#But she convinced herself she was exempt by making her own number one rule “the Doctor always lies”

[thelesbianthespianposts]

the first rule of being the doctor’s companion is not to believe he’s infallible. the second rule is not to believe you’re following the first

[hutchhitched]

I’m a week late to the game, but I’m excited to join this discussion. I’ve read the books multiple times, but it’s been a long while. Thanks to @everlarkedalways​ for hosting. Here are thoughts and musings on Chapter 1.

Katniss wakes to a cold bed. For the person who becomes the Girl on Fire, this is not a good beginning.

 Katniss passes through a few gates to get to the meadow, something I didn’t remember from previous readings. The barriers that are set up around the district seem excessive, but that oppressiveness likely does lead to apathy. We know that constant persecution and systemic racism causes trauma in minority groups. It seems logical that the citizens of District 12 have suffered a lot of that.

 Katniss is a rebel, even though she tries to convince her audience that she’s not. There’s been a lot of talk in the fandom that Katniss is a reluctant rebel and leader, but she says in the first chapter that she’d said plenty of things that could have gotten her in trouble when she was younger. It was only after seeing her mother’s response to her words, that she learned to keep her head down and her thoughts to herself. Since Gale’s frustrated with Katniss’ lack of interest in resisting the Capitol once he learns of the uprising in District 8, it’s interesting that she was a rebel even before she met Gale. I imagine she and her father spent a lot of time talking in the woods. Likely, he encouraged her to speak her mind and think about what she believed (also likely, without overtly encouraging her to be rebellious). If that’s true, her father equipped her to survive in more ways than simply teaching her how to hunt. He also helped her think about societal problems and how to combat those. This is a little head canon mixed with canon, but I have no regrets.

 There’s imagery of slavery in the descriptions of food and labor. Each citizen is provided grain and oil by the Capitol. In the antebellum slave system, slave owners were responsible for clothing, feeding, and sheltering their slaves in exchange for labor. Food rations were wholly inadequate, often consisting of small amounts of corn. No meat, no dairy, no sugar. Basically, slaves were expected to subsist on cornmeal. Slaves were almost always malnourished and on the verge of starving. As a result, child mortality was 50%. There’s no mention of high a high infant mortality rate in Panem, but I’d bet good money on it being true.

 Gale says at one point that it’s in the best interest of the Capitol to keep the citizens separated. He’s referring to the merchant class vs. the miners (those who don’t have to take out tesserae and those who do), but the Capitol has also separated Panem’s citizens into districts. That, added to the gates through which Katniss has to pass to go into the woods, demonstrates a concerted effort to divide and conquer.

 In Panem, the populace seems to be divided mostly over class. There is little mention of gender (other than tributes who are male and female being reaped), but there is nothing in the books (that I remember) that says women are exempt from working in the mines. Slave women were also expected to labor in the fields, so gender is irrelevant to some degree in Panem (more on that in later chapters). There is also very little mention of race. Katniss says that her mother and sister stand out with their blonde hair and blue eyes, but those are not necessarily racial features to Katniss. Personally, I think Collins did this intentionally. Our society is hard-wired to see race; thus, we do when we read the books. Katniss doesn’t seem to because race doesn’t appear to matter as much as class, at least in chapter 1. Panem’s main divisions are a result of class issues based on socio-economic status.

 Side note: I’m not trying to argue that Katniss is white (northern/western European in ancestry). Nor am I arguing that race is not an important topic. I think Collins is being subtle, and I think it works in this context. Because Collins doesn’t define her characters that way, it allows for us who read the books to discuss racial identity amongst ourselves (and there has been a lot of it—Remember the backlash over Rue’s casting? Remember the masterlist of Katniss as a POC that caused such an uproar? Does anyone have a copy of that, btw? I’d kind of like to see what’s on it.). The fact that we as a fandom have that discussion is evidence that race is a systemic issue for us, even if Katniss doesn’t overtly mention it.

 In Colonial America, during the Early Republic, and during the antebellum period, the southern hierarchy evolved in such a way as to divide society based on race. It was imperative to the elite planters to divide and conquer based on race instead of class. Since 30 to 50 percent of the population in slave states was in the poor white class and there were four million slaves in the United States when the Civil War began in 1861, it was vital that the relatively small number of slave owners control the rest of the population that vastly outnumbered them. The planter elite (those who owned 50 or more slaves) made up less than three percent of the total population. Only about 30% of the South’s white population owned one or more slaves. That meant that 70% of the white population and four million slaves and 500,000 free blacks had to be controlled by the minority ruling class. That’s a massive imbalance.

 Slave codes and black codes before the Civil War and black codes and Jim Crow laws following it created the climate on which this racial hierarchy was based. Slaves and free blacks were not allowed to carry guns, testify against whites, serve on juries, and so on. Slaves could not be in possession of a gun or ammunition, wear material worth over certain amount (resulting in cotton and muslin for slaves and silks and satins as clothing for whites), make over a certain amount of money, learn to read, and consume alcohol. While many poor whites suffered economically the same way slaves did (and were sometimes materially worse), they had privileges slaves did not. As a result, whites could “comfort” themselves by saying, “I may be poor, but at least I’m white.” This problem was exacerbated because poor whites who couldn’t find jobs believed that slaves stole their employment from them (They’re taking our jobs!). That thinking continued after the Civil War, too, and is at the foundation of white privilege today. In Panem, the citizens are divided along class lines, but everyone lacks the necessities the same way poor whites and slaves both lacked food and adequate clothing and shelter prior to the Civil War (and beyond).

 That’s a lot of meta for one chapter. Onward! Thanks for hosting this re-read. It’s been a while since I sat down with the books.

[wot-tidbits]

RJ’s notes Part 60 by Linda Taglieri

AES SEDAI STUFF

SOURCE

Tower Law is applied to any initiates, no matter where the accused offence occurred and to anyone who has committed an offence within the region around Tar Valon over which the White Tower claims control, although non-initiate cases involving all but the highest ranking accused are handled by Tar Valon’s civil courts.

An accused cannot be tried twice for the same offence, although this can be set aside for one time only if the original trial is decreed by the Amyrlin Seat or the lesser consensus of the Hall to be seriously flawed in some way. “Conviction or exoneration in a lower court on any charge or accusation means that the same charge cannot be brought before a higher court unless there is evidence (or a strong supposition?) of tampering or some sort of malfeasance on the part of the lower court.”

“Neither the Seat of Rebuke nor the Seat of Pardon are without dangers before this court; the Seat of Pardon will receive a penance on a conviction—sometimes the same sentence given the accused!—and on an acquittal, the Seat of Rebuke will receive penance, which also can be as harsh as the sentence for conviction would have been. This means that whoever is appointed to these posts has a very high motivation to do a good job!”

The High Court of the Tower comprises the Amyrlin Seat sitting as judge and the Hall of the Tower as jury. A minimum of eleven Sitters must be present, with at least one from each Ajah and the lesser consensus is required for a verdict, although more serious crimes usually require the greater consensus or at least unanimity of those Sitters present. Only the Amyrlin Seat can call the High Court and it must form when she calls it, although sometimes only the minimum number of Sitters turn up. The Sitters are allowed to ask questions directly in the trial. An appeal of the verdict of this court is to the Amyrlin Seat personally. Her decision on an appeal can be overturned by the greater consensus.

The Low Court of the Tower is the second highest court, and the Sitters sit as both judges and jury. The Court must form if at least one Sitter from each Ajah or all three Sitters from three Ajahs make the request; they do not need permission from the Amyrlin Seat to form such a court. The court otherwise functions as the High Court does. Only the Low and High Courts of the Tower are allowed to give the death penalty and only the High Court can impose a penalty of stilling. Higher courts are normally formed to try more serious offences and the penalties handed out by successively higher courts are usually more onerous.

“When the Hall sits on removing an Amyrlin, a Keeper, or a Mistress of the Novices, it might also be considered a court, but a special court, with special rules. For one thing, the greater consensus, unanimity, is required. Traditionally, the entire Hall must sit on these particular "courts" (with limits as stated later), but the law does not so state clearly, and there have been instances where fewer have done so, as when Elaida arranged for Siuan to be deposed by a bare quorum of eleven. This is considered a very bad violation of custom, however. In the instances of the trial of Amyrlin or a Keeper, she need not be allowed to face her accusers, nor even to be informed that she is on trial, and in a departure from the usual requirement that all Ajahs be represented, the Ajah from which the accused was raised is forbidden to take part on the trial or the voting and, as in the case of the accused herself, need not even be informed until after the event.

Three Sitters may form a court on their own, a Sitter's Court, so long as no two are of the same Ajah. This sort of court is the third highest. It also can be appointed, as an investigative body. They may investigate, ask questions, and propose charges to the entire Hall for trial. By law, once they declare themselves as a court, they are allowed great access and freedom in their investigation and their questions must be answered. By tradition, this court is supposed to be investigative only—like a sort of small grand jury —but as the law is written, they may also suggest a sentence. They may name a defender and a prosecutor, or they may assume these roles themselves. They do not have to be appointed; they simply form a court because they believe there is need for one. In these cases, they are supposed to refer their findings to a higher court, but in fact, considering that the higher courts do usually pass stiffer sentences, a sister may actually ask even this informal court to deal with her case entirely. At least if she thinks the evidence is such as to ensure her conviction in the higher court. Conviction or acquittal is by a vote of at least 2:1. Appeal from such a court is first to the Hall of the Tower as a whole, requiring the lesser consensus to overturn, and then to the Amyrlin Seat. This court is most often formed to investigate or bring charges against a Sitter, but can investigate other crimes as well. The ability to form this court is not a completely unchecked power. A sister can demand trial before a higher court, and if she is acquitted, the members of the court which brought charges against her will be given penances which can be, and often have been, as harsh as the penalties for conviction under the charges brought.

Any five sisters may be formed into a court, simply called a court, the fourth highest (lowest) in ranking, with three sitting as judges, one as the defender, and one as the prosecutor. The only restriction is that at least three Ajahs must be represented among the five, so long as it is not a court internal to an Ajah, which it can be. A vote of 2:1 among the judges convicts or exonerates. Such a court may be appointed by the lesser consensus of the Hall, or within an Ajah, by the head or heads of the Ajah. Any sisters also may, on request from the involved parties, form such a court to judge a dispute between two sisters or charges brought by one against another; in such case, all sisters involved in the dispute must agree to a court being formed. Sitters are exempt from such courts under normal circumstances; the only exception is when charges are brought within an Ajah; in that case, the Sitter's court is appointed by the head or heads of the Ajah from within the Ajah. Sentences within the Ajah, and indeed the trials themselves, are usually kept secret within the Ajah. Appeal of sentence from this court, excepting one within an Ajah, is first to the Hall of the Tower, requiring the lesser consensus to overturn, then to the Amyrlin. Appeal within the Ajah is to the head or heads of the Ajah.”

For the charge of claiming another Ajah, a court of five sisters of the Ajah offended against is appointed by the head(s) of that Ajah. There is no appeal in law to the sentence of this court.

“Disrespect to the Amyrlin Seat is prohibited by law. Strangely, obedience to the Amyrlin Seat is not required by law. "Respect and reverence" (though not "the greatest," as with the Amyrlin) are required toward Sitters.”

A physical assault on a sister is a crime and the aggressor is always punished, whatever the circumstances, but the sister that was attacked is also punished if it was judged that she provoked it or if she could have avoided it and did not do so. If one or both sisters used the One Power in the fight, the penalty is a public birching before the assembled sisters and perhaps additional penances.

Some of the Tower laws regarding rebellions are secret.

“In an effort to avoid breaking the woman's spirit—a broken woman will not last as Aes Sedai, nor will it be likely she could even pass the tests—the punishment is coupled with strong encouragements of every sort to convince her not only to bear up under her punishments but that she was wrong to try to run away and that she should and must remain.”

Those judged guilty of treason—betraying the Tower or its leadership—are usually executed, whether initiates or non-initiates of the Tower. Birching before the assembled sisters followed by a year and a day of penance is the minimum penalty for treason.

While trainees who fail the test for Accepted or Aes Sedai and survive, or are too weak in the Power to pass a test, are put out of the Tower, those who have very severe and ineradicable behavioural problems such as inability to conform to the rules or to cooperate with others, persistent lying, persistent refusal to obey orders or to learn or persist in criminal activity are put out of the Tower once they can handle the One Power safely. Every effort is made to remove or at least control behavioural problems in initiates. The Aes Sedai balance the desire to keep channellers versus the desire to remove someone who may bring the Tower to discredit. The deciding factor is often how likely the latter would happen, ie the likelihood of her getting caught.

“The maximum possible penalty for treason against the White Tower, allowing for all options, is to be birched, serve the penance, then be stilled, followed by beheading. Adding beheading to stilling might be considered overkill, but this is the maximum.”

A question of war in the Hall cannot be shelved but must be answered before any question after it, and requires only the lesser consensus (with every Ajah being represented) to be passed by the Hall. Only the Amyrlin can ask the Hall to consider a question of war.

The greater consensus is usually required to end a state of law.

[tehstripe]

1. Lab Partners - Dave/Jade College AU

First finished work for my self-imposed AU list challenge! Based on the prompt “Wait, I actually have a competent lab partner?” from this college AU post. 

Introductory physics.

It was every Biology major's worst nightmare - a hard as hell science class (with an equally difficult lab component) that was a requirement in order to major in any science class, no matter how tangentially related. Dave knew there was a purpose for it - the pre-meds would need to know this stuff for their MCAT, which they'd need to get into a good medical school.

But Dave just wanted to be a paleontologist. He wanted to find cool dead things. He sincerely doubted that knowing the equations for the laws of motion would help him discover and name his very own dinosaur species.

(He had a name ready and picked out and everything. Hella jeffinius would be the next T. rex.)

Still, Dave would just have to endure. He would suffer through this class, get his degree, and then perhaps he could throw all of his physics papers and textbooks into a ritualistic, cleansing bonfire. Rose would probably know how to make something for him, or at least do a convincing job of making up some magic-sounding bullshit to placate him.

Though on second thought, that textbook was expensive. So maybe just the papers, while the book was sent to the ritualistic bonfire that was better known as Ebay dot com.

Dave slumped into the physics lab that fateful day of September, already dreading this entire class. A semester of a TA of unknown quality, with a bunch of other students who were only in here because it was a pre-requisite, doing experiments that didn't mean anything and praying that their data looked the way that it was supposed to. He settled in near the back of the room, picking the lab table as far from the white board as possible, and waited.

Other students began to file in, and Dave recognized many of them as being fellow Biology majors. The uppity pre-med students who were aiming to get into the bed med school took the front of the classroom, which was fine by him. They could distract the TA while he did his best to do as little as possible.

Nobody chose to sit next to him. That was fine. Dave had plenty of friends in college, but he'd met most of them through shared activities, like the semi-ironic anime club he attended with his cousin. None of said friends were also Biology majors. It wasn't much of a problem until moments like this, where he would almost certainly be getting the dregs of the lab partner coffee brew.

And sure enough, he really did get the dregs. The TA was already starting on a general introduction to himself and the course, and all of the seats except for the one right next to Dave were taken. For a moment, he was worried they'd put an odd number of people in the class, and he'd be stuck working by himself or as the third wheel to a group of three - but finally, almost fifteen minutes late, a girl with messy black hair swooped in and gratefully took the open seat next to him.

"Sorry I'm late," she whispered hurriedly. "Did I miss anything important? Probably not, right?"

"Uh..." Dave couldn't claim he'd been paying much attention. "No, I don't think so. Just intro stuff. Probably all in the syllabus."

"Okay. Great!"

Dave found himself torn between trying to be a good student and listen to the TA talk about the course and actually sizing up this new lab partner up. After another reference to the syllabus, he decided the lab partner was at least one hundred times more interesting. (Hey, maybe there was a physics equation that would let him actually calculate how much more interesting she was.)

To be honest, he didn't have high hopes. She was late, which was already a bad sign, and to make matters worse, she was digging through her backpack as though she couldn't find something. That meant disorganized, probably even a little forgetful. He'd have to pray there weren't any group projects involved in this class, then.

More interestingly, he didn't actually recognize her from any of his Biology classes, which seemed to be most of who made up the class. Did she transfer from another school? Was she in a different major? Chemistry, maybe - but then he'd suffered through Intro to Chemistry with all of them.

She was cute, at least. Big, round glasses, and her phone case was decorated in pictures of dogs and paw prints. But cute meant absolutely nothing if she failed the course and dragged him down with her.

The girl glanced to look at him, and Dave quickly looked back up front to the TA, who was continuing to blabber on about the course. He tried to pretend like he didn't notice her staring at him out of his peripheral vision. He wondered what she was thinking of him. Was she hoping that he'd pull her through the lab course, since he actually got here on time? It was hard telling.

Finally, the TA shut up and gave them their instructions. It was a simple lab today - testing to find the strength of gravity, which mostly meant dropping things while getting used to the measurement tools used in the lab. More importantly, it gave Dave a chance to talk with his new partner for the semester.

He turned to her and held out a hand to shake. She gave it a strange look for a moment before tentatively reaching out to shake it herself. Her grip was a little weak, but Dave decided he'd try not to hold that against her. "Hey," he said, giving her the ghost of a smile. "Name's Dave. Who're you? I don't remember seeing you around. Are you a transfer student?"

"My name is Jade!" she said, giving him a much more blatant smile. "And no, I'm not a transfer student. I'm a junior, actually."

His eyebrows went up a little bit. "Huh. Same as me. You a Chem major?"

Jade shook her head, and it caused her voluminous hair to go just about everywhere. God, that was a lot of hair. Dave imagined what would happen if she managed to braid it all - it could probably end up being used as a weapon that way. "No. I'm a physics major, actually!"

Dave stared at her. "Wait. No- wait. You're a physics major. And a junior. And you're taking introductory physics? Like, no offense, but something here isn't quite adding up. Like, shouldn't you be in a more advanced class by now? I thought most of the physics majors found a way out of this class."

Jade rolled her eyes. Clearly, this was a sore spot for her - Dave couldn't say he was terribly surprised. Something wasn't adding up. "Yeah, most of them are able to exempt it with a standardized test or something. But as an international student, my credits didn't transfer over, blah blah, so now I have to take an introductory physics lab to make sure I get all the necessary credits, blah blah." She sighed.

"That sounds pretty dumb," Dave said.

"It is very dumb!" Jade agreed. "But I'm here, so I might as well do my best. It should be an easy 'A', right?"

Dave cocked his head to the side. "Well. As somebody who's not a physics person, I'm not sure I'd say easy. But yeah, we can aim for an A."

Jade laughed, and god that was a good sound. Dave decided he'd like to hear a lot more of that sound. "Well, don't worry! I will help you be a physics person. I like to think I am pretty good at it, and if I'm going to get my PHD in atomic physics some day, then I need to make sure I know how to teach it, too! Maybe by the end of the term, you'll be ready to change majors?"

She gave him a wry smile, and Dave realized very suddenly that he was doomed, but not in the way he was expecting. His grade in physics was going to absolutely rule this year. He would come to every physics lab and he would do every piece of homework and study for every test.

But god. He stared at Jade, with her cute round glasses, wild bushy hair, and bright green eyes. That cute laugh and that charming smile. An IQ that was quite probably double his.

He was so fucking doomed.

[creativerogues]

Compendium of Dangerous Dragons and Drakes: VOLUME 3

Throughout history there have been many mythological creatures that inspire awe and fear in the hearts of man. yet, only one such beast has brought true terror with only its name. Legends tell of many with scales as tough as shields, claws as sharp as swords. Mighty wings that black out the sky and their very breath a harbinger of their destruction.

Below, we have compiled a list of dragons created from our followers to inspire any story you as both a player or dungeon master might create.

Caeseji, The Titanic Mithral Dragon (by thevioletdragon)

Caeseji is a titanic Mithral scaled dragon in her truest form. Her scales glimmer with a faint purple and white sheen that overlap one another giving the appearance of armour more than scales or skin; they are marred with violet glowing markings that weave around her body almost ritualistically and end at her curved back horns. Her horns glow with the same intensity as the markings along with her eyes engorged with the same energy with white irises and black sclera. Caeseji’s most striking appearance trait would be the fact that she towers above most mountains at almost four hundred feet tall.

Caeseji’s wings glimmer along with the scales of her body, these wings are more suited to battle than to flight as she covers huge distances with her strides alone. It was said that during the conflict that raged between the dragons of good and those of evil that she impaled entire ancient drakes to mountainsides with those implements which is why we have the dragon bone yards of today.

The breath of the Mithral dragon is of pure radiance, flames that purify the just and incinerate the wretched, it is not known how the flames know of the intention of their master but most would agree it is not wise to question such things.

Uniquely, her scales seem to follow the form of a cat at times and becoming puffed up when excited or agitated like the fur of a feline but also closing ranks when needing to defend herself akin to an impenetrable armour.

In ancient times, Caeseji presided upon the Dragon Glades that existed far out of the reach of mortal hands, a place where all of dragon-kind (be they good, evil or unconcerned with such motives) could live in peace and prosperity as one of the greatest of their number. Caeseji was a guardian for the island archipelago that made up the Glades but she fell enamored with the mortals of the mainland and lamented their plight under the power of the dragons.

Her fall came forth during the Dragon-Rage to end all Dragon-Rage’s when she could not stand to see her younger brethren slaughter the innocent lives that she had seen in ages past and attempted to stop them. Seen as a betrayer by her own apathetic kind for even daring to attack and even kill those that were following ‘the natural order’ she was banished and stripped of her own power and form, she was reborn again upon the mainland to grow again left with merely one of her once gleaming scales.

Historical references to Caeseji are scarce as she now appears in a humanoid form, a seven foot tall dark bluish-purple woman with scales growing from places on her skin with glowering amber eyes and sweeping back horns that match her draconic appearance. It is said that when a stranger in a purple cloak comes to town wielding a gigantic greatsword, that you have been visited by the legendary drake herself and that all wrongs will be righted in time for she never tires but also wears her scale as part of her cursed armour.

It is said by both mortal and dragon alike that should she gain her old power once again that a reckoning that would blot out the sun would fall upon the lands, that her rage and thirst for vengeance could spell the end of dragon-kind and mortal alike in a frenzy of blood and destruction, for that scale that has created her armour has become corrupted and her mind clouded by the years spent in her own banishment that she cannot turn back from her path and to give her her old celestial form back? Would make Tiamat herself quiver in the tides of blood that would spill forth.

Anrakan, The Dragon Pharaoh (By arkion-king-of-clubs)

If you are brave (or foolhardy) enough to seek the cursed hoard of the ancient Dragon Pharaoh Anrakan, you must first learn of the dragon himself.

A massive beast, even among his own kin, towering over his subjects at nearly 200 feet tall. Gems and other precious metals have embedded themselves into his body from centuries of slumbering on his hoard. Scales the color of the very desert he once ruled over, appearing as though they shift like the sands themselves. Eyes blue like the clear waters of the massive river delta that guaranteed his kingdom’s survival. Wings so large they would blot out the sun, signaling his approach as he observed his subjects in their worship of him. Large, almost fish-like fins on his legs and face, with a massive sail fin on his back for when he preferred to fly through the sands rather than the sky. Able to breathe massive torrents of both hot air and sand, to either mummify his victims or bury them under the sands of his domain. Finally, he wears the Nemes headdress and false beard, both symbols of his unending rule.

Anrakan ruled a sprawling desert kingdom many thousands of years ago, one of the most well-known and successful ancient civilizations. In the beginning, he was a benevolent ruler, seeing the people of his nation as part of his hoard. He protected them fiercely while encouraging them to create beautiful works of art and architecture. He encouraged them to push the boundaries of what they knew about the world around them, heralding vast advancements in the fields of science and medicine. He did this with all the zeal of a young drake building his hoard, for he saw it as exactly that. The more knowledge his people created would help to spread his name far and wide, cementing his place in eternity. Unfortunately, this age of prosperity did not last.

As time marched on, and the dragon with it, he began to grow paranoid. He grew fearful that his citizens would rise up and attempt to overthrow him, wiping his name from history. His thirst for knowledge and power outgrew what his people could provide for him, so Anrakan turned his eyes to the other nations of the world. Demanding that their knowledge and land be his to rule, his once-peaceful kingdom began to shift under his rule as the sands do. Tools once used to gain knowledge were perverted into horrors made only to end life. Where once armies were trained to protect the people, now forced to become savage killers and assassins.  He launched brutal campaigns across the world, conquering vast swaths of land and forcing the citizenry to submit or die.  As he conquered, his most elite maguses and arcanists would sap the land of its natural resources, leaving behind only desert for their pharaoh. He ordered the construction of a massive pyramid, with arcane mechanisms inside to extend his life so that he might rule eternally. The jewel of his hoard was a massive sarcophagus built for the pharaoh himself, enchanted to halt the flow of time within its confines. He also ordered that anyone who died in his kingdom be buried in his pyramid, to be brought back from the dead should they be needed.

As Anrakan ordered wave after wave of soldiers to their doom, his citizens began to grow weary of this new way of life, and the seed of rebellion took hold. Reaching a boiling point, they turned on their pharaoh. Though many died in the ensuing clash, Anrakan was forced into his pyramid and imprisoned in his sarcophagus, unable to age yet also unable to escape. The pyramid was then buried under the sands of his kingdom, never to be found again.

They say the dragon pharaoh waits, even to this day, to be free. Should anyone be foolish enough to allow him to escape, he plans to exact his vengeance on the kingdom that turned on him, as well as the world that denied him. With his mummified army, he will sweep across the land until everything is sand beneath his claws.

Alas, these legends, like many others have faded into obscurity, lost to the sands of time like so many others. Though there has been word of a massive pyramid having recently been discovered….

Sar Haraash, the False Prophet (By prettyflyforawideguy)

Sar Harassh spent much of her life raiding towns and sowing destruction in her wake for pleasure, often using powerful spellcasting. Now an ancient green dragon and a powerful sorceress, she fears that the twilight of her life will soon be upon her. Already her scales grow pale with age, and every flap of her wings causes pain and aching in her joints. Even her terrifying breath weapon, once capable of killing hundreds at a time, is more likely to start a coughing fit than it is to spew toxic gas. She has thus far been lucky enough to avoid death at the hands of adventurers and dragon hunters, but worries that father time will not be so easily defeated.

Nearly driven mad by a quest to prolong her life, Sar Haraash scoured the countryside to find any clue that could save her. She considered Dracolich-dom, but found the idea of living like a parasite feeding off the souls of “insect” lesser races abhorrent. Then, she had an epiphany (or perhaps a delusion). Everyone has to die eventually, and only the gods are exempt from this.

The next step is obvious: Sar Haraash must become a god.

She sacked a series of cities in order to make her presence known, and amassed a small cult of followers around her. This cult infiltrated a city of elves that revere magic, and slowly warped the minds of its citizens. The elves of this city now believe that Sar Haraash is an avatar of their goddess, who is magic personified. Her cult rules with an iron fist, concentrating the divine energies of her followers into a rejuvenation effect on her. Just this one city is enough to stop her aging, and she is convinced that if she were to convert the world (by violence or diplomacy, whatever works) then she would be able to become a true goddess.

Other cities and cultures reject the claim that Sar Haraash is a god, and think of her as an invader. War is brewing on the horizon between a coalition of elven states and the brainwashed dragon worshipers. Sar Haraash knows that her followers cannot win, and if they die in a battle then she loses the effect keeping her young. Thus the impulsive and destructive dragoness must now play the role of diplomat and peacekeeper in order to avoid a war that would surely kill her. She sees the irony in this, and it infuriates her to no end. Woe be to those that anger Sar Haraash inside her borders, because she delights in nothing more than taking her rage out on prisoners.

Ryke Lag the Fume Layer (By zzzzsman)

This dragon is said to haunt the echoing caves beneath Kabal. They say it belches smoke and ash into the sky and that, in its old age, it's fiery breath has become a torrent of lava, which it enjoys spilling through the levels of its lair.

Those who have seen it tell of a maw wider than any they have seen, a terrible mouth able to swallow a man and his horse whole.

The echoing caves carry sounds for miles, meaning that his prey will be haunted by his bellowing voice for weeks before encountering the fiend.

Some rumors tell that his shouts can shatter solid stone and break every bone in a knight's body, a frightening thought.

It is all true I say!

For I was there on the day that the prosperous city of diamonds, the jewel which was Kabal, was encased by his horrid ash.

I watched in terror as magma poured from the sky and encased the market in stone.

I saw him swoop down from above and engulf a crowded street in a single scooping bite.

I heard his deafening laughter as he ripped apart the castle with his very voice.

I escaped that day with my life, don't expect to be so lucky if you seek the fume layer in his caves.

- Daeron Gelderberry, retired elvish merchant

Zydron, the Night Scourge (By shadowykittenwizard)

Zydron is a young black dragon. Long and slender he is approximately 32 ft. from snout to tail, with a similar wingspan. His scales are bright and reflective, though many are scarred or missing from his many battles in his young life. At 93 years old Zydron and his Tiefling rider, Malak Magcain, have control over most of the Gomaach valley. The young dragon has a large scar across his left eye from the duo’s most famous battle, the siege of Deepwall.

Malak Magcain stands 5'10", and is typically seen wearing dark leathers and carrying his enchanted pure gold dagger, Goldfinger. Skin a crimson red, rams horns, long untamed black hair, and perhaps his most striking feature: eyes with no pupil or iris, colored pure gold.

The duo is known well for their deception, ambushes, betrayal, and generally roguish tactics. They are also known to have the full backing of the Dragonsreach Empire, despite their unsavory behavior. A well-guarded secret is a ritual the pair performed linking their souls together, giving them a shared mind but only one lifetime between the two of them.

Until Zydron’s mind reaches maturity he is somewhat under the sway of Malak’s goals and desires, namely the locating and rescuing of the man he loves, due to the linking. However, once Zydron is fully developed Malak Magcain will be reduced to nothing more than a puppet of the black dragon.

Their most famous battle, the siege of Deepwall, will be remembered for generations in the Gomaach valley as an example of greed, hatred, and unchecked expansionism. When Malak and Zydron marched their forces to the walls they issued the same ultimatum they had to many city-states before: surrender and be embraced, or resist and face punishment. Deepwall’s nobles liked their chances in a siege and were the first city to openly resist. This in turn caused other cities to rethink their subjugation while Malak’s army was occupied with Deepwall. Zydron and Malak decided to make an example out of the foolish nobles, enacting the first chemical warfare in history. They released mass amounts of noxious fumes into the city’s sewage system which billowed over into the city itself. The other cities fell back into line, an entire population exterminated within hours. The ruins will overflow with choking fumes and nothing grows for miles, Deepwall will remain a reminder for generations to come.

The Storm Martyr, The Thriceborn-Terror, the Scourge of the Saltwastes, the Sandsea Scion, The Butcher of The Bravanod Basin, The Mighty and Unstoppable Stephen

(By dreadpiratebroberts)

*Depending on when the Party fights him, Stephen is either a Blue Dragon of Various Ages or an Ancient Blue Dracolich if the ritual he has planned succeeds.

One person, one time, suggested that maybe he drop a couple of the titles or go with a shortened version, and just before hearing himself crunch against Stephen's Teeth he heard in a voice like rusted iron being bent "That IS the shortened version"

In truth it is unlikely that anybody except Stephen remembers his full title, but only because there are SO MANY names.

In the shorter lived cultures Stephen is something of a myth, a bedtime tale that is told to especially adventurous children, and often his name is mangled due to various dialects and the stories having been told hundreds of times over.

Between the longer-lived races and cultures, the stories never seem to agree, some say he was born of the Sandsea itself, the large desert and the sky above it having fallen in love after so many years, others say that the spirit of the first king, Stephanos, became the dragon. And there are even stories that a mighty Tarrasque was somehow involved. 

But regardless of these rumors, Stephen is not someone you wish to Anger.

That is unless you believe the rumors about his hoard.

They say entire ancient civilizations bloomed and wilted beneath his gaze, and that he has a piece of every one, they say that there is powerful weaponry there, taken from heroes chosen by gods, and that Fate herself works around his schedule now, because of all that he has taken from her.

There is even a rumor that the remains of a long forgotten God, perfectly preserved for Eons, resides with what has come to be known as The City Of Gold.

The All-seeing Anger's minions are everywhere, in fact in many cultures he is regarded as a god: temples are built, sacrifices made, with priests and clerics and even Paladins declaring their deeds were for "The Storm Martyr".

This is all as he likes it, his name sung for the ages, his people adoring him, and most importantly his vast hoard growing in size by each day that passes over the deserts.

Those who do not worship at the Altar of The Thriceborn-Terror, or who forget to give him tribute before leaving on a journey across his Demesne, are often never seen again.

However, there is also a legend of Lukosi, a mighty warrior who once almost defeated, and killed the mighty and unstoppable Stephen once and for all. Again the legends disagree, but almost all attribute Lukosi's loss to sheer luck. Not that any of this bothers the Azure Lord one bit.

Recently the call was put out, supposedly coming from the Cerulean Chaos himself, gathering Wizards, Mages, Scholars and Adventurers of all kinds to the bustling city of Tel'Adren, exactly why is unknown, but the word is that it's possible that the Sandsea Scion is finally using one of his most prized possessions in himself, the secret to immortality.

Exactly what kind of help he will need, who will fulfill this task, and to what lengths they'll go all remain a mystery, however, what isn't in question is if the reward will be worth it...

...For, as is often said, the Dream Decider's ability to reward is unlimited.

[forensicsjones83]

Personal Red Flags of Fraud

As victims of occupational fraud reflect on crimes committed against their companies, they wonder if there were any signs that a fraud was occurring. They wonder how a trusted employee could steal from the company. Sadly, frauds are committed by people in positions of trust. What is it about those people that leads them to commit fraud?

Corporate thieves have many things in common with one another. There are many tell-tale characteristics about people and their lifestyles that signal the potential for fraud. These range from personal financial circumstances to attitudes on the job. A few of these traits alone do not indicate the potential for fraud, but the probability rises as we identify more of the characteristics. Work Habits Employees who steal from their employers often appear very dedicated. They work long hours and seem willing to take on extra responsibilities. For a normal person, these would be desired traits. An employee who helps accomplish more is seen as an asset to the company. For someone with the potential for fraud, however, these characteristics are worrisome.

An employee who shows up before everyone else and leaves after the other employees may have opportunities to cover up theft. As a dishonest employee walks through the office unchecked, imagine what documents and information that employee might access. Additional responsibilities for a dishonest employee offer another chance to access assets and records, and may give her or him the opportunity to conceal crimes.

It is important to be aware of employees who are almost compulsive about working long hours and doing everything themselves. What might appear to be unusual dedication to the company and the job, could possibly be an indicator of an employee scheming and devising ways to beat the system.

The flip side of an overly dedicated employee is the employee who is constantly fighting the rules and regulations. This employee objects unusually to following the established company procedures. She or he is constantly bucking the system and refusing to follow the rules. This type of employee may be unusually agitated at changes in policies and procedures, especially if these changes may impact a theft scheme.

This is different from the employee who says “we've always done it this way.” Employees who have been with a company a long time may establish their own routines and procedures, and change might be difficult for them. Resistance from an employee like this is probably not unusual or problematic.

The problem employee is the one to which the rules do not apply. She or he feels exempt from controls and accountability. Even when management begins stricter enforcement of rules, an employee who continues to challenge those rules may be at risk for committing fraud. Attitudes on the Job In addition to the above work habits, certain employee attitudes can signal a higher risk of occupational fraud. One of the foremost personal characteristics that can point to fraud is the lack of personal ethics. Those employees who exhibit low morals and ethics in their personal lives are likely to do so on the job. Those who are willing to cheat on small matters might be inclined to cheat on more significant things too.

Note that the inclination to steal from one's employer doesn't always appear so blatantly. Sometimes it is seen in more subtle ways. Look for negative attitudes such as a persistent dissatisfaction with the job and the company. Resentment of peers and superiors can also indicate the potential for fraud.

When employees feel that they are underpaid, underutilized, or underappreciated, they can run a higher risk of committing fraud. Those who don't feel fairly treated can more easily convince themselves that it is okay to steal from the company. They may rationalize it as supplementing their below-market pay or making up for a promotion not received.

Rationalization of poor performance can also be a red flag of fraud. It is normal for employees to want to perform well and to perceive their own performance in a positive light. However, when clearly poor performance is argued by the employee as stellar, this is a cause for concern.

One of the most obvious attitudes that should cause alarm is that of the “wheeler dealer.” This is the person who is always trying to beat the system, get ahead quick, or pull a fast one. This employee can usually be seen bragging about what a great deal she or he got on something, or how she or he swindled someone else. This person prides herself or himself on getting ahead in dishonest ways, and can be very risky to a company.

Employees who exhibit sudden or unusual changes in behavior and work habits should be eyed carefully. While such a change could be an innocent result of something happening at home, sometimes it is a red flag of fraud. It can signal an attempt to conceal dishonest behavior. Lifestyle Issues A number of factors outside one's work life can signal problems of which employers need to be aware. Criminal backgrounds are certainly of interest, and anyone convicted of a financial-related crime might not be the best employee for an accounting or finance position. Even though a company might not legally deny employment based upon a criminal conviction, management should still keep a close eye on employees with known convictions.

Personal financial problems have the potential to spill over into the workplace, especially if the employee sees an opportunity for theft. Companies need to pay attention to evidence of bankruptcy filings, a poor credit history, and high personal debts. While it's not possible to be aware of all the details of the financial status of employees, it's prudent to pay attention when information does come to light.

Employers should take note of employees with lifestyles that exceed their known means. The employee who drives a luxury vehicle and buys expensive jewelry on a modest salary should draw the attention of management. That employee might have a spouse with a higher salary or might have received an inheritance. However, that's not usually the case. Such an employee should be monitored because she or he might be stealing to fund these luxuries, or the items may be purchased on credit.

The stress of loan and credit card payments could push that employee to theft at a later date.

Habits such as gambling, alcohol, and drugs can also indicate the potential for fraud. These habits are expensive and can lead to a host of other problems, from financial pressures to criminal records. Dishonesty often plays a part in addictions, and that doesn't bode well for employers.

Instability in an employee's personal life can spill over into the workplace. Some factors which require caution include frequent changes in residence, romantic relationships, and family situations. Personal instability can be expensive, and financial pressures can push employees toward theft. Instability at home can also negatively impact job performance, and an employee might utilize fraud to cover up poor performance.

It's important to remember that a couple of these characteristics by themselves don't mean that your employee is stealing from you. However, it is the convergence of several of these risk factors and red flags that should signal a problem.

Identification of red flags of fraud is the first step in stopping a theft-in-progress. The red flags themselves may not be cause for an employer to take action against an employee. They are, however, cause for increased scrutiny and possibly further investigation.