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nadas-dirthalen · 22 days ago

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A Veilguard Achievement Icon Opened My Eyes on 15 Years of Lore... but Was I Right?

PART ONE: Rambling First Impressions & Overview

[ 2 ]

Hello again, friends and travellers. Now that I've beaten Dragon Age: the Veilguard, I wanted to go through all those 30,000 words of predictions that I wrote in the ~11 days leading up to its release. I'd seen an achievement icon that pieced together a lot of Dragon Age lore for me.

But, I hadn't played Veilguard. All I had was the footage from September 19, the achievement list, and anything else BioWare had released.

So... was I right? And if so, how much was I right about?

This is your warning: This post will contain spoilers for the entirety of Dragon Age: the Veilguard, and all Dragon Age content made before Veilguard.

(no, this screenshot isn't a spoiler, I just like it.)

Welcome Back for Round Two. >:)

Stating right off the bat: I have only played Dragon Age: the Veilguard 1.5 times and so this collection is very, very incomplete. There's no way for me to learn every codex before they're even all on the wiki. If I've missed something, let me know!!

I don't know how many parts this is going to have. This has been a very fun, but very sleep-deprived week. Expect no sensible organization here; we're letting the ADHD reign!

That said, here's what I'm going to attempt to do:

A Recap of My Grand Theory: Solas was the Blight's Beginning, and Mythal was Responsible

How I Made My Predictions: A Study in Context and Pattern Recognition

What Did I Actually Get Right? (An Overview, Anyway)

Early Signs Veilguard Added to My Theories

A Recap of My Grand Theory: Solas was the Blight's Beginning, and Mythal was Responsible

I really don't have space to go in depth on what amounted to 30,000 words of theorycrafting (which still boggles my mind, how did I do that and still find time to sleep). Instead, I'll link every post and make a bullet point list of what big guesses I made in each.

Part One: Solas was created from spirit and lyrium, crafted in one of Mythal's lyrium coffins that we see both in the Temple of Solasan and Trespasser. That means that some part of him was part of a Titan, once. There were hints about this across all three preceding games, and these hints re-contextualize those games and their place in the Dragon Age narrative. The Titans are likely the Forgotten Ones, because Fen'Harel walked among both the Forgotten Ones and the Evanuris in his legends.

Part Two: The Mythal lullaby in Trespasser is the story of Solas' creation, specifically. Da'durgen'lin refers to 'little stone boy.' Solas' twice-used phrase Ar dirthan'as ir elgara, ma sula e'var vhenan is him speaking to lyrium itself, which he does both with Sera (ancient elvhen? andruil memory? people go into more depth on this than I ever do) and the Eye of Kethisca. Elven phrases and pieces of writing/song from everywhere point to Solas' backstory and are all possibly written/sung by Solas. The codices in the Temple of Solasan are also referencing his backstory. There is a larger narrative at work happening in the random elven literature we find, and it suggests a lot of things about the world.

Part Three: The Titans are definitely the Forgotten Ones—at least, part of them (more on that later). They have all been sundered. One part remains in the Abyss; the other in the Fade. The Fade, in fact, is every Titan's consciousness, all sundered by Fen'Harel. This is the "leg" that the wolf chewed off to "escape the trap": Solas' connection to ir sa tel'nal, isatunoll. This is why he loves the Fade: he's reconnecting with the consciousness he broke himself apart from. This is also why he has Titan/Stone magic. This is also why lyrium grows both in the Abyss and in the Fade.

• Oh, and spirits seem like they might be the thoughts of Titans.

Part Four: The Chant of Light tells the story of the Evanuris, from their manifestation as spirits to their mining of lyrium and war with the Titans to the Makers' creation of "everyone else." The archdemons and Magisters Sidereal are also explained in its verses. The Chant also suggests the Maker is a Titan whose mind and body are sundered, and that Andraste's hearing the "voice of the Maker" is her hearing the Titan's song.

Part Five: The tragedy of the Evanuris, part 1/3: Mythal is known to have mined people from lyrium. Elgar'nan probably sundered spirits, notably Dirthamen and Falon'Din. Falon'Din seems to have wanted to attack Titans that "belonged" to other Evanuris to gain more "worshippers" (lyrium people; slaves) for himself.

Part Six: The tragedy of the Evanuris, part 2/3: Sylaise probably made the Scaled Ones. June probably is responsible for not just lots of inventions, but the invention of the geas. Dirthamen's "secrets" are "thoughts" (spirits) forced into the bodies of his worshippers... and animals... and trees (AKA, he made a lot of abominations).

Part Seven: The tragedy of the Evanuris, part 3/3: the blight seems to be the Titans' defence against repeated attacks. Crucially, all of the Evanuris made the Titans this way... but Mythal made them that way first. The reason the Titans are "forgotten" now is because Mythal tried to erase all memory of them so that none would find the blight again. (She failed. Thanks, Andruil and Ghilan'nain).

Part Eight: The story of Solas, part 1/3: Solas came from an un-sundered world where both "mage magic" and "Stone magic" were the same thing. He was created in the Temple of Solasan, where "icy terror" became the first blighted Titan. Solas' existence was significant to the Evanuris because it suggested that one can survive the blight, and his moniker (the Dread Wolf) comes from the fact that he was a wolf (elven general) that came from the terror Titan (dread).

Part Nine: Since Solas' origin story is the start of the blight, then all of Solas' story from that point is not the story of just him, but the story of the blight. This signifies his place in Dragon Age's entire narrative, and also spells out what the overarching Point™ of the series is. Backed into a proverbial corner where none of the Evanuris would stop the things that angered the Titans, Solas' only choice was to sunder the Titans from their consciousness. He misses the Stone, also.

• He also imprisoned the Evanuris in Stone, something called "gangue" in Hissing Wastes codices.

• His ultimate goal is to return consciousness to the Titans, fixing the "wound" he made when the Veil went up.

Part Ten: The Inquisitor is special because their spirit is from the same Titan as Solas. The Breach is a threat because if the Veil comes down too soon, all the Titans will come back blighted and angry. The Veil disintegrating means all the Titans are waking anyway, little by little. The Dread Wolf shape is actually an aspect of Terror that can kill people with fear. The Evanuris who've been killed before have potentially had their spirits "recycled" and might be reincarnating into mortal people now. Oh, and a bunch of predictions on the companions, Solas/Mythal, etc, that I'll go over again down below.

How I Made My Predictions: A Study in Context and Pattern Recognition

I've had a lot of people ask how I... y'know. Did that. How one person could write 30,000 words of guesses in the week and a half before Veilguard, citing so many sources, and... not be that far off, probably.

Honestly the short version of this is, "I read the Chant of Light as it appears in World of Thedas, not with the canticles out of order like they are on the wiki, has anyone else done that?"

The longer version of this sounds even shorter, at first: I started playing Dragon Age games in March 2024, and I have ADHD.

Oh, and I'm a writer who's always been interested in game development, with dreams of maybe one day working in games or on video game IP. That helps shape my understanding of what games might need to accomplish, narratively, and the mechanisms they might use to accomplish those goals.

I was able to play all three games this summer. In fact, I finished Inquisition for the first time after Veilguard's first trailers this year, on June 26. What that means is that my first real experiences learning the finer lore of Dragon Age were all this year, and had the context of Veilguard's trailers. We knew we were getting a narrative followup to Trespasser, and so where did I center my focus? Trespasser. Everything I learned about Thedas, I tried to make sense in the context of Trespasser. Every piece of lore had to fit with Trespasser. Not just the environment of the Crossroads or the companions' banter, but what Trespasser was trying to teach us.

And most of its codices are about the Evanuris warring with the Titans. The Titans, who we'd just seen in Descent. The storytelling point of Trespasser was to make us question the nature and morality of Fen'Harel by giving us context about the Evanuris and their own history, then letting us ask for Solas' perspective on it.

That's the thing about Dragon Age. Very little of it is there pointlessly. Every level, every DLC, every codex, is there to teach you something. Even the smaller codices, which don't seem to mean anything tremendous, are there to teach you how to parse the voice of all the other codices. So even beyond the games, I asked myself: what is Tevinter Nights trying to teach me about how Thedas works? What is The Masked Empire teaching me? Is it the same? And what about World of Thedas, volumes 1 and 2, written from the perspective of Thedosian historians, deliberately written to misdirect the reader with the historians' biases?

Whatever I found had to work with what was promised in Veilguard: a controversial Solas. New understanding of the Evanuris. Harding's new magic. Regions of Thedas we never explored, and why those places would all matter.

Knowing the three act structure, as a writer, and knowing that ensemble casts all need to bring a puzzle piece of the grander theme into the main plot through their own personal quests, I had a vague skeleton of what I would need to find. The shape of the information I found would have to fit the world and the relationship dynamics advertised in the Veilguard. Origins would have to matter to the Veilguard; same with DA2; same with Inquisition. Despite the series being disconnected by featuring different leads, the worldbuilding is very much connected between instalments, and so Veilguard would have to be one logical step past everything that developed in Inquisition. (Nevermind a whole host of other criteria that honestly deserves its own post).

It's very hard to describe how the pattern recognition in some ADHD brains works. What I will say is... I noticed something. Every mistranslated elven codex where it deliberately says it has been mistranslated is an invitation for you, the player, to try and figure out what is correct. Everywhere that World of Thedas says that something must be preposterous to the historian narrating it is an invitation to ask yourself: could this be possible? How would that work?

Things like the linguistic overlaps between the elves and the dwarves are intentional. Words that are phonetically similar are far more often intentional than simple oversight. Every scrap of lore holds some significance.

Because in Thedas, every perspective is right, to some degree. Including the Chant of Light. Including ancient elvhenan. If you try and make them all reconcile with each other, and you've also done so in the context of the Veilguard, and you've also got ADHD and a near-photographic memory that is strongest with emotional memories and rules/systems? Well... You get me. You get 30,000 words of "one single picture of lyrium-spirit Solas cracked all of Thedas for me in the span of one mind-blown week while I power-read World of Thedas to check all my facts and essentially lived inside the Dragon Age wiki."

(AKA, you get Bellara in human form. Sorry, Bellara. It's rough out here. But now you, reader, know the reason that this blog was renamed nadas-dirthalen in late September—and why I, when I embraced my nonbinary identity, chose the name Lore for myself.)

And what was promised in Inquisition, as well as in Veilguard's marketing? The Evanuris, Titans, and the blight. They would all have to tie together—and they did.

What Did I Actually Get Right? (An Overview, Anyway)

I'm going to try and categorize this. Oh god. These are going to be such disorganized posts, but I want them done before much information comes out, so bear with me.

What I Got Right:

Solas and Mythal: Yep. He caused the blight; she made him do it. He created the Veil and wounded himself. They weren't romantic; they were trauma-bonded. She wasn't a paragon of good. They both tried to stop the blight anyway.

Sundered Spirits: The sweet, sweet vindication of learning that Dirthamen and Falon'Din were sundered all along. Thank you, BioWare. We also learned that this happened to the Titans (more on broader implications in the last category in this section).

Titan Stories In Elven: Bellara sang "Ir sa tel'nal Mythal las ma theneras" and my heart soared. :) My ego swelled. :) That's all the confirmation I need right now that I hit the nail on the head with the elven lullabies and Solas' backstory.

The Chant of Light Told the Story of the Evanuris: The demons that would be gods. We know now that all the Evanuris manifested physically from their original spirit forms. The Chant called it.

Mythal, Andruil, and Ghilan'nain's Roles in the Blight: Mythal created it, but wanted it sealed away; Andruil found it again; Ghilan'nain made it grow and grow.

Taash, a little? I hypothesized that fire-breathers might come from the Scaled Ones or otherwise have been engineered by an Evanuris. I know they were engineered for the purpose of war, but not by whom (I... think. Needs a replay to confirm).

Davrin: Yes! Davrin was the one who connected that Solas feels responsible for specifically the blight and conveyed that to the rest of the team. He questioned the nature of the Grey Wardens and helped to choose a path forward without any archdemons left.

Harding: Yup. Titan connection. Yup, our narrative path to finding out about angered Titans.

"Do We Win?/Do We Stop the Blight?" Well, in Solas' good ending, we do get what I thought we would: the Evanuris all gone, the Titans on a path to restoration.

What I Definitely Did Not Get Right:

VARRIC?!?! When I said, "If you know, you know. Lyrium dagger, dwarf. If you don't know, close your eyes and pretend you read nothing" — GUYS I THOUGHT VARRIC WOULD GET MAGIC HE REALLY HATED AND I CRIED LIKE A BABY WHEN I SAW WHAT HAPPENED :(

Lucanis: I really thought Spite would be a Forgotten One. However, it's stated a few times that Spite is not a run-of-the-mill demon, and Lucanis is not your average abomination. I wonder if there's banter I'm missing, or if something will happen with that in DA5. Poisoned fruit, and all that.

Emmrich: I really thought Emmrich would do world-changing "give all the spirits back to the Titans" stuff. I think my error with most of the companions is that I forgot how much information actually can feasibly fit into a game without it being 300 hours long or melting the brains of its players.

Neve: Nothin' happened with gangue mentions, or Archon mentions! I was way, way off with Neve.

The Eclipse: It did not have anything to do with the Bird Boy Evanuris™ :( But Elgar'nan moving the sun and moon was badass as hell, and I honestly loved Elgar'nan far more than even my highest expectations.

What I Haven't Gotten Right... YET:

Bellara….?????? Guys I thought there was a Dirthamen connection and they put a codex in the game that says specifically that Dirthamen held a fondness for frogs, same as Bellara. And then they gave her a brother who... ya know... was... presumed... dead... AKA, on the other side of the Veil... for a while... And then they gave that brother a sundered piece of Bellara's own vallaslin. John Epler, where are you going with this please I wanna KNOW, the Bird Boys™ occupy my mind at all hours. (But also? Surprise Forgotten One mention with Bellara, and surprise Anaris mention specifically, and I'm going to pat myself on the back for being so oddly focused on Anaris in my predictions.)

Chant of Light Confirmations: I actually have yet to see a single Chant of Light verse in Veilguard. I think they're saving that one for later, keeping it up their sleeves for the next games. The needle didn't move with confirming/denying anything in the Chant except for the Evanuris as spirits that manifested into physical shape and then sought to conquer the Titans.

Titans-as-Forgotten-Ones: For a time, I thought they disproved me on this, showing Anaris as a spirit, the "eighth" while the "sixth and seventh" roamed free. Showing Anaris craving a body to wreak his evil (?) machinations upon the world. But then I got to thinking, and I realized: they never said the Forgotten Ones are spirits, they just showed one being a spirit. What did they say about spirits in general, or the Titans' relation to the Fade in general?

Titans-and-Fade Connection: I theorized that the Titans' consciousness is the Fade, and the Veil is what keeps them all sundered. I theorized that spirits are thoughts, either floating around in the Fade or held in lyrium. For a long time in Veilguard, I thought I was being disproven. Solas' memories don't say that the Veil sundered all Titans, and they don't say that Titans' consciousness is the Fade, either. But, as I went through Veilguard, I realized... they also didn't not say it. And that's when I knew.

I have to go digging again. And after 8.5 days, here's what I think I've got. It's a start, but a promising one.

Early Signs Veilguard Has Added to My Theories

Remember how I said that there are very few in things in Thedas that are there for no reason? Well, Veilguard has given us plenty of tie-ins to previous material already, just with the stuff I remember off-hand from the past week, no wiki entries to go by yet.

(Please bear in mind that I have had this game for 8 days and this is just barely scratching the surface of its content!)

Let me re-examine some of the things I mentioned above:

Titans-as-Forgotten-Ones

The Nadas Dirthalen's very first word is Sulahn'nehn. Remember how I said many things in Thedas are there intentionally, and that World of Thedas is a book made up of invitations to solve puzzles? This is no exception. World of Thedas states that, translated literally, this common word for "rejoice" actually means "sing again."

That word might be a rallying cry for the spirits of Titans who'd, I don't know... lost their song. A promise of plot to come, made a decade ago. Why else would they include that word, instead of anything more frequently used by characters/the fandom?

I also noticed: the Nadas Dirthalen looks to be contained in a lyrium crystal, specifically. We already know that lyrium is used to store memories! It may be that the Nadas Dirthalen, the inevitability of knowledge, was Anaris storing his knowledge and memories in an attempt to pre-empt the creation of the Veil. Nadas Dirthalen might be a promise: a promise that the Forgotten Ones will return to sing again, and that their knowledge and memories will guide them to victory.

But if I was going to hazard a guess that this is the case, I couldn't base my theory on just this line of dialogue.

Titans-and-Fade-Connection

First and foremost: Neve and a couple codices say that Solas' ritual to create the Veil went wrong. We all heard Solas cry out in pain at the moment of its creation!

Second: defeating one of the revenants, whose name is something like "The Slaughtered Pillars," made my ears perk up. I noticed in the combat with the Betrayal of Felassan that the dialogue lines are supposed to be Solas' regrets, given voice.

You wanna know what it says when you fight the Slaughtered Pillars?

"Light and song, stolen."

You wanna know what the Chant of Light refers to the Fade as? Three guesses. C'mon. :)))

That's right! Light! But why would the slaughtered pillars of the earth complain about their light AND song being stolen? Well—I'm guessing that their Light is the Fade; their consciousness. And without their consciousness, their dreams, all concept of isatunoll was lost to them.

When I heard this line, I threw out what I thought I had been told about the Forgotten Ones being spirits, not Titans. Now, I have a new idea (one that still needs verifying and much codex-reading): the Forgotten Ones are those sundered spirits that Solas severed from the Titans. The entire Fade being cut off from Thedas was an unintended consequence that hurt him as badly as it did the Titans he meant to put to sleep.

(We don't even know that he was in uthenera by choice, with how often he talks about being weakened.)

Suddenly, "Sing again," makes total sense as a rallying cry for Anaris and the Titans, both. I very much look forward to digging through the minutiae of every codex to see if I can find anything else that backs this up!

Terror/Horror Mentions

I need to really examine this one, ideally with the help of a wiki that doesn't quite exist yet for this game, to get all the exact lines. But I swear that fear is mentioned almost constantly in Solas' memories, and also a lot in conjunction with Anaris and with Harding's Titan.

I'm not letting go of my "Solas was crafted from Terror/Dread" theory. Not yet. Not yet.

Bellara and the Bird Boys™

I think BioWare's favourite game, at this point, is teasing us with sneaky little mentions of Dirthamen and Falon'Din. In Veilguard, we went to Zazikel's skeleton in the Cauldron. In Arlathan, owls were just... glowing. Everywhere. Why? I don't know! Rook also doesn't seem to know! But they mention it many times over, and that is always a cue for us to pay attention and ascertain why.

I don't know what Bellara's sneaky little connection to Dirthamen and Falon'Din could mean for the two sundered Evanuris. I don't know if it means that I'm right, and that Dirthamen escaped Fade Jail when Corypheus and the Magisters Sidereal entered the Black City. I don't know if it means that, when Dirthamen and Falon'Din died, their spirits fused back together (because... Mythal's didn't?).

I just know that this has worsened how I constantly search for the Bird Boys™ in everything. Something is happening here, I just need to figure out what.

What Do I Think This Means?

I think this means that BioWare are about to make good on their promise shown in the Poisoned Fruit post-credits scene. Dragon Age 5: Something Something Something Forgotten Ones, ooohhhh, spooky, Terror Terror Malice Fear Nightmare Time, Featuring Solas (reluctantly or gladly) Helping Heal the Titans. And did we mention that the Forgotten and the Forbidden Ones have always been more closely linked than most of the fanbase thought?

But I can only guess at that for now, and I've got some serious reading to do before I say anything more specific than that.

-----

As always, if you read this far, you're one of the real ones. This has been a jumbled mess of midnight thoughts, but I promise you this: I'm only just digging into Veilguard's finer workings. I'm only just starting to put its many pieces together.

And like every Dragon Age game, I can tell that there is something big lurking between the lines of every one. I just need to read something like 135 mementos and [redacted] codices from everywhere else several times over in order to figure out what it is.

But this is just Part One. I promise: the second it clicks for me, I'll write it all in a rambling frenzy for you, too.

It's still super up in the air, but I think for the next one, I might try and tackle What Dragon Age: the Veilguard Did Narratively—and What DA5's Story Will Likely Do to Follow. We'll see what happens to me 50, 100, or 200 codices from now. :)

#dragon age #veilguard spoilers #dragon age the veilguard #dragon age: the veilguard #da:tv #da meta #da theory #dragon age meta #dragon age theory #da:tv spoilers

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softrobotcritics · 9 days ago

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Large Geospatial Model

Niantic, the company behind the extremely popular augmented reality mobile games Pokémon Go and Ingress, announced that it is using data collected by its millions of players to create an AI model that can navigate the physical world.

In a blog post published last week, first spotted by Garbage Day, Niantic says it is building a “Large Geospatial Model.” This name, the company explains, is a direct reference to Large Language Models (LLMs) Like OpenAI’s GPT, which are trained on vast quantities of text scraped from the internet in order to process and produce natural language. Niantic explains that a Large Geospatial Model, or LGM, aims to do the same for the physical world, a technology it says “will enable computers not only to perceive and understand physical spaces, but also to interact with them in new ways, forming a critical component of AR glasses and fields beyond, including robotics, content creation and autonomous systems. As we move from phones to wearable technology linked to the real world, spatial intelligence will become the world’s future operating system.”

By training an AI model on millions of geolocated images from around the world, the model will be able to predict its immediate environment in the same way an LLM is able to produce coherent and convincing sentences by statistically determining what word is likely to follow another. ...

The LGM will enable computers not only to perceive and understand physical spaces, but also to interact with them in new ways, forming a critical component of AR glasses and fields beyond, including robotics, content creation and autonomous systems. As we move from phones to wearable technology linked to the real world, spatial intelligence will become the world’s future operating system....

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asma-al-husna · 4 months ago

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Allah calls Himself Al-Muhaymin— The Guardian, The Witness, The Overseer — on one occasion in the Quran. He is the One who ensures the wellbeing of creation. Al-Muhaymin observes, guards, and protects His creation!

The Overseer, Protector and Guardian

Muhaymin comes from the root haa-meem-noon , which points to three main meanings. The first main meaning is to oversee, protect, and guard, and the second is to witness. The third main meaning is to determine the truth.

This root appears two times in the Quran in one derived form. Examples of this form are wamuhayminan (“and a guardian”) and al-muhayminu (“the Guardian”).

Linguistically, the root of muhaymin also means to extend a wing, like a hen protecting her chicks, and is related to the names Ar-Raqeeb (the Watcher), al Haafidh (The One who protects and guards), and Ash-Shaheed (The Witness). Al-Muhaymin is the One who observes, controls, looks after, completely covers us and judges us by the truth.

Al-Muhaymin Himself says: He is Allah , other than whom there is no deity, the Sovereign, the Pure, The Perfection, the Bestower of Faith, the Overseer. [Quran, 59:23]

The Quran is called ‘muhaymin’

After mentioning the position of His Book Allah Al-Muhaymin instructs to make use of it: so judge between them with what Allah has sent down. [Quran, 5:48] The Quran is to be recited and memorized as well as to be applied in our daily life situations, such as judging between right and wrong in our relationship with Allah ‘azza wa jall and other people.

How can you live by this name?

1. Be aware that Al-Muhaymin is watching you.

The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: Be mindful of Allah and Allah will protect you. [at Tirmidhee] Al-Muhaymin sees every deed you do; He observes your reactions to situations and even witnesses your inner thoughts. Remind yourself constantly of this fact and let it motivate you to stay away from sins and temptations. Al-Muhaymin will protect you from harm and even from committing sins if you are mindful of Him and keep remembering Him in your actions.

2. Accept the decree.

Believe with certainty that whatever Allah al-Muhaymin gives to you or keeps away from you is good for you, even though it does not always seem like it. He ‘azza wa jall is overseeing everything and everything is part of His plan. Complaining about your looks, about others’ belongings, about missed opportinuties, etcetera, are signs you have to strengthen your faith in Al-Muhaymin.

Accepting and being content with His qadr (decree) will be your true key to the tranquillity (saakinah) in your heart that you are so badly longing for but cannot find in anything else in this whole wide world.

3. Use the Quran, the muhaymin!

Don’t just read the Quran— interact with it, implement it, and memorize it. The Quran is muhaymin, trustworthy in highness, and a witness. The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: Verily, Allah elevates some people with this Quran and abases others. [Muslim] That is, those who fulfil the rights of the Quran will be raised high in this world and in the hereafter; those who leave it will be put down. Make the Quran a witness for you and not against you.

4. Ask Al-Muhaymin.

Indeed the deen of Islam is itself manners, where anyone that surpasses you in manners, is better than you in deen. [Ibn al-Qayyim] While working on your character, never think you cannot change for the better, and ask Al-Muhaymin to help you. Ask Him to protect you from your own desires and weaknesses. Imagine the protection of a hen for her chicks and know that Al-Muhaymin’s protection for you is beyond limits, so whenever you are in a difficult situation, you are scared, or feel lost, invoke Allah using this name.

5. Protect your heart.

The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: There is a piece of flesh in the body if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoilt the whole body gets spoilt and that is the heart. [Al-Bukharee] Your heart is one of the greatest trusts given to you by Al-Muhaymin and it will be your most important witness when you stand before Him, so protect your heart.

How? Gain knowledge about the types of diseases mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah and their symptoms, assess yourself, and then seek the cure. Scholars mentioned four of the greatest poisons of the heart as: unnecessary talking, unrestrained glances, too much food, and keeping bad company.

O Allah, Al-Muhaymin, we know that You are the One who ensures our well-being. Make us mindful of You in everything we do and aid us in accepting and being content with Your decree in good and bad times. Make the Quran our close companion and a witness for us, protect and cure our hearts from its diseases, and protect us at all times, against others and ourselves, in this life and in the Hereafter, ameen!

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ronsenthal · 10 months ago

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🪖 HBOWAR Fandom Q/A 🪖

Thanks @sharkboyandlavalieb, @ronald-speirs and @footprintsinthesxnd for the tags!!

Name/ Alias:

Jess / Jeska / whatever you want really I just don't like my full name

Country:

Brazil, zil, zil

Which of the series have you seen - BOB, P, GK, MOTA:

All of them!!! BoB is a long term relatioship while I finished both TP and GK last year and I'm really looking forward to more MoTA

Use an emoji or ONE word to describe your favourite character in an hbowar miniseries:

😾 LISTEN, IT'S HIM!!!!!

Ultimate ship (if any):

Has to be winnix

Favourite fic (yes I made this q&a just to get fic recs):

SHIIIIT I have tons of fav fics and I list all of them on my #fic recs but I'll list some of the ones I'm always re-reading x Better This Way series by @blurredcolour x Kinky Ron Series: Part 1 and 2 by @@footprintsinthesxnd x In The Bleak Mid-winter by @blurredcolour x He definitely doesn’t hate me by @brassknucklespeirs x Meine Liebe by @mads-nixon x Ares and Athena and the prequels Evaded by Hypnos by @softguarnere x Guiding Light by @holdingforgeneralhugs

What are some ways you interact in the fandom?:

I'm a all-in-one mess because I reblog stuff, create some content like fics, gifs and edits and I try to spread positiviy and love around like giving feedback and sending random love to my mutuals

Favourite colour:

Always changing but somehow blue always comes back to me (rn it's green)

Current favourite song:

I would say Common People by Pulp because it's always blasting on my headphones lately

What would you say if I held up a can of peaches?:

I would stare you down with my amazing thick eyebrows and tell you It's a can of peaches, sir

Complete this sentence: “Where the hell is ___ company?!”

F!!!!!

Other accounts or socials?:

Only this one here but if anyone want my other socials just send me a message

List one other fandom member (mutual or a follower you admire) for some appreciation:

I'll tag more than one because I can't just pick one right? - @ronald-speirs my partner in crime and the other half of ron's last brain cell, really awesome, sweet and precious - @ewipandora my love, my Lew and the one who is contantly making me smile and deserves the world!!! - @easycompanys talented, sweet and lovely, we exchange so many ideas and tips for creations I love our mutual admiration society - @basilone another fellow creator that I admire so much and I'm so happy to exchange ideas, feedback and tips here and there - @sweetxvanixlla my schatzi, truly one of the sweetest and most special souls you'll ever find, her talent and sensibility it's insane - @mutantmanifesto the talent is insane and matches the sweet and precious personality, love everytime we have our convos

Tags:

no pressure!!! @blurredcolour @ewipandora @easycompanys @mutantmanifesto @panzershrike-pretz @georgieluz and everyone else who wants to :)

#tag games #bob fandom

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simulanissolutions · 4 days ago

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The impact of Simulanis on education through augmented reality (AR) has been transformative, significantly changing how students engage with learning and how educational content is delivered. Simulanis is a company focused on leveraging augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies to create immersive learning experiences. By offering advanced simulations, interactive modules, and virtual environments, Simulanis aims to revolutionize the traditional classroom and training methods, introducing a new paradigm in education. This detailed exploration will delve into the numerous ways in which Simulanis has positively influenced education, with specific examples, benefits, and potential challenges.

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theshift-happens · 1 year ago

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#Immersive Customer Experiences #Experiential Marketing #Metaverse #AR content creation #VR content creation #immersive experience technology #smart contracts #blockchain solutions

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digitalfractal · 11 months ago

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How to Create Digital Interactive Content for Displays?

In the bustling city of Dubai, where innovation meets opulence, the demand for digital interactive content has surged, making it crucial for businesses to captivate their audience through immersive experiences. This guide explores the art of creating interactive content for displays, with a specific focus on leveraging the expertise of virtual reality companies in Dubai to elevate the digital narrative.

The Essence of Interactive Content

Digital interactive content transcends traditional forms of communication by actively engaging audiences and fostering a two-way interaction. In a world where attention is a precious commodity, creating content that invites participation and captivates viewers is essential.

The Role of Virtual Reality Companies in Dubai

Dubai, a city synonymous with technological advancements and architectural marvels, serves as a hub for innovation. Virtual reality companies in Dubai play a pivotal role in shaping the digital landscape, offering expertise in creating immersive and interactive experiences that align with the city's progressive spirit.

Steps to Create Digital Interactive Content

1. Define Objectives and Audience:

Before diving into the creative process, define the objectives of your interactive content. Whether it's for marketing, education, or entertainment, understanding your goals and target audience is fundamental. Virtual reality companies in Dubai specialize in tailoring experiences to diverse demographics, ensuring your content resonates with the local audience.

2. Choose the Right Display Technology:

The choice of display technology sets the stage for your interactive content. Virtual reality companies in Dubai can guide you through a range of options, from touchscreens and gesture-controlled displays to augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) setups. Consider the context of use and the desired level of interactivity when selecting the display technology.

3. Collaborate with Virtual Reality Experts:

Engaging with virtual reality companies in Dubai brings a wealth of expertise to the table. Collaborate with professionals who understand the nuances of creating immersive experiences. These experts can provide insights into the latest trends, technologies, and design principles that elevate the impact of your interactive content.

4. Storyboarding and Conceptualization:

Storytelling remains a fundamental aspect of digital interactive content. Work closely with virtual reality companies to storyboard your narrative. Whether it's a virtual tour, product demonstration, or educational experience, a well-structured story enhances user engagement and guides the development process.

5. Customize for Dubai's Cultural Context:

Dubai's diverse cultural landscape requires a thoughtful approach to content creation. Virtual reality companies in Dubai understand the local nuances and can help tailor your interactive content to resonate with the cultural preferences and sensitivities of the audience, ensuring a more impactful and relatable experience.

6. Utilize 3D Animations and Visual Elements:

Incorporate 3D animations and visually striking elements to enhance the immersive nature of your content. Virtual reality companies excel in creating realistic and dynamic animations that bring your narrative to life. Attention to detail in visual elements contributes to a more compelling and memorable user experience.

7. Interactive Elements and User Engagement:

The heart of interactive content lies in engaging the user. Work with virtual reality experts to integrate interactive elements seamlessly. Whether it's touch gestures, voice commands, or immersive VR environments, fostering user engagement ensures that your content is not only viewed but experienced.

8. Optimize for Multiple Platforms:

Consider the diverse range of devices and platforms on which your interactive content may be accessed. Virtual reality companies in Dubai can optimize your content for various displays, ensuring a consistent and enjoyable experience across different devices, from large interactive displays in malls to mobile devices.

9. Performance Optimization and Testing:

Virtual reality experts understand the importance of performance optimization. Rigorous testing is essential to identify potential bottlenecks and ensure smooth performance. This step is crucial for maintaining user interest and preventing any disruptions in the interactive experience.

10. Analytics and Iteration:

Leverage analytics tools integrated by virtual reality companies to gather insights into user behavior. Analyzing user interactions provides valuable feedback for refinement and iteration. Continuous improvement based on analytics ensures that your interactive content remains relevant and engaging over time.

Challenges and Considerations

Creating digital interactive content comes with its set of challenges, including technological constraints, user experience complexities, and the need for ongoing maintenance. Collaborating with virtual reality companies in Dubai mitigates these challenges by tapping into local expertise and staying abreast of the latest advancements in immersive technologies.

Future Trends in Digital Interactive Content

As technology evolves, the future of digital interactive content is poised for exciting developments. Virtual reality companies in Dubai are at the forefront of these trends, with advancements such as extended reality (XR), haptic feedback, and AI-driven interactivity promising to redefine the possibilities of immersive experiences.

Conclusion

Crafting digital interactive content for displays is an art that demands a combination of creativity, technological expertise, and cultural understanding. Virtual reality companies in Dubai play a crucial role in elevating this process, bringing a wealth of knowledge to create experiences that resonate with the city's diverse audience. By defining objectives, collaborating with experts, and leveraging the capabilities of interactive display technologies, businesses can unlock the full potential of digital interactive content and leave a lasting impression on their audience in the dynamic landscape of Dubai's digital frontier.

#immersive content creation #digital content creation #virtual reality solutions #3d animations services #2d animations services #ar vr solutions

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katsigian · 1 year ago

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✧. ⊹┊ ⁭ ⁭ ⁭ ⁭ ᴋᴀᴛꜱɪɢɪᴀɴ'ꜱ ʙʟᴏɢ + ᴏᴄ ᴅɪʀᴇᴄᴛᴏʀʏ

✧. ⊹┊ ⁭ ⁭ ⁭ ⁭ ʟɪɴᴋꜱ

« Instagram | Carrd | Mods I've Made | Kofi »

✧. ⊹┊ ⁭ ⁭ ⁭ ⁭ ᴛᴀɢꜱ ɪ ᴜꜱᴇ ᴏꜰᴛᴇɴ

«katsi.cp77» «katsi.bg3» «katsi.png» «art» ─⊹ for my virtual photography, gifs, and art

«tag games» «ask games» «mailbox»

«misc.txt» «misc.jpg» «misc.mp4» ─⊹ for non-fandom posts

«resources» «references» ─⊹ for useful things like templates and writing tips

«png dreams» ─⊹ for aesthetic pictures that aren't mine

✧. ⊹┊ ⁭ ⁭ ⁭ ⁭ Tracking #katsigian - feel free to tag me in your creations and edits, including OC stuff! Happy to be tagged in tag games!

✧. ⊹┊ ⁭ ⁭ ⁭ ⁭ All content is tagged for easy filtering, including video games, video game characters, and other media. I'll use their acronyms if available. I often use tags such as 'cyberpunk 2077', 'bg3', and 'vg reblogs'

✧. ⊹┊ ⁭ ⁭ ⁭ ⁭ I tag all NSFW content with both 'nsft' and 'nsfw' - it will be non-explicit and is entirely OTP or OC inspiration. Non NSFW content that's still has nudity will be tagged with 'suggestive'

✧. ⊹┊ ⁭ ⁭ ⁭ ⁭ I tag all triggering content as "trigger word + tw"

✧. ⊹┊ ⁭ ⁭ ⁭ ⁭ ᴍʏ ᴘʀᴇᴛᴇʀɴᴀᴛᴜʀᴀʟ ᴏᴄꜱ

✧. ⊹┊ ⁭ ⁭ ⁭ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴀɪɴᴛ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀʏᴡᴀʟᴋᴇʀ; ᴠᴀʟᴇɴ ᴋɪɴʟᴀᴡ

☾‧⁺˖⋆ ┊ Valen is my most fleshed out and developed character. He's a competent, aggressive, and charismatic contractor for a private security company called Ares Systems. His work consists of various clandestine wetwork operations and specialized threat mitigation contacts. A headhunter, and a charming one at that when he wants to be. Valen is inherently talented in his line of work. He's the bad guy hunting other bad guys, which has earned him the alias 'the Saint'. He's made a career out of violence, partly because his vampire genetics dictate that he is a designed to be an apex predator. His love of the hunt and his skill as a hunter come naturally to him. Valen likes motorcycles, gin, snake plants, night life, cage fights, thunderstorms, bite marks, sex, and cigarettes. He's also very happily taken and has the ring (and marks) to prove it. Aside from the intimidating exterior, Valen is incredibly sweet and loving to his husband; having been the other half in two toxic relationships, he never wants to treat his loved ones the same way as he was treated.

« valen.png » « lore » « aesthetics »

« valen's pinterest » « valen's profile »

✧. ⊹┊ ⁭ ⁭ ⁭ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀʏᴡᴀʟᴋᴇʀꜱ

« vesper.png » « about vesper »

« vega.png » « about vega »

« saturnino.png » « about sat »

« gemini.png » « about gemini »

✧. ⊹┊ ⁭ ⁭ ⁭ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʟᴠᴇꜱ

« nikita.png » « about nikita »

« noel.png » « about noel »

« kaito.png »« about kaito »

✧. ⊹┊ ⁭ ⁭ ʙɢ3 ᴏᴄꜱ

« Callistus Miresta » « Rhystiel Larkspell »

✧. ⊹┊ ᴍʏ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅʙᴜɪʟᴅɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘʀᴇᴛᴇʀɴᴀᴛᴜʀᴀʟ ʟᴏʀᴇ

☾‧⁺˖⋆ ┊I'm in the process of building my own Cyberpunk world that's modeled off of the TTRPG by Talsorian and Mike Pondsmith. It is a campaign of sorts where I'll be telling my character's stories. I've detached them from the video game itself. While I will still build this campaign within Night City and will retain some ambiguous lore from the game, I'm worldbuilding in a way that is far different from video game lore/canon as a whole. I'm calling it Nyx Aeterna and it blends the supernatural with cyberpunk. Night City looks only partly like it does in the videogame, because in my campaign, it looks more like Los Angeles with residential neighborhoods, more distinct districts, and more varied city design. There are also new gangs that I've created; Archangel, Chimera, Caliban, The Lucianos, and Ghost Run. In my campaign, werewolves, mages, and vampires coexist as Night City is a sort of safe haven, or neutral hub where they can live in relative safety. Conflicts between them still occur, but not to a grand scale.

«daywalker lore» «werewolf lore» «nyx aeterna lore»

✧. ⊹┊ ᴏᴛᴘ ᴛᴀɢꜱ (ᴏᴄ × ᴏᴄ)

« OTP Sun and Moon » « OTP Save a Horse »

« OTP New Tricks » « OTP Partners in Crime »

« OTP Moonlit Howls » « OTP Midnight Drive »

✧. ⊹┊ ⁭ ⁭ ⁭ɴᴏᴛᴇꜱ

☾‧⁺˖⋆ ┊I'll do my best to keep up with mutuals and to have friendly connections in fandom, but I do reserve the right to unfollow if something makes me uncomfortable. It's never personal or mean-spirited. I do not engage in any fandom or personal discourse/drama because I'm here to create/share things with people that make me happy

☾‧⁺˖⋆ ┊This is an 18+ blog and there will be NSFW here. Please, no minors. Ageless blogs will be blocked

☾‧⁺˖⋆ ┊Do not edit or repost my work anywhere. It's stealing

☾‧⁺˖⋆ ┊No renders, no AI

#blogkeeping #new directory! ♡#blog directory #⠀- ̗̀ ⸨ 𝔫𝔶𝔵 𝔞𝔢𝔱𝔢𝔯𝔫𝔞 ⸩ ݁⭒๋˖

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eternal-gardens · 1 year ago

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الرّزّاق

Ar-Razzāq — (The Ever Provider)

The continual bestower and sustainer of all that exist, who decrees and apportions the entire provisions of His creations in a knowing and wise manner. He provides independently, offers the means or abilities necessary for acquisition and facilitates the efforts needed, along with absolute reliance in Him. His provisions are not only restricted to material or physical gains, but also embody such everlasting inward contentment, the spiritual, as well as emotional sustenance of the heart and soul.

#eternal-gardens #الله #spirituality #اسماء الله الحسنى #99 names #17 #series

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bimyself06 · 2 months ago

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You know I feel like modern and older media making Hephaestus this cuckolded by his brother and wife media is getting old and boring. Yeah, I know there's a myth he and Aphrodite divorce and he marries one of her attendings; but why exactly can't he have both the love and war deities?

Love starts and ends wars, but it also is what every creator feels for their creation. Also, you need weapons for war but you can't have weapons without a blacksmith.

What I'm saying is that I personally see Aphrodite, Hephaestus, and Ares as this badass throuple with the introvert x extrovert x ambivient troupe and no I won't explain who's which.

Ares takes them both on dates in the middle of war camps, where Hephaestus can admire and examine the weapons to his heart's content while Aphrodite is admiring how the soldiers are keeping up their morale by remembering their loved ones home. Hephaestus planned dates are at his forges, where he makes armor, weapons, and accessories to adorn both of his lovers with. Aphrodite's dates are in blooming fields where battles once took place as they all relax from their duties.

Just Aphrodite, Hephaestus, and Ares being a healthy but heavily misunderstood throuple that go on living and loving each other while everyone is sure there's some cheating going on and being all up in their business and somehow still misunderstanding everything.

#greek mythology #aphrodite x ares x hephaestus #they all deserve better

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thefirstknife · 2 years ago

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Cloud Striders and the Veil

I've been musing about some lore that we got from the exotic quest for the glaive, Winterbite. I think that quest is more important than people realise in general, outside of the bombastic message at the end of it. There are some insanely interesting and potentially wholly revealing things, and I want to talk about it here at length because it's hard to parse through.

Long post ahead, with contents (highly recommended to open in a new tab or separately on mobile or you will be scrolling for a while):

The Strider and the creation of the Sidereal

Bluejay and the creation of the CloudArk as we know it

Stargazer and discovery of Earth

Maelstrom and the doubt in Cloud Striders

Imagery and symbology of the Cloud Striders

First and foremost, what happens to initiate the quest? Well, Quinn tells us that when the Witness used the Veil to make the link, that event briefly rebooted the CloudArk. As soon as it rebooted, the Vex noticed something, broke into the Hall of Heroes and destroyed five Cloud Strider memorials. They are irreplaceable, made from each Cloud Strider's core. When interacting with them, our Strand connected with one of the Cloud Striders and rebuilt the memorial. Quinn realised that if we connect with others, we will be able to restore all of them and figure out why the Vex wanted to destroy them.

We are able to restore them all and learn about them, how they connect to each other and what they occupied themselves with.

The Strider

The Strider, real name Mikaela Julaha, was the first Cloud Strider. In her lore, which is a version told in some sort of show for kids, we're told:

Before the Strider, we did not have a special protector for the city, and that meant we all had to fight every day. We had many weapons and implants to make ourselves strong, but not the special synthesis that makes the Cloud Striders special. And many more Neomuni had to be soldiers and transform their bodies to protect the city and get hurt.

Makes sense! Before Cloud Striders, everyone had to fight, which meant more people suffering and more victims, as well as more people having to use augmentations. However, there's a difference between regular implants and what the Cloud Striders have. Cloud Striders get a "special synthesis." How? Strider made the Sidereal.

What is the Sidereal? Fret not! We know! The Sidereal was created by the first Cloud Strider:

The Strider saw us suffering. She worried that fighting so much would hurt our hearts, and she knew that one person can make all the difference. So, she took her courage and her wits and her strength and created the Sidereal.

Do you know what the Sidereal is, niños?

That's right! The Sidereal is a special place where one person gives up their normal life to become a Cloud Strider and live for us all!

The Strider gave us the Sidereal. The Cloud Strider fights so we can have peace so we could be more than just soldiers.

It's some sort of a machine that does the process of becoming a Cloud Strider. It is somewhat described in the lore tab where Nimbus becomes a Cloud Strider, Foremost Vimana:

There are no smiles to go around when drills bore into bone until they taste marrow, and metal latticework replaces the dermis of their flayed-open throat. As the cradle lowers them into the Sidereal, the droning hum of a nonillion nanites fills their ears and drowns their fear.

The Sidereal is a special machine able to integrate the nanites into Cloud Striders so fully that they merge in a way that makes Cloud Striders what they ar; big, strong and also with their lifespans cut short. Intriguing process, possibly discovered by Mikaela through her own situation; Mikaela had an unspecified accident which led to her body being heavily augmented, but then those augmentations started aggressively deteriorating her body. It's implied that the lifespan part was unknown when this was first done, though the full timeline of these events is unclear.

Needless to say, Strider also found the whole topic of the exotic quest, the friendly Vex Mind called the Occlusion. Strider was the first to find it and she protected it and kept it safe, leaving it alone in the CloudArk. It is apparently integral to the function of the CloudArk; Quinn describes it as "loadbearing." I can't help but wonder if those two things are connected; if the creation of the Sidereal is directly related to Strider's discovery of the Occlusion or the other way around.

The Bluejay

Bluejay, real name Conrad Jain, is a really interesting Cloud Strider because he became one in order to have legal access to simulation tech. He was a tech genius and a game designer. He basically turned CloudArk into what it is today; at first it was just used for storage, but his simulation research and insight into the Vex allowed him to turn it into a real virtual space where people could go, live and play. Basically without him, CloudArk would still just be storage. And he researched the Vex as well:

So Bluejay helped us expand how we use the CloudArk—he made it a place we could play or even live, if we needed to. And when he made his game in there, he also learned that the Vex used the CloudArk, too. ... Bluejay learned he could jump from the CloudArk to the Vex network, and he sabotaged their machines from the inside. The Vex were very confident and did not think he could find them, so they were careless. And so Bluejay scared them, and they ran away!

Naturally, he found the Occlusion, from Strider's files and information. He left the Occlusion alone, clearly, which means that he knew its importance. Given his drive to stop the Vex, if the Occlusion was a threat or unimportant, he could've pushed it out.

In his other lore tab, the one that features a record of a hearing of him in court (he was arrested for illegal simulation research), he is arguing with the judges about his deeds, insisting that he is helping everyone. He is not remorseful at all and mentions how important his work is. Some relevant excerpts:

JAIN: We're the last of humanity, trapped in a bubble. Simulation is an entire frontier we can explore to re-define what it means to be human. And you outlaw it just because we fear others' bad experiences from hundreds of years ago!

It's unclear which experiences he's referencing. Possibly something from before Neomuna. Ishtar Collective was aware of Vex simulations and are possibly the ones who banned research of it. Only Cloud Striders, who answer to the council, are allowed to research it, and Conrad calls them "council's lapdogs."

JAIN: The CloudArk is an nth dimensional paracausal fold, and we use it to store library books.

C. BOUDAN: We use it to support the public need. Not as some playground.

JAIN: Play?! You bastard, I lost friends shutting down the Vex Isometry! You wouldn't be sitting there i—

Conrad knew a lot about the CloudArk and its abilities and possibilities. He was also aware of how it ties into the Vex Network and how important it is to expand the knowledge of it. And, unsurprisingly, he knew something about the Veil. In his own words:

It's... it's the shadow of every story and memory and hope we brought with us. The stars are off limits, but the Veil knits an entire universe for us. We just had to embrace it!

It's unclear, again, but we do know that CloudArk is powered by the Veil. Conrad, aka Bluejay, was pivotal in turning the CloudArk into what it is today, which means he must've known more about the Veil as well. This directly ties the Veil's power with the CloudArk; it's the Veil that "knits an entire universe" for them via the CloudArk where they can upload their consciousness and live inside unimpeded. These are all breadcrumbs for us to follow.

The Stargazer

I did a write-up on Stargazer as they relate to the question of why Neomuna never helped Earth during the Dark Age. In short, Stargazer (real name Laminak Li) was a mathematician before becoming a Cloud Strider and they were able to use math to re-discover the location of Earth and scan it for signs of life. Upon finding them, they went to Earth, learned of the Lightbearers, killed one, made contact with the Warmind in the bunker and deleted all records of the exodus ship and Neomuna to protect it from violent warlords of Earth.

Stargazer was aware of the Occlusion and named it:

Yes, hmm. How to describe... "Algorithm" is inaccurate but acceptable shorthand. It's... an occlusion. In the way? Perhaps. But if we ride along the edge... hm. Accelerated processing, gravitational lensing as applied to data.

Highly unclear what it means, but their story is tied to the math and science of rediscovering Earth. It appears they may have used this "algorithm" to do it. I'll briefly mention another Cloud Strider (Siegebreaker aka Telluride Magsi), the one whose memorial we first rebuilt and who first mentioned the algorithm:

Built a data crawler app to scour Siegebreaker's database for mentions of the other four Cloud Striders targeted in that Vex attack. He references Stargazer! And some kind of secret "number-crunching algorithm".

He thought it was a "number-crunching algorithm" and Stargazer claims that "algorithm" is not accurate enough. Is Occlusion responsible for this math and "number-crunching" to pinpoint where Earth is? Here, I also want to point out that "sidereal" is not a made-up word, it's a real concept:

Sidereal time is a timekeeping system that astronomers use to locate celestial objects.

That... can't be a coincidence given that the machine that makes Cloud Striders is called the Sidereal. Like, it's too much for the Sidereal to be called that for no reason. Perhaps this machine can be used for things other than making Cloud Striders or maybe the technology it's based on is also applicable elsewhere. This also relates to Bluejay who explicitly talked about the stars being "off limit" but that the power of the Veil and CloudArk can allow them to access the world otherwise. How do the Occlusion and the Sidereal tie into this? Are all of these things connected somehow?

The Maelstrom

Maelstrom was a military leader before becoming a Cloud Strider. Her real name was Sedderik Assur. In the kid's version of her story it's explained that she was a great warrior who fought off not just the Vex, but also other people causing problems. She founded the Assur Academy which trains people into leadership and they also train Cloud Striders.

It's also explained that she ended something called the "Uplift Coven" who were a group of bad people that wanted to be Cloud Striders. They hurt people and stole from people and Maelstrom stopped their attack.

What else do we know? "She was one of the city's greatest military leaders. Ended the Cobalt Occupation before she even became a Cloud Strider." (1) She knew about the Occlusion hiding in the CloudArk and she called it a "simulation echo" (2). This is interesting in relation to Bluejay, who was doing simulation research and knew of the Occlusion as well. Maelstrom's Occlusion data comes from Bluejay and Stargazer. She also said the following herself:

This little electronic oracle may be useful, but I don't like anyone standing behind me, whether they've got a knife or not. So the question is, tear it out and let the whole network fall apart? Or leave it in... and maybe things get a whole lot worse?

The "electronic oracle" she speaks about is most likely the Occlusion. Oracle is an interesting word to use; the Occlusion is somehow tied to Soteria, the Augurmind who was half-Warmind, half-Vex and had predictive technology. Like an oracle. Another interesting connection with Soteria is that Soteria's predictive technology was used to locate other habitable systems outside the solar system and predict the best ways to map them, reach them and colonise them. Aka we're talking about math and simulations to find planets again.

Maelstrom's other lore entry, the one that's a record of a log she made herself and isn't a watered down story made for kids, is her message to her rookie Cloud Strider partner called Geist. Maelstrom explains that she's sorry for shooting Geist, but that she had to and that she hopes this apology would be enough. It's safe to assume Geist survived.

Maelstrom focuses a lot more on what she finds to be her biggest mistake; creating the whole Cloud Strider training. She thinks it's her "stupidest idea ever" to pick twenty two kids and train them all to be Cloud Striders and then only pick one. She also thinks she didn't fully explain to them just how much the process of turning into and being a Cloud Strider takes from people.

She says she's right for picking Geist because:

All of you were driven, talented. But, Geist, you were the only one who didn't need it. You were the one who'd help this city as a civvie or a Strider.

The "it" Geist didn't need is presumably the augmentations and the full power of a Cloud Strider (aka the "special synthesis" through the Sidereal) since Maelstrom explains that Geist would've helped either way, with or without becoming one. At least ten of the group she trained turned out to be "terrorists with Cloud Strider training." Aka the Uplift Coven. Possibly Cloud Strider candidates who weren't too happy about not being given the luxury to become one.

And Maelstrom names some of them. Two to be exact:

And looks like I was right to not pick Ahpoor and Laghari and their little coven.

Laghari? Hm. I noticed this back then but there were a lot of names happening so I didn't want to jump to conclusions, but we still only have one Laghari character in the game: Quinn Laghari. The Hall of Heroes archivist who gave us the quest. Was she a Cloud Strider candidate who has a problematic past? Or was this an ancestor of hers? How old is she? Did she know Maelstrom personally? It seems like we have a lot more to find out about the history of characters we interact with. Even if this is Quinn's ancestor, it would still be interesting to find out what happened here.

Maelstrom ends her account with one more peculiar piece of information:

But I'm leaving you a present. Something my mentor left me: the kill codes for the Sidereal.

Interesting. Maelstrom's mentor (unknown right now) gave her the "kill switch" for this machine. And she passed it onto Geist, saying that once the Sidereal is destroyed and there are no more Cloud Striders, things would be better and "the rest of the city would have to step up" instead of "dooming another soul to this life."

Very strong words from Maelstrom. This obviously didn't happen for whatever reason. The Sidereal is fine, though we obviously don't know where it is or how it works. Given that it was created by the first Cloud Strider who was also the first person to find the Occlusion and this whole storyline hinges on the Occlusion since it connects all the Cloud Striders mentioned, I have a feeling the Occlusion has something to do with the Sidereal.

And given everything from Bluejay, as well as the fact that the Occlusion resides within CloudArk, both CloudArk and the Veil must be involved as well. Quinn even makes a comment about it at the start of the quest, something people may have forgotten by now, when our Strand recreates a destroyed memorial. Quinn is surprised and interested and then says:

I've read some academic studies on Veil transcription of the collective unconscious. I bet if I put you in cryo, I could—

The Veil, its ties to the "collective unconscious" and its ability to power the CloudArk are clearly relevant here when it comes to Strand, the memorials and this whole story. Quinn also thinks that we would be able to find out more if we were to be placed into cryo and linked to the CloudArk. Maybe one day!

Another thing that makes the connection is the imagery and motifs of the Neomuna symbols, especially as they relate to the symbol of the Veil:

This is from the in-game badge, but it appears everywhere. You can see it on Neomuna on the panels and everywhere in the menus for Neomuna collections and lore books.

The full part, the lattice? That's on the Cloud Strider Legacies lore book art, which is where all this lore is from:

This lattice can also be seen on Cloud Striders themselves, most notably on Nimbus' neck (also referenced in the lore I copied where Nimbus is lowered into the Sidereal where it's idenfitied as "lattice"), but also as a smaller motif on all Cloud Strider memorials and, I believe, as a motif on the Cloud Strider core which can be seen in Nimbus' hand in the training montage cutscene:

It also reminds me of the view of the Veil from below, as it's shown in this concept art:

Is there a connection relevant for any future reveals or is most of this just flavour and some background on past Cloud Striders, politics of Neomuna and its history? I feel like there has to be something more going on with CloudArk and the Occlusion, which naturally involves the Veil but also possibly the Sidereal and Cloud Striders themselves. And how does it tie into the Vex, their network and Soteria, whose arrival to Neptune was the catalyst for everything to follow?

This quest was A LOT and I think it was meant to be and that it was meant to give us leads and things to think about. It took me a while and a lot of re-reading and re-organising things to figure out the whole relatively chronological order of things, as well as possible connections between them and why this quest links these specific Cloud Striders and their experiences with the Occlusion, the Sidereal, the CloudArk and indirectly with the Veil. I'm still not sure where all of this leads, but these are starting points that were made to get us to talk.

If you've read through all and maybe it juggled your ideas and brain worms, feel free to share your thoughts on anything I said, any details I might've missed or things I might've gotten wrong!

#destiny 2 #destiny 2 spoilers #lightfall #lightfall spoilers #cloud strider #neomuna #the veil #sidereal #occlusion #cloudark #lore vibing #long post #i've been losing my mind over this whole quest for three weeks now #there's so much stuff here and so much that might be hinting at future reveals #i would love if cloud striders were innately tied to the veil and this whole thing #especially looking forward to learn more about the occlusion #we have to... obsessed

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roots-careerhub21 · 11 days ago

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Why Short Videos Work Best: A Simple Guide for 2024

Short videos have taken center stage in digital marketing due to their ability to capture attention and engage audiences effectively. This blog explores why short videos work, their benefits, and how brands can use them successfully.

1. What Makes Short Videos So Effective?

Short videos resonate with modern audiences because of these key factors:

Attention Spans Are Shrinking: People consume content quickly, making short videos ideal for grabbing attention in a few seconds.

Snackable Content: They deliver information concisely, perfect for today’s fast-paced lifestyle.

Social Media Compatibility: Platforms like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts prioritize short content.

Easy to Re-watch: Their brevity encourages multiple views, reinforcing messages and increasing recall.

Short videos cater to the modern audience’s preference for quick and engaging content.

2. How Short Videos Drive Engagement

Short videos excel in engagement for several reasons:

Highly Shareable: Quick and fun videos are more likely to be shared with friends.

Encourages Interaction: They often receive more likes, comments, and shares.

Effective CTAs: Short videos can prompt immediate actions, like visiting a website or subscribing.

Mobile-Friendly: With most users on mobile, short videos fit perfectly on smaller screens.

Their ability to connect with viewers quickly makes short videos a powerful engagement tool.

3. Top Benefits for Brands

For businesses, short videos offer several advantages:

Affordable to Produce: Less time and resources are needed compared to longer formats.

Increases Brand Recall: Concise and creative videos make a lasting impression.

Expands Reach: They’re more likely to go viral and reach new audiences.

Boosts Algorithm Rankings: Social platforms prioritize engaging short videos, improving visibility.

Using short videos helps brands achieve significant results with minimal investment.

4. Where to Use Short Videos

Short videos perform well across various channels, including:

Instagram Reels: Great for quick, creative content to reach diverse audiences.

YouTube Shorts: Perfect for showcasing snippets of value-packed content.

Facebook Stories: Engages followers with behind-the-scenes or promotional updates.

Email Marketing: Embedded short clips can improve open and click-through rates.

By diversifying your strategy, short videos can maximize impact across platforms.

5. Tips for Creating Great Short Videos

Follow these best practices to craft effective short videos:

Start with a Hook: Grab viewers' attention in the first 3 seconds.

Keep It Focused: Stick to one message or idea to avoid confusion.

Use Captions: Many users watch videos without sound, so captions are essential.

End with a Clear CTA: Encourage viewers to take action, like visiting your website.

Well-executed short videos can leave a strong impression on your audience.

6. Future Trends for Short Videos

Looking ahead, short videos will continue to evolve with trends like:

Interactive Features: Expect polls, clickable CTAs, and immersive experiences.

AI-Driven Content: AI tools will simplify the creation of personalized short videos.

Personalization: Tailoring videos to specific demographics will enhance engagement.

360° and AR Content: Innovative formats will make short videos more captivating.

Adopting these trends will help brands stay ahead in the dynamic world of digital marketing.

Conclusion

Short videos are a game-changer in digital marketing. Their ability to grab attention, drive engagement, and increase visibility makes them a must-have for any brand. Start incorporating short videos into your strategy today to connect with your audience and achieve your marketing goals!

Want to boost your digital marketing strategy? Let’s create short videos that work for you.

#business #digitalmarketing #futuretrends #shortvideostrends

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asma-al-husna · 7 months ago

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The Overseer, Protector and Guardian

This root appears two times in the Quran in one derived form. Examples of this form are wamuhayminan (“and a guardian”) and al-muhayminu (“the Guardian”). Linguistically, the root of muhaymin also means to extend a wing, like a hen protecting her chicks, and is related to the names Ar-Raqeeb (the Watcher), al Haafidh (The One who protects and guards), and Ash-Shaheed (The Witness). Al-Muhaymin is the One who observes, controls, looks after, completely covers us and judges us by the truth.

Al-Muhaymin Himself says: He is Allah , other than whom there is no deity, the Sovereign, the Pure, The Perfection, the Bestower of Faith, the Overseer. [Quran, 59:23]

The Quran is called ‘muhaymin’

Allah ‘azza wa jal calls the Quran muhaymin: And We have sent down to you the Book in truth, confirming the Scripture that came before it and muhaymin (trustworthy in highness and a witness) over it. [Quran, 5:48] After mentioning the position of His Book Allah Al-Muhaymin instructs to make use of it: so judge between them with what Allah has sent down. [Quran, 5:48] The Quran is to be recited and memorized as well as to be applied in our daily life situations, such as judging between right and wrong in our relationship with Allah ‘azza wa jall and other people.

How can you live by this name?

1. Be aware that Al-Muhaymin is watching you. The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: Be mindful of Allah and Allah will protect you. [at Tirmidhee] Al-Muhaymin sees every deed you do; He observes your reactions to situations and even witnesses your inner thoughts. Remind yourself constantly of this fact and let it motivate you to stay away from sins and temptations. Al-Muhaymin will protect you from harm and even from committing sins if you are mindful of Him and keep remembering Him in your actions.

2. Accept the decree. Believe with certainty that whatever Allah al-Muhaymin gives to you or keeps away from you is good for you, even though it does not always seem like it. He ‘azza wa jall is overseeing everything and everything is part of His plan. Complaining about your looks, about others’ belongings, about missed opportinuties, etcetera, are signs you have to strengthen your faith in Al-Muhaymin. Accepting and being content with His qadr (decree) will be your true key to the tranquillity (saakinah) in your heart that you are so badly longing for but cannot find in anything else in this whole wide world.

3. Use the Quran, the muhaymin! Don’t just read the Quran— interact with it, implement it, and memorize it. The Quran is muhaymin, trustworthy in highness, and a witness. The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: Verily, Allah elevates some people with this Quran and abases others. [Muslim] That is, those who fulfil the rights of the Quran will be raised high in this world and in the hereafter; those who leave it will be put down. Make the Quran a witness for you and not against you.

4. Ask Al-Muhaymin. Indeed the deen of Islam is itself manners, where anyone that surpasses you in manners, is better than you in deen. [Ibn al-Qayyim] While working on your character, never think you cannot change for the better, and ask Al-Muhaymin to help you. Ask Him to protect you from your own desires and weaknesses. Imagine the protection of a hen for her chicks and know that Al-Muhaymin’s protection for you is beyond limits, so whenever you are in a difficult situation, you are scared, or feel lost, invoke Allah using this name.

5. Protect your heart. The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: There is a piece of flesh in the body if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoilt the whole body gets spoilt and that is the heart. [Al-Bukharee] Your heart is one of the greatest trusts given to you by Al-Muhaymin and it will be your most important witness when you stand before Him, so protect your heart. How? Gain knowledge about the types of diseases mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah and their symptoms, assess yourself, and then seek the cure. Scholars mentioned four of the greatest poisons of the heart as: unnecessary talking, unrestrained glances, too much food, and keeping bad company.

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