#Central Regional Council

[uttarakhand-jagran]

मध्य क्षेत्रीय परिषद बैठक को लेकर पूरी तरह तैयार धामी सरकार

देहरादून:-  उत्तराखंड में मध्य क्षेत्रीय परिषद की बैठक होने जा रही है यह बैठक नरेंद्र नगर के एक निजी होटल में आयोजित की जाएगी। मुख्यमंत्री पुष्कर सिंह धामी ने बताया कि इस बैठक को लेकर प्रदेश सरकार पूरी तरह से तैयार है। बैठक में केंद्रीय गृह मंत्री अमित शाह मौजूद रहेंगे इसके साथ ही मध्य क्षेत्रीय परिषद के सभी प्रदेशों के मुख्यमंत्री भी इस बैठक में मौजूद रहेंगे।

[mogai-sunflowers]

this will be a bit of a long post but i ask that you please please read the full thing if you want to know more about Sudan- i feel like not enough people ACTUALLY know what's going on in Sudan. a lot of people have a vague idea that a 'war' and genocide is going on, but it's important to know the specifics as well.

there is extremely little coverage of Sudan from non-Sudanese sources, and even those that DO cover it often paint it as a war between two different generals for power over a country- and to a certain extent, without context, that IS what's happening. for those unaware, the two 'warring factions' in Sudan are the official Sudanese military- the SAF (Sudanese Armed Forces) and the RSF (Rapid Support Forces).

in April 2019, during the Sudanese Revolution, Islamist dictator Omar al-Bashir was deposed by the SAF in response to a mass wave of revolutionary organizing, protests, and sit-ins. Immediately after, the TMC (Transitionary Military Council) was established, with SAF general inspector Abdel Fattah al-Burhan being appointed as the chairman. for a brief time, protestors engaged in negotiations with Burhan, and many believed that he was being ernest in his promises of a true civilian democratic government- but it soon became clear to protestors that he was not actually taking their demands seriously, so demonstrations once again intensified. on June 3, 2019, it was under Burhan's command that the Khartoum Massacre was committed, killing 118 protestors while they were participating in a sit-in at the military headquarters in Khartoum.

as the next few months went by, agreements came about to dissolve the TMC and form a Transitional Sovereignty Council based on a draft of a constitutional declaration. it was supposed to be that a military official would be the chairman for 21 months, then transitioning to a civilian chairman for the next 18 months- but Burhan staged a coup in October of 2021, and dissolved the council and effectively turned the Sudanese government back into a military junta, which was the cause of further protesting.

i want to emphasize the crimes and horrors of the SAF because they are often forgotten in these discussions due to the absolute atrocities committed by the RSF. there is no good guy here- both the SAF and the RSF are vying for dictatorial power. so let's talk about the RSF.

headed by genocidal war criminal Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known more widely as "Hemedti", the RSF formed around 2014 due to reorginization of the Janjaweed militias- which were the militias that formed across the Darfuri regions of southwestern Sudan to suppress demonstrations against Bashir's oppressive and racist regime which carried out the first genocide of Massalit and other ethnically non-Arab peoples across Darfur in the early 2000s. so to be succinct- the RSF has direct roots in dictatorial suppression of Sudanis protesting against ethnic cleansing, genocide, and oppression.

for around a decade, the RSF and SAF were different factions of the Sudanese military- both have their roots and a pattern of supporting dictatorial violence and anti-Black genocide. and, on April 15, 2023, these two dictatorial Arab-colonialist powers began fighting out of the blue. fighting has been most intense around Khartoum, the central state and capital city of Sudan, where now an estimated 35% of its residents have been forced to flee, with the rest trapped in the middle of an active war zone.

the RSF has been actively continuing the genocide of non-Arab Darfuri Sudanis that its predecessor the Janjaweed committed 20 years prior. they have been consistently launching attacks against Massalit villages in Darfur and El Geneina. Recently, they have completely ethnically cleansed several Massalit villages, killing hundreds in each one of them. in addition, they are committing so many other war crimes, like sexual violence, blocking access to humanitarian aid, occupying civilian homes and kicking the residents out, along with blatant ethnic cleansing campaigns, mass murder, and targeting of civilians.

but don't think that this is a 'civil war' as many are calling it. a civil war is an internal dispute, but this is far from that. both the SAF and the RSF are supported by external powers, namely the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Russia, who all provide funding to these groups IN EXCHANGE FOR SUDANESE RESOURCES LIKE GOLD AND OIL. this is, ultimately, not just some random war between two different military groups- it is a war funded by and for foreign colonial powers who have a vested interest in colonizing Sudan for its resources. as an example- the UAE's- and especially Dubai's- infamous gold and jewelry industry, is only made possible by the fact that the UAE illegally smuggles 80% of Sudan's gold- they fund this by sending weapons AND SOLDIERS to the RSF. Several of the gold mines in Sudan are owned and operated by the Russian government.

all of this, both the 'internal' AND the external, colonial aspects of this war and genocide, has led to the world's current WORST humanitarian crisis. not only do LOW estimates place the total murdered in the past year at 150,000, but out of Sudan's population of nearly 47 million, over half (25 million) are in severe need of humanitarian aid, and of those 25 million, over half are children. fighting between the RSF and SAF has lead to severe blockage of aid, and the UN's initial proposed budget of $1.5 billion in April of 2023 has not only not increased to accommodate the severe worsening of the crisis, but ALSO has not even been funded 20%.

2.5 MILLION PEOPLE ARE EXPECTED TO STARVE TO DEATH IN SUDAN BY THIS FUCKING SEPTEMBER. THAT IS LESS THAN 2 MONTHS AWAY.

additionally, due to both western colonization and the Sudanese governments' deliberate cutting of internet access across the entirety of Sudan, there is a huge lack of the proper infrastructure for generating awareness and spreading videos and info from on the ground in Sudan. this means that not only are people unable to effectively crowdfund support to leave, but they are also barred from accessing social media to spread awareness, and they're unable to contact loved ones outside of Sudan most of the time.

also, Sudan is HUGE- in order for displaced people to escape fighting, they usually have to walk, on foot, for hundreds of miles, often across literal deserts, with extremely little access to water. there has also been a surge of internally displaced people dying due to illness and scorpion stings in displacement camps. 70% of Sudan's hospitals have stopped functioning entirely. and even if they DO make it to a neighboring country, most of the options there are just as bad, if not worse- Egypt is extremely anti-Black, and doesn't allow work permits to most Black refugees, meaning they are relegated to being houseless and jobless if they go to Egypt- and westward in Chad, there is also crisis with food and resources, so the government of Chad quite literally can not materially support anymore Sudanese refugees. In South Sudan, there is also conflict, war, and crisis, and in Ethiopia, where the genocide is taking place in Tigray, the government is extremely hostile to Sudanese refugees. there are currently more than 6,000 Sudanese refugees stranded in the forests because of the hostilities they faced while in UNHCR camps.

and everyday that we're not doing something, this genocide, war, and humanitarian crisis is getting worse. doing something starts with being educated. i urge y'all to look more into this, don't just take what i'm saying and roll with it- truly learn and listen to Sudanese activists on this. i highly recommend following these accounts on Instagram:

@/red_maat , @/bsonblast , @/sudansolidaritycollective, @/forsudaneseliberation, @/darfurwomenaction, @/liberatesudan, @/zzeirra, @/yousraelbagir, @/modathirzainalabdeen, @/sdn.world, @/nasalsudan, @/sudanuntold, @/kandakamagazine, and @/almigdadhassan0

IF ANYTHING I'VE SAID IS INACCURATE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!

i'd like to spread this post for some education. could you reblog this @decolonize-the-left @incorrectmadrigalfamilyquotes @homoidiotic @heritageposts @el-shab-hussein

@fairuzfan @palipunk @silicacid @sissa-arrows @apollos-olives @

@northgazaupdates @our-queer-experience @intersexfairy @genderqueerdykes

[snailkites]

Big news for bird names: American Ornithological Society to replace eponyms

AOS intends to change all offensive and eponymous (named after people) common names of birds in the USA and Canada.

Renaming these species will be done with involvement of the public and overseen by a new committee made up of ornithologists, social scientists, and communications and taxonomy experts.

AOS will work with the ornithological societies of Central and South America determine who in these regions will maintain stewardship of common English names.

AOS announcement: https://americanornithology.org/about/english-bird-names-project/american-ornithological-society-council-statement-on-english-bird-names

More information under the cut.

How do bird names work? Scientific names (binomials like Zonotrichia albicollis) are set by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. These names are meant to be unique, unchanging, and universally recognized. Common names, on the other hand, are more fluid. The American Ornithological Society is the recognized authority on English-language common names for North American birds, published in their annual Checklist.

The larger context. Ornithologists name birds after people to commemorate those individuals, but this create problems. What do you do when a common name is racist, or when a bird is named after someone who, frankly, sucked? AOS has changed bird names for both of these reasons already.

In 2000 AOS changes the common name of Clangula hyemalis from a racist word for Native women to Long-tailed Duck (although at the time, they denied it was because of "political correctness")

2021: AOS changes the common name of Rhynchophanes mccownii from McCown's Longspur to Thick-billed Longspur. McCown was a Confederate. The push to rename this bird was a flashpoint in the #birdnames4birds movement.

Why not decide one-by-one? Sometimes it's obvious. For example, John James Audubon was a grave-robbing, slave-owning racist; birds such as Audubon's Oriole and Audubon's Shearwater are named after him. Although the National Audubon Society has voted to keep their name ("won't someone consider the branding"), many chapters have changed their names, e.g. the Chicaco Bird Alliance. Other individuals with birds named after them are less well-known or clear-cut in how much they did or did not suck. Removing all eponyms, rather than debating who sucks on a case-by-case basis, will cut down on the arguments.

How will this actually happen? It's not yet clear. Any free-for-all-poll might result in some Birdy McBirdFaces. No timeline either. But it sounds like this really is happening!

[aprilcolours]

blackheart

A/N: OC is Visenya, daughter of Rhaenyra and Daemon, second eldest child after Jace and before Luc. She rides Vermithor, the Bronze Fury. This is about SHOW Benjicot Blackwood NOT book!! The three seconds we’ve seen of him at least lol <3 Valyrian is translated at the bottom

part two - part three - part four

—

When Vermithor landed, a slew of muck and water sprayed into the humid Riverlands air. Visenya the Second wrinkled her nose and brushed some of the mud specks off her riding leathers. 

She reassured her dragon, “Sȳz, jikagon arghugon,” and slid promptly off onto his shoulder, before deftly sticking the ten foot drop to the ground. The marshes were full of tents, troops mustered from across the realm to gather here in this central region, where the flags waved black. She had made sure to land a little ways away, wouldn’t want to crush any of our own now would we, she thought with a slight smirk. 

She was the daughter of the Rogue Prince, and carried herself as such. There was a latent danger in the way her lithe form prowled forward, a ferocity to the confident tilt of her shoulders. Despite her stature as a young woman, and a slight one at that, she cut an imposing figure. 

The bannerman watched her approach, most tilting their head in recognition at least, some falling into deep bows. She stalked through the lines of troops, searching for the central war council. 

Visenya had flown to the Riverlands a fortnight hence, to guard their troops from a possible attack by Vhagar, to see her mother’s will done in the strategizing, and for a third purpose that was known only to her and her mother. At the center of a camp, a large table had been brought forth, encrusted with maps of the region and the current positions of hosts. Gathered around the table were a group of knights and lords sworn to Rhaenyra: Lords Darklyn, Staunton, Massey, and a group of young lords that had come to be known as the Lads: Lord Kermit Tully, Ser Oscar Tully, and Lord Benjicot Blackwood. 

Benjicot Blackwood had come into his lordship quite recently, with the death of his father mere months ago at the beginning of the war. Despite this, he had already made a formidable reputation for himself as ruthless, bloodthirsty, and a force to be reckoned with. He was not necessarily physically imposing, favoring a lean build, but he had a certain gleam in his eye. Almost rabid, Visenya had thought to herself with a small laugh. 

She looked at each of the gathered as she reached the table, daring any of these older men to show anything other than submission. Each of the lords bowed, averting their eyes. Bar one. Lord Blackwood always held her gaze as he bowed, eyes gleaming and a crooked smile playing at his lips.

She raised a brow, unimpressed. 

It only seemed to make his smile curl even wider. 

“The Western front has shifted closer, your Highness,” Lord Massey informed her. Visenya finally tore her eyes away from the Blackwood to observe the map. Indeed, the Green host mustered at Lannisport had crept closer in the night. It now dared to encroach on the edges of Tully land. 

“The numbers mustered are not insignificant,” Lord Darklyn added. 

“They are when compared to the whole force of the Reach that soon converges upon us from the South,” Lord Staunton argued. The combined Tyrell, Hightower, and Florent host was decidedly large. 

“A problem only made worse if the Lannisters are allowed to join them,” Darklyn shot back. It was clear this argument had been happening for some time at this point. 

As she considered the map and heeded the advisors, Visenya felt a certain piercing dark gaze boring holes into her. She did not indulge him further with another look, but she could feel the unending weight of his stare as it did not abate. 

“We march on the Lannisters,” Visenya declared, voice carrying high and clear. The council ceased their squabbling. 

A short silence descended, as the Lords who disagreed weighed whether they would be endangering themselves if they expressed their opinion. 

“We will cut them off at Lydden, before they can turn southwards,” she continued, gesturing to the spot on the map. “Darklyn is right, they cannot be allowed to join the Reach. Lannister forces will have supplies from Lannisport, so they will not have been affected by the blockade. Time is our greatest ally at the moment. We have the whole of the North marching to us,” Visenya spoke plainly and matter-of-factly, but at this point she smiled slightly and tossed her silver braid over one shoulder. 

“Furthermore, the Green houses are well… green. The longer they wait, they longer they have to ponder tales of fearsome Northmen who need neither food nor sleep, to whisper legends of Rhaenyra the Cruel and her fleet of dragonriders,” she paused to shoot Blackwood the barest hint of a grin, “to hear word of Bloody Ben and the carnage they march towards.” 

The Lads laughed and jostled Ben’s shoulders. 

“I hear he slew fifty men in a single evening over his cup of tea!” Ser Oscar teased, voice mockingly high. Blackwood ducked his head and laughed, rustling the other two men back. 

“The flower knights will quiver and shake their way back to Highall,” Visenya finished, looking to the council members for dissent. 

“What of Vhagar, your highness?” Lord Staunton asked, “The kinslayer will surely come calling.”

Visenya tilted her head. 

“That is why I am here,” she answered. 

With that, and a few more details of the march agreed upon, the council was adjourned. As he began to walk towards his troops however, Visenya called out to him,

“Oh and Blackwood?”

Ben turned back to face her, taking the address as an invitation to step closer. Closer than any other dared step. She had to tilt her head back slightly to look him in the eye. 

“Be sure to give them something to talk about,” she commanded. Her voice did not falter even as she felt her heart begin to hammer in her chest. 

With a lopsided grin and another bow, “I swear it, my lady.”

—

The battle at Lydden was a roaring success. Vermithor made sure to roar it across the skies. Together, Visenya and her dragon burned whole battalions and paved the way for the Black troops to carve through the Lannister forces. It was not without its casualties to the numbers, but still a resounding victory for the Queen. 

In the aftermath, they had landed in a small forest slightly away from the troops, who she could hear were already carousing. Visenya used the flat of one of her blades to scrape dried blood from Vermithor’s scales. 

“Messy business, isn't it,” a voice rang out from behind her, with his signature teasing lilt. Ben stood at the other edge of the clearing, grinning, also covered in blood and mud. She turned, raising an eyebrow at his antics. 

“What I thought was courage I see now might be stupidity,” she responded with a teasing tone of her own, “to approach a dragon on your lonesome.” 

He approached further, despite her warning, and like a moth to a flame she was drawn closer. 

“Ah but I am not alone, am I?” He said, almost breathless still from the battle they had just fought. They drew near together in the center of the clearing. “And my princess is a great dragon rider who would not allow harm to befall me,” he intoned in a low voice. 

“Ha! I have left court only to find flatterers in the fields,” she replied. Perhaps the bloodlust had gone to her head but Visenya ignored any thoughts of impropriety, choosing to match his grin with one of her own. “

“What is it you want, Lord Blackwood?”

Surprisingly, his expression shifted. The giddiness receded, and what rose upon his features then was a simmering focus. It was not unlike the expression he wore in the midst of battle. After a heartbeat of tension, Benjicot Blackwood stepped even closer. Gazing down at her with that signature glint of crazed gleam in his eyes, he confessed, 

“Since meeting you, your highness… my desires have become uniquely singular.”

Even with her years of courtly training, Visenya could not hide her shock. Or her blush. 

“Let none say you are not bold,” she whispered, stupefied. He chuckled slightly and noted,

“So you think me both bold and courageous.”

“Did I say that,” she teased breathlessly, still gathering her bearings.

“You did,” he replied simply, eyes dark and hooded. 

He was enjoying watching her on the back foot for once, she could tell. She felt a flicker of temper rise and latched onto it. Visenya leveled her haughtiest at look at him and remarked, 

“Our surroundings are hardly appropriate for a marriage proposition, do you not think Lord Blackwood?”

Her indignance only seemed to amuse him further. 

“On the contrary, my lady, they are perfect. Together, we have won a great victory and live to see another day. In war, this is the best one could hope for.” 

She considered his words, considered the whole of Benjicot Blackwood and his proposition. 

Certainly an unconventional choice, she thought. I think mother would like it. 

She considered her third purpose for venturing out across the realm: to seek a husband.

And she kissed him.

Benjicot Blackwood kissed like he was drowning man and she was air itself. He kissed like she might change her mind at any moment and he would make every second count. He was all teeth and tongue and grasping pulling hands at her waist, her arms, her face. 

“Do not get blood in my hair,” she broke away to command, voice breathy but firm.

His laugh echoed into the night. 

—

A/N: Truly insane that I wrote this and he's not even in the show yet lmaoo

Sȳz, jikagon arghugon - good, go hunt

i will post this on ao3 too, and i might add more if i feel so inclined!!

[komsomolka]

In July, the Iraqi Central Bank halted all foreign transactions in Chinese Yuan, succumbing to intense pressure from the US Federal Reserve to do so. The shutdown followed a brief period during which Baghdad had allowed merchants to trade in Yuan, an initiative intended to mitigate excessive US restrictions on Iraq’s access to US dollars. While this Yuan-based trade excluded Iraq’s oil exports, which remained in US dollars, Washington viewed it as a threat to its financial dominance over the Persian Gulf state. [...]

Since the signing of Executive Order 13303 (EO13303) by President George W Bush on 22 May 2003, all revenues from Iraq’s oil sales have been funneled directly into an account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. EO13303, titled “Protection of the Development Fund for Iraq and Other Property in Which Iraq Has an Interest,” has been renewed annually by every US president, including Joe Biden in 2024. This executive order essentially places control over Iraq’s oil revenues under the discretion of the US President, leaving Baghdad with limited control over its resources and earnings. [...]

Whenever Washington feels that Iraq is not compliant with US regional goals, these fund transfers can be delayed or reduced. In January 2020, for instance, after the Iraqi Parliament voted to expel US troops following the assassination of Iranian Quds Force General Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) Deputy Commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the Trump administration threatened to freeze Iraq’s access to its oil revenues. [...] The country’s inability to control its own funds has prevented long-term reconstruction and development, forcing it to rely on international loans. [...]

Iraq ceased to be under occupation, at least formally, when it signed the “Strategic Cooperation Framework” agreement with the US in 2008, which says that American forces are present in Iraq only at the request of the Iraqi government.

Attempts by the UN to restore Iraq’s control over its finances have largely failed. In 2010, UNSC Resolution 1956 demanded the closure of the DFI by no later than 30 June 2011 and the transfer of all proceeds to the Iraqi government. Despite these clear legal directives, the DFI account remains under US control at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in defiance of the UN Security Council resolution. Worse yet, enduring US dominance over Iraq’s financial resources has deeply exacerbated the corruption and dysfunction plaguing the country. [...]

Today, both the US Administration of Joe Biden and the Iraqi government led by Mohammad Shia al-Sudani – which has not taken steps to free Iraq’s sovereign funds – can be considered in violation of United Nations Resolution 1956 issued in 2010.

[mariacallous]

Sudan’s rival generals have ignored warnings of mass starvation. In more than a year of brutal war, the two military factions have weaponized humanitarian aid.

Sudan’s de facto leader, military chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has blocked aid into at least half of the country under the control of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) headed by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemeti. Meanwhile, the RSF is obstructing trucks into places held by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). Local volunteers running soup kitchens have been targeted and killed by the RSF, particularly in Khartoum, Sudanese aid workers told FP.

The conflict has created the world’s largest hunger and internal displacement crises. The fighting has pushed 25 million people, more than half the nation’s population, into acute hunger and forced about 11 million people to flee their homes, including 2.3 million who fled abroad. More than two million Sudanese could die by the end of this year, aid agencies warn.

In areas where there is food available, extortion and attacks on traders at checkpoints have raised prices. Women have recounted having sex with SAF soldiers in exchange for food. Reports of torture, rape, the use of children under 15 in the fighting, and ethnic-based massacres by the RSF and armed militias have surged over the past year.

“People are dying of hunger in the capital,” said Mathilde Vu, the Norwegian Refugee Council’s advocacy advisor in Sudan. “We are looking at the risk of starvation being used as a weapon of war. … This needs to be monitored. The policymakers already have a tool for that. The U.N. Security Council resolution about conflict and hunger, and what they need to put in place is a monitoring of that.”

Both sides in Sudan’s nearly 17-month civil war have committed “harrowing” abuses that may amount to war crimes, a U.N.-mandated mission reported on Friday, calling for a countrywide arms embargo. Sudan’s military government rejected a proposal by U.N. experts to deploy a peacekeeping force to protect civilians.

Compounding the situation, the humanitarian response is critically underfunded. A $2.7 billion U.N. appeal has been just 32 percent funded. Much of that funding has come from the United States. However, aid agencies say local volunteers on the ground need to be better supported since a cease-fire is highly unlikely in the immediate future.

Famine was declared in Zamzam camp housing about 500,000 displaced people near the besieged city of El Fasher, the state capital of North Darfur—areas where the RSF is blocking aid trucks. There’s a realistic chance of famine in 16 other areas, Vu said, but precise figures are hard to confirm. Last month, the SAF agreed to open the Adré border crossing from landlocked Chad into Sudan, for a period of three months. But international aid agencies told FP that the SAF has made things difficult through lengthy authorizations ensuring only a trickle of shipments gets in.

U.S. envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello visited Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey this week in the latest attempt by the Biden administration to expand humanitarian access in Sudan, following failed peace talks in Geneva. The conflict risks turning into a forever war, in which various external actors seize the opportunity to extend their influence. Turkey, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Russia have been accused of arming warring parties.

While such negotiations are essential, U.S. attention and pressure should also focus on other regional powers with a vested interest in the conflict such as Eritrea and Ethiopia. Foreign mercenaries from Chad, Mali, Niger, the Central African Republic, and Libya are believed to be fighting in Sudan.

Pressuring regional powers could engage local armed militias allied to the warring parties in ultimately ensuring access to places like El Fasher. “It will create more of a buffer than two guys signing an agreement in Jeddah” and then breaking it, Vu said. “You cannot bypass the regional powers. … They really are the ones who have the leverage. It’s very important that Western powers engage them so that they have a constructive role in this crisis rather than a harmful one,” she added. Even if Burhan and Hemeti signed a peace deal, many of the local armed groups involved would likely not abide by it.

Both generals have held meetings with several African leaders, while the African Union has been largely absent in peace negotiations. More recently, Burhan held meetings with Eritrea’s president, Isaias Afwerki, and Ethiopia’s prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, at the China-Africa summit.

[mychlapci]

Planetfucker scenario? I'll try my best! If this is a hit, I'll write a (weird-birth-stuff) part 2! :D

AU where at the very start of the war, when Orion first acquired the Matrix, tensions were so high that he could not reasonably abandon his Autobots to spend Primus knows how many cycles on Earth appeasing the Unmaker… After many lengthy debates with the high council and his closest confidants, shockingly Prowl volunteered to go in his stead.

Prowl, young but pragmatic, argues that it's for the best. The Autobots need a leader, which Prowl is not. What he is is knowledgeable, quick witted, and level headed. He's perfectly capable of impersonating a Prime for the union rituals. Maybe he underestimated the task, or maybe he simply doesn't trust anyone else to do it right. 

Optimus protests at first, but eventually concedes… and Prowl is sent to Earth in his stead. 

He makes a stunning bride, clad from helm to peds in traditional crystal jewelry. Prime dresses Prowl himself, hanging glimmering heirloom jewels from his doorwings and stringing beaded necklaces around his neck and waist as he guiltily laments his decision to let Prowl shoulder one of his sworn duties. He accompanies Prowl all the way to Earth, bidding his friend goodbye, goodluck, and thanks before returning to Cybertron.

Upon arrival, Prowl finds himself standing at the maw of a grand cavern hidden deep within a mountainous region of Earth. The air emanating from inside is warm and humid. He enters cautiously, descending a winding path to the heart of the cave system.

The further he walks, the more he swears he can sense the walls around him pulsing in a faint but constant rhythm… The Unmaker knows he’s here.

He traverses a series of neverending tunnels, relying on his senses and pure instinct to lead him through the maze-like system. The further he walks, the more oppressive the heat and humidity becomes, the walls seem to narrow and close in around him. Black creeps into the corners of his vision, and a thick fog of static clouds his processor the closer he draws to Unicorn's core. He's barely aware of the gradual charge steadily building in his array until he feels slick seeping from the seams of his panel. 

Hours, or maybe days pass. By the time he reaches the core, he's enveloped in nauseating heat, swaying with every step as his vision swims in and out of focus. The walls pulse around him in a steady rhythm, lulling him deeper into a haze. 

Dim biolights cast the small central chamber in a warm red glow, every surface inside is made of plush organic matter. At the center of the Unmaker’s core is an engorged mass of flesh and tangled tendrils, eggs shifting visibly beneath its surface, with something resembling a valve at its center. 

Prowl’s whole frame feels feverish, his breath coming out in ragged pants as a sweet, heady scent assails his senses. His panels snap open, lubricant gushing down his trembling thighs and his spike already fully pressurized. He collapses over the mound before he can stop himself. 

His head is pounding as he pants and moans against the soft organic matter. He can't think, but he knows what to do. The countless crystals which adorn his frame gleam beneath the pulsating biolights around him, chiming and jingling with every quiver of his doorwings, reflecting a kaleidoscope of shifting red and pink lights all around the chamber. 

His bleary optics are transfixed on the pretty lights as he feebly ruts his spike into the slick, hot valve of the Unmaker. He doesn't last very long… but here, mere seconds feel like an eternity. And he doesn't stop after the first overload. He pumps load after load of transfluid into Unicron's greedy valve, sobbing and shaking as his spike is milked in time with the rhythm of the pulsing lights around him. 

Eventually, he collapses over the plush bed of tendrils and fleah, his battle computer offline and higher functions failing him as the rhythmic throb of the lights and walls flood his senses. 

Prowl’s half-hard spike is still buried in the Unmaker’s valve. He’s on the verge of unconsciousness when he feels a thin, slimy tendril coiling around his leg. Then another, caressing his jaw, slimy and sluggish as it slides over his face like a long, deft tongue. The cavern around him rumbles, a pleased purr emanating from the Unmaker as it maps out Prowl's features. More join, caressing his frame and playing with the pretty jewels that adorn it. 

When the first tentacle finds his valve, Prowl nearly short circuits. His inner callips eagerly cycle around the digit, coaxing it further inside as his anterior node throbs with charge. Two more join the first, pumping in and out of his valve, twisting together and writhing within him before pulling apart and shamelessly spreading him wide open. Prowl whines weakly at the sensation, mind numbing static smothering any discomfort and leaving only dull aching pleasure in its wake. 

A new tendril emerges from the nest beneath him, thick and slimy as it slides against the curve of his aft. It lines up with his gaping hole, easing its way inside with no difficulty. Prowl squeals as it hits his ceiling node with the first slow, deep thrust. 

Unicron sets a steady pace, pounding Prowl's sloppy valve in a maddening rhythm. Prowl jerks and bucks his hips with every drag against his calipers, grinding his spike against the Unmaker’s valve as he squirms and wriggles in its hold. He's held in place by countless tendrils, they coil around his limbs and wriggle against his plating. One finds its way to his mouth, sliding against his glossa before finally fucking his throat in earnest.

Prowl’s vaguely aware of the mass beneath him shifting, the massive clutch of eggs inside moving and deprleting as the thick tentacle in his valve forces its way deeper, bullying the seal of his gestation tank until it finally gives.

His vision goes white, his cries muffled by the tendril in his mouth as the one in his valve suddenly expands. 

Prowl’s calipers are spread wide around the first of many eggs as they're pumped into his gestation tank one after another. For what feels like an eternity, he lays twitching, writhing, and in a near constant state of overload as his sloppy valve swallows Unicron’s clutch. His midriff swells and distends as his spike drools transfluid in a near constant stream, leaking all over the Unmaker's remaining eggs which the tendril promptly pumps into his valve to incubate. 

By the time Unicron is finished, Prowl’s a twitching, drooling mess. All he can do is whine and twitch against the bed of flesh beneath him, engulfed in a mass of writhing tentacles which leaves no spot on his frame untouched…

When Prowl finally emerges from the caves, he has no concept of how much time has passed. He gradually regains cognition, only to realize how much his frame has changed. The seams of his plating are caked with strange sweet slime, his hips are wider… And most obviously, his stomach is horribly distended, awkwardly impeding his gait. 

All he can do is slowly waddle out into the open, the few crystals which still hang from his doorwings jingling with every trundle.

He rests his weary frame atop a flat slab of rock as he absentmindedly activates a locater beacon. Though his mind is mostly clear now, he can't fight the overwhelming urge to return to Cybertron to birth his mate’s brood…

-🦴

ohhHh buddy this was a fucking banger. extremely funny confession, i haven’t even considered Unicron getting his brides pregnant yet ahsjjskhshhk

I love everything about this, the way entering Unicron only makes Prowl more and more hazy and horny, the way time passes slowly and sludge-like and his processor feels so overwhelmed with sensation, Unicron’s valve beckoning him forth, tendrils slipping egg after egg into Prowl until he’s overloading constantly without a break….

mhmmm Prowl comes back to Cybertron bearing the spawn of his new conjux, and Optimus can't help but think about how it was him who was supposed to be in Prowl's role right now, birthing Unicron's brood....

[whencyclopedia]

Achaean League

The Achaean League (or Achaian Confederacy) was a federation of Greek city-states in the north and central parts of the Peloponnese in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE. With a combined political representation and land army, the successful early years of the League would eventually bring it into conflict with other regional powers Sparta, Macedon, and then later Rome. Defeat by the latter in 146 BCE brought the confederacy to a dramatic end.

Founding & Membership

The League was formed in c. 281 BCE by 12 city-states in the region of Achaea who considered themselves as having a common identity (ethnos). Indeed, several of these states had already been members of a federation (koinon) in the Classical period but this had broken up c. 324 BCE. The principal founding members of the League were, then, Dyme, Patrai, Pharai, and Tritaia, all located in western Achaea in the northern Peloponnese of Greece. More Achaean cities joined in the following decade and the stature of the League grew when Sicyon, a city outside the region, joined in 251 BCE. From then on, membership steadily grew to encompass the whole of the Peloponnese.

Members enjoyed the strength in numbers of the League whilst maintaining their independence. Their primary obligation was to contribute a quota of warriors for the League's collective army. Cities also sent representatives to meetings of the League in proportion to their status - smaller cities sent one, and larger ones could send three. Of these, the original founding and larger members continued to exert more influence and their representatives certainly carried more stature as regional statesmen. The representatives met, perhaps four times each year, on a federal council and there was also a citizen's assembly. Up to c. 189 BCE meetings were held at the sanctuary of Zeus Homarios at Aigion and thereafter at individual city-states, presumably on a rotation basis.

The representatives sent by city-states were led by the strategos (general), a position which was introduced in c. 255 BCE and held for one year. To better ensure one state did not overly dominate, the position could not be held for consecutive years. However, this did not stop some notable figures such as Philopoimen (from Megalopolis) and Aratos (from Sicyon) holding the position several times in their careers. Other important positions included the cavalry commander (hipparch), ten damiourgoi officials, and a League secretary.

The League not only gave its members a better defence against outside aggression but also brought several non-military benefits such as access to a common judicial process and the use of a common currency and system of measurements.

Continue reading...

[agentrouka-blog]

I'm curious, do you think Jon or Bran will be king at the end? I find Jonsas tend to be more receptive to the idea of King Bran, even if they don't think its endgame since Jon and Sansa can still be together in Winterfell, unlike the Jonerys side of the fandom who accept Queen Dany as the only possible satisfying endgame. I'm kinda torn between the two, I think grrm could make either work, though Bran would be the more subversive option than the secret prince of an overthrown ancient dynasty. But on the other hand I feel like there won't even be an Iron Throne/7 united kingdoms by the end, so for a King in the North, my #1 pick would always be Jon (alongside his Stark Queen of course).

Oh, I am 100% on board with king Bran! <3

My specific scenario is that he will be an unlikely selection voted in by a Great Council for the new political system in the South of Westeros, which is a parliamentary monarchy of a voluntary union of the Southern regions. There's a permanent Great Council, presided over by a much less powerful figurehead king (hereditary or not) at Harrenhal, which is centrally located in the South and big enough to house that kind of institution, plus symbolically close to the Isle of Faces.

(The Iron Throne and KL being roasted and destroyed, there's need for a whole reassassment of the political future of the continent.)

Bran would be chosen based on his maternal ancestry line (Tully-Whent) connecting him to Harrenhal, through an effective but stealthy election campaign by his aquaintence Samwell Tarly, and probably influenced by Tyrion Lannister in some way. His disability and extreme youth would be considered a plus in this scenario, ensuring the inability to increase royal power beyond the bare minimum through charismatic war mongering for the foreseeable decades. Bran would shine through his intelligence and his ability successfully negotiate political decisions as this proto-democratic institution finds its feet.

I don't think GRRM would ever contemplate putting a Targaryen descendent into a position of ultimate power over Westeros in the end. It would validate the entire dynasty in a way that entirely undercuts the point made by the descent into villainy for literlly everyone actively pursuing that same throne. It would also define Jon's place in the world through the Targaryen line instead of the Stark line, which is.... improbable, given his lack of personal ties to the South and his deep thematic and emotional connection to the culture, landscape, people and politics of the North. The perfect match to Queen in the North Sansa.

[zvaigzdelasas]

US Threats led to rupture of vital military ties, Nigerien leader says - WaPo

A crucial military relationship between the United States and its closest West African ally, the country of Niger, ruptured this spring after a visiting U.S. official made threats during last-ditch negotiations over whether American troops based there would be allowed to remain, according to the country’s prime minister.

In an exclusive interview, Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine put the blame for the breakdown squarely on the United States, accusing American officials of trying to dictate which countries Niger could partner with and failing to justify the U.S. troop presence, now scheduled to end in the coming months. Niger has been central to efforts to contain a growing Islamist insurgency in West Africa.

The rift between the former allies has created an opportunity for Russia, which has moved quickly to deepen its relationship with Niger, dispatching troops to the capital, Niamey, last month to train the Nigerien military and supplying a new air defense system. Russian and U.S. troops now occupy opposite ends of an air base.

After a military coup d’état ousted Niger’s democratically elected president last year, the United States froze security support as required by U.S. law and paused counterterrorism activities, which had involved intelligence gathering on regional militant activities from a massive drone base in the country’s north. The United States has kept more than 1,000 military personnel in place while negotiating with Niger over their status and urging the junta to begin restoring democracy.

“The Americans stayed on our soil, doing nothing while the terrorists killed people and burned towns,” Zeine said. “It is not a sign of friendship to come on our soil but let the terrorists attack us. We have seen what the United States will do to defend its allies, because we have seen Ukraine and Israel.”

Niger’s insistence that American troops depart culminated in the U.S. announcement last month that it would withdraw them. The pullout, which two U.S. officials said would begin in coming months, represents a significant setback for the Biden administration and will force it to reconfigure its strategy for countering Islamist extremists in the volatile Sahel region.

Though tense discussions between U.S. and Nigerien officials have been previously reported, Zeine’s remarks revealed the extent of the disconnect between the two countries. While the Americans were pressing their counterparts over democracy and their relations with other countries, Niger was asking for additional military equipment and what it considered a more equitable relationship between the two forces, according to his account. He also revealed just how exasperated the Nigeriens had become with the United States.

Relations with the United States have been strained since the junta took power, appointing Zeine, an economist, as prime minister two weeks later. The U.S. government condemned the coup and called for the release of President Mohamed Bazoum, who was put under house arrest.

Zeine said leaders of Niger’s new government, known as the National Council for Safeguarding the Homeland, or by its French initials CNSP, were bewildered that the United States had frozen military support while insisting on keeping the troops in the country without justifying their continued presence. The American response in the wake of Niger’s coup contrasted sharply with that of other nations, including Russia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, he said, which have welcomed the new Nigerien leaders with “open arms.”

He said the Nigerien leaders took particular umbrage at remarks by Molly Phee, the State Department’s top official for African affairs, who he said had urged the government during a March visit to Niamey to refrain from engaging with Iran and Russia in ways objectionable to Washington if Niger wanted to continue its security relationship with the United States. He also said Phee had further threatened sanctions if Niger pursued a deal to sell uranium to Iran.

“When she finished, I said, ‘Madame, I am going to summarize in two points what you have said,’” recounted Zeine, who has led negotiations with the United States. “First, you have come here to threaten us in our country. That is unacceptable. And you have come here to tell us with whom we can have relationships, which is also unacceptable. And you have done it all with a condescending tone and a lack of respect.”[...]

Since 2012, the United States has maintained a military presence in Niger, with most U.S. personnel stationed at the Agadez drone base, which cost about $110 million to build. That base has been “impactful” for counterterrorism efforts across the region, said Gen. Michael E. Langley, who heads U.S. military operations in Africa. In an interview earlier this year, Langley warned that the U.S. losing its footprint in Niger would “degrade our ability to do active watching and warning, including for homeland defense.”[...]

When Phee first arrived in Niger in December, Zeine said, he showed her photographs of Nigeriens waving American flags during protests against France, Niger’s former colonial power. While protesters set fires and smashed windows at the French Embassy, he noted, they left the U.S. Embassy untouched.

“Nigeriens were saying, ‘Americans are our friends, they will help us this time to annihilate the terrorists,’” said Zeine. “But there was radio silence.” He added that Niger would have not looked to Russia and other countries for help if the United States had responded to requests for more support, including for planes, drones and an air defense system.[...]

Although Niger is insisting that the U.S. military leave, Zeine said that his government wants to continue economic and diplomatic relations with the United States and that “no Nigerien considers the United States as the enemy.” He said he told Phee and Campbell that Niger would rather have American investors than soldiers.

“If American investors arrived, we would give them what they wanted,” he recounted telling the States Department officials. “We have uranium. We have oil. We have lithium. Come, invest. It is all we want.”

14 May 24

[zeldadiarist]

Golden Chain AU: Worldbuilding

Hello! It's time I already shared these notes that have been sitting in my drive for ages - I wrote them in 2019!

Since I decided to gather everything in one post, it's going to be long, so read under the cut!

1. The basics

Name of the country: Great Kingdom of Hyrule

Regions: Central Hyrule, Hebra, Akkala, Eldin, Necluda, Lanayru, Faron, Gerudo.

Capital: Castletown.

Insular territories: Eventide Island, Tenoko Island, Wintre Island, Lanayru Sea Archipelago (Tingel, Ankel, Knuckel and Davide islands), Lomei Island.

Official Language: Hylian.

Measuring system: metric, established by Queen Zelda V (Botw) during Hyrule Restoration/Renaissance.

Approximate size: Hyrule is a small continent in itself. Every region has around 60-100k km2.

Population: around 30 million people. The population growth was really slow after the calamity (population was barely on the thousands)

Neighbors: Termina to the north (Frontier checkpoint is North Lomei/Deplian Badlands lol), Calatia to the Southwest (Checkpoint: Tanagar Canyon/Hemaars Descent). Both countries are considerably smaller, but developed and have active trade with Hyrule.

Time usage: 24-hour, sexagesimal system.

Seven day weeks. Naming convention:

Monday-Nayday

Tuesday- Twiliday

Wednesday- Wingsday

Thursday- Faesday

Friday- Faronday

Saturday- Timeday

Sunday- Dinsday

13 months of 28 days (lunar calendar), the remaining day is New Year’s.

National flower: Silent Princess

National motto: Post Tenebras Lux (After Darkness, Light comes)

Flag: Hylian crest in gold over three bands (green, blue, red)

Anthem: none, but Zelda's lullaby is the only tune associated to the kingdom.

Demonym: Hyrulean for them all, but also are used the ones describing regions/races: Hebran, Rito, Akkalan, Goron, Eldinian, Faroner, Hatenite, Necludan, Kakaricon, Fielder (central Hyrule), Towners (Castletown).

2. Historical structure

The kingdom of Hyrule counts years since its foundation, everything previous (pre and skyward sword) is prehistory, since there were no written records. Year zero is the crowning of the first king of Hyrule - the grandson of Sksw Link and Zelda. The establishment of the monarchy leads to a dynasty that is interrupted by the Calamity.

The modern history of Hyrule begins when the Hero of the Wild saves the kingdom, and the monarchy is re-established under agreement of the remaining settlements, tribes and kingdoms, bringing another Golden Age that ended with the reign of king Rhoam II, father of the “Bastard Queen” - Zelda’s grandmother Zelda (born Viridiana).

3. Political and internal organization

The Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy and the regent is active in politics, as head of the state/executive power. The King/Queen is also the Commander in Chief of Hyrule's Self-Defense Forces (HSDF), comprised by:

Knights of Hyrule

Gerudo Guard

Royal Guard

Zora Guard

Goron Fighters (army and spec ops such as rescue and first response stuff)

Coast guard (Navy)

Air Rangers (Air Force, led mostly exclusively by Rito Warriors)

Civil Guard (police, firefighters, lifeguards)

Each one of the branches of the HSDF has a leader, commanded by the ruler in power.

People who want to join the HSDF enter Hyrule's knight academy, and undergo training for four years (two years basic training, two years specialization), and rotate through the regiments.

Hyrule's intelligence is the Sheikah. They sort of separated the Sheikah as institution from the warrior clan, but it's still comprised mostly by them. They also develop a lot of technology for civilian and industrial/defense purposes.

The legislative power lies on the 150 representatives of the High Council, elected every five years, with only one re-election term. They have a president, elected to represent them all during official acts. Name of current president: Rhett Groose.

The King/Queen besides the council has a set of ministers to assess them more directly, chosen after receiving nameless dossiers (blind selection). They stay in their positions until the ruler deems necessary. Longest length of ministries have been under Zelda VI’s reign: her initial cabinet stayed with her for over fifteen years.

Each region has a governor, Except for Lanayru, Eldin, Gerudo, in which the Chief/Regent of the tribe is the highest political authority.

The King/Queen is the highest ranking civil servant of the country. The house of Hyrule has ruled more or less steadily for 500 years after the Calamity.

The crown has a matriarchal rule.

The firstborn by birthright inherits the crown, but if at any point before the current ruler passes away or abdicts, the title goes to the next of kin - preferentially a daughter of the house.

Upon coronation, the ruler names a cabinet of ministers, and designs a knight to be their champion.

Five years after coronation, the citizens evaluate the ruler through a binding referendum. If the ruler is disapproved (over 60% reprobation), they are forced to terminate their rule and the next of kin takes the crown (every prince and princess receives the same education to be fit to rule). This measure can be invoked anytime again during the reign, through the people themselves, who have to bring the request through the high council. Queen Zelda V put this measure to avoid abuse of power and tyranny from the crown.

3.Towns and Cities

The cities are mostly the same settlements after the Calamity, and some others were recovered, turning into boroughs of larger cities, or small towns. Several new towns match the former stables they were once.

Hebra: Snowfield, Rito Village, Pondo’s Lodge

Eldin: Goron City, Foothill Town, Shadow Hamlet

Akkala: Tarrey Town, East Town, South Town

Lanayru: Zora’s Domain

Necluda: Kakariko Village, Hateno Town, Dueling Peaks Town

Faron: Lurelin Town, Lakeside Town, Highland Town

Gerudo: Gerudo Town, Canyon Town.

Central Hyrule: Outskirt Town, Riverside Town, Gatepost Town, Outpost Town, East Post Town, Deya Village, Rauru Town, Serenne Town, Castletown.

Great Plateau: Eastern Abbey Village

The capital of the Kingdom grew massive after the restoration period ended, and has several boroughs: The Quarry, Mabe, LonLon, Civic Center (formerly Castletown jail), Downtown (divided in Upper-Lower West/Upper-Lower East side).

4. National Parks and protected areas

Hyrule takes extreme care of its environment, not only because of ecology, but also because nature is sacred for being one of Farore’s gifts. Zelda VI (Viridiana) had to undo several older laws regarding industrialization, because they weren't sustainable and would destroy nature and the balance long term.

Main parks:

Hebra Mountains

Hyrule Great Forest (Deku Tree, sacred site)

Eldin Canyon/Death Mountain

Deep Akkala (Spring of Power)

Mount Lanayru (Spring of Wisdom)

Farone great forest & lake Floria (the green lung of Hyrule)

Gerudo desert (specifically some archaeological sites)

Pillars of Levia

Tanagar Canyon

Oseira plains

5. Economy

Hyrule’s currency is still the Rupee, abbreviated Rp. It’s still used in the same physical form, and fifty years from the start of the story in digital form, for electronic transactions and such.

Since for a long time the country lived barely there during the Calamity, people worked strongly to have self-sustainable communities, and this remained as a trait of the economy, which is circular: there is a strong repair - reuse - recycle culture. Zelda does a lot of thrift shopping, not only because she’s a cheapskate, but because it’s most common for the average citizen. Link has mostly new clothes because he uses tech gear (and due to his size he needs to get things custom made).

Communities generate their own energy, having a clean energy plant in their regions, all connected for a general supply if needed (Hebra has windmills, Gerudo solar panels and so on).

Hebra produces wood for construction, paper and others, central Hyrule, cattle and dairy, faron does agriculture, and fishing, lanayru manages water and electricity (hydroelectric plant in upland Zorana), Eldin does all mining and manufacture, Akkala and Necluda do Farming and agriculture besides industrial activity (Sheikah tech). Gerudo produces fabrics, glassware, tapestry, and luxury items, such as jewelry, high fashion clothes, etc.

Tourism is another of Hyrule's forte. People travel a lot, whether nationals or foreigners. The crown has always incentivated tourism (although they do not travel for leisure often, specially Zelda, who only knows Gerudo Town and Kakariko).

Monopolies are illegal, and the law establishes limits to the riches people can gain to avoid inequality gaps.

Taxes are according to income, and the return is very low, since they finance social insurance, health and education,and basic housing, which is free and universal.

Private property is allowed, and the trade is free but overseen by the state. Excess accumulation of riches is frowned upon - and researched by the Internal Revenue Service of Hyrule’s Treasury.

The minimum wage is for minimum work, but still a livable wage.

6.Spirituality

Hyrule as a secular state has no official religion. The church of Hylia is the most important one though, for Hylia is the guardian Goddess of the land, besides the Golden Three, the mother Goddesses.

The cult is very lax and open, pretty much like Shinto, with small shrines scattered across the land, taken care of by a Sheikah monk, or a priest or priestess of Hylia. The priests/ess hold no particular vow. They train for their duty at the great plateau complex. Zelda is a priestess of Hylia due to her powers, but she only partakes in certain rites, like funerals, weddings, and naming ceremonies.

People worship certain things/values associated with the Goddesses: Nature is revered for it is Farore's gift, same with education for Nayru, and martial discipline for Din (sorta like Greek areté/Roman Virtus). Hylia's attribute is spiritual enlightenment.

The Sage head of the great plateau complex is the highest spiritual authority in Hyrule along the high priestess of Hylia (role fulfilled by the ordained daughters of the royal line.)

7.Magic

By definition is the ability to use the energy that surrounds us in order to defend oneself or others. Most of the time invoking natural forces, like in the case of Din’s Fire, or akin to it.

Magic generated with the purpose of malicious harm, torture, cursing is considered dark magic and deemed forbidden. Exception: Zelda’s Phantom.

Magic has a set of rules:

use it for self preservation or to protect others, never for harm.

actions have consequences of equal dimension.

clear and pure intention must always be behind it, you cannot use it for evil purposes or illegal gain.

You cannot revive the dead. Necromancy is taboo.

The golden rule: what magic gives, magic takes, aka Equivalent Exchange. For a magic user to grow or earn power (such as unlocking sealing magic/the Triforce) they must let go of something as a sort of tribute.

Glamour spells are used as camouflage in certain occasions (like undercover missions), mostly by Sheikah agents.

There are incredibly few magic users nowadays in Hyrule: some Sheikah (less than ten, and mostly on glamour spells. Impa is one of them), Sage Rauru, and Princess Rutela of the Zora, a renowned healer (skilled, but not to the level of her aunt Mipha, who could almost bring people from the verge of death).

8. Culture

Common customs:

Every baby has a naming ceremony, ten days after their birth.

When children turn 10, there’s a small celebration about cherishing childhood, related to the hero of time. Kids (no matter the gender) wear green.

Coming of age is at 17. It is celebrated in a formal fashion, with a sort of party that is halfway between a graduation and a debutante ball. Zelda hated it because she felt like she was a walking meringue pie with her formal dress.

Gerudo

The structure of their society is matriarchal. Men generally have the role of caretakers, and do housework. Before the Calamity they were kept out of town, but after it, they were welcomed, incorporating to their society, participating in a more domestic fashion.

Since men were scarce or away, lesbian/pan relationships are completely normal. Women would take a concubine to procreate, or adopt. Now it's IVF and/or adoption.

Clothing is genderless for them, there’s no "feminine" or " masculine" style. The basic garments are linen caftans and pants, very colorful, and use lots of jewels. They are considered the most stylish and fashionable amongst the peoples of Hyrule.

They are extremely polite and well-mannered. You’ll never see a Gerudo cursing, lest in public. For the same reason, they are the best diplomats and speakers. Gorons are always thankful of how easy to understand they are.

They tend to be politely distant with strangers, but once they warm up to them, they are ride or die, brethren for life.

They were the first to recognize a third gender, and call them “vae” (portmanteau of vai+voe). The word permeated throughout the land. Vae covers all non-conforming gender expressions.

They are the masters of women’s studies, health, pregnancy and childrearing. If you have fertility issues, no matter the race, you go to see a Gerudo Ob-gyn, they’re the best.

Sand seals are still the region’s mascot.

Their cuisine is always flavorful, spicy, and fragrant - they will silently judge you if you don't season your food properly.

Youngsters at seventeen - last year of hs- go into a compulsory exchange program, equivalent to when the tribe women left the town to see the world.

Gerudo weddings have a very romantic ritual: couples meet under the full moon on Lover's Pond and eat a pomegranate together before the wedding. On the wedding day, after taking their vows (written on their own), one of their spouses takes the other on a ride around the town.

Funerals last a week: after a day of wake, the ceremony is held, then the body is cremated. At the seventh day, the ashes are thrown to the desert. After that, relatives stop wearing mourning clothes. They keep a small shrine at home with a picture and burning incense.

Live the same as humans, with an average of 85 years.

Rito

Very art-focused, they excel in music, but are into all arts and crafts as well. Every Rito knows to sing and play at least one instrument.

They used to be a very formal society regarding gender roles (women were discouraged into participating in martial arts and combat), but they slowly changed.

The Rito still have the tradition of a Village Bard. The current bearer of the position is Sagi Blackwing, father of Taka, Marshall of the Air Rangers.

Rito elect their chief democratically, and they have indefinite reelection terms.

They are very blunt and straightforward in nature, despite their graceful forms and manners. Gorons like that.

They are pescetarians. Fowl is kinda taboo, but will eat game or beef if necessary.

Rito families are very large. When a Rito sees another one somewhere, they say “I’m from the [insert family name] of [insert place]”, similarly to Scottish clans.

Weddings are lavish and have a very colorful party with lots of music and dancing.

Births have a very domestic celebration, but they go all over when their little ones learn to fly.

Funerals are very solemn. They burn the body, and throw the ashes to the wind, as the bard plays a beautiful requiem.

They live around 60-80 years.

Zora

Due to their status as the most long-lasting of the Hyrulean species, they are the keepers of the history of Hyrule, in charge of records and archives outside the castle.

Said records are kept in stone, like they have done for ages. But they use digital copies too nowadays.

They still pretty much have the same structure they had before and after the Calamity.

They have a strong sense of collectivity and equality. The ruler never takes political actions without the agreement of their subdits.

They excel in arts, history, and traditional martial arts.

Mostly pescetarian. They tolerate chicken, but don't eat red meat.

Masters of water sports and swimming. King Sidon is still the diving and swimming champ of the Domain - he still teaches the little ones to swim, “just like my sister taught me”.

King Sidon is the longest living individual being in the land with 605 years of age, he has the honorary title of “Venerable Sage”. He says he probably is going to be ready to pass onto the Sacred Realm when he sees “another Link being a Hylian Champion”.

They love being verbose. The Gorons have difficulty to understand them sometimes.

They are not so favorable of interspecies relationships, because of their longevity/ past history of tragic relationships.

Births are warmly celebrated. When Princess Rutela was born, the celebration lasted a month.

The funeral of a Zora is epic: they go Viking, and after a wake and a ceremony, they burn the body on a raft on the Lanayru sea. After that, the family hosts a feast to celebrate the departed.

Goron

You don’t have a family? 100% chance you’re getting adopted by them. Say hi to your 94976937832 new brothers.

Prepare to eat rocks, literally.

They don’t get puns unless they are rocky. Nor double entendres, so communication always has to be very clear and literal with them. They get along wonderfully with the Gerudo/Rito because of this, not so much with the Zora. Hylians/humans and Sheikah have to explain always things twice.

They reproduce asexually. They all come from the “mother rock”, a sort of nursery cave near the caldera of Death Mountain (a la Kindergarten from Steven Universe). They are all aces.

They use “goro goro” as pet word.

They have an almost childlike sense of wonder; they are super warm, open and welcoming to everyone.

They practice tough love, in the sense a goron hug is really tight. Like, you’ll be kinda dizzy for a solid 15 minutes.

They choose their chief through a trial of strength.

Goron sumo is the national sport, followed closely by goron golf.

They still don’t understand why all other races use those shiny rocks that are inedible (i.e. rubies, sapphires, diamonds, etc.). They say “why do you like to wear rubbish?” - I guess someone’s garbage is someone else’s treasure, bro.

Never interrupt an argument between two Gorons. It's RUDE.

They live around a hundred years. When they are about to die, they go back to the mother rock, to the same book they came from,and they fuse with it, giving way to the formation of another goron. They don't make a big deal over it, since they say 'brother went back to our mother'.

Hylian/Human

The only difference between a Hylian and a human is the ears. Who proved that? Science. It's a mutation. Deal with it. Thus, they have gotten over this complex of “race blessed by the goddesses” that existed until before the Calamity - except for a handful of twits.

Humans were scarce during the Calamity, but they slowly reappeared. The current rate is 55% Hylian, 45% human. They are more an ethnicity than a race.

Hospitality is very important for everyone, ever since the Calamity. There is always a spare room or couch to crash in, and there is always a seat at the table for anyone who needs it.

Every family acquaintance is dubbed "aunt/uncle/entle (nb term)".

Learned a lesson from the Gerudo and the Sheikah, and broke gender barriers to the point sports are not divided by gender.

Hylians are specialists in bakery and pastries. During the Restoration, hylians took to heart to recover the culinary traditions of central Hyrule.

Because of their love of carbs, they don't mind a bit of roundness around the edges (a chubby girl is dubbed 'a tiny Goddess', after the goddess statues)

Weddings are simple, mostly held at the house of a relative doing written vows, or a city hall one, to be later crowned with a feast with plenty of food, and a huge wedding cake.

Funerals are short, one day of wake, one day of funeral. The body is cremated, and the ashes put in a box that goes to a small grave relatives visit oftentimes.

The life span is in average 85-90 years.

Sheikah

"Pure" Sheikah do not exist. They can be mostly Sheikah, but they are mixed. Despite that, their genetic features (white hair, reddish brown eyes) are strong, and tend to be passed down.

Matriarchal society. The chief is almost always a woman, although male chiefs have existed, such as Lord Shigure, father of Impaz, current chief.

They still use their traditional clothes most of the time, and/or mix them with modern ones.

They still prefer traditional housing over modern buildings, at least at a residential/suburban level. The manor of the chief is built in traditional style too, and it's located at the center of the city. It's the oldest building in Necluda, and one of the oldest in modern Hyrule.

They cultivate traditional martial arts and other combat techniques, besides science (Akkala and Hateno labs are the tech centers).

Prepare to eat pumpkins in everything. And rice. And apple pie.

Extremely respectful of other people in general. They are amazing hosts. Their parties are incredible.

Weddings are very symbolic and full of rituals. The Sheikah chief offices it. Bride and groom meet each other at the gates of a shrine along their families, and the chief "merges" them by tying the bride and groom's hands with a red ribbon. Then both drink rice wine from the same cup, and then received the blessings of the Goddesses and the spirits of the land. Once married, they parade around the shrine along the whole family. At the gate the receive another blessing, as their families are now one.

Funerals are very solemn. They burn the body and bury the ashes at the cemetery, placing a jizo/goddess statue on top of it. Kakariko cemetery is the largest and most ancient of the country. Even the Royal family used to be buried there.

Their life span is the longest among humanoid species: 150 years.

9. Holidays

Hyrule has 6 big holidays:

“Day without time”: New Year, coincides with Spring Equinox, because of association with rebirth. People gather at home and feast on a big family dinner. One hour before midnight, all lights are out everywhere, and stay like that until midnight, where the royal family rings the bell of the castle at the same time as the new Temple of Time and light a torch that is used to light paper lamps, and get released to the sky. Everyone does the same at home with candles, and welcome the new year going to shrines/temple (if they are believers) or spend the day with their families - making resolutions you generally never accomplish or wishes at the temple is a funny tradition for everyone. Flower arrangements are the key decoration for the event, and goddess statues all over wear wildflower garlands, generally made by children. Zelda and Link love this holiday because they get to eat to their heart’s content. She also enjoys touring kids over the royal gardens - the great plateau temples and the Castle are fully open for visitors, King Daphnes and Queen Amaya welcoming them personally along Zelda, an activity that reinforces their image of “down to earth” royalty. Celebration lasts 5 days (it’s the two previous days, new year’s, the two following days to recover lol).

Summer Solstice/ Midsummer: Everybody loves this holiday because it’s all about having fun in the sun: people go on picnics, to the parks, or to the beach/lakes. Maypoles are placed everywhere, and a huge one is set in Hyrule Castle. Zelda hates the festivity because she sweats like a pig in a suit - it’s one of her official outings and has to dress formally, then change into an elaborate gown with floral motifs and a flower crown. Link loves it because he likes outdoor activities (and Zelda looking like a forest goddess). Similar to Japanese Obon (almost nobody works in the entire week). Goddess Statues are decorated with braided ribbons (blue,red,green).

Autumn Equinox/Harvest Festivities: Fall celebration is focused on thanking Farore for a good harvest, so the theme is gratitude… and food. Cornucopias are everywhere - so is anything pumpkin (Kakariko made a good campaign some decades ago to market their most beloved fall crop), and apple cider. Goddess Statues are decorated with offerings of apples and warm colored Akkala maple branches. The ugly sweater season begins - Link LOVES THEM.

Winter solstice/ The Longest Night: This is a celebration focused on the “light in the dark”: in the daytime, people go to cemeteries to pay respects to their dead, and after 6 pm people gather around to have nice evenings with friends and family, dining, baking treats, and drinking eggnog. People light bonfires on parks and gather around in the evening, singing folk songs, and houses are decorated with fairy lights, and paper lamps they buy for the occasion and keep one of them lit through winter until day of remembrance. Horrid thematic sweaters are almost mandatory, stars and snowfolk being the most common thematic (Link loves them; ironically for a desert child, he likes snow). Celebration lasts over the weekend.

Day of remembrance: third day of the third moon. A very solemn celebration regarding all the people that died during the Calamity, and the survival of all the races. It's tied with the Winter solstice and new year rites. People leave the now unlit paper lamps used through winter solstice, and garlands of silent princesses (they bloom all year round) as offerings at the memorial in Castletown square, fort Hateno, Akkala Citadel, Zora's domain, and the Temple of Time. Those lamps then are gathered and used in the new year.

Day of victory: celebration of the end of the calamity and the establishment of the new kingdom. Castle opens gates and all people dress up in historical costumes of the time. Zelda lives for this shit. Happens during the second week of the eighth month.

There are other regional celebrations, but they are not as relevant as those.

Music day (Rito): 22nd day of the eleventh moon

Goron Bowl (Goron sumo tournament finale, not a holiday in itself, but they go big about it): 28th of the second moon.

Guardian Mothers' day (Gerudo): 7th of the fifth moon

Champion festival (Zora): 14th of the sixth moon.

Other, more general celebrations exist (Teachers’ day, science day, arts day, etc), but they are not holidays.

On the legend of the hero

The relevance of the legends is very important, but has reached a status of pop culture staple, like the Greek gods. Reversions and reinterpretations of the legends are commonplace in media.

The childhood ceremony revolves around the legend of the child heroes, who wore bright green.

---

That's all, sorry not sorry for the wall of text, I hope you find this interesting and complements your reading!

Tagging @expanding-hyrule because it's fitting!

[starkinvs]

okay. i understand that many people simply do not understand the essence of the previous post/don't understand the subject of the discussion. let's start with the fact that russia imposed its language at the state level by force. fifteen countries of the Soviet Union speak russian in one way or another precisely because their cultural identity was not taken into account. Khrushchev's words at the party congress in 1961: "the sooner we start speaking russian, the sooner we will build communism." do i need to explain what communism was like under the Soviet Union? the next paragraph will present several events on the language front of Ukraine.

April 6, 1933 — by order of the new leadership of the People's Commissariat of the Ukrainian SSR, a commission was organized to check the work on the language front. the task of the commission was "to reject the artificial (what could this mean?) demarcation of the Ukrainian language from the russian language in dictionaries and to eliminate nationalistic spelling rules that oriented the Ukrainian language toward Polish, Czech, and bourgeois cultures."

April 26, 1933 - a meeting in the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine on issues of national policy. the tasks have been set out to a wide circle:

— to stop the immediate publication of all dictionaries, to review the dictionaries and all terminology, to unify technical terminology with the terminology that exists in the Soviet Union and is used in Ukraine.

— to review the personnel on the language front and to expel bourgeois-nationalist elements from this front (people who in most cases resisted due to their education and clear understanding of the consequences of such decrees).

April 20, 1938 - the Council of People's Commissars of the Ukrainian SSR and the Central Committee of the Communist Party (bolsheviks) of Ukraine adopted resolutions "on the mandatory study of the russian language in non-russian schools of Ukraine", "on the mandatory study of the russian language in schools of national republics and regions". the resolutions for the first time included an order on the mandatory teaching of the russian language in all non-russian schools. (that is, not only in Ukraine, but also in all other countries of the Soviet Union).

April 17, 1959 - a session of the Supreme Council of the Ukrainian SSR adopted the law "on strengthening the connection between school and life and on the further development of the public education system in the SSR". the study of the Ukrainian language in schools was declared optional (that is, the majority of people were taught only in russian, which only increased the number of russian speakers, thereby eradicating the Ukrainian language, which carries the cultural code of the nation). the number of hours of teaching Ukrainian literature and language in secondary specialized educational institutions has been reduced (reduction of Ukrainian literature, therefore writers who write in Ukrainian, excluding the cultural and historical factor of Ukrainian nationality, completely blurring it and making it almost inseparable from Russians).

1970 - the order of the USSR Ministry of Education on writing and defending all dissertations only in russian. as a result, I am now faced with the fact that while writing my diploma and actively searching for resources, I constantly have to translate and clarify all the information, scanning it for the presence of political and ideological propaganda.

i could continue the list, but I would prefer to be unbiased and give several examples of such a policy.

Belarus.

during the language reform of 1933, the "classical spelling of the Belarusian language" was abandoned - more than 30 phonetic and morphological features were introduced into the Belarusian language, which brought it closer to the russian language. why?

on May 5, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Belarus created a special "Political Commission for Review of the russian-Belarusian Dictionary and New Rules for Spelling the Belarusian Language". it is noteworthy that not a single linguist was part of the commission, and its members were mainly politicians. i believe that russians or ideological puppets.

in the "russian-Belarusian Dictionary" in 1953, when the tracing of the russian language was put at the forefront, and, as a rule, the original Belarusian word followed. the question is the same, what's the point?

the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko himself expressed an "interesting" opinion.

"nothing great can be expressed in Belarusian. the Belarusian language is poor. there are only two great languages in the world - russian and english" - according to this statement by President Lukashenko, which he made back in 1995, experts count the loss of status and displacement of the Belarusian language in Belarus. Lukashenko then initiated the granting of state status to the russian language, but in the end only russian became the state language, while Belarusian remained secondary and little used.

as is known he is a puppet of the Kremlin. needless to say that the Belarusian language was not taught in schools during the Soviet Union, literature in the Belarusian language was extremely impoverished, and propaganda made its own adjustments. i am glad that now Belarusians are switching to their own language and Ukrainians understand the Belarusian language without difficulty, it works both ways.

Kazakhstan.

the languages ​​of some peoples that were part of the Soviet empire experienced repeated changes of alphabets.

this applies, in particular, to the Turkic languages. Uzbeks, Turkmens, Kyrgyz, and Azerbaijanis previously used Arabic script for writing. in the late 1920s, according to the decree "on the new Latinized alphabet of Arabic writing," their languages ​​were transferred to the Latin alphabet. such an attempt was also made to the Kazakh language, but it did not take root at that time.

in 1932-1933, the state authorities of the USSR artificially created a severe famine(!) in the Kazakh SSR, as a result of which more than 40 percent of ethnic Kazakhs died. At the same time, more than a million citizens repressed by the Stalinist government were deported to the republic. therefore, the indigenous Kazakh population became an ethnic minority. subsequently, the percentage of Kazakhs in the total population decreased even more due to mass migration to the KSSR during major events, such as the development of virgin lands.

during some periods of Soviet times, the number of ethnic Kazakhs in the republic was only 30 percent. it was impossible to speak Kazakh in the cities because it was not understood, and many ethnic Kazakhs switched to russian in everyday life. mandatory study of Kazakh in schools was abolished, the number of Kazakh schools decreased (for example, in Alma-Ata there was only one school with Kazakh as the language of instruction).

"the opportunity to get an education in Kazakh began to decrease in 1939, and later higher education was only available in russian. consequently, parents who wanted their child to study at the institute had to prepare them for this and sent their children to schools with russian. as a result, a whole generation of exclusively russian-speaking Kazakhs appe,ared in Kazakhstan in the 1970s and 1980s." says Ainash Mustoyapova, author of the book "Decolonization in Kazakhstan."

Estonian language.

since 1940, with the Soviet occupation, the status of the Estonian language began to decline: it ceased to be the only state language - russian became the second, the use of the Estonian language in many areas was reduced: in international negotiations, diplomatic correspondence, in foreign trade and on trade marks, in matters concerning the armed forces in training. estonian was forced out of teaching and deprived of the opportunity to develop terminology in the fields of navigation, maritime, aviation and rail transport, it also ceased to be used in mining, energy, textile and some areas of heavy industry, since most industrial enterprises were under the direct control of moscow. sounds familiar.

Crimean Tatar language.

with the beginning of the Red Terror in 1921, the population of Crimea, and accordingly among the Crimean Tatars, decreased by a third.

during this time, several waves of genocide (and therefore expulsions) took place: the execution of the intelligentsia in 1921-22, the famine(oh, we heard about that already) of 1922-23, and up to 1926-27, dispossession and deportation to Siberia, the execution of the intelligentsia. and then Sürgünlik - the forced deportation of the Crimean Tatars from their native land to Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and the Urals.

currently, Crimean Tatar is considered a language that is on the verge of destruction (seriously endangered) according to the UNESCO classification. this means that the language is used by older generations of speakers, while parents do not instill in their children the study and knowledge of the language. this is also a consequence of the Deportation, genocidal actions, in particular, the ban on the use of the Crimean Tatar language in places of deportation, as well as the total Russification in the countries that were part of the USSR.

i will probably stop here, because this list can be continued for a long time, but the idea is the same everywhere - along with the language, the national identity of the people is washed away, the language stores the cultural code, historical information. myths, legends, ancient manuscripts, documents, literary collections, which include a description of the traditions and life of the people, all this has a huge influence. that is why people study different groups of languages, their influence on each other, that is why linguistics exists.

but the fact remains - the russian language is not native to all countries of the post-Soviet space except russia itself, it is an artificially imposed language, a whole scheme of extermination and subjugation of peoples who have mixed into one mass. now I see this as a huge problem: the russian language isolates from another world. people of post-Soviet countries can easily communicate with each other, but there is an opinion that learning english is simply becoming meaningless, because there are as many as 15! culturally and historically similar countries that speak the same language, and all together they are much larger than all of Europe. there is no such thing in western europe, there everyone speaks english as a common language, but each country has its own language, but here, in eastern europe it is very difficult to meet an armenian or romanian speaking their own language and this is pure madness.

this is a policy of isolation from the rest of the world, this is the impossibility of reading news from different sources, which often gives rise to a holy confidence that the propaganda media of their country are definitely not lying, because due to the impossibility of comparison, a person becomes like cattle without a choice who were not given any alternatives. and yes, i believe that if you speak russian and support military aggression, you should be isolated from society, because the desire to destroy is not the norm, a person with a destructive mindset without a clear moral compass is a threat to society, especially if he supports the murder of innocent (!) people.

this should not be the norm and must be discussed and if people themselves cannot understand what is what, the cancel culture will help us. only by making it clear to the russians that they are not welcome in society as long as a bloody regime destroys cities and lives, will they be able to realize that it is time to change something and that these changes must start with them. people can destroy regimes. people can win. people live on this earth only once and there is no point in living as a weak-willed creature.

all this was written for educational purposes. only being educated can we destroy a system that we do not like, because beliefs come from facts, which are based on knowledge. only by winning discussions with the voice of reason and protecting yourself from violence, but operating with common sense, can the new generation influence the future. do not be careless, learn and teach others, get information and inform.

[silicacid]

abdullahobead

هذا الصاروخ من الصواريخ الموجهة، أطلقته طائرات الاحتلال الإسرائيلي على منزل في مخيم البريج شرق المنطقة الوسطى لـ #قطاع_غزة، استشهدت إمرأة وفي حضنها طفلتها الشهيدة أيضاً واثنين من ابنائها، مكتوب عليه “US” أي صنع الولايات المتحدة.. أميركا هي المشارك الأول في هذه الحرب وهي الداعم الأكبر لإسرائيل عسكرياً وسياسياً، حيث استخدمت اليوم حق النقض "الفيتو" في مجلس الأمن لمنع دخول المساعدات الإنسانية والغذائية لقطاع عزة ومنع وقوف الحرب على #غزة ، أي تريد استمرار المجازر والجرائم في القطاع.

This rocket is from the guided missiles, fired by the Israeli occupation aircraft at a house in Al-Bureij camp, east of the central region of the Gaza Strip, a woman was killed in her lap by her martyred child also and two of her sons, which reads “US” that is, the United States made. America is the first participant in this war and is the greatest supporter of Israel militarily and politically, as today it used its veto power in the Security Council to prevent the entry of humanitarian and food aid to the Gaza Strip and to prevent the war from stopping on #Gaza, that is, it wants the continuation of massacres and crimes in the Gaza Strip.

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[kamogryadeshi]

As a result of Russian shelling of the village of Komar in the Volnovakha district, an employee of the village council was killed, 14 more people were injured, the Donetsk regional prosecutor's office reported. The Russians made three strikes on the central part of the settlement.

Photo: Telegram/Donetsk Regional Prosecutor's Office

[songsandsagas]

Frostmark Campaign - Session 0 (Part 1 of 2)

System: Ironsworn, by Shawn Tomkin

When I play Ironsworn, I like to create a gazeteer of a region to explore before I jump right into play. Today, I generated information about Frostmark, where my character Aevar's adventures will take place. You are welcome to use this gazeteer for your own games.

Gazeteer: Frostmark

Location: Northern Reaches of the Ironlands, nestled between jagged mountains and frozen seas.

Area: Approximately 200 square miles of harsh terrain, spanning mountains, forests, and icy plains.

Population: About 1,500 people, scattered across isolated villages and small outposts.

Languages: Primarily Ironlander dialects, with some Old Tongue spoken by elders in rituals.

Coinage: Barter-based economy, where goods such as pelts, iron, and food are exchanged. Rarely, silver, or gold coins are used by wealthier traders.

Government Type: Decentralized clan leadership, where elders of each village hold authority. Disputes are settled through council meetings or, in some cases, trial by combat.

Industries: Hunting, mining (iron and precious metals), blacksmithing, and fishing. Due to the harsh environment, survival skills and resource gathering are central to life.

Description: Frostmark is a cold, unforgiving land where the wind howls and snow blankets the ground for most of the year. The people are hardy and resilient, used to biting cold and harsh conditions. Villages are small and sparsely connected, with trade caravans making dangerous journeys across the frozen plains to deliver goods. Massive iron-rich mountains loom over the landscape, providing the region's primary resource.

History: Frostmark's people have always been survivors, living on the fringes of the Ironlands. Originally settled by exiled clans from the warmer southern lands, they adapted to the cold and thrived, establishing strongholds in the mountains. Over time, however, raiders and wild beasts became a constant threat. Aevar's ancestors fought to protect these lands, and he carries that legacy forward.

Important Figures: Thrain, village elder of Frostmark; Ylva the Ironclad, trader; Bjorn the Ironblooded, raider chieftain.

Flora and Fauna:

Flora: Hardy conifers dominate the forests, along with shrubs and lichens. In summer, the alpine wildflowers bloom briefly. Medicinal herbs like frostwort grow in secluded glades.

Fauna: Wolves, snow elk, and frost bears roam the wilderness, while sea life like whales and seals are hunted along the coast.

[sourcreammachine]

GREEN PARTY MANIFESTO 2024 SUMMARY

tldr: there's a feeling of tension in this manifesto, between youthful zennial climatic ecosocialism and old-guard hippy-liberal environmentalism. this year the greens may well go from 1 MP to the dizzying heights of 2 (there's whispers on the wind that they may even get 3...), and the green council delegation is at 800-odd now, so this could easily be a changing-of-the-guard moment

with the great Berry and the ok Denyer in parliament the party could have more momentum in battling the starmerite government, and with that, it has the ability, the possibility to pick up more momentum. this is a big opportunity in the party's history - over the next five years it can and could be pushed into a holistic ecosocialist movement by the centrally influential mass party membership, and remove the last dregs of its tunnel vision to provide a lefty movement for everyone, green and pink, a Newfoundland coalition. with votes at 16 on the cards and this potential evolution of the party, 2029 could be a big moment for this country's left. whether or not the greens play the role of keystone is up to them

it is also the only manifesto to use the term 'neurodivergent'

💷ECONOMY

wealth tax of 1% on individuals with assets over §10m and 2% for assets over §1b (an extremely humble proposal), reform capital gains and investment dividend taxation to be at the same rates as income taxation, remove the income-based bands on national insurance contributions, ie raising total income taxation by 8% at §50k/a, – altogether raising government revenues by upwards of §70b/a

stratify VAT to reduce it for consumer stuff and hike it for stuff like financial services

permanent windfall tax on banks for whenever they get windfalls

perform a holistic land survey to get the data needed for a new, effective Land Tax

abolish the tax relief on existing freeports and SEZs

heavy carbon tax to raise a boatload of billions, rising progressively over a decade to allow industrial adaptation, for a ~§80b state windfall for five years that'll be for green investment as this windfall starts to recede

renationalise water and energy

§15 minimum wage, 10:1 pay ratio for all organisations public and private (ie §150 sort-of maximum wage, ~§300k/a), mandatory equal pay audits, 'support' lower hours and four-day weeks [clarification needed]

unambiguously define gig workers as workers with contract rights from day one, repeat offenders of gig-slavery will be banned from operating in the country

every City bank required to produce a strategy with a clear pathway to divestment of all fossil fuels "as soon as possible and at least by 2030", every City non-banking organisation simply to be banned from having fossil fuel in their portfolios, credit to be banned for repeat City climate offenders, mandate the BoE to fulfil the funding of the climate transition and climate leadership of the City, FCA to develop measures to ban fossil fuel share trading in the City and immediately prohibit all new shares in fossil fuels

"we will explore legal ways for companies to be transformed into mutual organisations"😈

develop regional cooperative banks to invest in regional SMEs, coops and community enterprises

diversify crop growth, promote local agricultural cooperatives and peripheral urban horticultural farms, give farmers a sort of collective bargain against grocers

aim towards a circular economy: require ten-year warranties on white goods, rollout of right-to-repair

tighten monopoly laws on media with a hard cap preventing >20% of a media market being owned by one individual or company and implement Leveson 2

🏥PUBLIC SERVICES

abolish tuition fees and cancel standing debt

surge nhs funding by §30B, triple labour's spending plans for everything, the entire budget, the entire state, everything

free personal care, with occupational therapy being part of this

35h/w free child care (eg seven hours over five days, or seven days of five hours)

renationalise many academies under local authorities, abolish the "charity" status of private schools and charge VAT

surge funding for smoking-cessation, addiction support and sexual health service

surge funding for public dentistry with free care for children and low-earners

free school breakfasts in primary school and free school lunches for all schools

one-month guarantee of access to mental health therapies

online access to PrEP

let school playing fields be used in the evenings by local sports clubs

greater funding for civic sports facilities and pools

🏠HOUSING

unambiguously-under-the-law nationalise the crown estate for an absolute fuckton of land and assets for housing and for green energy and rewilding for FREE

rent control for local authorities, ban no-fault evictions and introduce long-term leases, create private tenancy boards of tenants

local authorities to have right of first refusal on the purchase of certain properties at aggressive rates, such as unoccupied or uninsulated buildings

all new homes to be Passivhaus standard with mandatory solar panels and heat pumps

§30B across five years to insulate homes, §12B of which is for social homes, and §9B more for heat pumps, and §7B more for summer cooling

planning law reform: council planning mechanisms to priorities little developments all over the place rather than sprawling blobs, demolitions to require as thorough a planning application as erections, new developments required to not be car dependent

planning laws to require large-scale developments feature access to key community infrastructures such as transport, health and education, often mandating the construction of new key infrastructures, support nightlife and local culture in planning regulations

exempt pubs and local cultural events from VAT

building materials to be reusable, builders' waste rates to be surged to encourage use of reuse

750k new social homes in five years

🚄TRANSPORT

'a bus service to every village', restore local authority control and/or ownership of their busses

renationalise rail via franchise-concession lapsing, slowly assume ownership of the rolling stock (currently leased, and would continue to be so under labour's implementation of renationalisation) by buying a new train when the stock needs to be replaced

electrification agenda across the rail network, strategic approach to rail line and station reopenings

bring forward (sorta, the tories suspended it but labour says they'll reinstate it) the new petrol car ban from 2030 to 2027, existing petrol cars targeted to be off the road by 2034, investigate road-price charges as a replacement for petrol tax, hike road tax proportionally to vehicle weight, drop urban speed limits from 50kph to 30kph (or from 30mph to 20mph if you only speak Wrong), mass funding for freightrail and support logistics firms transitioning away from lorries

§2.5b/a for footpaths and cycleways, target of 50% of urban journeys to be extravehicular by 2030

frequent-flyer levy, ban on domestic flights within three-hour rail distance, remove the exemption of airline fuel from fuel tax, prioritise training of airline workers into other transportational jobs

👮FORCE

abolish the home office, transfer its police/security portfolio to the justice ministry and its citizenship/migration portfolio to a new migration ministry separate from the criminal justice system

abolish the kill the bill bill and restore the right to protest

recognise palestine, push for immediate ceasefire and prosecution of war crimes, back the south africa case, "[support] an urgent international effort to end the illegal occupation of palestinian land"

grant asylum-seekers the right to work before their application is granted

end the hostile environment

abolish Prevent

end routine stop-and-search and facial recognition

commission to reform 'counterproductive' drug regime, decriminalise personal possession

amend the Online Safety Act to "[protect] political debate from being manipulated by falsehoods, fakes and half-truths", ie actually protecting 'fReE sPeEcH' and not everything that rightists imply by that phrase

decriminalise sex work

reform laws to give artists IP protections against ai

cancel trident and disarm

push for nato reforms (in its and our interest, they're not russophiles, they're not galloway, it's ok): get it to adopt a no-first-use nuclear policy, get it to prioritise diplomatic action first rather than military reaction, get it to adopt a stronger line on only acting for the defence of its member states

right to roam🚶‍♂️

🌱CLIMATE

zero-carbon by 2040, rather than the ephemeral ostensible government target of 2050

stop all new oil/gas licenses, end all subsidy for oil/gas industries, regulate biofuels to end greenwashing, end subsidies for biomass

decarbonise energy by 2030, minimum threshold of energy infrastructures to be community owned, "end the de facto ban on onshore wind" with planning reform

massively expand the connections between the insular grid and the UCTE continental grid to increase electricity import and export and prevent the need for energy autarky

more targeted bans on single-use plastics

"give nature a legal personhood" ok grandma let’s get you to bed

§2b/a to local authorities for local small-business decarbonisation

"cease development of new nuclear power stations, as nuclear energy is much more expensive and slower to develop than renewables. we are clear that nuclear is a distraction from developing renewable energy and the risk to nuclear power stations from extreme climate events is rising fast. nuclear power stations carry an unacceptable risk for the communities living close to facilities and create unmanageable quantities of radioactive waste. they are also inextricably linked with the production of nuclear weapons. green MPs will campaign to phase out existing nuclear power stations." because some people just can't let go of the seventies. nuclear is good. nuclear is our friend

invest in r&d to find solutions to decarbonise 'residual' carbon in the economy, such as HGVs or mobile machinery

increase unharvested woodland by 50% (no time frame given), grants to farmers for scrub rewilding, rewet Pete Boggs, make 30% of the EEZ protected waters and ban bottom trawling

§4b/a in skills training to stop gas communities getting Thatchered, prioritising shifting these workers into offshore wind

a.. licensing scheme for all pet animals? you guys sure about that one

regulate animal farming with a goal of banning factory farms, ban mass routine antibiotics, ban cages/close confinement and animal mutilation

ban all hunting including coursing and "game", ban snaring, ban hunt-landscaping such as grouse moors, end the badger cull, mandate licensing of all animal workers with lifetime striking off for cruelty convictions, compulsory hedgehog holes in new fencing, 'push' for 'ending' horse and dog racing [clarification needed], new criminal offences for stealing and harming pets, 'work towards' banning animal testing

🗳️DEMOCRACY

proportional representation for parliament and all councils

abolish voter ID

votes at sixteen

votes for all visa'd migrants

restore the electoral commission's prosecutory powers and remove the cap on fines it can impose on parties

increase Short Money, especially for smaller parties

create a manifest legal category of organisation for think tanks, to allow better enforcement of lobbying and funding restrictions

consider fun new measures for political accessibility such as MP jobsharing and allowing public provision of offices for all parliamentary candidates

🎲OTHER STUFF

Self-ID including nonbinary recognition, including with an X passport marker

"work towards rejoining the eu as soon as the domestic political situation is favourable", join the eea now (with restored free movement)

let local authorities invest shares in sports teams, including professional ones, dividends ringfenced for public sports facilities and coaching

right to die