and the now-water-filled ‘Morgan’s Cave’)

#pirates #pirate history #pirate #captain marrow #shipwrecked with captain marrow #santa catalina #captain morgan

[zorlok-if]

Since at this point it would take a miracle for the fey campaign not to be one of the poll winners, here's some more information about my vision for the fey and their courts.

Gather your intel, bury your secrets, hide your weapons, ready your spells, don your regalia, and leave all your morals and inhibitions at the door, friends. The Gala Antheia is upon us once more, and the fun's about to begin...

Fey and the Feywild

The Feywild is magic incarnate and the source of all arcane power. It is a fantastical reflection of the mundane Material Plane and the fey are the beings who inhabit it. All fey are inherently magical but different fey have different specialties and interests. Fey that are like one another tend to flock together, and over time these biases led to the formation of nine fey courts—the six natural courts and three material courts.

Fey don't just use magic for power, they need it to sustain themselves. If their connection to magic is severed, fey creatures are fundamentally and irreversibly changed (they may perish, if they're lucky, or they may be transformed into someone or something else entirely). This need for magical control is a source of great strife and conflict and tends to exacerbate the courts' already complex relationships with one another.

The Natural Courts

The six natural courts are concerned solely with the Feywild. The physical courts and their members remain in the Feywild year-round and most hold strong prejudices against the inhabitants of the Material Plane, seeing non-magical creatures as trivial, inferior, or pathetic. The natural courts are almost always at war with at least one other court (if not more). The natural courts are:

The Seelie Court - magic centering around light and the sun, earth and dirt, warmth and drought (at their strongest in the summer)

The Unseelie Court - magic centering around darkness and moonlight, air and smoke, water and storms (at their strongest in the winter)

The Gloaming Court - magic centering around dawn and dusk, twilight and stars, fire and stone (at their strongest in the spring and autumn)

The Marine Court - magic centering around the sea and underwater life, creatures of the shores and the abyss (unaffected by the seasons)

The Faunal Court - magic centering around animals and beasts, notorious and curious shapeshifters (unaffected by the seasons)

The Sylvan Court - magic centering around plants and fungi, vines and flowers, myconids and some insectoids (unaffected by the seasons)

There are three sets of rivals, courts that despise one another and are constantly vying for dominance against one another:

Seelie vs. Unseelie, Gloaming vs. Sylvan, Marine vs. Faunal

There are also three sets of allies, courts that consider one another to be their closest supporters in their power struggles:

Seelie & Sylvan, Gloaming & Faunal, Unseelie & Marine

(I've literally drawn out a little Venn diagram looking thing for the court's main relationships)

The Material Courts

The material courts align themselves more with the Material Plane. They are still deeply invested in the Feywild and as concerned with magic as all other fey, but these three courts find themselves drawn to the nonmagical world and its inhabitants for various reasons. While these courts don't get along with one another, they are known to have shifting alliances with the natural courts and have been known to turn the tide in many a power struggle. Despite this, the natural courts tend to look down on the material courts due to their great interest in something the natural courts view as inherently lesser. Likewise, the material courts tend to see the natural courts as old-fashioned, pretentious, and lacking in vision and ambition.

The Court of Wonder - associated with grander, more impressive magic, thrives off of awe and worship, grants showstopping miracles and fantastical spectacle

The Court of Craft - associated with subtle, almost hidden magic, grants reprieve, pursues knowledge, driven by curiosity, creates unnoticed, everyday gifts

The Court of Ruin - associated with destruction and disruption, grants nothing and steals all it desires, driven by hunger and thirst, thrive off of chaos and frustration

The Anthesis and the Gala Antheia

The Anthesis is a surge of magic that occurs roughly once every two to three years. It doesn't follow a strict calendar and raw magic must be studied and observed overtime to predict when the next Anthesis will occur. The Anthesis is a boon to all fey because it provides a welcome, restorative supply of magic.

The Gala Antheia is a 15-day long festival celebrating the Anthesis. It is a time and place of "peace" where each court is invited to share and celebrate their unique perspectives, innovations, and talents. It is also the premiere spot for politics and matchmaking. The sidhe, the fey nobility, utilize the gala as an opportunity to strengthen connections with other courts and secure political deals, trades, secrets, and marriages. There is no better place for love and gossip. The Gala Antheia is also a time of jubilation and the parties thrown by the fey are uniquely absurd and chaotic.

All fey who run the gala are known as antheists and relinquish all ties and duties to their courts while setting up and running the event.

The first three days are run solely by the antheists and are meant to establish neutral, common ground. One day is then given to each court to showcase their best and demonstrate their power to the rest. The final three days are run by the antheists but are meant to be a synthesis of what each court has brought to the proverbial table.

In the fey campaign you would be able to play as a member of the sidhe (or perhaps one of their attendants) looking to further your own goals or the goals of your court through political moves, underhanded tricks, romantic arrangements, intimate entanglements, and more.

Images from Unsplash

#what characters would you like to see playing in this campaign? #dev? #ciel? #a/e? #others? #let me know :) #fey campaign #mythmaker #poll #follow up #lore #patreon

[mariacallous]

In his continued quest to become either the president of the United States or else a very interesting footnote to someone else’s reelection, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has enlisted a number of celebrities and influencers. On Tuesday, he expanded those ranks, confirming to The New York Times that he is “considering” NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers and former Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura for his vice presidential pick; Politico reported that he’ has also “approached” Senator Rand Paul, former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, and motivational speaker Tony Robbins.

But it was Rodgers and Ventura who drew the most attention from the press, and it’s their roles in the information ecosystem who most signal what Kennedy is doing. Outside of their careers in the NFL and WWE, Rodgers and Ventura are known for, respectively, promoting anti-vaccine views in conversations with sports podcasters and Joe Rogan, and promoting politically contrarian, occasionally conspiratorial views on cable TV and Substack. By publicizing his interest in them, Kennedy is making overtures to a very specific potential voter: the highly online and politically disaffected young man.

Kennedy, an environmental activist turned anti-vaccine superstar, is already running an extremely online campaign; as WIRED noted recently, the candidate is omnipresent on Instagram, podcasts, and Substack and has used influencers as proxies who will deliver his message to his niche bases. Over the past few months, Kennedy has been seen hanging out with snowboarder Travis Rice, naming a young and persistently bleached-blonde TikToker and aspiring musician named Link Lauren as a “senior adviser” on his campaign, and appearing at a Bitcoin conference.

Online is a comfortable environment for Kennedy, a dyed-in-the-wool conspiracy theorist who has promoted anti-vaccine views since 2005. Beyond his many and virulent anti-vaccine campaigns, he’s been especially willing to engage in conspiracy theories that are likely to go viral, most notably suggesting that the CIA may have assassinated his uncle, John F. Kennedy, and promoted long-debunked and extremely dangerous junk science about AIDS not being caused by HIV. He has also tried awkwardly to engage with the conspiracy theories about dead pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, on whose private plane he rode at least twice. In December he said that Epstein’s flight logs should be released, and tweeted, “I’m not hiding anything, but they are!”

His efforts to appeal to both a conspiratorial base and a more mainstream voting bloc have been occasionally clumsy, but persistent—and by shoring up his base among young men, who will be increasingly important this election year, he appears to be figuring out how to bridge that gap. One enormous help was, of course, his own appearance on Rogan’s podcast, where the two engaged in three hours of long-winded conspiracy theories about vaccines, 5G technology, and ivermectin, among Kennedy’s other greatest-hits talking points.

Kennedy’s interest in speaking to very online, purportedly “anti-establishment” spaces also means, necessarily, that the people he’s speaking to have a demonstrable overlap with the so-called manosphere, the broad group of bloggers, podcasters, influencers, and grievance-peddlers speaking to young men. Choosing to align himself with figures like Aaron Rodgers—a mainstream football star who has promoted increasingly fringe beliefs, and declared himself to be very brave for doing so—is an excellent way to appeal to the Venn diagram of young men and the conspiracy-curious, says Derek Beres. “It completely makes sense for what he’s doing.”

Beres is an author, speaker, and podcaster who’s one of the cohosts of Conspirituality, which looks at the overlap between New Age and far-right movements. In that role, Beres has observed Kennedy at close range for years and says, “One of the things that I don’t think is talked about enough but is really smart on RFK’s part is he’s been mobilizing fringe communities since he announced his presidential run.”

Neither Rodgers nor Ventura are what you would call politically serious choices; Rodgers has never held elected office, while Ventura hasn’t in 20 years. Neither man speaks to a base that Kennedy hasn’t already hit; in that role, Paul and Gabbard would make more political sense.

Instead, Kennedy is front-loading two men who the young male voter might find in a late-night TikTok or Instagram scroll and who are known for their own fondness for indulging in conspiracy theories and misinformation. Rodgers is best known lately for making misleading claims about being "immunized for Covid,” later revealing that he was taking fake homeopathic “vaccines,” and for appearing to suggest that late-night host Jimmy Kimmel might appear on a list of Jeffrey Epstein’s associates, for which Kimmel instantly threatened to sue him. He has also become a repeat guest on Rogan’s podcast; in his most recent appearance in February, he nodded along as Rogan claimed that Covid was created in a lab. On Wednesday, it was also reported by CNN that he’d shared Sandy Hook conspiracy theories privately, including in 2013, to Pamela Brown, one of the journalists bylined on the story.

For his part, after Ventura was governor, he had a show called Conspiracy Theory on the outlet TruTV. Clips from the show still occasionally go viral, especially ones purporting to show that the pandemic was “planned.” He then had a show on Russian state-backed news outlet RT America, which focused on purported American hypocrisy wherever he could find it. In a slightly awkward fit for Kennedy, Ventura also decried people who refused to wear masks early in the pandemic. (Kennedy spent a lot of time incorrectly but predictably claiming that mask-wearing was useless and in fact harmful.) Now, Ventura has a Substack with his son, where he delivers political commentary and wrestling stories, a move he claims he made after RT America unceremoniously dumped him for decrying the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

And most importantly, both Ventura and Rodgers—as outsize and slightly eccentric sports figures—are heroes largely to young men.

Kennedy, Beres says, “is playing culture war politics,” where someone like Aaron Rodgers would make sense; it’s part of his appeal, Beres says, to the mostly male-dominated online body-optimization space. In addition to doing shirtless pushups (in jeans, for some reason), Kennedy has also made numerous appearances with Aubrey Marcus, a fitness influencer and motivational speaker who has been one of his most enthusiastic proxies. The two men are appearing together this weekend at the grandiosely named American Wellness Summit, a Kennedy campaign event just outside Austin, Texas, where the cheapest tickets are a $1,500 campaign donation.

“We’re in a cultural space where you have Donald Trump, who in the past said that exercise depletes your body,” Beres explains. “Then you have a big conversation around Biden’s age, which the right has been pushing and which has been effective in terms of their propaganda. And then you have RFK, who works out at Gold’s Gym and has been spotted there hanging out with Andrew Huberman,” an astonishingly popular neuroscience podcaster. “The optics alone are going to appeal to a young male crowd.”

For his part, Donald Trump has made his own bid for the young male vote’s affections, showing up at Sneaker Con to hawk $400 Trump-branded shoes, signaling his support for Bitcoin, getting (somewhat) into football, and showing up at a UFC match, where he mainly made headlines for appearing to ignore his own grandson. Joe Biden’s reelection campaign, meanwhile, recently got a coveted endorsement from a coalition of 15 Gen Z and millennial voting groups. But as an MSNBC opinion column noted last month, opinion polls seem to show Kennedy with a slim lead among voters 18–34. And as Gallup noted in January, Biden’s favorability ratings among young and non-white adults has fallen since he became president, while Kennedy has “majority-level favorable rating” across all major gender, race, and age groups. Gallup’s Lydia Saad noted that Kennedy could “appeal to that segment of voters who are resistant to Biden but are also not sold on Trump.”

Kennedy has enjoyed, however, some base of support among women for quite some time. The anti-vaccine movement is powered in large part at the grassroots level by mothers who wrongly believe that their choice to vaccinate their children led to them having conditions like autism; women can often be seen crying, cheering, and frankly swooning when Kennedy speaks in front of those audiences. One of his other prominent campaign proxies is an enormously popular celebrity and lifestyle blogger named Jessica Reed Kraus, better known by her online handle Houseinhabit, who is stumping somewhat equally for Kennedy and Trump. (Kraus, too, went viral for involving herself in two high-profile trials, once claiming that Johnny Depp had confided in her during his defamation trial against Amber Heard, as well as“covering” human trafficker and Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell’s criminal trial in a fairly sympathetic way.)

Despite that preexisting base of support, Kennedy has done very little to speak further to women, especially young women. After speaking at a recent libertarian forum, he declined to tell The Washington Post whether he would protect abortion access and said initially that he hadn’t read a controversial Alabama IVF ruling. (He later said he had reviewed it and “wholeheartedly” rejected the ruling.) He has said he would support a 15-week abortion ban and later said he wouldn’t, and he has called abortion “a tragedy.” Amidst all this waffling over a core issue affecting young women, he found time to meet with an anti-child-support advocate who presents it as a “war on men,” which was then released as part of a Blacks for Kennedy promotional video. (In his attempt to court Black voters, Kennedy did speak with a panel of women in Atlanta. Politico reported that the meeting was coordinated by Angela Stanton King, a former Blacks for Trump proxy who was pardoned by the former president in 2020 for a previous felony conviction.)

In a way, Beres says, Kennedy is campaigning more as an influencer than as a politician, displaying his lifestyle and his connections in a way that would also appeal to an isolated, online male crowd looking for models of how—and who—to be: “He nails an image,” Beres says, “that a lot of people don’t understand they need a lot of money and connections to acquire.” In the end, promoting a controversial athlete and an ex-governor turned blogger as vice-presidential picks may not signal a coherent political vision. But it does show an enormous hunger to engage with online spaces where the young and disaffected men gather, and wait to be shown the way.

[thisiswhyidonthaveatumblr]

Yo, I’m just devastatingly inspired by ACOFAF and so I’m putting together a lil mini campaign for my friends of A Previous Bloom and since only like two of them have actually watched all of ACOFAF I went ahead an made a little guide sheet of the courts to help them decide what PC’s they want to create in what courts for inspiration. Most of the courts are the ones we hear about in canon BUT I did make a few courts myself and one unaffiliated ‘house’ akin to the House of the Wing.

Anyway here’s my lil sum ups with some spoilers if you haven’t finished yet. The canon ones are based off extrapolated info with a little of my own flavor thrown in for some of them. Timeline wise, this Bloom takes place BEFORE the one in ACOFAF so I’m taken some liberties because I wanna play with the Court of Craft in it’s prime or at least before it’s decline

Goblin Court- A court of ruin, rapscallions, and rumpus! Known for its adherence to a chaotic doctrine and a strict loyal hierarchy. Ruled by their Goblin King and watched over by lords and ladies, the greatest of all being their nastiest and most lovely Countess Grabalba. Rumor has is it, she is looking for a love match at this bloom.

Court of Hoof and Claw- Something of a lesser known court, not for their lack of power and prestige but for their reluctance to leave the wild to dwell in the world of politic. All members of the court may take several forms. The first a predominantly humanoid form where they might interact with their fellow fey, the second a wholly animal form so they might satiate their wanderlust for the wild, their last and most dangerous form is one that straddles a line between the two, a feral form with the power of a beast but the mind of a man. Rumor has it, in this form no member of this court can be reasoned with if angered.

Deepwater Court - a sister court to the court of seafoam. They rule over all that lies beneath the ocean surface and dwell within the deep water Where no light touches Rumor has it this court is losing power to the seafoam court as algae grows further into the deep choking out what little oxygen swells within.

Seafoam Court - a sister court to the deepwater court. This court rules over the sandy shores and waning and waxing tide pools. The host of the previous bloom this court rides high on the reputation of its previous success. Rumor has it that they gain strength with a moon’s cycle, and to threaten a member of this court on the full moon is a decision made under great folly.

Trickster Court - A treasured ally of the goblin court, this court is known for pranks both fair and foul. They delight in bringing the prideful low and seeing the underdog triumph. Rumor has it, if you can convince a member of the trickster court of your cause mysterious accidents may befall your enemies.

Court of Wonder- Sister court to the court of craft, this court uses magic to perform feats mortals might call ‘miracles’ in order to instill wonder in those around them. Rumor has it, those who dwell in this court are ashamed of their association with the court of craft, considering their works lesser in comparison to their own.

Court of Craft- A sister court to the court of Wonder. A very small court that is much more relaxed and less hierarchical than the Court of Wonder, known for their ability to create items from recycled and lost things. Rumor has it, their magic is waning.

My Courts and houses (I made these to just go buckwild in lore building with my players lol)

The Court of Coin- Known for its rich extravagance. Those who reside in this court must pay tithes and tribute but also live in a fashion that reflects the ‘virtues’ and values of the court, often to the point of excess. Rumor has it, the court is actually a scheme being run by its leading archfey.

The House of Teeth - A house split off from the Unseelie Court after the one who would become their founder was banished for rebelling against the Unseelie Queen. Known as a court of monsters who must consume flesh or blood of mortals--And rumor has it, other fey.

Court of Moon and Stars -  While the Unseelie Court rules over the realm of total shadow, The Court of Moon and Stars rules over darkness that can only be properly beheld under the faintest of light. Rumor has it, this court supplied the poison weapon used in a failed attempt on the Unseelie Queen's life by an unknown rogue faction.

#acofaf #acofaf spoilers #dimension 20 #a court of fey and flowers #a court of fey and flowers spoilers

[ltwilliammowett]

Storsjöodjuret- the Great Lake Serpent

There are many sea monsters that are at work in different regions of the world, and this time there is a kind of sea serpent which lives in the lake Storsjön in Jämtland Sweden.

Storsjöodjuret - The Great Lake Monster (x)

The creature is called Storsjöodjuret which can be simply translated as great lake animal. In Latin it is called Hydogiganta Monstruidae Jemtlandicum. But what is it exactly? It is said to be a sea serpent with a dog's head. The first descriptions of it date back to 1635, but there are probably much older oral accounts of this snake. This first description goes back to Morten Pedersen from Herdal, who reported about a monster in the lake that was banished thanks to the Frösö runestone and can therefore no longer do any harm.

The Försö Rune Stone with the Serpent (x)

“A strange animal with a black wormlike body and catlike head jumped out of the cauldron and disappeared into the depths of lake Storsjön. The animal enjoyed the the lake, grew immensely and caused horror among the people living around the shores. Finally, it had gotten to the point where it was long enough to reach around the island Frösön and could bite itself in the tail.”  Morten Pedersen (x)

It is said to have strangled people and hunted the fishermen who fished there. Until 1857, this was all that was reported about the animal, but from then on, sightings were reported. In 1857, according to some newspapers, miners from the nearby mine saw the creature with a cat's head. Until 1899, there were a total of 22 sightings, which were collected by Peter Olsson. He himself was a naturalist and tried to explain the animal naturally and suspected that it could be a not yet known marine mammal which could have gotten lost there (similarities to Nessy are not to be denied) and he described it as follows, it was snake-like with a dog-like head, fins as ears and several humps or spines on its back. This scared some people and so in 1894, after about 500 sightings, there was a capture campaign, which was even supported by King Oscar II.

One of the big traps with which one tried to catch the serpent (x)

However, this failed and so nobody knows what kind of monster it is and when it will be seen again, because since then it has kept a very low profile. But the locals have taken their monster to their hearts and say it is a friendly monster which has even been protected by law since 1986. 

#naval history #well it is more a local folklore #sweden #seamonster #serpent #great lake monster #17th -today #age of sail

[keplercryptids]

[image description copied from alt text: screenshots of a canyon, volcano and jungle from a fantasy map, all of which have been rendered and shaded.]

just lil map details i'm proud of today.

#jd arts #jd&d #known shores campaign

[thetruearchmagos]

Straight Shooters: Marksmen Of The UC Army

Hey folks! I've been having some fun with graphics, and this post's a little bit of a teaser to what promises to be a very long, and has already been a very difficult to make, resource on some of the units of the United Commonwealth Army.

Tagging, if I may @athenswrites @hessdalen-globe @caxycreations @thatndginger @theprissythumbelina @avrablake @maskedemerald

Size: Team of Six.

Purpose: Reconnaisance, Observation, and Execution.

Skilled, accurate shooting has been a point of pride for the United Commonwealth Army since its inception. This legendary proficiency was best exemplified by those handpicked few who earned for themselves and their units the moniker of Marksman.

---

------ Origins ------ The 'marksmen' of the modern Army draw their roots from the Light Infantry of the old "Armies of the Coalition", in the days of black powder and thick ranks and before the creation of the single, unified Army of the Commonwealth. While these soldiers were still chosen for an exceptional skill in sharpshooting, their deployment as skirmishers at the leading edge of a line of battle distinguishes them from the breed unto their own that were the Marksmen of the UCA. The term and what it meant would change with the ages, but the trade of sharpshooting would come into its own in the various peacekeeping crises and operations that were the bread and butter of the Army throughout the 60's A.S., a mere twenty years after its formation as a unified service. These conflicts would see a fundamental shift in the way the Army fought and organised itself, and the need for change was brought to the forefront after the disastrous fate of one expedition conducted on Commonwealth soil, in the Battezid Empire. Among the many changes instituted throughout the era was the formal codification of Marksmen as their own discrete, distinct trade within the overall structure of a battalion of infantry, and their removal from the traditional linear structure of infantry battalions in the field of combat. Instead, the newly created field manuals dictated the creation of specialised sections of Marksmen independent of the 'bulk' of a battalion's bayonet strength, and specifically trained to conduct highly independent, flexible activities in support of their parent battalions.

---

------ The Issue At Hand ------ The catalyst for these reforms was the Fremont Report, the product of a deep-cutting inquiry conducted in the wake of the fiasco that was the Siege of Pazotin. In the analysis of that battle and the broader peacekeeping campaign leading to it, one key deficiency diagnosed in the eyes of the board of inquiry was the shoddy state of the Army's intelligence, reconnaissance, and observation functions at the battalion level and below. Groups of irregulars numbering over a hundred each and making use of their knowledge of the complex local terrain had caught entire outposts off-guard, enabling the groups to overpower the outnumbered and surprised defenders without a hope for reinforcement. The lack of timely, useful intelligence had made itself acutely known well before the siege. Over the course of the UC's peacekeeping duties both within Battezid and on foreign shores, the conventional doctrines surrounding scouts and cavalry had proven entirely ineffective at rooting out criminals, separatists, and other irregular forces, however useful they may have once been at keeping track of an enemy army in the field. A number of factors went into explaining these failures. One criticism levied against those existing scouting forces was their total lack of discretion. Enemy settlements and concentrations usually had hours of advance notice of Commonwealth advanced guards and scouts before they flooded into an area, as the troops of cavalry or columns of marching patrols did little to conceal their movements and their sheer size made them easy to keep tabs on. Furthermore, as much as the Army could claim and tell itself that it had control over wide areas of territory, few troops were allowed to stray beyond the walls of their scattered forts and outposts, making constant surveillance, especially at night, more myth than fact anywhere out of sight of a base’s watch towers. Lastly, the patrol routes and paths taken by UC patrols or convoys were well known to any who bothered to keep track, and shortly after the necessary materials had been provided by Fuhrati smugglers many would be well mined or otherwise prepared for ambushes.

---

------ In The Field ------ One recommendation made to remedy this deplorable state of affairs was inspired by the comparatively successful experiences of another battalion. The 1st Stretport Guards Rifles was one of the earliest battalions to arrive in Battezid, and had spent an unusually extended period of time on deployment to the region. Fortunate itself to never have encountered as daunting a crisis as that which had faced the 2nd Tomikawa at Pazotin, it had still suffered the same creeping attrition and infuriating lack of success which marred the experiences of nearly every battalion in the southeastern provinces. However, its soldiers and commanders were apparently a more creative cohort than their peers, and operating with the usual sort of independence afforded to experienced battalions had crafted a solution to their issue. At the behest of its commander, Lieutenant Colonel - and future divisional commander in the Chainbreaker War - Malcolm Wyett, every platoon in the battalion’s ranks was to submit its six best shooters to his headquarters for a special assessment. There, they underwent a specialised training course in the field of observation and an early version of camouflage supposedly inspired by Wyett’s favourite pastime of  hunting, and issued field binoculars and primitive optical scopes for their rifles. After this abbreviated course, each group would be sent back to their platoons, with a handful of the top performers kept at battalion headquarters under the direct supervision of Colonel Wyett. Once returned, these soldiers were not reintroduced into the ‘Lines’, which made up the bayonet strength of the platoon. Instead, they remained an independent ‘Section’ under the direct control of the Platoon Commander, though they were just as often assigned to the Company’s headquarters where needed. These Sections were given considerable independence, and the Sergeants who commanded them were encouraged to spend as much time as possible beyond their camps. They would spend days, even weeks on end in the field, positioning themselves on terrain features that granted them good views across their platoon’s or company’s sectors, and simply keep tabs on the comings and goings of everyone in sight. While their skilled shooting was a point they were selected for, those on such missions were specifically instructed to hold fire, simply noting down contact reports and submitting them to their commanders at the end of the day.

---

------ Silver Sniper's Bullet? ------ By these methods the battalion had steadily chipped away at illicit activities within its area of operations, and more than halved its casualty rate on routine patrols. Now with a tool that allowed his troops to go into the field in a state other than blindness, Wyett resolved to take more aggressive action. Civilian authorities, whose work had been much eased by the diminished violence, had been a key source of intelligence for the Colonel before, and now informed him of a massing of separatist forces within his jurisdiction in preparation for an uprising at a scale to replicate the disaster at Pazotin. The call was put out to 11th Regiment HQ, 1st Stretport’s superior formation, for reinforcements, but Wyett had no intention of sitting still and waiting for what was to come. Bringing together thirty of the most successful marksmen from across the battalion under his headquarters, the assembled force devoted itself to close observation of the gathering threat. Over the course of many days, the battalion’s intelligence picture grew, supplied through multiple avenues but with Wyett’s marksmen among the most prominent. When the time came to drop the hammer, these sharpshooters would put their skills to good use in putting down those they had identified as being particularly important leaders in the separatist camp. Instead of facing down a unified, well organised force with the element of surprise, the uprising would be nipped in the bud, reduced to a disorganised force scattered before the assembled battalion in a full strength raid against its camps and gathering places. When the dust settled and the last few bands were rounded up, Wyett’s soldiers had good reason to feel accomplished. As successful as the 1st Stretport’s example proved to be, there had been countless times when lessons were learned, put to use, and just as soon forgotten with passing leadership and rotated units. This time, though, the need for change was too obvious and too dire in the eyes of a suddenly incensed top brass to ignore, and in what could very well have been a hasty decision the good work of the 1st Stretport would become the template for a revitalised peacekeeping force. The freshly appointed commander of the Battezid Military District, Lieutenant General Mazhar Ayberk, would play a key role in promoting these reforms across his command, with his staff and himself doing much to overcome the material deficits and institutional inertia that had long stymied the process of military change.

---

------ The Trade ----- What made a marksman was a great deal more than their shooting skills. Above all, operating without the direct supervision of officers or with clear lines back to friendly forces, a high degree of autonomy and self sufficiency was demanded of those who wished to become marksmen. Small ‘sections’ developed closely knitted teams, and for the sake of success under constantly shifting circumstances required them. As the eyes and ears of their parent battalions or other formations, patience and good judgement generally overcame aggressiveness, for marksmen had to remember that their job was to enable the activities of the unit as a whole, not just their own. To do their work marksmen were variously equipped, just as much determined by what was at hand as by what fit best. The recently standard issue "Pinpricker" Model 48 bolt action - forefather of the Model 62 that the UC Army would one day enter the Chainbreaker War with - did the sharpshooter's job well enough, and each in a team of two carried their own rifle. More important than the gun itself, however, were the scope mounted to it, and the field binoculares issued. These were what allowed the watchful observers to surveil their domain, and a lucky few units received a highly experimental lumi-crystal lense attachement that granted limited low-light vision with a clear enough night or soon enough after sun down. Finally, as highly independent troops marksmen had to look after themselves, unable to rely on the static and reliable supply chains that kept their Line comrades sustained. When going into the field, the recommendation in Wyett's battalion was for each sharpshooter to carry enough food for a three day stint, field camping equipment for both of them, maps and other navigation gear, and a spare set of boots. These soldiers would be doing a great deal of walking, in between long sessions of sitting very still and pretending not to be there.

---

------ Finishing School: Castle Almakand ------ The lesson carefully learned by the early marksmen of the 1st Stretport, and the first handful of battalions instructed to emulate their work, had been immensely valuable in their own right. Keen to capitalise on a successful venture, General Ayberk was given the latitude to create a common course and programme for the training of marksmen. The old imperial fort at Castle Almakand was selected to host the trainers, made up of the first grade of sharpshooters across Ayberk’s command, specifically to train cadres of marksmen from recently arrived battalions and to provide the insight into how things really were at the green troops new home. In a time when the professionalised, standardised systems of training and doctrinal development were in their infancy for a young Army, this particular policy would do much to make sure ‘new’ soldiers would learn the same lessons and gain the same insight of their veteran comrades without having to pay the same price in blood.

#worldbuilding #writeblr #writing #my writing #my worldbuilding #writeblr stuff #let me tell you #I cut a lot from this one #mostly because a lot of it really didn't fit and if I'm honest was only added #because I wanted to get it out now instead of at a more appropriate place #this was also tiring for me to make #and I hope I don't scare too many people off with it

[dailyoriginalcharacter]

Once a member of a ragtag group of misfit pirates, Eror awoke on the shore of a mysterious land without his right eye and with a gray streak in his hair after what was assumed to be a massive storm wrecked his ship. Upon searching for his lost friends, things took an unexpected turn when he discovered no one can recall them.

Learn more about Eror at @teamyell and his page on my OC website

Born into a family of wealthy executives, Eror’s life had been meticulously planned for him long before his conception. Both his parents were devout believers in the ideal that one’s destiny is laid out for them from the moment they are brought into existence. Needless to say, it was a shock to everyone when their only child was proclaimed to have been born under a “black star”, an eclipse; an unmistakable omen of ill fate.

With the burden of taking over their family’s business loomed above him at all times as well as a lingering reputation as a walking bad luck charm, Eror struggled to keep up with their family’s sky high expectations. For their entire childhood, this inadequacy was constantly thrown into his face and used to try and pressure them to do better. But all Eror dreamt of was a quiet life, where he could simply exist in peace without all the rules and obligations.

As much as Eror tried to be the perfect child, they found that from the start they were always doomed to fail. As this became clearer to him, his faith in the gods began to wane. Eventually, things reached a boiling point during a particularly heated argument with his father. Years of pent-up rage rose to the surface, resulting in a blinding burst of light which rendered their father unconscious.

Panicked, they fled the estate, taking refuge in a trading caravan headed towards a port city. There, he found himself spontaneously recruited into a crew of pirates. Finding himself able to live freely for the first time in their life, Eror slowly warmed up to his newfound family as they taught him the ropes.

One day, tasked with smuggling a strange artifact to a specific location, an eclipse shadowed the sky as the ship was sunk. An unknown period of time later, Eror awoke on the shore, where he discovered no one could remember him or his crew.

eror is a character i created a couple years ago with the intention of playing him in a dnd campaign! while i did get the chance to do so on a miniseries that was livestreamed, i keep coming back to them because i LOVE their backstory and design so much.

the inspiration behind his entire concept is the tarot card The Tower. The Tower typically represents a very strong force of change uprooting you and sending you for a loop. essentially, the “tower” of comfort and protection you’ve built up around you crumbling to pieces.

i also designed their pirate crew too!

SOLANE:

The supposedly no-nonsense captain of the ship. Once you are around her for a little while, it becomes clear that she’s actually softer than she looks. She’s fond of taking in underdogs, so her crew is typically known for being a ragtag group of weirdos.

KHES:

Solane’s second in command, quartermaster and gunner, she’s the one that keeps everyone on task at the end of the day. Doesn’t speak much (if at all) but those muscles speak for themselves.

JERICHO:

The navigator of the ship, he’s fascinated by the stars and the night sky. You can catch him gazing through his telescope most nights. He dreams of being a world-renowned astronomer someday. The others like to poke fun at him for being the (physically) weakest crewmember. 

MATTHEW:

The carpenter, they are of the mindset that actions always speak louder than words. They have a very “work hard, play harder” sort of attitude, and can be weak to the vices of the city. (Mainly women and drinking.)

#OC #teamyell #Eror

[scotianostra]

On 13th April 1719 a small Spanish force landed in Loch Duich, close to what is now Kyle of Lochalsh.

The little known ‘Little Rising’, saw a force of 300 Spanish soldiers land and combine with less than a thousand Highlanders, under George Keith, the 10th Earl of Marischal, William Mackenzie, the 5th Earl of Seaforth Lord George Murray and John Cameron of Lochiel.

The plan had been hatched by King Philip of Spain and Italian Cardinal Alberoni as a diversion to help in the campaign to restore Spanish power and territories ceded to the British following the Treaty of Utrecht. The Spanish force should have been much larger, but much of it had been destroyed by a storm. Added to this Highlanders did not join the Jacobites in the expected numbers, However, they made their base at Eilean Donan Castle and intended to capture Inverness. Unfortunately, Hanoverian ships shelled the castle and the only notable battle was at Glen Shiel two months later when the Jacobites were defeated by a Government army led by General Joseph Wightman.

A wee added note to this, it was during this time that Eilean Donan was destroyed by Government ships shelling it, the ruined castle was abandoned until 1912 when it was purchased by Lieutenant-Colonel John MacRae-Gilstrap. Rebuilding was undertaken between 1914 and 1932 and it was at this time that a bridge was built to link the island to the shore. 

The pic shows how the castle looked in the two centuries between these events and the restoration.

#scotland #scottish #jacobites #uprisings. #history #spain #spanish

[gaypexredditor]

. . . I wanted to flag something a bit more substantive that I took away from Foer’s tale: a mostly overlooked leitmotif that I think is essential to understanding Joe Biden, and particularly his decision to seek re-election at an age most Americans are expected to be working on their golf handicap.

That characteristic is what my British colleagues call “chippiness” — a working-class resentment of so-called Ivy League elites who not only tend to populate Washington’s corridors of power, but (in the view of Bidenworld) condescend to those who went to lesser schools or failed to start their DC climbs on the correct rungs of the achievement ladder: federal court clerkships, White House fellowships, Capitol Hill legislative gopherships. Whether the Ivy Leaguers do condescend in this way is not really the issue. Biden has always believed they do, and long borne a chip on his shoulder about eking out his start at the University of Delaware and Syracuse Law School, where he barely made the cut after the bottom third of his first-year class was dropped from the programme.

No-one has provided a better window into that side of Biden than Richard Ben Cramer, the late Pulitzer Prize winner who wrote what is widely regarded as his generation’s greatest campaign book, What it Takes, about the 1988 presidential race. In one representative section, Cramer tells the story of Biden, then a newly elected Delaware senator, sitting in the backyard of a friend’s house in Wilmington, where a group of parents were discussing their children’s future:

Joe said: “Where’s your kid going to college?” One friend said: “Christ, Joe! He’s eight years old!” Another said: “Ahh, there’s a lot of good schools now.” “Lemme tell you something,” Joe said. And he wasn’t just shooting the shit. He had the clench in his jaw. “There’s a river of power that flows through this country . . .” His buddies rolled their eyes, but Joe acted like he didn’t see. “Some people — most people — don’t even know the river is there. But it’s there." “Some people know about the river, but they can’t get in . . . they only stand at the edge." “And some people, a few, get to swim in the river. All the time. They get to swim their whole lives — anywhere they want to go — always in the river of power." “And that river,” Joe said, “flows from the Ivy League.”

It is a chippiness that has marked Biden almost since he first arrived in Washington as a 30-year-old senator. Although he is now known for his regular malapropisms, the young Biden was then viewed — and often viewed himself — as a Kennedyesque “new generation” Democrat who rolled out soaring rhetoric and a common touch to connect with average voters. Unfortunately for Biden, that self-regard quickly labelled him a “showhorse” rather than a “workhorse”, in the Capitol’s overused shorthand.

It famously came crashing down in that 1988 race, when in an effort to shore up his working-class credentials, he appropriated the life story of former UK Labour leader Neil Kinnock, who had waxed poetic about being the first Kinnock in “a thousand generations” to go to university, after most of his ancestors worked in coal mines. No Biden, it turned out, worked in a coal mine.

But for me, the more telling incident from that campaign occurred months earlier, during the primary hustings in New Hampshire, when a potential voter — clad like something out of New England elitist central casting, in a beige jumper and wire-rimmed glasses — challenged Biden by asking: “What law school did you attend, and where did you place in that class?” Biden interrupted with a finger-jabbing tirade: “I think I probably have a much higher IQ than you do, I suspect,” he growled, before ticking off a litany of dubious academic achievements — some of which, it turned out, were not actually true.

It was Biden at his chippiest, and when the video resurfaced amid the Kinnock scandal, it helped sink his candidacy. In the aftermath of the disastrous 1988 campaign, Biden cast aside his Kennedyesque tics and turned himself into the prototypical “workhorse”, eventually graduating to become one of the giants of the Senate. He took over as the top Democrat on the foreign affairs committee in 1997, and through the next decade became a respected voice on American diplomacy and international affairs.

The reason all this is newly relevant is because of more recent history. Biden was able to change perceptions among many in Washington in the 30 years following the 1988 campaign. But among the Ivy Leaguers to whom Bidenworld still felt condescended was Barack Obama — or at least Obama’s White House team. They fitted all of Biden’s elitist stereotypes and, Foer informs us, would regularly dismiss his views, including on foreign policy.

“Back in the last Democratic administration, the inner circle around Barack Obama undervalued [Biden’s team], as they did [their] boss, for lacking the qualities that the in-crowd prized,” Foer writes. Foer is unsparing. He writes that Larry Summers, Obama’s Harvard-educated Treasury secretary, was “an elite whose respect Biden craved”; that longtime aide Ron Klain — Harvard Law, Supreme Court clerk, Capitol Hill legislative director — was one of Biden’s “meritocratic trophies” that he liked to collect: “While Biden proudly touted the fact that he went to a state school, he took pride in the Ivy Leaguers, like Klain, on his rosters.” And then there was Obama himself:

There was the tinge of class rivalry to their gibes. The lunch-pail cornball and the effete professor culturally chafing each other. Biden told a friend that Obama didn’t even know how to say fuck you properly, with the right elongation of vowels and the necessary hardness of his consonants; it was how they must curse in the ivory tower.

That rivalry — that chippiness — is relevant today as the Democratic political class once again goes through what veteran operative Jim Messina calls their regular quadrennial “bedwetting” over whether their man is the right one to run in November. Speculation (or at least wishful thinking) that Biden will stand aside for a younger, more energetic candidate remains rife. Profiles of Gretchen Whitmer, the highly popular Democratic governor of Michigan, are passed around at lightning speed. Even Foer himself has added to the navel gazing, saying in a recent interview that it “wouldn’t be a total surprise” if Biden dropped out.

But anyone who knows of Biden’s very large chip, particularly when it comes to Obama, knows what is motivating him: he wants to show the world that Amtrak Joe of Scranton, Wilmington and Syracuse can have a presidency just as successful — if not more so — than constitutional law professor Obama, late of the University of Chicago and the Harvard Law Review. That would require eight years, not four. He won’t drop out, for the same reason that those who predicted he would not seek re-election were wrong.